Hawkeye Fan Shop — A Black & Gold Store | 24 Hawkeyes to Watch – 2017-18 | 2018 UWW World Cup | Hawk Talk Monthly – March 2018
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — USA Wrestling has named Nick Gwiazdowski (Raleigh, N.C./Titan Mercury WC/Wolfpack WC) to its 2018 U.S. Men’s Freestyle World Cup Team at 125 kg/275 lbs.
Gwiazdowski will be on the USA Wrestling team which will compete at the 2018 Freestyle World Cup at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on the campus of the University of Iowa, April 7-8. The World Cup is the annual international dual meet championship, and will feature the top eight men’s freestyle wrestling teams in the world.
Gwiazdowski, a 2017 World bronze medalist, will be competing in his second Freestyle World Cup. He wrestled at the 2017 World Cup in Kermanshah, Iran, where he competed in two dual meets for Team USA.
In his first Senior World Championships appearance, Gwiazdowski on a bronze medal at the 2017 World Championships in Paris, France. He has won the Grand Prix of Spain twice (2015, 2017) and added a gold medal at the 2017 Bill Farrell International. Gwiazdowski was a 2017 U.S. Open champion. He placed fourth in the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, and was also fourth at three U.S. World Team Trials.
Gwiazdowski was a two-time NCAA champion and three-time finalist for NC State. As a freshman, he was an NCAA All-American for Binghamton, before transferring, ending his career as a four-time Div. I All-American. Gwiazdowski won his NCAA titles for the Wolfpack in 2014 and 2015.
He was a two-time New York state champion for Duanesburg High School.
USA Wrestling will announce one World Cup participant in each of the 10 weight classes each day through March 14. In addition to these 10 athletes, additional athletes will be added to the team roster, with at least two wrestlers in each weight class.
The USA has drawn into Pool A against the nations of Japan, Georgia, and Iran. Pool B consists of teams from Russia, Azerbaijan, Cuba, and Kazakhstan. Iran is the defending World Cup team champions.
This will be the first major international event for the U.S. men’s freestyle program, since the United States won the team title at the 2017 World Wrestling Championships in Paris, France last August. It was the first World Team Title for the USA in men’s freestyle in 22 years and only the third time in history.
Ticket opportunities for the World Cup include a Gold all-session package ($225), a Black all-session package ($150), and standard all-session tickets ($75/$50). Tickets are now available on the University of Iowa Athletics website.
Visit worldcupiowacity.com for more information on the event.
FREESTYLE WORLD CUP
At Iowa City, Iowa, April 7-8
U.S. men’s freestyle lineup (as of March 14)
57 kg/125.5 lbs. – Thomas Gilman, Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC/Hawkeye WC)
61 kg/134 lbs. – Kendric Maple, Lincoln, Neb. (Titan Mercury WC/Nebraska WTC)
65 kg/143 lbs. – Logan Stieber, Columbus, Ohio (Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC)
70 kg/154 lbs. – James Green, Lincoln, Neb. (Titan Mercury WC/Nebraska WTC)
74 kg/163 lbs. – Jordan Burroughs, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids/Nebraska WTC)
79 kg/174 lbs. – Kyle Dake, Ithaca, N.Y. (Titan Mercury WC/Finger Lakes WC)
86 kg/189 lbs. – David Taylor, State College, Pa. (Titan Mercury WC/Nittany Lion WC)
92 kg/202.5 lbs. – J’den Cox, Columbia, Mo. (Titan Mercury WC/Missouri WF)
97 kg/213 lbs. – Kyle Snyder, Woodbine, Md. (Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC)
125 kg/275 lbs. – Nick Gwiazdowski, Raleigh, N.C. (Titan Mercury WC/Wolfpack WC)
National Freestyle Coaches – Bill Zadick, Kevin Jackson and Joe Russell (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
Honorary Coaches – Dan Gable (Iowa City, Iowa), J Robinson (Minneapolis, Minn.), Mike Duroe (Marion, Iowa)
Additional U.S. athletes and delegation members will also be named.
Nick Gwiazdowski’s previous World Cup results
2017 World Cup, Kermanshah, Iran, Feb. 16-17
LOSS Jamaladdin Magomedov (Azerbaijan), 3-1
LOSS Komeil Ghasemi (Iran), 5-0
NICK GWIAZDOWSKI
Residence: Raleigh, N.C. Club: Titan Mercury WC
College: North Carolina State, Binghamton High School: Duanesburg (N.Y.)
Born: Dec. 30, 1992 Weight class: 125 kg/275 lbs.
- Third in 2017 World Championships
- 2017 U.S. World Team Trials champion
- 2017 U.S. Open champion
- 2016 Bill Farrell International Champion
- Two-time Grand Prix of Spain champion (2015, 2017)
- Two-time NCAA champion and three-time finalist for NC State
- Four-time NCAA All-American, also All-American for Binghamton as a freshman
