Gerrit Nijenhuis

Gerrit Nijenhuis Defeats Wyatt Sheets 10-6

Photo by: Austin Bernard

Photo by: Ty Russell

Photo by: Matt Durisko

Photo by: Ty Russell

Class:
Junior
Height:
6-0
Weight:
174
High School:
Canon-McMillan HS
Hometown:
Canonsburg, Pa.
Prev School:
Purdue

Year	Overall	Duals	Big 12/Big Ten Finish	Major Decisions	Tech Falls	Pins
2020-21	11-7	5-3	5th	1	0	4
2021-22	18-14	8-6	DNP	2	1	2
2022-23	16-9	11-4	7th	1	0	2
2023-24	7-7	1-1	DNC	0	1	2
Totals	45-30	24-13	...	4	2	10

2023-24
Compiled a 9-7 record (7-7 against D1 opponents) after bumping up to 174 pounds … Posted a 1-1 dual record ... Placed in three tournaments: Michigan State Open (sixth place), Reno Tournament of Champions (second place) and Southern Scuffle (eighth place) ... Defeated South Dakota State’s Connor Gaynor, 6-4, in OU’s top-25 dual against the Jackrabbits (Feb. 9) … Tallied five bonus point wins, including three falls on the year.

2022-23
Started for the Sooners at 165 pounds … Finished 16-9, including an 11-4 dual mark which featured a career high eight consecutive dual wins … Qualified for his third straight NCAA Championships as the 21st seed … Placed seventh at the Big 12 tournament after recording his second pin of the season against Cameron Haddock of Utah Valley … Warded off No. 14 Tanner Cook of South Dakota state in dual action (8-5) with a winning takedown and riding time point bidding him the top-20 win … Recorded his first pin of the season after putting Alex Garee of Edinboro on his back and pinning him at the 52 second mark to help secure Oklahoma’s 22-15 dual win.

2021-22 (At Purdue)
Finished 18-15 at 174 pounds, including an 8-6 dual mark and eight wins over ranked opponents as a sophomore … Qualified for his second straight NCAA Championships, earning an automatic bid at the Big Ten Championships … Ranked in every poll of the season, earning a high mark of No. 13 in the country via FloWrestling … Placed eighth at the 2021 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, posting a 3-3 tournament mark, including wins over Oklahoma’s Anthony Mantanona and Stanford’s Tyler Eischens … Took fifth at the inaugural Matmen Open, carding a 4-2 tournament record with a technical fall and major decision … Earned the highest-ranked win of his career in his 2022 Big Ten Dual opener, scoring a 6-4 decision over No. 3 Mikey Labriola of Nebraska in Purdue’s 18-15 win over the Huskers … Posted three straight Big Ten Dual wins over Michigan State, Illinois and Wisconsin, notching a major decision over Nathan Jiminez, pinning D.J. Shannon in 2:00, and earning a 3-1 sudden victory over No. 22 Andrew McNally … Went 1-2 at NCAA’s, scoring a first-round win over No. 8 seed Mickey O’Malley of Drexel as he avenged his first loss of the year with a 6-4 sudden victory.

2020-21 (At Purdue)
Named Purdue’s Most Outstanding Freshman … Finished 11-7 in his rookie season at 165 pounds, appearing in eight varsity duals … Ranked as high as 18th in the nation at 165 via TrackWrestling … Purdue’s first true freshman to qualify for the NCAA Championships since Christian Brunner in 2017, earning an automatic qualifying spot at the Big Ten Championships … Posted the best individual finish by a true freshman at the conference tournament since 1987 (Scott Pierre), placing fifth as the No. 9 seed with a 4-2 record … Finished 2-2 as the at the NCAA Championships, pinning Hofstra’s Ricky Stamm and posting a 7-4 decision over Navy’s No. 14 seed Tanner Skidgel … Led the Boilermakers with four falls and nine reversals … Tied for the team lead with five bonus-point wins Finished 5-3 in Big Ten duals … Scored bonus points in his collegiate debut, posting an 8-0 win over Illinois’ Luke Odom … Posted his first collegiate fall against Iowa, pinning Joe Kelly in 4:27 … Earned his first win over a ranked opponent in Purdue’s home dual victory over Indiana, sticking 20th-ranked Nick South in 3:52 … All four of his wins at the Big Ten Tournament came over ranked opponents, topping Michigan State’s Jake Tucker twice, pinning Penn State’s Joe Lee and defeating Nick South of Indiana

High School
Four-year varsity letterwinner at Canon-McMillan High School … 2020 Pennsylvania High School AAA State Champion at 182 pounds, going 47-0 in his final season ... 2019 Pennsylvania High School AAA State Champion at 170 pounds … Won the 2019 Super 32 Tournament in Greensboro, North Carolina at 182 pounds … Finished second at the 2019 Fargo Freestyle Junior Championships … Placed third at the 2018 Pennsylvania High School State Championships at 160 pounds … Took third at 152 pounds as a freshman at the 2017 Pennsylvania High School State Championships

PERSONAL
Son of Rabo and Beth Nijenhuis … Has a sister, Skylar.