Zeke Jones

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Zeke Jones
Personal information
Full nameLarry Lee Jones
BornDecember 2, 1966 (1966-12-02) (age 58)
Ypsilanti, Michigan, U.S.
Home town Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.
Sport
CountryUnited States
Sport Wrestling
Event(s) Freestyle and Folkstyle
College team Arizona State
Club Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club
TeamUSA
Coached by Bobby Douglas
Medal record
Men's freestyle wrestling
Representing the Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
Olympic Games
Olympic rings.svg
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 1992 Barcelona 52 kg
World Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1991 Varna 52 kg
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 1995 Atlanta 52 kg
Pan American Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1995 Mar del Plata 52 kg
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 1991 Havana 52 kg
Collegiate Wrestling
Representing the Arizona State Sun Devils
NCAA Division I Championships
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg1990 College Park118 lb

Larry Lee "Zeke" Jones (born December 2, 1966) is an American wrestler and coach. He won a silver medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics, a World Championship in 1991, and was the former freestyle head coach of USA Wrestling. He is currently the head coach of the Arizona State University Wrestling team.

Contents

Early life and college

Jones was born in Ypsilanti, Michigan. He started wrestling under the influence of his brother Johnnie, a two-time junior college national champion for Schoolcraft Junior College and later a wrestler on Iowa State's national runner-up team in 1976. He was citywide champion at Scarlett Junior High School, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he was coached by James Bryant.

In high school, he amassed a 111-6 record, finishing 2nd and 1st in the Michigan High School State Championships in 1984 and 1985 competing for Huron High School in Ann Arbor, Michigan. In high school he was coached by Tom Davids and Ernie Gillum. He was a three-time High School All-American at the Junior National Championships and was named Dream Team All-American selection by Wrestling USA Magazine in 1985. Jones was named to the Huron High School Hall of Fame in 2002.

Jones signed with Bobby Douglas and Arizona State Sun Devils in 1985. He compiled a 139-21 record and garnering three All-American honors at the NCAA's, three Pac-10 championships, Midlands Title, and was an NCAA finalist his senior year.

Senior level

Jones was an Olympic silver medalist, 1991 World Champion, six-time U.S. national freestyle champion, four-time World Cup champion, Pan American Games champion, and received the "World's Most Technical Wrestler Award" awarded by FILA, the international governing body for the sport during his career. In 2005, he was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member.

Coaching career

Jones served as the head coach of the 2012 US Olympic freestyle wrestling team. His first college coaching position was an assistant coach at Bloomsburg University, Arizona State University and West Virginia University before becoming the head coach at the University of Pennsylvania in 2005. In April 2014 he was hired as the head coach for the Arizona State Sun Devils. In 2008, he accepted the head coach position for the United States freestyle wrestling team with USA Wrestling at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. [1]

References

  1. "Zeke Jones Announces Resignation". Pennathletics.com. Penn Athletics.