Spencer Lee falls in gold-medal match
Spencer Lee’s dream of becoming an Olympic champion fell just short Friday afternoon in the men’s freestyle 57 kg final.
Spencer Lee’s dream of becoming an Olympic champion fell just short Friday afternoon in the men’s freestyle 57 kg final.
Japan’s Rei Higuchi, the top seed, used a takedown early in the second period to defeat Lee, 4-2. Higuchi got a second takedown late in the match when Lee tried a desperation move with five seconds left and the match tied.
Because Higuchi had a takedown, if the match would have ended in a tie, he would have won by tiebreaker.
Lee was awarded one point twice for forcing his opponent out of the circle and out-of-bounds. He also was able to fend off Higuchi’s single-leg attack in the first period. As a silver medalist, he became the first Westmoreland County athlete to win an Olympic medal. Kurt Angle is the only former WPIAL wrestler to win a gold medal at the Olympics.
When Eric Mausser first met Lee in 2013, the former Franklin Regional coach asked his wrestlers to write down their goals.
For the three years Mausser coached Lee he wrote the same goal — “I want to be an Olympic champion.”
Mausser was in Lee’s corner for three years as he watched him win three consecutive PIAA Class 3A titles and four WPIAL titles.
The Iowa grad went on to win three NCAA Division I titles, was a fivetime NCAA All-American and twice was awarded the Dan Hodge Trophy as the nation’s top college wrestler.
He overcame numerous knee surgeries during his career.
The Franklin Regional wrestling boosters clubs (high school and elementary) held a watch party at Rick’s Sports Bar in Export on Friday. More than 200 people, including former wrestlers, current wrestlers, teachers and wrestling fans were there to cheer on Lee during his quest to become a champion.
“Spencer is an unbelievable human being,” Franklin Regional coach Matt Lebe said. “He lives his life the right way and has very high character. He loves what he does and works hard.
“He’s passionate about wrestling. He’s always set high goals and wants to be an Olympic champion.”
Lee won three matches on Thursday, defeating China’s Wanhao Zou, 3-2, in a rematch from the Last Chance Qualifier in Turkey, Kyrgyzstan’s Bekzat Almaz Uulu, 12-2, in the quarterfinals and Uzbekistan’s Gulpmjon Abdullaev, 14-4, in the semifinals.
