Nick Suriano
 Suriano after the 2018 NCAA championships | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Nicholas Raymond Suriano | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | April 14, 1997 Paramus, New Jersey, U.S. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (168 cm) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | United States | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Wrestling | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight class | 125 lb (57 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | Freestyle and Folkstyle | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College team | Michigan Rutgers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | NYCRTC NJRTC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Sean Bormet | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Nicholas Raymond Suriano (born April 14, 1997) is an American freestyle and folkstyle wrestler who competes at 57 kilograms.[1] In freestyle, he claimed the 2021 Henri Deglane Grand Prix gold medal and the 2021 Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series silver medal.[2][3] As a folkstyle wrestler, Suriano was the 2022 NCAA Division I national and Big Ten Conference champion at 125 pounds for the Michigan Wolverines, repeating what he accomplished in 2019 at 133 pounds at Rutgers University, where he also was an NCAA finalist in 2018.[4]
Wrestling career
High school
Suriano was born and raised in New Jersey, where he played football as a defensive back in his youth and was introduced to wrestling by his father at age seven. At age 12, he quit football to focus on wrestling.[5] Suriano then attended Bergen Catholic High School and became one of the most accomplished wrestlers in the history of his home state; accumulating eight NJSIAA state titles overall, four individual and four team championships, the first New Jersey wrestler to do so. Suriano was undefeated with a record of 159–0 and also picked up runner-up honors to eventual rival Daton Fix at the 2014 US Cadet Nationals in freestyle.[6]
College years
After his legendary run in high school, Suriano committed to Pennsylvania State University to wrestle as a Nittany Lion for Cael Sanderson.[7]
2016–2017
As a freshman, Suriano compiled 16 victories and three defeats (two losses were by injury default), with notable wins over the season's NCAA champion and finalist Darian Cruz and Ethan Lizak, the season's B1G runner–up Tim Lambert and eventual NCAA DII National champion Jose Rodriguez. He was the third seed at the NCAAs; however, he suffered a broken ankle in a match against Nick Piccininni and was unable to compete at the Big Ten Conference championships or the NCAA championships.[8]
2017–2018
After his injury, Suriano transferred to Rutgers University to wrestle as a Scarlet Knight beginning his sophomore year.[9] He had a highly successful first year at Rutgers, with 25 wins and one loss, compiling notable victories over eventual three-time All-American Sebastian Rivera (twice) and eventual two-timers Ronnie Bresser and Zeke Moisey. At the Big Ten Championships, he won his first bout; however, he was forced to medical forfeit his next matches and was eliminated.[10] Entering the NCAAs undefeated, he made his way to the finals by defeating four opponents, including the defending champion Darian Cruz and two other seeded wrestlers. At the finals, he fell to Iowa's Spencer Lee, thus finishing as national runner-up.[11]
2018–2019
In his junior season, he moved up a weight class from 125 to 133 pounds.[12] He ended the year with a 26–3 record and notable victories in regular-season over defending MAC champion John Erneste (eventual two–time MAC champion and All-American) and eventual ACC champion Micky Phillippi. At the Big Ten Conference championships, he defeated four opponents, including future two–time All–Americans Luke Pletcher and Austin DeSanto and future three-timer Ethan Lizak to win his weight class. At the NCAA championships, he made the final after beating three opponents including Stevan Mićić and Ethan Lizak. In the final, he faced Daton Fix, whom he defeated in the second sudden victory period to become the champion at 133 pounds, the first-ever national champion at Rutgers (his teammate Anthony Ashnault would become the second later in the tournament).[13]
2019–2020
Suriano upset '19 Pan American champion and '18 world medalist Joe Colon at the annual Beat the Streets event on May 6 in a freestyle match.[14] In September, Suriano announced he had taken an Olympic redshirt for the season to pursue freestyle aspirations.[15]
At the prestigious Bill Farrell Memorial in November, Suriano dropped to 57 kilograms and won by tech over former DI All-American and two-time Big 12 champion from Oklahoma State Eddie Klimara and Canadian Dragos Robertson in his first two matches, before losing to fellow NCAA champion from Wisconsin Seth Gross.[16][17] In the consolation bracket, he defeated former four-time DI All-American and '12 graduate from Minnesota Zach Sanders, '16 US University National champion and two-time D-I All-American Zane Richards (technical fall), and two-time US Open national runner-up and '16 NCAA champion Nahshon Garrett to place third.[18]
Suriano competed at the US Nationals in late December, where he defeated future Pan American champion Shelton Mack and '13 NCAA All-American Britain Longmire in his first two matches, before losing a close match against 2019 Junior World finalist and D-I All-American from Cornell Vito Arujau.[19][20][21] In the consolation bracket, he once again defeated Zane Richards and added fellow NCAA champion Darian Cruz to the list by technical fall before forfeiting the third-place match against Arujau, to place fourth and qualify for the 2020 US Olympic Team Trials.[22][23]
2021
Suriano was scheduled to wrestle at the 2020 US Olympic Team Trials on April 4–5.[24] However, the event was postponed along with the 2020 Summer Olympics due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[25] Both competitions were rescheduled to take place in 2021.[26][27]
After more than a year of inactiveness in any ruleset and social spectrum,[28] Suriano competed at the Henri Deglane Grand Prix of France on January 16, in his first international tournament overseas.[29] In the quarterfinals, he dominantly shut down '19 European Games and '15 Junior World Champion from Azerbaijan Mahir Amiraslanov, with seven unanswered points.[2] Next, he took out '13 Junior World Championship bronze medalist from Georgia Beja Bujiashvili, four points to one to make the finals, where he outmatched Islam Bazarganov from Azerbaijan, seven points to one, to claim the championship.[30]
Suriano then wrestled at the prestigious Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series on March 7.[31] In the first round, he was edged by '18 World Championship runner-up Nurislam Sanayev, as Sanayev received two points off Suriano grabbing fingers and a point off passiveness, against a two-point takedown from Suriano. In his next three matches, he got an injury default from Daulet Temirzhanov and decisions from three–time Junior World Champion Ahmet Peker and '19 Yasar Dogu International champion Givi Davidovi. In the gold-medal match, he got a rematch against Sanayev, whom he once again lost to, claiming the silver medal.[32][33]
Suriano was then slated to compete at the rescheduled US Olympic Team Trials in April 2–3 as the fifth seed, in an attempt to represent the United States at the 2020 Summer Olympics.[34][35] However, it was officially announced in the day of the event, that Suriano had been forced to withdraw from the event due to a COVID-19 positive test.[36] Suriano was considered by many as one of the favorites to claim the Olympic spot despite his seed.[37] He was then registered to come back to competition on June 8, at the prestigious Poland Open.[38] However, it was announced hours before his scheduled appearance that Suriano had withdrawn from the event for unknown reasons.[39]
On July 21, it was announced that Suriano had officially finished his career at Rutgers University and entered the transfer portal.[40]
Instead, he registered to come back at the 2021 US World Team Trials from September 11 to 12, intending to represent the country at the World Championships at 61 kilograms.[41] After making the quarterfinals, Suriano was upset by 2015 NCAA champion Nathan Tomasello on points, dropping his chances of a World Team spot.[42] He beat 2021 Pan American Champion Shelton Mack in the consolation bracket, but chose to forfeit his next match the next day.[43]
2022
On November 28, 2021, it was revealed that Suriano had transferred to the University of Michigan and would compete at 125 pounds for the Michigan Wolverines in his return to college wrestling.[44] Suriano went 8–0 during regular season[45] before claiming his third Big Ten Conference championship.[46] The top-seed, he went straight to the finals despite facing and beating returning NCAA finalist Brandon Courtney and returning All-American Sam Latona.[47] Suriano won his second National title by beating fellow New Jersey native Pat Glory, capping off his college career.[48]
2024
Suriano won the gold medal in the men's 61 kg event at the 2024 Pan American Wrestling Championships held in Acapulco, Mexico.[49]
Freestyle record
NCAA record
Stats
Awards and honors
- 2022
NCAA Division I (125 lbs)- Big Ten Conference (125 lbs)
- 2019
Bill Farrell Memorial International (57 kg)- BTS: Grapple at the Garden Dual (61 kg)
- NCAA Division I (133 lbs)[50]
- Big Ten Conference (133 lbs)[51]
- 2018
NCAA Division I (125 lbs)[52]
References
- ^ "Nick Suriano - Wrestling". Rutgers University Athletics. Retrieved 2021-05-10.
- ^ a b NJ.com, James Kratch | NJ Advance Media for (2021-01-16). "Rutgers' Nick Suriano storms way to gold medal at international tournament, makes Olympic statement". nj. Retrieved 2021-01-17.
- ^ Kosko, Nick (2019-12-22). "Nick Suriano Officially Qualifies for Olympic Trials". On the Banks. Retrieved 2020-04-16.
- ^ "Nick Suriano - Wrestling". University of Michigan Athletics. Retrieved 2022-03-21.
- ^ Thompson, Jackson. "Spotlight Knight: Nick Suriano". The Daily Targum. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
- ^ "It's Official: Nick Suriano Is Going To Rutgers". www.flowrestling.org. Retrieved 2020-04-16.
- ^ Lanni, Patrick (2015-08-16). "Wrestling: Bergen Catholic standout Nick Suriano commits to Penn State". nj. Retrieved 2020-04-16.
- ^ "Nick Suriano found himself after injury and transfer to Rutgers". Team USA. Retrieved April 16, 2020.[dead link]
- ^ "Suriano explains why he sought transfer". InterMat. Retrieved 2020-04-16.
- ^ Kratch, James (2018-03-04). "Suriano medical forfeits in Big Ten wrestling semis". nj. Retrieved 2020-04-16.
- ^ "2018 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships Brackets" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
- ^ Falk, Steven. "Rutgers Wrestling: Nick Suriano moves up to 133 and begins season with a pin". Asbury Park Press. Retrieved 2020-04-16.
- ^ Cooper, Darren. "Nick Suriano brings Rutgers wrestling its first national title". North Jersey. Retrieved 2020-04-16.
- ^ NJ.com, James Kratch | NJ Advance Media for (2019-05-07). "Rutgers' Nick Suriano stuns world bronze medalist Joe Colon in freestyle return at Beat the Streets". nj. Retrieved 2021-01-12.
- ^ Falk, Steven; Cooper, Darren. "Nick Suriano will redshirt Rutgers wrestling season to chase Olympic dream". North Jersey. Retrieved 2020-04-16.
- ^ "USA Wrestling Events". usawrestlingevents.com. Retrieved 2021-01-12.
- ^ "FloWrestling". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2021-01-12.
- ^ Kosko, Nick (2019-11-17). "Nick Suriano Earns Bronze at Bill Farrell Tournament". On the Banks. Retrieved 2021-01-12.
- ^ "FloWrestling". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2021-01-12.
- ^ "Lazor upsets Olympian Molinaro at Senior Nationals, freestyle quarterfinals set". InterMat. Retrieved 2021-01-12.
- ^ "Wrestling's Diakomihalis and Arujau Qualify for Olympic Team Trials". Cornell University Athletics. Retrieved 2021-01-12.
- ^ NJ.com, James Kratch | NJ Advance Media for (2019-12-22). "Rutgers' Nick Suriano qualifies for 2020 Olympic Team Trials". nj. Retrieved 2021-01-12.
- ^ "Suriano Qualifies for 2020 Olympic Trials". Rutgers University Athletics. Retrieved 2021-01-12.
- ^ "Wrestling: Nick Suriano punches ticket to Olympic Trials". North Jersey. Retrieved 2020-04-16.
- ^ Kratch, James (2020-03-31). "USA Wrestling moves Olympic Trials to 2021 due to coronavirus pandemic | What it means". nj. Retrieved 2020-04-22.
- ^ CooperBergen, Darren. "With Olympics postponed, wrestler Suriano now focusing on his next move". recordonline.com. Retrieved 2020-04-16.
- ^ Church, Ben (20 April 2020). "Virus expert 'pessimistic' over Tokyo Olympics". CNN. Retrieved 2020-04-22.
- ^ NJ.com, James Kratch | NJ Advance Media for (2021-01-04). "Will Nick Suriano wrestle for Rutgers in 2021? It's '50-50,' Scott Goodale says". nj. Retrieved 2021-01-12.
- ^ Eric. "Henri Deglane Grand Prix of France Preliminary Entries". United World Wrestling. Retrieved 2021-01-08.
- ^ "Snyder, Dake, Diakomihalis and Suriano win gold, four others earn medals at the Henri Deglane Grand Prix". Team USA. January 16, 2021. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021.
- ^ Eric. "Matteo Pellicone Entries". United World Wrestling. Retrieved 2021-02-24.
- ^ "Pantaleo & Valencia win Matteo Pellicone golds, silvers to Burroughs, Suriano, McFadden & Hall, bronzes to Graff, McKenna & Martin". Team USA. March 7, 2021. Archived from the original on June 23, 2021.
- ^ "Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series 2021" (PDF). United World Wrestling. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
- ^ Fortenbaugh, Rick (22 January 2021). "Rutgers' Nick Suriano pushing for spot on United States Olympic wrestling team". The Trentonian. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
- ^ Miller, Zach. "Wrestling: Men's freestyle seeds announced for U.S. Olympic Trials". North Jersey Media Group. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
- ^ Miller, Christopher (2021-04-02). "Breaking: Nick Suriano Out of 2021 Olympic Trials; 57 kg Takes Another Hit for the U.S." The Open Mat. Retrieved 2021-04-02.
- ^ Gallo, Ed (2021-03-29). "USA Men's Freestyle Olympic Team Trials - 57 kg Preview". Bloody Elbow. Retrieved 2021-04-02.
- ^ Eric. "Poland Open Entries (June 9–13)". United World Wrestling. Retrieved 2021-06-01.
- ^ "Reece Humphrey on Twitter; "Tomasello 61, Suriano out, Macc out. Let's get it!!"". twitter.org.
- ^ Breitman, Aaron (2021-07-21). "Nick Suriano's career at Rutgers officially over after entering transfer portal". On the Banks. Retrieved 2021-08-18.
- ^ "Who's Registered For World Team Trials So Far? - FloWrestling". www.flowrestling.org. Retrieved 2021-08-18.
- ^ "NATO over Suriano Highlights Quarterfinals at WTT". InterMat. Retrieved 2021-09-16.
- ^ "2021 World Team Trials Match Notes - FloWrestling". www.flowrestling.org. Retrieved 2021-09-16.
- ^ Miller, Zach. "Nick Suriano lands at Michigan for final college wrestling season". North Jersey Media Group. Retrieved 2021-11-28.
- ^ NJ.com, James Kratch | NJ Advance Media for (2022-02-28). "Big Ten Wrestling Championships 2022: 125-pound preview, prediction". nj. Retrieved 2022-03-21.
- ^ Szczepaniak, Jonathan. "Michigan wrestler Nick Suriano wins 125-pound national title; Wolverines finish second". The Detroit News. Retrieved 2022-03-21.
- ^ Falk, Steven. "Nick Suriano, Pat Glory to meet in dream NCAA Wrestling Final for New Jersey fans". Daily Record. Retrieved 2022-03-21.
- ^ McKown, Eli. "Michigan wrestling's Nick Suriano defeats old foe for national title; 'my vision quest'". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2022-03-21.
- ^ "2024 Pan American Wrestling Championships Results Book" (PDF). United World Wrestling. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 February 2024. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
- ^ "2019 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships Brackets" (PDF).
- ^ "2019 Big Ten Conference Wrestling Brackets" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on April 1, 2019.
- ^ "2018 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships Brackets" (PDF).
External links
- Nick Suriano at the International Wrestling Database
