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Matt Gentry, a 2008 Olympian and former Stanford NCAA Champion, returns to The Farm for his fourth season on the Cardinal coaching staff and his first as a full-time assistant coach. During his first three seasons on the staff, Gentry helped the Cardinal to a 29-19 dual meet record, coached Stanford wrestlers to five All-America honors and helped seven individuals qualify for the NCAA Championships. Working mostly with the middle weights, Gentry helped guide 157-pounder Josh Zupancic to back-to-back All-America honors the last two seasons and an appearance in the 2008 NCAA semifinals. In his first year as a full-time member of the staff, Gentry will be primarily responsible for developing the middle weights. One of the most successful wrestlers in school history, Gentry was a four-time NCAA qualifier and became Stanford's first NCAA Champion as a junior in 2004. That year, his 4-2 decision in the 157-pound title bout capped a perfect 42-0 season and etched Gentry's name in the Stanford record books as its 11th All-American. Gentry won 64 straight bouts between 2003 and 2005, topping the previous best of 23 consecutive wins and became the first Stanford wrestler to take the crown at Midlands. He finished his career with a 138-25 record, with a win total that still stands second on the Cardinal's all-time chart. Gentry began his international career following his graduation from Stanford in 2005. A dual citizen of the United States and Canada, he has collected a number of top finishes internationally. In 2006, he captured fifth at the University World Championships and in 2007 he won his first major international medal, a bronze, at the 2007 Pan Am Games. Competing at 74 kg (163 lbs) and representing Canada, Gentry became the school's first male Olympian when he competed at the Beijing Games last summer. Gentry graduated from Stanford with a degree in human biology in 2005. | |||||||||||||||||
