Spenser Mango (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP) was named 2013
Greco-Roman Wrestler of the Year by USA Wrestling. It is the first time
that Mango has won this prestigious award.
Mango placed fifth at the 2013 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary
in September at 55 kg/121 lbs., the top placement among U.S. Greco-Roman
wrestlers and his highest career placement at the World or Olympic
level.
Mango opened with a 4-0 win over Jani Happamaaki of Finland, then
suffered a 2-4 loss to eventual runner-up Guygin Choi of Korea in round
two. After Choi reached the finals, Mango won two straight repechage
matches, defeating Fouad Fajari of Morocco by technical fall, 7-0, then
Kanybek Zholchubekov of Kyrgyzstan, 6-2. Mango was edged in the
bronze-medal match by Roman Amoyan of Armenia, 4-5.
Mango qualified for his fourth career U.S. World Team with a victory at
the U.S. World Team Trials in Stillwater, Okla. in June, defeating Nate
Engel in the championship series in two straight matches, 5-0 and 7-0.
Mango also won his fifth career U.S. Open title in April, with a victory
over Max Nowry in the finals, 3-0, 1-0. Mango won the Armed Forces in
March at Joint Base McGuire – Dix – Lakehurst, N.J. with a 3-0 record.
Internationally, Mango won the 2013 New York Athletic Club International
in New York, N.Y. in November, defeating Seunghak Kim of Korea in the
finals, 2-1.
He was undefeated with a 3-0 record at the Jacob Curby Cup in LaGrange,
Ill., beating athletes from Hungary, Serbia and Lithuania. He added a
gold medal, wrestling up at 60 kg, at the Minnesota Storm Holiday Cup in
December. He was also seventh at the FILA Golden Grand Prix Finals in
Baku, Azerbaijan in November.
Mango, a 2008 and 2012 U.S. Olympian, has made every U.S. World and
Olympic team at his weight class since 2008, a six-year run as No. 1 in
the USA. He was eighth at the 2008 Olympic Games and ninth in the 2012
Olympic Games.
In 2006, Mango was a World University champion and a Junior World bronze medalist.
Mango is a graduate of the Univ. of Northern Michigan, where he competed
for the USOEC Greco-Roman program coached by Ivan Ivanov. After
graduation, he joined the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program.
A native of St. Louis, Mo., he was a two-time state champion for Christian Brothers College High School.
PAST GRECO-ROMAN WRESTLER OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
2013 – Spenser Mango, Colorado Springs, Colo., U.S. Army WCAP
2012 – Chas Betts, Colorado Springs, Colo., Minnesota Storm
2011 – Justin Lester, Colorado Springs, Colo., U.S. Army
2010 – Justin Ruiz, Meridian, Idaho, New York AC
2009 - Dremiel Byers, Colorado Springs, Colo., U.S. Army
2008 - Adam Wheeler, Colorado Springs, Colo., Gator WC
2007 - Brad Vering, Colorado Springs, Colo., New York AC
2006 - Joe Warren, Colorado Springs, Colo., New York AC
2005 - Justin Ruiz, Colorado Springs, Colo., New York AC
2004 - Rulon Gardner, Wellsville, Utah, Sunkist Kids
2003 - Jim Gruenwald, Colorado Springs, Colo., Sunkist Kids
2002 - Dremiel Byers, Colorado Springs, Colo., U.S. Army
2001 - Rulon Gardner, Cascade, Colo., Sunkist Kids
2000 - Rulon Gardner, Afton, Wyo., Sunkist Kids
1999 - Dremiel Byers, Colorado Springs, Colo., U.S. Army
1998 - Matt Lindland, Lincoln, Neb., Sunkist Kids
1997 - Rulon Gardner, Gilbert, Ariz., Sunkist Kids
1996 - Dennis Hall, Stevens, Point, Wis., Sunkist Kids
1995 - Dennis Hall, Stevens Point, Wis., Sunkist Kids
1994 - Dennis Hall, Stevens Point, Wis., Sunkist Kids
1993 - James Johnson, Phoenix, Ariz., Sunkist Kids