Category: Wrestling

Best photos of Iowa’s Spencer Lee at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games

Spencer Lee is one match away from Gold. His best photos in Paris so far.

Spencer Lee, an Iowa Hawkeyes wrestling legend, is going for the gold medal on Friday, Aug. 9, in the 57 kg men’s freestyle.

Lee will battle Japan’s Rei Higuchi in the finals for the gold medal. Higuchi is a 2022 World champion and 2023 World bronze medalist who won a silver medal in the 2016 Olympic Games.

Lee rolled into the gold-medal finals with a 14-4 technical fall victory over No. 7 seed Gulomjon Abduallaev of Uzbekistan. A pair of takedowns followed by two turns gave Lee a huge early lead at 8-0 over Abduallaev.

Lee didn’t look back from there, securing the technical fall with one final takedown to secure the final 14-4 margin.

Lee won his first two matches on Thursday morning, stopping Wanhao Zou of China, 3-2, then getting a 12-2 technical fall over Bekzat Almaz Uulu of Kyrgyzstan.

During his decorated career with the Hawkeyes, Lee was a three-time NCAA champion.

Now, Lee has the chance to join another illustrious list of Hawkeye greats. The Murrysville, Pa., native is already set to become the 11th Hawkeye wrestler to win an Olympic medal.

But, with a gold-medal victory over Higuchi on Friday, Lee would become just the sixth Hawkeye ever to win Olympic gold in wrestling. Lee would join Ed and Lou Banach, Tom Brands, Randy Lewis and Terry McCann upon that mountaintop.

Lee would be the first to do so since 1996 when Brands won gold.

As Lee gears up for the gold-medal match versus Japan’s Higuchi, here’s a look at his best photos in the Paris Games.

Iowa wrestling legend Spencer Lee advances to Olympic semifinals

Gold is within Spencer Lee’s reach.

The Iowa Hawkeyes are shining bright on the biggest stage in the world. They are making their presence known in Paris at the 2024 Olympics and Spencer Lee, the Iowa wrestling legend, just made his mark.

Spencer Lee is onto the Olympic Wrestling semifinals after two wins in a row. In the round of 16, Lee took down China’s Zou Wanhao by a score of 3-2.

He followed that performance up with an even more impressive win in the quarterfinals. He marched past Kyrgyzstan’s Almas Uulu with a 12-2 victory to secure a spot in the semis.

Up next for Spencer Lee is a semifinal matchup with Gulomjon Abdullaev of Uzbekistan which is set to take place around 11:15 a.m. CT with a spot in the championship match on the line.

Taking the mat under the bright lights is nothing new for Spencer Lee. While at Iowa, he amassed a career record of 98-6. He won the Big Ten Championships three times (2020, 2021, 2023) and took home first place in the NCAA Division I Championships three times (2018, 2019, 2021) in the 125-pound weight class.

Lee also has experience on the international stage. He won the U17 World Championship in 2014, the U20 World Championships in 2015 and 2016, and the 2024 Pan American Championship in 2024.

Lee is one win away from a chance at the gold medal but is also still very much in contention for the podium pending the results of his next match as just four wrestlers remain.

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Nebraska wrestlers win medals at Pan-American Championships

Incoming freshman Camden McDanel won his second-straight gold medal at the 2024 Pan-American Championships in Lima, Peru, in the 97 kg division. 

A Nebraska wrestler has won another international competition. Incoming freshman Camden McDanel won his second-straight gold medal at the 2024 Pan-American Championships in Lima, Peru, in the 97 kg division.

McDanel is one of six newcomers for the Cornhuskers 2024-25 team. He would finish the tournament 3-0 and outscored his opponents 30-0 to earn the victory.

He helped the USA wrestling team sweep the event, with all ten wrestlers winning gold medals. The incoming freshman won via three straight technical falls.

Another newcomer, LJ Araujo, would earn the bronze medal in the 79 kg division, competing for his father’s home country of Brazil. It was the first international medal for the four-time North Dakota state champion.

LJ Araujo – Bronze (79kg)

  • Quarterfinals: Loss to Zackary Ryder (USA)
  • Consolation: Defeated Hector Hernandez Castillo (ECU)
  • Third-Place Match: Defeated Dario Cubas Castillo (PERU)

Camden McDanel – Gold (97kg) 

  • Round 1: Bye
  • Round 2: Forfeit win over Alex Ortiz (PUR)
  • Quarterfinals: Defeated Tejvir Dhinsa (CAN)
  • Semifinals: Defeated Gabriel Garibaldi (ARG)
  • Finals: Defeated Tejvir Dhinsa (CAN)

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Ben Kueter temporarily stepping away from Iowa football to focus on wrestling dreams

Good luck, Ben!

Ben Kueter decided that Iowa wrestling needed his full attention in order to achieve the championship aspirations that he and the program are both seeking.

In a message on X, Kueter revealed his decision to temporarily step away from Iowa football and focus on Hawkeye wrestling for the next 10 months.

“First off, I would like to thank Coach Wallace and Coach Ferentz for letting me live out a dream of mine. Coach Wallace is the reason I chose to play football at Iowa. Secondly, I would like to thank my football brothers for making this last year so enjoyable. I’ve made bonds with those guys that will last a lifetime.

“With that being said, I would like to announce that I will be transitioning to just wrestling for the next 10 months in order to win a World title, NCAA title and a NCAA team title. To meet these goals will require my full attention for the next 10 months, but this is not the end of my football career. I will start back up in spring ball. Thank you to the best fans in the world and GO HAWKS!” Kueter wrote on X.

Kueter, a blue-chip football signee in Iowa’s 2023 signing class, is also one of the state’s most decorated wrestlers of all time.

A product of Iowa City High, Kueter was a four-time undefeated state champion, posting a 111-0 high school mark with 74 career pins and 105 career bonus-point wins. Kueter was the seventh in the history of Iowa high school wrestling to accomplish that feat.

Kueter was the 2023 Iowa Class 3A Dan Gable Mr. Wrestler of the Year and the 2023 Bob Steenlage Iowa High School Wrestler of the Year. He was the firth Iowa high-schooler to win a Junior world wrestling title and the fourth from Iowa City High to do so.

Kueter was a Freestyle Junior World Champion at 97 kg and a Freestyle Under-20 Pan American Champion at 97 kg.

Kueter finished with a 3-1 record, including a 2-1 record against ranked opponents during his first season in Iowa City. Kueter’s lone defeat came against No. 1 Greg Kervliet of Penn State.

The 6-foot-3, 285 pounder topped then-No. 29 Bennet Tabor of Minnesota and then-No. 11 Konner Doucet of Oklahoma State by decisions. Kueter pinned Northwestern’s Jack Jensen in 45 seconds.

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WWE legend Goldberg calls Coach Prime ‘one of the best human beings’

Wrestler Bill Goldberg and Deion Sanders reflected on their time as teammates on the Atlanta Falcons. Prime now coaches the wrestler’s son.

Goldberg is better known today for his WCW and WWE dominance, his long record of undefeated wrestling, and his Spear and Jackhammer moves. However, some of his early bouts didn’t happen in the ring—they were in the Atlanta Falcons locker room alongside another living legend.

Well Off Media posted a video from a Colorado Buffaloes barbecue with Goldberg chatting with Deion Sanders, a former teammate of Da Man when the two played on the Falcons in the early 90s. Sanders said teammates would wrestle in the locker room every Friday, with Prime being the promoter of sorts.

“I used to always say, ‘Who wants Goldberg!?'” Sanders exclaimed with emphasis and laughter, “Nobody wanted him.”

“I guess I have to give him 100% credit for me being a professional wrestler,” Goldberg responded.

Bill Goldberg, better solely by his last name in the ring, was a defensive tackle who made an All-SEC team at Georgia and was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams. He didn’t play a snap for LA but suited up for the Falcons over 14 games from 1992-94.

Even then, his ferociousness and aggression shined. Sanders said that once, while defending a punt return, Goldberg sprinted from one sideline to the other, slamming into a person so hard he earned a fine of $10,000 — “Which was basically three of my checks,” Goldberg added.

“That shows you that it doesn’t matter who or what you are. It matters what you stand for,” he said.

Now, his son Gage Goldberg is at Colorado, joining the Buffaloes as a preferred walk-on. He played linebacker and tight end at Boerne-Champion High School in Texas.

The elder Goldberg is ecstatic that Coach Prime will be at the helm: “I love him like a brother. And now he’s taking care of my boy,” Goldberg said. “I couldn’t be more appreciative and blessed because this is one of the best human beings that God ever built.”

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USA TODAY High School Sports Awards unveils Boys Wrestler of the Year nominees

High school stars on the wrestling mat from the 2023-24 season

Next up on the mat are 25 talented wrestlers who make up the 2023-24 ALL-USA TODAY HSSA roster.

Each will now have the chance to be named the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards Boys Wrestler of the Year in August. 

Ahead of the highly anticipated awards show showcasing athletes from 35 different high school sports, here is the ALL-USA TODAY HSSA Boys Wrestling Team.

A massive congratulations to each of these talented athletes …

West Bend West junior Cole Mirasola raises two fingers after repeating as a state champion, this time at the 285 weight class after winning last year at 195.

Sawyer Bartelt, 215, South Dade High School (Florida) — SR

Bo Bassett, 138, Bishop McCort High School (Pennsylvania) — SO

Ethan Birden, 160, Dublin Coffman High School (Ohio) — SR

Marcus Blaze, 126, Perrysburg High School (Ohio) — JR

Ben Davino, 132, Sr. Charles East High School (Illinois) — SR

PJ Duke, 160, Minisink Valley High School (New York) — JR

Angelo Ferrari, 175, Melissa High School (Texas) — SR

Jax Forrest, 126, Bishop McCort High School (Pennsylvania) — SO

Koy Hopke, 285, Amery High School (Wisconsin) — SR

Dillan Johnson, 285, Joliet Catholic Academy (Illinois) — SR

Anthony Knox, 120, Saint John Vianney High School (New Jersey) — JR

Rune Lawrence, 195, Frazier High School (Pennsylvania) — SR

LaDarion Lockett, 152, Stillwater High School (Oklahoma) — JR

Brock Mantanona, 152, Palm Desert High School (California) — SR

Seth Mendoza, 126, Mt. Carmel High School (Illinois) — JR

Cody Merrill, 285, Gilroy High School (California) — JR

Connor Mirasola, 195, West High School (Wisconsin) — SR

Cole Mirasola, 220, West High School (Wisconsin) — SR

Kollin Rath, 145, Bethlehem Catholic High School (Pennsylvania) — SR

Landon Robideau, 150, St. Michael-Albertville High School (Minnesota) — JR

Navarro Schunke, 285, Brandon Valley High School (South Dakota) — SR

Luke Simcox, 144, Central Mountain High School (Pennsylvania) — SR

Aeoden Sinclair, 195, Milton High School (Wisconsin) — SR

Gage Wright, 175, Parkersburg South High School (West Virginia) — SR

Daniel Zepeda, 138, Gilroy High School (California) — JR

From the HSSA

Nominees for both the regional and national programs are posted as they are selected. Regional nominees represent the best in their respective areas, while national nominees are  recognized as the top high school athletes nationwide.

Sign up for email updates for your region or nationally to keep up with nominee selections, the awards programs and special announcements.

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Best photos of Aaron Brooks at the U.S. wrestling Olympic trials

Check out some of the best photos of Aaron Brooks winning his spot on the U.S. national wrestling team heading to the Olympics this summer.

It was a monumental weekend in Happy Valley for Penn State wrestling star [autotag]Aaron Brooks[/autotag]. Brooks scored one of the most surprising upsets of the weekend’s U.S. national wrestling trials to earn a spot on the national team heading to the Paris 2024 Olympics this summer when he topped fellow former Nittany Lion, and defending gold medalist, [autotag]David Taylor[/autotag] on the mat in a best-of-three series.

Brooks is coming off a fourth consecutive NCAA title and will now have a shot at Olympic gold. Taylor will still be on the U.S. National Team as the trials runner-up, but his path to defending his gold is trickier than most anticipated.

Here are some of the best photos from Brooks’ run to the U.S. trials victory this weekend in the Bryce Jordan Center. Next stop, Paris!

Penn State wrestling alums to represent Team USA at Paris 2024 Summer Olympics

It should be no surprise that the U.S. national wrestling team heading to the Olympics this summer will have these former Nittany Lions leading the way.

Penn State wrestling will be well-represented at this summer’s Olympic games in Paris, France. On Saturday, the United States wrestling team trials were held in the Bryce Jordan Center in University Park, home to Penn State’s dominant national championship wrestling program, and some familiar faces battled on the mat for spots in the Olympics.

The biggest storyline was [autotag]Aaron Brooks[/autotag] pulling an upset of Olympic gold medalist [autotag]David Taylor[/autotag] in a battle of former Nittany Lion standouts in the 84 kg trials.

While Brooks cemented his spot on the roster, Taylor will also be on the U.S. National Team as well as the trials runner-up.

Taylor and Brooks will be joined in Paris by some fellow Penn State products. [autotag]Kyle Dake[/autotag] (74 kg) came out on top of former Nittany Lion [autotag]Jason Nolf[/autotag] for a spot on the team, but Nolf will also be on the Team USA roster after finishing in second place.

A fifth member of the Penn State wrestling family will be making plans to head to Paris as well. [autotag]Kyle Snyder[/autotag] (97 kg) picked up a win in his trials over Isaac Trumble to secure a spot on the U.S. national team.

A handful of others from the Penn State family kept their Olympic dreams alive as well. [autotag]Zain Retherford[/autotag] (65 kg) will have a chance to qualify for the Paris Games in May. [autotag]Nick Lee[/autotag], who lost to Retherford, earned a spot on the U.S. team thanks to his second-place finish. [autotag]Mitchell Mesenbrink[/autotag] (74 kg) took third place in the trials and earned a spot on the U.S. national team.

The Paris 2024 Olympics are set to begin on July 26 in Paris, France. Wrestling events will begin on August 5 and run through August 11. The world is about to get a dose of Penn State wrestling up close and personal.

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Penn State wrestling clinches 11th NCAA national title under Cael Sanderson

Death, taxes, and Penn State winning a national championship in college wrestling.

Add another national title to the books for Penn State’s wrestling program. The Nittany Lions clinched the NCAA team national championship with a strong showing in the semifinals on Friday, going a perfect 6-0 in semifinal matches at the NCAA national championships.

Penn State sits in first place with 148.0 points after Friday’s semifinal matches. Michigan is in second place with a point total of 65.5, and Iowa is in third with 65.0 points. This marks Penn State’s third consecutive team national title under head coach Cael Sanderson, and its 11th in the past 13 seasons. This is Penn State’s 12th all-time national championship for the wrestling team.

[autotag]Beau Bartlett[/autotag] (141 lb), [autotag]Levi Haines[/autotag] (157 lb), [autotag]Mitchell Mesenbrink[/autotag] (165 lb), [autotag]Carter Starocci[/autotag] (174 lb), [autotag]Aaron Brooks[/autotag] (197 lb), and [autotag]Greg Kerkvliet[/autotag] (285 lb) all will compete for individual national titles on Saturday.

Penn State has also had eight wrestlers named all-americans, bringing the school’s all-time total to 254.

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Nebraska wrestler Ridge Lovett wins Big Ten individual title

Nebraska’s Ridge Lovett won his first Big Ten title on Sunday afternoon.

Nebraska Cornhuskers wrestler Ridge Lovett is officially a Big Ten champion.

The 141-pound junior out of Post Falls, Idaho on Sunday defeated Michigan’s Austin Gomez in a tightly contested 5-4 decision.

It’s the first individual title for Lovett in his collegiate career. He previously finished fourth at the 2022 Big Ten Championships and second place at the 2022 NCAA Championships.

Lovett’s Big Ten title improved his record to 24-1 this season. On Saturday, he also defeated Penn State’s Tyler Kasak and Indiana’s Graham Rooks to earn his spot in the 141 finals.

Lovett was the only Cornhusker competing for a Big Ten title on Sunday in College Park, Maryland.

Now, with a Big Ten title under his belt, Lovett will look towards the NCAA Championships in Kansas City later this month. Joining Lovett in Kansas City will be teammates Caleb Smith (125), Jacob Van Dee (133), Brock Hardy (141), Peyton Robb (157), Antrell Taylor (165), Lenny Pinto (185), Silas Allred (197), and Nash Hutmacher (285).

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