Freshman Phenom Mikey Boulanger Is Giving Duke Wrestling a Spark - and He’s Just Getting Started
DURHAM, N.C. - Mikey Boulanger doesn’t say much - but his wrestling is doing plenty of talking.
The Duke freshman has wasted no time making his presence felt on the mat. Thrust into a starting role in his first year on campus, Boulanger has not only held his own - he’s helping drive one of Duke’s strongest starts in recent seasons.
Through his first 12 bouts, he’s picked up eight wins, good for fifth-most on the team and a major lift in the 157-pound weight class. For a guy who was nearly redshirted, that’s no small feat.
But it was Boulanger himself who helped flip that decision.
“He just came and said that he had thought about taking off the year when he's so close to competing,” head coach Glen Lanham recalled. “He was like, ‘Well if I don't get the rep, somebody else is. So, I just think it would make me better if I'm the starter.’”
That mindset - confident, hungry, and team-first - has defined Boulanger’s early days in Durham. And so far, it’s paying off.
Making an Immediate Impact
Boulanger’s breakout came fast. In Duke’s second dual of the season against Hofstra, the Blue Devils were trailing 14-6 when the freshman stepped up with a crucial 8-2 win over Frank Volpe. That swing match helped spark a rally, with Duke taking four of the next five bouts to seal a 24-17 team win.
But the real coming-out party came the very next day at the Journeymen Collegiate Classic in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Boulanger rolled through his bracket, notching three dominant wins over opponents from Franklin & Marshall, Columbia, and Army by a combined score of 34-8. He walked away with the 157-pound title and a perfect tournament record - the best on the team.
It was a statement performance from a wrestler who, not long ago, was still finding his footing in the sport.
A Late Start, A Rapid Rise
Unlike many collegiate wrestlers who grow up in club programs from a young age, Boulanger didn’t join a wrestling club until eighth grade - during the COVID shutdowns. Before that, wrestling was just a seasonal sport for him, something he did a few months out of the year. But once he got that year-round exposure, his development took off.
“I just really wanted to get back on the mat, so I started going to club practices whenever I could,” Boulanger said. “Before that, [wrestling] was only in season… but then I started going to club and wrestling all year.”
As he grew - both physically and technically - he climbed the weight classes in high school, going from 113 pounds as a freshman to 138 by his junior year. Along the way, he helped Milford High School to back-to-back conference, sectional, and state titles in 2022 and 2023.
Then came a senior season that turned heads. Wrestling at 157, Boulanger went a perfect 55-0 and captured another Massachusetts state championship. That dominant run caught the eye of Duke’s coaching staff - and gave the Blue Devil hopeful a shot at attending the school he’d dreamed of since watching basketball games with his older brother.
Grit, Grind, and Guts
Boulanger’s style on the mat mirrors his mentality: relentless, composed, and always looking for the next point. He’s 4-2 this season in matches decided by seven points or fewer - a testament to his ability to stay in fights and find ways to win.
Two matches in December showed just how gritty he can be. Against Gardner-Webb’s Joseph Giordano, Boulanger found himself trailing 4-3 heading into the final period. Starting in the down position, he pulled off a rare reversal to take the lead - and held on for the win.
Then, two weeks later, he delivered another clutch moment against Appalachian State’s Jeremiah Price. With the match tied 1-1 and the clock ticking down, Boulanger hit a takedown in the final two seconds to seal a 4-1 victory. That kind of late-match composure is rare for a freshman - and it’s quickly becoming his trademark.
“He just competes hard,” Lanham said. “He’s got a couple of things to clean up, but he’s going to wrestle the whole time.
He’s not going to stop. And that’s helped him out in quite a few matches.”
Building Toward Something Bigger
Even with a minor injury that sidelined him during the Norman Duals and kept him out of Duke’s matches against Stanford and Cal Poly, Boulanger has already made a major impact. His 18 team points in the 157-pound slot are already more than Duke managed in that weight class all of last season.
And now that he’s healthy again, he’s gearing up for the heart of ACC competition - with a chance to add even more to that total.
Still, Boulanger isn’t satisfied. He’s focused on refining the details.
“I've been giving up the first takedown and then having to battle back,” he said. “I feel like if I keep my defense better, then I can start opening up the matches more and trying to win by more points.”
That’s the kind of self-awareness and drive that coaches love. And with veteran leaders like Connor Barket, Aiden Wallace, and Gaetano Console helping guide him through the transition to college life, Boulanger has found his footing both on and off the mat.
He even got his first taste of wrestling in Cameron Indoor Stadium this fall - an experience he called “really awesome.” For a kid who grew up watching Duke basketball, it was a full-circle moment.
Now, with ACC play looming and momentum on his side, Boulanger’s poised to keep climbing.
And if you ask Lanham, the freshman’s success isn’t all that complicated.
“He’s just nonstop.”
Duke returns to action Friday, Jan. 30, when they host Virginia at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Expect Boulanger to be right in the middle of it - pushing the pace, scoring points, and proving that he belongs.