Rocky Elam

Weight:
197
Class:
Senior
Hometown:
Kansas City, Mo.
High School:
Staley
Prev School:
Missouri

YEAR	WEIGHT	RECORD	DUAL RECORD	FALLS	TECH FALLS	MAJOR DECISIONS	TAKEDOWNS FOR (AGAINST)	CONF. FINISH	NCAA FINISH
*2020-21	197	17-2	7-0	2	1	6	N/A	1st	5th
*2021-22	197	24-7	10-4	1	2	5	N/A	3rd	4th
*2022-23	197	15-2	7-1	1	1	2	N/A	1st	3rd
*2023-24	197	14-6	5-2	1	0	3	N/A	2nd	6th
*2024-25	197	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	N/A	-	-
2025-26	197	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
CAREER	-	70-17	29-7	5	4	16	-	-	-

*at Missouri

Awards & Accomplishments
4x NCAA All-American (2021, ’22, ’23, ’24)
4x NCAA Qualifier (2021, ’22, ’23, ’24)
2x Conference Champion (2021, ‘23)
2x NWCA Scholar All-American (2023, ’24)
3x Academic All-Big 12 Selection (2022, ’23, ’24)
2024 NCAA Championships (Sixth Place)
2024 Big 12 Runner-Up
2023 NCAA Championships (Third Place)
2023 Big 12 Champion
2022 NCAA Championships (Fourth Place)
2022 Big 12 Championships (Third Place)
2022 Southern Scuffle Champion
2021 NCAA Championships (Fifth Place)
2021 MAC Champion
2021 Junior World Champion (92 kg)

2024-25
Did not compete.

2023-24 (at Missouri)
2024 NCAA All-American after placing sixth at 197 pounds as the No. 12 seed despite wrestling with a substantial shoulder injury … advanced to the national semifinals before falling to the consolation side of the bracket … became the fifth four-time All-American in Mizzou history … Big 12 runner-up … compiled a 14-6 record with eight ranked wins and four bonus-point victories (one fall, three major decisions) … opened the season on an eight-match win streak, including a first-place finish at the Cougar Clash … NWCA Scholar All-American … Academic All-Big 12 Second Team.

2022-23 (at Missouri)
Earned All-America honors after a third-place finish at the 2023 NCAA Championships … No. 3 seed at 197 pounds the NCAA Championships, the highest seed of his career … reached the semifinals before wrestling back for third with a victory over No. 2 seed Bernie Truax (POLY), his highest-ranked win of the season … Big 12 champion … tallied a 15-2 record, including a 7-1 mark in dual competition … four bonus-point victories (one fall, one tech fall, two major decisions) … was the consensus No. 1 wrestler in the country at 197 pounds between December 2022 and February 2023 … finished the season with 10 victories over ranked opponents … opened the season with a six-match win streak, including three bonus-point victories … competed at the NWCA All-Star Classic where he defeated 2022 NCAA runner-up Jacob Warner (Iowa) … NWCA Scholar All-American and Academic All-Big 12 First Team.

2021-22 (at Missouri)
NCAA All-American … placed fourth at the 2022 NCAA Championships as the No. 7 seed … wrestled to a 5-2 record at the NCAA Championships, including wins over higher seeds, No. 5 Nino Bonaccorsi (PITT), 6-1, and No. 3 Eric Schultz (NEB), 3-2 … compiled 24-7 overall record, including a 10-4 mark during dual competition … tallied eight bonus-point wins (one fall, two tech falls, five major decisions) … picked up five ranked wins during the regular season with the best coming against No. 10 Kordell Norfleet (ASU) by a 4-2 decision … placed third at the Big 12 Championship … battled through the backside of the bracket after losing in the first round … Southern Scuffle Champion … Academic All-Big 12 Second Team.

2020-21 (at Missouri)
Earned All-America honors as a true freshman by placing fifth at the 2021 NCAA Championships as the No. 7 seed at 197 pounds … fought through the entire consolation bracket after losing to Oklahoma’s Jake Woodley in the first round … avenged his loss to Woodley in the fifth-place match by 9-3 decision … 2021 MAC Champion, defeating Cleveland State’s Ben Smith 10-4 in the title match … posted a 17-2 record, including a 7-0 mark in dual action … recorded five bonus-victories (two falls, one technical fall, two major decisions) … tallied three ranked wins on the season, all of which occurred in his first three dual starts … made collegiate debut with a ranked win against No. 26 Landon Pelham of Central Michigan in a 7-3 decision … finished his true freshman season as the No. 6 ranked wrestler at 197 pounds … 2021 Junior World Champion (92 kg).

High School
Prepped at Staley High School for head coach Elisha Bears … tabbed as the nation's No. 11 overall recruit by FloWrestling and the top prospect at 197 pounds … two-time Missouri state champion and three-time state medalist … won titles in his junior and senior seasons after a third-place finish as a sophomore … posted a 156-16 prep record … 2020 Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award for Missouri … 2020 UWW Junior Austria Flatz Open champion … 2019 Post-Season Nationals champion … placed third at the 2019 UWW Cadet World Team Trials … third-place finish at the 2018 Super 32 … 2018 Cadet Freestyle Nationals champion … 2017 Pre-Season Nationals champion … trained at the Olympic Training Center as a member of USA Wrestling's Elite Accelerator Program … was a member of the Missouri State High School Activities Association All-Academic team three times for placing in the Top Six in the state tournament while maintaining at least a 3.5 GPA … team finished fourth place or better at the state championships every year he was on the team.

Personal
Brother, Zach, was a heavyweight at Mizzou (2018-24) and was a two-time All-American for the Tigers.