Kyle Snyder named 2016 John Smith Award winner, as USA Wrestling’s Freestyle Wrestler of the Year
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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
Kyle Snyder secures a single leg against Khetag Goizumov of Azerbaijan in the 97 kg finals of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Kyle Snyder (Woodbine, Md./Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC) has been named the winner of the 2016 John Smith Award as the Freestyle Wrestler of the Year by USA Wrestling. It is the second straight year that Snyder has won this prestigious award, after also winning the 2015 Freestyle Wrestler of the Year.
At age 20, Snyder became the youngest wrestling gold medalist in U.S. history when he won the Olympic gold medal at 97 kg in men’s freestyle during the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in August.
Snyder opened up with a 10-3 win over World medalist Javier Cortina of Cuba. In the quarterfinals, he shut out Albert Saritov of Romania, 7-0. He scored an impressive 9-4 come-from-behind win over World medalist Elizbar Odikadze of Georgia. In the gold-medal finals, he stopped past World champion and Olympic medalist Khetag Goziumov of Azerbaijan, 2-1.
Snyder earned his spot on the Olympic Team at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Iowa City, Iowa in April. In the championship series, he beat 2012 Olympic champion Jake Varner, two matches to one.
Snyder won a gold medal at the 2016 Freestyle World Cup, held in Los Angeles, Calif. in May, with a perfect 4-0 record against some of the best wrestlers in his weight class.
He won bronze medals in three major international events in 2016, the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix in Russia, the German Grand Prix in Germany and the Medved International in Belarus.
During the college season, as a junior at Ohio State, Snyder won the 2016 NCAA Div. I heavyweight title at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In the championship finals, he defeated two-time NCAA champion Nick Gwiazdowski of NC State, a bout regarded by many as the greatest NCAA heavyweight final ever.
Snyder was named a finalist for the AAU James E. Sullivan Award, which recognizes the best amateur athlete in the nation.
This follows up a tremendous 2015 year, in which Snyder won a gold medal at 97 kg/213 lbs. at the 2015 World Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas, Nev., becoming the youngest American to win a World title at the age of 19.
Snyder is now a two-time NCAA champion and three-time finalist, after winning another NCAA heavyweight title for Ohio State in 2017 in St. Louis. He was a 2015 NCAA Championships runner-up at 197 pounds as a freshman and helped lead the Buckeyes to their first-ever NCAA Div. I team title.
He was a 2013 Junior World champion at the age of 17, and added a Junior World bronze medal in 2014.
Snyder is a native of Woodbine, Md. He was a Prep School National Champion for Our Lady of Good Counsel High School and finished with a 179-0 record. As a high school senior, he trained in freestyle full-time at the U.S. Olympic Training Center and did not compete in high school wrestling, getting his degree from Coronado High School.
Snyder received his award during the finals of the 2017 Freestyle World Team Trials in Lincoln, Neb., where he was represented by his father Stephen Snyder.
The award is named in honor of two-time Olympic champion and four-time World champion John Smith.
PAST JOHN SMITH AWARD WINNERS AS FREESTYLE WRESTLER OF THE YEAR
2016 – Kyle Snyder, Woodbine, Md., Titan Mercury WC
2015 – Kyle Snyder, Woodbine, Md., Titan Mercury WC
2014 – Tervel Dlagnev, Columbus, Ohio, Sunkist Kids
2013 - Jordan Burroughs, Lincoln, Neb., Sunkist Kids
2012 - Jordan Burroughs, Lincoln, Neb., Sunkist Kids
2011 – Jordan Burroughs, Lincoln, Neb., Sunkist Kids
2010 – J.D. Bergman, Columbus, Ohio, New York AC
2009 – Jake Herbert, Evanston, Ill., New York AC
2008 - Henry Cejudo, Colorado Springs, Colo., Sunkist Kids
2007 - Daniel Cormier, Stillwater, Okla., Gator WC
2006 - Bill Zadick, Colorado Springs, Colo., Gator WC
2005 - Tolly Thompson, Cedar Falls, Iowa, Sunkist Kids
2004 - Cael Sanderson, Ames, Iowa, Sunkist Kids
2003 - Cael Sanderson, Ames, Iowa, Sunkist Kids
2002 - Joe Williams, Iowa City, Iowa, Sunkist Kids
2001 - Joe Williams, Iowa City, Iowa, Sunkist Kids
2000 - Brandon Slay, Amarillo, Texas, Dave Schultz WC
1999 - Stephen Neal, Bakerfield, Calif., Dave Schultz WC
1998 - Sammie Henson, Norman, Okla., Sunkist Kids
1997 - Les Gutches, Corvallis, Ore., Sunkist Kids
1996 - Kendall Cross, Raleigh, N.C., Sunkist Kids
1995 - Kevin Jackson, Phoenix, Ariz., Sunkist Kids
1994 - Melvin Douglas, Mesa, Ariz., Sunkist Kids
1993 - Terry and Tom Brands, Iowa City, Iowa, Team Foxcatcher
1992 - John Smith, Stillwater, Okla., Sunkist Kids
Kyle Snyder (Woodbine, Md./Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC) has been named the winner of the 2016 John Smith Award as the Freestyle Wrestler of the Year by USA Wrestling. It is the second straight year that Snyder has won this prestigious award, after also winning the 2015 Freestyle Wrestler of the Year.
At age 20, Snyder became the youngest wrestling gold medalist in U.S. history when he won the Olympic gold medal at 97 kg in men’s freestyle during the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in August.
Snyder opened up with a 10-3 win over World medalist Javier Cortina of Cuba. In the quarterfinals, he shut out Albert Saritov of Romania, 7-0. He scored an impressive 9-4 come-from-behind win over World medalist Elizbar Odikadze of Georgia. In the gold-medal finals, he stopped past World champion and Olympic medalist Khetag Goziumov of Azerbaijan, 2-1.
Snyder earned his spot on the Olympic Team at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Iowa City, Iowa in April. In the championship series, he beat 2012 Olympic champion Jake Varner, two matches to one.
Snyder won a gold medal at the 2016 Freestyle World Cup, held in Los Angeles, Calif. in May, with a perfect 4-0 record against some of the best wrestlers in his weight class.
He won bronze medals in three major international events in 2016, the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix in Russia, the German Grand Prix in Germany and the Medved International in Belarus.
During the college season, as a junior at Ohio State, Snyder won the 2016 NCAA Div. I heavyweight title at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In the championship finals, he defeated two-time NCAA champion Nick Gwiazdowski of NC State, a bout regarded by many as the greatest NCAA heavyweight final ever.
Snyder was named a finalist for the AAU James E. Sullivan Award, which recognizes the best amateur athlete in the nation.
This follows up a tremendous 2015 year, in which Snyder won a gold medal at 97 kg/213 lbs. at the 2015 World Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas, Nev., becoming the youngest American to win a World title at the age of 19.
Snyder is now a two-time NCAA champion and three-time finalist, after winning another NCAA heavyweight title for Ohio State in 2017 in St. Louis. He was a 2015 NCAA Championships runner-up at 197 pounds as a freshman and helped lead the Buckeyes to their first-ever NCAA Div. I team title.
He was a 2013 Junior World champion at the age of 17, and added a Junior World bronze medal in 2014.
Snyder is a native of Woodbine, Md. He was a Prep School National Champion for Our Lady of Good Counsel High School and finished with a 179-0 record. As a high school senior, he trained in freestyle full-time at the U.S. Olympic Training Center and did not compete in high school wrestling, getting his degree from Coronado High School.
Snyder received his award during the finals of the 2017 Freestyle World Team Trials in Lincoln, Neb., where he was represented by his father Stephen Snyder.
The award is named in honor of two-time Olympic champion and four-time World champion John Smith.
PAST JOHN SMITH AWARD WINNERS AS FREESTYLE WRESTLER OF THE YEAR
2016 – Kyle Snyder, Woodbine, Md., Titan Mercury WC
2015 – Kyle Snyder, Woodbine, Md., Titan Mercury WC
2014 – Tervel Dlagnev, Columbus, Ohio, Sunkist Kids
2013 - Jordan Burroughs, Lincoln, Neb., Sunkist Kids
2012 - Jordan Burroughs, Lincoln, Neb., Sunkist Kids
2011 – Jordan Burroughs, Lincoln, Neb., Sunkist Kids
2010 – J.D. Bergman, Columbus, Ohio, New York AC
2009 – Jake Herbert, Evanston, Ill., New York AC
2008 - Henry Cejudo, Colorado Springs, Colo., Sunkist Kids
2007 - Daniel Cormier, Stillwater, Okla., Gator WC
2006 - Bill Zadick, Colorado Springs, Colo., Gator WC
2005 - Tolly Thompson, Cedar Falls, Iowa, Sunkist Kids
2004 - Cael Sanderson, Ames, Iowa, Sunkist Kids
2003 - Cael Sanderson, Ames, Iowa, Sunkist Kids
2002 - Joe Williams, Iowa City, Iowa, Sunkist Kids
2001 - Joe Williams, Iowa City, Iowa, Sunkist Kids
2000 - Brandon Slay, Amarillo, Texas, Dave Schultz WC
1999 - Stephen Neal, Bakerfield, Calif., Dave Schultz WC
1998 - Sammie Henson, Norman, Okla., Sunkist Kids
1997 - Les Gutches, Corvallis, Ore., Sunkist Kids
1996 - Kendall Cross, Raleigh, N.C., Sunkist Kids
1995 - Kevin Jackson, Phoenix, Ariz., Sunkist Kids
1994 - Melvin Douglas, Mesa, Ariz., Sunkist Kids
1993 - Terry and Tom Brands, Iowa City, Iowa, Team Foxcatcher
1992 - John Smith, Stillwater, Okla., Sunkist Kids
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