Gillespie,
a native of Webster, New York, was a volunteer coach at
Hofstra. He served as a coach and administrator for the Edinboro Scotsman Wrestling Club during the 2010-11 season. A 2011
graduate of Edinboro University, Gillespie earned NCAA All-America
honors from 2006 through 2009 and captured the 2007 NCAA
championship at 149 pounds with a 3-1 overtime decision over
Michigan's Josh Churella.
The two-time team captain for the Fighting Scots, Gillespie helped
lead Edinboro to top 10 team finishes at the NCAA Championships in
2006, 2007 and 2009, and Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) and
Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) team titles in all
four of his seasons. Individually, he was a three-time champion in
both the EWL and the PSAC, and was the EWL Tournament Most
Outstanding Wrestler award winner in 2007.
Gillespie
began his college career with a bang, winning his first 23 matches
on the way to a 40-4 record which is the most wins by a freshman in
school history. He won his first EWL and PSAC titles and placed
seventh at the NCAA Championships becoming Edinboro's first true
freshman to earn All-America honors. As a sophomore, Gillespie
tallied a 34-2 record, his second EWL title and was named both the
EWL and the PSAC Wrestler of the Year on the way to the national
title at 149 pounds.
In 2007-08, Gillespie moved up to 157 pounds, posted a 37-4 record
and placed fifth at the NCAA Championships. He won his third
straight EWL title and was named the EWL Tournament Most Outstanding
Wrestler, and recorded his second PSAC crown and was named the PSAC
Wrestler of the Year for the second consecutive year. As a senior in
2008-09, Gillespie recorded a 41-3 record, was an EWL finalist,
captured his third PSAC championship and was named the PSAC
Tournament Most Outstanding Wrestler, and placed fourth at the NCAA
Championships.
Gillespie
finished his collegiate career with a 152-13 record, breaking Jason
Robison's Edinboro record for career victories and setting a new
mark with a .921 winning percentage. A former Student-Athlete
Advisory Committee (SAAC) representative, Gillespie has a bachelor's
degree in individualized studies with a concentration in psychology.
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