Sam Hazewinkel

Sam Hazewinkel was born on March 4, 1983, in Edina, Minnesota. He established himself as a prominent wrestler during his high school career at Pensacola Christian Academy in Pensacola, Florida, where he achieved an undefeated record of 140-0 and secured three Florida state championships. Hazewinkel also excelled in Greco-Roman wrestling at the junior national level, becoming a two-time Junior National Greco-Roman Champion. His early achievements set the foundation for a distinguished career in collegiate and international wrestling.

He continued his wrestling journey at the University of Oklahoma, where he was a four-time All-American, with his highest collegiate finish being second place at the NCAA Championships. Following his collegiate success, Hazewinkel embarked on an international career, becoming a 2008 University World Champion in Greco-Roman wrestling. A significant milestone in his career was winning the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials in freestyle wrestling, which earned him a spot on the 2012 U.S. Olympic team. At the 2012 London Olympics, he competed in the freestyle 55 kg division. Hazewinkel’s Olympic participation continued a family tradition, as his father, David Hazewinkel, and uncle, Jim Hazewinkel, were also Olympic wrestlers. Sam and his father were the first father-son duo to both compete on the U.S. Olympic wrestling team.

After his competitive wrestling career, Hazewinkel transitioned into coaching, contributing his expertise to various collegiate programs. He served as the head wrestling coach at Oklahoma City University during the 2019 and 2020 seasons. Following this role, he returned to his alma mater, the University of Oklahoma, as a volunteer assistant coach, where he currently contributes to the development of the next generation of wrestlers. Hazewinkel was also formerly the head coach of the Oklahoma Regional Training Center.