KYLE SNYDER TO REPRESENT U.S. AGAIN, SEVERAL CURRENT AND FORMER OHIO STATE WRESTLERS FARE WELL AT THE 2024 OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS
This past weekend in State College, PA, several former Ohio State wrestlers competed in the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. The group was led by two-time Olympian and all-word grappler Kyle Snyder, but also included the likes of Joey McKenna and Kollin Moore, both of whom won multiple Big Ten titles and earned All-American status during their OSU career(s).
Joining them was current Buckeye and NCAA Champion Jesse Mendez, continuing his wildly impressive 2023-24 run.
The four names mentioned above all performed very well, as did Nick Boykin, who might be a bit of an unknown to Ohio State wrestling fans despite taking part in the team’s most recent Senior Day. However, Boykin is a highly accomplished Greco-Roman wrestler, as opposed to the freestyle version of the sport that we regularly see on TV and/or inside Covelli Center.
Other former OSU grapplers competing were Fritz Schierl, Tate Orndorff, Brady Koontz (finished college career at Duke), and Gary Traub (finished at Oregon State). This group, like Boykin, competed primarily in the Greco-Roman category, with the exception being Traub.
Unsurprisingly, Snyder was the top performer of the Scarlet and Gray group, booking a third trip to the Olympic Games and adding to his ridiculous list of achievements. One of the best and most accomplished wrestlers of this or any other generation, he received a bye into the finals where he faced U23 World Champ Isaac Trumble in a best-of-three format.
Despite being one of the best young grapplers America has to offer, Trumble was simply no match for Snyder. The former Buckeye/wrestling triple crown winner did not cede a single point to Trumble, shutting the latter out in back-to-back matches. As a result, Snyder will represent the U.S. in Paris this summer, where he will be gunning for his second gold medal.
Future medal or not, Snyder further solidified his case as one of the greatest U.S. wrestlers ever this past weekend, becoming just the 11th American to qualify for three Olympics. He also has several World Championships and Pan-Am Game medals, in addition to his achievements at Ohio State.
Interestingly enough, Snyder could have faced another former Buckeye in the 97 KG final had Moore toppled Trumble in the semis. An accomplished international wrestler in his own right, Moore competed in the same weight class as Snyder and began his trials 3-0. He was then defeated by Trumble via tech fall, robbing OSU fans of an all-Buckeye final. Moore would go on to take third, adding another impressive performance to his resume.
While a Snyder-Moore match never came to fruition, multiple Buckeye v. Buckeye battles did occur in Happy Valley. Boykin faced Orndorff for second place at 97 KG/Greco, with the former winning a 4-3 decision. And at 65 KG, McKenna and Mendez wrestled each other twice (!), splitting a pair of decisions. McKenna won the second matchup, earning him a third-place finish, while Mendez settled for fourth.
Although they are not currently slated to participate in the Olympics themselves, McKenna, Mendez, Moore, Boykin, and Orndorff all earned a spot on the national team. Meaning they can and/or will continue to train and/or compete with said team, alongside Snyder and others. Surely, a great accomplishment for all.
For more information on USA Wrestling, check out themat.com. And be sure to follow Snyder in the upcoming Olympics, which begin on July 26.
2024-04-25T13:05:08Z dg43tfdfdgfd