Gordy Morgan of Richfield, Minn. was named USA Wrestling FILA Junior/University Person of the Year. This award goes to a leader(s) who works with athletes and programs on the FILA Junior (ages 17-20) and University (ages 18-24) levels.

Morgan has worked as the Freestyle Coach for Minnesota/USA Wrestling, and the Freestyle Coach for the Minnesota Storm club for the last four years. He coaches freestyle wrestling to athletes in Minnesota at all age levels. Morgan works with athletes from the Kids division all the way up to the Olympic level.

Morgan runs the freestyle practices at the Minnesota Regional training sites. He conducts the freestyle training camp for the Minnesota/USA Wrestling teams that attend the ASICS/Vaughan Junior Nationals and the Accelerade Cadet Nationals, and coordinates the coaching staffs for the national level events for the state.

He also coaches Minnesota wrestlers who compete at major USA Wrestling regional and national events. Minnesota is one of the most active states in bringing athletes to major competitions. He also works with the top Senior freestyle wrestlers on the Minnesota Storm. 

An example of an athlete he has coached is Univ. of Minnesota NCAA champion Cole Konrad, a Minnesota Storm athlete who won a University World Championships medal this year. Minnesota athletes have traditionally done very well in both styles at the FILA Junior and University age levels.

Prior to working for Minnesota/USA Wrestling, Morgan served as the head coach for the United States Olympic Education Center (USEOC) Greco-Roman Resident Program at Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Mich. Morgan was the first coach of this Olympic developmental program, which provides Greco-Roman training to college athletes. His efforts helped to build this program into one of the best developmental opportunities for young athletes to master Greco-Roman wrestling. 

Morgan was a top international Greco-Roman wrestling star for many years. The highlight of his career was his ninth place finish at 163 pounds in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Ga. Morgan placed seventh in 1993 World Championships and was also a member of three other U.S. World teams (1990, 1994, 1995). He won a bronze medal at the 1995 Pan American Games, and was second in the 1991 World Cup.

He won three career U.S. Nationals titles in Greco-Roman (1991, 1993, 1994) and was second in the U.S. Nationals twice (1990, 1995). He placed third in the 1992 Olympic Trials.

Morgan was an NCAA All-American at the Univ. of Minnesota, placing eighth in the 1989 NCAA Championships. He was also a state champion at Bloomington Kennedy High School in 1985.

He comes from one of the most successful wrestling families in U.S. history. His older brother John was a member of the 1988 U.S. Olympic Greco-Roman wrestling team and was a member of three U.S. World teams. His younger brother Marty competed on two U.S. Greco-Roman World Teams and was an NCAA Div. I champion. 

FILA Junior/University Person of the Year
1994 - Bill Crum, New Jersey
1995 - Brad Traviola, Illinois
1996 - Rich Estrella, Colorado, Rob Hermann, Florida, Dan Mello, Virginia and Tony Thomas, Georgia
1997 - Doug Paulson, Minnesota
1998 - Ginny Errett, Indiana
1999 - Joe Russell, Minnesota
2000 - Mike Hess, Washington
2001 - Norm Osteen, South Carolina
2002 - Chris Horpel, California
2003 - Dick Wince and P.J. Smith, North Carolina
2004 - Charles Burton, Nebraska
2005 - Tony Ersland, Illinois
2006 - Gordy Morgan, Minnesota