Brent Metcalf has been a national champion. He has been a national runner-up. He has been an All-American ” twice. He has been a Big Ten champion ” twice. He has been the Outstanding Wrestler at the Big Ten championships ” twice. He has been the Outstanding Wrestler of the NCAA championships. He has been the Dan Hodge Trophy winner. He has a 69-match winning streak.<\/p>\n
Yet, he is not satisfied.<\/p>\n
Accolades such as that could make anybody’s head swell. But Metcalf is not the pompous type. While the 23-year-old exudes cool confidence, he has remained grounded. He doesn’t bask in the glory of his victories; instead, he chooses to find motivation in his few losses.<\/p>\n
The Hawkeye senior has been wrestling since he was 8. From the moment he first stepped onto the mat, he has been an opponent to be feared.<\/p>\n
He began in the novice division of youth wrestling, but that didn’t last long. In just one weekend, he advanced to the regular division, a transition that took other successful wrestlers months. After that, he won the youth state championships in his home state of Michigan as well as tournaments across the country.<\/p>\n
His first national victory came at age 11 at the USA Championships in Waterloo, and his parents, Tom and Lynn Metcalf, see that win as a turning point.<\/p>\n
“That was probably the first inkling we had that he could do this on a national stage,”\u009d Tom Metcalf said. “But I certainly never thought he was going to be an Olympic athlete.”\u009d<\/p>\n