Nick Simmons works for a fall after locking Moldova’s Alexandru Chirtoaca in a spladle at the World Championships. Larry Slater photo.

When Nick Simmons first started rolling around on a wrestling mat, one of the many moves his father taught him was a spladle.

Simmons is still catching opponents, and even officials, off guard with the unorthodox move where he locks around an opponent’s legs while splitting them apart.

That was evident during Simmons’ second-round match against Moldova’s Alexandru Chirtoaca at last month’s World Championships.

“I was actually trying for a gut wrench,” Simmons said. “The guy moved and fell right into a position where I caught him with the spladle. He had no idea what hit him, and the referee didn’t know what was going on either. He initially gave the guy two points. He had probably never seen that move. I kept looking at the ref and he finally figured out the guy was pinned. It was pretty crazy.”

The 5-foot-10 Simmons has long been regarded as one of the most unorthodox and dangerous wrestlers in the United States. Now the World knows about Simmons as well after he turned in a fifth-place performance at the 2011 Worlds on Sept. 16 in Istanbul, Turkey.

Simmons not only is lethal with his front headlock and his arsenal of big-point moves, he also proved he can wrestle with anybody on the planet at 55 kg/121 lbs.

He qualified the U.S. for the 2012 Olympic Games at his weight class by virtue of placing in the top six at the 2011 Worlds. He is now on track to make the U.S. Olympic Team. He would need to win the Olympic Team Trials next April in Iowa City to earn a trip to London for the Olympics.

Simmons won four straight matches at last month’s World Championships to advance to the semifinals against past World champion and 2008 Olympic bronze medalist Radoslav Velikov of Bulgaria. Simmons had pinned Velikov with a spladle in late July in Poland, but Velikov earned a 1-0, 1-0 win in the rematch at the Worlds.

Simmons then fell to Iran’s Hassan Rahimi in the bronze-medal match to finish fifth in his first trip to the Senior World Championships.

“Overall, I can’t be too disappointed to place fifth in the World, but I am disappointed because I wanted to win a medal and I thought I could have been in the finals,” Simmons said. “I made a few mistakes in the semifinals against Velikov. I got impatient and tried to force a couple of things.”

Simmons said having wrestled Velikov once before impacted the match at the Worlds.

“It definitely played in his favor, but it definitely shouldn’t have mattered,” Simmons said. “I should have adjusted to what he was doing.”

Simmons, who turns 29 later this month, has been a busy man since returning home from Turkey. He got married on Saturday and he has resumed training for the Pan American Games, scheduled for Oct. 20-24 in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Simmons could face 2010 World bronze medalist Frank Chamizo Marquez of Cuba at the Pan Am Games. Marquez was 12th in the World this year.

“The Pan Am Games is an important event,” he said. “It will be a good tournament to compete in. I want to keep my confidence going and keep my motivation going for the Olympic year. The Pan Am Games is like a mini-Olympics, since it is a Games with every sport competing. It will be neat to experience that. I’m excited.”

Even though Simmons just placed fifth in the World, he may not even be the favorite at next spring’s Olympic Trials. 2008 Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo has resumed training and may be considered the frontrunner to represent the U.S. in London.

Simmons and Cejudo spent time training together this past summer at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Cejudo has competed in just one match since winning the Olympics in 2008.

“Henry’s obviously a great wrestler,” said Simmons, who lost to Cejudo in three periods in the finals of the 2007 U.S. Open. “He’s the Olympic champion and he’s been the best in the World. I just have to prepare to beat all the best guys, like I did before the World Championships. I have to train for whoever steps out there and do the best I can.”

Simmons, a four-time All-American for Michigan State, has spent the past few years training at the Northwest Regional Training Center at Oregon State University in Corvallis.

He and his brother, Andy, a past All-American at Michigan State, went to Oregon State to train after graduating from college in 2007.

Simmons works with Oregon State coach Jim Zalesky and OSU assistant coaches Troy Steiner and Kevin Roberts there.

“It’s a great situation for me,” Simmons said. “The coaches at Oregon State have helped me a lot.”

Simmons started the 2010-11 season competing up a weight class at 60 kg/132 lbs.

He placed third at last November’s New York AC International, defeating 2011 U.S. World Team member Reece Humphrey in the third-place match.

Simmons then finished fourth at February’s Dave Schultz Memorial International. He fell to former Michigan State teammate Franklin Gomez in the third-place match. Gomez went on to win a World silver medal for Puerto Rico.

Simmons planned to stay at 60 kilos before his brother returned to competition at that weight class. Simmons then decided to drop back down to 55 kilos for April’s U.S. Open and placed sixth.

“I didn’t manage my weight well,” Simmons said, “and it cost me.”

Simmons came back strong to win the U.S. World Team Trials, winning a tough, three-match series over U.S. Open champion Sam Hazewinkel to make his first World Team.

Simmons was not considered one of the top U.S. medal threats coming into last month’s World Championships.

“People count you out sometimes and they have their opinions,” he said. “I’m kind of used to being the bad guy, so it didn’t bother me. I knew what I was capable of and my coaches knew what I was capable of. I know I can be the best wrestler in the World. When people doubt me, I use it as fuel for the fire.”

Simmons worked closely with World Team Coach John Smith during U.S. training camps this summer in Colorado Springs. Smith, the head coach at Oklahoma State, won two Olympic titles and four World titles.

“John helped me a lot,” Simmons said. “He gave me a different perspective and view on my wrestling. He helped me with my positioning and worked with me on finishing my shots. He has a lot to offer. I idolized him as a kid. It’s kind of funny because he’s the guy I wanted to wrestle like and I’m probably the farthest from it with the style I wrestle. But he still saw areas where I could get better and it was great to work with him.”

Simmons drew praise from U.S. National Coach Zeke Jones for the progression he has made.

“Nick got on a roll and it was contagious for the rest of the team,” Jones said. “Nick was a little shaky in that first match, but after he got past that he had that attitude and hunger and fight that we like. A lot of people didn’t think Nick could do it and he went out there with a chip on his shoulder, which was good. He went out and said he is going to prove those guys wrong.

“Nick didn’t get a medal, and I know he’s not satisfied and we’re not satisfied until he gets on the podium. When he spladled that Moldovan, he let you know he was there to compete and there to win.”

The fifth-place finish Simmons earned at the Worlds provided a spark to the U.S. team, which finished third in Turkey.

“To come out and take third as a team, after what happened last year, was really great to see,” he said. “If a couple of matches turn out differently, we win the whole thing. We could’ve easily won it.”

Simmons said the performance by World champion Jordan Burroughs, which came two days after he competed, provided inspiration for him.

“I was so happy for Jordan,” Simmons said. “It was great for him and great for our country. What he did provides motivation for everyone else to get to that level.”

With Simmons preparing for the Pan Am Games, he and his new wife, Nicole, plan to go on their honeymoon in December.

“We will take a trip to the Caribbean,” Simmons said. “She’s been great. She totally supports what I do.”

Simmons, who competes for the Sunkist Kids, said he set a goal of winning the Olympics early in his wrestling career. He watched fellow Michigan native Kevin Jackson win the Olympics in 1992.

“Growing up and watching Kevin Jackson win the Olympics was inspiring,” Simmons said. “When I watched what Kevin and John Smith did at the Olympics, I decided I wanted to do the same thing. It’s always what I wanted to do, become an Olympic and World champion.”

Simmons said it would “mean everything” to step on the mat next year and represent the U.S. in London.

“It would be a dream come true,” he said. “I’ve dreamed about it since I was five years old. I have to make the team first, and then worry about winning the Olympics from there.”

You can bet Simmons will catch a few opponents in his trademark spladle.

"I was lucky to hit it those last two tournaments, but it's not what I'm really looking for in a freestyle match," Simmons said. "I have kind of perfected it with my length and style of wrestling, and with the way I lock it up as tight as I do. It's a definitely a crowd-pleaser when I get an opportunity to hit it."