NCAA

Gomez, Traxler Decide Next Stops

Gomez, Traxler Decide Next Stops

Two of the top wrestlers in the transfer portal announced their future plans on Tuesday.

Jun 2, 2021
Gomez, Traxler Decide Next Stops

Two of the top wrestlers in the transfer portal announced their future plans on Tuesday. 

Iowa State transfer Austin Gomez is rekindling his career at Wisconsin and former Stanford standout Nathan Traxler is headed to Virginia Tech. 

Gomez dealt with a myriad of injuries during his time with the Cyclones and announced in December that he was retiring from competition after suffering a series of concussions. The entertaining Illinois native won the 2018 Junior World Team Trials and posted a 24-7 record at 133 pounds in 2019, when he reached the Southern Scuffle finals and the bloodround at the NCAA Championships. 

Gomez announced in April that he was returning to competitive wrestling and lined up visits to Wisconsin, Iowa, Oklahoma State and Wyoming. He will likely slot into the Badgers’ lineup at 141 pounds. 


Traxler, another Illinois native, registered a 75-26 career record and qualified for the NCAA Championships four times during his stay at Stanford. He won a Pac-12 title at 197 pounds in 2019 and then moved up to heavyweight this past season and reached the bloodround at the national tournament.

The addition of Traxler gives Virginia Tech more options at the upperweights. The Hokies used top freshman Hunter Catka and junior John Borst at heavyweight this past season before Catka took over in the postseason and qualified for the NCAA Championships. Catka still has a redshirt at his disposal.