Princeton University Athletics
Leonard Merkin Claims Two Bronze Medals At Junior Pan Am's; Heflin Makes Senior National Team
June 23, 2017 | Wrestling
Leonard Merkin provided several memorable moments during his freshman season with the Princeton wrestling team. He provided two more during the summer afterwards by winning bronze medals in both the freestyle and Greco-Roman competitions in the Junior Pan Am Championships recently held in Lima, Peru.
Merkin reached the semifinals of both competitions, where he ultimately fell one match short of the championship bout. Undaunted, he took advantage of both second chances to earn medals by winning his bronze-medal showdowns.
Merkin won 12 matches during his freshman season, though he wrestled up a weight class to take over the starting position at 165 midway through the season. Though the majority of his wins came at 157, his most exciting one was a :10 fall over Harvard's Kyle Bierdumpfel during the 165-pound bracket at EIWAs.
One of the guiding forces for Merkin during the 2016-17 season was volunteer assistant coach Nick Heflin, who made a thrilling run to the Senior National Team at the World Team Trials. Heflin, who fell in the final to two-time NCAA champion David Taylor in a wild 13-9 bout, trailed by four points in one match on his way to the finals before throwing and pinning his opponent (see below).
Merkin reached the semifinals of both competitions, where he ultimately fell one match short of the championship bout. Undaunted, he took advantage of both second chances to earn medals by winning his bronze-medal showdowns.
Merkin won 12 matches during his freshman season, though he wrestled up a weight class to take over the starting position at 165 midway through the season. Though the majority of his wins came at 157, his most exciting one was a :10 fall over Harvard's Kyle Bierdumpfel during the 165-pound bracket at EIWAs.
One of the guiding forces for Merkin during the 2016-17 season was volunteer assistant coach Nick Heflin, who made a thrilling run to the Senior National Team at the World Team Trials. Heflin, who fell in the final to two-time NCAA champion David Taylor in a wild 13-9 bout, trailed by four points in one match on his way to the finals before throwing and pinning his opponent (see below).
@TheDarkhorse197 gets the job done in high flying fashion pic.twitter.com/qE6sUqbBs6
— Princeton Wrestling (@tigerwrestling) June 10, 2017
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