Kyle Snyder wrestling against Japan at the Freestyle World Cup in Iowa City (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Kyle Snyder can add yet another honor to his already muscular resume.
The 2016 Olympic gold medal-winning freestyle wrestler and three-time NCAA Division I heavyweight champ for Ohio State has been nominated to the President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, the White House announced Friday.
Established by President Dwight Eisenhower in 1956, the President's Council of Fitness, Sports and Nutrition is a U.S. government organization that aims "to promote, encourage, and motivate Americans of all ages to become physically active and participate in sports."
Snyder, who was nominated for a two-year term on the council, was the only amateur wrestler to be included in a larger group of nominees presented by President Trump on Friday. Among the other nominees: golfer Natalie Gulbis, actor and bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno, New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, and doctor and television personality Mehmet Oz.
In addition, the President appointed three individuals as co-chairs of the council: former New York Yankees pitcher Mariano Rivera, three-time women's beach volleyball Olympic gold medalist Misty May-Treanor and Heisman Trophy-winning running back Herschel Walker.
Just six weeks ago at the 2018 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Cleveland, Snyder concluded a successful mat career for the Buckeyes. The 22-year-old Maryland native became only the fifth college wrestler to have earned three D1 heavyweight titles, joining three Oklahoma State big men -- Earl McCready (1928-30), Dick Hutton (1947-48, 1950), and Jimmy Jackson (1976-78) -- as well as Carlton Haselrig of University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown (1986-88). Just last month, Snyder was named Ohio State's male recipient of the 2018 Big Ten Medal of Honor for athletes who excel in athletics and academics, and, before that, was the recipient of the AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) Sullivan Award, presented each year to the most outstanding amateur athlete in the nation.
Snyder has also made a name for himself in international freestyle competition. In addition to the gold medal he earned at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Snyder is also a two-time world champion.
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