Northern Michigan University Olympic Training Site’s Greco-Roman Program celebrates 15 years at NMU
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by USA Wrestling
Story prepared by Chris Salgot
In the summer of 1999, Northern Michigan University was approved by the U.S. Olympic Committee to expand the countries only U.S. Olympic Education Center (now known as the NMU Olympic Training Site).
This expansion added Greco-Roman wrestling to the existing biathlon, short-track speed skating and boxing programs that were already thriving at NMU. It’s hard to believe we are celebrating the 15th anniversary of the Greco-Roman wrestling program this semester.
Since its inception, the program has seen its share of change. In the fall semester of 1999, the program started out with eight athletes and trained in the original Hedgcock Fieldhouse. Once NMU renovated Hedgcock, the program moved to the Meyland Quad temporarily, then to the PEIF. In 2003, the same year the weightlifting program was established, they found a permanent home in the Superior Dome.
Despite all these changes, the main goal of the program has always been to give athletes the opportunity to wrestle in the Greco-Roman style full-time while giving them the chance to earn a college degree. The program has seen seven alumni athletes go on to compete in the Olympics, with one athlete (Adam Wheeler) earning a bronze medal in the 2008 Olympics. The diversity of opponents this program draws is also quite an accomplishment. Typical visiting teams include the Marine Corps team, All-Navy team, Sweden, Japan and France. Each year, athletes travel to such locations as Panama, Cuba, Sweden and Austria.
In some of the years biggest events, the NMU-OTS wrestling program has had sustained success since 1999. In the Pan-American Games, a competition for North, South and Central American athletes, NMU-OTS has two gold medals. In the University World Championships, they have two gold medals and a bronze medal. In the University Championships, they have over 30 first place finishes.
Rich Bender, executive director of USA Wrestling, said of the NMU-OTS program “The Northern Michigan Greco-Roman Program has had an incredible impact on Greco-Roman wrestling in America. This program has been and remains an integral piece of the plan that led our country to the top of the World in 2007 and established American Greco Roman wrestling on the World's stage.”
Today, Northern Michigan University is one of 16 U.S. Olympic Training Sites in the nation and has 40 athletes on the roster this semester who train in the Superior Dome while working towards a degree. Currently, NMU-OTS has 14 athletes ranked in the top 10 for USA Wrestling Senior rankings.
Student life for NMU-OTS wrestlers is one of the top selling points for potential athletes and has contributed to its success. First off, NMU waives the out-of-state tuition charges so student athletes are only responsible for paying the in-state rate. To help with that, they can receive dorm room and meal scholarships. Athletes have access to world-class training facilities including the OTS Olympic Platform room in the Superior Dome and the Olympic wrestling gym with over 6,000 square feet of wrestling mats, dedicated locker rooms and sauna. They also receive full access to the athletic weight room. Not to mention they get the opportunity to learn from the 1996 Olympic head coach Rob Hermann and World Champion and Olympian Aghasi Manukyan.
Senior athlete Nick Alvarez, from Miami, Fla., spoke highly of the program and the opportunities it presents athletes.
“Almost all of the people we are competing against have trained here at one point or another. On the 2012 Olympic team, seven out of eight Greco wrestlers attended NMU at one point. This is a right of passage for someone with Olympic aspirations,” said Alvarez.
While it’s easy to get lost in what this program has accomplished in just 15 years, the focus for the Greco-Roman program is the future and how we can expand to more athletes and further World and Olympic success. Short-term training camps, regional/national/international competitions, as well as educational clinics all help draw in new athletes while giving current athletes knowledge of how other countries teams’ style differs from their own.
“Anytime you can host a country and bring their talent to your room, it’s great for everyone in the room. Iron sharpens iron and when you have someone better than you it helps you get better quick,” says Coach Hermann.
While all of this helps the future of the program, Coach Hermann believes it also comes down to his team. “My best recruiters are the wrestlers in the NMU-OTS program because they believe in what we are doing in the wrestling room.”
Earlier this year, NMU and the U.S. Olympic Committee renewed their contract to maintain the Olympic Training Site and it’s great partnerships for years to come. For more information on the NMU-OTS Greco-Roman program, contact Coach Rob Hermann at rhermann@nmu.edu or 906-227-2869.
Stay up to date on all news and match results from the Olympic Training Site at nmu.edu/ots. Follow us on Facebook here.
In the summer of 1999, Northern Michigan University was approved by the U.S. Olympic Committee to expand the countries only U.S. Olympic Education Center (now known as the NMU Olympic Training Site).
This expansion added Greco-Roman wrestling to the existing biathlon, short-track speed skating and boxing programs that were already thriving at NMU. It’s hard to believe we are celebrating the 15th anniversary of the Greco-Roman wrestling program this semester.
Since its inception, the program has seen its share of change. In the fall semester of 1999, the program started out with eight athletes and trained in the original Hedgcock Fieldhouse. Once NMU renovated Hedgcock, the program moved to the Meyland Quad temporarily, then to the PEIF. In 2003, the same year the weightlifting program was established, they found a permanent home in the Superior Dome.
Despite all these changes, the main goal of the program has always been to give athletes the opportunity to wrestle in the Greco-Roman style full-time while giving them the chance to earn a college degree. The program has seen seven alumni athletes go on to compete in the Olympics, with one athlete (Adam Wheeler) earning a bronze medal in the 2008 Olympics. The diversity of opponents this program draws is also quite an accomplishment. Typical visiting teams include the Marine Corps team, All-Navy team, Sweden, Japan and France. Each year, athletes travel to such locations as Panama, Cuba, Sweden and Austria.
In some of the years biggest events, the NMU-OTS wrestling program has had sustained success since 1999. In the Pan-American Games, a competition for North, South and Central American athletes, NMU-OTS has two gold medals. In the University World Championships, they have two gold medals and a bronze medal. In the University Championships, they have over 30 first place finishes.
Rich Bender, executive director of USA Wrestling, said of the NMU-OTS program “The Northern Michigan Greco-Roman Program has had an incredible impact on Greco-Roman wrestling in America. This program has been and remains an integral piece of the plan that led our country to the top of the World in 2007 and established American Greco Roman wrestling on the World's stage.”
Today, Northern Michigan University is one of 16 U.S. Olympic Training Sites in the nation and has 40 athletes on the roster this semester who train in the Superior Dome while working towards a degree. Currently, NMU-OTS has 14 athletes ranked in the top 10 for USA Wrestling Senior rankings.
Student life for NMU-OTS wrestlers is one of the top selling points for potential athletes and has contributed to its success. First off, NMU waives the out-of-state tuition charges so student athletes are only responsible for paying the in-state rate. To help with that, they can receive dorm room and meal scholarships. Athletes have access to world-class training facilities including the OTS Olympic Platform room in the Superior Dome and the Olympic wrestling gym with over 6,000 square feet of wrestling mats, dedicated locker rooms and sauna. They also receive full access to the athletic weight room. Not to mention they get the opportunity to learn from the 1996 Olympic head coach Rob Hermann and World Champion and Olympian Aghasi Manukyan.
Senior athlete Nick Alvarez, from Miami, Fla., spoke highly of the program and the opportunities it presents athletes.
“Almost all of the people we are competing against have trained here at one point or another. On the 2012 Olympic team, seven out of eight Greco wrestlers attended NMU at one point. This is a right of passage for someone with Olympic aspirations,” said Alvarez.
While it’s easy to get lost in what this program has accomplished in just 15 years, the focus for the Greco-Roman program is the future and how we can expand to more athletes and further World and Olympic success. Short-term training camps, regional/national/international competitions, as well as educational clinics all help draw in new athletes while giving current athletes knowledge of how other countries teams’ style differs from their own.
“Anytime you can host a country and bring their talent to your room, it’s great for everyone in the room. Iron sharpens iron and when you have someone better than you it helps you get better quick,” says Coach Hermann.
While all of this helps the future of the program, Coach Hermann believes it also comes down to his team. “My best recruiters are the wrestlers in the NMU-OTS program because they believe in what we are doing in the wrestling room.”
Earlier this year, NMU and the U.S. Olympic Committee renewed their contract to maintain the Olympic Training Site and it’s great partnerships for years to come. For more information on the NMU-OTS Greco-Roman program, contact Coach Rob Hermann at rhermann@nmu.edu or 906-227-2869.
Stay up to date on all news and match results from the Olympic Training Site at nmu.edu/ots. Follow us on Facebook here.
