Introduction
Jason Michael Nolf (born January 10, 1996) is an American freestyle and former folkstyle wrestler who competes at 74 kilograms. In freestyle, he is a three-time U.S. national champion and a multiple-time medalist in international tournaments.
In folkstyle, Nolf was a three-time NCAA Division I national champion (finalist in 2016) and a two-time Big Ten Conference champion out of Pennsylvania State University.
Career
High school
Nolf attended Kittanning High School, where he became a three-time PIAA state champion with a 176–1 record. He also competed in cross country and track and field, and graduated with a 4.5 GPA.
College
A three-time state champion, Nolf committed to wrestle at Pennsylvania State University in 2013.
2014–2015
During his redshirt campaign, Nolf claimed titles at the East Stroudsburg and Nittany Lion Open tournaments and made a finals run at the Southern Scuffle, ending the season with a 15–1 record at 157 pounds.
2015–2016
As a redshirt freshman, Nolf claimed the Southern Scuffle and Nittany Lion Open titles and went undefeated in duals, before placing second to Isaiah Martinez from Illinois at the Big Ten Championship. At the NCAA national tournament, Nolf reached the finals, where he suffered a close loss to Martinez and finished second. He was named Freshman of the Year by Intermat and compiled a 33–2 record.
After his runner-up finish at the NCAA championships, Nolf placed second at the US U20 World Team Trials in freestyle.
2016–2017
As a sophomore, Nolf claimed the Keystone Classic title and was undefeated in dual action during regular season. After becoming the Big Ten champion, Nolf claimed his first NCAA title with bonus-points in every match at the national tournament, helping the Nittany Lions reach their second straight title. He finished second as the NCAA Outstanding Wrestler behind teammate Zain Retherford, and posted an undefeated record of 27–0.
Fresh as an NCAA champion, Nolf switched to freestyle, placing fourth at the US Open and third at the US World Team Trials.
2017–2018
As a junior, Nolf claimed the Southern Scuffle and Keystone Classic titles, pinning his way through both tournaments, and the only loss he suffered during regular season was an injury default. After reaching the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Championships, he was forced to medical forfeit out in the semis. Nolf then claimed another NCAA title to become a two-time National champion and help Penn State with their third straight title. He closed out the season with a 26–2 record.
2018–2019
As a senior, he repeated as a Southern Scuffle and Keystone Classic champion, and once again was unbeaten during regular season. After becoming a two-time Big Ten Conference champion, Nolf scored bonus-points in every match en route to dominantly claiming his third straight NCAA title, as well as helping Penn State win its fourth championship in a row. He finished the season with a perfect 31–0 record.
Nolf graduated as a three-time NCAA Division I National champion and two-time Big Ten Conference champion with a record of 133–4. In June of 2019, Nolf was awarded the prestigious Big Ten Medal of Honor along with Ally McHugh.
Fresh off his accomplished college career, Nolf joined the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club and switched his focus to freestyle full-time. Between April and May, Nolf placed third at the US Open at 70 kilograms and at the US World Team Trials up at 74 kilograms. To close off the year, he earned a silver medal from the Bill Farrell Memorial.
2020
To start off the year, Nolf earned a gold medal from the Pan American Championships up at 79 kilograms, qualifying for the US Olympic Team Trials. He was scheduled to competed at the event in April, however, the event was postponed for 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nolf then competed in three matches in different events, earning wins over US National champion Jordan Oliver, three-time All-American David McFadden, and 2007 U20 World champion turned MMA fighter Bubba Jenkins.
2021
To prepare for the trials, Nolf competed at the NLWC V in February, earning a win over Jevon Balfour before falling to reigning and two-time World Champion Kyle Dake.
In April, down at 74 kilograms for the US Olympic Team Trials, Nolf earned a win over U20 World champion David Carr before losing again to Kyle Dake. In the third-place match, he defeated two-time All-American Evan Wick.
In September, up at 79 kilograms, Nolf placed fourth at the US World Team Trials, notably having a close match with seven-time Olympic and World champion Jordan Burroughs. To close off the year, he defeated World champion Khetag Tsabolov at an event in Kaspiysk on December.
2022
In January, Nolf claimed a silver medal at the Golden Grand Prix Ivan Yarygin, notably pinning returning World medalist Timur Bizhoev before falling to returning U23 World champion Chermen Valiev. After dismantling returning European medalist Mitch Finesilver in February, Nolf claimed the US Open National championship in April.
After dominating the US World Team Trials Challenge tournament field in May, earning another win over NCAA champion David Carr on his way, Nolf was defeated twice by returning Olympic medalist Kyle Dake in the Final X Neward series in June, finishing as a runner-up at the US World Trials.
At the end of the year, Nolf went 1–1 at the World Cup, helping Team USA reach the gold medal.
2023
To start off the year, Nolf grabbed a Zagreb Open Grand Prix title in February, earning notable victories over returning World medalist Younes Emami and returning U20 World champion Dzhabrail Gadzhiev.
Next, he became a two-time US National champion in April with wins over two-time NCAA champions Vincenzo Joseph and Keegan O'Toole, earning a berth for Final X NYC. At the event, Nolf was neutralized twice by now four-time World Champion Kyle Dake, losing the series and placing second at the US World Team Trials.
To finish off the year, Nolf grabbed a Bill Farrell Memorial title in November, dismantling four-time All-American Alex Marinelli after a hard-fought semifinal win over NCAA runner-up Quincy Monday.
2024
In January, Nolf grabbed his second straight title from the Zagreb Open Grand Prix, with dominant wins over returning World medalist Ramazan Ramazanov and European champion Georgios Kougioumtsidis.
In April, Nolf competed at the US Olympic Team Trials, and won the finals of the challenge tournament after wins over Jarrett Jacques and Olympian Gold Medalist, Pan American Champion and 6 Time World Champion Jordan Burroughs. During Saturday's Championship Series, facing Olympian Bronze Medalist and four-time NCAA champion Kyle Dake, Nolf was defeated on points, ending his hopes of a run at the Summer Olympics. Nolf later confirmed that he would retire from the sport of wrestling.
Professional grappling career
Nolf has been known to give wrestling seminars to high-level Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academies, and has even spent some time training in the sport with Bo Nickal.
Nolf competed in his professional grappling debut against Andrew Simmons at the Paradigm Open 3 on June 9, 2024. He won the match by submission.
Nolf competed in the under 80kg division of the inaugural Craig Jones Invitational on August 16 and 17, 2024. He was submitted by Tye Ruotolo in the opening round.
Personal life
On June 30, 2018, Nolf married Penn State women's soccer player Maddie Elliston.
Freestyle record
| Senior Freestyle Matches | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Score | Date | Event | Location |
2024 US Olympic Team Trials  at 74 kg | ||||||
| Loss | 66–19 | Kyle Dake | 1–3 | April 20, 2024 | 2024 US Olympic Team Trials | State College, Pennsylvania |
| Loss | 66–18 | Kyle Dake | 1–4 | |||
| Win | 66–17 | Jordan Burroughs | 3–0 | April 19, 2024 | ||
| Win | 65–17 | Jarrett Jacques | 9–2 | |||
| Win | 64–17 | Alex Marinelli | 7–2 | |||
2024 Grand Prix Zagreb Open  at 74 kg | ||||||
| Win | 63–17 | Hossein Abouzari | 10–1 | January 10, 2024 | 2024 Grand Prix Zagreb Open | Zagreb, Croatia |
| Win | 62–17 | Georgios Kougioumtsidis | Fall | |||
| Win | 61–17 | Murad Kuramagomedov | 7–0 | |||
| Win | 60–17 | Ramazan Ramazanov | TF 12–2 | |||
| Win | 59–17 | Anthony Montero | TF 11–0 | |||
| 2023 Bill Farrell Memorial at 74 kg | ||||||
| Win | 58–17 | Alex Marinelli | TF 11–0 | November 18, 2023 | 2023 Bill Farrell Memorial International | New York City, New York |
| Win | 57–17 | Quincy Monday | 7–6 | |||
| Win | 56–17 | Aaron Matheson | Fall | |||
| Win | 55–17 | Connor Quinton | TF 10–0 | |||
| 2023 US World Team Trials at 74 kg | ||||||
| Loss | 54–17 | Kyle Dake | 0–3 | June 10, 2023 | 2023 Final X Newark | Newark, New Jersey |
| Loss | 54–16 | Kyle Dake | 0–6 | |||
| 2023 US Open at 74 kg | ||||||
| Win | 54–15 | Vincenzo Joseph | 10–5 | April 27–28, 2023 | 2023 US Open National Championships | Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Win | 53–15 | Keegan O'Toole | 9–2 | |||
| Win | 52–15 | Julian Ramirez | TF 10–0 | |||
| Win | 51–15 | Elijah Cleary | TF 10–0 | |||
| Win | 50–15 | Tyler Wagener | TF 11–0 | |||
| 2023 Grand Prix Zagreb Open at 74 kg | ||||||
| Win | 49–15 | Younes Emami | 3–3 | February 1–5, 2023 | 2023 Grand Prix Zagreb Open | Zagreb, Croatia |
| Win | 48–15 | Murad Kuramagomedov | 2–1 | |||
| Win | 47–15 | Dzhabrail Gadzhiev | 5–3 | |||
| Win | 46–15 | Patrik Leder | TF 10–0 | |||
| 2022 World Cup at 74 kg as Team USA | ||||||
| Loss | 45–15 | Mohammad Sadegh Firouzpour | 1–2 | December 10–11, 2022 | 2022 World Cup | Coralville, Iowa |
| Win | 45–14 | Giorgi Sulava | TF 10–0 | |||
| 2022 US World Team Trials at 74 kg | ||||||
| Loss | 44–14 | Kyle Dake | 1–2 | June 8, 2022 | 2022 Final X NYC | New York City, New York |
| Loss | 44–13 | Kyle Dake | 2–4 | |||
| Win | 44–12 | Joey Lavallee | TF 14–3 | May 21–22, 2022 | 2022 US World Team Trials Challenge | Coralville, Iowa |
| Win | 43–12 | Joey Lavallee | TF 12–1 | |||
| Win | 42–12 | David Carr | Fall | |||
| 2022 US Open at 74 kg | ||||||
| Win | 41–12 | Josh Shields | TF 11–0 | April 29–30, 2022 | 2022 US Open National Championships | Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Win | 40–12 | Andrew Cerniglia | TF 10–0 | |||
| Win | 39–12 | Peter Pappas | Fall | |||
| Win | 38–12 | Joey Mora | TF 10–0 | |||
| Win | 37–12 | Michael Seijo | TF 10–0 | |||
| Win | 36–12 | Mitch Finesilver | TF 11–0 | February 13, 2022 | 2022 Bout at the Ballpark | Arlington, Texas |
| 2022 Ivan Yarygin Golden Grand Prix at 74 kg | ||||||
| Loss | 35–12 | Chermen Valiev | 1–6 | January 27–30, 2022 | Golden Grand Prix Ivan Yarygin 2022 | Krasnoyarsk, Russia |
| Win | 35–11 | Timur Bizhoev | Fall | |||
| Win | 34–11 | Josh Shields | 9–1 | |||
| Win | 33–11 | Magomed Kardanov | TF 12–1 | |||
| Win | 32–11 | Khetag Tsabolov | 16–9 | December 7, 2021 | WOLNIK 7 | Kaspiysk, Russia |
| 2021 US World Team Trials 4th at 79 kg | ||||||
| Loss | 31–11 | Carter Starocci | 3–4 | September 11–12, 2021 | 2021 US World Team Trials | Lincoln, Nebraska |
| Win | 31–10 | Hayden Hidlay | TF 10–0 | |||
| Loss | 30–10 | Jordan Burroughs | 3–5 | |||
| Win | 30–9 | Evan Wick | TF 10–0 | |||
| Win | 29–9 | Joey Lavallee | TF 15–4 | |||
2020 US Olympic Team Trials  at 74 kg | ||||||
| Win | 28–9 | Evan Wick | TF 10–0 | April 2–3, 2021 | 2020 US Olympic Team Trials | Fort Worth, Texas |
| Loss | 27–9 | Kyle Dake | TF 0–11 | |||
| Win | 27–8 | David Carr | TF 10–0 | |||
| Loss | 26–8 | Kyle Dake | 0–5 | February 23, 2021 | NLWC V | State College, Pennsylvania |
| Win | 26–7 | Jevon Balfour | TF 10–0 | |||
| Win | 25-7 | Bubba Jenkins | TF 10-0 | October 20, 2020 | NLWC II | State College, Pennsylvania |
| Win | 24-7 | David McFadden | 5-2 | September 19, 2020 | NLWC I | State College, Pennsylvania |
| Win | 23-7 | Jordan Oliver | 4-1 | June 28, 2020 | Rumble on the Rooftop | Chicago, Illinois |
| 2020 Pan American Championships at 79 kg | ||||||
| Win | 22–7 | Victor Eduardo Hernández Luna | Fall | March 9, 2020 | 2020 Pan American Wrestling Championships | Ottawa, Canada |
| Win | 21–7 | Guseyn Ruslanzada | TF 10–0 | |||
| 2019 Bill Farrell Memorial at 74kg | ||||||
| Loss | 20–7 | Isaiah Martinez | TF 0–12 | November 16, 2019 | 2019 Bill Farrell Memorial International Open | New York, New York, United States |
| Win | 20–6 | Vincenzo Joseph | 6–0 | |||
| Win | 19–6 | Logan Massa | 7–0 | |||
| Win | 18–6 | Joey Lavallee | TF 10–0 | |||
| Win | 17–6 | Aly Ibrahim Abdelhamid Abdelhamid | TF 11–0 | |||
| 2019 US World Team Trials Challenge at 74 kg | ||||||
| Loss | 16–6 | Isaiah Martinez | TF 2–12 | May 19, 2019 | 2019 US World Team Trials Challenge | Raleigh, North Carolina, United States |
| Win | 16–5 | Isaiah Martinez | 7–5 | |||
| Loss | 15–5 | Isaiah Martinez | 4–9 | |||
| Win | 15–4 | Logan Massa | 7–2 | |||
| Win | 14–4 | Anthony Valencia | 7–0 | |||
| Win | 13–4 | Brian Murphy | TF 12–2 | |||
| 2019 US Open at 70 kg | ||||||
| Win | 12–4 | Alec Pantaleo | 10–6 | April 27, 2019 | 2019 U.S. Open Wrestling Championships | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |
| Win | 11–4 | Brandon Sorensen | 3–0 | |||
| Loss | 10–4 | James Green | 6–6 | |||
| Win | 10–3 | Nazar Kulchytskyy | TF 13–2 | |||
| Win | 9–3 | Kizhan Clarke | TF 10–0 | |||
| Win | 8–3 | Justin Davis | TF 10–0 | |||
| Win | 7–3 | Kevin Jack | TF 12–2 | |||
| 2017 US World Team Trials at 70 kg | ||||||
| Win | 6–3 | Nazar Kulchytskyy | 7–2 | June 10, 2017 | 2017 US World Team Trials | Lincoln, Nebraska, United States |
| Loss | 5–3 | Jimmy Kennedy | 6–8 | |||
| Win | 5–2 | Alec Pantaleo | TF 13–2 | |||
| 2017 US Open 4th at 70 kg | ||||||
| Loss | 4–2 | Steven Pami | 6–12 | April 29, 2017 | 2017 U.S. Open Wrestling Championships | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |
| Win | 4–1 | Jason Chamberlain | 8–0 | |||
| Loss | 3–1 | James Green | 8–9 | |||
| Win | 3–0 | Thomas Gantt | TF 10–0 | |||
| Win | 2–0 | Isaac Dukes | TF 15–4 | |||
| Win | 1–0 | Markus Scheidel | TF 11–1 | |||
NCAA record
| NCAA Championships Matches | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Score | Date | Event | ||
| 2019 NCAA Championships at 157 lbs | |||||||
| Win | 19–1 | Tyler Berger | MD 10–2 | March 23, 2019 | 2019 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships | ||
| Win | 18–1 | Hayden Hidlay | 3–2 | ||||
| Win | 17–1 | Christian Pagdilao | TF 23–6 | ||||
| Win | 16–1 | John Van Brill | TF 19–4 | ||||
| Win | 15–1 | Ben Anderson | Fall | ||||
| 2018 NCAA Championships at 157 lbs | |||||||
| Win | 14–1 | Hayden Hidlay | 6–2 | March 17, 2018 | 2018 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships | ||
| Win | 13–1 | Micah Jordan | TF 16–0 | ||||
| Win | 12–1 | Michael Kemerer | 6–2 | ||||
| Win | 11–1 | Andrew Crone | 6–1 | ||||
| Win | 10–1 | Colin Heffernan | TF 22–7 | ||||
| 2017 NCAA Championships at 157 lbs | |||||||
| Win | 9–1 | Joey Lavallee | MD 14–6 | March 18, 2017 | 2017 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships | ||
| Win | 8–1 | Tyler Berger | MD 13–5 | ||||
| Win | 7–1 | Bryant Clagon | Fall | ||||
| Win | 6–1 | Victor Lopez | TF 24–9 | ||||
| Win | 5–1 | Thomas Bullard | TF 22–7 | ||||
| 2016 NCAA Championships at 157 lbs | |||||||
| Loss | 4–1 | Isaiah Martinez | 5–6 | March 17, 2016 | 2016 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships | ||
| Win | 4–0 | Chad Walsh | TF 19–4 | ||||
| Win | 3–0 | Joe Smith | MD 11–3 | ||||
| Win | 2–0 | May Bethea | TF 25–10 | ||||
| Win | 1–0 | Kamael Shakur | Fall | ||||
Stats
| Season | Year | School | Rank | Weigh Class | Record | Win | Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Senior | Penn State University | #1 (1st) | 157 | 31–0 | 100.00% | 83.87% |
| 2018 | Junior | #1 (1st) | 25–1 | 96.15% | 77.78% | ||
| 2017 | Sophomore | #1 (1st) | 27–0 | 100.00% | 92.59% | ||
| 2016 | Freshman | #1 (2nd) | 34–2 | 94.44% | 88.89% | ||
| 2015 | Redshirt | #7 | 16–1 | 94.12% | 88.89% | ||
| Career | 133–4 | 97.08% | 85.78% | ||||