Eric Guerrero

Guerrero began his sporting career as a member of the Independence High School wrestling team. While still in high school, he won a cadet world title in 1993, was a first-team ASICS All-American (1994 and 1995), won junior world and national titles in 1995, and was named California Male Athlete of the Year.[2] Due to his stellar high school career, Guerrero was recruited by Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma, where he became a star member of the Cowboy wrestling squad under head coach and two-time Olympic champion John Smith.[3]

Guerrero compiled a 117–13 overall record while wrestling for the Cowboys from 1996 to 1999. As a true freshman, he took fifth-place at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. In 1997, he won his first NCAA Championship at the 126-pound weight class and would repeat this triumph in 1998 at 126 pounds, and in 1999 at 133 pounds. In his final year, Guerrero dominated the field, highlighted by a perfect 31–0 record in which he recorded four straight technical falls in his first four matches, finishing with twelve technical falls and seven major decisions overall, and then prevailing 3–1 over Iowa State University's Cody Sanderson in achieving his third-straight NCAA title.[2]

Guerrero was a key contributor to the Oklahoma State Cowboys' success during his time there, becoming one of only twelve four-time NCAA All-Americans in Oklahoma State University's wrestling history. Additionally, he was recognized as a two-time Academic All-America selection.[2]

Upon completing his college career at Oklahoma State in 1999, Guerrero joined the U.S. world wrestling team, eventually earning his first berth at the World Championships.[4] In the same year, he picked up a silver medal in the 58-kg division at the Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, losing only to the host nation's Guivi Sissaouri on the final bout.

While competing internationally, Guerrero achieved four U.S. Open titles (2001–2004), won a World Cup series trophy in 2003, and took part as a member of the U.S. wrestling team in three more World Championships.[5][6] At the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Guerrero pinned his Puerto Rican rival Luis Ortiz to clinch the bronze medal in the 60-kg division.[7]

Guerrero qualified for the U.S. wrestling team on his major debut in the men's 60 kg class at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. Earlier in the process, he thrashed his opponent Mike Zadick on the final bout to claim a spot on the U.S. team from the Olympic Trials.[8][9] Guerrero lost two straight matches each at 1–3 in overtime to Mongolia's Oyuunbilegiin Pürevbaatar and Georgia's David Pogosian, leaving him on the bottom of the pool and placing sixteenth in the final standings.[10][11] Shortly after the Games, Guerrero retired from competitive wrestling to turn his focus on coaching.