Wrestler Throws Medals in Garbage (VIDEO)
A college wrestler unhappy with winning second place has thrown his medal in the garbage. A local reporter later found the medal and tweeted a picture of it, which caused quite a stir among fellow athletes and students across the nation.
At the annual Big Ten tournament in Champaign, Ill., the Iowa Hawkeyes came away without a single win. They lost all of their title matches, including the one involving Matt McDonough, who placed second after losing to Jesse Delgado. According to The Daily Iowan, it was the third loss for McDonough, "the most he has ever had."
"It's not rocket science. We've got to be tougher. We've got to do certain things to be tougher… It starts with finishing and urgency in those situations," Iowa's head coach Tom Brands told the Daily Iowan.
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McDonough, obviously upset at the loss, refused to speak to the press after his match. Later, a reporter found his second place medal in the trash.
Even though many are upset with McDonough's behavior and believe it shows a sign of immaturity and poor sportsmanship, at least one report from The Gazette states that McDonough tried to reclaim his medal before leaving Illinois and left his information for it to be returned.
"The fact that McDonough quickly sought a way to regain it shows that he understands the medal is important. Even if not to himself, it means something to the program," K.J. Pilcher wrote for The Gazette.
"As much as I hate Iowa athletics, I have huge respect for Matt McDonough," tweeted Bret Johnson. "The guy hates to lose. He threw his 2nd place medal in the trash."
"Matt McDonough threw away his second-place Big Ten medal in the garbage… something I would do if I got second place," added Kevin Portillo.
Yet others are not so understanding or sympathetic to the wrestler.
"Matt McDonough is a sore loser. Throwing out his 2nd place medal. Grow up kid," tweeted Wrestling Problems.
It remains to be seen whether McDonough will speak about the situation and whether his medal will be returned.
Watch McDonough's wrestling match HERE:
