The pressure of having only 30 seconds left on the clock and needing a takedown to win a match is nothing compared to picking up a phone and trying to talk the person on the other end out of harming themselves or another.

That may seem like a harsh comparison, but it's very realistic for two Case Western Reserve University sophomore wrestlers.

"It could be very analogous to the wrestling world," said Chris Painter. "It's just focused energy and you block out everything else around you. You have a task at hand, regardless if it is getting that tail down to win the match or saving someone's life."

Mike Morgan, from Chesterland, Ohio, and Painter from Pittsburgh, Pa., don't spend their spare time-what little they do have as student—athletes in University Circle—hanging out at trendy spots in Coventry. They travel down Euclid Avenue to the Free Clinic and volunteer twice a week for four hours at a time answering phones for the "Together Hotline".

"They have a lot on their plate, especially with the academic pressure at CWRU-not to mention that they're athletes, another addition most college students don't have," said Hotline Supervisor Vanita Thompson. "To volunteer on top of that is just tremendous. Sometimes there is some downtime here, and I always tell them to study."

This past summer Morgan and Painter, both premed students at CWRU, went through a rigorous five-week training period on crisis intervention. It prepared them to listen and talk to people in emergency situations. The training covers suicide and homicide intervention, mental health diagnosis, sexual assault and domestic violence just to name a few of the topics.

"After training I observed them for six weeks to see how they were on the phone," Thompson said. "Mike and Chris have consistently met every expectation I have had for them. They have had just about every single type of call you could imagine, and they have handled it wonderfully."

Neither the student wrestlers nor their adviser can discuss individual cases, but there certainly have been nights when Morgan and Painter have had some pretty serious situations. Every time they pick up the phone, they never know who or what will be at the other end of the line.

"It's a kind of adrenalin you won't find anywhere else, not even on the wrestling mat," Morgan said. "You're really scared yet really excited, and when it's over and you realize you helped someone who had a real problem, it's pretty fulfilling."

A defining moment

Past experiences have led Morgan, the team's starter at 174 pounds (his record: 1-13), to pursue a premed major at CWRU as well as to volunteer at the Free Clinic. Morgan's undergraduate studies are in biochemistry, and after graduation he will concentrate on pediatric surgery in medical school.

During Morgan's senior year in high school his little brother had a serious accident in the family pool. The younger Morgan took in a large amount of chlorine gas, instantly burning his lungs, and was flown by helicopter to Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital. Luckily, Morgan's brother walked away with non-permanent damage. Morgan himself walked away with something permanent, but not harmful.

"I remember my mom was running around frantic," Morgan said. "I was able to keep my self relaxed and deal with the fact that she was completely scared. I called 911, got him out of the pool and waited for the medics. Ever since then I knew I wanted to help people in some way."

The Together Hotline has bolstered Morgan's desire to get into medicine, and wrestling has helped him keep balanced. A very academically focused athlete, Morgan is not an All-American for the Spartans on the mat, but in the classroom he could be one academically with a 3.7 GPA.

"All the stuff you learn in school-chemistry, biology-that's good, that's fine, it is going to help down the road," Morgan said. "But when you actually do something that applies-now that's a good feeling."

A family first

Painter, who starts at 157 pounds for the Spartans (his record: 1-5), is one of the first in his family to attend college. He is currently studying evolutionary biology with a minor in chemistry. He plans to attend medical school, but at this time is uncertain about what specialty he will go into.

"Neither of my parents went to college, and now I have the potential to go to any med school I want," Painter said. "I know I want to be a doctor, and my heart is set on that. If I had to decide right know, I would say orthopedic surgery, but I really don't know what type yet."

Painter finds similarities between his volunteer work and wrestling. Whether it's walking into the Veale Center and going down the stairs to the wrestling room or walking into the Free Clinic to the centrally located hotline room, they are both alike in some ways.

"It's your own little world for X amount of time," Painter said. "If it's answering phones at the hotline, it's a four-hour shift. If it's wrestling practice, it's two hours. Either way you walk into the room and immerse yourself in the situation."

Like his teammate, Painter's record on the mat may not get him many accolades, but his record in the classroom will. He has a perfect 4.0 GPA. A mark, Painter said is made possible by an understanding coach.

"We are a Division III, highly academic, highly competitive school where sometimes athletics has to take a back seat to academics," Painter said. "That is something I really respect about Coach (Bob) Del Rosa. He understands that."