Resident Athlete Program
Resident Athlete (R.A.) Program
The NLWC Coaching staff comprised of Cael Sanderson, Cody Sanderson, Casey Cunningham, Jake Varner, Mark McKnight, and Jimmy Kennedy select elite wrestlers who have Olympic aspirations to live in Central PA and train at the NLWC’s Olympic Regional Training Center. This program is designed to provide the coaching, training environment and financial support necessary for these athletes to compete for Olympic and World Championships. NLWC Wrestlers have enjoyed tremendous success at both national and international levels!
Some Highlights from the Past Few Seasons (Includes R.A.’s and Collegians who Wrestled Under the NLWC Banner at Select Tournaments)
2018
At the 2018 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, David Taylor dominated the 86 kg weight class and won a World Title. Also competing at the World Championships, Franklin Gomez(wrestling for Puerto Rico) won his first match but lost his second match to the eventual gold medalist and fell short of placing. Bekzod Abdurakhmonov(wrestling for Uzbekistan) won a bronze medal at the World Championships and joined the NLWC that same month. At the conclusion of the 2018 calendar year, David Taylor, was recognized by the international governing body of wrestling as the top pound for pound freestyle wrestler in the world in 2018. Also at the conclusion of 2018, NLWC Coach Casey Cunningham was recognized by USA Wrestling as the U.S. Freestyle Coach of the year.
2019
In March, 2019, Bekzod Abdurakhmonov earned a silver at the Dan Kolov International Tournament in Ruse, Bulgaria. Josh Rodriguez and Riley Lefever also competed but fell short of placing in Bulgaria. At the 2019 World Cup Championships held in Yakutsk, Russia, in March, Zain Retherford went undefeated and led the U.S team to a bronze medal. The month of April was a big month for the NLWC with Penn State stars Jason Nolf, Bo Nickal, and Nick Nevills joining the Club, and former Resident Athlete and 2012 Olympic Silver Medalist, Jaime Espinal, returning to the Club. At the Pan American Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina in April, both Josh Rodriguez and David Taylor captured gold medals with Jaime Espinal earning silver and Franklin Gomez bronze. Davidwas also awarded the OW award at the Pan American Championships. At the U.S. Open National Championships in Las Vegas in late April, Bo Nickal captured gold, Zain Retherford and Roman Bravo-Young (Junior Freestyle) silver, Jason Nolf bronze, Mason Manville (Greco) bronze, Ben Provisor (Greco) bronze, Geno Morelli fifth, Jarod Verkleeren (Greco) fifth, and Riley Lefever sixth. In early May, Mark Hall and Nick Nevillscaptured gold at the Last Chance World Team Trials Qualifier Tournament. The U.S. World Team Trials Challenge Tournament and took place in Raleigh, NC in May with Zain Retherford, Ben Provisor (Greco), and Bo Nickal all winning gold in the final best of three series, Jason Nolf and Mason Manvillle (Greco) finishing with silver in the final best of three series, Roman Bravo-Young (Junior) and Mark Hall earning silver in the Challenge Tournament, and Josh Rodriguez and Riley Lefever earning bronze in the challenge tournament. In June, Brady Berge won the U23 World Team Trials Tournament in Akron, OH, with seven straight technical falls. In the Final X held in June at Rutgers University, Zain Retherford defeated Yianni Diakomihalis two matches to none to win the U.S. World Team spot, and during the same weekend, Roman Bravo-Young won the Junior Pan American Championships while also earning the OW award. Zain’s second match at Final X had a controversial ending. After a grievance was filed which ended in arbitration, Zain had to wrestle the second match again, this time winning by a score of 2-1. At the Grand Prix of Spain in July, Josh Rodriguez and Franklin Gomez both captured gold medals, and also in July in Fargo, ND, Bo Nickal won a special wrestle-off two matches to none to win a spot on the U.S. U23 World Team. Zain Retherford, Bekzod Abdurakhmonov, Franklin Gomez, and Jaime Espinal all competed at the 2019 Senior World Championships. In fall, 2019, Bo Nickal captured a U23 World Title. Also in fall, 2019, 3X NCAA Champion, 2015 and 2017 World Gold Medalist, and 2016 Olympic Gold Medalist Kyle Snyder joined the NLWC Program. In late November at the Bill Farrell International, Kyle Snyder won gold and Jason Nolf silver. And at the final competition in 2019, the U.S. Senior Nationals, Nick Lee earned a bronze, Nick Nevills a fourth place finish, and Aaron Brooks a sixth place finish.
2020
Former Penn State HWT NCAA Champion Anthon Cassar joined the program in January. Also in January, Zain Retherford and Kyle Snyder earned bronze in Italy at the Matteo Pellicone International Tournament in Italy. In March at the Pan American Championships in Ottawa, Canada, Jason Nolf and Kyle Snyder captured gold medals and Franklin Gomez a silver. The following week at the Pan American Olympic Qualifier Tournament, David Taylor won gold, Franklin Gomez reached the finals, and Zain Retherford earned bronze. In winning his semi-final match at this tournament, Franklin Gomez qualified for his third Olympic Games. Also noteworthy at the Pan American Olympic Qualifier tournament, Jane Valencia (who also joined the NLWC in 2020) made history by becoming he first-ever Mexican women’s wrestler to qualify for the Olympic Games. The COVID-19 Pandemic brought all competition to a half immediately following the Pan Am tournament. However, in late spring, the NLWC welcomed two new wrestlers to the Club: Iowa’s 3X All-American and 2017 World silver medalist Thomas Gilman and Penn State’s 3X NCAA finalist and 2X Champion Vincenzo Joseph. And then in the fall, Jennifer Page, a U.S. Open National Champion in both 2014 and 2017 a junior world bronze medalist in 2013, joined the NLWC Program.
2021
March, 2021-NCAA Championships. Penn State had four National Champions…Roman Bravo-Young, Nick Lee, Carter Starocci, and Aaron Brooks! Outside of their college practices, these outstanding young wrestlers also have international freestyle goals and regularly train at NLWC Olympic RTC practices.
April, 2021-U.S. Olympic Trials. The NLWC had fifteen wrestlers compete in the U.S. Olympic Trials at Fort Worth, Texas, in early April. Helen Maroulis (training with the NLWC at that time), Thomas Gilman, David Taylor, and Kyle Snyder all won spots on the U.S. Men’s Freestyle Olympic Team. Of the six men’s freestyle Olympic weight classes contested, NLWC wrestlers won three of them. And in one of those weights, two NLWC wrestlers met in the finals. In addition to the Olympians, the NLWC also had three wrestlers (by placing in the top three in their weight classes) become members of the 2021 U.S. National Team: Bo Nickal, Nick Lee, and Jason Nolf.
August, 2021-Toyko Olympics. At the Tokyo Olympics, the biggest stage in wrestling, the NLWC was represented by six wrestlers. David Taylor won an Olympic gold medal; Kyle Snyder won an Olympic silver medal; Thomas Gilman and Bekzod Abdurakhmonov both won Olympic bronze medals; Franklin Gomez became a 3X Olympian; and Jane Valencia made history by becoming Mexico’s first women’s wrestling Olympian. Their performance was historic. In men’s freestyle, NLWC wrestlers earned medals in four of the six weight classes. Team USA also had a spectacular Olympic performance, winning nine total medals with three being gold medals.
Aug, 2021-Jr World Championships. Collegian Beau Bartlett continued the August run of success by winning a Bronze medal at the Junior World Championships in Ufa, Russia.
Sept, 2021-Sr World Championship. The NLWC had five wrestlers compete at the Sr. World Championships, in Oslo, Norway. Thomas Gilman won a World Gold Medal, while David Taylor and Kyle Snyder both won World Silver Medals. Jane Valencia and Alejandra Bonilla also competed but fell short of the medal rounds.
2022
NLWC Highlights from January to Early Spring. Snyder Gold, Nolf Silver at Yariguin in Russia. Gilman, Nolf, Snyder Win in Texas Bout at Ballpark. Zain Gold, Rodriguez Bronze, Page-Rogers Bronze, & Franciso 4th in Bulgaria. Snyder Wins Rudis+ Super Match against J’den Cox. Page-Rogers Silver at Women’s National Championships. Nolf Gold, Rodriguez Silver at Men’s National Championships. Facundo Gold & OW, Howard Bronze, Steen 7th at U20 Freestyle National Championships. Gilman Gold, Snyder Gold, Gomez Silver, Valencia Silver at Pan American Championships.
Nick Lee Joins NLWC Resident Athlete Program. The NLWC is excited to announce that Nick Lee has joined the Club’s Resident Athlete Program. Nick posted a 22-0 record in NCAA action last season, winning his 2nd NCAA championship at 141 lbs. and becoming Penn State’s first-ever five-time All-American. An outstanding competitor on the mat and a tremendous person off of the mat, Nick is an outstanding addition to the Club’s program!
Morgan McIntosh Begins Training with the NLWC as part of the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program. Former Penn State 3X All-American and NCAA finalist Morgan McIntosh joined the U.S. Army and became a Green Beret after his graduation from Penn State. Also an outstanding freestyle competitor, Morgan is now back on the mat and training with the NLWC as a member of the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program.
Current NLWC Resident Athletes
Current NLWC wrestlers are Bekzod Abdurakhmonov, Anthony Cassar, Jordan Conaway, Ceron Francisco, Thomas Gilman, Franklin Gomez, Nick Lee, Bo Nickal, Jason Nolf, Jennifer Page-Rogers, Zain Retherford, Josh Rodriguez, Kyle Snyder, David Taylor, and Jane Valencia. Morgan McIntosh is also training with the NLWC as part of the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program. These wrestlers are some of the top athletes in the world, and the NLWC is very proud to be represented by these fine young men and women, both on and off of the mat!
NLWC Resident Athletes
NLWC Coaching Staff
Jake Varner
A former NLWC Resident Athlete, Jake had an outstanding competitive career. He reached the NCAA finals 4 times, winning 2 titles, earned a 2011 World Bronze Medal, and won a 2012 Olympic Gold Medal. Jake joined the NLWC coaching staff in 2016, and also performs many other duties for the Club. In addition, Jake serves as the Penn State Wrestling team’s volunteer coach. Jake had played a significant role in the success of both the NLWC and Penn State Wrestling programs.
Mark McKnight
A former All-American for Penn State, Mark was a top senior level wrestler for many years, reaching the 2012 Olympic Trial semi-finals and winning a 2013 Pan American Gold Medal. After finishing his competitive career, Mark transitioned into a coaching position with the NLWC. An outstanding youth coach, Mark also directions the Club’s scholastic programs and assists with the Club’s golf tournament, clinics, youth tournament, and various fundraising initiatives. Mark has also played a significant role in the development of the Club’s senior level wrestlers.
