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Eldred fights for a little BSU respect
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Michael Eldred leads the life of a fairly ordinary Boise State student. The 21-year-old Fruitland native has simple academic dreams like any other collegian. He is a junior in Engineering and commutes on a daily basis from Fruitland to attend classes at the BSU campus.
Outside the classroom Eldred isn’t just an average BSU student, however. He is a national judo champion and one day hopes to use his craft on the Olympic stage. March 25 Eldred won the Collegiate Judo National Championship in Miami, Fla.
In January he took second in the 73 kg weight class at the British Open tournament in London.
“When I first started I started because my brothers were doing it,” Eldred said about his start in the world of judo. “It was more of just recreational – local. In high school I started competing nationally and internationally. That’s what I’m doing now.”
During the summer months he travels to Japan. Over the past few years Eldred spent a month training each summer with some of Japan’s best judo masters. All the preparation goes to helping him maintain his current No. 3 ranking in the country.
“It’s more of a known sport there,” Eldred said about the benefits of training in Japan. “Everyone knows about it. There’s a lot more guys doing it.”
If things go as planned Eldred will compete in the 2008 Olympic trials, which involves the top eight senior competitors in the country fighting for one Olympic spot.
“That’s what is tough about it,” Eldred said. “You can’t be injured at the time. You’ve got to have a good day.”
Senior competitors are typically classified as anyone over the age of 19 years old with no maximum age limit – although Eldred said most men stop competing in their early 30s.
Aldred did say he hopes to make a run at garnering the one Olympic qualifying spot in 2008 but feels he could be ready to compete for an Olympic medal by 2012. All the while he will also be trying to finish his college degree.
“It’s tough because I have to train and drive and travel,” Eldred said. “A lot of it’s missing class – usually Mondays and Fridays because the tournaments are on the weekends. If I go to Europe I have to leave Thursday or Wednesday.”
However, Eldred has been at Boise State for three years and said he hasn’t had too many problems balancing his judo career and school thus far.
“Most of [my professors] have been okay with it as long as I tell them in advance,” Eldred said.
Eldred’s most recent success at the Collegiate Championships came in a one-day tournament format on the campus of Florida International University. Eldred overpowered a field of 20 competitors to take home the collegiate judo crown. He defeated Takeshi Young of San Jose State in the final round using a triangle choke.
“There’s basically four ways to win,” Eldred said. “You can arm bar, choke, pin or throw a person. That’s all we do at that competition.”
Along with going undefeated at the tournament Eldred was also honored with the Jeremy Glick Sportsmanship award. Glick was a collegiate judo national champion in 1993 and was on United Airlines flight 93 on September 11, 2001.
Eldred’s next competition comes at the Senior Nationals Tournament on the Florida International campus, April 19-21.
Eldred still leads the life of an ordinary BSU student – except for when fighting to put Boise State on the map as home of a national judo champion.
Jake Garcin
