FARGO FEATURE: Two-time Olympian Jim Gruenwald on recruiting trail in Fargo

FARGO, N.D. - Two-time Olympian Jim Gruenwald has emerged as one of the top young Greco-Roman wrestling coaches in the country.

Head coach Ivan Ivanov and Gruenwald, his assistant, have combined forces to quickly transform the U.S. Olympic Education Center Greco-Roman program at Northern Michigan University into a powerhouse.

Gruenwald is in Fargo this week recruiting as he takes in both the Cadet Nationals and Junior Nationals for Greco-Roman.

Gruenwald came out of retirement to make a run at his third Olympic Team this year. Gruenwald won U.S. Nationals, but then injured his shoulder a few weeks later at an Olympic qualifier. That ended his comeback quest.

Two wrestlers who have wrestled in the USOEC program - Spenser Mango and Adam Wheeler - have qualified for next month's Olympic Games in Greco-Roman wrestling. Harry Lester, another USOEC wrestler, won back-to-back bronze medals at the World Championships in 2006 and 2007.

Gruenwald sat down for an interview with USA Wrestling's Craig Sesker on Sunday morning at the Fargo Dome.

How successful have you guys been in recruiting kids from this event?

Ivan was coming to this tournament to recruit before I did because he's been with the USOEC program longer. Ivan came here and saw Spenser wrestle. He originally brought Spenser into the program as a training partner for Joe Betterman. Spenser was a diamond in the rough, and now he's obviously the real deal. Betterman was brought in as a training partner for Nate Piasecki, and Betterman won the Olympic Trials this year. So we've definitely found some really good kids here in Fargo.

How important is this tournament for your recruiting efforts?

This is a recruiting paradise. The nice thing about us is we're not restricted by the NCAA. So if I see a kid who has a special talent, or Ivan sees a kid who has a special talent, we can start recruiting them their freshman or sophomore year in high school. That's why I'm here watching the Cadets. I want to see which kids establish themselves early on.

A number of young wrestlers from the USOEC, in addition to 18-year-old Olympian Jake Deitchler of the Minnesota Storm, are making a big splash on the international level now. How important has that been for Greco-Roman wrestling in the U.S.?

It's necessary. It's instrumental for our program to do something similar to what Russia has done. Russia has won 50-some World Team titles in Greco and the U.S. just won its first title last year. Russia has built up a lot of younger wrestlers and built a machine where they keep producing great wrestlers at a young age. We're working toward building Greco in the U.S. to where we can dominate like Russia has.

The USOEC is widely regarded as a developmental program, but it obviously is much more than that right?

In 2004, we had one guy from the USOEC place in the top eight at the Olympic Trials. Harry Lester placed fifth. We had three Olympic Trials champions this year with Mango, Betterman and Wheeler. We had two other guys, Harry Lester and Cheney Haight, who were very close. We are no longer just a developmental program. I respect the program in Colorado Springs, and that's what made me, but we want to be the best Greco-Roman program in the country. I want to see both programs thrive and get better to help USA Wrestling. I want the best guys coming out of our program.

How much did your comeback this year as a wrestler help the guys you coach at the USOEC program?

It obviously has helped them a lot. I know it helped Joe Betterman and pushed him because we were in the same weight class. Me being in the room training, the guys on our team got to see me in action and that helped the guys in our room. It improved the intensity in our room because that's the way I trained.

What do you think will be the key for Spenser Mango in the Olympics?

The key for Spenser is to stay consistent, listen to the coaches and do the same things he did at the Olympic Trials but better. He's always been very coachable, which has been a blessing. He has to make sure he doesn't get caught up in all the Olympic hype. You can't let it overwhelm you.

Do you think high school standout Ryan Mango of Missouri will follow his older brother, Spenser, to Northern Michigan?

We would love to see that. I think there's a strong chance he will come there. I like Ryan's genetics. Having Spenser as an older brother creates a precedent. He's had that brother to learn from and that has created an ideal situation for him.

Any chance two-time World bronze medalist Harry Lester comes back after retiring following the Olympic Trials?

There's always a chance Harry Lester could come back. He's 24 years old. I know he has some concerns about his body and the weight cut he's had to do. But he's still young and he's obviously still very competitive. He moved up a weight class at the Dave Schultz tournament this year and wrestled very well.

What do you think the difference was in Lester's loss to Deitchler at the Olympic Trials?

It was part strategy and part preparation. Harry wasn't competing a whole lot throughout the year. He had some different injuries and concerns that kept him out of some competitions. He really needed to get down to scratch weight for an event before the Olympic Trials. After he made weight at the Trials, his body didn't do what he needed it to do. The Harry Lester that just crushed people wasn't there. I'm taking nothing away from Jake Deitchler - he's a very talented kid. But Harry Lester's talent is off the charts. I still think Harry Lester has the potential to be the greatest Greco-Roman wrestler this country has ever seen. Now that's potential. Time will tell what will happen and we'll see if he comes back. That's up to Harry.