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Freestyle and Olympic Training

Freestyle and Olympic Training

Opportunities abound for Penn State wrestlers to participate in national and international freestyle and Greco-Roman competition. The University is located in close proximity to several major wrestling clubs which have aided the development of numerous Nittany Lion standouts over the years.

Members of the Penn State coaching staff strongly encourage student-athletes to pursue their goals in the freestyle and Greco-Roman arenas.

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Freestyle and Olympic Training

Penn State boasts a long list of wrestlers who have distinguished themselves in competition around the globe. The program has produced two-time Olympian (2000 & 2004) and five-time U.S. National Champion Kerry McCoy, 2000 Pan-Am gold medalist Matt White, 1996 Olympian and Asian Freestyle Championships gold medalist Sanshiro Abe, 1988 Olympian Ken Chertow, Pan-American Games gold medalist John Hughes, National Freestyle champion Jim Martin, and university freestyle national champions Jeff Prescott, Troy Sunderland, Adam Mariano, John Bove, Dave Hart, Shawn Nelson, Glenn Pritzlaff, Biff Walizer, Marat Tomaev, Jake Strayer and Brad Pataky.

Over the years, Penn State wrestlers have trained and competed throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, South America, Japan, China and Korea.

Olympians

KERRY McCOY

2004 U.S. Olympic Team, 7th (264.5)

Athens, Greece

2000 U.S. Olympic Team, 5th (286),

Sydney, Australia

Sanshiro Abe

1996 Japanese Olympic Team (125.5),

Atlanta, Ga.

KEN CHERTOW

1988 U.S. Olympic Team (114.5),

Seoul, South Korea

KATSUTOSHI NAITO

1924 Japanese Olympic Team, Bronze

(56-61kg), Paris, France

Freestyle and Greco Champions

2010

QUENTIN WRIGHT

University Nationals Champion (84 kg)

2009

BRAD PATAKY

FILA Senior Nationals, 7th place
FILA World Team Trial qualifier

2008

BUBBA JENKINS

FILA Juniors Champion

DESMOND MOORE

FILA Juniors Champion
FILA World Team Trials Runner-Up

BRAD PATAKY

Northeast Regional Champion
Univiversity World Team Trials Champion
University Nationals Champion

2007

BUBBA JENKINS

FILA U.S. Junior National Champion;
FILA Junior World Champion

DAVE RELLA

FILA U.S. Junior National Champion; Junior Pan American Champion (Free; Greco 2nd)

JAKE STRAYER

University National Freestyle Champion
CULTURAL EXCHANGE TOUR, Romania

2005

PHIL DAVIS

NWCA All-American Tour to Ukraine

JAMES YONUSHONIS

NWCA All-American Tour to Ukraine

2004

KERRY McCOY

U.S. Olympic Team Member , 7th (264.5)
U.S. Open Nat. Freestyle Champion (264.5)

CLINT MUSSER

Pan Am Games Silver Medal (163)

2003

KERRY McCOY

U.S. Open Nat. Freestyle Champion (264.5)
World Championships Silver Medal (264.5)
Pan Am Gold Medal (264.5)

MARAT TOMAEV

University Freestyle National Champion (132)

2002

KERRY McCOY

U.S. Open Nat. Freestyle Champion (264.5)
U.S. World Championship Team (264.5)
World Cup Gold Medal (264.5)

JEFF PRESCOTT

Pan Am Silver Medal Freestyle (121)

ROSS THATCHER

Pan Am Bronze Medal Greco (211.75)

JAMES WOODALL

Junior Pan Am Freestyle Champion (69 kg)

2001

KERRY McCOY

U.S. Open Nat. Freestyle Champion (286)
U.S. World Championship Team (286)

JAMES WOODALL

FILA U.S. Junior National Champion (69kg)

JASON WOODALL

FILA U.S. Junior National Champion (69kg)

2000

KERRY McCOY

U.S. Olympic Team Member, 5th (286)
U.S. Open Nat. Freestyle Champion (286)
Pan-American Games Champion (286)
World Cup (Gold medal)

MATT WHITE

Pan-American Games Champion (187.25)
Puerto Rico Champion (187.25)

1999

KERRY McCOY

World Cup (Gold medal); U.S. National team member

1998

Sanshiro Abe

Japanese World Freestyle Team (125.5)

KERRY McCOY

World Freestyle Championships, 4th (286)
U.S. World Team Trials Champion (286)
Goodwill Games Silver Medalist (286)

1997

National Espoir Freestyle Team Championship

Sanshiro Abe

Japanese World Freestyle Team (125.5)

Shad Benton

NE Regional Greco-Roman Champion (156)

Jason Betz

NE Regional Greco-Roman Champion (132)

Ryan Root

NE Regional Greco-Roman Champion (217)

1996

Sanshiro Abe

Japanese Freestyle Olympic Team (125.5)

John Lange

National Espoir Freestyle Champion (163)

Kerry McCoy

South Regional Champion
U.S. Olympic Freestyle Trials (220)

Glenn Pritzlaff

University Freestyle National Champion (163)

Biff Walizer

University Freestyle National Champion (136.5)

1995

SANSHIRO ABE

Asian Freestyle Champion (125.5)
Japanese World Freestyle Team

RUSS HUGHES

University Freestyle Nat. Champion (149.5)

GLENN PRITZLAFF

Nat. Espoir Freestyle Champion (163)
BIFF WALIZER
Nat. Espoir Greco-Roman Champion (136.5)

1994

JOHN HUGHES

University National Champion (149.5)
Pan-American Games Champion (149.5)
NWCA European Tour (149.5)

1993

KERRY McCOY

University Freestyle Nat. Champion (220)
Pan-American Games Champion (220)
Nat. Espoir Greco-Roman Champion (220)

1992

JOHN BOVE

University Freestyle Nat. Champion (114.5)

GREG ELINSKY

U.S. Open Nat. Freestyle Champion (180)

DAVE HART

University Freestyle Nat. Champion (180)

RUSS HUGHES

National Espoir Freestyle Champion (149.5)

SHAWN NELSON

University Freestyle Nat. Champion (125.5)

1991

ADAM MARIANO

National Espoir Freestyle Champion (198)
University Freestyle Nat. Champion (198)

1990

JOHN BOVE

National Espoir Freestyle Champion (114.5)
Nat. Sports Festival Gold Medalist (114.5)

GREG ELINSKY

Pan-American Freestyle Champion (163)

JEFF PRESCOTT

University Nat. Freestyle Champion (125.5)

TROY SUNDERLAND

University Freestyle Nat. Champion (149.5)
National Espoir Freestyle Champion (149.5)
Nat. Sports Festival Gold Medalist (149.5)
World Espoir Freestyle Champion (149.5)