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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Aaron Brooks
Personal information
Full nameAaron Marquel Brooks
Born (2000-06-15) June 15, 2000 (age 23)
Hagerstown, Maryland, U.S.
Sport
CountryUnited States
Sport Wrestling
Weight class86 kg (190 lb)
Event(s) Freestyle and Folkstyle
College team Nittany Lions
Club Nittany Lion Wrestling Club
Coached by Cael Sanderson
Medal record
Men's freestyle wrestling
Representing   United States
U23 World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2023 Tirana 86 kg
US National Championships
Gold medal – first place 2023 Las Vegas 86 kg
Junior World Championships
Silver medal – second place 2018 Trnava 79 kg
Cadet World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2017 Athens 76 kg
Collegiate Wrestling
Representing the Penn State Nittany Lions
NCAA Division I National Championships
Gold medal – first place 2021 St. Louis 184 lb
Gold medal – first place 2022 Detroit 184 lb
Gold medal – first place 2023 Tulsa 184 lb
Gold medal – first place 2024 Kansas City 197 lb
Big Ten Championships
Gold medal – first place 2020 Piscataway 184 lb
Gold medal – first place 2021 State College 184 lb
Gold medal – first place 2023 Ann Arbor 184 lb
Gold medal – first place 2024 College Park 197 lb
Silver medal – second place 2022 Lincoln 184 lb

Aaron Marquel Brooks (born June 15, 2000) is an American freestyle and folkstyle wrestler who competes at 86 kilograms. [1] In freestyle, he is qualified to compete at the 2024 Summer Olympics, is a U23 World champion and US National champion, and was a U20 World silver medalist and U17 World champion. [2]

In collegiate wrestling, Brooks is a four-time NCAA champion and a four-time Big Ten Conference champion out of the Pennsylvania State University. [3]

Career

High school

Brooks was born in Hagerstown, Maryland and attended North Hagerstown High School. [4] During his high school years, Brooks was a four-time NHSCA National champion and a four-time MPSSAA state champion, with a 163–2 record in the state of Maryland. [5] [6] In freestyle, Brooks became a U17 World champion before his senior year. [7] The top-recruit at 182 pounds, Brooks committed to wrestle for the Penn State Nittany Lions in early 2018. [8]

After his senior year, Brooks decided to spend a grayshirt year at the US Olympic Training Center. [9]

In August 2018, Brooks earned a silver medal from the U20 World Championships. [10] In January 2019, he claimed the Dave Schultz Memorial International title, making his senior level debut. [11] In August 2019, after making the US World Team, Brooks was eliminated in the first-round at the U20 World Championships by eventual World medalist Abubakr Abakarov. [12]

The Pennsylvania State University

2019–2020

Brooks wore a redshirt for his first appearance, the Mat Town Open, which he won. [13] However, his redshirt was then burned for him to rack up a 9–1 dual meet record during regular season. [14]

In December, Brooks briefly switched to freestyle to compete at the US National Championships, placing sixth though failing to qualify for the US Olympic Team Trials. [15]

Back to folkstyle, Brooks won his first Big Ten Conference title, avenging his lone season loss to Taylor Venz from Nebraska in the semifinals. [16] [17] The third seed for the NCAA tournament, Brooks was unable to compete as the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [18] After the season, he was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year. [19]

2020–2021

After a 6–0 dual meet stint during his sophomore campaign, Brooks became a two-time Big Ten Conference champion in the post-season. [20] At the NCAA tournament, Brooks became an NCAA Division I National champion after wins over fourth-seeded Parker Keckeisen and second-seeded Trent Hidlay in the semifinals and finals, respectively. [21] This result qualified Brooks for the US Olympic Team Trials, which took place a month after, in April. [22]

At the US Olympic Trials, Brooks defeated two-time All-Americans Nate Jackson and Sammy Brooks, but fell to two-time NCAA champion Zahid Valencia and US National champion Pat Downey. [23]

2021–2022

Entering his junior year, Brooks amassed an undefeated 14–0 dual meet record during regular season. [24] After making his third-straight Big Ten Conference final, Brooks suffered an upset loss to Olympic bronze medalist Myles Amine, whom he had defeated during regular season. [25] At the NCAA tournament, Brooks cruised to the finals after defeating his 2021 NCAA finals foe Trent Hidlay in the semifinals, and was then able to pull off the rubber-match win over Amine in the finals to defend his title and become a two-time NCAA National champion. [26]

2022–2023

Entering his senior year, Brooks compiled a 9–1 dual meet record during regular season, suffering a lone setback to Iowa State's Marcus Coleman. [27] At the Big Ten tournament, Brooks made his fourth finale and claimed his third title with three wins, all of them including bonus points. [28] Brooks, the third seed, was able to claim his third NCAA National championship, with yet another semifinal win over second-seeded Trent Hidlay and top-seeded Parker Keckeisen in the finals. [29]

Fresh as a three-time NCAA champion, Brooks switched to freestyle to compete at the US Open National Championships in April. [30] After cruising to the semifinals, he defeated US National champion and two-time U20 World champion Mark Hall on points to make the finals, where he avenged losses from 2019 and 2021 to US National champion and two-time NCAA champion Zahid Valencia to claim the championship and earn a berth for Final X. [31]

In June, Brooks competed against teammate and three-time Olympic and World champion David Taylor for the US World Team spot at Final X Newark, where he lost two matches to none in a best-of-three format to claim runner-up honors. [32] As a result, Brooks earned the right to represent the United States at the U23 World Championships in October. [33]

In October, Brooks became the U23 World champion at 86 kilograms, facing competition such as defending U23 World champion Tatsuya Shirai from Japan, U20 European champion Arslan Bagaev from Russia, returning U23 World medalist Ivan Ichizli from Moldova and U20 World medalist İsmail Küçüksolak from Turkey. [34]

2023–2024

Brooks then opted to return to Penn State for a fifth and final season, as the NCAA offered an extra year of eligibility to any student athlete rostered during the COVID-19 shortened 2020–2021 season and was again a National Champion at 197 lbs. [35] Now up at 197 pounds, Brooks added a Journeymen Classic title to his resume and racked up a 11–0 dual meet record during regular season. [36]

In the postseason, Brooks repeated his 2023 Big Ten title run, handling his three opponents bonus-points losses to claim the championship. [37] Following the tournament, he was named the Big Ten Wrestler of the Year. [38] Brooks then swept through the NCAA Tournament field, posting two technical falls and two falls before defeating Trent Hidlay 6-1 in the NCAA Final. [39] With his victory, Brooks became just the seventh wrestler to win four NCAA titles and was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler. [40] On April 1, 2024, Brooks was awarded the Hodge Trophy as the nation's top collegiate wrestler. [41]

Post-collegiate career

2024

In April, Brooks competed at the US Olympic Team Trials, where after defeating multiple-time NCAA champions Alex Dieringer and Zahid Valencia, as well as Connor Mirasola, he advanced to the best-of-three finals, where he would rematch teammate and three-time Olympic and World champion David Taylor. [42] He knocked off Taylor two times in a row to upset him and earn the right to represent the United States at the 2024 Summer Olympics in August, as a US Olympic Team Member. [43]

Freestyle record

Senior Freestyle Matches
Res. Record Opponent Score Date Event Location
2024 US Olympic Team Trials 1st place, gold medalist(s) at 86 kg
Win 22–7 United States David Taylor 3–1 April 20, 2024 2024 US Olympic Team Trials

United States State College, Pennsylvania

Win 21–7 United States David Taylor 4–1
Win 20–7 United States Zahid Valencia 7–6 April 19, 2024
Win 19–7 United States Alex Dieringer 8–4
Win 18–7 United States Connor Mirasola 11–5
2023 U23 World Championships 1st place, gold medalist(s) at 86 kg
Win 17–7 Japan Tatsuya Shirai TF 10–0 October 23–24, 2023 2023 U23 World Championships

Albania Tirana, Albania

Win 16–7 Russia Arslan Bagaev 5–4
Win 15–7 Moldova Ivan Ichizli 7–0
Win 14–7 Canada Owen Martin TF 10–0
Win 13–7 Turkey İsmail Küçüksolak 6–1
2023 US World Team Trials 2nd place, silver medalist(s) at 86 kg
Loss 12–7 United States David Taylor 4–5 June 10, 2023 2023 Final X Newark

United States Newark, New Jersey

Loss 12–6 United States David Taylor 0–6
2023 US Open 1st place, gold medalist(s) at 86 kg
Win 12–5 United States Zahid Valencia 10–6 April 26–30, 2023 2023 US Open National Championships

United States Las Vegas, Nevada

Win 11–5 United States Mark Hall 6–1
Win 10–5 United States Owen Webster TF 11–0
Win 9–5 United States Hudson Stewart VCA (9–0)
Win 8–5 United States Dylan Fishback TF 10–0
2020 US Olympic Team Trials DNP at 86 kg
Loss 7–5 United States Pat Downey TF 0–11 April 2–3, 2021 2020 US Olympic Team Trials United States Fort Worth, Texas
Win 7–4 United States Sammy Brooks 6–3
Loss 6–4 United States Zahid Valencia 3–6
Win 6–3 United States Nate Jackson 3–0
2019 US Nationals 6th at 86 kg
Loss 5–3 United States Sammy Brooks TF 0–10 December 20–22, 2019 2019 US National Championships

United States Fort Worth, Texas

Loss 5–2 United States Brett Pfarr 5–5
Loss 5–1 United States Zahid Valencia 0–6
Win 5–0 United States Sammy Brooks 15–9
Win 4–0 United States Max Dean 10–7
Win 3–0 United States Matthew Alejandro TF 10–0
2019 Dave Schultz Memorial International 1st place, gold medalist(s) at 79 kg
Win 2–0 United States Nate Jackson TF 13–0 January 24–26, 2019 2019 Dave Schultz Memorial International

United States Colorado Springs, Colorado

Win 1–0 United States Stacey Davis Fall

NCAA record

NCAA Division I Record
Res. Record Opponent Score Date Event
2022 NCAA Championships 1st place, gold medalist(s) at 184 lbs
Win 50–2 Myles Amine 5-3 March 18–20, 2021 2022 NCAA Division I National Championships
Win 49–2 Trent Hidlay 6–4(sv)
Win 48–2 Kaleb Romero 13-2
Win 47–2 Hunter Bolen 9-1
Win 46–2 A.J. Burkhart 21-7
2022 Big Ten Conference 2nd place, silver medalist(s) at 184 lbs
Loss 45–2 Myles Amine 4-6 (sv) March 5–6, 2021 2022 Big Ten Conference Championships
Win 45–1 Taylor Venz 7-2
Win 44–1 Kyle Cochran Fall
Win 43–1 Taylor Venz 23-8 January 16, 2022 Penn State - Nebraska Dual
Win 42–1 Rocky Jordan Fall February 4, 2022 Penn State - Ohio State Dual
Win 41–1 Abe Assad 8-3 January 28, 2022 Penn State - Iowa Dual
Win 40–1 Layne Malczewski 4-0 January 23, 2022 Penn State - Michigan State Dual
Win 39–1 Myles Amine 3-1 January 21, 2022 Penn State - Michigan Dual
Win 38–1 John Poznanski 10-2 January 16, 2022 Penn State - Rutgers Dual
Win 37–1 D.J. Washington 13-4 January 9, 2022 Penn State - Indiana Dual
Win 36–1 Kyle Cochran 19-7 January 7, 2022 Penn State - Maryland Dual
Win 35–1 Josh Nummer Fall December 21, 2021 Penn State - Arizona State Dual
Win 34–1 Jonathan Loew 15-3 December 20, 2021 Penn State - Cornell Dual
Win 33–1 Parker Keckeisen 3-2 December 20, 2021 Penn State - Northern Iowa Dual
Win 32–1 Brad Laughlin 21-7 November 18, 2021 Penn State - Army Dual
Win 31–1 Jackson McKinney Fall November 13, 2021 Penn State - Oregon State Dual
Win 30–1 Joe Accousti 23-8 November 13, 2021 Penn State - Sacred Heart Dual
Start of 2021-2022 Season (Junior year)
End of 2020-2021 Season (Sophomore year)
2021 NCAA Championships 1st place, gold medalist(s) at 184 lbs
Win 29–1 Trent Hidlay 3–2 March 18–20, 2021 2021 NCAA Division I National Championships
Win 28–1 Parker Keckeisen 6–4
Win 27–1 Taylor Venz 9–4
Win 26–1 Owen Webster 5–0
Win 25–1 Jha'quan Anderson TF 17–1
2021 Big Ten Conference 1st place, gold medalist(s) at 184 lbs
Win 24–1 Taylor Venz 10–5 March 6–7, 2021 2021 Big Ten Conference Championships
Win 23–1 John Poznanski MD 10–2
Win 22–1 Nelson Brands 14–8
Win 21–1 Kyle Cochran MD 18–5 February 21, 2021 Maryland - Penn State Dual
Win 20–1 Rocky Jordan MD 13–4 February 19, 2021 Penn State - Ohio State Dual
Win 19–1 Jaden Bullock 10–5 February 14, 2021 Penn State - Michigan Dual
Win 18–1 Chris Weiler MD 12–3 February 2, 2021 Penn State - Northwestern Dual
Win 17–1 Jack Jessen TF 21–6 January 30, 2021 Penn State - Northwestern Dual
Win 16–1 Drayton Harris MD 18–5 American - Penn State Dual
Start of 2020-2021 Season (sophomore year)
End of 2019-2020 Season (freshman year)
2020 NCAA's Cancelled (COVID-19) 
2020 Big Ten Conference 1st place, gold medalist(s) at 184 lbs
Win 15–1 Cameron Caffey 3–2 March 7–8, 2020 2020 Big Ten Conference Championships
Win 14–1 Taylor Venz Fall
Win 13–1 Owen Webster MD 15–4
Win 12–1 Tanner Harvey 8–5 February 23, 2020 American - Penn State Dual
Win 11–1 Rocky Jordan MD 15–4 February 15, 2020 Ohio State - Penn State Dual
Win 10–1 Owen Webster MD 13–3 February 9, 2020 Penn State - Minnesota Dual
Win 9–1 Johnny Sebastian 3–2 February 7, 2020 Penn State - Wisconsin Dual
Win 8–1 Abe Assad 7–3 January 31, 2020 Penn State - Iowa Dual
Loss 7–1 Taylor Venz 5–9 January 24, 2020 Penn State - Nebraska Dual
Win 7–0 Billy Janzer Fall January 19, 2020 Rutgers - Penn State Dual
Win 6–0 Zach Braunagel 9–4 January 10, 2020 Illinois - Penn State Dual
Win 5–0 Jesse Quatse TF 19–4 December 8, 2019 Pennsylvania - Penn State Dual
Win 4–0 Chris Weiller 10–5 December 6, 2019 Penn State - Lehigh Dual
2019 Mat-Town Open I 1st place, gold medalist(s) at 184 lbs
Win 3–0 Kyle Myers Fall December 1, 2019 2019 Mat-Town Open I
Win 2–0 Jared McGill 11–5
Win 1–0 Kyle Inlander 7–4
Start of 2019-2020 Season (freshman year)

Stats

Season Year School Rank Weigh Class Record Win Bonus
2022 Junior Pennsylvania State University #1 184 24-1 100.00% 50.00%
2021 Sophomore #1 14–0 100.00% 50.00%
2020 Freshman #3 (Cancelled COVID-19) 15–1 93.75% 43.75%
Career 29–1 96.67% 46.66%

References

  1. ^ "Aaron Brooks - Wrestling". Penn State University Athletics. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  2. ^ "Penn State Wrestler Aaron Brooks Rolls to U23 World Championship". Penn State Athletics. 24 October 2023. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  3. ^ "NCAA DI". InterMat. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  4. ^ "Aaron Brooks - Wrestling". Penn State University Athletics. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  5. ^ Mason, Andy. "Brooks wins 4th NHSCA national title, named tourney's outstanding wrestler". Herald-Mail Media. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  6. ^ Schwartz, Tim. "Kraisser wins fourth title to headline MPSSAA state wrestling championships". baltimoresun.com. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  7. ^ Andrew. "USA Goes 3-for-3 in Gold-Medal Matches, Russia Wins Team Title". United World Wrestling. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  8. ^ Mason, Andy. "Aaron Brooks commits to Penn State". Herald-Mail Media. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  9. ^ Mason, Andy. "Brooks, Cook make history with state titles". Herald-Mail Media. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  10. ^ "Aaron Brooks Wins Silver Medal at the Junior World Championships". Roar Lions Roar. 22 September 2018. Archived from the original on 7 October 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  11. ^ "Brooks dominates, Molinaro wins second DSMI title". Team USA. 26 January 2019.[ dead link]
  12. ^ "Tough draw sends Aaron Brooks out early in UWW Junior Worlds". Herald-Mail Media. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  13. ^ "Aaron Brooks wins title at Mat-Town Open". Herald-Mail Media. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  14. ^ "Expectations for Aaron Brooks As the New 184-Pound Starter for Penn State Wrestling". Roar Lions Roar. 22 January 2020. Archived from the original on 1 October 2020. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  15. ^ "Updated US Olympic Team Trials qualifiers as of July 30, 2020". Team USA. 30 July 2020. Archived from the original on 31 October 2020.
  16. ^ Collegian, Jake Aferiat | The Daily. "'One of the best I've seen at his age': Penn State wrestling's Aaron Brooks continues to put people on notice". The Daily Collegian. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  17. ^ "Hall and Brooks Claim Big Ten Titles as 2020 B1G Championship Concludes". Penn State University Athletics. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  18. ^ Goodwin, Cody. "NCAA cancels Division I, II, III wrestling championships amid COVID-19 pandemic". Des Moines Register. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  19. ^ "2020 Big Ten Wrestling Championships". bigten.org. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  20. ^ Collegian, Jake Aferiat | The Daily. "Penn State wrestling's Aaron Brooks notches second career Big Ten title". The Daily Collegian. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  21. ^ Mason, Andy. "Aaron Brooks wins his 1st NCAA title". Herald-Mail Media. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  22. ^ Mason, Andy. "Aaron Brooks seeded 10th at U.S. Olympic Team Trials". Herald-Mail Media. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  23. ^ Tolson, Max (4 April 2021). "Nittany Lion Wrestling Club Sends Four To US Olympic Team". Onward State. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  24. ^ Vesper, Erik (4 March 2022). "Big Ten Wrestling Championships Preview, The Upperweights". On the Banks. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  25. ^ "2022 Big Ten wrestling tournament: Myles Amine upsets Aaron Brooks, Michigan team title highlights event". 247Sports. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  26. ^ "Penn State Wrestling's Aaron Brooks avenges a prior loss, wins title at 184". Victory Bell Rings. 20 March 2022. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  27. ^ "Penn State Wrestling Takes Down No. 5 Iowa State 22-12 in Collegiate Duals Finale". Penn State Athletics. 20 December 2022. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  28. ^ "Hagerstown's Aaron Brooks wins his third Big Ten wrestling title". Herald-Mail Media. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  29. ^ Wogenrich, Mark (19 March 2023). "NCAA Wrestling: Penn State Crowns 2 Three-Time Champs". Sports Illustrated Penn State Nittany Lions News, Analysis and More. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  30. ^ "Penn State Wrestling Well Represented in 2023 U.S. Open Field". Penn State Athletics. 25 April 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  31. ^ Wogenrich, Mark (30 April 2023). "Penn State's Aaron Brooks Rolls to Another Major Wrestling Title". Sports Illustrated Penn State Nittany Lions News, Analysis and More. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  32. ^ "Olympic champ David Taylor tops Hagerstown's Aaron Brooks at Final X". Herald-Mail Media. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  33. ^ Wogenrich, Mark (2 July 2023). "Penn State's Aaron Brooks to Pursue Another World Wrestling Title". Sports Illustrated Penn State Nittany Lions News, Analysis and More. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  34. ^ "Penn State Wrestler Aaron Brooks Rolls to U23 World Championship". Penn State Athletics. 24 October 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  35. ^ "25 notable college wrestlers to watch in 2023-2024 | NCAA.com". www.ncaa.com. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  36. ^ Wogenrich, Mark (4 March 2024). "Penn State Dominates Pre-Seeds for Big Ten Wrestling Tournament". Sports Illustrated Penn State Nittany Lions News, Analysis and More. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  37. ^ "Penn State Wins Big Ten Wrestling Title". bigten.org. 15 July 2023. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  38. ^ "Penn State Wrestling roars to 2024 Big Ten Championship with 170.5 points". www.themat.com. 11 March 2024. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  39. ^ "WrestleStat | Aaron Brooks (Penn State) Profile". www.wrestlestat.com. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  40. ^ "Carter Starocci and Aaron Brooks win their fourth individual NCAA titles, make history for Penn State | NCAA.com". www.ncaa.com. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  41. ^ "Penn State's Aaron Brooks wins Hodge Trophy; Four Lions in top five of voting". 247Sports. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  42. ^ PennLive, Jim Carlson | Special to (20 April 2024). "Jason Nolf, Aaron Brooks steal the show as Olympic Team Trials head to Saturday's final rounds". pennlive. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  43. ^ Smeltzer, Joe (20 April 2024). "Penn State Wrestling: Aaron Brooks Upsets Gold Medalist David Taylor". Nittany Sports Now. Retrieved 21 April 2024.

External links

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Aaron Brooks
Personal information
Full nameAaron Marquel Brooks
Born (2000-06-15) June 15, 2000 (age 23)
Hagerstown, Maryland, U.S.
Sport
CountryUnited States
Sport Wrestling
Weight class86 kg (190 lb)
Event(s) Freestyle and Folkstyle
College team Nittany Lions
Club Nittany Lion Wrestling Club
Coached by Cael Sanderson
Medal record
Men's freestyle wrestling
Representing   United States
U23 World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2023 Tirana 86 kg
US National Championships
Gold medal – first place 2023 Las Vegas 86 kg
Junior World Championships
Silver medal – second place 2018 Trnava 79 kg
Cadet World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2017 Athens 76 kg
Collegiate Wrestling
Representing the Penn State Nittany Lions
NCAA Division I National Championships
Gold medal – first place 2021 St. Louis 184 lb
Gold medal – first place 2022 Detroit 184 lb
Gold medal – first place 2023 Tulsa 184 lb
Gold medal – first place 2024 Kansas City 197 lb
Big Ten Championships
Gold medal – first place 2020 Piscataway 184 lb
Gold medal – first place 2021 State College 184 lb
Gold medal – first place 2023 Ann Arbor 184 lb
Gold medal – first place 2024 College Park 197 lb
Silver medal – second place 2022 Lincoln 184 lb

Aaron Marquel Brooks (born June 15, 2000) is an American freestyle and folkstyle wrestler who competes at 86 kilograms. [1] In freestyle, he is qualified to compete at the 2024 Summer Olympics, is a U23 World champion and US National champion, and was a U20 World silver medalist and U17 World champion. [2]

In collegiate wrestling, Brooks is a four-time NCAA champion and a four-time Big Ten Conference champion out of the Pennsylvania State University. [3]

Career

High school

Brooks was born in Hagerstown, Maryland and attended North Hagerstown High School. [4] During his high school years, Brooks was a four-time NHSCA National champion and a four-time MPSSAA state champion, with a 163–2 record in the state of Maryland. [5] [6] In freestyle, Brooks became a U17 World champion before his senior year. [7] The top-recruit at 182 pounds, Brooks committed to wrestle for the Penn State Nittany Lions in early 2018. [8]

After his senior year, Brooks decided to spend a grayshirt year at the US Olympic Training Center. [9]

In August 2018, Brooks earned a silver medal from the U20 World Championships. [10] In January 2019, he claimed the Dave Schultz Memorial International title, making his senior level debut. [11] In August 2019, after making the US World Team, Brooks was eliminated in the first-round at the U20 World Championships by eventual World medalist Abubakr Abakarov. [12]

The Pennsylvania State University

2019–2020

Brooks wore a redshirt for his first appearance, the Mat Town Open, which he won. [13] However, his redshirt was then burned for him to rack up a 9–1 dual meet record during regular season. [14]

In December, Brooks briefly switched to freestyle to compete at the US National Championships, placing sixth though failing to qualify for the US Olympic Team Trials. [15]

Back to folkstyle, Brooks won his first Big Ten Conference title, avenging his lone season loss to Taylor Venz from Nebraska in the semifinals. [16] [17] The third seed for the NCAA tournament, Brooks was unable to compete as the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [18] After the season, he was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year. [19]

2020–2021

After a 6–0 dual meet stint during his sophomore campaign, Brooks became a two-time Big Ten Conference champion in the post-season. [20] At the NCAA tournament, Brooks became an NCAA Division I National champion after wins over fourth-seeded Parker Keckeisen and second-seeded Trent Hidlay in the semifinals and finals, respectively. [21] This result qualified Brooks for the US Olympic Team Trials, which took place a month after, in April. [22]

At the US Olympic Trials, Brooks defeated two-time All-Americans Nate Jackson and Sammy Brooks, but fell to two-time NCAA champion Zahid Valencia and US National champion Pat Downey. [23]

2021–2022

Entering his junior year, Brooks amassed an undefeated 14–0 dual meet record during regular season. [24] After making his third-straight Big Ten Conference final, Brooks suffered an upset loss to Olympic bronze medalist Myles Amine, whom he had defeated during regular season. [25] At the NCAA tournament, Brooks cruised to the finals after defeating his 2021 NCAA finals foe Trent Hidlay in the semifinals, and was then able to pull off the rubber-match win over Amine in the finals to defend his title and become a two-time NCAA National champion. [26]

2022–2023

Entering his senior year, Brooks compiled a 9–1 dual meet record during regular season, suffering a lone setback to Iowa State's Marcus Coleman. [27] At the Big Ten tournament, Brooks made his fourth finale and claimed his third title with three wins, all of them including bonus points. [28] Brooks, the third seed, was able to claim his third NCAA National championship, with yet another semifinal win over second-seeded Trent Hidlay and top-seeded Parker Keckeisen in the finals. [29]

Fresh as a three-time NCAA champion, Brooks switched to freestyle to compete at the US Open National Championships in April. [30] After cruising to the semifinals, he defeated US National champion and two-time U20 World champion Mark Hall on points to make the finals, where he avenged losses from 2019 and 2021 to US National champion and two-time NCAA champion Zahid Valencia to claim the championship and earn a berth for Final X. [31]

In June, Brooks competed against teammate and three-time Olympic and World champion David Taylor for the US World Team spot at Final X Newark, where he lost two matches to none in a best-of-three format to claim runner-up honors. [32] As a result, Brooks earned the right to represent the United States at the U23 World Championships in October. [33]

In October, Brooks became the U23 World champion at 86 kilograms, facing competition such as defending U23 World champion Tatsuya Shirai from Japan, U20 European champion Arslan Bagaev from Russia, returning U23 World medalist Ivan Ichizli from Moldova and U20 World medalist İsmail Küçüksolak from Turkey. [34]

2023–2024

Brooks then opted to return to Penn State for a fifth and final season, as the NCAA offered an extra year of eligibility to any student athlete rostered during the COVID-19 shortened 2020–2021 season and was again a National Champion at 197 lbs. [35] Now up at 197 pounds, Brooks added a Journeymen Classic title to his resume and racked up a 11–0 dual meet record during regular season. [36]

In the postseason, Brooks repeated his 2023 Big Ten title run, handling his three opponents bonus-points losses to claim the championship. [37] Following the tournament, he was named the Big Ten Wrestler of the Year. [38] Brooks then swept through the NCAA Tournament field, posting two technical falls and two falls before defeating Trent Hidlay 6-1 in the NCAA Final. [39] With his victory, Brooks became just the seventh wrestler to win four NCAA titles and was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler. [40] On April 1, 2024, Brooks was awarded the Hodge Trophy as the nation's top collegiate wrestler. [41]

Post-collegiate career

2024

In April, Brooks competed at the US Olympic Team Trials, where after defeating multiple-time NCAA champions Alex Dieringer and Zahid Valencia, as well as Connor Mirasola, he advanced to the best-of-three finals, where he would rematch teammate and three-time Olympic and World champion David Taylor. [42] He knocked off Taylor two times in a row to upset him and earn the right to represent the United States at the 2024 Summer Olympics in August, as a US Olympic Team Member. [43]

Freestyle record

Senior Freestyle Matches
Res. Record Opponent Score Date Event Location
2024 US Olympic Team Trials 1st place, gold medalist(s) at 86 kg
Win 22–7 United States David Taylor 3–1 April 20, 2024 2024 US Olympic Team Trials

United States State College, Pennsylvania

Win 21–7 United States David Taylor 4–1
Win 20–7 United States Zahid Valencia 7–6 April 19, 2024
Win 19–7 United States Alex Dieringer 8–4
Win 18–7 United States Connor Mirasola 11–5
2023 U23 World Championships 1st place, gold medalist(s) at 86 kg
Win 17–7 Japan Tatsuya Shirai TF 10–0 October 23–24, 2023 2023 U23 World Championships

Albania Tirana, Albania

Win 16–7 Russia Arslan Bagaev 5–4
Win 15–7 Moldova Ivan Ichizli 7–0
Win 14–7 Canada Owen Martin TF 10–0
Win 13–7 Turkey İsmail Küçüksolak 6–1
2023 US World Team Trials 2nd place, silver medalist(s) at 86 kg
Loss 12–7 United States David Taylor 4–5 June 10, 2023 2023 Final X Newark

United States Newark, New Jersey

Loss 12–6 United States David Taylor 0–6
2023 US Open 1st place, gold medalist(s) at 86 kg
Win 12–5 United States Zahid Valencia 10–6 April 26–30, 2023 2023 US Open National Championships

United States Las Vegas, Nevada

Win 11–5 United States Mark Hall 6–1
Win 10–5 United States Owen Webster TF 11–0
Win 9–5 United States Hudson Stewart VCA (9–0)
Win 8–5 United States Dylan Fishback TF 10–0
2020 US Olympic Team Trials DNP at 86 kg
Loss 7–5 United States Pat Downey TF 0–11 April 2–3, 2021 2020 US Olympic Team Trials United States Fort Worth, Texas
Win 7–4 United States Sammy Brooks 6–3
Loss 6–4 United States Zahid Valencia 3–6
Win 6–3 United States Nate Jackson 3–0
2019 US Nationals 6th at 86 kg
Loss 5–3 United States Sammy Brooks TF 0–10 December 20–22, 2019 2019 US National Championships

United States Fort Worth, Texas

Loss 5–2 United States Brett Pfarr 5–5
Loss 5–1 United States Zahid Valencia 0–6
Win 5–0 United States Sammy Brooks 15–9
Win 4–0 United States Max Dean 10–7
Win 3–0 United States Matthew Alejandro TF 10–0
2019 Dave Schultz Memorial International 1st place, gold medalist(s) at 79 kg
Win 2–0 United States Nate Jackson TF 13–0 January 24–26, 2019 2019 Dave Schultz Memorial International

United States Colorado Springs, Colorado

Win 1–0 United States Stacey Davis Fall

NCAA record

NCAA Division I Record
Res. Record Opponent Score Date Event
2022 NCAA Championships 1st place, gold medalist(s) at 184 lbs
Win 50–2 Myles Amine 5-3 March 18–20, 2021 2022 NCAA Division I National Championships
Win 49–2 Trent Hidlay 6–4(sv)
Win 48–2 Kaleb Romero 13-2
Win 47–2 Hunter Bolen 9-1
Win 46–2 A.J. Burkhart 21-7
2022 Big Ten Conference 2nd place, silver medalist(s) at 184 lbs
Loss 45–2 Myles Amine 4-6 (sv) March 5–6, 2021 2022 Big Ten Conference Championships
Win 45–1 Taylor Venz 7-2
Win 44–1 Kyle Cochran Fall
Win 43–1 Taylor Venz 23-8 January 16, 2022 Penn State - Nebraska Dual
Win 42–1 Rocky Jordan Fall February 4, 2022 Penn State - Ohio State Dual
Win 41–1 Abe Assad 8-3 January 28, 2022 Penn State - Iowa Dual
Win 40–1 Layne Malczewski 4-0 January 23, 2022 Penn State - Michigan State Dual
Win 39–1 Myles Amine 3-1 January 21, 2022 Penn State - Michigan Dual
Win 38–1 John Poznanski 10-2 January 16, 2022 Penn State - Rutgers Dual
Win 37–1 D.J. Washington 13-4 January 9, 2022 Penn State - Indiana Dual
Win 36–1 Kyle Cochran 19-7 January 7, 2022 Penn State - Maryland Dual
Win 35–1 Josh Nummer Fall December 21, 2021 Penn State - Arizona State Dual
Win 34–1 Jonathan Loew 15-3 December 20, 2021 Penn State - Cornell Dual
Win 33–1 Parker Keckeisen 3-2 December 20, 2021 Penn State - Northern Iowa Dual
Win 32–1 Brad Laughlin 21-7 November 18, 2021 Penn State - Army Dual
Win 31–1 Jackson McKinney Fall November 13, 2021 Penn State - Oregon State Dual
Win 30–1 Joe Accousti 23-8 November 13, 2021 Penn State - Sacred Heart Dual
Start of 2021-2022 Season (Junior year)
End of 2020-2021 Season (Sophomore year)
2021 NCAA Championships 1st place, gold medalist(s) at 184 lbs
Win 29–1 Trent Hidlay 3–2 March 18–20, 2021 2021 NCAA Division I National Championships
Win 28–1 Parker Keckeisen 6–4
Win 27–1 Taylor Venz 9–4
Win 26–1 Owen Webster 5–0
Win 25–1 Jha'quan Anderson TF 17–1
2021 Big Ten Conference 1st place, gold medalist(s) at 184 lbs
Win 24–1 Taylor Venz 10–5 March 6–7, 2021 2021 Big Ten Conference Championships
Win 23–1 John Poznanski MD 10–2
Win 22–1 Nelson Brands 14–8
Win 21–1 Kyle Cochran MD 18–5 February 21, 2021 Maryland - Penn State Dual
Win 20–1 Rocky Jordan MD 13–4 February 19, 2021 Penn State - Ohio State Dual
Win 19–1 Jaden Bullock 10–5 February 14, 2021 Penn State - Michigan Dual
Win 18–1 Chris Weiler MD 12–3 February 2, 2021 Penn State - Northwestern Dual
Win 17–1 Jack Jessen TF 21–6 January 30, 2021 Penn State - Northwestern Dual
Win 16–1 Drayton Harris MD 18–5 American - Penn State Dual
Start of 2020-2021 Season (sophomore year)
End of 2019-2020 Season (freshman year)
2020 NCAA's Cancelled (COVID-19) 
2020 Big Ten Conference 1st place, gold medalist(s) at 184 lbs
Win 15–1 Cameron Caffey 3–2 March 7–8, 2020 2020 Big Ten Conference Championships
Win 14–1 Taylor Venz Fall
Win 13–1 Owen Webster MD 15–4
Win 12–1 Tanner Harvey 8–5 February 23, 2020 American - Penn State Dual
Win 11–1 Rocky Jordan MD 15–4 February 15, 2020 Ohio State - Penn State Dual
Win 10–1 Owen Webster MD 13–3 February 9, 2020 Penn State - Minnesota Dual
Win 9–1 Johnny Sebastian 3–2 February 7, 2020 Penn State - Wisconsin Dual
Win 8–1 Abe Assad 7–3 January 31, 2020 Penn State - Iowa Dual
Loss 7–1 Taylor Venz 5–9 January 24, 2020 Penn State - Nebraska Dual
Win 7–0 Billy Janzer Fall January 19, 2020 Rutgers - Penn State Dual
Win 6–0 Zach Braunagel 9–4 January 10, 2020 Illinois - Penn State Dual
Win 5–0 Jesse Quatse TF 19–4 December 8, 2019 Pennsylvania - Penn State Dual
Win 4–0 Chris Weiller 10–5 December 6, 2019 Penn State - Lehigh Dual
2019 Mat-Town Open I 1st place, gold medalist(s) at 184 lbs
Win 3–0 Kyle Myers Fall December 1, 2019 2019 Mat-Town Open I
Win 2–0 Jared McGill 11–5
Win 1–0 Kyle Inlander 7–4
Start of 2019-2020 Season (freshman year)

Stats

Season Year School Rank Weigh Class Record Win Bonus
2022 Junior Pennsylvania State University #1 184 24-1 100.00% 50.00%
2021 Sophomore #1 14–0 100.00% 50.00%
2020 Freshman #3 (Cancelled COVID-19) 15–1 93.75% 43.75%
Career 29–1 96.67% 46.66%

References

  1. ^ "Aaron Brooks - Wrestling". Penn State University Athletics. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  2. ^ "Penn State Wrestler Aaron Brooks Rolls to U23 World Championship". Penn State Athletics. 24 October 2023. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  3. ^ "NCAA DI". InterMat. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  4. ^ "Aaron Brooks - Wrestling". Penn State University Athletics. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  5. ^ Mason, Andy. "Brooks wins 4th NHSCA national title, named tourney's outstanding wrestler". Herald-Mail Media. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  6. ^ Schwartz, Tim. "Kraisser wins fourth title to headline MPSSAA state wrestling championships". baltimoresun.com. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  7. ^ Andrew. "USA Goes 3-for-3 in Gold-Medal Matches, Russia Wins Team Title". United World Wrestling. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  8. ^ Mason, Andy. "Aaron Brooks commits to Penn State". Herald-Mail Media. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  9. ^ Mason, Andy. "Brooks, Cook make history with state titles". Herald-Mail Media. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  10. ^ "Aaron Brooks Wins Silver Medal at the Junior World Championships". Roar Lions Roar. 22 September 2018. Archived from the original on 7 October 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  11. ^ "Brooks dominates, Molinaro wins second DSMI title". Team USA. 26 January 2019.[ dead link]
  12. ^ "Tough draw sends Aaron Brooks out early in UWW Junior Worlds". Herald-Mail Media. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  13. ^ "Aaron Brooks wins title at Mat-Town Open". Herald-Mail Media. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  14. ^ "Expectations for Aaron Brooks As the New 184-Pound Starter for Penn State Wrestling". Roar Lions Roar. 22 January 2020. Archived from the original on 1 October 2020. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  15. ^ "Updated US Olympic Team Trials qualifiers as of July 30, 2020". Team USA. 30 July 2020. Archived from the original on 31 October 2020.
  16. ^ Collegian, Jake Aferiat | The Daily. "'One of the best I've seen at his age': Penn State wrestling's Aaron Brooks continues to put people on notice". The Daily Collegian. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  17. ^ "Hall and Brooks Claim Big Ten Titles as 2020 B1G Championship Concludes". Penn State University Athletics. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  18. ^ Goodwin, Cody. "NCAA cancels Division I, II, III wrestling championships amid COVID-19 pandemic". Des Moines Register. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  19. ^ "2020 Big Ten Wrestling Championships". bigten.org. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  20. ^ Collegian, Jake Aferiat | The Daily. "Penn State wrestling's Aaron Brooks notches second career Big Ten title". The Daily Collegian. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  21. ^ Mason, Andy. "Aaron Brooks wins his 1st NCAA title". Herald-Mail Media. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  22. ^ Mason, Andy. "Aaron Brooks seeded 10th at U.S. Olympic Team Trials". Herald-Mail Media. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  23. ^ Tolson, Max (4 April 2021). "Nittany Lion Wrestling Club Sends Four To US Olympic Team". Onward State. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  24. ^ Vesper, Erik (4 March 2022). "Big Ten Wrestling Championships Preview, The Upperweights". On the Banks. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  25. ^ "2022 Big Ten wrestling tournament: Myles Amine upsets Aaron Brooks, Michigan team title highlights event". 247Sports. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  26. ^ "Penn State Wrestling's Aaron Brooks avenges a prior loss, wins title at 184". Victory Bell Rings. 20 March 2022. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  27. ^ "Penn State Wrestling Takes Down No. 5 Iowa State 22-12 in Collegiate Duals Finale". Penn State Athletics. 20 December 2022. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  28. ^ "Hagerstown's Aaron Brooks wins his third Big Ten wrestling title". Herald-Mail Media. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  29. ^ Wogenrich, Mark (19 March 2023). "NCAA Wrestling: Penn State Crowns 2 Three-Time Champs". Sports Illustrated Penn State Nittany Lions News, Analysis and More. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  30. ^ "Penn State Wrestling Well Represented in 2023 U.S. Open Field". Penn State Athletics. 25 April 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  31. ^ Wogenrich, Mark (30 April 2023). "Penn State's Aaron Brooks Rolls to Another Major Wrestling Title". Sports Illustrated Penn State Nittany Lions News, Analysis and More. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  32. ^ "Olympic champ David Taylor tops Hagerstown's Aaron Brooks at Final X". Herald-Mail Media. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  33. ^ Wogenrich, Mark (2 July 2023). "Penn State's Aaron Brooks to Pursue Another World Wrestling Title". Sports Illustrated Penn State Nittany Lions News, Analysis and More. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  34. ^ "Penn State Wrestler Aaron Brooks Rolls to U23 World Championship". Penn State Athletics. 24 October 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  35. ^ "25 notable college wrestlers to watch in 2023-2024 | NCAA.com". www.ncaa.com. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  36. ^ Wogenrich, Mark (4 March 2024). "Penn State Dominates Pre-Seeds for Big Ten Wrestling Tournament". Sports Illustrated Penn State Nittany Lions News, Analysis and More. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  37. ^ "Penn State Wins Big Ten Wrestling Title". bigten.org. 15 July 2023. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  38. ^ "Penn State Wrestling roars to 2024 Big Ten Championship with 170.5 points". www.themat.com. 11 March 2024. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  39. ^ "WrestleStat | Aaron Brooks (Penn State) Profile". www.wrestlestat.com. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  40. ^ "Carter Starocci and Aaron Brooks win their fourth individual NCAA titles, make history for Penn State | NCAA.com". www.ncaa.com. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  41. ^ "Penn State's Aaron Brooks wins Hodge Trophy; Four Lions in top five of voting". 247Sports. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  42. ^ PennLive, Jim Carlson | Special to (20 April 2024). "Jason Nolf, Aaron Brooks steal the show as Olympic Team Trials head to Saturday's final rounds". pennlive. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  43. ^ Smeltzer, Joe (20 April 2024). "Penn State Wrestling: Aaron Brooks Upsets Gold Medalist David Taylor". Nittany Sports Now. Retrieved 21 April 2024.

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