Draft:Payton Jacobson
| Submission declined on 14 October 2025 by ChrysGalley (talk). This submission does not appear to be written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. Entries should be written from a neutral point of view, and should refer to a range of independent, reliable, published sources. Please rewrite your submission in a more encyclopedic format. Please make sure to avoid peacock terms that promote the subject.
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Comment: There are a few things that need to be fixed, but I don't think it will be too difficult, and some have already been mentioned by other reviewers. They are:a) There is a comment about the photo's copyright here, and a note on the submitter's Talk page about WP:COI. If the submitter knows the subject that's OK, but we need to identify that. Alternatively if the submitter does not know the subject then the photo's origins need to be explained, so that we don't have a copyright violation.b) the Wrestling Career section is written like an essay and not obviously from a neutral point of view, nor with a formal, encyclopedic tone. It may also be better to summarise and cut out less important text. So the Lindland reunion is no doubt important for some people but not perhaps the whole world. The same could apply to the Early Life section but that's less problematic, since it's more concise.c) On the other hand the source material is good, that usually is the problem, but not here. But there is one big exception, the participation in the 2024 Olympics is a big deal, but I can't see a source for that?With these changes I suspect we can get the article accepted. In the case of (b) it may be sufficient to make some initial easier changes to begin with. ChrysGalley (talk) 20:56, 14 October 2025 (UTC)
- Comment: I see you list File:Payton Jacobson 2024 Olympic Trials.jpg as your own work. Given that this seems to be a professionally shot close-up at an event & there are reverse image search results for this file, this seems very unlikely. Please note that we can only use non-free images with a fair-use rationale, and there is only a valid fair use rationale for published articles, not unpublished drafts. Vanilla Wizard 💙 13:51, 13 August 2025 (UTC)
 Jacobson at 2024 US Olympic Trials | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | American |
| Born | September 12, 2002 Des Plaines, Illinois, U.S. |
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (170 cm) |
| Weight | 87 kg (192 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Country | United States |
| Sport | Wrestling |
Event | Greco-Roman |
| Club | New York Athletic Club, Sunkist Kids, Toppers Wrestling Club |
| Coached by | Andy Bisek, Parker Betts, Bill Kahle, Lucas Steldt |
Payton Jon Jacobson (born September 12, 2002) is an American Greco-Roman wrestler from Elkhorn, Wisconsin. He has represented the United States in multiple international competitions, including the 2022 U20 World Championships, the 2023 U23 World Championships, the 2024 U23 World Championships and the 2024 Summer Olympics. In 2025, following his U.S. Open championship, Jacobson was named to both the U23 and Senior World Teams. That same year, he won the 2024 USA Wrestling Greco-Roman Athlete of the Year award,[1] was named USA Wrestling Athlete of the Week presented by U.S. Air Force Special Warfare,[2] and was recognized as the 2024 Greco-Roman Co-Athlete of the Year by Five Point Move.[3]
Jacobson graduated from Northern Michigan University in 2025 with a Bachelor of Sports Science. He was among 1,050 graduates who participated in the spring commencement ceremeony held at the Superior Dome in Marquette, Michigan on May 3, 2005.[4]
Early life
[edit]Payton Jacobson was born on September 12, 2002, in Des Plaines, Illinois, to Aaron and Sheri Jacobson. The family relocated to Elkhorn, Wisconsin, in 2004. At age six, Jacobson began wrestling with the Elkhorn Youth Wrestling Club, where he quickly showed promise. He soon joined Ringers Wrestling Club, where he was introduced to his longtime coach, Bill Kahle. At age seven, Jacobson was exposed to Freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling, and by age nine, he began supplemental Greco-Roman training under Lucas Steldt at Combat Wrestling Club in Blue River, Wisconsin. The camp where he first met Steldt was led by then-U.S. Olympic Greco-Roman coach Matt Lindland—marking Jacobson’s first introduction to the national coaching ranks.[citation needed]
Jacobson’s early athletic development was nearly derailed when he was diagnosed with Perthes disease, a rare childhood hip disorder that restricts blood flow to the femoral head and can cause long-term joint damage. Despite the condition, he recovered fully and returned to the mat, eventually becoming one of the top youth Greco-Roman wrestlers in the state.[5]
Jacobson initially attended Elkhorn Area High School but transferred after his sophomore year to Catholic Central High School in Burlington to focus more seriously on Greco-Roman training.[6] He trained under Kahle at the Toppers Wrestling Club, the only high school-level Greco-Roman program in the country at the time. Jacobson competed internationally under the Toppers banner, earning multiple medals overseas, including gold at the 2020 Kolding Cup in Denmark and the Sundsvall Open in Sweden.[7][8]
Wrestling career
[edit]While many elite American wrestlers emerge from dominant folkstyle high school careers, Jacobson’s path was notably different. He qualified for the Wisconsin State High School Tournament as a freshman but did not place, and returned as a sophomore to finish sixth. However, his true potential was already evident in the international styles. By the end of his sophomore year (2019), Jacobson made the pivotal decision to step away from folkstyle entirely and commit full-time to Greco-Roman wrestling—after he maintained an undefeated record in Greco-Roman wrestling within the state of Wisconsin since 2016, as documented through multiple tournament brackets and match results.[9][10]
At age 14, during his freshman year, Jacobson traveled to Estonia to compete in the Tallinn Open—his first international tournament—where he captured a gold medal.[11] The trip also marked a reunion with U.S. Olympic Greco-Roman coach Matt Lindland, whom Jacobson had first met years earlier at a youth training camp in Wisconsin. The two remained in contact as Jacobson progressed through the national Greco-Roman pipeline.
Following his transition to full-time Greco-Roman wrestling, Jacobson’s career accelerated rapidly. He began competing internationally with increasing frequency, earning medals at prestigious youth tournaments across Europe. In 2020, he captured gold at both the Kolding Cup in Denmark and the Sundsvall Open in Sweden, representing the Toppers Wrestling Club. That same year, he won the Junior Greco-Roman National Championship in the United States and was featured in FivePointMove’s “Top 10 USA Greco-Roman Matches of 2020” for his performance in the finals.[12][13]
In the fall of 2020, Jacobson joined the NMU-National Training Site at Northern Michigan University, one of the country’s premier Greco-Roman development programs. Training alongside athletes such as Alston Nutter and Benji Peak, he quickly emerged as one of the top young Greco-Roman prospects in the nation.[14][15]
Jacobson’s success at the junior level quickly translated into opportunities on the international stage. In 2022, he earned a spot on the U.S. U20 World Team and competed at the U20 World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria, gaining valuable experience against top global talent. The following year, he was selected for the 2023 U23 U.S. World Team and represented the United States at the U23 World Championships in Tirana, Albania.[16]
In 2024, Jacobson reached a major milestone in his career by qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Team in Greco-Roman wrestling. He competed at the 2024 Summer Olympics, marking his debut on the sport’s biggest stage. His Olympic appearance further solidified his reputation as one of the top Greco-Roman athletes in the country.
Jacobson continued his momentum into 2025, winning the U.S. Open and earning selection to both the U23 and Senior U.S. World Teams. That same year, he was honored as the 2024 USA Wrestling Greco-Roman Athlete of the Year,[17] named USA Wrestling Athlete of the Week,[18] and recognized as the 2024 Greco-Roman Co-Athlete of the Year by Five Point Move.[19]
References
[edit]- ^ "2024 USA Wrestling Greco-Roman Awards: Payton Jacobson (Wrestler), Andy Bisek (Coach)". TheMat.com. April 30, 2025. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
- ^ "Payton Jacobson named USA Wrestling Athlete of the Week presented by U.S. Air Force Special Warfare". TheMat.com. April 30, 2025. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
- ^ "2024 Athlete(s) of the Year: Payton Jacobson & Beka Melelashvili". FivePointMove.com. 2 January 2025. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
- ^ "NMU Spring 2025 Commencement". WNMU-TV PBS. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
- ^ "Northern Michigan's Payton Jacobson has a chance at Olympic gold". Detroit Free Press. July 20, 2024. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
- ^ "Elkhorn's Jacobson ready for Olympic wrestling debut". Walworth County Community News. July 25, 2024. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
- ^ "Jacobson GOLD; Kahle, Amborn Also Medal at Kolding Cup in Denmark". FivePointMove.com. January 2020. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
- ^ "Peak & Jacobson Win Gold at Sweden's Sundsvall Open". FivePointMove.com. January 26, 2020. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
- ^ "Payton Jacobson Profile". Trackwrestling. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
- ^ "Trackwrestling Bracket Viewer". Trackwrestling. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
- ^ "Monday Roundup: Updated US Medal Count; Gedza Results; Senior World Rosters Sort". Five Point Move. 30 September 2018. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
- ^ "2020 JR Nat'ls: Jacobson Runs the Show". FivePointMove.com. November 2020. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
- ^ "Top 10 USA Greco-Roman Matches of 2020". FivePointMove.com. January 1, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
- ^ "Payton Jacobson Latest Big Wisconsin Prospect to Commit to NMU". FivePointMove.com. November 30, 2020. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
- ^ "More Wisconsin POWER: NMU's Tag Team of Nutter & Jacobson". FivePointMove.com. January 16, 2022. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
- ^ "2023 U23 U.S. Greco-Roman World Team Biographies". TheMat.com. October 13, 2023. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
- ^ "2024 USA Wrestling Greco-Roman Awards: Payton Jacobson (Wrestler), Andy Bisek (Coach)". TheMat.com. April 30, 2025. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
- ^ "Payton Jacobson named USA Wrestling Athlete of the Week presented by U.S. Air Force Special Warfare". TheMat.com. April 30, 2025. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
- ^ "2024 Athlete(s) of the Year: Payton Jacobson & Beka Melelashvili". FivePointMove.com. 2 January 2025. Retrieved July 30, 2025.