Long track record of success at USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals

Next weekend the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa, will be packed with what is expected to be nearly 2,000 wrestlers vying for a USA Wrestling Folkstyle national championship.

So far, there are about 500 wrestlers registered in the Junior and Cadet divisions and 350 registered to compete in the Kid and Master divisions.

Many who have competed in USA Wrestling’s Folkstyle Nationals have gone on to make a name for themselves on national and international levels.

Take the 2017 NCAA Division I Championships as an example. Of the 10 wrestlers who were crowned NCAA champions, three competed at Folkstyle Nationals in their youth, including 133-pound champ Cory Clark, 174-pound champ Mark Hall and 184-pound champ Bo Nickal.

Hall, a freshman phenom for Penn State, is a multiple-time age-group World team member and earned his first World title last summer in Macon, France, at the UWW Junior World Championships.

In addition to the NCAA champions, 19 other 2017 All-Americans have taken part in the event, including NCAA finalist Seth Gross and third-place winners Tanner Hall, Brandon Sorenson, Zahid Valencia and Logan Massa.

Both two-time World Team members during their age-group years, Gross and Valencia joined Mark Hall as part of the 2016 Junior World Team.

Tanner Hall was also a two-time World Team member, making the Junior team in 2011 and 2012.

This year’s Folkstyle Nationals is scheduled for March 31-April 2 in Cedar Fall, Iowa. The deadline to register is Thursday, March 30. Those who wish to register can do so at Trackwrestling.com.

2017 NCAA DI All-Americans that competed at Folkstyle Nationals