On Sunday, Dec. 30, Mike Roberts accomplished a previously unaccomplished feat, beating the undefeated, top-ranked wrestler in the country.

“Mike wrestled off the charts,” said BU coach Carl Adams. “He’s always been close with top-level wrestlers, but he was never able to get over the hump. Now, he’s done more than that with a win over the top in the country.”

Roberts is a little more modest.

“[The win] felt pretty good,” he said. “I wish that [match] was [in] the NCAA Tournament instead, but it was great — a reality check to tell me I could be up there against the best guys in the country.”

The unranked Roberts claimed a 3-2 decision over No. 1 Dustin Schlatter (University of Minnesota) at the Southern Scuffle at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. Schlatter, the 2006 NCAA champion as a true freshman, won four state championships while in high school.

“That kid was a really big deal, so it was a big win,” said BU sophomore Dimitri Laurent. “That really put Mike Roberts on the map. It opened a lot of people’s eye to how good he is.”

So how did the unheralded Roberts, an upstate New York native, evolve into the Division I wrestler that beat the nation’s best? It started early.

“When I was younger, I wanted to do everything my older brother did,” Roberts said. “He wrestled, so I went with him and I started wrestling too.”

And with that, Roberts’ career began. But in his younger years, he wasn’t focused solely on wrestling.

“I played every sport when I was younger,” Roberts said. “I even played basketball for a year. But I wasn’t very good.”

By high school, Roberts narrowed his interests to three sports: wrestling, lacrosse and football. He eventually quit lacrosse, and by senior year he was a two-sport athlete.

“I chose wrestling because I liked it a lot,” he said. “It’s you versus another person. You aren’t only trying to physically beat someone, but you have to mentally out-smart them. I think it is the best sport in the world.”

By the end of high school, Roberts was wrestling year-round and grabbed the attention of several colleges. He chose BU because of the city atmosphere and his respect for the program.

One year after being redshirted as a freshman, Roberts struggled to maintain the requisite weight level.

“When I came here I was at 141 pounds, but then I got bigger and had to go up a class. I found it was hard to make weight,” said Roberts, who is currently competing in the 149-pound weight class.

He also experienced challenges off the mat, such as the difficulty of being a Division-I athlete at a private four-year university.

“It is pretty tough. It’s like having a full-time job on top of taking a full course load,” he said. “It takes a while to get used to. I know my GPA was pretty low in the beginning, but it has steadily increased. Also, BU isn’t a sports school, so sometimes the professors don’t give you a break when you need it. But after four years, I think I’ve finally gotten the hang of it.”

As with academics, Roberts has grown tremendously as a wrestler over the past four years.

“Obviously, his technique and abilities have improved,” said BU senior Joey Whitaker. “Mike has always been a dedicated and self-motivated individual, so the biggest change is his technique from practicing day-in and day-out.”

“I am still learning things every day, but I have been wrestling so long it’s just kind of instinct now,” Roberts said.

By the end of his sophomore year, Roberts’ progress in the gym and attitude toward his teammates were rewarded when Adams named him co-captain along with Whitaker.

“Wrestling is a sport that requires a huge amount of dedication,” Whitaker said. “Coach recognizes that both of us were willing to do what it takes to excel and motivate others.”

Other teammates have also noticed the effect Roberts has on the team.

“[Roberts] is definitely a leader,” said sophomore teammate Abbie Rush. “He is willing to teach as well as lead by example. Along with coming in to do extra work, he is willing to help in the classroom. He really looks out for us. Mike is a hard worker who is willing to do whatever needs to be done.”

Roberts’ development culminated in the Dec. match that put him on the map.

“I was little nervous going into it, and I don’t normally get nervous before a match,” he said. “But I’ve been wrestling people my whole life at the national level, so I’m used to matches like that. I just talked to my coaches before hand about what I had to do — and I did it.”

Roberts’ teammates said they knew how much the win meant.

“The win was big for him as an individual, but it also let us know that we could do what we set out to do,” Rush said. “It told us that we can beat the best in the country.”

“When we achieve at that level, it makes things seem possible for everyone on the team,” Adams said. “It was big for our program.”

Roberts said he is proud of his accomplishment, but isn’t looking too far ahead.

“I have no idea what I’ll be doing in five years, but I’m not really worried about it right now,” he said. “I do know for the next two-and-a-half years I’ll be in school still.”

Roberts said he plans on earning a Masters degree in economics at BU after graduating in May. He said he will continue wrestling next year, but he will be ruled ineligible in his second year of graduate school.

“I can’t even imagine not wrestling,” he said. “Right now I never have any free time to do anything. Joey and I always said we should go to grad school so we could be like actual college students.”

For now, his mission is simple.

“Just go and do the same thing I’ve done lately,” Roberts said. “Just keep winning.”