Tommy Rowlands

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Tommy Rowlands (born June 3, 1981 in Columbus, Ohio) was a two-time NCAA champion in wrestling and is currently an Ohio State University assistant wrestling coach and US Olympic hopeful.

Rowlands grew up less than 15 miles from the Ohio State campus. His wrestling career began when his father introduced him to Louisiana State University All American Wrestler Jim Edwards at a church function. Jim agreed to help Tommy learn the sport and the very next day Edwards would answer his door after work to find Tommy there ready to learn.

Rowlands entered high school at Bishop Ready high school in Columbus and there he would become teammates with long time friend Ross Thatcher. Thatcher and Tommy both won two state titles and went on to become collegiate All Americans.

Following graduation Rowland's chose to attend The Ohio State University where he became a two time national champion and the first four time All American for the Buckeyes. In the OSU singlet Tommy became a leader for the team and under coach Russ Helickson he was able to help lead the team to the National Duals finals and to a third place finish at the NCAA tournament.

After graduating Rowlands remain part of the program as a volunteer assistant coach. In 2006 he was hired as a full-time assistant.

Rowlands is currently training for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Summer Games. He currently works out twice a day, four to five times a week with partner Sean Salmon. His next test comes in the form of the U.S. Senior National Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada. He enters the tournament as the defending national heavyweight champion and the number 1 seed. The winner, according to the Columbus Dispatch on April 25, 2008, receives a bye to the two-out-of-three final matchup in the Olympic trials. If Rowlands is able to dominate at the Las Vegas championships it will be a huge step forward in his trek of becoming an Olympic Gold Medalist. Rowlands is 26 years old.