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“It’s absolutely huge for me,” he said. “60 kilos has some really tough guys. They are all going to wrestle some really tough matches against each other in the Challenge Tournament. I have no chance of losing since I’m already in the finals, so I consider that a huge advantage. I just have to make sure I’m ready to go in the finals. Two years ago, Bunch pound- ed me in the first match and then I came back in the next two. Now that I’ve seen it, I know I will be ready.”
Humphrey and his wife, Meredith, are
the parents of a 2-year-old son, Parker, and a 10-month-old daughter, Reace. “I have the greatest support system
ever,” Humphrey said. “They have been tremendous. It’s great to be able to come home after a tough workout and be able to laugh and have fun with them.” Humphrey is a frequent poster on his
Twitter account – ReeceHump60kg. Now he has started a Twitter account – ParkerHump14kg – for his young son. A recent post on Parker’s account read: Dragons are scaarrrryyyyyy “We are just having fun with it,” Reece said. “And we are putting up some of the comments that he has.” Humphrey’s father, Jim, is a past World silver medalist who has coached his son for most of his career. Jim Humphrey is a past U.S. Olympic and World Team coach in freestyle.
Humphrey continues to train at the Ohio Regional Training Center in Columbus, Ohio. He was a two-time All- American for Ohio State, placing second and third at the NCAA tournament. One of Humphrey’s training partners, two-time NCAA champion and past Junior World silver medalist Logan Stieber, will be another top contender at the Trials. Humphrey edged Stieber in three periods in the semifinals of the U.S. Open. Humphrey won a third-period ball draw
after a scoreless two minutes and fin- ished in the leg clinch to top Stieber, who is halfway to winning four NCAA titles. “Stieber’s really good – it’s hard to believe he’s only a sophomore in col- lege,” Humphrey said. “It’s a little bit awk- ward wrestling him because we train together all the time and know each other so well.”
Humphrey followed by sweeping Scott 2-0, 1-0 in the finals.
Humphrey finished in the leg clinch in the first period before shooting in on a single-leg attack en route to gaining a second-period takedown. “After I won the clinch in the first peri- od, I knew my chances wouldn’t be as good the next time,” Humphrey said. “I knew I had to push the pace and try to
Humphrey executed a flip after his U.S. Open finals win. He captured his second U.S. Open freestyle title in the past three years. Tony Rotundo photo.
score an offensive point.”
Humphrey jumped up and executed a flip after the win.
He said his last post-match flip came when he won the World Team Trials in 2011. “You don’t win huge matches like that
very often,” he said. “In my mind, I feel like you should celebrate because you put in so much work and so much time to accomplish something like that. It meant a lot to me to win the U.S. Open because I worked so hard to do it.”
Humphrey said he hopes to wrestle through the next Olympic cycle, which culminates with the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Humphrey said he gained plenty during his first trip to the Worlds in 2011. “It helps tremendously to have that experience,” he said. “You know exactly
what to expect and you’ve wrestled in that atmosphere already. I’ve sat around too long watching guys I know I can beat and I have beaten win medals in the Worlds and the Olympics. I’m very excit- ed to get back there and compete for a World title.”
If he earns a trip to September’s World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, only one thing will make Humphrey com- pletely satisfied. “A gold medal,” he said. “Being the best in the World is my goal, whether it’s in the Olympics or the World Championships. It’s actually a little bit harder to win the World Championships because there are 40-some guys in your weight class instead of the 20 you have at the Olympics. “If I win the Worlds, my dreams and goals would be accomplished.”
15 USA Wrestler
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