WHO’S NEXT? USAW STAR OF THE FUTURE Hancock bursts onto scene


By Alexandra Pernice “My first name is Tracy, but I like to go


by G’Angelo,” said 2015 UWW Junior World Team member Tracy G’Angelo Hancock. Hancock, who has burst onto the


Junior wrestling scene in impressive fash- ion, has already started to mold himself into the athlete he would like to be. Both on and off the mat. “I first met him as Tracy,” said 2008 Olympian T.C. Dantzler. “After awhile I decided it was time to give him a makeover, so we decided he’d go by his middle name instead.” As Hancock’s coach and mentor, Dantzler said that the name has drawn positive attention to the up-and-coming star athlete. “People notice that name. It’s a bit of


an attention-grabber at tournaments,” said Dantzler. Hancock’s performance on the mat has


also grabbed plenty of attention. He land- ed a spot of the U.S. Junior World Team at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. Hancock found wrestling during his


middle school days, where Fountain Middle School wrestling Coach Dave Montoya encouraged him to try some- thing new. From there, wrestling became some-


thing that he couldn’t imagine his life without. “It just intrigued me, wrestling. Honestly, it had a lot to do with the peo- ple I was around. I was playing football at the time too. Wrestling was another con- tact sport, so I went out for it because I thought I might like it as well. My coach, Dave Montoya, helped me continue through any and every hardship I encoun- tered during my first few times wrestling. “Even when I became injured during


my first year, and it came down to a question of whether or not I could contin- ue, Coach Montoya helped see me through it. He convinced me to keep wrestling, and I decided for myself that I wanted to keep competing through high school,” said Hancock. For an athlete who had picked up the


sport on a whim, wrestling was beginning to grow on Hancock. Not only was his interest growing, but so were his skills. He went on to win the Middle School State competition during his eighth-grade year, and win the High School state com-


30 USA Wrestler Tracy Hancock is making a name for himself on the mat. John Sachs photo.


petition during his senior year. Now, under the direction of Dantzler


and the Front Range Wrestling Club, as well as the coaching staff at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Hancock is competing at the UWW Junior level. This year, he competed at the notable


Dave Schultz Memorial International, with his first bout pitting him against Olympic gold medalist Rustam Totrov of Russia. He also went to Gotzis, Austria in February to compete at the Austria Junior Open, where he placed fourth. Recently, he competed at the UWW


Junior Greco-Roman Nationals in Las Vegas and the CYC Greco World Team Duals in Concord, Calif. He won gold at both events, winning


Outstanding Wrestler at the CYC Greco World Team Duals and earning a spot on the 2015 Junior World Team in Las Vegas. “I’m beyond excited,” said Hancock


about his spot on the Junior World Team. “I’m slowly but surely achieving my goals. All of my thanks go out to my great train- ing partners and my amazing coaches. I believe that my recent wins have come from my coaching and the partners that help push me to be better. I come into the wrestling room every day ready to work. And I think a lot of it comes down to my


coach, T.C.,” said Hancock. Hancock defeated opponent Ben Honis


in the best-of-3 finals, winning by techni- cal fall in two bouts, 11-0 and 8-0. Competing at the U.S. Open is some-


thing Hancock believes gave him impor- tant new experiences and built on his skills as a wrestler. “I gained a lot of experience wrestling


other American athletes. I’ve competed against my share of international wrestlers, so I went into the Open know- ing that it would be slightly different. This win was a stepping stone. I’m pleased with how I placed and I feel very accom- plished,” said Hancock. Hancock will go on to compete with the


rest of the Junior World Team at the Junior World Championships in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil, Aug.11-16, 2015. As his coach, Dantzler believes that


this win is just the first of many huge suc- cesses for Hancock’s wrestling career. “All of his hard work has gotten him to


the point that, even though he has the resources to be one of the best wrestlers that the United States has ever seen, none of it translates unless he continues to put in the work. With him and wrestling, it’s just a natural matrimony. They are married at the hip. They go hand-in-hand,” said Dantzler.


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