The Pennsylvania Regional Training Center (PRTC) has announced the addition of three-time All-American Ethan Lizak to its freestyle program. He will join the program in June 2019.

“We are very excited to add Ethan to our team and culture. We look forward to maximizing his development as a wrestler, but more importantly as a leader. Ethan will fit in very well with BJ Futrell at 65K and a potential 57K wrestler that we may be adding to the PRTC soon. Plus, Ethan will have great lightweight training partners among the 125-149 pounders at Penn and Drexel as well as many of the top lightweights in the nation who live within the 250-mile PRTC radius. It’s going to be fun taking the supreme skills Ethan has on the top position in Folkstyle and creatively transferring those strengths to make him very dangerous on top in Freestyle.”

A native Pennsylvanian and two-time state champion, Ethan recently completed his NCAA career at the University of Minnesota where he was one of the most accomplished wrestlers in the country. He was a four-time NCAA qualifier, an NCAA finalist in 2017, and finished fourth and seventh in 2018 and 2019, respectively. Ethan earned the nickname “The Backpack” for his ability to dominate opponents from the top position, often electrifying fans with his technique.

He has also had freestyle success having been an All-American at Fargo and representing the U.S. as a Junior World Team Member. Ethan joins current PRTC freestyle athletes B.J. Futrell, Earl Hall, Chase Pami, Richard Perry, and Dan Vallimont.

Added Ethan, “I’m excited to come back to Pennsylvania and be a little closer to my family including my brother, Jake Lizak, who is on the Penn wrestling team. Joining the PRTC allows me to train with some accomplished wrestlers like BJ Futrell. Coach Slay is a successful full-time Freestyle coach who will help teach me freestyle and work toward the goal of making a world team. The wrestling ecosystem in Philadelphia has a lot of resources with thriving programs such as the PRTC, Penn, Drexel, and Beat the Streets Philly. I look forward to growing as a leader in the midst of it.”