Anoka is a city in and the county seat of Anoka County, Minnesota, United States. Its population was 17,142 at the 2010 census. Anoka is the "Halloween Capital of the World" because it hosted one of the first Halloween parades in 1920. It continues to celebrate the holiday each year with several parades. Anoka is a northern suburb of the Twin Cities. U.S. Highways 10 / 169 and State Highway 47 are three of Anoka's main routes, and it has a station on the Northstar Commuter Rail line to Minneapolis.
Bradley Bert "Brad" Rheingans is an American former Greco-Roman wrestler and professional wrestler. He was a member of the United States' Greco-Roman wrestling teams for the 1976 and 1980 Summer Olympics, as well as winning two gold medals in the 1975 and 1979 Pan American Games and a bronze medal in the 1979 World Wrestling Championships.
Armen Nazaryan is an Armenian Greco-Roman wrestler who later represented Bulgaria. Nazaryan is a two-time Olympic Champion, a three-time World Champion, and a six-time European Champion. After Armenia regained independence in 1991, Nazaryan became the first Olympic gold medalist for the country. He was recognized by the FILA as the best wrestler of the year in 1998 and 2003. In 2007, Nazaryan was inducted as a member of the FILA Hall of Fame.
Dennis William Hall is a Greco-Roman wrestler from Neosho, Wisconsin, United States. Hall was a 10-time US National Champion, a World Champion, and 3-time USA Olympian. He won a silver medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
Briana Collette Scurry is an American retired soccer goalkeeper, and assistant coach of the Washington Spirit as of 2018. Scurry was the starting goalkeeper for the United States women's national soccer team at the 1995 World Cup, 1996 Summer Olympics, 1999 World Cup (champions), 2003 World Cup, and the 2004 Summer Olympic Games. She played in the semi-final and playoff for third place in the 2007 Women's World Cup. She was a founding member of the WUSA, playing three seasons as starting goalkeeper for the Atlanta Beat (2001–2003).
Matthew James Lindland, also known as The Law, is an American retired mixed martial artist, Olympic wrestler, speaker, actor, coach, entrepreneur and politician. He won the Oregon Republican Party's nomination for the Oregon House of Representatives, District 52 seat on May 20, 2008. He also started an apparel company named Dirty Boxer. In mixed martial arts, Lindland competed primarily in the Middleweight division for the UFC, Strikeforce. Affliction, the IFL, Cage Rage, the WFA, and BodogFIGHT.
The Minnesota Golden Gophers are a Division I college wrestling team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They are a member of the Big Ten Conference and NCAA. Wrestling began at the University of Minnesota in 1910, but the first formal dual meet was not until 1921 when coach Frank Gilman led the team to a victory over Wisconsin. The Gophers have won the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships team title three times, in 2001, 2002, and 2007.
Anoka High School is a four-year public high school located in Anoka, Minnesota, United States. It serves grades 9–12 for the Anoka-Hennepin School District 11.
Leslie Lyle Gutches is an American former wrestler and coach. His accomplishments include becoming a World Champion in freestyle wrestling at the 1997 World Wrestling Championships, the Dan Hodge Trophy as the nation's best college wrestler in 1996, becoming the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) champion in the 177 lb. weight division in both 1995 and 1996, earning All-American status in 1994, 1995 & 1996, becoming a member of the 1996 United States Olympics freestyle wrestling team and winning numerous other tournaments and honors.
Steven James Alley is an American former professional ice hockey player who played 105 games in the World Hockey Association for the Birmingham Bulls between 1977 and 1979. He was a member of the famed "Gasline" who led Birmingham into the playoffs in 1978. He became the property of the Hartford Whalers of the National Hockey League after the WHA merged with the NHL in 1979, and made a further 18 NHL appearances in 1979–1981 before retiring from pro hockey.
Jacob Deitchler is a retired American wrestler who won a position on the United States Olympic Greco-Roman wrestling team in 2008. Deitchler, from Ramsey, Minnesota, is a former University of Minnesota wrestler and is only the third wrestler in history to come directly from high school to earn a spot on the United States Olympic Team.
Joe DeMeo was an American wrestling coach. He was the head coach of several United States world teams, and coached Olympic champion Dave Schultz. DeMeo founded the Adirondack Three-Style Wrestling Association which created multiple Greco-Roman champions. He resided in Niskayuna, New York after his retirement.
Lee Dale Allen was an American wrestler and wrestling coach.
John William Bauer is an American cross-country skier. He competed in three Winter Olympics, earning his best finish of 5th in the men's 4 by 10 kilometres relay at the 2002 games.
James "Jim" Martinez is an American wrestler. He was born in Osseo, Minnesota. He was the Olympic bronze medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling in 1984. Martinez did professional wrestling in Minnesota for the American Wrestling Association in 1984. He also won a bronze medal in the 1985 World Championships.
Ellis Coleman is an American wrestler from Chicago who won the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials to compete for the United States team in the Greco-Roman 60 kg competition of Wrestling at the 2012 Summer Olympics at the 2012 Olympics. Coleman overcame challenging life conditions after being enrolled in youth wrestling classes. As a high school senior for Oak Park and River Forest High School finished third in the state wrestling championships. On several occasions, Coleman executed a takedown by jumping over his opponent and grabbing him as he flew over his back. Coleman is sometimes referred to as the Flying Squirrel for this takedown move that he has made famous.
Lauren Zoe Hernandez is an American artistic gymnast. During her debut year as a senior gymnast, she competed as a member of the U.S. women's gymnastics team dubbed the "Final Five" at the 2016 Summer Olympics; Ultimately, the U.S. won gold in the team event. In the individual events, Hernandez earned the silver medal on the balance beam. She returned to training in late 2018 and expressed interest in making a comeback to earn a spot on the U.S. women's gymnastic team for the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, but she did not qualify for the Olympic Gymnastics Trials.
Ercan Yıldız is a retired amateur Turkish Greco-Roman wrestler, who competed in the men's featherweight category. Considered one of Turkey's most prominent wrestlers of his decade, Yildiz has produced a full set of three career medals in different color, including his prestigious gold from the 1997 World Wrestling Championships, and later represented as part of the Turkish team in two editions of the Olympic Games. Before his sporting career ended shortly after the 2004 Summer Olympics, Yildiz trained as a member of the wrestling squad for the Istanbul Metropolitan Sports Club, under his longtime coach Gazi Özbilgin.
Twin City Twisters, commonly shortened to TCT, is an artistic gymnastics facility located in Champlin, Minnesota. A number of elite gymnasts, collegiate gymnasts and Junior Olympics national qualifiers have trained there, including Maggie Nichols, Grace McCallum, and Jessie DeZiel.
Gordy Morgan is an American former wrestler. He wrestled in the 74kg weight class at the 1996 Olympics, finishing ninth, and was a 1990 and 1993–95 world team member. He was a 3-time National Greco-Roman champion. In NCAA competition, he was the 1989 Big Ten champion in the 158 pound class and an NCAA All-American. He was also a 1985 Minnesota State High School champion in the 155 pound class.
