Mark Hall (wrestler)

Hall was born and grew up in Davison, Michigan, he started wrestling when he was 6 years old at Davison Middle School. He played soccer since he was 4 years-old until he was 10-years old and attributes his quickness on the mat to his background. He started 7th grade in Davison Middle School, but ended up moving to Union, Kentucky to wrestle for Ryle High School. The move was originated because the MHSAA doesn't allow 7th and 8th graders to wrestle in the varsity high school level, but the KHSAA does. In that year (2010), Hall compiled a 42–3 record and made it to the finals of the state championships at 119, where he finally lost to the defending state champion Myron Bradbury.

In 2011, Hall moved once again to wrestle at Apple Valley High School in Minnesota and decided to repeat 7th grade. He posted a 46–3 record as a seventh-grader and won a state title at 130 pounds. As an 8th-grader, he was unbeaten with a record of 43–0 and won his second state title now at 145-pounds. In his freshman year, he moved up another weight class and went on to win his third state title, this time at 152-pounds. As a sophomore, he moved up a weight class for the final time and went on to win his 4th state championship at 165-pounds, he also won became a Cadet World Champion in freestyle wrestling. In his two remaining years (junior and senior) he won two more state titles at 165-pounds, making him a 6-time Minnesota state champion and receiving the 2016 Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award.[1] He also won the Junior World Championships and reached quarterfinals in the Olympic Team Trials in 2016 as a high school senior.

Hall posted a 278–5 record overall and is often considered the best Minnesota high school wrestler in history due to his accomplishments.[2][3][4][5]

At the beginning of the season, Hall was having a good redshirt season as he was 13–1 with seven pins, but he surpassed the expectations so much by comfortably winning the Southern Scuffle that PSUs Head Coach Cael Sanderson pulled his redshirt. As a true freshman, Hall went on to compete at the Big Ten Championships, where he posted a 2–1 record, making him the tournament's runner-up and qualifying for the nationals. At the national tournament, he defeated all 5 opponents, including top-ranked Zahid Valencia and #2-ranked Bo Jordan, making him the 2017 NCAA Division I Champion and receiving the InterMat Freshman of the Year Honor.

Posted an undefeated 22–0 record in regular season. Went on to win his first Big Ten title, defeated #6 ranked wrestler Myles Amine in the finals and qualified for the NCAA tournament. Advanced to his second-straight final at NCAAs, but ultimately lost to the top-ranked wrestler in the country Zahid Valencia, making him the 2018 NCAA Division I Runner-up at 174-pounds. After-season, Hall won a gold medal in the prestigious 2018 Pan American Championships in freestyle wrestling.

Compiled a perfect 23–0 record during regular season and avenged last year's loss at the National Finals beating Zahid Valencia 4 points to none. Won second-straight Big Ten title downing #4-ranked Myles Amine in the finals and qualifying for the 2019 NCAA Division I National Tournament. Got to the finals for the third-consecutive time defeating multiple high-ranked wrestlers, ultimately lost a close 4–3 to Zahid Valencia, making him the 2019 NCAA National Runner-up.

Hall recorded a 21–1 record during regular season. In the 2020 Big Ten Conference Championships, he went 3–0, remarkably downing #6-ranked Dylan Lydy and avenging his loss in regular season by beating #2-ranked Michael Kemerer in the finals, winning his third-straight title. Going into the 2020 NCAA Wrestling Championships, Hall was seeded #1 and was a favorite to reach the finals for the fourth time and win the title a second time. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event wasn't able to take place, as it got cancelled. Hall wasn't able to finish his college career with an NCAA Title but was able to finish it with a Big Ten Championship in Minnesota, the same state where he finished his high school career. After the season, Hall earned All-American honors due to his performance throughout the season.[6][7]

Overall, Hall is a one-time NCAA Champion, three-time NCAA Finalist, four-time NCAA All-American, three-time Big Ten Champion and four-time Big Ten Finalist as a college wrestler.[8][9][10]

After making his senior debut in 2015 with a third-place finish at the Grand Prix of Spain,[11][12] Hall qualified for the 2016 US Olympic Team Trials after winning the Last Chance Qualifier at 74 kilograms,[13] but lost in the second round to the US Open champion Andrew Howe.[14] He then went on to defeat Iran's Ahmad Bazrighaleh in a charity match at the annual Beat The Streets event.[15]

He made his return to the senior freestyle scene at the 2018 Pan American Championships, where he won the 74 kilograms championship and outscored his three opponents combined by 21 points to 1.[16] In 2019, he once again won the Last Chance Qualifier now for the World Team Trials,[17] but was stopped in his third match, this time by his collegiate rival Zahid Valencia.[18]

Hall was then scheduled to wrestle Tommy Gantt on August 30, 2020 at Chael Sonnen's Wrestling Underground I.[19] However, an injury forced him to pull out of the bout on August 27.[20]