FEATURE: Peter Kowalczuk is the new kid in town

Peter Kowalczuk wanted to be a basketball player when he was little. Not an Olympic wrestler.

Kowalczuk's dreams fell short when he didn't make his junior high's basketball team.

"I was pretty disappointed," Kowalczuk said. "My dad was pushing for me to wrestle for a couple years and I was like, 'No I don't want to do it.' Then I tried out for the team and didn't make it so he told me I had to wrestle."

Kowalczuk may have not made the decision to wrestle on his own, but he stuck with the sport and is now making a name for himself at the 120 kg/264.5 lbs. Greco-Roman weight class.

In 2007, he left Oak Park, Illinois, where he attended high school, and began training as a member of the U.S. Olympic Education Center team while attending Northern Michigan University.

The following year, he made the U.S. Junior World Team and began preparing for Junior World Championships in Turkey. However, while he was at a Junior camp, one of the heavyweights did not show up, forfeiting his spot to go to the 2008 World University Championships in Greece.

Kowalczuk was ready for the challenge. A quick challenge.

He found out at 5 p.m. the night before that he was going to get to go compete at the World University Championships. The team was leaving for Greece the next morning at 8 a.m.

"They were like, 'If you can get the money, you can go,'" he said. "Sunkist Kids helped me all the way and they said I could go. It was a great opportunity."

Not only was it a great opportunity for him to compete but wrestled very well, ultimately beating R. Kurbanismailvo of Russia to claim the bronze medal. Something he really did not expect.

"It was surreal," he said. "I went and had a couple good matches and it was exciting. It was cool to be around all of those guys and it was a good first experience to finish with a medal."

At the Junior Worlds, Kowalczuk was unable to win a medal, but he gained additional high level international experience. He has placed second in the 2008 Henri Deglane Challenge and New York AC International. He finished fifth in the 2008 U.S. Nationals.

At 19, Kowalczuk is the latest wrestling athlete to join the U.S. Olympic Committee Resident Athlete Program in Colorado Springs, Colo. When he is not training, he is taking classes at Pikes Peak Community College.

Making the transition from Michigan to Colorado has been an easy one for him.

"The move has been great. I like the facilities, the coaches and having more workout partners," he said. "I spent a lot of time here this summer and I was at different camps, so I am used to the area."

In order for Kowalczuk to make it to the next level he must stay focused and make his life more dedicated to wrestling.

"It would mean everything to get to the next level. That's all I have been thinking about for a couple of years now," he said. "Here and at the USOEC, everyday you hear about the Olympics and making the Olympic Team. I got the first taste of it at the Trials this summer. I saw great wrestlers fall and not be able to make the team. To have that honor would be amazing."

U.S. National Greco-Roman Head Coach Steve Fraser believes Kowalczuk has what it takes to get to that level.

"Peter is a wrestler that has a tremendous amount of potential in Greco-Roman. He has a great attitude and work ethic," Fraser said. "He's talented but he needs a lot more experience and training in the right training atmosphere, which he has here now."

Kowalczuk's journey is just beginning on the Senior level and he has learned to love wrestling as much as he used to love basketball.

"The best part about wrestling is no matter how big or how small you are, you can do well as long as you work hard," he said. "I think that's a really cool thing about the sport."