Greg Kerkvliet
Headercolorlightsteelblue
FullnameDaniel Gregory Clifton Kerkvliet Jr.
Birth dateFebruary 2001 (age 25–26)
Birth placeInver Grove Heights, Minnesota, U.S.
CountryUnited States
SportWrestling
Weight class125 kg (276 lb)
EventFreestyle and Folkstyle
CollegeteamNittany Lions
ClubLehigh Valley Wrestling RTC
Nittany Lion Wrestling Club (formerly)
MedaltemplatesPenn State Nittany Lions
Show-medalsyes

Daniel Gregory Clifton Kerkvliet Jr. is an American freestyle and folkstyle wrestler who competes internationally at 125 kilograms and collegiately at 285 pounds. In folkstyle, Kerkvliet wrestles for the Penn State Nittany Lions and was the 2024 NCAA champion at 285 pounds. In freestyle, Kerkvliet is a Cadet World Champion at 100 kg.

Wrestling career

High School

Kerkvliet grew up in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota and wrestled for Simley High School. In high school, he was a four-time Minnesota state champion and finished with a 218-36 record.[1][2] Kerkvliet began wrestling in his youth, after his older sister brought home a flyer from her elementary school.[3]

In September 2017, Kerkvliet won the 2017 Cadet World Championships at 100 kg with a victory over Russia's Ismail-Bek Nirov.[4]

In his junior year of high school, Kerkvliet finished 51-1, with his only loss being a 3-2 decision to future Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson. Kerkvliet initially intended to spend his senior season at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, but changed his mind to return to Simley High for his senior season.[5] In July 2018, Kerkvliet fell to Amir Zare of Iran to take home silver at the 2018 Cadet World Championships.[6]

In September 2018, Kerkvliet suffered an ACL tear, forcing him to withdraw from the Junior World Championships and delaying his senior season.[7] Despite the late start, Kerkvliet went undefeated in the high school season, winning a state title and being named Mr. Minnesota High School Wrestler of the Year.[8] He was named the Junior Schalles Award winner by WIN Magazine as the nation's top high school pinner after recording a fall in 21 out of 22 contested matches.[9]

Kerkvliet was considered the number one recruit in the Class of 2019 by FloWrestling.[10] He committed to Minnesota in October 2016, but decommitted and pledged to Oklahoma State in November 2017.[11] In July 2018, Kerkvliet, reopened his commitment once again, ultimately choosing Ohio State.[12][13]

Ohio State

2019–2020

Kerkvliet enrolled at Ohio State ahead of the 2019-2020 season. Prior to the season, he said that he did not intend to redshirt his freshman year.[14] In October 2019, Kerkvliet wrestled for the U23 United States World Team in Budapest, placing fifth.[15] On November 1, 2019, Kerkvliet entered the transfer portal, without ever wrestling a match for Ohio State.[16]

Penn State

Kerkvliet committed to Penn State on December 5, 2019, joining a Nittany Lion Wrestling Club heavyweight room that already included Olympic gold medalist Kyle Snyder and reigning NCAA champion Anthony Cassar.[17][18] Kerkvliet took a redshirt season in 2019-2020, compiling an 8-0 record in two open tournaments.[19]

2020–2021

Kerkvliet entered the COVID-19 shortened 2020-2021 season with an injury that was expected to hold him out for the season.[20] On February 22, 2021, he made a surprise debut in the final dual meet of the season versus Maryland, pinning his opponent in the first period.[21] Kerkvliet would go on to finish fourth in the 2021 Big Ten Tournament, with losses to Michigan's Mason Parris and Iowa's Anthony Cassioppi. He placed seventh and earned All-American status at the NCAA Tournament.[1]

2021–2022

Now fully healthy, Kerkvliet was the Nittany Lions starting heavyweight in 2021-2022. He finished the regular season 14-1, with a victory over Parris and a loss to Cassioppi at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.[19] Kerkvliet was named the three seed at the Big Ten Tournament, and defeated Parris in the third-place match following another loss to Cassioppi in the semifinals.[22] At the NCAA Tournament, Kerkvliet claimed his second All-American finish with a fourth place showing. He was defeated by fellow Minnesotan Gable Steveson in the semifinal before clinching a top-four finish with his third victory over Parris in the consolation semifinals.[1]

2022–2023

Kerkvliet returned to an open heavyweight field in 2022-2023 following the retirement of Gable Steveson.[23] He finished the dual meet season 13-1, with a home victory over Anthony Cassioppi and a home loss to Mason Parris.[19] At the Big Ten Tournament, Kerkvliet, a two seed, won a match versus Ohio State's Tate Orndorff and a rematch with Cassioppi before falling to Parris for the second time in 2023 to finish as the Big Ten runner-up.[24] After defeating two seed Wyatt Hendrickson of Air Force in the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament, Kerkvliet lost to Parris for a third time in 2023, resulting in a second place medal and third All-American finish.[25]

2023–2024

Kerkvliet entered the 2023-2024 season as FloWrestling's top ranked NCAA heavyweight wrestler.[26] On November 21, 2023, he defeated number two ranked Hendrickson by technical fall at the NWCA All-Star Classic.[27] He went 12-0 in regular season matches and clinched his first Big Ten title with a 9-3 victory over Nick Feldman of Ohio State at the Big Ten Tournament.[28] At the NCAA Tournament, Kerkvliet survived a tight 1-0 rematch with Feldman in the quarterfinals, defeated Cohlton Schultz of Arizona State in the semifinals, and defeated Michigan's Lucas Davison by major decision in the final to earn his first NCAA title.[29]

Freestyle record

! colspan="7"| Senior Freestyle Matches |- ! Res. ! Record ! Opponent ! Score ! Date ! Event ! Location |- ! style=background:white colspan=7 |2026 US Open 4th at 125 kg |- |Loss | |align=left| Anthony Cassioppi |style="font-size:88%"|FF |style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4|April 24–25, 2026 |style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4|2026 US Open National Championships |style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=4| Las Vegas, Nevada |- |Loss |14–6 |align=left| Wyatt Hendrickson |style="font-size:88%"|TF 1–11 |- |Win |14–5 |align=left| Jordan Wood |style="font-size:88%"|7–0 |- |Win |13–5 |align=left| Ryan Pearl |style="font-size:88%"|TF 10–0 |- ! style=background:white colspan=7 |2026 Yaşar Doğu Tournament at 125 kg |- |Loss | |align=left| Jordan Wood |style="font-size:88%"|FF |style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4|January 10, 2026 |style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4|2026 Yaşar Doğu Tournament |style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=4| Antalya, Turkey |- |Loss |12-5 |align=left| Hakan Büyükçıngıl |style="font-size:88%"|TF 12-0 |- |Win |11-5 |align=left| İbrahim Çiftçi |style="font-size:88%"|TF 10-0 |- |Win |10-5 |align=left| I. Yagan |style="font-size:88%"|Fall |- ! style=background:white colspan=7 |2024 US Olympic Team Trials 4th at 125 kg |- |Loss |9-5 |align=left| Dom Bradley |style="font-size:88%"|2-2 |style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4|April 19, 2024 |style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4|2024 US Olympic Team Trials |style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=4| State College, Pennsylvania |- |Win |9-4 |align=left| Wyatt Hendrickson |style="font-size:88%"|TF 11-0 |- |Loss |8-4 |align=left| Nick Gwiazdowski |style="font-size:88%"|1-5 |- |Win |8-3 |align=left| Christian Lance |style="font-size:88%"|TF 10-0

|- ! style=background:white colspan=7 |2020 US Olympic Team Trials DNP at 125 kg |- |Loss |7-3 |align=left| Anthony Nelson |style="font-size:88%"|1-3 |style="font-size:88%" rowspan=3|April 2, 2021 |style="font-size:88%" rowspan=3|2020 US Olympic Team Trials |style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=3| Fort Worth, Texas |- |Loss |7-2 |align=left| Gable Steveson |style="font-size:88%"|TF 0-11 |- |Win |7-1 |align=left| Mason Parris |style="font-size:88%"|4-4

|- |Win |6-1 |align=left| Demetrius Thomas |style="font-size:88%"|TF 10-0 |style="font-size:88%"|October 20, 2020 |style="font-size:88%"|2020 NLWC II – 125 kg |style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;"| State College, Pennsylvania

|- |Win |5-1 |align=left| Youssif Hemida |style="font-size:88%"|TF 10-0 |style="font-size:88%"|September 19, 2020 |style="font-size:88%"|2020 NLWC I – 125 kg |style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;"| State College, Pennsylvania

|- ! style=background:white colspan=7 |2019 US Senior Nationals at 125 kg |- |Win |4-1 |align=left| Nick Nevills |style="font-size:88%"|3-0 |style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5|December 20, 2019 |style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5|2019 US Senior Nationals |style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=5| Fort Worth, Texas |- |Win |3-1 |align=left| Garrett Ryan |style="font-size:88%"|TF 10-0 |- |Loss |2-1 |align=left| Anthony Nelson |style="font-size:88%"|2-3 |- |Win |2-0 |align=left| Nick Nevills |style="font-size:88%"|Fall |- |Win |1-0 |align=left| Mauro Correnti |style="font-size:88%"|TF 10-0

Submission grappling career

Kerkvliet was invited to compete in the over 80 kg division of the Craig Jones Invitational on August 17–18, 2024.[30][31] He lost to Fellipe Andrew by decision in the opening round.[32]

Personal life

Kerkvliet has expressed interest in other combat sports, and has spent offseasons training in MMA, boxing, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Upon leaving Penn State, Kerkvliet hopes to become a professional MMA fighter.[3] On January 26, 2023, Kerkvliet was announced as a member of WWE's Next in Line NIL program.[33] His father, Greg, also wrestled at Simley High School.[34] Kerkvliet is a Christian.[35]

References

  1. ^ "Greg Kerkvliet - Wrestling". Penn State Athletics. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  2. ^ "High School Career Records – Wrestlers by Record". The Guillotine. 2013-05-29. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  3. ^ "#PSUwr Feature: Greg Kerkvliet- Wrestling and Beyond". Penn State Athletics. 2023-10-23. Retrieved 2024-04-18.
  4. ^ Nomad, Wrestling (2017-09-10). "Three USA Gold Medals On Last Day Of Cadet Worlds". FloWrestling. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  5. ^ Kissling, Ben (2018-09-11). "Kerkvliet Commits to Ohio State". Simley Wrestling. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  6. ^ "See the results for the UWW Cadet World Championships wrestling event on FloWrestling.org". www.flowrestling.org. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  7. ^ Nelson, James. "Cadet World champ Greg Kerkvliet nearing return from ACL tear". Trackwrestling. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  8. ^ "Simley's Greg Kerkvliet Chosen as 2019 Mr. Minnesota High School Wrestler". The Guillotine. 2019-03-16. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  9. ^ Finn, Mike (2019-05-23). "Junior Schalles Award winner Kerkvliet made season even shorter with quick pins". WIN Magazine. Retrieved 2024-04-18.
  10. ^ "Seniors". www.flowrestling.org. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  11. ^ Pyles, Christian (2017-11-05). "Daniel Kerkvliet Decommits From Minnesota, Then Commits To Oklahoma State". FloWrestling. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  12. ^ "Daniel Kerkvliet commits to Ohio State wrestling". North Jersey Media Group. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  13. ^ Nomad, Wrestling (2018-07-25). "#1 Kerkvliet Re-Opens Commitment, Releases School List". FloWrestling. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  14. ^ Spey, Andrew (2019-09-25). "Kerkvliet Does NOT Plan On Redshirting". FloWrestling. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  15. ^ "Kerkvliet places fifth, Berge goes 0-2 at U23 World Championships". The Guillotine. 2019-10-30. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  16. ^ "Former No. 1 Recruit Greg Kerkvliet Will Transfer from Ohio State". Eleven Warriors. 2019-11-01. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  17. ^ Colucci, Anthony (2019-12-06). "Former Top Recruit Greg Kerkvliet to Transfer to Penn State Wrestling". StateCollege.com. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  18. ^ Colucci, Anthony (2019-10-10). "Ohio State Legend, Olympic Gold Medalist Kyle Snyder To Join Nittany Lion Wrestling Club". Onward State. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  19. ^ "WrestleStat | Greg Kerkvliet (Penn State) Profile". www.wrestlestat.com. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  20. ^ "Wrestling news and notes: Kerkvliet expected to miss the 2021 season". WTAJ - www.wtaj.com. 2021-02-10. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  21. ^ "Penn State Wrestling's Greg Kerkvliet makes dominant debut (VIDEO)". Victory Bell Rings. 2021-02-22. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  22. ^ "www.trackwrestling.com/predefinedtournaments/MainFrame.jsp?newSession=false&TIM=1713384729331&pageName=/predefinedtournaments/BracketViewer.jsp&twSessionId=isxibnjwbn". www.trackwrestling.com. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  23. ^ Martin, Damon (2022-03-19). "Gable Steveson retires from wrestling after winning second NCAA title as he moves onto WWE". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  24. ^ "Mason Parris wins 285lb Big Ten Wrestling Championship | mgoblog". mgoblog.com. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  25. ^ "Parris Caps Perfect Season, Wins Heavyweight National Title". University of Michigan Athletics. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  26. ^ "285". www.flowrestling.org. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  27. ^ Wogenrich, Mark (2023-11-22). "Penn State Wrestling Goes 4-1 at NWCA All-Star Classic". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  28. ^ Wogenrich, Mark (2024-03-10). "Penn State Wrestling Rolls to Another Big Ten Championship". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  29. ^ Pickel, Greg (2024-03-23). "Penn State heavyweight Greg Kerkvliet wins first NCAA title". On3. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  30. ^ "Full Updated Competitor List For The Craig Jones Invitational". Jitsmagazine. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  31. ^ Blackett, Todd (July 12, 2024). "Daniel Greg Kerkvliet Becomes Final Man At Over 80kg For Craig Jones Invitational". Jitsmagazine. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  32. ^ "Craig Jones Invitational 2024 Live Results, Play-by-play, Analysis, Highlights, More". Jitsmagazine. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  33. ^ Zucker, Joseph. "WWE Announces 3rd NIL Class Including Penn State All-American Wrestler Greg Kerkvliet". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2024-04-18.
  34. ^ "Post-surgery, Simley heavyweight Greg Kerkvliet ready to return to the mat — and dominate". Twin Cities. 2019-01-16. Retrieved 2024-04-18.
  35. ^ "A night to make history? Greg Kerkvliet begins Penn State wrestling's NCAA title drive". York Daily Record. Retrieved 2024-04-18.