GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Rising Gettysburg College junior Abe Evans (Dover, Pa./Dover) is making the most of his time away from the Bullets' wrestling mats and recently grappled with some of the best in the nation at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

After finishing fourth in his weight class at the University Nationals in Akron, Ohio, in April, Evans received an invitation to train and wrestle at the Olympic Training Center from May 24-29. The Dover, Pa., native received instruction from the national team coaches in four planned practices on May 24-25, before training on his own and with the other athletes in attendance. Among those training with Evans were NCAA Division III runner-up Tyler Erdman of Elizabethtown College, Jesse Thielke and Jermaine Hodge, the No. 2 and No. 10 wrestlers in Greco-Roman at 55kg, and Joe Betterman, the 2008 Olympic Trials champion at 60kg.

“The training was very tough,” wrote Evans in a missive with Gettysburg Head Coach Andy Vogel. “I felt confident walking away from those practices having learned a new 'trick' that improves my wrestling every time.”

The weekend brought competition and Evans lined up against The Ohio State Univesity's Nikko Triggas, who placed eighth at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships last season. Triggas pinned Evans in 1:15 before sweeping University Nationals champ Max Nowry in a best-of-three finale to make the University World Team.

“Training with the best wrestlers in the country and learning from our national team coaches will help Abe take a big step forward this year and I'm looking forward to seeing him in action this winter,” said Vogel. “Not many Division III athletes have this kind of opportunity, and it's great to see him make the most of it.

In two seasons at Gettysburg, Evans has compiled a 23-27 overall record in one of the most competitive weight classes (125 pounds) in the Centennial Conference. As a freshman in 2009, he placed fourth at the conference championships.