Kendall Cross
Personal information
Full nameKendall Duane Cross
BornFebruary 24, 1968 (1968-02-24) (age 55)
Hardin, Montana, U.S.
Home townMustang, Oklahoma, U.S.
Medal record
Men's freestyle wrestling
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1996 Atlanta 57 kg
World Cup
Gold medal – first place 1997 Stillwater 57 kg
Pan American Championships
Bronze medal – third place1992 Albany57 kg
Collegiate Wrestling
Representing the Oklahoma State Cowboys
NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships
Gold medal – first place1989 Oklahoma City126 lb
Bronze medal – third place1990 College Park126 lb

Kendall Duane Cross (born February 24, 1968) is an American freestyle wrestler, wrestling coach and Olympic gold medalist. He won the gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, where he wrestled in the 57 kilogram (125.5 pounds) weight class. He defeated Guivi Sissaouri of Canada 5–3 in the final match.[1] Cross also competed at the 1992 Summer Olympics where he placed sixth (he defeated the Olympic champion and the two-time world champion Alejandro Puerto of Cuba 10–6 in the 6-th match)[2]

Early career

In high school, Cross wrestled for Mustang High School in Mustang, Oklahoma where he won a state title. He wrestled collegiately for Oklahoma State University where he was a three time All-American and won the NCAA Championship in 1989.[3] Kendall graduated from OSU with a major in political science and economics.[4]

Highlight achievements

  • Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, inducted 2002[5]
  • Three time US National Champion
  • Outstanding Freestyle Wrestler at the U. S. Nationals, 1992 and 1995
  • 1997 USA Wrestling Athlete of the Year[6]
  • Espoir National and Espoir World Cup Champion, 1988
  • Bronze medal at Junior World Championships, 1986
  • World Cup Champion, 1997
  • Olympic Champion, 1996

Coaching

After college he served as an assistant coach at University of North Carolina Chapel Hill in Chapel Hill, NC while training for the Olympics. He also served as a coach for the Sunkist Kids and the Dave Schultz Wrestling Clubs. Kendall went on to become an assistant coach at Harvard University and worked at Merrill Lynch in Boston. While in Boston, he founded the Kendall Cross Gold Medal Wrestling Club, which developed young athletes. Then After Moving to Dallas, helped coach at Dallas Dynamite, with other Olympians Brandon Slay and Jamill Kelly. In addition to help Head coach at Dallas Dynamite (Brandon and Jamill both coach for the US National team currently) with former Oklahoma wrestler, Melvin Lofton, he also coaches at Trinity Christian Academy high school wrestling team.

Family

Kendall has two children, Kennedy and London Cross, and currently resides in New York City.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Americans Angle, Cross Capture Wrestling Golds". The Washington Post. August 13, 2000. Retrieved July 5, 2008.
  2. ↑ "Wrestling at the 1992 Barcelona Summer Games: Men's Bantamweight, Freestyle, Group B, Round 6". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on April 18, 2020. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
  3. ↑ "Kendall Cross Home Page". Archived from the original on May 24, 2010. Retrieved July 5, 2008.
  4. ↑ "Kendall Cross". Archived from the original on October 3, 2009. Retrieved July 6, 2008.
  5. ↑ "National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum". Archived from the original on July 28, 2003. Retrieved September 23, 2006.
  6. ↑ "Kendall Cross's Bio: Olympic Champion".
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