FREESTYLE AND GRECO 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.
Freestyle and Greco Champions
Members of the Penn State coaching staff strongly encourage student-athletes to pursue their goals in the freestyle and Greco-Roman arenas.
BRAD PATAKY FILA Senior Nationals, 7th place FILA World Team Trial qualifier
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.
2010 QUENTIN WRIGHT University Nationals Champion (84 kg) 2009
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
2001
1994
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
JOHN HUGHES University National Champion (149.5) Pan-American Games Champion (149.5) NWCA European Tour (149.5)
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
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
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)
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)
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)
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)
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
2005
1993 KERRY McCOY University Freestyle Nat. Champion (220) Pan-American Games Champion (220) Nat. Espoir Greco-Roman Champion (220)
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)
PENN STATE WRESTLING 2010-2011 96
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)