Wattenberg Named Assistant Coach of Cornell Wrestling

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(Cornell Sports Information)
09/17/2004


ITHACA, N.Y. - Clint Wattenberg '03, a former two-time All-America wrestler at Cornell, has returned to his alma mater to serve as an assistant coach, it was announced by Rob Koll, the David R. Dunlop '59 Coach of Wrestling. Wattenberg, who placed fourth at this year's U.S. Olympic trials at 84 kg (185 lbs.), finished his Big Red career with 120 wins, the second most in program history.    Wattenberg, ranked fifth going into the trials, advanced to the semifinals, where he dropped a match to top-ranked Cael Sanderson, who brought home the gold for the U.S. at the Athens Games. An overtime loss to third-ranked Muhammed Lawal in the battle for third handed fourth place to Wattenberg, who qualified for the trials via a sixth-place finish at the U.S. national championships in Las Vegas earlier this year.    During the 2003-04 season, Wattenberg trained for the Olympic trials in Cornell's Friedman Wrestling Center and helped the coaching staff along the way, as the Big Red won its second straight Ivy League title and finished 11th at the NCAA championships.    In his final season at Cornell, Wattenberg compiled a 39-5 record and was ranked No. 1 at 184 pounds for a portion of the 2002-03 campaign after having great success at both of that year's National Wrestling Coaches Association events. He pinned top-ranked Jessman Smith of Iowa at the NWCA All-Star meet and was most impressive at the National Duals, where he earned bonus wins in all six of his matches to capture the Most Outstanding Wrestler award at the prestigious event. At the 2003 NCAA championships, Wattenberg placed fifth after recording a sixth-place finish as a junior. He captured the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association title in 2002 in addition to being named the New York State Wrestler of the Year.    In 2002, Wattenberg was the recipient of the Peter J. Floros Memorial Award, given annually to Cornell's most valuable wrestler. Following his sophomore year, he received the James Meldrim '63 Memorial Award, signifying outstanding character, sportsmanship, scholarship, and contribution to the Cornell wrestling program. He recorded a total of 23 falls during his distinguished career, capturing the team's Andy Noel Award for most falls in 2002 and 2003.    Wattenberg, a native of Chico, Calif., graduated from Cornell in 2003 with a bachelor's degree in nutritional sciences. He received his master's degree in exercise science at Ithaca College in 2004.