Aaron Marquel Brooks OLY (born June 15, 2000) is an American freestyle and folkstyle wrestler who competes at 86 kilograms.[1] He earned a bronze medal while representing the United States at the 2024 Summer Olympics, and is also a U23 World champion and US National champion.[2][3]
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| Full name | Aaron Marquel Brooks | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | June 15, 2000 Hagerstown, Maryland, U.S. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | United States | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Wrestling | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight class | 86 kg (190 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | Freestyle and Folkstyle | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College team | Penn State | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Nittany Lion Wrestling Club Titan Mercury Wrestling Club | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Cael Sanderson | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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In collegiate wrestling, Brooks was the seventh four-time NCAA Division I National champion in history, and was also a four-time Big Ten Conference champion out of the Pennsylvania State University.[4]
Career
editHigh school
editBrooks was born in Hagerstown, Maryland and attended North Hagerstown High School.[7] 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.[8][9] In freestyle, Brooks became a U17 World champion before his senior year.[10] The top-recruit at 182 pounds, Brooks committed to wrestle for the Penn State Nittany Lions in early 2018.[11]
After his senior year, Brooks decided to spend a grayshirt year at the US Olympic Training Center.[12]
In August 2018, Brooks earned a silver medal from the U20 World Championships.[13] In January 2019, he claimed the Dave Schultz Memorial International title, making his senior level debut.[14] 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.[15]
The Pennsylvania State University
edit2019–2020
editBrooks wore a redshirt for his first appearance, the Mat Town Open, which he won.[16] However, his redshirt was then burned for him to rack up a 9–1 dual meet record during regular season.[17]
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.[18]
Back to folkstyle, Brooks won his first Big Ten Conference title, avenging his lone season loss to Taylor Venz from Nebraska in the semifinals.[19][20] The third seed for the NCAA tournament, Brooks was unable to compete as the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[21] After the season, he was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year.[22]
2020–2021
editAfter a 6–0 dual meet stint during his sophomore campaign, Brooks became a two-time Big Ten Conference champion in the post-season.[23] 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.[24] This result qualified Brooks for the US Olympic Team Trials, which took place a month after, in April.[25]
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.[26]
2021–2022
editEntering his junior year, Brooks amassed an undefeated 14–0 dual meet record during regular season.[27] 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.[28] 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.[29]
2022–2023
editEntering his senior year, Brooks compiled a 9–1 dual meet record during regular season, suffering a lone setback to Iowa State's Marcus Coleman.[30] At the Big Ten tournament, Brooks made his fourth finale and claimed his third title with three wins, all of them including bonus points.[31] 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.[32]
Fresh as a three-time NCAA champion, Brooks switched to freestyle to compete at the US Open National Championships in April.[33] 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.[34]
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.[35] As a result, Brooks earned the right to represent the United States at the U23 World Championships in October.[36]
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.[37]
2023–2024
editBrooks 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.[38] 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.[39]
In the postseason, Brooks repeated his 2023 Big Ten title run, handling his three opponents bonus-points losses to claim the championship.[40] Following the tournament, he was named the Big Ten Wrestler of the Year.[41] 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.[42] With his victory, Brooks became just the seventh wrestler to win four NCAA titles and was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler.[43] On April 1, 2024, Brooks was awarded the Hodge Trophy as the nation's top collegiate wrestler.[44]
Post-collegiate career
edit2024
editIn 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 Olympic and two-time World champion David Taylor.[45] 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.[46]
In August, Brooks made his Olympic debut at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.[47] On the first day, Brooks defeated two-time World medalist Azamat Dauletbekov from Kazakhstan and U20 World champion Hayato Ishiguro from Japan to make the semifinals, where he fell to eventual gold medalist Magomed Ramazanov from Bulgaria, after losing his lead in the closing seconds of the bout.[48] The next day, Brooks contested the bronze-medal match, defeating Javrail Shapiev from Uzbekistan to earn bronze.[49]
Freestyle record
edit
NCAA record
editStats
editReferences
edit- ^ "Aaron Brooks - Wrestling". Penn State University Athletics. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
- ^ "Penn State Wrestler Aaron Brooks Rolls to U23 World Championship". Penn State Athletics. October 24, 2023. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
- ^ "Aaron Brooks Takes Bronze After Defeating His Opponent | Wrestling". www.teamusa.com. August 10, 2024. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
- ^ "NCAA DI". InterMat. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
- ^ McCarvel, Nick (April 30, 2024). "Aaron Brooks: Top facts you might not know about rising wrestling star". Olympics. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
- ^ Vallejo, Le-Jovale (March 24, 2023). "Christian Wrestler Praises Jesus Following His Win: 'Holy Spirit Power — It's Everything'". Christian Learning & News. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
- ^ "Aaron Brooks - Wrestling". Penn State University Athletics. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
- ^ Mason, Andy. "Brooks wins 4th NHSCA national title, named tourney's outstanding wrestler". Herald-Mail Media. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
- ^ Schwartz, Tim (March 2, 2019). "Kraisser wins fourth title to headline MPSSAA state wrestling championships". baltimoresun.com. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
- ^ Andrew (September 10, 2017). "USA Goes 3-for-3 in Gold-Medal Matches, Russia Wins Team Title". United World Wrestling. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
- ^ Mason, Andy. "Aaron Brooks commits to Penn State". Herald-Mail Media. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
- ^ Mason, Andy. "Brooks, Cook make history with state titles". Herald-Mail Media. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
- ^ "Aaron Brooks Wins Silver Medal at the Junior World Championships". Roar Lions Roar. September 22, 2018. Archived from the original on October 7, 2020. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
- ^ "Brooks dominates, Molinaro wins second DSMI title". Team USA. January 26, 2019.[dead link]
- ^ "Tough draw sends Aaron Brooks out early in UWW Junior Worlds". Herald-Mail Media. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
- ^ "Aaron Brooks wins title at Mat-Town Open". Herald-Mail Media. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
- ^ "Expectations for Aaron Brooks As the New 184-Pound Starter for Penn State Wrestling". Roar Lions Roar. January 22, 2020. Archived from the original on October 1, 2020. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
- ^ "Updated US Olympic Team Trials qualifiers as of July 30, 2020". Team USA. July 30, 2020. Archived from the original on October 31, 2020.
- ^ Collegian, Jake Aferiat | The Daily (February 6, 2020). "'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 October 24, 2020.
- ^ "Hall and Brooks Claim Big Ten Titles as 2020 B1G Championship Concludes". Penn State University Athletics. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
- ^ Goodwin, Cody. "NCAA cancels Division I, II, III wrestling championships amid COVID-19 pandemic". Des Moines Register. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
- ^ "2020 Big Ten Wrestling Championships". Big Ten Conference. Archived from the original on March 7, 2020. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
- ^ Collegian, Jake Aferiat | The Daily (March 7, 2021). "Penn State wrestling's Aaron Brooks notches second career Big Ten title". The Daily Collegian. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
- ^ Mason, Andy. "Aaron Brooks wins his 1st NCAA title". Herald-Mail Media. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
- ^ Mason, Andy. "Aaron Brooks seeded 10th at U.S. Olympic Team Trials". Herald-Mail Media. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
- ^ Tolson, Max (April 4, 2021). "Nittany Lion Wrestling Club Sends Four To US Olympic Team". Onward State. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
- ^ Vesper, Erik (March 4, 2022). "Big Ten Wrestling Championships Preview, The Upperweights". On the Banks. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
- ^ "2022 Big Ten wrestling tournament: Myles Amine upsets Aaron Brooks, Michigan team title highlights event". 247Sports. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
- ^ "Penn State Wrestling's Aaron Brooks avenges a prior loss, wins title at 184". Victory Bell Rings. March 20, 2022. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
- ^ "Penn State Wrestling Takes Down No. 5 Iowa State 22-12 in Collegiate Duals Finale". Penn State Athletics. December 20, 2022. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
- ^ "Hagerstown's Aaron Brooks wins his third Big Ten wrestling title". Herald-Mail Media. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
- ^ Wogenrich, Mark (March 19, 2023). "NCAA Wrestling: Penn State Crowns 2 Three-Time Champs". Sports Illustrated Penn State Nittany Lions News, Analysis and More. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
- ^ "Penn State Wrestling Well Represented in 2023 U.S. Open Field". Penn State Athletics. April 25, 2023. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
- ^ Wogenrich, Mark (April 30, 2023). "Penn State's Aaron Brooks Rolls to Another Major Wrestling Title". Sports Illustrated Penn State Nittany Lions News, Analysis and More. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
- ^ "Olympic champ David Taylor tops Hagerstown's Aaron Brooks at Final X". Herald-Mail Media. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
- ^ Wogenrich, Mark (July 2, 2023). "Penn State's Aaron Brooks to Pursue Another World Wrestling Title". Sports Illustrated Penn State Nittany Lions News, Analysis and More. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
- ^ "Penn State Wrestler Aaron Brooks Rolls to U23 World Championship". Penn State Athletics. October 24, 2023. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
- ^ "25 notable college wrestlers to watch in 2023-2024 | NCAA.com". www.ncaa.com. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
- ^ Wogenrich, Mark (March 4, 2024). "Penn State Dominates Pre-Seeds for Big Ten Wrestling Tournament". Sports Illustrated Penn State Nittany Lions News, Analysis and More. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
- ^ "Penn State Wins Big Ten Wrestling Title". Big Ten Conference. July 15, 2023. Archived from the original on March 12, 2024. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
- ^ "Penn State Wrestling roars to 2024 Big Ten Championship with 170.5 points". www.themat.com. March 11, 2024. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
- ^ "WrestleStat | Aaron Brooks (Penn State) Profile". www.wrestlestat.com. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
- ^ "Carter Starocci and Aaron Brooks win their fourth individual NCAA titles, make history for Penn State | NCAA.com". www.ncaa.com. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
- ^ "Penn State's Aaron Brooks wins Hodge Trophy; Four Lions in top five of voting". 247Sports. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
- ^ PennLive, Jim Carlson | Special to (April 20, 2024). "Jason Nolf, Aaron Brooks steal the show as Olympic Team Trials head to Saturday's final rounds". pennlive. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
- ^ Smeltzer, Joe (April 20, 2024). "Penn State Wrestling: Aaron Brooks Upsets Gold Medalist David Taylor". Nittany Sports Now. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
- ^ Collegian, Greg Finberg | The Daily (August 8, 2024). "Penn State wrestler Aaron Brooks falls in the men's 86kg". The Daily Collegian. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
- ^ "Aaron Brooks Loses Late, Will Wrestle for Bronze at Paris Olympics". Penn State Nittany Lions On SI. August 8, 2024. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
- ^ "Penn State Wrestling's Aaron Brooks Wins Olympic Bronze Medal". gopsusports.com. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
External links
edit- Aaron Marquel Brooks at United World Wrestling
- Aaron Marquel Brooks at the International Wrestling Database
- Aaron Marquel Brooks at Olympics.com
- Aaron Marquel Brooks at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics
- Aaron Brooks at USA Wrestling
- Aaron Brooks at Team USA