Some of America’s top young wrestlers were showcased when the United States Olympic Education Center’s men’s Greco-Roman wrestling team battled Japan in an international dual meet March 16 at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh’s Albee Hall.
The event began with a motivational speech by Dennis Hall, head Greco-Roman wrestling coach for the United States Olympic Education Center in Marquette, Mich. Hall won a silver medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Ga. The three-time Pan American Games champion also represented the United States at the 1992 and 2004 Summer Olympics.
The Japan team was coached by former Fond du Lac Goodrich High School wrestler Yoshimaro Yanagawa. Yanagawa, who also serves as the head wrestling coach at Gunma University in Maebashi, Gunma, Japan, represented Fond du Lac Goodrich High School at the 1994 Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association State Wrestling Tournament in Madison. He was a high school wrestler for current UW Oshkosh assistant coach Larry Marchionda.
The United States Olympic Education Center, located on the campus of Northern Michigan University, is one of four Olympic training centers in the country and the only one located on a college campus. The United States Olympic Education Center is dedicated to providing educational opportunities for its resident athletes while offering world-class training.
With more than 100 resident athletes and coaches, the United States Olympic Education Center is the second-largest Olympic training center in the United States, in terms of residents, behind the one in Colorado Springs, Colo. In fact, the United States Olympic Education Center has more athletes than the Lake Placid, N.Y., and Chula Vista, Calif., sites combined. Over the years, it has grown into a major contributor to the U.S. Olympic movement.