Alec Pantaleo

Born and raised in Michigan, Pantaleo attended Canton High School. While a high schooler, he became a MHSAA state champion as a sophomore and, after losing his junior season to injury, claimed runner-up honors at the state tournament as a senior, graduating with an 177–9 record and a 51–1 record in his last year.[5][6]

After his high school career, Pantaleo was recruited by the University of Michigan.[7]

In his freshman year, Pantaleo made his collegiate debut at the Michigan State Open, claiming the title.[8] An unseeded wrestler, he then went on to place second at the prestigious Cliff Keen Memorial Invitational and racked up an 8–4 dual record during regular season.[9] At the Big Ten Conference Championships, he reached the consolation semifinals before being eliminated.[10] At the NCAA tournament, he went 2–2.[11]

As a sophomore, Alec achieved All-American honors by placing sixth at the NCAA Division I national championships at 149 lbs. He pinned Drexel's fourth-seeded Matthew Cimato in 3:48 in the quarterfinal to secure his first All-American honor.

A few weeks prior, Alec took third at the B1G conference championship with a 4–1 record, avenging an earlier season loss to former NCAA national champion Jason Tsirtsis with a 8–4 decision in the third-place bout. He also earned third place at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (Dec 4–5) with a 7–1 record.[12]

Alec redshirted and did not compete in collegiate wrestling.[12]

As a junior, Alec achieved All-American honors by placing fifth at the NCAA tournament at 157 lbs. He captured the B1G conference championship with a 3–0 record. At the conference championship, he defeated Ohio State's Micah Jordan with a 3–1 score in the final bout.

Earlier in the season, he went 5–0 to capture the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational title, including a 10–3 win over Micah Jordan in the final and a 9–3 semi-final win over Nebraska's fourth-ranked Tyler Berger.[12]

As a fifth-year senior, Alec once again secured All-American honors by placing third at the NCAA championships. He carried a 6–1 record at his final collegiate competition, avenging his only loss of the tournament to North Carolina State's Hayden Hidlay. Pantaleo lost to Hidlay in the quarterfinals in overtime, but beat him in the third-place bout with a 5-3 decision.

Alec took third at the Big Ten conference championship with a notable 10–4 win over Northwestern's third-ranked Ryan Deakin in the medal match. Alec missed much of his senior season due to a serious case of mononucleosis.[12]

Alec finished with runner up honors at the Junior National Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada. Pantaleo fell to Wyoming's Archie Colgan in the championship bout.[13]

Alec won the Junior National Championships at 66 kg, beating Princeton's Matthew Kolodzik in the first place-bout. In the weeks following he made the United States Junior World team at 66 kg by beating Kolodzik two more time times in a best-of-three final bout.[14] Pantaleo went on to represent the United States at the Junior World Championships in Macon, France later that summer.[15] While overseas he posted a 1–1 record, defeating Georgi Sulava from Georgia[16] in the opening round, but eventually falling to Viaks Vikas from India in the following preliminary match.[17] Pantaleo finished with a 10th-place finish at the 2016 Junior World Championships.

Pantaleo placed 5th at the USA Senior National Men's Freestyle Championships at 70 kg in Las Vegas, Nevada[18]

Pantaleo placed 3rd at 70 kg at the 2018 Senior National Men's Freestyle National Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada.[19] He also placed 3rd at the 2018 Senior World Team Trials at 70 kg in Rochester, Minnesota[20]

Alec won the 70 kg U23 National Championships in Akron, Ohio, and was bestowed the Outstanding Wrestler Award by USA wrestling following a remarkably dominant performance. Pantaleo posted a perfect 7–0 record and outscored his opponents by a margin of 69–2.[21] Additionally, he secured his spot as a 2019 U23 World Team Member. Later that year, Pantaleo finished 8th in the world at the U23 World championships in Budapest, Hungary. In the opening round Pantaleo defeated Stefan Tonu of Moldova by a score of 8–0. He then fell to Daud Ibragimov of Azerbaijan by a score of 9–8. Pantaleo finished with a record of 1-1.[22]

Domestically, Pantaleo also placed 4th at the 70 kg 2019 Senior National Men's Freestyle championships in Las Vegas, Nevada at and 8th at 74 kg in Fort Worth, Texas[23]

Pantaleo won gold at the Cerro Pelado International in Havana, Cuba with a perfect 5–0 record while representing the United States at 70 kg. In the finals Pantaleo beat former United States national champion/ world team member Reece Humphrey by a score of 7–2.[24]

Pantaleo earned a 3rd-place finish at the inaugural Flowrestling 150 lb 8-man bracket challenge in Austin, Texas. Pantaleo went 2–1 in route to a bronze medal, beating former NCAA national champions Jordan Oliver and Anthony Ashnault. Pantaleo fell to James Green by a score of 4–2 in the semi-finals.[25]

Pantaleo claimed the 70 kg title at the Matteo Pellicone International in Rome, Italy in April 2021. Pantaleo beat 2019 world-finalist Daulet Niyazbekov of Kazakhstan in the opening round and gold medal match with respective scores of 6-2 and 4–0.[26]

Domestically, Alec took 2nd at the 2021 U.S. Senior National Championships while competing at 70 kg. Pantaleo fell to James Green in the gold medal bout by a score of 2–7.[27]

In June 2021, Alec Pantaleo won gold at the 2021 Pan American Wrestling Championships in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Pantaleo won all three of his matches by technical superiority, beating Carlos Romero Millaqueo from Chile with a score of 12–0 in the gold medal bout.[28]

Pantaleo also claimed the 2021 Poland Open championship in Warsaw, Poland. Pantaleo defeated James Green in the final bout by a score of 5–3. In his semi-final bout, Pantaleo defeated three-time world champion and Olympic Bronze Medalist Haji Aliyev of Azerbaijan with a score of 6-6.[29]

Pantaleo closed out his 2021 campaign with a medical withdrawal from the 2021 United States World Team Trials (wrestling). In his semi finals bout it is recorded that he sustained a rib related injury, causing for a medical forfeit. At that time of injury, Pantaleo was the top ranked wrestler in the world at 70 kg, according to United World Wrestling.