In the House #Fargo2017: More Olympic medalists – Peterson, Paulson, Carr - World Teamers and college coaches galore

Olympic bronze medalist Nate Carr in the coaching corner for Team Ohio at the USMC Junior and Cadet Nationals in Fargo, N.D. Photo by John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com


We saw a large group of wrestling celebrities in the FargoDome on Saturday, the first day of the combined USMC Junior and Cadet Nationals. TheMat.com has asked its staff and friends to help us pull together a growing list of wrestling celebs who are on the floor of the FargoDome this year. We add to that list today.


We will start with new Olympic medalists. Included are:


• 1996 Olympic silver medalist and World silver medalist Brandon Paulson, who is coaching Team Minnesota. Paulson won this tournament a bunch of times, and was one of the most successful age-group wrestlers in USA Wrestling history, before going on to All-American status at the University of Minnesota.


• 1998 Olympic bronze medalist Nate Carr, a three-time NCAA champion for Iowa State (?), who is coaching with Team Ohio. His son David Carr is wrestling today.


• 1972 Olympic champion and 1976 Olympic silver medalist Ben Peterson, was here in Fargo to sign autographs of his book, Road to Gold book, at a sponsor booth.


Yesterday’s Olympic medalists were Rulon Gardner and Jim Martinez.


A new Olympians on the green carpet today were 1988 Greco-Roman Olympian John Morgan, who is helping with wrestlers on Team Colorado. Yesterday’s Olympians included Ben Askren, Rob Eiter, Jesse Thielke, Shawn Sheldon and Jake Deitchler,


Among the new past World Team members on the floor today who were spotted:


• Three-time World Team member Brent Metcalf, a two-time NCAA champion at Iowa, who now an assistant coach at Iowa State and is helping coach Team Iowa.


• Two-time World Team member and Iowa NCAA champion Tony Ramos, who is an assistant coach for North Carolina


• World Team member and past Indiana NCAA champion Angel Escobedo, who is an assistant coach for Indiana.


These stars join World Team members Reece Humphrey, Tom Erikson, Nick Marable and Obe Blanc who were seen on Saturday.


Some of the other prominent people seen somewhere on the football field in the FargoDome were:


• NCAA champion, Junior World medalist Andrew Howe, an assistant at Northwestern, who is working with Team Illinois


• Steve Sanderson, the coach and patriarch of one of the greatest wrestling family in USA history, working with Team Utah. His sons, who competed at this tournament years ago, were named Cody, Cole, Cael and Cyler. If you don’t know their story, look it up. They rate right up there with the Carr family, the Smith family and a few others in wrestling history.


• Current National Team member Dom Bradley, ranked No. 2 in freestyle on Team USA, with his native Missouri team. Bradley, a past Junior World champion, was an All-American for Missouri and won titles in Fargo as a youth.


• Joe DeMeo, multiple World Team, Olympic Team, Pan American Team coach, one of the great Greco-Roman minds on the planet, working with Team New York


College head coaches in the house, seen for the first time today by our team of people watchers, included:


• Tony Ersland of Purdue


• Teague Moore of American, who is coaching with Team Pennsylvania


• Jeremy Spates of SIU Edwardsville


• Roger Kish of North Dakota State


• Mike Denney of Maryville


• Mike Ritchey of Southern Oregon


• Joe Galante of The College of New Jersey


• Leo Kocher of the University of Chicago


• Jeff Breese of Buena Vista Univ,


• John Oostendorp of Coe College


Yesterday’s head coach list included Steve Martin of Old Dominion, Roger Reina of Penn, John Stutzman of Buffalo and Steve Marianetti of Elmhurst.


Women’s college head coaches in the house early include:


• Link Davis of Emmanuel College, who is coaching boys and girls with Team Georgia


• Matt Stevens of Oklahoma City University


• Ashley Sword of Life University, also coaching with Team Georgia’s women


• Donnie Stephens of the University of the Cumberlands


• Lee Miracle of Campbellsville University


• Sam Schmitz of McKendree University


Men’s college assistant coaches in the house


• Chris Williams of Michigan State


• Mike Grey of Cornell, coaching with Team New Jersey


• Drew Headlee and Jordan Leen of Pitt


• Randy Hinderliter of Ottawa University, who works with both the men’s and women’s team


• Alex Radsky of Washington & Lee


• Jarod Garnett of North Dakota State, coaching Team North Dakota


• Jake Kettler of Minot State


Women’s Assistant coaches


• Michaela Hutchison Schmitz of McKendree University


• Julia Salata of King University, who is working with Team New York girls


We will keep adding to the list each day. Want to see people of importance in wrestling? You can find them in Fargo this week.