Jake Herbert

Herbert added an Olympic berth to his already successful college and professional careers by qualifiing for his first Games in 2012. In a weight class long dominated by American legend Cael Sanderson, Herbert has carved out his own niche, winning a silver medal at the 2009 world championships and gold at the 2011 Pan American Games. He has won three consecutive U.S. Open championships (2009-11) and qualified for the 2010 worlds. While Sanderson beat out Herbert for the spot on the 2011 world championship team, he chose not to wrestle at the trials, leaving the door open for Herbert. The Ann Arbor, Mich., resident was a four-time All-American at Northwestern, where he won NCAA titles in 2007 and 2009. Herbert took home the 2009 Dan Hodge Trophy as the nation’s best college wrestler after earning one of his three Big Ten titles. He won a state title in 2003 for North Allegheny High School. Herbert, who owns a degree in communications, participated in the 2008 Olympic trials while still at Northwestern but did not make the team.