WHO’S NEXT? USAW STAR OF THE FUTURE Tomasello makes mark
By Chris Casper Soccer’s loss was wrestling’s gain in the case of Nathan
Tomasello. Tomasello’s first love was soccer, but an introduction to wrestling eventually changed the path he decided to pursue. “I didn’t know what wrestling was, but my friend down the
street was bugging me to try it,” he said. “One day in fourth grade, my soccer practice got cancelled so I went with my friend to try wrestling. I liked the first practice and it really went from there. Once I started training, my youth coach said you’re not getting out of wrestling.” Tomasello has continued to improve and has developed into
one of the best wrestlers in the nation. Tomasello was a four-time Ohio state champion in high school
and a three-time USA Wrestling Junior Nationals champion in freestyle. A promising college career is right around the corner after he
just finished his first year as a redshirt at Ohio State. For now, he’s focused on making his first U.S. Junior World
Team. Tomasello won the 125-pound title at the FILA Junior Nationals in freestyle on April 19 in Las Vegas. With his win in Vegas, Tomasello has earned a berth in the best-of-3 finals for FILA Junior World Team Trials on May 31- June 1 in Madison, Wis. Tomasello finished second behind Iowa’s Thomas Gilman in the 2013 Trials. He may see Gilman again in Madison. With one year of college under his belt how is Tomasello feel-
ing about his decision to attend Ohio State? How did he make the choice? “I took all my official visits, because I wasn’t sure, as a junior,
looking at colleges which one I had in mind. I really wanted to take my time and figure out which one was the best for me to accomplish my goals,” he said. “Then I narrowed it down to three schools and talked with some of the people closest to me in my life. “I ultimately made the decision to go to Ohio State. I feel like
it’s been up to my expectations and has been really great.” Ohio State Assistant Coach Lou Rosselli knows what he saw
in Tomasello – commitment. “One of the things that stood out, obviously, is that he won
four state titles,” Rosselli said. “He is a very accomplished wrestler. I think one of the things – not really when I see him compete but when I see him in practice – I knew that he was a musket. “His work ethic right now, he is just an incredible worker. He is
a smart wrestler but he is also very committed, and that’s what we are looking for.” Rosselli continues to see Tomasello’s commitment in the Ohio
State wrestling room. “It’s not just his output; it’s also how long he can do it and the frequency with which he can do it,” Rosselli said. “He can do it back to back: he can be there for two hours, drill with me for an hour, wrestle and box for a half hour after that. He puts his time in.”
“For most elite people who are really focused on being the
best, it’s not an issue for them to work out twice a day, five to six days a week. I just think it’s nice and refreshing to see a kid
30 USA Wrestler
Nathan Tomasello captured a FILA Junior Nationals title on April 19 in Las Vegas. Tony Rotundo photos.
who you don’t have to tell to do this,” Rosselli said. “Nathan chooses to, he wants to, and I don’t have to convince him that it’s right. These are the things that make it fun to coach. This kid wants to be there. I’m not coaxing this guy into doing it. He’s saying, ‘Hey, I want to drill tomorrow morning.’ And he’s getting better all the time because he keeps reevaluating himself.” Tomasello said it initially took a while for him to develop a
passion for the sport. “I really didn’t know if I was going to do it after my first year of wrestling,” he said. “I thought it was all right, but as I wrestled I started to win more and enjoy the sport more. From there, I started to improve by wrestling with the better guys. Every since then I have been trying to get better every day and accomplish some of my goals I have made for myself.” One of the great advantages for Tomasello at Ohio State has been the chance to train with champions like U.S. World Team
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