Zain Retherford

Last updated

Zain Retherford
Zain Retherford in 2018.png
Retherford in 2018
Personal information
Full nameZain Allen Retherford
Born (1995-05-21) May 21, 1995 (age 28)
Kenosha, Wisconsin, U.S.
Home town Benton, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Height5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Weight65 kg (143 lb)
Sport
CountryUnited States
Sport Wrestling
Event(s) Freestyle and Folkstyle
College team Nittany Lions
Club Nittany Lion Wrestling Club
Coached by Cael Sanderson
Medal record
Men's freestyle wrestling
Representing the Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
World Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2023 Belgrade 70 kg
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2022 Belgrade 70 kg
World Cup
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2019 Yakutsk Team
Pan American Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2023 Buenos Aires 70 kg
Cadet World Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg2012 Baku63 kg
Collegiate Wrestling
Representing the Penn State Nittany Lions
NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2016 New York 149 lb
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2017 St. Louis 149 lb
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2018 Cleveland 149 lb
Big Ten Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg2016 Iowa City149 lb
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg2017 Bloomington149 lb
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg2018 East Lansing149 lb
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg2014 Madison141 lb

Zain Allen Retherford (born May 21, 1995) is an American freestyle wrestler and graduated folkstyle wrestler who competes at 70 kilograms. [1] In freestyle, he is a gold and silver medalist at the World Championships, as well as a Pan-American champion. [2]

Contents

One of the most successful Penn State Nittany Lion wrestlers of all time, Retherford was a two-time Dan Hodge Trophy winner and a three-time NCAA Division I National champion. [3] [4] [5]

Early life and education

Retherford was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Early in life, he moved to Benton, Pennsylvania. He attended Line Mountain Jr./Sr. High School, where he won a state wrestling title as a freshman and took third place as a sophomore. He went on to compile a record of 84–3 before moving to Benton High School in his junior year. As a result of the move, Retherford was declared unable to compete the 2011-12 season. Russ Hughes, his high school coach, states that it was in this time when Retherford started to really focus and grow as a wrestler. As a senior, he compiled an unbeaten record of 47–0 and collected his second Pennsylvania state title. After the season, he became a Cadet World Champion in freestyle at 65-kilograms.

Retherford graduated from high school with a 131–3 record and two PIAA state titles. [6] [7]

College career

Retherford was considered the #3 recruit in the country in 2012. He committed to the Nittany Lions at Penn State University. [8] [9]

2013-14

Retherford had incredible success as a true freshman, going 27–0 in regular season. He made his way to the Big Ten Conference finals to face defending NCAA champion (eventual four-timer) Logan Stieber, whom he lost to by 4 points, making him the runner-up of the tournament. [10] At the NCAA championships, Retherford defeated an unseeded opponent in the first round and also the eleventh and fourteenth seeds before losing to the second-seeded Logan Stieber once again. After losing in the semifinals, he faced and lost to top-seeded Mitchell Port in the consolation semis, ending his run at the tournament and placing fifth, which earned him All-American status. [11]

2014-15

In this season, Retherford chose to redshirt to focus on training and freestyle, placing second at the Junior World Team Trials and fourth at the 2015 Dave Schultz Memorial International. [12] [13]

2015-16

As a sophomore, Retherford moved up to 149-pounds and closed the regular season undefeated with a 26–0 record before the Big Ten's. At the tournament, he defeated the eight and fifth seeds to make his way to the finale. where he downed second-seeded Brandon Sorensen to win the championship. At the NCAA's, he dominated with a technical fall (21-6) to start the tournament, accumulated 3 pins in a row and a major in the finals to close the tournament and claim his first NCAA title. He was named the year's NCAA Most Dominant Wrestler, Penn State Male Athlete of the Year, Big Ten Wrestler of the Year, [14] and received the 2016 Wade Schalles Award for best collegiate pinner. [15]

2016-17

In his junior year, he continued to establish dominance, staying in the top-spot of the division through the regular season. At the Big Ten Championships he downed four opponents with three falls and a technical fall (16-1) to become a two-time Big Ten Champion. At the NCAA Championships, he went 5–0 with four technical falls and a pin at the tournament to claim his second-straight NCAA Championship, making him the seventh Nittany Lion to do so. Due to his efforts, he was named the NCAA and Big Ten Championships Outstanding Wrestler. He ended the season with a 28–0 mark with seventeen pins, seven techs and a major, near to a 90 percent of bonus points in matches.

He then earned the Dan Hodge Trophy award as the most dominant wrestler in NCAA Division I along with that year's NCAA Most Dominant Wrestler and Wade Schalles Award winner [16] for the second time in a row. [14]

2017-18

As a senior, he remained unbeaten at 149-pounds with a 31–0 record. At the Big Ten's, he defeated three ranked wrestlers with two majors and one decision by points to claim his third-straight B1G Championship. At the NCAA Championships, he opened up with a tech (16-1) and a pin before another tech (20-2) in the quarterfinals. In his next two matches he won by decision (10-4 and 6-2), claiming his third-straight NCAA title.

After the season, he became only the fourth person to be awarded the prestigious Dan Hodge Trophy twice. He was also named NCAA Most Dominant Wrestler for the third straight time and Big Ten Wrestler of the Year for the second time. In his four seasons at PSU, he graduated with a 128–3 record (all of his losses coming as a freshman). [17]

Overall, Retherford is a two-time Dan Hodge Trophy winner, three-time NCAA Champion, four-time All-American, three-time Big Ten Champion and four-time Big Ten finalist. [18]

Freestyle career

As a cadet and a junior, Retherford already had prestigious freestyle accomplishments; Cadet World and National champion and three-time Junior National runner-up. [18]

2015

At the Dave Schultz Memorial, Retherford lost to Jordan Oliver in the quarterfinals (2-6). In the repechage matches, he made his way to the third place match by beating Evan Henderson (10-7), Borislav Novachkov (injury default) and Murad Nukhadiev (9-2). In the bronze-medal match, he faced Andrey Kviatkovski, whom he lost to (4-8), placing fourth in his first competition as a senior. [19]

2016

At the US Olympic Team Trials, Retherford defeated James Green (9-2) in the preliminary match and advanced to the quarterfinals, where he faced Logan Stieber, whom he lost to (6-8). In the repechage matches, he downed Jason Chamberlain (7-2), Jayson Ness (6-3) and Jimmy Kennedy (2-2) to place third in the tournament. [20]

2017

At the US Open, Retherford placed third after losing to Jordan Oliver in the semifinals, qualifying for the World Team Trials Tournament. He won the Challenge Tournament and went on to face Frank Molinaro at the wrestle-offs. He won the 2-out-of-3 matches, losing the first one (6-7) and dominantly winning the other two (6-0, 7-4). [21] [22]

Retherford competed at the Spain Grand Prix before the World Championships. He dominated his opponents, not getting scored a single point and winning all of his matches (4-0, TF 11–0, 6–0, TF 10-0). [23]

At the World Championships, Retherford teched (10-0) David Habat in the opening match but subsequently lost to Adam Batirov (4-6), getting eliminated and placing eleventh. [24]

2019

At the Ivan Yarygin Golden Grand Prix, he lost in the opening bout to Gadzhimurad Rashidov (3-4) and got eliminated, placing eighth. [25]

At the US Open, he downed 5 opponents before losing to Yianni Diakomihalis in the finals, this qualified him for the World Team Trials. [26] At the Challenge Tournament, he defeated Dean Heil, Frank Molinaro and Jordan Oliver twice before competing at Final X: Rutgers against Yianni Diakomihalis. [27] In the first match, Retherford beat Diakomihalis 10–4. The second match ended with a lot on controversy; Retherford was down 4-6 when he got a takedown for two points, Diakomihalis ended up earning two more to apparently win the match 8–6, however, there were problems with the scoring and that led to the match being scored 6–6 with an advantage on criteria to Retherford, winning the match and the Final X series. [27] [28]

He once again faced Yianni Diakomihalis in the qualification round of the Grand Prix Yaşar Doğu. He lost the match by points (9-5). [29] He was then scheduled to compete at the Pan American Games, however, he was forced to pull out a week before the event and was replaced by Jaydin Eierman. [30]

Due to the past controversy at Final X: Rutgers, Retherford faced Diakomihalis for the fifth time in their freestyle career in a wrestle-off called Final X: Yianni vs. Zain to determine who was going to represent the United States at the World Championships. [31] He defeated Diakomihalis by two points to one. [27]

Retherford competed at the World Championships weeks after his wrestle-off. He lost a close bout in the first round against Alejandro Valdés (9-10) and was eliminated, placing twenty-sixth. [32]

Retherford competed at the Alan International in Russia. He downed Inar Kettia and Iulian Gergenov (TF 13–2, TF 11-0) prior to losing to Saiyn Kazyryk (4-6), placing seventh. [33]

In his last tournament of 2019, he competed at the prestigious World Cup, where he ended up undefeated at 65 kilograms with four victories, claiming the individual World Cup championship and helping Team USA win the team bronze-medal. [34]

2020

In his first competition of the year, Retherford competed at the Matteo Pellicone RS. He faced Bajrang Punia, whom he lost a close decision (4-5) in the opening round. He went on to place third as he beat Joey McKenna (10-5) and pinned Vasyl Shuptar in the repechage matches. [35]

In an attempt to make his way to the Olympics, Retherford competed at the Pan American Olympic Qualification Tournament. He started strong, winning by technical superiority (10-0) in both of his first two bouts. In the semifinals, he faced Agustín Destribats. Retherford took him down early, however, Destribats was able to adjust and worked his way to the victory by fall, being the first wrestler to get the win in that fashion against Retherford in freestyle competition. In the third-place match, he faced Álbaro Rudesindo, whom he pinned. [36]

Retherford was scheduled to compete at the 2020 US Olympic Team Trials on April 4 at State College, Pennsylvania. [37] However, the event was postponed for 2021 along with the Summer Olympics due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving all the qualifiers unable to compete. [38]

After six months without being able to compete, Retherford returned to the mats against three–time NCAA Division I All-American Alec Pantaleo on September 19 at the NLWC I, [39] whom he outscored 3 points to 2. [40] He then won by technical fall against three–time US National Champion and World Team Member Reece Humphrey on November 24, at the NLWC III. [41] Retherford avenged his loss to Bajrang Punia at the Matteo Pellicone, when he flawlessly defeated him 6–0 at the NLWC IV of December 22. [42]

2021

To start off the year, Retherford defeated Evan Henderson in February at the NLWC V. [43] Retherford competed at the rescheduled 2020 US Olympic Team Trials from April 2 to 3 as the top–seed in an attempt of representing the United States at the 2020 Summer Olympics. [44] He knocked off two–time Pan American Continental champion and 2019 NCAA champion Anthony Ashnault in the first round, but was unexpectedly upset by 2018 US Open champion Joey McKenna by decision. [45] He lost his consolation match against 2021 NCAA champion from Penn State Nick Lee, failing to place. [46]

Retherford bulked up to 70 kilograms for a comeback at the 2021 US World Team Trials on September 11–12, intending to represent the country at the World Championships. [47] After losing in the first round in the hands of Jordan Oliver, Retherford made his way to a third-place finish. [48] He is also a Senior Freestyle World Silver Medalist (70 kg; 2022). [49] [50] 2023 He won the gold medal in the 70 kg weight class at the 2023 World Wrestling Championships in Belgrade. He defeated Iranian wrestler Amir Mohammad Yazdani 8:5 in the final bout. [51]

Freestyle record

Senior Freestyle Matches
Res.RecordOpponentScoreDateEventLocation
2024 US Olympic Team Trials Gold medal icon.svg at 65 kg
Win80–17 Flag of the United States.svg Nick Lee 5–0April 20, 2024 2024 US Olympic Team Trials

Flag of the United States.svg State College, Pennsylvania

Win79–17 Flag of the United States.svg Nick Lee 2–1
Win78–17 Flag of the United States.svg Jesse Mendez3–2April 19, 2024
2023 World Championships Gold medal icon.svg at 70 kg
Win77–17 Flag of Iran.svg Amir Mohammad Yazdani 8–5September 16–17, 2023 2023 World Championships

Flag of Serbia.svg Belgrade, Serbia

Win76–17 Flag of Armenia.svg Arman Andreasyan 7–0
Win75–17 Flag of India.svg Abhimanyu9–2
Win74–17 Flag of Tajikistan.svg Mustafo Akhmedov 4–0
2023 Pan American Championships Gold medal icon.svg at 70 kg
Win73–17 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Connor QuintonFallMay 3–7, 2023 2023 Pan American Continental Championships

Flag of Argentina.svg Buenos Aires, Argentina

Win72–17 Flag of Brazil.svg Vinicius JoaquimTF 12–2
Win71–17 Flag of Puerto Rico.svg Francisco VelazquezTF 10–0
Win70–17 Flag of Argentina.svg Mauricio LoveraFall
2023 US World Team Trials Gold medal icon.svg at 70 kg
Win69–17 Flag of the United States.svg Tyler Berger4–3June 10, 20232023 Final X: Newark

Flag of the United States.svg Newark, New Jersey

Win68–17 Flag of the United States.svg Tyler Berger11–2
2022 World Championships Silver medal icon.svg at 70 kg
Loss67–17 Flag of Japan.svg Taishi Narikuni TF 0–10September 15–16, 2022 2022 World Championships

Flag of Serbia.svg Belgrade, Serbia

Win67–16 Flag of Georgia.svg Zurabi Iakobishvili 7–0
Win66–16 Flag of Armenia.svg Arman Andreasyan 5–0
Win65–16 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Marc DietscheFall
Win64–16 Flag of Germany.svg Kevin HenkelTF 10–0
2022 Tunis Ranking Series Gold medal icon.svg at 70 kg
Win63–16 Flag of Kazakhstan.svg Syrbaz TalgatTF 10–0July 18, 2022 2022 Tunis Ranking Series Flag of Tunisia.svg Tunis, Tunisia
Win62–16 Flag of Tunisia.svg Kossai AjimiTF 11–0
Win61–16 Flag of India.svg Karan MorFall
Win Flag of Turkey.svg Haydar Yavuz INJ
Win60–16 Flag of Kazakhstan.svg Sanzhar KozhanovFall
2022 US World Team Trials Gold medal icon.svg at 70 kg
Win59–16 Flag of the United States.svg Jordan Oliver 4–3June 3, 20222022 Final X: Stillwater

Flag of the United States.svg Stillwater, Oklahoma

Loss58–16 Flag of the United States.svg Jordan Oliver 4–5
Win58–15 Flag of the United States.svg Jordan Oliver 8–3
Win57–15 Flag of the United States.svg Alec Pantaleo 5–2May 21–22, 20222022 US World Team Trials Challenge Tournament

Flag of the United States.svg Coralville, Iowa

Win56–15 Flag of the United States.svg Doug Zapf4–1
2022 Dan Kolov & Nikola Petrov Gold medal icon.svg at 70 kg
Win55–15 Flag of Bulgaria.svg Ramazan Ramazanov10–6February 17–20, 2022 2022 Dan Kolov & Nikola Petrov Tournament Flag of Bulgaria.svg Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria
Win54–15 Flag of Ukraine.svg Yehor MuradyanFall
Win53–15 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Marc DietscheTF 12–2
Win52–15 Flag of Bulgaria.svg Ivan Stoyanov8–0
2021 US World Team Trials Bronze medal icon.svg at 70 kg
Win51–15 Flag of the United States.svg Tyler BergerTF 11–0September 11–12, 2021 2021 US World Team Trials Flag of the United States.svg Lincoln, Nebraska
Win Flag of the United States.svg Alec Pantaleo FF
Win50–15 Flag of the United States.svg Jarrett JacquesTF 10–0
Loss49–15 Flag of the United States.svg Jordan Oliver 2–2
2020 US Olympic Team Trials DNP at 65 kg
Loss49–14 Flag of the United States.svg Nick Lee 4–10April 2, 2021 2020 US Olympic Team Trials Flag of the United States.svg Fort Worth, Texas
Loss49–13 Flag of the United States.svg Joey McKenna 5–8
Win49–12 Flag of the United States.svg Anthony Ashnault 5–1
Win48–12 Flag of the United States.svg Evan Henderson6–2February 23, 2021 NLWC V

Flag of the United States.svg State College, Pennsylvania

Win47–12 Flag of India.svg Bajrang Punia 6–0December 22, 2020 NLWC IV
Win46–12 Flag of the United States.svg Reece Humphrey TF 10–0November 24, 2020 NLWC III
Win45–12 Flag of the United States.svg Alec Pantaleo 3–2September 19, 2020 NLWC I
2020 Pan American Olympic Qualification Bronze medal icon.svg at 65 kg
Win44–12 Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg Álbaro RudesindoFallMarch 15, 2020 2020 Pan American Olympic Qualification Tournament

Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Ottawa, Canada

Loss43–12 Flag of Argentina.svg Agustín Destribats Fall
Win43–11 Flag of Colombia.svg Uber CueroTF 10–0
Win42–11 Flag of Puerto Rico.svg Jose RodriguezTF 10–0
2020 Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series Bronze medal icon.svg at 65 kg
Win41–11 Flag of Ukraine.svg Vasyl Shuptar FallJanuary 15–18, 20202020 Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series Flag of Italy.svg Rome, Italy
Win40–11 Flag of the United States.svg Joey McKenna 10–5
Loss39–11 Flag of India.svg Bajrang Punia 4–5
2019 Alans International Tournament 7th at 65 kg
Loss39–10 Flag of Russia.svg Saiyn Kazyryk4–6December 7–9, 20192019 Alans International Tournament Flag of Russia.svg Vladikavkaz, Russia
Win39–9 Flag of Russia.svg Iulian GergenovTF 11–0
Win38–9 Flag of Russia.svg Inar KetiiaTF 13–2
2019 World Championships 26th at 65 kg
Loss37–9 Flag of Cuba.svg Alejandro Valdés 9–10September 19, 2019 2019 World Championships

Flag of Kazakhstan.svg Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan

2019 US World Team Trials Gold medal icon.svg at 65 kg
Win37–8 Flag of the United States.svg Yianni Diakomihalis 2–1September 2, 20192019 Final X Wrestle-Off: Yianni vs Zain

Flag of the United States.svg Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

2019 Grand Prix Yaşar Doğu 7th at 65 kg
Loss36–8 Flag of the United States.svg Yianni Diakomihalis 5–9July 11–14, 2019 2019 Grand Prix Yaşar Doğu

Flag of Turkey.svg Istanbul, Turkey

Win36–7 Flag of the United States.svg Yianni Diakomihalis 6–6June 7–8, 2019 2019 Final X: Rutgers

Flag of the United States.svg New Brunswick, New Jersey

Win35–7 Flag of the United States.svg Yianni Diakomihalis 10–4
Win34–7 Flag of the United States.svg Jordan Oliver 7–6May 17–19, 20192019 US World Team Trials Challenge Tournament

Flag of the United States.svg Raleigh, North Carolina

Win33–7 Flag of the United States.svg Jordan Oliver 7–6
Win32–7 Flag of the United States.svg Frank Molinaro 6–1
Win31–7 Flag of the United States.svg Dean Heil TF 10–0
2019 US Open Silver medal icon.svg at 65 kg
Loss30–7 Flag of the United States.svg Yianni Diakomihalis 4–6April 24–27, 20192019 US Open National Championships

Flag of the United States.svg Las Vegas, Nevada

Win30–6 Flag of the United States.svg Jaydin Eierman 11–3
Win29–6 Flag of the United States.svg Jayson NessTF 10–0
Win28–6 Flag of the United States.svg Mitch McKeeTF 10–0
Win27-6 Flag of the United States.svg Tristan MoranTF 10–0
Win26–6 Flag of the United States.svg Peter LipariTF 10–0
2019 World Cup Gold medal icon.svg at 65kg
Win25–6 Flag of Japan.svg Daichi Takatani TF 10–0March 16–17, 2019 2019 World Cup Flag of Russia.svg Yakutsk, Russia
Win24–6 Flag of Mongolia.svg Batmagnai BatchuluunTF 10–0
Win23–6 Flag of Iran.svg Morteza Ghiasi 6–1
Win22–6 Flag of Georgia.svg Amiran Vakhtangashvili9–2
2019 Golden Grand Prix Ivan Yarygin 8th at 65 kg
Loss21–6 Flag of Russia.svg Gadzhimurad Rashidov 3–4January 24–27, 2019 Golden Grand Prix Ivan Yarygin 2019

Flag of Russia.svg Krasnoyarsk, Russia

2017 World Championships 11th at 65 kg
Loss21–5 Flag of Bahrain.svg Adam Batirov 4–6August 26, 2017 2017 World Championships

Flag of France.svg Paris, France

Win21–4 Flag of Slovenia.svg David HabatTF 10–0
2017 Spain Grand Prix Gold medal icon.svg at 65 kg
Win20–4 Flag of Iran.svg Vahid AhangariTF 10–0July 15–16, 20172017 Grand Prix of Spain Flag of Spain.svg Madrid, Spain
Win19–4 Flag of France.svg Ilman Mukhtarov6–0
Win18–4 Flag of France.svg Maxime FiquetTF 11–0
Win17–4 Flag of Austria.svg Gabriel Janatsch4–0
2017 US World Team Trials Gold medal icon.svg at 65 kg
Win16–4 Flag of the United States.svg Frank Molinaro 7–4June 10, 20172017 US World Team Trials Flag of the United States.svg Lincoln, Nebraska
Win15–4 Flag of the United States.svg Frank Molinaro 6–0
Loss14–4 Flag of the United States.svg Frank Molinaro 6–7
Win14–3 Flag of the United States.svg Bernard FutrellTF 10–0June 9, 20172017 US World Team Trials Challenge Tournament
Win13–3 Flag of the United States.svg Nick DardanesTF 11–0
Win12–3 Flag of the United States.svg Jaydin Eierman TF 14–2
2017 US Open Bronze medal icon.svg at 65 kg
Win11–3 Flag of the United States.svg Jimmy Kennedy 4–3April 26–29, 20172017 US Open National Championships

Flag of the United States.svg Las Vegas, Nevada

Win10–3 Flag of the United States.svg Evan HendersonTF 10–0
Loss Flag of the United States.svg Jordan Oliver 3–5 (overturned)
Win9–3 Flag of the United States.svg Nick DardanesTF 10–0
Win8–3 Flag of the United States.svg Koby ReyesTF 10–0
c2016 US Olympic Team Trials Bronze medal icon.svg at 65 kg
Win7–3 Flag of the United States.svg Jimmy Kennedy 2–2April 9–10, 2016 2016 US Olympic Team Trials

Flag of the United States.svg Iowa City, Iowa

Win6–3 Flag of the United States.svg Jayson Ness6–3
Win5–3 Flag of the United States.svg Jason Chamberlain7–2
Loss4–3 Flag of the United States.svg Logan Stieber 6–8
Win4–2 Flag of the United States.svg James Green 9–2
2015 Dave Schultz Memorial International 4th at 65 kg
Loss3–2 Flag of Ukraine.svg Andrey Kvyatkovskyy4–8January 29–31, 20152015 Dave Schultz Memorial International

Flag of the United States.svg Colorado Springs, Colorado

Win3–1 Flag of Russia.svg Murad Nukhadiev9–2
Win2–1 Flag of the United States.svg Evan Henderson10–7
Loss1–1 Flag of the United States.svg Jordan Oliver 2–6
Win1–0 Flag of the United States.svg Michael Mangrum7–6

NCAA record

NCAA Championships Matches
Res.RecordOpponentScoreDateEvent
2018 NCAA Championships Gold medal icon.svg at 149 lbs
Win18-2Ronald Perry6-2March 15–17, 2018 2018 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships
Win17-2Troy Heilmann10-4
Win16-2Boo LewallenTF 20-2
Win15-2Alfred BannisterFall
Win14-2Kyle SpringerTF 16-1
2017 NCAA Championships Gold medal icon.svg at 149 lbs
Win13–2Lavion MayesTF 18-2March 16–18, 2017 2017 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships
Win13–2Brandon SorensenFall
Win12–2Alex KocerTF 19-2
Win11–2Jordan LasterTF 16-0
Win10–2Joshua MarucaTF 19-2
2016 NCAA Championships Gold medal icon.svg at 149 lbs
Win9–2Brandon SorensenMD 10-1March 17–19, 2016 2016 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships
Win8-2 Alec Pantaleo Fall
Win7-2Justin OliverFall
Win5-2Pat LugoFall
Win4-2Coleman HammondTF 21-6
2014 NCAA Championships 5th at 141 lbs
Loss3-2Mitchell PortTB 1-3March 21, 20142014 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships
Loss3-1 Logan Stieber 3-7
Win3–0Joey Lazor5-2
Win2–0Edgar Bright3-0
Win1–0Ugi Khishignyam5-0

Stats

SeasonYearSchoolRankWeigh ClassRecordWinBonus
2018Senior Penn State University #1 (1st)14931-0100.00%83.87%
2017Junior#1 (1st)28-0100.00%89.29%
2016Sophomore#1 (1st)34-0100.00%88.57%
2014Freshman#4 (5th)14133-389.47%39.47%
Career126-396.37%75.30%

Awards and honors

2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2014

See also

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Nicholas Raymond Suriano is an American freestyle and folkstyle wrestler who competes at 57 kilograms. In freestyle, he claimed the 2021 Henri Deglane Grand Prix gold medal and the 2021 Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series silver medal. As a folkstyle wrestler, Suriano was the 2022 NCAA Division I national and Big Ten Conference champion at 125 pounds for the Michigan Wolverines, repeating what he accomplished in 2019 at 133 pounds at Rutgers University, where he also was an NCAA finalist in 2018.

Jason Michael Nolf is an American freestyle and former folkstyle wrestler who competes at 74 kilograms. In freestyle, he is a three-time U.S. national champion and a multiple-time medalist in international tournaments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nathan Tomasello</span> American freestyle wrestler

Nathan Khalid Tomasello is an American freestyle and graduated folkstyle wrestler who competes at 57 kilograms. In freestyle, Tomasello has medaled at multiple national and international competitions, most notably the Alexander Medved Prizes, Bill Farrell Memorial, and US Nationals. In college, he was an NCAA champion in 2015, a four–time Big Ten Conference champion, and a four–time All–American for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Roman Guillermo Bravo-Young is a Mexican-American freestyle and graduated folkstyle wrestler who competes at 57 kilograms. In freestyle, he is qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics, and has won multiple international tournaments while representing Mexico, where he is a two-time National champion.

Jordan Michael Oliver is an American professional mixed martial arts fighter and former freestyle and folkstyle wrestler who competes in the featherweight division of Bellator MMA.

Final X: Rutgers was an amateur wrestling event produced by USA Wrestling and FloSports held on June 7-8, 2019 at the Rutgers Athletic Center in Piscataway, New Jersey.

Vitali Orujov is an American freestyle and former folkstyle wrestler who competes at 61 kilograms. In freestyle, he was the 2023 World Champion, Pan American champion and US National champion.

Joseph Christopher McKenna is an American freestyle and graduated folkstyle wrestler who competes at 65 kilograms. In freestyle, he is a two-time Pan American Continental champion, multiple-time Grand Prix medalist, and a U23 World medalist and US National champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gabe Dean</span> American wrestler (born 1994)

Gabriel Curtis Dean is an American retired freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestler and graduated folkstyle wrestler who formerly competed at 86 kilograms. In freestyle, he was the 2020 US National Champion, a '17 Pan American Championship medalist, and a '14 Junior World Championship medalist. He was also the '15 Pan American Championship runner–up in Greco-Roman. As a collegiate wrestler, Dean was a two–time NCAA Division I champion, a four–time EIWA Conference champion, and a four–time NCAA Division I All-American for the Cornell Big Red.

Nicholas Boone Lee is an American freestyle and former folkstyle wrestler who competes at 65 kilograms. In freestyle, he is a Pan American champion and a US National champion.

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