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Grand View University’s wrestling program has had a track record of great success. Led by Coach Nick Mitchell, the Vikings won the team National Championship nine years in a row from 2012-2020. Many National Champions and All-Americans have come and gone through the GV practice room. But in the summer of 2021, GV added a man to their team who could change the direction of the program forever. His name is Ben Provisor.

Provisor’s list of accolades suggests he is one of the best Greco-Roman wrestlers in the world. He has qualified for two Olympic Games and multiple World Championships. Greco-Roman is a style of wrestling in which the athletes are not allowed to touch their opponents’ legs. This makes it tough to score points and requires an incredible amount of upper body strength. College wrestlers use folkstyle wrestling, in which wrestlers can attack their opponent’s’ legs. So how did the coaches pull off recruiting Provisor?

“I am good friends with one of the assistant coaches, Grant Turner,” Provisor said. “When I found out I had eligibility, I came for a visit. It was a very natural fit and had similar attitudes as the coaches and the team atmosphere was very welcoming.” He committed to attending GV a couple of weeks after the visit.

Fresh out of high school, Provisor was already one of the best Greco-Roman wrestlers in the country. He decided to focus on Greco-Roman instead of going to college and competing in folkstyle. He trained at multiple different regional training centers all across the country as he worked to perfect his craft. At the age of 21, he won the 2012 Olympic trials, which meant he would represent the United States in the Olympics. He also won the trials in 2016, making him a back-to-back Olympian. Provisor is a three-time U.S. Open champion and a three-time Pan Am champion. Now at the age of 31, he is still looking to add more awards to his already impressive resume.

 “My goal here is to help this team win national titles for years to come while also getting my coaching degree,” Provisor said.

His Greco career is not over; he just plans to wrestle Folkstyle as well. He will still compete in future Greco Tournaments with goals of becoming a World and Olympic champion.

As the oldest athlete on the team, Provisor has already taken a big leadership role.

 “I want to be a great example for these young kids and become a better wrestler, coach, and student each day I’m here,” Provisor said.

Provisor is always trying his best to help his teammates improve. One of these teammates is Justin McCun, who also competed in Greco-Roman in the spring and summer.

“Having someone that high level to wrestle with has gotten me better, especially at Greco. He’s a teammate but also a coach and breaks down everything we work on so that I can gain a deeper understanding,” McCun said. “Between him and Miljan I have two of the best Greco minds in the country in the room all the time to learn from.”

GV has other wrestlers who have seen success in Greco-Roman, including McCun, freshman Gabe Lewis, and sophomore Jack Eirvin. These young wrestlers practice with Provisor when he is preparing for a Greco tournament, and he is working to help them accomplish their own goals.