Colorado Springs, Co – The PRTC has traveled to the US Olympic Training Center this week to practice with Team USA. It is the first of two training camps to be held this summer at the OTC.

“It’s exciting to spend time with USA’s best,” said the PRTC’s Mark Hall. “Everybody has their own way of navigating the sport of wrestling and things are always interesting when we get the chance to bounce ideas off of one another.”

Mark Hall, 86kg

The week-long camp is Hall’s first as a Senior National Team member. He placed second at 86kg in the recent World Team Trials Challenge tournament attaining the third spot on USA’s ranking ladder behind David Taylor and Zahid Valencia. The top 3 at each weight class qualify for the National Team. Taylor will be the USA Team representative at 86kg in the World Championships later this year.

All four active PRTC Senior Athletes made the trip to Colorado. Joey McKenna(65kg), a three time National Team member, and David McFadden(79kg) along with Jordan Burroughs(79kg) have joined Hall. Burroughs is the returning World Champion at 79kg and will represent Team USA for the 11th time as a Senior World Team member.

“I’m excited to be heading into my first training camp alongside my 2022 World Team teammates,” said Burroughs. “We’ve got an outstanding squad this year!”

Jordan Burroughs, 79kg

It’s been a while since Team USA has been together as a group for a training camp. Most of the World and National Team will be at the OTC this week. “Due to Covid, it’s been almost three years since I’ve been to the training camp,” Burroughs recalls. “This place has been a second home for me, and I’ve always felt that I make my biggest gains in my wrestling while spending the summer here with my team. It’s good to be back and I’m looking forward to spending this week getting better!”

The World Team training camp runs through July 10th with a second camp scheduled for mid-August. Following this first camp, Joey McKenna and David McFadden will travel to Warsaw, Poland to compete in the Poland Open from July 16-20.

The World Championships are in Belgrade, Serbia this coming September where Burroughs will compete for a record 7th World/Olympic Gold medal.

Pictures by Levi Ventura and Tony Rotundo