Vito Arujau

Arujau attended Syosset High School in Syosset, New York. He started wrestling on the varsity team as an eighth grader ('12–'13) and placed second in the state tournament that year, losing to eventual teammate Yianni Diakomihalis in the 99-pound final.[4] After his setback in the state final, he did not lose another match in his high-school career and ended with a 216–1 record and four NYSPHSAA titles.[5] When he was a two-time state champion ('14-'15), Arujau committed to Cornell University and entered the school as a four-time state champion.[6]

As a freshman, Arujau started competing at 133 pounds, going 5–1 before moving down to 125 pounds.[7] After moving down, he compiled 26 wins (17 with bonus points) and three losses.[1] In the post-season, he made his way to the finals of the EIWA Conference Championships, where he lost to Pat Glory 10–8.[8] As the eighth seed at the NCAAs, he defeated his first two opponents via major decision before falling to Northwestern's Sebastian Rivera, the top seed. He rebounded in the consolation bracket, earning victories over the 14th, fourth, and second seeds (the last being Nick Piccininni) before losing again to Rivera to place fourth and earn All-American honors.[9][10]

After taking an Olympic redshirt for '19-'20 as a sophomore, Arujau was expected to return to college this season and compete at 133 pounds.[11] However, it was announced on November 13, 2020, that the Ivy League had canceled all winter sports that season.[12]

Following the combined Olympic/COVID layoff, Arujau returned to the Cornell lineup at 125 pounds (except his first match of the season, against Stanford).[13] Arujau finished the regular season with a 10–1 record, with his only loss to Pat Glory of Princeton.[14] Arujau avenged that loss later in the season, defeating Glory by major decision, 19–6, in the final of the EIWA tournament to claim his first EIWA title.[15] At the NCAA tournament, Arujau reached the semifinals, where he met Glory for a third time in 2021-22, fifth overall, with Glory taking the rubber match by major decision, 13–5. Arujau recovered with a pair of wins in the consolation bracket to finish in third place.[16]

During the 2022-23 season, Arujau went 24-1,[17] including a title at the Cliff Keen Invitational in Las Vegas.[18] He won his second straight EIWA title at the Palestra in Philadelphia, helping Cornell to a team title.[19] At the 2023 NCAA championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Arujau earned his third All-American honor and his first national title, beating two-time defending champion Roman Bravo-Young of Penn State in the final, 10-4.[20] In the semifinals, he defeated three-time national finalist Daton Fix of Oklahoma State by major decision, 11-3.[21] At the conclusion of the tournament, he was named Outstanding Wrestler.[22]

As an age-group level wrestler, Arujau was a two-time World Silver medalist and a UWW and USAW National Champion.[23][24]

Arujau made his senior freestyle debut at the U23 Nationals & World Team Trials in early June. He won all of his eight matches and outscored the opposition 90 points to 5, including technical fall victories over the accomplished wrestlers Roman Bravo-Young and Nick Piccininni.[25] He was then expected to compete at the U23 World Championships,[26] but was forced to pull out.[27]

He made his return at the US Open in late April. He reached the quarterfinals with a series of victories but was defeated by that year's Pan American Games champion Daton Fix. He reached the bronze medal match with wins over the eight and third seeds but was finally defeated by Zane Richards.[28]

At the end of the year, he competed at the US Nationals of December. He reached the semifinals with three wins (one of them over Nick Suriano) before losing to the heavily decorated and winner of the championship Spencer Lee. In the consolation bracket, he defeated one more opponent and earned the third-place finish after Suriano forfeited the final match.[29]

Arujau was scheduled to compete at the 20' US Olympic Team Trials on April 4 at State College, Pennsylvania.[30] However, the event was postponed for 2021 along with the Summer Olympics due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving all the qualifiers unable to compete.[31] After months of not being able to compete due to the outbreak, Arujau defeated Rutgers' Sammy Alvarez via technical fall in July 25, at the FloWrestling: Dake vs. Chamizo card.[32] He was then slated to wrestle Jack Mueller at the annual Beat The Streets event on September 17.[33] However, he pulled out of the bout 5 days prior and was replaced by Rustam Ampar.[34]

Arujau competed at the US National Championships on October 9–11 as the top–seed.[35] He ran through the 57 kilograms bracket, with notable victories over 2020 ACC champion Jakob Camacho, two–time NCAA Division I All–American Jack Mueller and two–time US age–group Greco-Roman World Team Member Dylan Ragusin.[36]

Arujau represented the Spartan Combat RTC at 57 kilograms in the FloWrestling: RTC Cup on December 4–5.[37] He compiled wins over Jack Mueller, two–time US Open National runner-up and '16 NCAA champion Nahshon Garrett (twice) and '17 NCAA champion Darian Cruz to help the team reach the third–place.[38]

To start off the year, Arujau defeated Michael Colaiocco by technical fall on January 8, at the SCRTC I.[39] Shortly after, he competed at the Henri Deglane Grand Prix of France on January 17.[40] Arujau suffered his first loss in almost a year when he was downed by 2017 World Championship runner–up Thomas Gilman in the quarterfinals, and then defeated Anvar Suviniitty and Răzvan-Marian Kovacs in the consolation bracket, before suffering his second loss in the bronze–medal match, to '13 Junior World Championship bronze medalist from Georgia Beka Bujiashvili, placing fifth.[41]

On February, he competed at the America's Cup, where after three technical fall wins, he helped Team Bobby Douglas reach third place.[42] Afterwards, he wrestled two matches at the NLWC V, getting the two victories over '17 NCAA DI All–American Sean Russell and four–time All–American Zach Sanders.[43] On March 5, he got a win in a dual meet against the NJRTC.

Arujau then competed rescheduled US Olympic Team Trials from April 2–3 as the third seed, in an attempt to represent the United States at the 2020 Summer Olympics.[44][45] To make the best–of–three, Arujau had to pass through a loaded bracket, defeating 2019 US National runner–up and 2015 NCAA champion Nathan Tomasello and Pan American Games gold medalist, Junior World Champion and US Open National champion Daton Fix.[46] In the finals, Arujau was defeated twice by Thomas Gilman, earning hard–fought runner–up honors.[47]

As the US Olympic Trials runner–up, Arujau competed at the Pan American Continental Championships on May 30, replacing an injured Thomas Gilman.[48] He racked up three technical falls without getting scored on to become the continental champion and help Team USA reach all 10 medals in freestyle.[49]

In April, Arujau won the 2022 World Team Trials at 57kg to qualify for Final X in Stillwater, Oklahoma.[50] At Final X, he lost in back-to-back matches to eventual 2022 world silver medalist Thomas Gilman.[51] He competed at the 2022 Poland Open, taking bronze. Arujau also competed at the 2022 U23 World Wrestling Championships in Pontevedra, Spain. He lost his first match and did not place.[52]

For the 2023 freestyle season, Arujau moved up in weight to 61kg. In April, Arujau won his first national championship, going 5-0 at the US Open to qualify directly to Final X.[53] At Final X, Arujau faced the World Team Trials winner, Nahshon Garrett, a fellow Cornell University wrestler. At Final X, Arujau defeated Garrett in consecutive matches, 6-5 and 13-10,[54] to earn a spot on Team USA for the 2023 World Wrestling Championships in Belgrade, Serbia. In between the US Open and Final X, Arujau represented Team USA at the Pan American Games, where he won the gold medal.[55] Prior to the World Championships, Arujau traveled to Budapest, Hungary for a ranking series event, where he went 2-1 and finished in third place.[56]

At the 2023 World Wrestling Championships, Arujau went 5-0 with 3 wins by technical fall to win his first world championship.[57] In the finals, he defeated Russia's Abasgadzhi Magomedov (who was wrestling under an "independent" flag due to athletic sanctions against Russia stemming from the invasion of Ukraine).