# Aaron Brooks (wrestler)

Aaron Marquel Brooks OLY (born June 15, 2000) is an American freestyle and folkstyle wrestler who competes at 86 kilograms. He earned a bronze medal while representing the United States at the 2024 Summer Olympics, and is also a U23 World champion and US National champion.
In collegiate wrestling, Brooks was the seventh four-time NCAA Division I National champion in history, and was also a four-time Big Ten Conference champion out of the Pennsylvania State University.
Brooks is a Christian.

## Career
### High school

Brooks was born in Hagerstown, Maryland and attended North Hagerstown High School. During his high school years, Brooks was a four-time NHSCA National champion and a four-time MPSSAA state champion, with a 163–2 record in the state of Maryland. In freestyle, Brooks became a U17 World champion before his senior year. The top-recruit at 182 pounds, Brooks committed to wrestle for the Penn State Nittany Lions in early 2018.
After his senior year, Brooks decided to spend a grayshirt year at the US Olympic Training Center.
In August 2018, Brooks earned a silver medal from the U20 World Championships. In January 2019, he claimed the Dave Schultz Memorial International title, making his senior level debut. In August 2019, after making the US World Team, Brooks was eliminated in the first-round at the U20 World Championships by eventual World medalist Abubakr Abakarov.

### The Pennsylvania State University
#### 2019–2020

Brooks wore a redshirt for his first appearance, the Mat Town Open, which he won. However, his redshirt was then burned for him to rack up a 9–1 dual meet record during regular season.
In December, Brooks briefly switched to freestyle to compete at the US National Championships, placing sixth though failing to qualify for the US Olympic Team Trials.
Back to folkstyle, Brooks won his first Big Ten Conference title, avenging his lone season loss to Taylor Venz from Nebraska in the semifinals. The third seed for the NCAA tournament, Brooks was unable to compete as the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After the season, he was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

#### 2020–2021

After a 6–0 dual meet stint during his sophomore campaign, Brooks became a two-time Big Ten Conference champion in the post-season. At the NCAA tournament, Brooks became an NCAA Division I National champion after wins over fourth-seeded Parker Keckeisen and second-seeded Trent Hidlay in the semifinals and finals, respectively. This result qualified Brooks for the US Olympic Team Trials, which took place a month after, in April.
At the US Olympic Trials, Brooks defeated two-time All-Americans Nate Jackson and Sammy Brooks, but fell to two-time NCAA champion Zahid Valencia and US National champion Pat Downey.

#### 2021–2022

Entering his junior year, Brooks amassed an undefeated 14–0 dual meet record during regular season. After making his third-straight Big Ten Conference final, Brooks suffered an upset loss to Olympic bronze medalist Myles Amine, whom he had defeated during regular season. At the NCAA tournament, Brooks cruised to the finals after defeating his 2021 NCAA finals foe Trent Hidlay in the semifinals, and was then able to pull off the rubber-match win over Amine in the finals to defend his title and become a two-time NCAA National champion.

#### 2022–2023

Entering his senior year, Brooks compiled a 9–1 dual meet record during regular season, suffering a lone setback to Iowa State's Marcus Coleman. At the Big Ten tournament, Brooks made his fourth finale and claimed his third title with three wins, all of them including bonus points. Brooks, the third seed, was able to claim his third NCAA National championship, with yet another semifinal win over second-seeded Trent Hidlay and top-seeded Parker Keckeisen in the finals.
Fresh as a three-time NCAA champion, Brooks switched to freestyle to compete at the US Open National Championships in April. After cruising to the semifinals, he defeated US National champion and two-time U20 World champion Mark Hall on points to make the finals, where he avenged losses from 2019 and 2021 to US National champion and two-time NCAA champion Zahid Valencia to claim the championship and earn a berth for Final X.
In June, Brooks competed against teammate and three-time Olympic and World champion David Taylor for the US World Team spot at Final X Newark, where he lost two matches to none in a best-of-three format to claim runner-up honors. As a result, Brooks earned the right to represent the United States at the U23 World Championships in October.
In October, Brooks became the U23 World champion at 86 kilograms, facing competition such as defending U23 World champion Tatsuya Shirai from Japan, U20 European champion Arslan Bagaev from Russia, returning U23 World medalist Ivan Ichizli from Moldova and U20 World medalist İsmail Küçüksolak from Turkey.

#### 2023–2024

Brooks then opted to return to Penn State for a fifth and final season, as the NCAA offered an extra year of eligibility to any student athlete rostered during the COVID-19 shortened 2020–2021 season and was again a National Champion at 197 lbs. Now up at 197 pounds, Brooks added a Journeymen Classic title to his resume and racked up a 11–0 dual meet record during regular season.
In the postseason, Brooks repeated his 2023 Big Ten title run, handling his three opponents bonus-points losses to claim the championship. Following the tournament, he was named the Big Ten Wrestler of the Year. Brooks then swept through the NCAA Tournament field, posting two technical falls and two falls before defeating Trent Hidlay 6-1 in the NCAA Final. With his victory, Brooks became just the seventh wrestler to win four NCAA titles and was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler. On April 1, 2024, Brooks was awarded the Hodge Trophy as the nation's top collegiate wrestler.

### Post-collegiate career
#### 2024

In April, Brooks competed at the US Olympic Team Trials, where after defeating multiple-time NCAA champions Alex Dieringer and Zahid Valencia, as well as Connor Mirasola, he advanced to the best-of-three finals, where he would rematch teammate and Olympic and two-time World champion David Taylor. He knocked off Taylor two times in a row to upset him and earn the right to represent the United States at the 2024 Summer Olympics in August, as a US Olympic Team Member.
In August, Brooks made his Olympic debut at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. On the first day, Brooks defeated two-time World medalist Azamat Dauletbekov from Kazakhstan and U20 World champion Hayato Ishiguro from Japan to make the semifinals, where he fell to eventual gold medalist Magomed Ramazanov from Bulgaria, after losing his lead in the closing seconds of the bout. The next day, Brooks contested the bronze-medal match, defeating Javrail Shapiev from Uzbekistan to earn bronze.

## Freestyle record

Senior Freestyle Matches :
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Score | Date | Event | Location |
| 2024 Summer Olympics at 86 kg |||||||
| Win | 25–8 | Javrail Shapiev | 5–0 | August 9, 2024 | 2024 Summer Olympics | Paris, France |
| Loss | 24–8 | Magomed Ramazanov | 3–4 | August 8, 2024 | 2024 Summer Olympics | Paris, France |
| Win | 24–7 | Hayato Ishiguro | TF 11–1 | August 8, 2024 | 2024 Summer Olympics | Paris, France |
| Win | 23–7 | Azamat Dauletbekov | 4–3 | August 8, 2024 | 2024 Summer Olympics | Paris, France |
| 2024 US Olympic Team Trials at 86 kg |||||||
| Win | 22–7 | David Taylor | 3–1 | April 20, 2024 | 2024 US Olympic Team Trials | State College, Pennsylvania |
| Win | 21–7 | David Taylor | 4–1 | April 20, 2024 | 2024 US Olympic Team Trials | State College, Pennsylvania |
| Win | 20–7 | Zahid Valencia | 7–6 | April 19, 2024 | 2024 US Olympic Team Trials | State College, Pennsylvania |
| Win | 19–7 | Alex Dieringer | 8–4 | April 19, 2024 | 2024 US Olympic Team Trials | State College, Pennsylvania |
| Win | 18–7 | Connor Mirasola | 11–5 | April 19, 2024 | 2024 US Olympic Team Trials | State College, Pennsylvania |
| 2023 U23 World Championships at 86 kg |||||||
| Win | 17–7 | Tatsuya Shirai | TF 10–0 | October 23–24, 2023 | 2023 U23 World Championships | Tirana, Albania |
| Win | 16–7 | Arslan Bagaev | 5–4 | October 23–24, 2023 | 2023 U23 World Championships | Tirana, Albania |
| Win | 15–7 | Ivan Ichizli | 7–0 | October 23–24, 2023 | 2023 U23 World Championships | Tirana, Albania |
| Win | 14–7 | Owen Martin | TF 10–0 | October 23–24, 2023 | 2023 U23 World Championships | Tirana, Albania |
| Win | 13–7 | İsmail Küçüksolak | 6–1 | October 23–24, 2023 | 2023 U23 World Championships | Tirana, Albania |
| 2023 US World Team Trials at 86 kg |||||||
| Loss | 12–7 | David Taylor | 4–5 | June 10, 2023 | 2023 Final X Newark | Newark, New Jersey |
| Loss | 12–6 | David Taylor | 0–6 | June 10, 2023 | 2023 Final X Newark | Newark, New Jersey |
| 2023 US Open at 86 kg |||||||
| Win | 12–5 | Zahid Valencia | 10–6 | April 26–30, 2023 | 2023 US Open National Championships | Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Win | 11–5 | Mark Hall | 6–1 | April 26–30, 2023 | 2023 US Open National Championships | Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Win | 10–5 | Owen Webster | TF 11–0 | April 26–30, 2023 | 2023 US Open National Championships | Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Win | 9–5 | Hudson Stewart | VCA (9–0) | April 26–30, 2023 | 2023 US Open National Championships | Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Win | 8–5 | Dylan Fishback | TF 10–0 | April 26–30, 2023 | 2023 US Open National Championships | Las Vegas, Nevada |
| 2020 US Olympic Team Trials DNP at 86 kg |||||||
| Loss | 7–5 | Pat Downey | TF 0–11 | April 2–3, 2021 | 2020 US Olympic Team Trials | Fort Worth, Texas |
| Win | 7–4 | Sammy Brooks | 6–3 | April 2–3, 2021 | 2020 US Olympic Team Trials | Fort Worth, Texas |
| Loss | 6–4 | Zahid Valencia | 3–6 | April 2–3, 2021 | 2020 US Olympic Team Trials | Fort Worth, Texas |
| Win | 6–3 | Nate Jackson | 3–0 | April 2–3, 2021 | 2020 US Olympic Team Trials | Fort Worth, Texas |
| 2019 US Nationals 6th at 86 kg |||||||
| Loss | 5–3 | Sammy Brooks | TF 0–10 | December 20–22, 2019 | 2019 US National Championships | Fort Worth, Texas |
| Loss | 5–2 | Brett Pfarr | 5–5 | December 20–22, 2019 | 2019 US National Championships | Fort Worth, Texas |
| Loss | 5–1 | Zahid Valencia | 0–6 | December 20–22, 2019 | 2019 US National Championships | Fort Worth, Texas |
| Win | 5–0 | Sammy Brooks | 15–9 | December 20–22, 2019 | 2019 US National Championships | Fort Worth, Texas |
| Win | 4–0 | Max Dean | 10–7 | December 20–22, 2019 | 2019 US National Championships | Fort Worth, Texas |
| Win | 3–0 | Matthew Alejandro | TF 10–0 | December 20–22, 2019 | 2019 US National Championships | Fort Worth, Texas |
| 2019 Dave Schultz Memorial International at 79 kg |||||||
| Win | 2–0 | Nate Jackson | TF 13–0 | January 24–26, 2019 | 2019 Dave Schultz Memorial International | Colorado Springs, Colorado |
| Win | 1–0 | Stacey Davis | Fall | January 24–26, 2019 | 2019 Dave Schultz Memorial International | Colorado Springs, Colorado |

## NCAA record

NCAA Division I Record :
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Score | Date | Event |
| End of 2023-24 Season (5th Year Senior) ||||||
| 2024 NCAA Championships at 197 lbs ||||||
| Win | 89-3 | Trent Hidlay | 6-1 | March 21–23, 2024 | 2024 NCAA Division 1 National Championships |
| Win | 88-3 | Rocky Elam | TF 17-2 | March 21–23, 2024 | 2024 NCAA Division 1 National Championships |
| Win | 87-3 | Stephen Buchanan | Fall | March 21–23, 2024 | 2024 NCAA Division 1 National Championships |
| Win | 86-3 | Joseph Novak | Fall | March 21–23, 2024 | 2024 NCAA Division 1 National Championships |
| Win | 85-3 | Evan Bates | TF 19-4 | March 21–23, 2024 | 2024 NCAA Division 1 National Championships |
| 2024 Big Ten Conference at 197 lbs ||||||
| Win | 84-3 | Zach Glazier | TF 19-3 | March 9–10, 2024 | 2024 Big Ten Conference Championships |
| Win | 83-3 | Silas Allred | 14-2 | March 9–10, 2024 | 2024 Big Ten Conference Championships |
| Win | 82-3 | Evan Bates | TF 19-3 | March 9–10, 2024 | 2024 Big Ten Conference Championships |
| Win | 81-3 | Jack Kilner | TF 19-4 | February 25, 2024 | Penn State - Edinboro Dual |
| Win | 80-3 | Silas Allred | 17-4 | February 18, 2024 | Penn State- Nebraska Dual |
| Win | 79-3 | Michael Toranzo | Fall | February 12, 2024 | Penn State - Rutgers Dual |
| Win | 78-3 | Zach Glazier | 5-1 | February 9, 2024 | Penn State - Iowa Dual |
| Win | 77-3 | Luke Geog | TF 22-6 | February 2, 2024 | Penn State - Ohio State Dual |
| Win | 76-3 | Jaxon Smith | 13-4 | January 28, 2024 | Penn State - Maryland Dual |
| Win | 75-3 | Kael Wisler | TF 21-6 | January 21, 2024 | Penn State - Michigan State Dual |
| Win | 74-3 | Bobby Striggow | TF 20-5 | January 19, 2024 | Penn State - Michigan Dual |
| Win | 73-3 | Gabe Sollars | TF 19-4 | January 14, 2024 | Penn State - Indiana Dual |
| Win | 72-3 | Justin Rademacher | TF 19-4 | January 5, 2024 | Penn State - Oregon State Dual |
| Win | 71-3 | Nikolas Miller | Fall | December 10, 2023 | Penn State - Hofstra Dual |
| Win | 70-3 | Martin Cosgrove | Fall | November 12, 2023 | Journeyman Collegiate Classic |
| Win | 69-3 | John Crawford | TF 19-3 | November 12, 2023 | Journeyman Collegiate Classic |
| Win | 68-3 | Jacob Meissner | Fall | November 12, 2023 | Journeyman Collegiate Classic |
| Start of 2023-2024 Season (5th Year Senior) ||||||
| End of 2022-2023 Season (Senior year) ||||||
| 2023 NCAA Championships at 184 lbs ||||||
| Win | 67-3 | Parker Keckeisen | 7-2 | March 16–18, 2023 | 2023 NCAA Division I National Championships |
| Win | 66-3 | Trent Hidlay | 6-3 | March 16–18, 2023 | 2023 NCAA Division I National Championships |
| Win | 65-3 | Kaleb Romero | 4-1 | March 16–18, 2023 | 2023 NCAA Division I National Championships |
| Win | 64-3 | Will Feldkamp | Fall | March 16–18, 2023 | 2023 NCAA Division I National Championships |
| Win | 63-3 | Matt Waddell | 13-4 | March 16–18, 2023 | 2023 NCAA Division I National Championships |
| 2023 Big Ten Conference at 184 lbs ||||||
| Win | 62-3 | Kaleb Romero | 12-2 | March 4–5, 2023 | 2023 Big Ten Conference Championships |
| Win | 61-3 | Matt Finesilver | 18-6 | March 4–5, 2023 | 2023 Big Ten Conference Championships |
| Win | 60-3 | Brian Soldano | TF 18-2 | March 4–5, 2023 | 2023 Big Ten Conference Championships |
| Win | 59-3 | Brian Soldano | TF 18-3 | February 10, 2023 | Penn State - Rutgers Dual |
| Win | 58-3 | Kalem Romero | 3-2 | February 3, 2023 | Penn State - Ohio State Dual |
| Win | 57-3 | Drake Rhodes | TF 22-7 | January 27, 2023 | Penn State - Iowa Dual |
| Win | 56-3 | Matt Finesilver | 14-4 | January 20, 2023 | Penn State - Michigan Dual |
| Win | 55-3 | Tyler Dow | TF 16-0 | January 6, 2023 | Penn State - Wisconsin Dual |
| Loss | 54-3 | Marcus Coleman | 7-9 | December 20, 2022 | Penn State - Iowa State Dual |
| Win | 54-2 | Gavin Kane | Fall | December 19, 2022 | Penn State - North Carolina Dual |
| Win | 53-2 | Ben Cushman | Fall | December 19, 2022 | Penn State - Central Michigan Dual |
| Win | 52-2 | Tate Samuelson | 8-2 | December 4, 2022 | Penn State - Lehigh Dual |
| Win | 51-2 | Colin Fegley | TF 24-9 | November 11, 2022 | Penn State - Lock Haven Dual |
| Start of 2022-2023 Season (Senior year) ||||||
| End of 2021-2022 Season (Junior year) ||||||
| 2022 NCAA Championships at 184 lbs ||||||
| Win | 50–2 | Myles Amine | 5-3 | March 18–20, 2022 | 2022 NCAA Division I National Championships |
| Win | 49–2 | Trent Hidlay | 6–4(sv) | March 18–20, 2022 | 2022 NCAA Division I National Championships |
| Win | 48–2 | Kaleb Romero | 13-2 | March 18–20, 2022 | 2022 NCAA Division I National Championships |
| Win | 47–2 | Hunter Bolen | 9-1 | March 18–20, 2022 | 2022 NCAA Division I National Championships |
| Win | 46–2 | A.J. Burkhart | 21-7 | March 18–20, 2022 | 2022 NCAA Division I National Championships |
| 2022 Big Ten Conference at 184 lbs ||||||
| Loss | 45–2 | Myles Amine | 4-6 (sv) | March 5–6, 2022 | 2022 Big Ten Conference Championships |
| Win | 45–1 | Taylor Venz | 7-2 | March 5–6, 2022 | 2022 Big Ten Conference Championships |
| Win | 44–1 | Kyle Cochran | Fall | March 5–6, 2022 | 2022 Big Ten Conference Championships |
| Win | 43–1 | Taylor Venz | 23-8 | January 16, 2022 | Penn State - Nebraska Dual |
| Win | 42–1 | Rocky Jordan | Fall | February 4, 2022 | Penn State - Ohio State Dual |
| Win | 41–1 | Abe Assad | 8-3 | January 28, 2022 | Penn State - Iowa Dual |
| Win | 40–1 | Layne Malczewski | 4-0 | January 23, 2022 | Penn State - Michigan State Dual |
| Win | 39–1 | Myles Amine | 3-1 | January 21, 2022 | Penn State - Michigan Dual |
| Win | 38–1 | John Poznanski | 10-2 | January 16, 2022 | Penn State - Rutgers Dual |
| Win | 37–1 | D.J. Washington | 13-4 | January 9, 2022 | Penn State - Indiana Dual |
| Win | 36–1 | Kyle Cochran | 19-7 | January 7, 2022 | Penn State - Maryland Dual |
| Win | 35–1 | Josh Nummer | Fall | December 21, 2021 | Penn State - Arizona State Dual |
| Win | 34–1 | Jonathan Loew | 15-3 | December 20, 2021 | Penn State - Cornell Dual |
| Win | 33–1 | Parker Keckeisen | 3-2 | December 20, 2021 | Penn State - Northern Iowa Dual |
| Win | 32–1 | Brad Laughlin | 21-7 | November 18, 2021 | Penn State - Army Dual |
| Win | 31–1 | Jackson McKinney | Fall | November 13, 2021 | Penn State - Oregon State Dual |
| Win | 30–1 | Joe Accousti | 23-8 | November 13, 2021 | Penn State - Sacred Heart Dual |
| Start of 2021-2022 Season (Junior year) ||||||
| End of 2020-2021 Season (Sophomore year) ||||||
| 2021 NCAA Championships at 184 lbs ||||||
| Win | 29–1 | Trent Hidlay | 3–2 | March 18–20, 2021 | 2021 NCAA Division I National Championships |
| Win | 28–1 | Parker Keckeisen | 6–4 | March 18–20, 2021 | 2021 NCAA Division I National Championships |
| Win | 27–1 | Taylor Venz | 9–4 | March 18–20, 2021 | 2021 NCAA Division I National Championships |
| Win | 26–1 | Owen Webster | 5–0 | March 18–20, 2021 | 2021 NCAA Division I National Championships |
| Win | 25–1 | Jha'quan Anderson | TF 17–1 | March 18–20, 2021 | 2021 NCAA Division I National Championships |
| 2021 Big Ten Conference at 184 lbs ||||||
| Win | 24–1 | Taylor Venz | 10–5 | March 6–7, 2021 | 2021 Big Ten Conference Championships |
| Win | 23–1 | John Poznanski | MD 10–2 | March 6–7, 2021 | 2021 Big Ten Conference Championships |
| Win | 22–1 | Nelson Brands | 14–8 | March 6–7, 2021 | 2021 Big Ten Conference Championships |
| Win | 21–1 | Kyle Cochran | MD 18–5 | February 21, 2021 | Maryland - Penn State Dual |
| Win | 20–1 | Rocky Jordan | MD 13–4 | February 19, 2021 | Penn State - Ohio State Dual |
| Win | 19–1 | Jaden Bullock | 10–5 | February 14, 2021 | Penn State - Michigan Dual |
| Win | 18–1 | Chris Weiler | MD 12–3 | February 2, 2021 | Penn State - Northwestern Dual |
| Win | 17–1 | Jack Jessen | TF 21–6 | January 30, 2021 | Penn State - Northwestern Dual |
| Win | 16–1 | Drayton Harris | MD 18–5 | January 30, 2021 | American - Penn State Dual |
| Start of 2020-2021 Season (Sophomore year) ||||||
| End of 2019-2020 Season (Freshman year) ||||||
| 2020 NCAA's Cancelled (COVID-19) ||||||
| 2020 Big Ten Conference at 184 lbs ||||||
| Win | 15–1 | Cameron Caffey | 3–2 | March 7–8, 2020 | 2020 Big Ten Conference Championships |
| Win | 14–1 | Taylor Venz | Fall | March 7–8, 2020 | 2020 Big Ten Conference Championships |
| Win | 13–1 | Owen Webster | MD 15–4 | March 7–8, 2020 | 2020 Big Ten Conference Championships |
| Win | 12–1 | Tanner Harvey | 8–5 | February 23, 2020 | American - Penn State Dual |
| Win | 11–1 | Rocky Jordan | MD 15–4 | February 15, 2020 | Ohio State - Penn State Dual |
| Win | 10–1 | Owen Webster | MD 13–3 | February 9, 2020 | Penn State - Minnesota Dual |
| Win | 9–1 | Johnny Sebastian | 3–2 | February 7, 2020 | Penn State - Wisconsin Dual |
| Win | 8–1 | Abe Assad | 7–3 | January 31, 2020 | Penn State - Iowa Dual |
| Loss | 7–1 | Taylor Venz | 5–9 | January 24, 2020 | Penn State - Nebraska Dual |
| Win | 7–0 | Billy Janzer | Fall | January 19, 2020 | Rutgers - Penn State Dual |
| Win | 6–0 | Zach Braunagel | 9–4 | January 10, 2020 | Illinois - Penn State Dual |
| Win | 5–0 | Jesse Quatse | TF 19–4 | December 8, 2019 | Pennsylvania - Penn State Dual |
| Win | 4–0 | Chris Weiller | 10–5 | December 6, 2019 | Penn State - Lehigh Dual |
| 2019 Mat-Town Open I at 184 lbs ||||||
| Win | 3–0 | Kyle Myers | Fall | December 1, 2019 | 2019 Mat-Town Open I |
| Win | 2–0 | Jared McGill | 11–5 | December 1, 2019 | 2019 Mat-Town Open I |
| Win | 1–0 | Kyle Inlander | 7–4 | December 1, 2019 | 2019 Mat-Town Open I |
| Start of 2019-2020 Season (Freshman year) ||||||

### Stats

| Season | Year | School | Rank | Weigh Class | Record | Win | Bonus |
| 2024 | 5th Year Senior | Pennsylvania State University | #1 | 197 | 22-0 | 100.00% | 90.91% |
| 2023 | Senior | Pennsylvania State University | #3 | 184 | 17-1 | 94.4% | 66.66% |
| 2022 | Junior | Pennsylvania State University | #1 | 184 | 21-1 | 95.45% | 63.64% |
| 2021 | Sophomore | Pennsylvania State University | #1 | 184 | 14–0 | 100.00% | 50.00% |
| 2020 | Freshman | Pennsylvania State University | #3 (Cancelled COVID-19) | 184 | 15–1 | 93.75% | 43.75% |
| Career | Career | Career | Career | Career | 89-3 | 96.74% | 65.22% |