Benjamin Davino named USA Wrestling Athlete of the Week presented by U.S. Air Force Special Warfare

Benjamin Davino (South Elgin, Ill./St. Charles WC) has been named the USA Wrestling Athlete of the Week, presented by U.S. Air Force Special Warfare, on May 22, 2024.

Davino navigated a challenging freestyle bracket in the Junior Boys division at the Central Regional Championships held at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Ind., finishing on top at 138 pounds. Throughout the tournament, Davino outscored his opponents 56-2.

En route to the finals, Davino defeated five opponents all by 10-0 technical fall in the first period. He faced a tough opponent in 2023 U17 World champion in Greco-Roman Jordyn Raney, who earned spots on both the 2024 U17 Men’s freestyle and Greco-Roman World Teams in the 138-pound finals.

Davino led the match early, holding a 2-0 lead entering the second period. He added on two more points on a takedown to jump ahead 4-0, as Raney turned Davino to his back for two to cut the lead in half. Davino added another takedown with 1:34 remaining to seal the victory, as Raney was unable to cut the deficit.

In 2023, Davino represented the United States at the U17 World Championships in Men’s freestyle in Istanbul, Turkey, placing 19^th. He is committed to wrestle for Ohio State at the NCAA level.

To nominate a wrestler for this honor please email the athlete's name, wrestling program, weekly accomplishments, and career accolades to communications@usawrestling.org.