#FreestyleFriday: Two-time World medalist Aaron Brooks set to compete at Flatz Open

Video above is the 2017 Cadet World finals match at 76 kg. By United World Wrestling. 

Aaron Brooks is among those on the USA Wrestling Elite Accelerator Program (EAP) roster that will compete in Wolfurt, Austria, this weekend at the Junior Flatz Open.

Brooks, 18 years old, heads into the event with some impressive international credentials.

A Penn State signee, Brooks made his international debut at the 2017 Cadet World Championships in Athens, Greece, as an alternate, replacing World Team Trials champion and past Cadet World medalist Travis Wittlake, who pulled out of the tournament due to injury. Brooks ran through the 76 kg men’s freestyle bracket to capture a Cadet World title.

In 2018, Brooks won the spot on the Junior World Team outright and went on to represent the USA in Trnava, Slovakia. The Maryland native breezed his way through the semifinals and met up with Hayato Ishiguro of Japan in the title bout. The finals was an exciting shootout, with Ishiguro scoring in the closing seconds to steal the bout from Brooks. Although disappointed, Brooks made his second-consecutive World finals in as many attempts and walked away with a Junior World silver medal.

Last month, he began making a name for himself at the Senior international level, claiming the gold medal at 79 kg at the Dave Schultz Memorial International in Colorado Springs, beating some of the best freestylers in the nation.

Brooks will be back in action Feb. 9 with several other U.S. EAP athletes at the Junior Flatz Open.