Aden Attao completes triple crown

Aden Attao proudly holds his freestyle and Greco-Roman championship plaques from the 2022 USMC Wrestling Nationals last Friday (Saturday on Saipan) in Fargo, North Dakota. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

Aden Attao completed a triple crown in junior wrestling after winning gold in the 2022 USMC Junior Greco-Roman Nationals last Friday (Saturday on Saipan) in Fargo, North Dakota.

The 17-year-old grandson of Jesus and Ramona Attao of Saipan defeated Sebastian Lopez of Kansas in the finals of the weightlifting division (285 lbs) to earn the coveted triple crown. 

To complete a triple crown, a wrestler must win a folkstyle, freestyle and Greco-Roman national championship in the same calendar year, according to USA Wrestling.

“Amazing. It’s great just knowing that all of the hard work and years I put into this sport is all paying off,” said Attao, who resides in Boise, Idaho.

Aden Attao joins other weight class winners of this past weekend’s 2022 USMC Greco-Roman Nationals in Fargo, North Dakota. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

He celebrated the triple crown by only doing a backflip, which in itself was already impressive without even considering he weighs around 285 lbs.

USA Wrestling reported that Attao was spectacular in the championship round, scoring an 8-0 technical fall over Lopez. He scored a four-point throw, then scored a pair of front headlock turns from par terre to end the match in the first period.

After winning the medal in freestyle wrestling earlier in the week, Attao said his focus continues to be to complete the  triple crown.

“Just having fun doing what I love…I didn’t celebrate much because I was so exhausted, and I did what I came to do so I didn’t celebrate much…I beat a lot of really good kids, and multiple kids who were ranked on my way to gold, just had to trust in my coaches and training to be able to beat those good kids.”

He added that his success so far this year is attributed to his continued dedication to the sport.

“My training and trusting in the process and believing in my family and coaches…It was difficult to train during COVID-19 but my coaches gave me equipment to use and gave me workout plans so I was able to keep training and working during COVID-19,” said Attao.

His family on Saipan said they’re truly proud of the wrestling prodigy’s historic triple crown.

“I have a nephew who wrestled in North Idaho. And there was a tournament in southern Idaho where my sister saw an ‘Attao’ on the bracket (different class). Attao is a very small family—we are all related. So I asked around and found out that he is Jesse’s son! So since then, I would keep track of his journey! Always so exciting to witness young athletes get so passionate about their sport and just continue to put hard work in! Hard work definitely pays off,” said Catherine Attao-Toves, an executive at TanHoldings.

Northern Marianas College chief financial officer David Attao is also quite proud of Aden’s success in the biggest stage of junior wrestling.

“Honored to see individuals of NMI descent compete in and succeed in events they love! What is more exciting is that the world and national champion is an Attao. Aden is probably the first NMI descent to be a junior world champion, the first to be a national champion, the first to be a triple crown champion, one of the first to possibly represent Team USA on the world stage and internationally and more. Being proud is an understatement.  So happy for him, his parents, grandparents, and entire family/friends,” he said.

The son of Jesse Attao and Stacey Hammar, Aden  last visited the CNMI in 2011 when he was 6 years old.