Jason Nolf Claims Yet Another Impressive Victory After His Consecutive Zagreb Open Wrestling Gold Medals

For fans around the country, the Nittany Lions Wrestling Club commands the utmost respect, and for all the right reasons. In a major feat, Jason Nolf, NLWC member, has achieved yet another milestone that bolstered his club’s reputation once again. While his recent international exploits sent out ripples across the international wrestling community, Nolf has once again made the national headlines.

Putting out a performance of a lifetime, Nolf clinched a gold at the recently concluded Zagreb Open, making him the winner in his weight class in back-to-back years. And now, thanks to his 36-second finish in Zagreb, Nolf has been bestowed with a coveted honor that comes as a major achievement while Nolf spends some well-deserved vacation time.

Jason Nolf bags another wrestling accolade

In a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), the official USA Wrestling account shared news of Jason’s latest award. “Zagreb Open champion Jason Nolf has been named the USA Wrestling Athlete of the Week“, reads the caption of the post accompanied by an image of Nolf as he is declared the winner of a match by the referee. The Penn State wrestler’s consecutive gold wins at the Grand Prix tournament ensured Nolf receiving the prestigious award that will make a fine addition to his elaborate medal cabinet.

Zagreb Open saw Nolf in his most vicious form yet, stomping over his opponents with relative ease. In his first two matches, Nolf essentially swept aside any competition, including a 12-2 win over 2023 Senior World bronze medalist Ramazan Ramazanov from Bulgaria. In his quarterfinal match against Hungary’s Murad Kuramagomedov, Nolf recorded a 7-0 decision win.

For the 74kg gold medal matchup, Nolf faced Iran’s Hossein Abouzaripashkolaei after defeating U23 European Champion Georgios Kougioumtsidis of Greece in his semifinal match. Abouzaripashkolaei posed a significant challenge to the NLWC wrestler, but Nolf held his nerves for the final match, after tailing 1-0 at the break. The three-time NCAA champion has been on a dream run, securing podium finishes in all of his last three international events. However, Nolf isn’t the only one who brought glory to the country in Zagreb.

Team USA sealing its status in Zagreb

While Jordan Burrough’s absence left a squeamish feeling among the nation’s wrestling fans, others proved to be more than up for the task at hand. Along with Nolf, former Big Ten wrestler of the week, Nate Jackson won another gold in the Zagreb Open in the 92kg weight class. Contributing to the country’s overall performance, Kyle Snyder won a silver while Greco-Roman wrestlers faced a tougher challenge.

Read more: Not for 2024 Paris Olympics but 43 USA Wrestlers Fly to France for a Shot at Glory at Henri Deglane Challenge

Kayla Miracle and Forrest Molinari won silver medals in women’s freestyle wrestling, while Adeline Gray and Kennedy Blades both finished the tournament with bronze medals. Now, as Team USA heads to Nice, France for the Henri Deglane Challenge, fans wait for more wins for the country’s best talents.

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