Vote for the first USA Wrestling Associated Styles Athlete of the Year on Twitter

Left to right: Breanna Stikkelman, Gabe Beauperthuy, Hedj Nelson, George Porter, the finalists for 2017 USA Wrestling Associated Styles Athlete of the Year.


The USA Wrestling ad-hoc Associated Styles Committee has created a new award, recognizing the 2017 Associated Styles Athlete of the Year.


The Associated Styles program for USA Wrestling includes Grappling, Beach Wrestling, Belt Wrestling, Pankration and Pahlavani wrestling, as well as the USA Wrestling Veterans programs in all styles of wrestling.


There are four finalists for this award, based upon performance at international and domestic competition in these styles.


Fans will have an opportunity to vote this week through a Twitter poll, which will be place on USA Wrestling’s Twitter page - @USAWrestling. The Fan Vote will count for 50%.

Vote on USA Wrestling Twitter page


The other 50% will be based upon the voting of the Associated Styles Committee.


Fans will select one of the athletes in the poll, the person they believe is most deserving of this honor.


The finalists include three World Champions in their discipline, plus another athlete who competed on multiple U.S. World Teams in the Associated Styles.


This year’s nominees are (alphabetically):

Gabe Beauperthuy, Colorado Springs, Colo.

• 2017 Senior Grappling World Team member in Gi (dnp at Unlimited)

• Fifth in the 2017 Senior Beach World Championships (Unlimited)

• 2017 Veterans World champion in Grappling in Gi and No-Gi (40-44 yrs., Unlimited)

• 2017 U.S. Beach Nationals champion (Unlimited)

• 2017 U.S. Grappling World Team Trials champion in Gi

• Third in 2017 U.S. Grappling World Team Trials in No-Gi

• Second in 2017 U.S. Masters Nationals in Greco-Roman (Div. B, 130 kg)

• Fourth in U.S. Masters Ironman standings

Hedj Nelson, Colville, Wash. (LNWC)

• Veterans World champion in Greco-Roman (Div. E, 62 kg)

• Veterans World silver medalist in freestyle (Div. E, 62 kg)

• 2017 U.S. Masters Nationals champion in Greco-Roman (Div. D, 62 kg)

• Second in 2017 U.S. Masters Nationals in freestyle (Div. D, 63 kg)

• Second in U.S. Masters Ironman standings

George Porter, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Chicago Wrestling Club)

• 2017 Veterans World champion in freestyle (Div. C, 130 kg)

• 2017 Veterans World bronze medalist in Greco-Roman (Div. C, 130 kg)

• 2017 U.S. Masters National champion in freestyle (Div. C, 130 kg)

• 2017 U.S. Masters National champion in freestyle (Div. C, 130 kg)

• Third in U.S. Masters Ironman standings

Breanna Stikkelman, Simi Valley, Calif. (Street Sports)

• 2017 Senior Grappling World champion in Gi (64 kg)

• 2017 Senior Grappling World silver medalist in No-Gi (58 kg)

• 2017 U.S. Grappling World Team Trials champion in Gi (58 kg)

• 2017 U.S. Grappling World Team Trials champion in No-Gi (58 kg)


We thank USA Wrestling fans for voting, and encourage them to follow these and other USA athletes as they compete in the Associated Styles events.