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Storm blows into Vegas and returns home with another Greco-Roman championship

Las Vegas, Nevada – When it comes to Greco-Roman wrestling and the Minnesota Storm, it’s not always strength in numbers. One of the nation’s premier international clubs, the Storm relies on its quality to bring home hardware and at the U.S. Open Championships on December 17-18 at the Westgate Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, the Storm did just that. Pat Smith claimed his first U.S. Open championship after finishing second on four different occasions, while Hayden Zillmer finished with a silver medal. Jayson Ness, Barrett Stanghill and Malcolm Allen finished with bronze medals to lead the Storm to the Division II national team championship. Smith’s championship came at 71kg where he defeated Anthonie Linares of the New York […]

Minnesota Freestylers Going after Greco National Titles

Something often said, especially amongst wrestlers in the Minnesota wrestling community. Growing up in Minnesota, it is common for the top middle school and high school wrestlers to wrestle all styles. The success of the Minnesota Storm senior level program is an extension of the opportunities that exist for youth wrestlers to compete in freestyle and Greco Roman wrestling throughout the state. Years of instruction have led to a tradition of excellence in international competition for Minnesota’s best wrestlers. Many of whom continue to give back to the younger generations, providing them with high-level instruction and training. The “Minnesota gut” has become synonymous with the Minnesota Storm. It has become a trademark of Minnesota, being implemented not only as a […]

Nelson leads the way at the Bill Farrell International

New York City, New York With the 2016 Rio Olympic Games a few months in the past, athletes for the Minnesota Storm have begun to take aim at the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020. At the beginning of this new quadrennial, the objective of winning in Tokyo may seem like a distant goal. There will be a lot of tournaments over the next four years that will draw much of their focus and attention. For many of the athletes on the roster, this won’t be their first quadrennial of international competition. They understand the short-term and long-term objectives that lie ahead and they have perspective enough to appreciate that Tokyo isn’t so far down the road. The Bill Farrell […]

Minnesota Storm advance four to the finals of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials

Iowa City, IA — The Minnesota Storm advanced four athletes to the finals of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials this weekend in Iowa City, Iowa. Both Andy Bisek (above) and Joe Rau were victorious in the finals, effectively extending the Minnesota Training Center’s record streak of representing the United States in every Olympics since 1968. Jake Clark (85 kg/187 lbs) and Pat Smith (66 kg/145 lbs) also advanced to the finals at their respective weights. Bisek (75 kg/165 lbs) was the only Greco Roman athlete to enter the Olympic Team Trials with a bye to the finals. It was an advantage that he had earned by finishing with medals in both the 2014 and 2015 World Championships. His opponent, Geordan […]

Minnesota Storm well-represented at upcoming U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Iowa City

Every four years, athletes come out of the shadows to give it one last go in order to try to make an Olympic team. For members of the Minnesota Storm, there are no shadows. Storm athletes have been busy throughout the Olympic cycle preparing for this very moment. The 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, set for April 9-10 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa will feature 18 athletes representing the Minnesota Training Center and the Minnesota Storm. This is the most qualifiers of any privately-operated training location in the United States. Of those 18, 15 are in the “classic style” of Greco-Roman, while three Storm freestylers also qualified. Two of the three Storm freestylers competing are past NCAA champions […]

MTC's Pat Smith wins second Pan Am Gold

Three U.S. Greco-Roman stars won gold medals and the USA won the team title at the Pan American Championships on Sunday night at the Dr. Pepper Arena. Team USA had seven total medals, including a silver and three bronze medals Winning the Pan American Championships for the second year in a row was Patrick Smith (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm), who defeated Jair Cuero Munoz of Colombia, 2-2 in the 71 kg/156 lbs. finals. Cuero led 2-0 on a second period gut wrench, but Smith blocked a Cuero throw for a two-point takedown and held on to the win by scoring the last point. Cuero is a previous two-time Pan American bronze medalist. “It was a little closer than I wanted it […]

Two-time World Teamer Jake Clark featured on Guillotine Grapevine Podcast

Episode 6 of the Guillotine Grapevine previews The Clash brackets, which were released on December 28. The Clash, the National High School Wrestling Duals, is set for Rochester, Minn., on January 1-2 should be one of the finest high school wrestling events in the nation. The second part of our show talks with Minnesota’s own Jake Clark, a two-time U.S. World Team member in Greco-Roman. Jake is back training with the Minnesota Storm and even in his advanced age, he’s found the fountain of youth and it’s either from coffee or the warmth of Hawaii. Jake talks about his past with Greco, the Marine Corps, what it was like leaving the University of Minnesota and how he dealt with the […]

Joe Rau featured on USA Wrestling Bonus Points Podcast

USA Wrestling’s Bonus Points podcast, presented by Liberty Mutual Insurance, will feature many of top names in wrestling from the U.S. and beyond. Episode 24 of Bonus Points features Josef Rau, 2016 U.S. Senior Nationals champion and 2014 U.S. World Team member in Greco-Roman. Rau competed collegiately for Elmhurst College where he won a NCAA Division III national title in 2013. Join USA Wrestling’s Richard Immel as he takes you through the latest wrestling news from around the country and talks with Rau about his wrestling journey, moving up to 98 kg, the secret to his success and much more. Follow Bonus Points Ep. 24 featured guest Josef Rau on Twitter at @Raustler84 and follow host Richard Immel on Twitter […]

Bisek and Betts Win Pan Am Championships

Cuba hadn’t lost a match all day. Americans Andrew Bisek and Chas Betts were determined to change that. Bisek delivered by scoring a turn in the final 30 seconds to earn a dramatic 0-1, 1-0, 2-0 win over Cuba’s Alexi Bell Caballero in the Pan American Championships finals at 74 kg/163 lbs. Betts followed suit by knocking off past World silver and bronze medalist Pablo Shorey Hernandez of Cuba 2-0, 2-1 in the finals at 84 kg/185 lbs. Betts scored a first-period turn before Hernandez was penalized for a second-period caution in par terre. Bisek and Betts led the U.S. Greco-Roman team that won seven medals as the three-day event kicked off on Friday at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. […]

MN Storm at Granma Cup in Cuba

HAVANA, Cuba – The U.S. won three medals on the first day of the Granma Cup of Greco-Roman on Sunday. Capturing a silver medal at 84 kg/185 lbs was Jordan Holm (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm). Holm, who was a 2011 U.S. Open champion, opened with wins over Ramsin Azizsir of Germany, 0-2, 2-0, 1-0 and U.S. teammate Betts, 1-0, 0-1, 3-0. He was defeated in the gold-medal finals by Pablo Shorey of Cuba, 0-1, 0-3. Shorey was a 2010 World silver medalist and 2009 World bronze medalist. Shorey had defeated 2008 Olympic champion Andrea Minguzzi of Italy in the opening round. “We have to continue to improve our skills in all areas if we expect to qualify our weight classes for […]