Tommy Rowlands (2 time NCAA wrestling champion)

[HineyBuck]

Olympic trials were this weekend.

Tommy Rowlands, our 4X All-American and 2X National Champ, made it to the finals of the mini-tournament, where he lost as close as you can lose, 2-2 on criteria, to Tim Hartung. Had he won the mini-tournament it would have given him the right to challenge current Olympian Daniel Cormier. That would have been a tough assignment--Cormier blasted Hartung twice, first by fall and then 7-0.

While we are all disappointed Tommy didn't make it, we should realize just what a strong showing he made. He's still very young for world class freestyle competition. He will eventually be an Olympian.

An interesting side story from Buckeye4U over on Bucknuts: Melvin Douglas is a former world champ in Tommy's weight class (he's still wrestling competitively at age 40, lost in the semi-finals). Melvin's daughter and Tommy's sister are teamates on tOSU's Softball Team.

 

[Buckskin86]

Tommy Rowlands (official thread)

Tommy Rowlands

Position:
Assistant Coach

Experience:
1st season

College:
Ohio State, 2005


http://ohiostatebuckeyes.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/rowlands_tommy00.html

Tommy Rowlands
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In the 2006 - 2007 season Tommy Rowlands began his first season as a full-time assistant coach for Ohio State after one season as the director of program operations and one as the volunteer assistant coach. The 2002 and 2004 NCAA heavyweight champion, Rowlands offers expertise that allowed him to conclude his career as the most decorated wrestler in OSU history. He is just the second Buckeye to win two national titles and the first to earn All-America honors four times.

Rowlands, a Columbus, Ohio native grew up less then 15 miles from the OSU campus. His wrestling career began when his father introduced him to Louisiana State University All American Wrestler Jim Edwards at a church function. Jim agreed to help Tommy learn the sport and the very next day Edwards would answer his door after work to find Tommy there ready to learn.

Rowlands entered high school at Bishop Ready high school in Columbus and there he would become teammates with long time friend Ross Thatcher. Thatcher and Tommy both won two state titles and went on to become collegiate All Americans.

Following graduation Rowland's chose to attend The Ohio State University where he became a two time national champion and the first four time All American for the Buckeyes. In the OSU singlet Tommy became a leader for the team and under coach Russ Helickson he was able to help lead the team to the National Duals finals and to a third place finish at the NCAA tournament.

After graduating from OSU Rowlands remain part of the program as an assistant coach while also training for international competition as a member of the Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Rowlands

Rowlands received a tryout with the Jets

Addressing reporters before practice Saturday while wearing an Ohio State wrestling T-shirt and a bemused expression, Rowlands said he was floored by the Jets? interest in him. ?I didn?t believe it,? he said. ?I?m training for the Olympics right now. My mind was on completely different things.?

Jets Coach Eric Mangini has a soft spot for these rock-hard wrestlers, and not only because he dabbled in the sport in high school. He watched Steve Neal, a world-class wrestler, become a productive guard for the New England Patriots. Mangini also was among the first to encourage Ben Graham, the Jets? punter, to make the switch from Australian Rules Football to the N.F.L.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/13/sports/football/13jets.html

 

[osugrad21]

DDN

College Wrestlers Attend Jets' Minicamp

By DENNIS WASZAK Jr.
AP Sports Writer
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. ? Cole Konrad looked down at the football gear spread out in front of his locker, shook his head and smiled.
"There's tons of stuff here," Konrad said with a laugh Sunday in the New York Jets' locker room.
Konrad, a two-time NCAA wrestling champion at Minnesota, is used to wearing very little while competing in his natural sport. As one of 51 players participating in the Jets' rookie minicamp, Konrad is in new surroundings, with a multipiece football uniform and helmet replacing his usual wrestling singlet and head gear.
"Football's foreign to me, just like a lot of these guys would feel if they tried wrestling," said Konrad, wearing a gray Minnesota Wrestling T-shirt. "I'm just learning every day as I'm coming in here. Everything's new to me."
He's not alone. Tommy Rowlands, also a two-time NCAA wrestling champ from Ohio State, is in camp with the Jets on a tryout. The two wrestlers are roommates during the three-day camp ? and opponents on the mat.

Cont...

"I'm planning on winning the Beijing Olympics and then retiring from the sport of wrestling," said Rowlands, currently an assistant wrestling coach for the Buckeyes. "At that point, you never know, but if I achieve that goal, I know I'll be able to walk away from the sport knowing I've reached the pinnacle. If I'm able to do that, I'll be real happy."

 

[Buckskin86]

Rowlands sets sights on 2008 Olympics
Four-time All-American is OSU assistant coach
Saturday, June 9, 2007 3:27 AM
By Todd Jones
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Rowlands, who turned 26 on June 3, is the No. 1-ranked heavyweight freestyle wrestler in America after winning the U.S. national championship in April for the first time at the 264.5-pound weight limit

The Columbus Dispatch : Rowlands sets sights on 2008 Olympics

 

[HineyBuck]

Joe Heskett, Tommy Rowlands Qualify for U.S. Senior World Team :: Heskett, Rowlands will compete in Pan American Games, World Championships

Major Congratulations to Tommy Rowlands and Joe Heskett!!

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio State wrestling assistant coaches Joe Heskett and Tommy Rowlands continued their U.S. Olympic Team bids by earning spots on the U.S. Senior World Team roster after winning their respective weight classes at the 2007 U.S. Senior World Team Trials Saturday and Sunday at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas. Heskett defeated Casey Cunningham, 2-1, in the best of three series at 74 kg/163 pounds and Rowlands outlasted Steve Mocco, 2-0, at 120 kg/264.5 pounds.​

:osu:

 

[SparkyOSU]

Olympic trials started today in Vegas at the Thomas n Mack Center. Hopefully my phone lasts long enough to update BP tonight.

 

[GallowBuck]

UFC Trainer - Frank Mir

I don't know if we have many UFC fans, but last night on the UFC 81 Countdown, they showed Tommy preparing Frank Mir for his bout with Brock Lesnar. He looked phenomenal. Frank stated that he was working out with the "future olympic champion" to prepare. If anyone has a chance to watch any of the replays on Spike, its pretty interesting.

 

[GrizzlyBuck]

I don't know if we have many UFC fans, but last night on the UFC 81 Countdown, they showed Tommy preparing Frank Mir for his bout with Brock Lesnar. He looked phenomenal. Frank stated that he was working out with the "future olympic champion" to prepare. If anyone has a chance to watch any of the replays on Spike, its pretty interesting.

Thanks for the info, I followed Rowlands career as a Buck and enjoyed how he wrestled like a lighter weight guy. I'll keep my eye out for the replay.

 

[WoodyWorshiper]

As most know, I love Ohio Wrestling and especially the Big-Boys. Tommy Rowlands achieved GOD status in Ohio a long time ago. Let's put him in the National Treasure category by winning the gold in the olympics this year.

 

[Buckskin86]

OSU Assistant Coach Tommy Rowlands Wins Weekend Gold:

Ohio State assistant coach Tommy Rowlands won a gold medal at the 2008 Pan American Championships last weekend. The competition was held at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Rowlands wrestled at 120kg/264.5 pounds and posted a 3-0 record in the tournament.

After pinning a world champion Alexis Rodriguez (Cuba) in the first round, Rowlands held the opposition scoreless the rest of the day winning 3-0 and 2-0 against Arjan Bhullar (Canada) in the semifinals and 2-0 and 4-0 over Antoine Jaoude (Brazil) in the finals to take the gold.

"That was a real big win for me. He's a seven-time World medalist. This doesn't put me on the Olympic Team, nor does it win me a gold medal. It's definitely a nice steppingstone for me and one that I am proud of," said Tommy Rowlands after the match.

"That was a huge, huge win for Tommy against one of the best wrestlers in the World," said U.S. coach Kevin Jackson. "Tommy had lost three straight matches to (Rodriguez) and hadn't even won a period against him. Tommy wrestled a perfect match technically and tactically. He went and scored with the match on the line. Tommy has taken the next step and moved to the next level. He knows he's good enough to be an Olympic gold medalist."

Tommy Rowlands won the 2007 U.S. National Championships and has been a US World Team member for the last year. He will be one of the favorites to repeat this year and stands a very good chance of representing the United States at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Rowlands has been on the OSU staff since graduation and currently is an assistant coach under Tom Ryan and the Director of Recruiting. As a competitor at Ohio State, he remains the only four time All American in program history and was a two time NCAA champion.

http://www.the-ozone.net/wrestling/2007-2008/080303wrap.htm

 

[osugrad21]

Dispatch

Going the distance
Former Buckeyes wrestler Rowlands is doing the time in pursuit of Olympic gold
Wednesday, April 23, 2008 3:28 AM
By Jim Massie


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

JEFF HINCKLEY | DISPATCH
Tommy Rowlands, right, takes down training partner Sean Salmon in the wrestling room at Ohio State in preparation for the U.S. Senior Nationals.

JEFF HINCKLEY | DISPATCH
Tommy Rowlands is spotted by training partner Sean Salmon as he carries 60-pound weights while running on a treadmill.





The distance between Columbus and Beijing, and this is as a crow with an eye out for shiny objects might zigzag, is around 6,800 miles.
Tommy Rowlands has China and gold on his mind, but no time for detours if he hopes to reach his dream of making the Olympic freestyle wrestling team for the United States. The next step on a trek that began in earnest six years ago occurs Saturday in Las Vegas at the U.S. Senior National Championships.
A four-time All-American and a two-time NCAA champion at Ohio State, Rowlands, 26, enters the tournament as the defending national heavyweight champion and the No. 1 seed. He finished fifth in the 2007 world championships in Azerbaijan.



Cont...

 

[osugrad21]

Dispatch
Wrestling: One more win and Rowlands is an Olympian
National title gives him bye into final at Olympic trials in June
Friday, May 2, 2008 3:04 AM
By Jim Massie

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Tommy Rowlands returned home from Las Vegas this week with a second consecutive U.S. national freestyle heavyweight wrestling championship in tow. The 2002 and 2004 NCAA champion at Ohio State also sported a black eye and a strawberry mouse in the middle of his forehead to remind him how much remains at stake in June when he goes back to Las Vegas for the Olympic trials.
"I felt pretty confident and dominant throughout, but the finals match was way too close for comfort," Rowlands said. "But all that really matters is winning at this level. I took a positive from it that I can sit out the mini-tournament, but my performance could have been better."
Rowlands, 26, must win the best-of-three final match at the trials on June 15 to secure a berth on the U.S. Olympic team for the Games in Beijing in August.
Cont...

 

[WoodyWorshiper]

What a great accomplishment for the "big Kid." Tommy is certainly the "face" of TOSU wrestling. An Olympic Gold would, in my opinion, add Tommy to the "Jesse, Jack, and Archie" conversation.

Peace.

 

[Buckskin86]

Tommy Rowlands: 8 Minutes Away
Courtesy: OhioStateBuckeyes.com
Release: 06/03/2008

Ongoing series will chronicle U.S. heavyweight champion?s quest for attaining Olympic dream

Tommy Rowlands, a former two-time NCAA champion wrestler for Ohio State and current Buckeye volunteer assistant coach, captured the U.S. national freestyle heavyweight championship for the second year in a row last month in Las Vegas.

That title grants Rowlands, NCAA champion in 2002 and ?04, a bye into the 2008 Olympic Trials heavyweight finals, which is an 8-minute, best-of-three rounds match that will determine who will represent the U.S. at the Games in Beijing.

Rowlands currently is training for the trials finals, held June 16 back in Las Vegas. He will spend several weeks in Columbus, working with various sparring partners at the Steelwood Athletic Training Facility near the Ohio State campus.

In this series, OhioStateBuckeyes.com will follow Rowlands during his intense, two-a-day training sessions leading up to the trials.

June 3, 2008 - "I've got more yards than Archie Griffin"

With 102,329 seats, Ohio Stadium can be an intimidating place. For Tommy Rowlands, it is the combination of smaller numbers - 27 sections, 594 rows and more than 2,300 steps - that proves most ominous. Twice a week, the top U.S. heavyweight wrestler traverses the bleachers in "The Shoe" to condition for the June 16 U.S. Olympic Trials final.

Rowlands, who has been running the Ohio Stadium steps since he was 18, claimed off camera "I have more yards than Archie Griffin."

On alternate days, Rowlands hits the weights inside Steelwood Training Facility, repping out sets for much needed strength and explosion.

In Part 4 of "8 Minutes Away" OhioStateBuckeyes.com followed Tommy through his rigorous fitness sessions both at the stadium and at Steelwood. Watch the video in Part 4 above.

Tommy Rowlands: 8 Minutes Away - The Ohio State Buckeyes Official Athletics Site - OhioStateBuckeyes.com

 

[Buckskin86]

Tommy Rowlands and the Olympic Dream
Buckeye Coach is Eight Minutes Away From Beijing
By Kevin Schlosser

(Las Vegas, NV) Tommy Rowlands is one of the most accomplished wrestlers in Ohio State wrestling history. The first four-time All-American at OSU and a two-time national champion, Rowlands has been on the coaching staff since graduating in 2004. Long before he became a Buckeye, Rowlands dreamed about wrestling in the Olympics.

This weekend at the 2008 Olympic Trials, Tommy Rowlands will be closer to achieving his Olympic dream than he ever has before. By winning his second consecutive US Senior National championship in April, he earned an automatic trip to the finals of the Olympic Trials. Rowlands doesn?t know who his opponent will be, but he does know that he only has to win two matches in a best of three series to make his first Olympic team.

?This great opportunity for me. It has taken a lot of hard work and I have had a lot of help to get this far. The Trials are one more step on the road to the Olympics,? said Rowlands.

The-Ozone, Ohio State Football, Wrestling, Softball, Basketball, Hockey, Baseball and More

Q & A with Tommy Rowlands
By Kevin Schlosser

K. S.: What wrestlers did you follow or who did you look up to growing up?

T. R.: ?I have looked up to a lot of people over the years; so many I can?t count. By the time I was in sixth or seventh grade I was a complete wrestling nut. From people like Ross Thatcher who wrestled at my high school to guys like Kurt Angle, Tom Brands, and Bruce Baumgartner who won the Olympics in 1996; I have had a lot of idols and a lot of people that I look up to.?

K. S.: When did wrestling in the Olympics become one of your dreams?

T. R.: ?It became a dream for me when I was fifteen-years old watching the 1996 Olympics. It was something I thought was awesome. Even at that young age I appreciated it; I was enamored by the platform or the stage that the Olympics are on. I always thought that it was cooler than the Super Bowl, the World Series, or any big event like that because it was so pure.?

The-Ozone, Ohio State Football, Wrestling, Softball, Basketball, Hockey, Baseball and More