Kyle Snyder and Bill ZadickKyle Snyder, 2016 Olympic gold medal-winning wrestler and Ohio State heavyweight, and U.S. Olympic men's freestyle coach Bill Zadick have both earned prestigious awards from the U.S. Olympic Committee.
Snyder has been named Male Olympic Athlete of the Year by the USOC, while Zadick is Olympic Coach of the Year in USOC's Team USA Awards revealed late Wednesday.
Snyder's honor
On the heels of an incredible 2016 that saw the Maryland native crowned an Olympic champion in freestyle wrestling, Kyle Snyder followed up with additional impressive accomplishments on the mat this year.
Snyder won the 97-kilogram/213-pound gold medal at the 2017 World Wrestling Championships in incredible style, defeating Russia's Abdulrashid Sadulaev, Olympic champion and two-time World champion, in the finals ... giving the U.S. the World team title over Russia by one team point. It was the third straight World or Olympic gold medal for the 22-year-old Snyder, who was a 2015 World champion and 2016 Olympic champion.
Also in 2017, Snyder won the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix in Russia -- the first U.S. men's winner in that prestigious event since 2009 -- as well as gold medals at the Pan American Championships and the Grand Prix of Spain. In freestyle competition in the U.S., Snyder won both the U.S. Senior Open and the U.S. World Team Trials ... while in collegiate folkstyle, Snyder won his second NCAA Division I heavyweight title as a junior at Ohio State.
Snyder becomes just the fourth wrestler to win a USOC Athlete of the Year award, joining Olympic and World champions John Smith in 1990, Rulon Gardner in 2000 and Jordan Burroughs in 2015.
When informed of being named 2017 Olympic Male Athlete of the Year, Snyder said, "This is great because Team USA is built from a ton of amazing and talented athletes. To be awarded this title is pretty special."
"Everything went well for me this past year," Snyder continued. "Looking back, I was able to improve. I am a better wrestler today than I was one year ago, which is what I try to do. I faced some great competition this year. In the World finals, I faced someone that many people think is one of the greatest of all time, and I competed well. I was able to train hard both mentally and physically for the World Championships."
"We are really excited to see Kyle recognized by the U.S. Olympic family for his incredible contributions to USA Wrestling's program and the U.S. Olympic movement," said USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender. "Congratulations to Kyle, his family, his coaches and his teammates on this achievement."
Tom Ryan, Snyder's coach at Ohio State, echoed that sentiment succinctly in this message on his Twitter account: "Congrats to @Snyder_man45 Olympic Male Athlete of the Year!"
In receiving the USOC Olympic Male Athlete of the Year award, Snyder edged out other male finalists Lowell Bailey of biathlon, swimmer Caeleb Dressel, Sam Kendricks of track and field, and freestyle skier McRae Williams.
Zadick's award
Just one year after being named USA Wrestling National Freestyle Coach, Bill Zadick has been named National Olympic Coach of the Year for 2017.
The Zadick-led Team USA edged Russia by one point to win the 2017 Freestyle World Team Title, its first world team championship in 22 years (1995), and only its third ever. The USA won six medals in the eight weight classes, including two gold medals, two silver medals and two bronze medals. In addition, USA Wrestling won the Junior World Team men's freestyle title in 2017 under Zadick's guidance, its first team title at this age level since 1984.
Zadick became National Freestyle Coach in August 2016 and was in his first year leading the program after more than seven years as an Assistant National Freestyle Coach. Prior to launching his coaching career, Zadick built a strong wrestling resume. Among his accomplishments: he was a 2006 World champion in men's freestyle, and the 142-pound titlewinner at the 1996 NCAAs for the University of Iowa, only the second Montana native to win a national college mat title. Zadick capped his collegiate career as a two-time All-American, as well as a Big Ten and NCAA champion. He was welcomed into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2011.
"We are extremely excited to see Bill Zadick recognized with such a prestigious honor," said USA Wrestling's Rich Bender. "In the short time that Bill has been National Freestyle Coach, he has established himself as one of the very best coaches and leaders in Olympic sport. He is a great coach but even a better person."
"It is an honor to be included in this group of excellent coaches, which is humbling," Bill Zadick said upon learning of the award. "A good plan is contingent upon good people in the right places. We have a vision to be the best and believed we could be World Champion. It is a victory for everybody."
"I want to thank (Executive Director) Rich Bender and (Associate Executive Director) Les Gutches for giving me this opportunity. I thank our coaching staff which includes Kevin Jackson and Joe Russell, as well as the entire USA Wrestling staff," Zadick continued. "Everyone works hard in their area to elevate the company and our program. I thank Cody Bickley and Jaimie McNab for their work. I have said this before that our athletes are great people, who happen to be great wrestlers also. Great athletes make their coaches look good."
Zadick is the first USA Wrestling coach to win the USOC Olympic Coach of the Year award, and only the second to win any USOC coaching award. In 2008, Dr. Dave Bennett, who was USA Wrestling's Freestyle Development Coach, won the USOC Doc Counsilman Science Award, recognizing a coach who utilizes scientific techniques and equipment in innovative ways.
In addition to Zadick, the 2017 Olympic Coach of the Year finalists were Billy Walsh of USA Boxing and Matt Whitcomb of Nordic skiing.
One honoree honors another...
"Thankful I could receive this award with Coach Zadick," Kyle Snyder posted on Twitter Thursday. "We have been working together for 5 years. Hours and hours of development. He taught me how to be elite."
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