One local Pittsburgh native who will be representing Team USA when the 2012 Olympics get underway in London later this month is Jake Herbert. The former North Allegheny wrestler won a state championship in high school, dominating the competition and following in his father's footsteps as a state champion.
Herbert went on to wrestle in the Big Ten at Northwestern, winning two national titles with the Wildcats. Now, he's made Team USA and is singularly focused on the task at hand in London. He will wrestle at 185 pounds and he doesn't mince words when it comes to setting personal goals and standards -- anything less than a gold medal will be a failure. Via WPXI.com:
"I hate that silver medal. Some people get second in the world and are supposed to like it, but you don't win silver. You lose gold," he said.
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"I have little triggers everywhere. The back of my phone has a gold medal. My iPad has a gold medal. My computer has an Olympic gold medal," he said. "You surround yourself with it. You start thinking about it. It consumes you."
The four-time All-American is obviously not used to failing, and he's setting the bar high and feels he's put in the training and work to bring home the gold.
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