Steve Mocco ’01 Places Seventh in Beijing

Gary Abbott, TheMat.com - Steve Mocco (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) was defeated in his repechage match at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. and eliminated from medal contention at the China Agricultural University Gymnasium on Thursday evening. It was the final session of wrestling in the Beijing Olympics, and Mocco was the last U.S. wrestler competing in the event. Click here for the entire article from themat.com.

Freestyle wrestler Steve Mocco ’01 is getting set to show the world what he’s made of on August 21 when he represents the United States on the mat at the Olympics in Beijing, China; he is the only New Jerseyan to make the Olympic wrestling team. The Agriculture University Gymnasium is the site of the Olympic wrestling competitions, August 12 - 21.

The Newark Star-Ledger issued this report on June 16 concerning Steve’s win at his bid for the Olympic wrestling team: “The North Bergen [N.J.] native who won national prep wrestling championships at Blair Academy and St. Benedict’s Prep, earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic team. Mocco beat top-seeded Tommy Rowlands in a bruising best-of-three Olympic trial finals Sunday night in Las Vegas. Mocco had lost to Rowlands in the 264.5-pound final at the U.S. Nationals in April.”

Steve Mocco ’01 with wife Kathryn and son Michael

Steve was interviewed by USA Today’s Nicole Lukosias, who asked him, “What’s the thing you’re most looking forward to about Beijing?” Steve replied, “I’m really grateful and honored to represent our country, but I have the opportunity to wrestle with the best in the world – the elite caliber – and I’m really excited about getting there and competing…It’s an awesome opportunity to wrestle at the Olympics, but it’s a competition, and I’m going there to bring home the gold…”

Updated 8/22/08

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