Max Nowry named 2019 USA Wrestling Greco-Roman Wrestler of the Year
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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
Max Nowry (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP) was named 2019 Greco-Roman Wrestler of the Year by USA Wrestling. It is the first time that he has won this prestigious award.
Nowry placed fifth in the 2019 World Championships in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan at 55 kg/121 lbs., the top placement of any U.S. Greco-Roman wrestler at the Senior World Championships this year. Nowry was competing in his first Senior World Championships.
Nowry won his first match and then reached the quarterfinals at the World Championships, where he dropped a one-point match to eventual World silver medalist Khorlan Zhakansha of Kazakhstan. Nowry was drawn back into repechage, won his next match, then was beaten by 2018 World champion Eldaniz Azizli of Azerbaijan in the bronze-medal round.
He qualified for his first Senior World Team with a two-match victory over Brady Koontz in Final X: Rutgers in June. Nowry moved immediately into Final X by winning the U.S. Open in Las Vegas in April, defeating Dalton Duffield in the finals, 5-3.
At the Armed Forces Championships at Fort Bliss in Texas in February, Nowry was a double champion for the second straight year, going unbeaten on the way to titles in both Greco-Roman and freestyle.
He was won medals in five different international tournaments in 2019. Competing in freestyle, Nowry won a bronze medal at the World Military Games in Wuhan, China in October.
His Greco-Roman medals included his first second career Pan American Championships gold medal, with a victory in Buenos Aires, Argentina in April. He added silver medals at the Bill Farrell International in New York City in November, and at the Haparanda Cup in Sweden later in November. Nowry was also a bronze medalist at the Poland Open in August.
Nowry was a 2012 University World champion in Greco-Roman, and competed on five U.S. age-group World Teams, three at the University level and two at the Junior level.
He has been on the Greco-Roman national team five times, including holding the No. 2 ranking in 2012 and 2018. Nowry was second in the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials.
Nowry is a Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Army, and a member of the Army World Class Athlete Program. Prior to joining the U.S. Army, he attended Northern Michigan University, as part of its Greco-Roman program there. He is originally from Wheeling, Ill.
PAST GRECO-ROMAN WRESTLER OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
2019 – Max Nowry, Colorado Springs, Colo., U.S. Army WCAP
2018 - Adam Coon, Ann Arbor, Mich., New York AC/Cliff Keen WC
2017 – Kamal Bey, Colorado Springs, Colo., Sunkist Kids
2016 – Andy Bisek, Marquette, Mich., Minnesota Storm
2015 – Andy Bisek, Colorado Springs, Colo., Minnesota Storm
2014 – Andy Bisek, Colorado Springs, Colo., Minnesota Storm
2013 – Spenser Mango, Colorado Springs, Colo., U.S. Army WCAP
2012 – Chas Betts, Colorado Springs, Colo., Minnesota Storm
2011 – Justin Lester, Colorado Springs, Colo., U.S. Army
2010 – Justin Ruiz, Meridian, Idaho, New York AC
2009 - Dremiel Byers, Colorado Springs, Colo., U.S. Army
2008 - Adam Wheeler, Colorado Springs, Colo., Gator WC
2007 - Brad Vering, Colorado Springs, Colo., New York AC
2006 - Joe Warren, Colorado Springs, Colo., New York AC
2005 - Justin Ruiz, Colorado Springs, Colo., New York AC
2004 - Rulon Gardner, Wellsville, Utah, Sunkist Kids
2003 - Jim Gruenwald, Colorado Springs, Colo., Sunkist Kids
2002 - Dremiel Byers, Colorado Springs, Colo., U.S. Army
2001 - Rulon Gardner, Cascade, Colo., Sunkist Kids
2000 - Rulon Gardner, Afton, Wyo., Sunkist Kids
1999 - Dremiel Byers, Colorado Springs, Colo., U.S. Army
1998 - Matt Lindland, Lincoln, Neb., Sunkist Kids
1997 - Rulon Gardner, Gilbert, Ariz., Sunkist Kids
1996 - Dennis Hall, Stevens, Point, Wis., Sunkist Kids
1995 - Dennis Hall, Stevens Point, Wis., Sunkist Kids
1994 - Dennis Hall, Stevens Point, Wis., Sunkist Kids
1993 - James Johnson, Phoenix, Ariz., Sunkist Kids
Nowry placed fifth in the 2019 World Championships in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan at 55 kg/121 lbs., the top placement of any U.S. Greco-Roman wrestler at the Senior World Championships this year. Nowry was competing in his first Senior World Championships.
Nowry won his first match and then reached the quarterfinals at the World Championships, where he dropped a one-point match to eventual World silver medalist Khorlan Zhakansha of Kazakhstan. Nowry was drawn back into repechage, won his next match, then was beaten by 2018 World champion Eldaniz Azizli of Azerbaijan in the bronze-medal round.
He qualified for his first Senior World Team with a two-match victory over Brady Koontz in Final X: Rutgers in June. Nowry moved immediately into Final X by winning the U.S. Open in Las Vegas in April, defeating Dalton Duffield in the finals, 5-3.
At the Armed Forces Championships at Fort Bliss in Texas in February, Nowry was a double champion for the second straight year, going unbeaten on the way to titles in both Greco-Roman and freestyle.
He was won medals in five different international tournaments in 2019. Competing in freestyle, Nowry won a bronze medal at the World Military Games in Wuhan, China in October.
His Greco-Roman medals included his first second career Pan American Championships gold medal, with a victory in Buenos Aires, Argentina in April. He added silver medals at the Bill Farrell International in New York City in November, and at the Haparanda Cup in Sweden later in November. Nowry was also a bronze medalist at the Poland Open in August.
Nowry was a 2012 University World champion in Greco-Roman, and competed on five U.S. age-group World Teams, three at the University level and two at the Junior level.
He has been on the Greco-Roman national team five times, including holding the No. 2 ranking in 2012 and 2018. Nowry was second in the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials.
Nowry is a Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Army, and a member of the Army World Class Athlete Program. Prior to joining the U.S. Army, he attended Northern Michigan University, as part of its Greco-Roman program there. He is originally from Wheeling, Ill.
PAST GRECO-ROMAN WRESTLER OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
2019 – Max Nowry, Colorado Springs, Colo., U.S. Army WCAP
2018 - Adam Coon, Ann Arbor, Mich., New York AC/Cliff Keen WC
2017 – Kamal Bey, Colorado Springs, Colo., Sunkist Kids
2016 – Andy Bisek, Marquette, Mich., Minnesota Storm
2015 – Andy Bisek, Colorado Springs, Colo., Minnesota Storm
2014 – Andy Bisek, Colorado Springs, Colo., Minnesota Storm
2013 – Spenser Mango, Colorado Springs, Colo., U.S. Army WCAP
2012 – Chas Betts, Colorado Springs, Colo., Minnesota Storm
2011 – Justin Lester, Colorado Springs, Colo., U.S. Army
2010 – Justin Ruiz, Meridian, Idaho, New York AC
2009 - Dremiel Byers, Colorado Springs, Colo., U.S. Army
2008 - Adam Wheeler, Colorado Springs, Colo., Gator WC
2007 - Brad Vering, Colorado Springs, Colo., New York AC
2006 - Joe Warren, Colorado Springs, Colo., New York AC
2005 - Justin Ruiz, Colorado Springs, Colo., New York AC
2004 - Rulon Gardner, Wellsville, Utah, Sunkist Kids
2003 - Jim Gruenwald, Colorado Springs, Colo., Sunkist Kids
2002 - Dremiel Byers, Colorado Springs, Colo., U.S. Army
2001 - Rulon Gardner, Cascade, Colo., Sunkist Kids
2000 - Rulon Gardner, Afton, Wyo., Sunkist Kids
1999 - Dremiel Byers, Colorado Springs, Colo., U.S. Army
1998 - Matt Lindland, Lincoln, Neb., Sunkist Kids
1997 - Rulon Gardner, Gilbert, Ariz., Sunkist Kids
1996 - Dennis Hall, Stevens, Point, Wis., Sunkist Kids
1995 - Dennis Hall, Stevens Point, Wis., Sunkist Kids
1994 - Dennis Hall, Stevens Point, Wis., Sunkist Kids
1993 - James Johnson, Phoenix, Ariz., Sunkist Kids
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