Nick Suriano

Suriano was born and raised in the state of New Jersey, where he played football as a defensive back in his youth and was introduced to wrestling by his father at age seven. At age 12, he quit the sport of football to focus solely in wrestling.[6] Suriano then attended Bergen Catholic High School and became one of the most accomplished wrestlers in the history of his home state. He accumulated eight NJSIAA overall state titles, four individuals and four team championships, being the first NJ wrestler to do so. He also graduated undefeated with a record of 159 victories and no defeats.[7]

After his legendary run in high school, Suriano committed to the Pennsylvania State University to wrestle as a Nittany Lion for Cael Sanderson.[8]

As a freshman, Suriano compiled 16 victories and 3 defeats (two of the losses were by injury default) with notable wins over the season's NCAA champion and finalist Darian Cruz and Ethan Lizak, the season's B1G runner–up Tim Lambert and eventual NCAA DII National runner–up Jose Rodriguez. He was the third seed at the NCAAs, however, he suffered a broken ankle in a dual match against Nick Piccininni and was unable to compete at the Big Ten Conference championships and at the NCAA championships.[9]

After his injury, Suriano decided to transfer from PSU to Rutgers University for multiple reasons and started wrestling as a Scarlet Knight starting since his sophomore year.[10] He had a highly successful run in his first year in the new college, ending the season with 25 wins and a lone loss and compiling notable victories during regular season over eventual three–time All-American Sebastian Rivera (twice) and eventual two–timers Ronnie Bresser and Zeke Moisey. At the Big Ten Championships, he won his first bout, however, he was forced to medical forfeit his next matches and was eliminated of the tournament.[11] Entering the NCAAs undefeated, he made his way to the finals by defeating four opponents, including the defending champion Darian Cruz and other two seeded wrestlers. At the finals, he faced the heavily accomplished Hawkeye Spencer Lee, whom he ended up losing to, becoming the runner–up of the tournament.[12]

In his junior season, he moved up a weight class (from 125 to 133 pounds).[13] He ended the year with a 26–3 record and notable victories in regular-season over defending MAC champion John Erneste (eventual two–time MAC champion and All-American) and eventual ACC champion Micky Phillippi. At the Big Ten Conference Championships, he defeated four opponents including future two–time All–Americans Luke Pletcher and Austin DeSanto and future three-timer Ethan Lizak without suffering a loss to become the titleholder at his division. At the NCAA Championships, he made his way to the finals doing three opponents including the heavily accomplished Stevan Mićić and once again Ethan Lizak. In the finals, he faced the also heavily decorated Daton Fix, whom he outscored 4 points to 2 in the second sudden victory period of the bout to become the champion at 133–pounds, the first in the history of Rutgers (his teammate Anthony Ashnault would become the second later in the tournament).[14]

Since winning the 2019 NCAA championship, Suriano did not compete in folkstyle wrestling for two years, despite having a year of eligibility left, having taken an Olympic redshirt for 2019–2020 and deciding not to compete in 2020–2021, focusing on his freestyle career instead.[15] On July 21, 2021, it was announced that Suriano had officially finished his career at Rutgers University and entered the transfer portal.[16]

On November 28, 2021, Suriano announced that he will represent the Michigan Wolverines during his last year of collegiate wrestling.[5]

In his first freestyle match since arriving to Rutgers University, he faced '19 Pan American Champion and '18 World Championship medalist Joe Colon at the annual event Beat The Streets, on May 6.[21] He downed Colon three points to one in a big upset.[22]

At the prestigious Bill Farrell Memorial, Suriano dropped down to 57 kilograms and went on to defeat former DI All-American and two-time Big 12 Champion from Oklahoma State Eddie Klimara and Dragos Robertson from Canada in the first two matches, via technical fall, before losing to '18 NCAA champion from Wisconsin Seth Gross.[23][24] In the consolation bracket, he defeated former four-time DI All-American and '12 graduate from Minnesota Zach Sanders, '16 US University National champion and two-time DI All-American Zane Richards (technical fall), and two-time US Open National runner-up and '16 NCAA champion Nahshon Garrett, to place third.[25]

Suriano then competed at the US Nationals on December 21–22, where he defeated former DI athlete Shelton Mack and '13 US University National All-American Britain Longmire in the first two matches, before losing in a razor-close match against '19 Junior World Championship runner-up and '19 DI All-American from Cornell Vito Arujau.[26][27][28] In the consolation bracket, he once again defeated Zane Richards and added '17 NCAA champion Darian Cruz to the list by technical fall, before forfeiting in the third-place match against Arujau, to place fourth and qualify for the '20 US Olympic Team Trials.[29][30]

Suriano was scheduled to wrestle at the 2020 US Olympic Team Trials Challenge Tournament on April 4–5 at State College, Pennsylvania.[31] However, the event was postponed along with the 2020 Summer Olympics due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[32] Both competitions are now scheduled to take place in 2021.[33][34]

After more than a year of inactiveness in any ruleset and social spectrum,[35] Suriano competed at the Henri Deglane Grand Prix of France on January 16, in his first international tournament overseas.[36] In the quarterfinals, he dominantly shut down '19 European Games and '15 Junior World Champion from Azerbaijan Mahir Amiraslanov, with seven unanswered points.[2] Next, he took out '13 Junior World Championship bronze medalist from Georgia Beja Bujiashvili, four points to one to make the finals, where he outmatched Islam Bazarganov from Azerbaijan, who beat '17 World Championship runner-up from the United States Thomas Gilman in the semifinals, seven points to one, to claim the championship.[37]

Suriano then wrestled at the prestigious Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series on March 7.[38] In the first round, he was edged by '18 World Championship runner-up Nurislam Sanayev, as Sanayev received two points off Suriano grabbing fingers and a point off passiveness, against a two-point takedown from Suriano. In his next three matches, he got an injury default from Daulet Temirzhanov and decisions from three–time Junior World Champion Ahmet Peker and '19 Yasar Dogu International champion Givi Davidovi. In the gold-medal match, he got a rematch against Sanayev, whom he once again lost to, claiming the silver medal.[39][40]

Suriano was then slated to compete at the rescheduled US Olympic Team Trials in April 2–3 as the fifth seed, in an attempt to represent the United States at the 2020 Summer Olympics.[41][42] However, it was officially announced in the day of the event, that Suriano had been forced to withdraw from the event due to a COVID-19 positive test.[43] Suriano was considered by many as one of the favorites to claim the Olympic spot despite his seed.[44]

He was then registered to come back to competition on June 8, at the prestigious Poland Open.[45] However, it was announced hours before his scheduled appearance that Suriano had withdrawn from the event for unknown reasons.[46]

Instead, he registered to come back at the 2021 US World Team Trials from September 11 to 12, intending to represent the country at the World Championships at 61 kilograms.[47] After making the quarterfinals, Suriano was upset by 2015 NCAA champion Nathan Tomasello on points, dropping his chances of a World Team spot.[48] He beat 2021 Pan American Champion Shelton Mack in the consolation bracket, but chose to forfeit his next match the next day.[49]