Gavin D’Amato

One Shot Away: How Gavin D’Amato Turned a State Championship Loss into Grid Ambition

Gavin D’Amato came within one point of wrestling immortality. In the 2020 PIAA Class 2A state championship final at 145 pounds, the Tunkhannock High School senior faced Cornell-committed Gage McClenahan and lost 1-0, a single-point margin that still defines him. That loss made D’Amato history anyway: he became the first state finalist in Tunkhannock’s wrestling program. The agony of that finish is precisely why he now competes in the United Grid League as a Bodyweight Specialist for Atlanta Wild.

The path to that state final showcased D’Amato’s technical prowess. In the semifinals, he defeated nationally-ranked Forest Hills wrestler Erik Gibson 9-4, a statement victory that announced his arrival among Pennsylvania’s elite. D’Amato had already claimed two WVC titles and three District 2 gold medals by that point. The George Hooper Memorial Wrestling Award, The Citizens’ Voice’s recognition of the WVC’s most outstanding wrestler, validated what his results already showed: this kid could grapple.

Before wrestling owned his identity, D’Amato played high school football as both running back and linebacker, recording a 4.47 forty-yard dash that hinted at explosive athleticism. He was a track sprinter too. The multi-sport profile suggested someone with rare coordination and speed at 5’6.5″ and 180 pounds. That compilation of attributes caught the attention of University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, a Division II program where D’Amato signed to wrestle. The 2020-21 freshman season vanished to COVID-19, a lost year that shifted his trajectory.

Now wearing number 26 for Atlanta Wild, D’Amato competes in a sport where that near-miss at states fuels every rep. The wrestling mentality, the relentless grind, the comfort with pressure, the refusal to accept defeat, translates perfectly to Grid competition. One point lost becomes motivation regained. That’s the mindset D’Amato brings to the Bodyweight Specialist position in Atlanta.