Five Point Move - U.S. Greco-Roman Wrestling

Two-time World Team member "Mr. Fantastic" Benji Peak discusses recovering from a broken neck and returning to action just in time for the first two UWW Ranking Series tournaments of the year. Peak goes into detail about his injury, whether or not he was fully convinced that he would wrestle again, and how he has felt since resuming training. In addition, Peak is one of several accomplished USA Gr...

2023 World Team member Zac Braunagel joins the show for a rare two-segment episode. In the first segment, Braunagel discusses the circumstances surrounding his decision to leave Illinois for the Navy WC. He also recounts his title from the Bill Farrell Memorial and then looks ahead to what was then an upcoming trip to Sweden.    In the second segment, Braunagel follows-up on what his experience at...

Joe Uccellini is the founder of one of America's best clubs, Curby 3-Style in Troy, New York. Recently, Uccellini was also named as an assistant coach for the West Point Wrestling Club/RTC. He also has a unique background. As a competitor, Uccellini was coached by two Hall of Fame leaders, the late Joe DeMeo at ATWA, and Ivan Ivanov at Northern Michigan University.  SUBSCRIBE : Apple Podcasts  | ...

Parker Betts is the assistant coach for what is arguably the United States' most important Greco-Roman program, Northern Michigan University's National Training Site. In his latest appearance on the podcast, Betts discusses the training block for NMU's two Senior World Team members, Max Black and Payton Jacobson, and provides valuable insights on a range of other topics, including how NMU has rece...

One of the most interesting and authentic voices within the sport of wrestling is featured on Episode 64 as two-time Olympian and five-time US World Team member Ildar Hafizov joins the program. Topics include his decision to move up in weight at this stage of his career, how and why he began running practices for the Army team, what it has been like to move into coaching while still competing, and...

2024 Olympian and recently-named Athlete of the Year Payton Jacobson joins the show for Episode 63 and discusses every big moment from his breakout season. In addition to providing behind-the-match details and what he enjoyed most about his journey to Paris, Jacobson also shares some of the struggles he endured as a young athlete in the spotlight, and what it was like carrying high expectations in...

Patrick Curran of Northern Michigan University's National Training Site is one of the US Greco-Roman program's brightest young prospects.  In just over a year-and-a-half since joining NMU, Curran has had the opportunity to train and compete overseas in order to expand his skill-set, which has already translated to several impressive performances on the domestic circuit. Curran is also equally ente...

NMU Assistant Coach Parker Betts returns to the show to discuss his athletes' performances at the Senior World Team Trials, as well as to look ahead to the U23 World Championships next month, a tournament that will feature three Northern Michigan University wrestlers -- Max Black, Jonathan Gurule, and Olympian Payton Jacobson.   SUBSCRIBE :  Apple Podcasts  |  Spreaker |  RSS SUBSCRIBE : Apple Pod...

E60 features the unique pairing of Billy Sullivan and Justus Scott. The Nevadan duo have been friends since their youth wrestling days and have continued to achieve one milestone after another as adults. Sullivan and Scott both made the U20 World Team in 2021, they joined Army WCAP together the next year, and late last month they both won the U23 World Trials, which means they will be on a second...

Episode 59 of the Five Point Move Podcast brings back Northern Michigan University assistant coach Parker Betts, who discusses Payton Jacobson's rise to the 2024 Olympic Team, what the impact of that has been, as well as the performances of several other NMU top athletes including National Team member Max Black.  SUBSCRIBE :  Apple Podcasts  |  Spreaker |  RSS SUBSCRIBE : Apple Podcasts  |  Spreak...

Episode 58 of the Five Point Move Podcast welcomes back Ellis Coleman, who after a two-year hiatus from competition returned to action this past winter and just two weeks ago won the Olympic Trials. Coleman, 32, now has his sights set on placing in the top-3 at the World Olympic Games Qualifier in Istanbul, Turkey. Coleman had appeared on three previous episodes of the program but it has been a wh...

Episode 57 welcomes in two of the nation's top Greco-Roman competitors: three-time World Team member/six-time US National Champion Kamal Bey and 2021 U23 World Teamer David Stepanyan. Fresh off of being named Five Point Move's Athlete of the Year for 2023, Bey reflects back on some of the highlights he experienced last season as well as the lessons learned from setbacks that he eventually turned i...

Episode 56 of the podcast focuses on two athletes from the best weight class in the sport -- 87 kg. Three-time National Champion "The Alaskan Assassin" Spencer Woods and multi-time National Teamer Rich Carlson join the program to discuss their performances from the recently-wrapped Nationals with looks ahead towards the rest of the Olympic push. The two top-level competitors also share training ph...

A different format is in order for Episode 55 as three members of the 2023 USA Greco-Roman World Team are featured in a series of separate audio clips, most of which revolving around Final X: Newark. Co-host Dennis Hall returns to offer input relative to the athletes' descriptions and perspectives, as well as to provide analysis on several key topics. Also included are words from US Greco-Roman Ge...

Ryan Epps returned from Basic Training after joining the U.S. Army to compete for its World Class Athlete Program and then he found himself winning the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament. Epps will face Spencer Woods at 82kg at Final X. Epps was a three-time All-American and two-time NCAA Division III champion at powerhouse Augsburg University. The show will break down the weights at Final X i...

Two guests are featured in Episode 53, Northern Michigan University Assistant Coach Parker Betts and Pan-Am Championships gold medalist Jamel Johnson. Betts provides perspectives on several topics surrounding the NMU program, including the status of Benji Peak and the school's three recent U20 World Team members. Betts also opens up about an important upcoming trip to Sweden, as well as the value...

Two-time Olympian Jim Gruenwald joins the show. Jim just released a new book, Not All Roads Lead to Gold. “Not All Roads Lead to Gold” is a book that tells a story that answers the “Why?” Why should I do something that doesn’t always end with a Gold Medal? Is the journey worth the time, energy, and pain. SUBSCRIBE : Apple Podcasts  |  Spreaker |  RSS

Surging Illinois heavyweight and former Division I lineman and NAIA runner-up Tanner Farmer helps usher in the new season of the podcast by sharing his thoughts on a variety of perspectives. With his first overseas tour now in the books, Farmer is poised for even more improvements entering his second year as a full-time Greco athlete and opens up regarding his approach to learning -- and the confi...

Episode 50 has Hall commenting on the unusual training schedule for the Team USA Olympians. After that, US National Team member "Mr. Fantastic" Benji Peak drops by the program for the very first time. At the Olympic Trials, Peak caught fire and garnered nearly as much "mainstream" wrestling attention as the tournament winners, but he was already well-established prior to April. Now, the Wisconsin...

Multi-time World Team member and 2016 Olympian Robby Smith joins the show to discuss retirement, the legacy of Mark Halvorson, and becoming the head assistant coach at the place where it all began, the Community Youth Center in Concord, California. Photo: Smith with Halvorson at 2015 World Championships by Tony Rotundo. SUBSCRIBE : Apple Podcasts  |  Spreaker |  RSS

Episode 48 brings a pair of familiar figures to the forefront: Austin Morrow (77 kg, NYAC/NTS) and USA Greco-Roman Manager of Operations Gary Mayabb. Morrow, one of the country's more popular athletes thanks in large part to his exceedingly friendly persona, is also in the midst of a career upswing following his move up in weight prior to the Olympic Trials. Throughout his segment, the NMU grad di...

Dennis Hall sinks his teeth into the recent "Ranking Series" event for US Seniors and sheds some light on the upcoming mentoring program being implemented by the National program. Old pal and Oregon State assistant Nate Engel drops by for the first time in a while to discuss how his Beavers overcame several challenges this season to wind up with six NCAA Division I National Qualifiers, as well as...

Junior World bronze, US National Team member, and now multi-time NCAA Division 1 Qualifier Taylor LaMont comes on to discuss folkstyle's place in American Greco-Roman development as well as how he has navigated training concerns so far this season. After LaMont, 2018 US Open runner-up Jessy Williams goes deep on a variety of topics, including the struggles he has faced over the past couple of seas...

Episode 45 features Dennis Hall and Max Nowry along with host Tim Hands as they discuss the happenings and randomness in the world of Greco-Roman Wrestling. SUBSCRIBE : Apple Podcasts  |  Spreaker |  RSS

Episode 44 features a reinvigorated Hall as well as two guests, Army wrestlers Toby Erickson and Michael Hooker. With UWW updating the rules for Greco and an overseas trip on the horizon for US National Team members, there is plenty to discuss.  SUBSCRIBE : Apple Podcasts  |  Spreaker |  RSS