{{short description|American freestyle wrestler (born 1986)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}} {{Infobox sportsperson |headercolor = |name = Daniel Dennis |image = |image_size = |caption = |nationality = |birth_date = {{birth date and age|1986|09|24|mf=y}} |birth_place = Ingleside, Illinois, U.S. |death_date = |death_place = |height = |weight = |country = United States |sport = Wrestling |event = Freestyle and Folkstyle |collegeteam = Iowa |club = Hawkeye Wrestling Club |team = USA |turnedpro = |coach = Tom Brands<br>Terry Brands |medaltemplates = {{MedalCountry | the {{USA}} }} {{MedalSport | Men's freestyle wrestling}} {{MedalCompetition|Grand Prix}} {{MedalGold|2015 Madrid|57 kg}} {{MedalGold|2016 Dortmund|57 kg}} {{MedalSport | Men's collegiate wrestling}} {{MedalCountry | the}} Iowa Hawkeyes {{MedalCompetition|NCAA Division I Championships}} {{MedalSilver|2010 Omaha|133 lb}} {{MedalCompetition|Big Ten Championships}} {{MedalSilver|2010 Ann Arbor|133 lb}} }}
'''Daniel Dennis''' (born September 24, 1986) is an American former freestyle and folkstyle wrestler, who competed for the United States at 57 KG in the 2016 Olympics.
==High school career== Dennis was a two-time Illinois state runner-up for Grant Community High School in Fox Lake, Illinois.<ref>{{cite web|author=Mike Hlas The Gazette More stories from Mike |url=http://www.thegazette.com/subject/sports/daniel-dennis-will-take-some-iowa-to-rio-olympics-20160410 |title=> Hlas: Daniel Dennis will take some Iowa to Rio Olympics |publisher=The Gazette |date=2015-11-27 |accessdate=2016-04-13}}</ref>
==College career== Dennis wrestled collegiately for the Iowa Hawkeyes, where he was a two-time All-American,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/olympics/wrestling/story/_/id/15180085/2016-us-olympic-wrestling-trials-daniel-dennis-goes-living-truck-reaching-first-olympics |title=2016 US Olympic wrestling trials - Daniel Dennis goes from living in truck to reaching first Olympics |publisher=Espn.go.com |date= 11 April 2016|access-date=2016-04-13}}</ref> including a national runner-up finish in 2010. In the 2010 NCAA finals match, Dennis gave up four points with under five seconds left to the University of Minnesota's Jayson Ness to lose the match. After his NCAA finals loss, Dennis checked out for a few years, living out of his truck and later a trailer, traveling around the Western United States while wrestling and coaching sporadically. He eventually became a coach at Windsor High School in California.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hawkcentral.com/story/sports/college/iowa/wrestling/2016/04/08/olympic-trials-daniel-dennis-returns-to-wrestling-after-two-year-layoff/82786998/ |title=Ex-Hawkeye, Olympic hopeful has quite a tale to tell|author=Andy Hamilton|date=April 10, 2016}}</ref>
==Senior level career== Dennis would eventually make a return to wrestling, where he made two USA national teams (top 3 at the World Team Trials), at 61 kg in 2015 and 57 kg in 2016. He won the 2016 US Olympic Team Trials at 57 KG and competed at the 2016 Olympics in Rio. Dennis lost his first match 11-0 to Vladimir Dubov and was eliminated after Dubov didn't reach the finals.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/international/ct-olympic-wrestling-trials-spt-0411-20160410-story.html |title=Lake County native Daniel Dennis wins Olympic spot in wrestling |publisher=Chicago Tribune |date=2016-04-09 |accessdate=2016-04-13}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cleveland.com/olympics/index.ssf/2016/04/2016_rio_olympic_games_team_us.html#1 |title=2016 Rio Olympic Games: Team USA wrestling qualifiers (slideshow) |publisher=cleveland.com |date=2016-04-09 |accessdate=2016-04-13}}</ref> He has also won the University Nationals Freestyle championship, the Grand Prix of Spain, the Grand Prix of Germany, and was a two-time Northern Plains regional champion.
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{sports links}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dennis, Daniel}} Category:American male sport wrestlers Category:Iowa Hawkeyes wrestlers Category:Living people Category:1986 births Category:Olympic wrestlers for the United States Category:Wrestlers at the 2016 Summer Olympics Category:21st-century American sportsmen