In the House: Olympic champ Snyder, Olympians Henson & Askren, World champ Davis, NCAA champ Yianni D
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by Jason Bryant, Jim Thrall and the USA Wrestling Communications staff
NCAA champion Yianni Diakomihalis is part of the Team New York staff. Photo by Jim Thrall, Matfocus.com
Anybody who is anybody in wrestling is in Fargo each year, a tradition that goes back many years. When you bring the best high school wrestlers in the nation together in one place, you get a lot of people who want to be involved.
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.
Saturday, July 14:
* Olympic champion, two-time World champion and three-time NCAA champion Kyle Snyder took to the mats in the Fargodome prior to the opening session to get in a good drill before the tournament started. Snyder will be in Fargo prior to heading to the U.S. Olympic Training Center next week for the Freestyle National Team camp, where he will prepare for the upcoming Yasar Dogu Tournament in Turkey.
* Snyder’s drilling partner was 2008 Olympian, two-time NCAA champion and retired MMA star Ben Askren, who is coaching the Wisconsin delegation again this year. Asken is the coach at the Wisconsin’s RTC, joining Chris Bono’s coaching stable in Madison. He also runs the Askren Wrestling Academy.
* New National Wrestling Hall of Fame member, head women’s coach at Life University, two-time World champion and nine-time World medalist Kristie Davis is helping coach Team Georgia.
* World champion and Olympic silver medalist Sammie Henson, who has had numerous college coaching positions, is helping coach Team Pennsylvania, where he has his sons on the roster.
* 2018 NCAA champion Yianni Diakomihalis from Cornell is one of the coaches for his hometown state New York here in Fargo.
* Three-time World Team member Reece Humphrey is in the house, coaching the New Jersey team. Humphrey coaches at the New Jersey RTC, which includes Rutgers and Princeton campuses.
* 2015 World bronze medalist Leigh Jaynes is coaching with the New Jersey women’s team, mentoring athletes from her home state.
* Past Oklahoma State NCAA champion and retired MMA star Mark Munoz is on the floor, as part of the delegation from California.
* World Team member Brent Metcalf, a two-time NCAA champion at Iowa and current assistant coach at Iowa State, was seen in the Fargodome.
* Women’s National Team member Julia Salata is coaching Team New York. Salata is wearing the famous outrageous outfit she wore at the Final X in Bethlehem press conference in June, which she did by fan request through Twitter.
* Past Senior World Team member and current MMA athlete Veronica Carlson is coaching wrestlers from her native Illinois.
* Two-time Veterans World Greco-Roman champion Chris Brown is coaching with Team Maryland. Brown, who is retired from international competition, will be Team Leader for this year’s Veterans World Teams.
* Princeton head coach Chris Ayres is helping with Team New Jersey. He also has a daughter who is competing for Team New Jersey in the Women’s Cadet division.
* With the start of the women’s competitions, numerous head coaches from the WCWA women’s college teams are on the floor, many who are also coaching state teams. Along with Kristy Davis, some of the women’s head coaches we saw in the Fargodome,
- Donny Stephens of the University of the Cumberlands, with Team Kentucky
- Ashley Sword of Life University, with Team Georgia
- Aaron Meister of Wayland Baptist, with Team Texas
- Sam Schmitz of McKendree University, with Team Alaska
- Shauna Kemp of the University of Jamestown, with Team North Dakota, a National team member and national champion as an athlete
- Sarah Bollinger of Southwestern College
There are a whole lot more wrestling celebrities in Fargo, and we will do a daily update of who is in the house.
Anybody who is anybody in wrestling is in Fargo each year, a tradition that goes back many years. When you bring the best high school wrestlers in the nation together in one place, you get a lot of people who want to be involved.
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.
Saturday, July 14:
* Olympic champion, two-time World champion and three-time NCAA champion Kyle Snyder took to the mats in the Fargodome prior to the opening session to get in a good drill before the tournament started. Snyder will be in Fargo prior to heading to the U.S. Olympic Training Center next week for the Freestyle National Team camp, where he will prepare for the upcoming Yasar Dogu Tournament in Turkey.
* Snyder’s drilling partner was 2008 Olympian, two-time NCAA champion and retired MMA star Ben Askren, who is coaching the Wisconsin delegation again this year. Asken is the coach at the Wisconsin’s RTC, joining Chris Bono’s coaching stable in Madison. He also runs the Askren Wrestling Academy.
* New National Wrestling Hall of Fame member, head women’s coach at Life University, two-time World champion and nine-time World medalist Kristie Davis is helping coach Team Georgia.
* World champion and Olympic silver medalist Sammie Henson, who has had numerous college coaching positions, is helping coach Team Pennsylvania, where he has his sons on the roster.
* 2018 NCAA champion Yianni Diakomihalis from Cornell is one of the coaches for his hometown state New York here in Fargo.
* Three-time World Team member Reece Humphrey is in the house, coaching the New Jersey team. Humphrey coaches at the New Jersey RTC, which includes Rutgers and Princeton campuses.
* 2015 World bronze medalist Leigh Jaynes is coaching with the New Jersey women’s team, mentoring athletes from her home state.
* Past Oklahoma State NCAA champion and retired MMA star Mark Munoz is on the floor, as part of the delegation from California.
* World Team member Brent Metcalf, a two-time NCAA champion at Iowa and current assistant coach at Iowa State, was seen in the Fargodome.
* Women’s National Team member Julia Salata is coaching Team New York. Salata is wearing the famous outrageous outfit she wore at the Final X in Bethlehem press conference in June, which she did by fan request through Twitter.
* Past Senior World Team member and current MMA athlete Veronica Carlson is coaching wrestlers from her native Illinois.
* Two-time Veterans World Greco-Roman champion Chris Brown is coaching with Team Maryland. Brown, who is retired from international competition, will be Team Leader for this year’s Veterans World Teams.
* Princeton head coach Chris Ayres is helping with Team New Jersey. He also has a daughter who is competing for Team New Jersey in the Women’s Cadet division.
* With the start of the women’s competitions, numerous head coaches from the WCWA women’s college teams are on the floor, many who are also coaching state teams. Along with Kristy Davis, some of the women’s head coaches we saw in the Fargodome,
- Donny Stephens of the University of the Cumberlands, with Team Kentucky
- Ashley Sword of Life University, with Team Georgia
- Aaron Meister of Wayland Baptist, with Team Texas
- Sam Schmitz of McKendree University, with Team Alaska
- Shauna Kemp of the University of Jamestown, with Team North Dakota, a National team member and national champion as an athlete
- Sarah Bollinger of Southwestern College
There are a whole lot more wrestling celebrities in Fargo, and we will do a daily update of who is in the house.
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