Brent Metcalf (born July 14, 1986) is an American
freestyle wrestler
Freestyle wrestling is a style of wrestling originated from Great Britain and the United States. Along with Greco-Roman, it is one of the two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic Games. American high school and men's college wrestling i ...
who formerly competed in the international circuit for the United States of America.
Biography
As a prep wrestler, Metcalf went undefeated with a career record of 228-0, won four consecutive Michigan state titles, and earned six junior national titles. After originally committing to
Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also has educational facilities in six re ...
, Metcalf would ultimately transfer to the
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized into 12 col ...
following his redshirt year, to follow coach Tom Brands, who was switching head coaching positions from Virginia Tech to the University of Iowa also. Due to Virginia Tech's desire not to release him, Metcalf was forced to sit out the entire 2006–2007 season. In the fall of 2007, as sophomore, Metcalf finally began his collegiate wrestling career.
[Official Hawkeye Athletic Website – Wrestler Profile](_blank)
During the course of his first competitive season, he captured the Big Ten and National Championships at 149 lbs.
Metcalf joined
Cael Sanderson
Cael Norman Sanderson ( ; born June 20, 1979) is an American former folkstyle and freestyle wrestler who is the current head coach of Penn State University's wrestling team. As a wrestler, he won an Olympic Gold medal and was undefeated in four ...
and
David Taylor as the only sophomores to win the
Dan Hodge Trophy
The Dan Hodge Trophy is awarded each year to the United States of America’s best college wrestler. The trophy is presented at the end of the season by W.I.N. Magazine (''Wrestling Insider Newsmagazine'') and Culture House. It is the collegiate w ...
as the best collegiate wrestler in the United States. He was also named the
Jesse Owens Big Ten Male Athlete of the Year, beating out athletes in more high-profile sports like football and basketball. Metcalf was additionally named Outstanding Wrestler of the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments, and honored as Big Ten Wrestler of the Year.
Personal
Raised in Davison, Michigan, Brent Metcalf is the son of Tom and Lynn Metcalf. His mother was an all-state
gymnast
Gymnastics is a type of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, dedication and endurance. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, sh ...
and state champion in
track and field
Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...
. He was high school teammates with 3x All American and 1x National Champion Paul Donahoe and 3x All American and 1x National Champion Jon Reader, all coached under Roy Hall.
His older brother, Chase Metcalf, was also a very successful wrestler, but lost his life in a car accident in his university years. Roy Hall's son Chase Langdon Hall was named after Brent Metcalf's brother Chase Metcalf.
Metcalf married Iowa City native Kristin Metcalf (née Knipper). Metcalf graduated from the University of Iowa with a bachelor's degree in
sociology
Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. It uses various methods of empirical investigation an ...
.
High school
Metcalf finished his prep career with a 228-0 career record, tallying 156 pins. A four-time state individual champion, Metcalf also led his team to four consecutive state titles. As a senior, he was named Michigan's "Mr. Wrestler" in 2005, was selected as second-team ASICS all-American (behind rival
Dustin Schlatter
Dustin Schlatter is a graduated folkstyle wrestler and winner of the 2006 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships and a three-time NCAA All-American at 149 pounds for the University of Minnesota. As a high school wrestler Schlatter was a NHSCA ...
), Wrestling USA all-American and a Wrestling USA scholastic all-American.
A two-time FILA Junior national champion, Metcalf captured the Most Outstanding Wrestler award in 2004 and was named the Outstanding Wrestler at 2005 Junior Freestyle Nationals. He defeated Pennsylvania wrestler Matt Dragon in the finals. He also wrestled Dragon in the Dapper Dan beating him in an 8-7 win. A six-time Junior National champion, he was also three-time Junior National Greco-Roman and Freestyle champion en route to earning double Most Outstanding Wrestler awards in 2005. He completed his senior season as a 2005 Dave Schultz High School Excellence regional award winner. Metcalf was also a cadet Greco-Roman national champion and freestyle runner-up.
College
2005–2006
After committing to coach Tom Brands at Virginia Tech, Metcalf used the 2005–2006 season as his redshirt year.
2006–2007
On April 9, 2006, past NCAA champion and former Iowa Hawkeye Tom Brands was named the head coach of the Iowa wrestling program. Shortly after Brands accepted Iowa's offer, the five Virginia Tech wrestlers requested to transfer to Iowa pursuant to the NCAA's "one-time transfer exception." Virginia Tech chose not to grant their release, and despite their issuing a lawsuit against Virginia Tech, the wrestlers were unable to successfully transfer without losing one year of eligibility.
During this season of lost eligibility, Metcalf competed in both folkstyle and freestyle competitions. He competed unattached in three open college tournaments, winning all three en route to compiling a 14-0 record at 149 pounds. He won Omaha's Kaufman-Brand Open, an event that included a number of top Division I teams.
2007–2008
Metcalf entered the 2008 NCAA Wrestling Championships as the top-seeded wrestler in the 149-pound weight class. He had only one loss on the year getting pinned in a spladle in the first period by NC State wrestler
Darrion Caldwell during the dual meet. He opened his tournament in dominant style with a first-period fall on Will Rowe of Oklahoma, his only pin of the tournament, and won the 2008 NCAA wrestling championship by defeating
Bubba Jenkins
Bubba Jenkins (born February 5, 1988) is an American mixed martial artist and former amateur wrestler. He currently competes in the featherweight division of Professional Fighters League. He has also notably competed for Bellator MMA, Absolute ...
, future 2011 NCAA champion from Arizona State, 14-8. He gave up the first two takedowns in the first period before coming back for the victory. He had defeated
Jordan Burroughs
Jordan Ernest Burroughs (born July 8, 1988) is an American freestyle wrestler and former folkstyle wrestler who currently competes at 79 kilograms, and previously competed at 74 kilos. In freestyle, he was the 2012 Olympic gold medalist, is ...
, future world champion and Olympic gold medalist of Nebraska in the semifinals, 6-3. He also defeated returning All American Lance Palmer of Ohio State in the quarterfinals. For his efforts he was named the tournament's most outstanding wrestler. For his achievements, Metcalf was named the winner of the 2008
Dan Hodge Trophy
The Dan Hodge Trophy is awarded each year to the United States of America’s best college wrestler. The trophy is presented at the end of the season by W.I.N. Magazine (''Wrestling Insider Newsmagazine'') and Culture House. It is the collegiate w ...
, awarded annually to the nation's best college wrestler.
2008–2009
Metcalf entered the 2009 NCAA Wrestling Championships with an unblemished 37-0 record and again garnered the number-one seed for the 149-pound weight class. He lost in the finals to
Darrion Caldwell of NC State 11-6. As time expired in the match, Caldwell went to do a celebratory backflip and Metcalf pushed him in mid-air causing Caldwell to land dangerously on his back. The NCAA Wrestling Committee reprimanded Metcalf, issuing a news release that it "strongly believes the championships should not be tarnished by such acts."
2009–2010
Metcalf went undefeated during the regular season at 149 lb. Metcalf then lost to Lance Palmer from Ohio State in the Big 10 Championships when Metcalf, down by one considering riding time, failed to finish a deep single and was put to his back late in the third after a wild scramble. Palmer, a fellow four-time high-school state champion, had met and lost to Metcalf in 4 prior matches. Metcalf would avenge the loss by defeating Palmer 3-2 to capture his second NCAA championship. Metcalf finished his collegiate career with a record of 108-3 (.973).
International career
2013–2014
In 2013 on Golden Grand Prix "Ivan Yarygin" in
Krasnoyarsk
Krasnoyarsk ( ; rus, Красноя́рск, a=Ru-Красноярск2.ogg, p=krəsnɐˈjarsk) (in semantic translation - Red Ravine City) is the largest city and administrative center of Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia. It is situated along the Yeni ...
became runner-up. He lost in final wrestler from Russia
Ilyas Bekbulatov (8-0,7-1).
In 2014 at the
Wrestling World Cup
Wrestling World Cup is an international wrestling competition among teams representing member nations of the United World Wrestling (UWW) the sport's global governing body. The cups have been conducted by FILA (the UWW predecessor) every year sinc ...
in Los Angeles, Metcalf helped the USA secure 3rd place, while becoming the World Cup champion at 65 kg, going 4-0.
In 25–27 July on the "Golden Grand-Prix Heydar Aliyev" Metcalf became winner in 65 kg.
In
2014 World Wrestling Championships Metcalf lost in 1/16 finals to Mustafa Kaya of Turkey (7-4).
2014–2015
On December 21, Metcalf competed in Flowrestling's Premiere League (FPL) where he faced off against Franklin Gomez (Puerto Rico) in a freestyle-folkstyle hybrid match. Metcalf won his match 9-2 over Gomez in what was at the time a matchup of two of the top 20 freestyle wrestlers in the world.
In January 2015 it was announced that Metcalf would face 18-year-old phenom
Aaron Pico
Aaron Pico (born September 23, 1996) is an American mixed martial artist and former freestyle wrestler who currently competes in the featherweight division of Bellator MMA. As a freestyle wrestler, Pico competed at 65 kilograms, where he place ...
in an Agon Wrestling Championship match. Metcalf and Pico were billed as the main event and Metcalf won the match by a score of 4-1 scoring the match's only takedown.
On January 24, 2015, Metcalf faced
Ilyas Bekbulatov of Russia in finals 65 kg match at
Golden Grand Prix Ivan Yarygin 2015
The Golden Grand Prix Ivan Yarygin 2015 was held in Krasnoyarsk, Russia between 22 and 26 January 2015. Also known as Ivan Yarygin international
This international tournament included competition in both Freestyle wrestling. This Grand Prix is he ...
in Russia. Bekbulatov won the final 8-6, and Metcalf earned the silver medal for Team USA. Metcalf is the first American this decade to make the Yarygin finals twice. On the same overseas trip Metcalf later took bronze at the Paris Grand Prix at 65 kg.
For the second straight year, Metcalf went 4-0 and won the
World Cup
A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the concept i ...
at 65 kilograms, picking up two wins against World medalists along the way. He defeated
Ganzorigiin Mandakhnaran
Ganzorigiin Mandakhnaran (Mongolian language, Mongolian: ; born 11 May 1986) is a male Mongolian wrestler who competes in the 66 kg category in freestyle wrestling. He was born in Tuv province of Mongolia. He is a two-time world bronze medal ...
of Mongolia 8-2 and
Masoud Esmaeilpour 3-1. His four victories helped team USA secure the Team Silver Medal.
Coaching
In April 2017, Brent Metcalf accepted a position as Volunteer Assistant Coach for Iowa State University's wrestling team. The following year he became a full time assistant coach for the Cyclones. Prior to Iowa State, Metcalf had brief stints as Assistant Coach for Cedar Rapids Prairie High School wrestling from August through November 2016, and as the National Freestyle Developmental Coach for USA Wrestling from November 2016 until April 2017.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Metcalf, Brent
1986 births
Living people
American male sport wrestlers
Sportspeople from Flint, Michigan
Iowa Hawkeyes wrestlers
Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States
Pan American Games medalists in wrestling
Wrestlers at the 2015 Pan American Games
Big Ten Athlete of the Year winners
Medalists at the 2015 Pan American Games
20th-century American people
21st-century American people