Former Hawkeye Spencer Lee jumps into his mother's arms after his victory over fellow former Hawkeye Thomas Gilman at the U.S. Olympic Trials on Saturday, April 20, 2024 in State College, Pennsylvania. . (Vanessa Miller, The Gazette)
Pennsylvania State University — Updated at 12pm — Spencer Lee scored a big takedown in the second period of his best-of-three Championship Series match against fellow Hawkeye Thomas Gilman, then drew three more back exposures before pinning Gilman. and achieved a dramatic victory at the U.S. Olympic Trials.
After raising his arms, and before the referee officially raised his hands, Lee acknowledged with the audience that his Olympic dream was within reach. After shaking hands with his opposing coach, Lee jumped off the stage and returned into the arms of his mother, who was leaning out of the stands and congratulating him.
“If it wasn't for the Iowa Hawkeye program and their support of me, I probably would have retired by now,” Lee told reporters, referring to the injuries and challenges he faced at the end of his NCAA career in 2023. did.
Lee's 57kg weight class is one of five weight classes that have not yet qualified for the Olympics, so victory at Saturday's Olympic Trials will not automatically earn her a ticket to the Summer Olympics. He needs to finish in the top three at the World Olympic Qualifiers in Istanbul, Turkey, May 9-12 to qualify for the U.S. team.
After winning the first two games of the best-of-three series against Gilman, Lee reminded reporters, “We have work to do.”
And he acknowledged that the road to get to where he is today has been “long and arduous.”
Gilman, 29, is four years Lee's senior and won a bronze medal with the U.S. team at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics three years ago.
When asked about Gilman after the win, Lee said: People have a wrong image about us. ”
After the game, Lee hugged Gilman and said, “I've always looked up to you.”
Lee said Gilman told him to “put on a show,” nodding to his goal of making the Hawkeyes on the Olympic team.
On the Hawkeye women's team, sophomore Kylie Welker lost badly in the semifinals, but placed fourth and earned a spot on the U.S. national team. Her teammate Felicity Taylor also earned the same result. And Hawkeye sophomore Reece Larramendi placed fifth, narrowly missing out on her varsity spot.
Updated at 11am — Former Hawkeye Spencer Lee defeated fellow former Hawkeye Thomas Gilman 6-3 on Saturday morning in the first game of the best-of-three Olympic Trials Championship Series.
However, if the referee's decision had been in Gilman's favor, the match could have gone in a different direction. Gilman is currently active with the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club. The first jeers from the Penn State crowd came after Gilman took a shot in the first period and the referee called a stalemate sooner than the fans would have liked.
Then in the second, with Lee up 5-1, Gilman took a shot and lifted Lee for an ambitious four-point mat return, but the referee scored two points instead – Lee on the side. It was determined that he had landed and not exposed his back. Amid boos from the crowd, Gilman's corner challenged the call, but there was no evidence in the video review to overturn it.
The failed challenge earned Lee another point, finishing the match 6-3.
They'll wrestle again Saturday morning. If Lee wins, he will secure a spot on the Olympic team. If Gilman wins, they will play the third and final game.
With wrestlers competing for a spot on the national team in Games 3 and 4, former Hawkeye Alex Marinelli played in Game 1 on Saturday after starting from a 1-0 deficit after the first period. , lost by technical fall.
University of Iowa resident Brandon Marshall, who earned a trial spot in the “Last Chance” tournament after a six-year hiatus, lost his first match on Friday, but won the first and second matches on the backside on Saturday. We won the match and were close to victory. Birth of a national team.
On the Hawkeye women's team, Emily Gonzalez stopped playing on the varsity team after winning one on the backside and dropping her second on Saturday morning. Brianna Gonzalez lost 9-4 to Hawkeye teammate Felicity Taylor, who earned her second win and advanced to the third-place match.
The Hawkeyes' Reese Larramendi and Kyrie Welker are also competing for a spot in the third-place game, but had not played before 11 a.m. Saturday.
Updated at 8am — Standing between Hawkeye wrestling icon Spencer Lee and his lifelong Olympic dream is fellow former Hawkeye Thomas Gilman, who made his Olympic debut three years ago at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and brought home a bronze medal. is.
The two finalists who competed in Saturday's “Challenge” slot will compete in today's Championship Series to earn a spot on the 18-weight U.S. Olympic team, six weight classes each in men's and women's freestyle and Greco-Roman. We have to win two out of three games.
Only the winner of that series will get a ticket to Paris for the Summer Olympics. However, the wrestlers who place second, third, and fourth earn a spot on the national team, which also brings other perks and opportunities. So while Lee and Gilman are the only two Hawkeye-affiliated in the finals and thus still vying for an Olympic birth, many other University of Iowa wrestlers are currently vying for the remaining varsity spots. There is.
Those wrestlers include former Hawkeye Alex Marinelli, who needs to win two more matches to advance to the third-place match, and Kylie Welker, who needs one more win to compete for third place on the women's side. It will be done. Also among the Hawkeye girls still in contention are Emily Gonzalez and Brianna Gonzalez, who will first have to face UI fifth-year student Felicity Taylor on Saturday.
Like Welker, Reese Larramendi also lost in Friday's semifinals, but remains in contention today. On Saturday morning, the wrestlers were refueling and warming up for a day that could stretch into the wee hours of the night, after making the weight necessary for each day of the tournament.
Comments: (319) 339-3158; vanessa.miller@thegazette.com
