Lofty goals: Franklin Gomez seeking 2nd NCAA title before setting sights on World, Olympic glory

Michigan State's Franklin Gomez won the 2009 NCAA title at 133 pounds. Larry Slater photo.

Ask Michigan State coach Tom Minkel what he is looking for in an ideal college wrestler and he will provide an immediate response.

Franklin Gomez.

Gomez is more than just a returning NCAA champion wrestler.

"Franklin Gomez is the total package - and a lot more," Minkel said. "He's a great person. He's an honor student. He's very involved with his church. He's a student of the sport. He's a hard worker. He's humble. He's fun to be around. If you are looking for the perfect, grounded, well-rounded student-athlete, it's Franklin Gomez.

"We're really happy he's part of the family here."

Gomez is just as proud of what he's done off the wrestling mat as what he's done on it.

He is scheduled to graduate from Michigan State in May with a degree in human resources. He has excelled in the classroom, with a 3.2 grade-point average.

"School is very important to me," he said. "I'm going to be the first person in my family to finish college. I'm pretty pumped and excited about that."

Gomez hopes to finish college with another lofty achievement. He is looking to repeat as the NCAA wrestling champion at 133 pounds.

The 5-foot-7 Gomez is 12-0 this season and is ranked No. 1 in the country. He's won his last 26 matches.

"Franklin was an NCAA champion last year and I think he's significantly better this year," Minkel said. "His technical skills are a little bit better, and he's much tougher in the top position. He's very focused on winning another NCAA title, but his goals are really beyond college wrestling. He wants to win at the World and Olympic level. He knows he still has a lot of work to do."

Gomez has come a long way in his college career. He was ranked in the top 10 nationally as a freshman at 125, but went 0-2 at the Big Ten tournament and failed to qualify for the NCAA meet.

"I was having a hard time making 125 the second half of the season," he said. "It was a learning experience for me. I've been through some ups and downs that have really helped me grow as a wrestler and a person."

Gomez moved up to 133 as a sophomore and came back strong to place third at the 2008 NCAA Championships. He reached the top of the podium at the 2009 NCAA tourney in St. Louis. He beat Big Ten rival Reece Humphrey of Ohio State 5-4 in the NCAA finals.

"It was an amazing feeling to accomplish something like that," said Gomez, a two-time Big Ten champion. "It's hard to describe and hard to put into words what that felt like. I felt so proud to take advantage of my opportunity in this country. I was so thankful for everything I have in my life and for all the great people in my life who have supported me. It was the culmination of a lot of hard work."

Gomez came to the U.S. from Puerto Rico when he was 16 years old. He spent one year in New Jersey before finishing high school his final two years in Brandon, Fla.

He won USA Wrestling's Junior Nationals in freestyle and Greco-Roman in 2005.

The 23-year-old Gomez is a top freestyle prospect. He placed second behind Henry Cejudo at the 2006 Junior World Team Trials in freestyle. Cejudo went on to win the Olympics in 2008.

"I watched Henry win the Olympics, and I feel like that is a realistic goal for me," Gomez said. "Henry and I go way back, and I beat him when we were younger. I was excited for Henry when he won the Olympics. I felt like I was close to his level when I wrestled him. I can see myself doing the same thing he did."

Gomez was born in the Dominican Republic. His father died when he was 5 years old, and he and his mother moved to Puerto Rico after that.

"I don't think he had a whole lot growing up," Minkel said. "Wrestling has been his ticket."

Gomez said he prefers freestyle over folkstyle. Gomez could compete for either the U.S. or Puerto Rico internationally. He became a U.S. citizen early in his college career at Michigan State.

Gomez said he will jump into freestyle full-time once he's done with college wrestling.

"I can't wait," he said. "I love freestyle and that's the style I grew up competing in. I have a lot of big goals I want to achieve at the international level."

Minkel, a past U.S. Olympic coach, said those goals are realistic. Gomez plans to compete in freestyle at 60 kg/132 lbs.

"I think the sky's the limit with Franklin internationally," Minkel said. "logo.jpgted wrestler. You have to put in an extraordinary amount of time and work at the next level, and Franklin is willing to do that. He's very focused on what he wants to accomplish.

"He's very highly motivated and very much a student of the sport. He watches a lot of film and experiments with a lot of technique. He has what it takes. I'm confident he will get to where he wants to go, I really am."

Gomez said his options are open for where he will train after college. He plans to address that after the NCAA meet.

Gomez has earned Academic All-Big Ten honors in college, and said he is considering pursuing his master's degree.

For now, the focus is on his final semester in college and the last two months of this wrestling season.

The 133 class, as usual, is loaded in the Big Ten. The league also has All-Americans in Minnesota's Jayson Ness and Iowa's Daniel Dennis, along with stud freshman Tyler Graff of Wisconsin. Ness is ranked second nationally, Dennis is sixth and Graff is eighth.

Gomez is scheduled to face Ness, who he is 0-2 against in his career, on Friday night in a dual in East Lansing, Mich.

"I'm wrestling with the same mentality and the same approach I did last year," Gomez said. "I won't take anybody lightly, no matter who I am facing. Guys are obviously looking to slow me down and knock me off. If I stay focused and give it my best every time out there, I know I can be successful.