Jake Varner

Sport: Wrestling

Nation: United States of America

DOB: March 24, 1986

Career Highlights: Varner followed a stellar bronze-medal showing at the 2011 world championships by claiming a spot on his first Olympic team. Varner also won the 2011 U.S. Open, improving one spot from 2010, when he finished second at both the world team trials and the U.S. Open. Varner currently resides in State College, Penn., where he trains under American legend Cael Sanderson at the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club. Varner won a gold medal at the 2011 Pan American Games and qualified for the 2009 worlds, where he finished ninth. He graduated from Iowa State, where he won back-to-back NCAA titles in 2009 and 2010. He was the NCAA runner-up his first two years for the Cyclones, in 2007 and 2008. Varner won two California state titles at Bakersfield High School and was named outstanding wrestler at the 2005 California state tournament. Varner was a criminal justice major in college.

Olympic History: None