When wrestlers step onto the mat for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, there will be nine NCAA wrestling champions showcasing their skills at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa with hopes of qualifying for the 2016 Olympic games in Rio.
The Olympic Team Trials will take place from April 9-10.
Because the NCAA Wrestling Championships held at Madison Square Garden this past weekend were an Olympic Trials qualifier in freestyle and Greco-Roman, the nine champions earned their qualifying spots.
One of the champions, heavyweight Kyle Snyder of Ohio State, previously qualified for team trials.
The nine others who qualified can be soon below:
Men’s Freestyle 57 kg/125.5 lbs. – Nico Megaludis, Murraysville, Pa. (Penn State/Nittany Lion WC)
Men’s Freestyle 57 kg/125.5 lbs. – Nahshon Garrett, Chico, Calif. (Cornell/Titan Mercury WC)
Men’s Freestyle 65 kg/143 lbs. – Dean Heil, Brunswick, Ohio (Oklahoma State/Cowboy WC)
Men’s Freestyle 65 kg/143 lbs. – Zane Retherford, Benton, Pa. (Penn State/Nittany Lion WC)
Men’s Freestyle 74 kg/163 lbs. – Isaiah Martinez, Lemoore, Calif. (Illinois/Titan Mercury WC)
Men’s Freestyle 74 kg/163 lbs. – Alex Dieringer, Port Washington, Wis. (Oklahoma State/Cowboy WC)
Men’s Freestyle 86 kg/189 lbs. – Myles Martin, Penns Grove, N.J. (Ohio State/Titan Mercury WC)
Men’s Freestyle 86 kg/189 lbs. – Gabe Dean, Lowell, Mich. (Cornell/Titan Mercury WC)
Men’s Freestyle 97 kg/213 lbs. –J’Den Cox, Columbia, Mo. (Missouri/Missouri Wrestling Foundation)
There are currently 214 wrestlers qualified for the Olympic Trials, including 72 men’s freestyle wrestlers, 65 Greco-Roman wrestlers and 77 women’s freestyle wrestlers.
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*Featured Photo (above) credit to USA TODAY Sports
