Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1520787
J U N E / J U L Y 2 0 2 4 J U N E / J U L Y 2 0 2 4 9 OPENING SHOT BLOOD BROTHERS Two former Penn State national champions, Zain Retherford and Nick Lee, battled for the 65-kilogram title at the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Tri- als in April at the Bryce Jordan Center. The inten- sity of their showdown was written on the face of the victor after it was all over, with Retherford (left) outlasting Lee, 2-1 and 5-0, in the best-of- three series for a chance to make the team that will head to Paris in July for the Summer Games. The two competitors were well-acquainted with each other, dating back to their time together in the Penn State wrestling room. Retherford was a senior and Lee a true freshman during the Nittany Lions' 2017-18 campaign. While they only over- lapped at PSU for a single season, they continued to train together in the years that followed. "Nick Lee is a brother to me," Retherford told reporters after his victory at the trials, wearing a bandage around his head to stanch the bleeding from an accidental collision with Lee. "We were roommates his freshman year when he was an All-American at the NCAA Tournament. He was my training partner when I wrestled [2019 U.S. 65-kg champion] Jordan Oliver a few years back. He's just a great human being. "An unfortunate part of having just six weight classes is that we're going to butt heads. We literally butted heads, but it was unintentional. Nothing but love for Nick Lee." As recently as last November, Retherford wasn't sure he wanted to compete at the trials. It was go- ing to require a weight cut from 70 kg, where he had won gold at the 2023 World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia. Also, he had taken a job in New York with the financial services firm ABR Dynamic Funds. Did he really want to step away just as he was beginning his post-wrestling career? As it turned out, he did want to step away, at least temporarily. His boss was willing to give him the time off he needed to train and compete, and he was feeling more relaxed than ever on the mat. Even the weight cut from 70 to 65 kg was less difficult than he expected. Retherford's Olympic hopes were fulfilled when he qualified the weight for Team USA at the World Olympic Games Qualifier May 12 in Istanbul, Turkey. Over the course of his collegiate and interna- tional wrestling careers, Retherford has learned to separate his self-worth from his performance on the mat. Win or lose, Retherford has been at peace with his results as long as he feels he's done his best. "I always want to win," he said. "But that's not what it's about. It's about giving this experience all that I have." — Matt Herb PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS