Since Dec. 18, winning matches, qualifying for states, and winning team titles have lost a lot of importance for members of the Medomak Valley wrestling team.

That was the day sophomore wrestler Stephen Michaud went down in a heap and landed on his head while grappling with an opponent in a regular season home match against Lincoln Academy in Waldoboro.

“I wasn’t 100 percent sure something was wrong until they started hollering,” said first-year varsity coach Phil Genthner. “He had a bear hug on the other kid and they were jockeying around. The other kid kind of slipped his arm up around his head and went back for the trip and when they went down, Steve just hit on his forehead.

“It was a freak injury. I don’t know how else to explain it.”

Michaud’s opponent in the 215-pound weight class match immediately sensed something was wrong and didn’t move, despite the fact he and Michaud were tangled together in a heap on the mat.

“It was a lucky thing that the kid reacted the way he did. Most kids would have immediately thrown the other guy off and gotten up,” said Medomak Valley athletic director Doug Libby, who retired as the school’s wrestling coach last year after 30 seasons.

“He must have lied there for 15 minutes, but his instincts were right,” Libby added.

Michaud damaged his spinal cord and was partially paralyzed. He was transported to Penobscot Bay Medical Center in Rockport and later airlifted to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, where he is currently being treated.

Initially, Michaud was unable to move his arms or legs, but has improved considerably.

“He’s in very good spirits. From day one, he’s told me he’s going to walk out of there. I saw him Sunday and he was pretty decent,” Genthner said. “He looked a lot better than last time I saw him because he had the flu with a fever.

“He’s still got some fluid in his legs, but he can move his arms and he’s using the bathroom on his own now. He still has some swelling in his back, I think.”

The son of Tammie and Steve Sr. has been going through regular physical therapy, and he told his coach he plans to attend Saturday’s state championship matches at the Bangor Auditorium.

“He’s waiting to get the doctor’s OK, but he’s already got a nurse all set up to bring him in and help him out,” said Genthner, who wrestled at Gardiner High School and has been coaching the sport for 15 years.

Michaud’s mother has already told her son he won’t be resuming his wrestling career.

“I don’t blame her. I’m trying to talk him into being a manager next year because the poor kid’s had it rough with us,” Genthner said. “Last year, he broke his ribs wrestling and this year he hurt his knee. And just after he came back, this happened. He’s a tough kid.”

The Medomak Valley community has been galvanized by Michaud’s injury and has been raising money for the family through bottle drives, public suppers, raffles, and proceeds from concession sales at sporting events as well as simple donations. So far, more than $1,000 has been raised at last count, according to Libby.

“The state wrestling association has put up a request for donations on its Web site and we’re trying to help them out as much as possible,” said Libby.

Donations to the Stephen Michaud Fund can be sent to Medomak Valley High School, 320 Manktown Road, Waldoboro, ME, 04572-5816, care of or attention to Doug Libby.

Scholarships for asthmatics

Schering/KEY, the pharmaceutical marketing unit of the New Jersey-based Schering-Plough Corporation, has announced a significant increase in scholarship grants to its annual Will to Win Asthma Athlete Scholarships Program.

The money available to student-athletes has nearly tripled from $35,000 last year to $100,000 in 2002, the 18th year of the program. The money will be awarded to 11 high school seniors who have excelled in athletics in spite of having asthma. The grand prize winner will receive a $20,000 award with four others receiving $12,500 each and six recipients getting $5,000 apiece. Information and applications can be obtained by calling 1-800-558-7305 or logging on to the company’s Web site at www.thewilltowin.org. Deadline for entries is April 30 and winners will be notified in June.

Andrew Neff’s High school report is published each Wednesday. He can be reached at 990-8205, 1-800-310-8600 or aneff@bangordailynews.net.