Gomez Joins Wolverine Program as Grad Transfer for 2023-24
12/14/2023 2:31:00 PM | Wrestling
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan wrestling head coach Sean Bormet announced Thursday (Dec. 14) the addition of graduate transfer Austin Gomez to the Wolverine program. Gomez, an NCAA All-American at Wisconsin, is immediately eligible and has one year remaining.
"Austin is one of the most electrifying wrestlers in the country," said Bormet. "He is a special talent, has an exceptional work ethic and a competitive fire, and he brings a lot of excitement to the mat. I've known Austin since he was a young kid in my Overtime programs, and obviously Kevin [Jackson] has a great relationship with him as well, so we really know we're getting a high-character individual and a great competitor. We are thrilled to welcome him to our team and fired up to coach him."
Gomez wrestled collegiately at Wisconsin (2022-23) and Iowa State (2018-21), earning NCAA All-America honors with a fourth-place finish at 149 pounds in his first season with the Badgers -- and after missing the previous two seasons due to injury. He also captured the Big Ten 149-pound title in 2022 and shared the Big Ten's Outstanding Wrestler of the Championship award with Michigan's Myles Amine. Gomez posted a 67-17 career record over four competitive seasons, including a 23-4 mark in 2021-22 and a 24-7 record as a redshirt freshman at ISU in 2018-19.
Gomez relocated to Ann Arbor last summer to pursue a senior-level freestyle career with the Wolverines' Cliff Keen Wrestling Club. He represented Mexico at the 2023 World Championships, and most recently captured the 70kg freestyle title at the Grand Prix two weeks ago in Mexico City.
Previously, he was a U.S. Cadet World Team member (2013) and qualified for the junior team in 2018. He was a four-time Fargo national champion, winning twice apiece in freestyle and Greco-Roman, and won double Pan American cadet gold in 2015, garnering the Golden Boot award as the Outstanding Wrestler in both freestyle and Greco.
A native of Carol Stream, Ill., Gomez earned his bachelor's degree in business marketing from Iowa State before adding a graduate degree in educational leadership and policy analysis from Wisconsin last spring. He was named to the Academic All-Big Ten squad (2023) and is a two-time NWCA Scholar All-American.
Gomez is projected to wrestle at 149 pounds for the Wolverines.
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