Star wrestler shows how athletics produces leaders

Cadet 1st Class Sam Wolf will graduate this summer and attend pilot training. Wolf participates in athletics at the U.S. Air Force Academy and is a co-captain of the wrestling team. (U.S. Air Force photo by Justin Pacheco)

By Randy Roughton
U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications

U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo. – Cadet 1st Class Sam Wolf’s wrestling teammates often tell each other to work hard in all aspects of life, and each endeavor will “meet at the top.” Wolf’s excellence as a cadet and on the mat for the U.S. Air Force Academy wrestling team demonstrate his devotion to his team’s athletic-academic adage.

The 184-pound wrestling team co-captain is also a two-time NCAA Division I Men’s Scholar All-American. Wolf, a Systems Engineering major planning to attend pilot training after graduation, attributes his success to three dominant character traits. These align with the Academy’s core values, mission and vision.

“My work ethic, leadership and passion encompass what I have been doing both in and out of the wrestling room since I arrived as a freshman,” Wolf said. “All three traits are part of my vision of who I want to be as a cadet and future U.S. Air Force officer, as well as a leader and a man.”

How athletics develop leadership

The Academy’s mission to educate, train and inspire men and women to become officers of character is integrated across all mission elements. The Athletic Department offers intercollegiate cadets this development through competition and teamwork. Student-athletes experience leadership opportunities in challenging environments while they develop warrior ethos and a heightened will to win.

Head Academy wrestling coach Sam Barber said he has seen Wolf’s leadership skills, passion for competition and work skills in action since his first practice in 2020. Barber said Wolf’s work ethic is “at the top of a distinguished list of hard-working student-athletes” during his 30-year coaching career.

“I most appreciated the attributes he demonstrated daily on and off the mat,” Barber said. “He approached his goals with focus and determination but with a lightheartedness that allowed him to enjoy the process and spread positivity throughout the program. I valued his high-level communication skills, honesty and infectious personality. He is a tireless worker and a ferocious competitor.”

Cadet 1st Class Sam Wolf talks with Cadet 2nd Class Brooks Gable, left, and Cadet 2nd Class Jack Ganos in Exemplar Hall April 4, 2024. Wolf participates in athletics at the U.S. Air Force Academy and is co-captain of the wrestling team. (U.S. Air Force photo by Justin Pacheco)

Meeting adversity head-on to earn an Academy appointment

When Wolf graduated from his Warsaw, N.Y., high school, he was not a highly recruited athlete, but he had his eyes set on the Academy and knew that he wanted to compete with the Falcons. He went on to attend a military preparatory school in Virginia after being offered a scholarship through the Falcon Foundation.

Both circumstances only drove Wolf to work harder both on and off the mat. He compiled a 7-5 match record as an Academy freshman but quickly improved to 17-9 as a sophomore and 13-2 in a junior season that also included a 17th national ranking. Wolf finished his career with a 21-6 senior season in 2024. He has been on the Dean’s list since freshman year.

“I decided when I got here that I was going to be successful,” Wolf said. “Nobody was going to tell me my limits or what I could or could not do.”

Overcoming challenges with determination and positivity

Hard work became even more necessary after Wolf suffered a shoulder injury in his junior season in the spring of 2023. Wolf returned to action six months after his surgery. He’d expected to refrain from wrestling for closer to nine months and attributes the exceptional post-surgery care he received to the quickened timeline.

“The medical staff did all they could to make sure I was still able to chase my goals while also keeping me safe from a worse injury,” Wolf said. “They made sure that I wasn’t on the mat if my body wasn’t prepared and spent lots of time working with me and doing rehab. I was a frequent flyer in the training room, and our trainer Cody Armstrong was very helpful with giving me direction.”

Wolf notes that since arriving at the Academy, he could tell that his teammates, coaching staff and faculty cared about him as a person. They pushed him to grow athletically and develop his leadership skills. This dynamic especially came into play after injuring his shoulder before his senior year.

Overcoming the shoulder injury fostered Wolf’s grit and perseverance, two attributes that will serve him well as an Air Force officer.

“Another saying we have in the wrestling room is ‘do hard things,’” Wolf said. “We try to do something every day that pushes us out of our comfort zone or sets us apart from other people who might not be challenging themselves and growing as they could be.”

Cadet 1st Class Sam Wolf poses in front of Polaris Hall, the home of the U.S. Air Force Academy Center for Character and Leadership Development. Wolf , a Pan-American gold medalist and two-time Academic All-American, participates in athletics at the U.S. Air Force Academy and is co-captain of the wrestling team. (U.S. Air Force photo by Justin Pacheco)

Leadership on the mat and in the Cadet Wing

Wolf’s work ethic manifests itself in his performance as an athlete. He also strives to hone his leadership skills in his role in the Cadet Wing. Wolf looks for opportunities to lead fellow cadets. He especially enjoys being a role model for freshmen who might struggle with the unique challenges of attending a military service academy. One close friend advised him that he should want people to look at his life and ask what makes him different. He takes that advice to heart.

Wolf said, “I want people to look at me and ask themselves: ‘How can I do what he’s doing? How can I be the leader that he is?’”

He is committed to excellence in his Academy endeavors and believes that his teammates and coaching staff helped accelerate his personal growth and leadership skills.

“Most of my time and energy goes into leadership in the wrestling room, but it also translates up here on the Hill.” Wolf said. “We are constantly leading our team, whether in wrestling or in the classroom. Our leadership philosophy is to set the example and set it high. We push each other to be the best.”

Cadet 1st Class Sam Wolf compiled a 58-23 record during his intercollegiate wrestling career. Wolf participates in athletics at the U.S. Air Force Academy and is co-captain of the wrestling team. (U.S. Air Force photo by Adalyn Greene)

A passion for competition

Of the three attributes, Wolf considers his greatest trait to be his passion for competition with integrity. The passion that began on the mat and transferred to his classes will soon move to a new setting. After he graduates in May, Wolf will attend EURO-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas. Just as he has in every other major endeavor, Wolf expects to compete, lead and succeed as an Air Force officer and pilot.

“I have such a drive for competition, going out and testing myself,” Wolf said. “My passion for competition is what led me to be just as competitive in the classroom.”

Cadet 1st Class Sam Wolf will graduate this summer and attend pilot training. Wolf participates in athletics at the U.S. Air Force Academy and is co-captain of the wrestling team. (U.S. Air Force photo by Justin Pacheco)

Barber notes that under Wolf’s leadership, the team produced two of the best seasons in Academy history with consecutive top-25 finishes in 2023 and 2024. The two team captains developed a new highly successful freshman onboarding mentorship program. They also gave each teammate performance journals and handwritten notes of encouragement, Barber said.

“Sam’s impact on Academy wrestling is omnipotent and impressive,” Barber said. “As a coach, I valued our authentic relationship and our mutual respect and appreciation of each other. I valued his high-level communication skills, honesty and infectious positivity. He is a tireless worker and a ferocious competitor.”