Broke down the US Olympic Trials set for this weekend, by the 6 women, 6 greco, and 6 freestyle weights respectively. My selections were based on my personal relationships and experiences with the athletes either as a coach or training partner. I will always be loyal and support my friends! Here are the 8 athletes whom I have worked with and am selecting to win this weekend!
WOMEN
57kg- Helen Maroulis, was on the Maryland National Team my first year on the staff. Just a month after she won the Rio Olympics, as the Chairman of Maryland USA Wrestling and Lead Coach for the National Team, I invited her to a banquet in her honor, along with the other 5 Olympic Wrestlers in Maryland at the time (including Kyle Snyder), and she agreed and got to sit with her and her family.
GRECO-ROMAN
77kg- Mason Manville, mom and two little brothers (not little anymore, 10 years older) drove 3 hours in rush hour traffic thru Washington DC traffic to train with me! Mason was big for 8th grade so it was usually me teaching and training with him after he arrived!
87kg- Johnny Stefanowicz, one of the original club members in Baltimore and joins brother Chance Marsteller in quest to make Olympic Team! I remember him quitting and specifically telling me wrestling wasn't fun... Wrestling isn't fun if it's not on your own terms and well now it is on his terms.
FREESTYLE
65kg- Joey McKenna, regular summer camp and clinic athlete, driving down Jersey Turnpike when he was in 7th and 8th grade, proud to see his success since then. He was so short, haha, I remember wrestling him many times and hard to shoot on.
74kg- Chance Marsteller, another original club member who I personally invested a lot of time in training with because he was always the young big kid with no partner. Happy to see him overcome positively so many obstacles and now this, basically ranked #3 in the country.
86kg- Myles Martin, dad contacted me and told me Myles wanted to take his wrestling to next level but he was still playing football. I flat out told him he needs to stop or he runs the risk of never playing football or wrestling ever again. Later that year his dad e-mailed me and told me he quit and if there was still room for him to train with me...
86kg- Aaron Brooks, strongest kid I've ever wrestled! Fresh off NCAA title, Aaron is primed and ready to take on the world! He trained every summer with me in Freestyle and Greco from age 13 to 16. He is very humble and kind young man.
97kg- Kyle Snyder, one of the most decorated young athletes the US has and is a tremendous role model. He stayed at my family's house in Boston in 2017 and 2018 and put a clinic on at my old high school. I am grateful to Kyle's generosity and amazed that I got to work with him early on, from 7th grade to 10th grade, and see him evolve as a person and athlete.
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