An idea that started out as an offseason workout plan turned into an internationally successful program.
The Oregon State wrestling team’s club team, the Northwest Regional Training Center, has developed three of the top wrestlers in the world.
Nick Simmons of the United States, Henrich Barnes from South Africa and Israel Silva from Mexico are all ranked No. 1 in their weight classes from each of their countries.
All three head into the World Championships Friday through Sunday in Istanbul, Turkey, with a high probability of winning.
If they finish in the top six, they qualify in their weight class for the 2012 London Olympics.
And if they maintain their No. 1 ranking through the Olympic trials in April, they will represent their country in the Games.
“It’s really a unique situation,” said club coach Troy Steiner. “It’s a really big year for us.”
The club is an extension of OSU’s wrestling program. It started out as the Orange Crush club for area youth to get started in the sport.
OSU wrestlers also used the club to compete during the summer. Then it evolved into a training center for the top wrestlers after college.
“We want to keep guys around for at least one Olympic cycle,” said Steiner, who is also an assistant at OSU. “We are trying to recruit guys at OSU who want to win an Olympic or world medal. After college, they can stay around and give back to the program that helped get them there.”
Simmons was the first to join the club for this purpose. He wrestled at Michigan State, where he was a three-time Big Ten Conference champion and four-time All-American.
Steiner recruited him in 2007 to train with him, and Simmons was eventually hired as the Beavers’ director of operations in 2009.
Simmons won the 2009 U.S. Nationals, was a runner-up at the world team trials in 2009 and runner-up for the 2008 Beijing Olympics at the 55-kilo (121-pound) weight class.
“I’ve been so close, but I think I’ll be able to break through,” Simmons said. “It has been a childhood dream ever since I was 5. I wanted to be an Olympic and world champ.”
Barnes wrestled for the Beavers from 2008-09, earning All-American status his final season. He came to the United States because wrestling in South Africa wasn’t at a high level.
Barnes joined the club after his college eligibility was complete. He wrestles for South Africa at 66 kilos (145 pounds) but trains in Corvallis.
Barnes competed in the 2008 Olympics and wants one more shot in 2012.
“Working with Troy, he knows my style of wrestling,” Barnes said. “I feel training with him helps me every day. He does a lot for us and knows how to get us ready for the international tournaments. And the competition (against OSU wrestlers in practice), it’s still better here.”
Silva is similar to Simmons in that he was recruited to the club as a heavyweight. He’s a resident of Washington who wrestled collegiately at North Idaho College and Tennessee-Chattanooga.
Since Barnes and Silva are considered by far the top of their class from their countries, Steiner expects them to reach the Olympics, if they qualify in Istanbul.
This weekend is more important to them than the Olympic trials. If the weight class doesn’t qualify, they won’t be allowed to go to London.
“They have to go in there with the mentality to medal (in the top three) and then take top six if that’s what you get,” Steiner said.
Simmons has a harder road with stronger competition. He’s been on-and-off No. 1 in the U.S. since 2009, and has held steady there since June.
His weight class should qualify this weekend. Whether he goes to London will be determined later.
Beyond helping the three excel, Steiner’s goal is to use their success to help the Beavers. He hopes to recruit the top wrestlers to OSU and then keep them going in the Northwest Regional Training Center instead of losing them to mixed martial arts.
Club members also help the Beavers in practice as sparing partners.
“The club and the Beavers really help each other to get better,” Simmons said. “It’s the perfect situation.”
Read more:
http://www.gazettetimes.com/sports/article_0c66a560-de2b-11e0-9e21-001cc4c002e0.html#ixzz1YVwEJm4a
An idea that started out as an offseason workout plan turned into an internationally successful program.
The Oregon State wrestling team’s club team, the Northwest Regional Training Center, has developed three of the top wrestlers in the world.
Nick Simmons of the United States, Henrich Barnes from South Africa and Israel Silva from Mexico are all ranked No. 1 in their weight classes from each of their countries.
All three head into the World Championships Friday through Sunday in Istanbul, Turkey, with a high probability of winning.
If they finish in the top six, they qualify in their weight class for the 2012 London Olympics.
And if they maintain their No. 1 ranking through the Olympic trials in April, they will represent their country in the Games.
“It’s really a unique situation,” said club coach Troy Steiner. “It’s a really big year for us.”
The club is an extension of OSU’s wrestling program. It started out as the Orange Crush club for area youth to get started in the sport.
OSU wrestlers also used the club to compete during the summer. Then it evolved into a training center for the top wrestlers after college.
“We want to keep guys around for at least one Olympic cycle,” said Steiner, who is also an assistant at OSU. “We are trying to recruit guys at OSU who want to win an Olympic or world medal. After college, they can stay around and give back to the program that helped get them there.”
Simmons was the first to join the club for this purpose. He wrestled at Michigan State, where he was a three-time Big Ten Conference champion and four-time All-American.
Steiner recruited him in 2007 to train with him, and Simmons was eventually hired as the Beavers’ director of operations in 2009.
Simmons won the 2009 U.S. Nationals, was a runner-up at the world team trials in 2009 and runner-up for the 2008 Beijing Olympics at the 55-kilo (121-pound) weight class.
“I’ve been so close, but I think I’ll be able to break through,” Simmons said. “It has been a childhood dream ever since I was 5. I wanted to be an Olympic and world champ.”
Barnes wrestled for the Beavers from 2008-09, earning All-American status his final season. He came to the United States because wrestling in South Africa wasn’t at a high level.
Barnes joined the club after his college eligibility was complete. He wrestles for South Africa at 66 kilos (145 pounds) but trains in Corvallis.
Barnes competed in the 2008 Olympics and wants one more shot in 2012.
“Working with Troy, he knows my style of wrestling,” Barnes said. “I feel training with him helps me every day. He does a lot for us and knows how to get us ready for the international tournaments. And the competition (against OSU wrestlers in practice), it’s still better here.”
Silva is similar to Simmons in that he was recruited to the club as a heavyweight. He’s a resident of Washington who wrestled collegiately at North Idaho College and Tennessee-Chattanooga.
Since Barnes and Silva are considered by far the top of their class from their countries, Steiner expects them to reach the Olympics, if they qualify in Istanbul.
This weekend is more important to them than the Olympic trials. If the weight class doesn’t qualify, they won’t be allowed to go to London.
“They have to go in there with the mentality to medal (in the top three) and then take top six if that’s what you get,” Steiner said.
Simmons has a harder road with stronger competition. He’s been on-and-off No. 1 in the U.S. since 2009, and has held steady there since June.
His weight class should qualify this weekend. Whether he goes to London will be determined later.
Beyond helping the three excel, Steiner’s goal is to use their success to help the Beavers. He hopes to recruit the top wrestlers to OSU and then keep them going in the Northwest Regional Training Center instead of losing them to mixed martial arts.
Club members also help the Beavers in practice as sparing partners.
“The club and the Beavers really help each other to get better,” Simmons said. “It’s the perfect situation.”
Read more:
http://www.gazettetimes.com/sports/article_0c66a560-de2b-11e0-9e21-001cc4c002e0.html#ixzz1YVwEJm4a
An idea that started out as an offseason workout plan turned into an internationally successful program.
The Oregon State wrestling team’s club team, the Northwest Regional Training Center, has developed three of the top wrestlers in the world.
Nick Simmons of the United States, Henrich Barnes from South Africa and Israel Silva from Mexico are all ranked No. 1 in their weight classes from each of their countries.
All three head into the World Championships Friday through Sunday in Istanbul, Turkey, with a high probability of winning.
If they finish in the top six, they qualify in their weight class for the 2012 London Olympics.
And if they maintain their No. 1 ranking through the Olympic trials in April, they will represent their country in the Games.
“It’s really a unique situation,” said club coach Troy Steiner. “It’s a really big year for us.”
The club is an extension of OSU’s wrestling program. It started out as the Orange Crush club for area youth to get started in the sport.
OSU wrestlers also used the club to compete during the summer. Then it evolved into a training center for the top wrestlers after college.
“We want to keep guys around for at least one Olympic cycle,” said Steiner, who is also an assistant at OSU. “We are trying to recruit guys at OSU who want to win an Olympic or world medal. After college, they can stay around and give back to the program that helped get them there.”
Simmons was the first to join the club for this purpose. He wrestled at Michigan State, where he was a three-time Big Ten Conference champion and four-time All-American.
Steiner recruited him in 2007 to train with him, and Simmons was eventually hired as the Beavers’ director of operations in 2009.
Simmons won the 2009 U.S. Nationals, was a runner-up at the world team trials in 2009 and runner-up for the 2008 Beijing Olympics at the 55-kilo (121-pound) weight class.
“I’ve been so close, but I think I’ll be able to break through,” Simmons said. “It has been a childhood dream ever since I was 5. I wanted to be an Olympic and world champ.”
Barnes wrestled for the Beavers from 2008-09, earning All-American status his final season. He came to the United States because wrestling in South Africa wasn’t at a high level.
Barnes joined the club after his college eligibility was complete. He wrestles for South Africa at 66 kilos (145 pounds) but trains in Corvallis.
Barnes competed in the 2008 Olympics and wants one more shot in 2012.
“Working with Troy, he knows my style of wrestling,” Barnes said. “I feel training with him helps me every day. He does a lot for us and knows how to get us ready for the international tournaments. And the competition (against OSU wrestlers in practice), it’s still better here.”
Silva is similar to Simmons in that he was recruited to the club as a heavyweight. He’s a resident of Washington who wrestled collegiately at North Idaho College and Tennessee-Chattanooga.
Since Barnes and Silva are considered by far the top of their class from their countries, Steiner expects them to reach the Olympics, if they qualify in Istanbul.
This weekend is more important to them than the Olympic trials. If the weight class doesn’t qualify, they won’t be allowed to go to London.
“They have to go in there with the mentality to medal (in the top three) and then take top six if that’s what you get,” Steiner said.
Simmons has a harder road with stronger competition. He’s been on-and-off No. 1 in the U.S. since 2009, and has held steady there since June.
His weight class should qualify this weekend. Whether he goes to London will be determined later.
Beyond helping the three excel, Steiner’s goal is to use their success to help the Beavers. He hopes to recruit the top wrestlers to OSU and then keep them going in the Northwest Regional Training Center instead of losing them to mixed martial arts.
Club members also help the Beavers in practice as sparing partners.
“The club and the Beavers really help each other to get better,” Simmons said. “It’s the perfect situation.”
