Aaron Brooks (wrestler)
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| Full name | Aaron Marquel Brooks | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | June 15, 2000 Hagerstown, Maryland, U.S. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 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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Aaron Marquel Brooks (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]
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]
Brooks is a Christian. [5]
Career
[edit]High school
[edit]Brooks was born in Hagerstown, Maryland and attended North Hagerstown High School.[6] 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.[7][8] In freestyle, Brooks became a U17 World champion before his senior year.[9] The top-recruit at 182 pounds, Brooks committed to wrestle for the Penn State Nittany Lions in early 2018.[10]
After his senior year, Brooks decided to spend a grayshirt year at the US Olympic Training Center.[11]
In August 2018, Brooks earned a silver medal from the U20 World Championships.[12] In January 2019, he claimed the Dave Schultz Memorial International title, making his senior level debut.[13] 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.[14]
The Pennsylvania State University
[edit]2019–2020
[edit]Brooks wore a redshirt for his first appearance, the Mat Town Open, which he won.[15] However, his redshirt was then burned for him to rack up a 9–1 dual meet record during regular season.[16]
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.[17]
Back to folkstyle, Brooks won his first Big Ten Conference title, avenging his lone season loss to Taylor Venz from Nebraska in the semifinals.[18][19] The third seed for the NCAA tournament, Brooks was unable to compete as the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[20] After the season, he was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year.[21]
2020–2021
[edit]After a 6–0 dual meet stint during his sophomore campaign, Brooks became a two-time Big Ten Conference champion in the post-season.[22] 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.[23] This result qualified Brooks for the US Olympic Team Trials, which took place a month after, in April.[24]
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.[25]
2021–2022
[edit]Entering his junior year, Brooks amassed an undefeated 14–0 dual meet record during regular season.[26] 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.[27] 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.[28]
2022–2023
[edit]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.[29] At the Big Ten tournament, Brooks made his fourth finale and claimed his third title with three wins, all of them including bonus points.[30] 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.[31]
Fresh as a three-time NCAA champion, Brooks switched to freestyle to compete at the US Open National Championships in April.[32] 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.[33]
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.[34] As a result, Brooks earned the right to represent the United States at the U23 World Championships in October.[35]
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.[36]
2023–2024
[edit]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.[37] 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.[38]
In the postseason, Brooks repeated his 2023 Big Ten title run, handling his three opponents bonus-points losses to claim the championship.[39] Following the tournament, he was named the Big Ten Wrestler of the Year.[40] 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.[41] With his victory, Brooks became just the seventh wrestler to win four NCAA titles and was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler.[42] On April 1, 2024, Brooks was awarded the Hodge Trophy as the nation's top collegiate wrestler.[43]
Post-collegiate career
[edit]2024
[edit]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 Olympic and two-time World champion David Taylor.[44] 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.[45]
In August, Brooks made his Olympic debut at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.[46] 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.[47] The next day, Brooks contested the bronze-medal match, defeating Javrail Shapiev from Uzbekistan to earn bronze.[48]
Freestyle record
[edit]
NCAA record
[edit]Stats
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Aaron Brooks - Wrestling". Penn State University Athletics. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
- ^ "Penn State Wrestler Aaron Brooks Rolls to U23 World Championship". Penn State Athletics. 24 October 2023. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
- ^ "Aaron Brooks Takes Bronze After Defeating His Opponent | Wrestling". www.teamusa.com. 10 August 2024. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
- ^ "NCAA DI". InterMat. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
- ^ https://www.centredaily.com/sports/college/penn-state-university/psu-wrestling/article269331172.html
- ^ "Aaron Brooks - Wrestling". Penn State University Athletics. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
- ^ Mason, Andy. "Brooks wins 4th NHSCA national title, named tourney's outstanding wrestler". Herald-Mail Media. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
- ^ Schwartz, Tim (2 March 2019). "Kraisser wins fourth title to headline MPSSAA state wrestling championships". baltimoresun.com. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
- ^ Andrew (10 September 2017). "USA Goes 3-for-3 in Gold-Medal Matches, Russia Wins Team Title". United World Wrestling. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
- ^ Mason, Andy. "Aaron Brooks commits to Penn State". Herald-Mail Media. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
- ^ Mason, Andy. "Brooks, Cook make history with state titles". Herald-Mail Media. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Brooks dominates, Molinaro wins second DSMI title". Team USA. 26 January 2019.[dead link]
- ^ "Tough draw sends Aaron Brooks out early in UWW Junior Worlds". Herald-Mail Media. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
- ^ "Aaron Brooks wins title at Mat-Town Open". Herald-Mail Media. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Updated US Olympic Team Trials qualifiers as of July 30, 2020". Team USA. 30 July 2020. Archived from the original on 31 October 2020.
- ^ Collegian, Jake Aferiat | The Daily (6 February 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 24 October 2020.
- ^ "Hall and Brooks Claim Big Ten Titles as 2020 B1G Championship Concludes". Penn State University Athletics. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
- ^ Goodwin, Cody. "NCAA cancels Division I, II, III wrestling championships amid COVID-19 pandemic". Des Moines Register. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
- ^ "2020 Big Ten Wrestling Championships". Big Ten Conference. Archived from the original on 7 March 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
- ^ Collegian, Jake Aferiat | The Daily (7 March 2021). "Penn State wrestling's Aaron Brooks notches second career Big Ten title". The Daily Collegian. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
- ^ Mason, Andy. "Aaron Brooks wins his 1st NCAA title". Herald-Mail Media. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
- ^ Mason, Andy. "Aaron Brooks seeded 10th at U.S. Olympic Team Trials". Herald-Mail Media. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
- ^ Tolson, Max (4 April 2021). "Nittany Lion Wrestling Club Sends Four To US Olympic Team". Onward State. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
- ^ Vesper, Erik (4 March 2022). "Big Ten Wrestling Championships Preview, The Upperweights". On the Banks. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
- ^ "2022 Big Ten wrestling tournament: Myles Amine upsets Aaron Brooks, Michigan team title highlights event". 247Sports. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
- ^ "Penn State Wrestling's Aaron Brooks avenges a prior loss, wins title at 184". Victory Bell Rings. 20 March 2022. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Hagerstown's Aaron Brooks wins his third Big Ten wrestling title". Herald-Mail Media. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Penn State Wrestling Well Represented in 2023 U.S. Open Field". Penn State Athletics. 25 April 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Olympic champ David Taylor tops Hagerstown's Aaron Brooks at Final X". Herald-Mail Media. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Penn State Wrestler Aaron Brooks Rolls to U23 World Championship". Penn State Athletics. 24 October 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
- ^ "25 notable college wrestlers to watch in 2023-2024 | NCAA.com". www.ncaa.com. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Penn State Wins Big Ten Wrestling Title". Big Ten Conference. 15 July 2023. Archived from the original on 12 March 2024. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
- ^ "Penn State Wrestling roars to 2024 Big Ten Championship with 170.5 points". www.themat.com. 11 March 2024. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
- ^ "WrestleStat | Aaron Brooks (Penn State) Profile". www.wrestlestat.com. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Penn State's Aaron Brooks wins Hodge Trophy; Four Lions in top five of voting". 247Sports. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Smeltzer, Joe (20 April 2024). "Penn State Wrestling: Aaron Brooks Upsets Gold Medalist David Taylor". Nittany Sports Now. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
- ^ Collegian, Greg Finberg | The Daily (8 August 2024). "Penn State wrestler Aaron Brooks falls in the men's 86kg". The Daily Collegian. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
- ^ "Aaron Brooks Loses Late, Will Wrestle for Bronze at Paris Olympics". Penn State Nittany Lions On SI. 8 August 2024. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
- ^ "Penn State Wrestling's Aaron Brooks Wins Olympic Bronze Medal". gopsusports.com. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
External links
[edit]- Aaron Brooks at the International Wrestling Database
