EDITOR'S NOTE: The Swnews4u.com Athlete of the Week is a web-only feature that will publish each Thursday or Friday throughout the calendar year.
By Jason Nihles, The Platteville Journal, Fennimore Times, Boscobel Dial
Alston Nutter, Fennimore native
LAS VEGAS — Fennimore native Alston Nutter, 28, clinched his first berth on the 2025 U.S. Senior Greco–Roman World Team with an impressive performance at the 2025 CLAW U.S. Open in Las Vegas in late April.
Nutter is currently a Specialist on the United States Army World Class Athlete Program (WCAP) Wrestling team, after joining the program in 2023 as a weapons locating radar operator.
The Army/WCAP, which for USA Greco–Roman currently is akin to the Yankees as far as talent and resources, would offer to Nutter the ability to work daily with fellow high-profile wrestlers within his weight range in addition to providing a sense of financial security.
As a newly-married man, Nutter felt that what Army brought to the table represented an option that was too good to pass up, and so he ran with it and ultimately led him to great success.
Nutter claimed his spot on the U.S. Senior World team with a pair of pins over Otto Black in the 67 kg (147.7 pounds) finals. The Fennimore native and former Northern Michigan University standout was a Junior World bronze medalist in 2019.
Nutter pinned Otto Black in the Round One of the Best-of-3 finals series. Black is a 2024 U20 World silver medalist who has earned gold at the Arvo Haavisto Cup and a 13th-place finish at the Zagreb Open in his first two international appearances at the Senior level.
Black was the first on top, but Nutter’s defense kept it a 1-0 match. A body lock on the edge by Nutter put him ahead 4–1. After Black was called for passivity in the second, Nutter went for a lift, Black tried to counter and ended up on his back and Nutter ended the match by fall at 4:22. After jumping forward to a four-point lead in their Round 2 match, Nutter repeated his first-round result, pinning Black in the first period at 2:58 to earn his career berth on the U.S. World Team.
Nutter cruised to the finals with 9–1 tech fall over Western Colorado Wrestling Club’s Isaac Chavarria in the opening round, before posting a 4–0 victory over Duncan Nelson of the Air Force WCAP in the quarterfinals, and a 7–1 decision over David Stepanian of the New York Athletic Club in the semis. Nelson went on to beat Stepanian for third place.
According to the WCAP website, “this victory marks a major milestone in (Nutter’s) wrestling career, showcasing his determination, skill, and continued growth as a top contender in Greco–Roman wrestling.”
Nutter had not competed in more than two years due to a number of injuries which frustrated him both physically and mentally. He last competed in a sanctioned environment at the 2023 US Open where he did well to make the semifinal for a second-straight year, before ultimately finishing sixth, while wrestling with an injury.
Nutter also competed in the USA Wrestling Olympic Trials in Fort Worth, Tex. in 2021, going 1–2 with a quarterfinal loss to eventual 67 kg champion Ellis Coleman.
The Senior World Team, which is determined by placings at the Senior World Team Trials, is the equivalent of the U.S. Olympic Team in non-Olympic years.
Nutter won a WIAA Division 3 individual state championship as a freshman in 2015 and finished as an individual state runner-up as a sophomore in 2016. He also led the Golden Eagles to the D3 team state championship in 2016, the first in school history. Nutter finished his high school career with 96 wins.
HONORABLE MENTION
Amryn Nutter, 2025 Fennimore graduate
Nutter’s younger brother, Amryn Nutter, a 2025 graduate of Fennimore High School also competed in Las Vegas in the U20 Greco-Roman Open Championships also at 67 kilograms.
Amryn, 18, went 4–1 and reached the finals before a 10–0 technical fall loss to Pierson Manville of the Atreus Wrestling Club out of Tempe, Ariz.
Amryn Nutter went on to finish second at the U20 World Team Trials in Geneva, Ohio May 30–June 1, reaching the finals before falling to a familiar name — Otto Black, 6–1.
The youngest of the Nutter clan made the transition to Greco–Roman wrestling full-time after his sophomore year at Fennimore High School, where he went 81–8, was a two-time individual state qualifier — finishing third at 126 pounds in 2023 — and helped the Golden Eagles win back-to-back WIAA Division 3 Team State titles in 2022 and 2023.
A third wrestling prodigy of the Nutter family, Aidan, who competed at 2024 Greco–Roman Senior World Trials last Sept. — placing fourth at 63 kg— for Northern Michigan University. He graduated from NMU in December 2024 with a Bacherlors of Science Nursing degree.
Aidan, 23, was a 2020 graduate of FHS, where he was a four-time state qualifier with a 158–46 career record, while helping the Golden Eagles win the 2019 WIAA D3 Team State title.
Alston, Aidan and Amryn are the sons of Jamie and Stacey Nutter of Fennimore.
