Newer, better Brent Metcalf looks for improved result at Olympic Team Trials

IOWA CITY — Brent Metcalf recalled the excitement that surrounded his last attempt at making the U.S. Olympic Team.

He competed in a familiar venue and in front of the University of Iowa fans who watched him triumph over every opponent as a two-time Hawkeye national champion.

Criteria favored Jared Frayer, handing Metcalf his first loss at Carver-Hawkeye Arena and denying him an Olympic debut four years ago.

'This time is more 'get the job done,' because ultimately the fans, what arena I'm in and all that doesn't matter if I have to go home feeling the way I did in 2012,' Metcalf said. 'Maybe I'm pushing it aside a little bit and just focusing on the task at hand.'

Metcalf will face a stacked 143-pound men's freestyle field as the top seed at the USA Wrestling Olympic Team Trials on Saturday at CHA. The two-day event will feature men's and women's freestyle and Greco-Roman competition.

Metcalf is a four-time U.S. World Team member, owning that distinction the last three years. He was second at the 2012 Olympic Trials, but this is a different Metcalf, who has evolved in all aspects of his life.

'It's going to be different because I'm a better wrestler,' Metcalf said. 'I'm a better husband. I'm a better dad. I'm a better everything.

'I feel like a newer, better version of myself. I feel very positive where I'm at and ready to go on and get the job done this time.'

A couple months short of his 30th birthday, Metcalf said his body feels like it did in 2010 when he made his first World team after his senior season at Iowa.

'He's peaking,' Iowa Coach Tom Brands said. 'As you get older your mind becomes stronger. He's healthy. When you're healthy and you have a strong mind then two of those are a deadly combination.'

Metcalf will need to be at his physical and mental best this weekend. He has ruled the 143-pound weight in the U.S., but this is not the same class as non-Olympic years.

After the changes prompted by wrestling's removal as a core Olympic sport in 2013, men's freestyle was reduced to six Olympic weights. Metcalf's weight was left intact but it left wrestlers from the classes above (70 kilograms) and below (61 kg) to merge together.

The bracket includes former Oklahoma State NCAA champion Jordan Oliver, the only U.S. wrestler to beat Metcalf the last three years, 2015 154-pound bronze medalist James Green, former World team members Reece Humphrey and Jimmy Kennedy and former Ohio State four-time national champ Logan Stieber, who has won four international medals since November.

Metcalf compared it to his 2008 NCAA title over a group that had at least six wrestlers who ended their career with at least one national title.

'It happened to be the three deepest and toughest weight classes in the United States and combined them into one,' Metcalf said. 'It is a great challenge. There are a lot of guys in this weight class who have a great history.'

Metcalf has yet to earn a World medal, winning a couple matches at the 2015 tournament in Las Vegas. A controversial non-call in March prevented him from a possible top-two finish at the Pan Am Olympic Qualifier in Texas and securing the U.S. spot at 143 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

He went right back to work after each setback.

'He's pretty grounded so I think it's easy for him to move forward,' Brands said. 'As much of a competitor as he is and as bad as he wants to win, I think he's pretty good at getting over things so moving forward is not a problem with him.'

Brands said Metcalf has a simple approach. He has spent time improving his technique, position and ability to score early and build his lead with better offensive finishes.

Metcalf said he has to take control of each match he wrestles, which is what Frayer did to him four years ago. A newer, better Metcalf is capable of dominating from the opening whistle.

'That's the mentality that I need to have,' Metcalf said. 'Not that you're going to go in and you're the better guy so you will win. You'll figure it out. Don't just figure it out. Go take the match. Take what you want and that is to be on the Olympic team.'

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