Austin DeSanto is an American wrestler known for his aggressive style, fast pace, and success at both collegiate and senior freestyle level. He built his name through high school wrestling in Pennsylvania before competing for Drexel University and the University of Iowa. His career later continued with the Hawkeye Wrestling Club, where he developed into a strong senior freestyle competitor.
Born on 10 October 1998, DeSanto became widely known after defeating Spencer Lee in the 2017 Pennsylvania state championship final. That victory was a major moment in his early career, but it was only the beginning. He later became a four-time NCAA All-American, achieved a 102–23 collegiate record, and continued competing after college in national and international freestyle events.
Who Is Austin DeSanto?
Austin James DeSanto is an American freestyle wrestler and former NCAA Division I athlete. He spent the most successful years of his college career with the University of Iowa Hawkeyes after beginning at Drexel University. He is recognised for a wrestling style built around pressure, movement, conditioning, and repeated attacks. He often forces opponents into fast exchanges and tries to control the pace from the opening whistle. After completing his college career, DeSanto remained connected to Iowa through the Hawkeye Wrestling Club. He continued competing at senior level and earned medals in major freestyle events.
Austin DeSanto Age and Early Life
Austin DeSanto was born on 10 October 1998 in Pennsylvania, United States. As of August 2026, he is 27 years old. He will turn 28 on 10 October 2026. He grew up in Pennsylvania, a state with a strong wrestling culture. His early development took place through school wrestling, where he gradually established himself as one of the leading young athletes in his weight class. His success did not come from one season alone. He improved year after year and became a state-level standout before entering Division I college wrestling.
How Old Is Austin DeSanto?
Austin DeSanto is 27 years old as of August 2026. His date of birth is 10 October 1998.
Austin DeSanto Height and Weight
Austin DeSanto stands 5 feet 5 inches tall, which is approximately 165 centimetres. During his collegiate career, he wrestled at 133 pounds. In senior freestyle competition, he has mainly competed at 61 kilograms, equal to approximately 134.5 pounds. These figures describe his competition divisions rather than his permanent everyday body weight. Wrestlers often manage their weight according to competition rules and tournament requirements.
How Tall Is Austin DeSanto?
Austin DeSanto is 5 feet 5 inches, or 165 cm tall. His compact frame, speed, strength, and conditioning have suited the lighter wrestling divisions throughout his career.
Austin DeSanto High School Career
DeSanto attended Exeter Township Senior High School in Pennsylvania. His high school career showed steady progress as he moved closer to becoming a state champion. He finished fifth at the Pennsylvania state championships in 2015. One year later, he improved to second place in 2016. His biggest high school achievement came in 2017 when he won the Pennsylvania state championship at 126 pounds.
Austin DeSanto vs Spencer Lee
The 2017 state final became one of the most famous matches of DeSanto’s early career. He faced Spencer Lee, who was already considered one of the country’s leading young wrestlers. DeSanto defeated Lee 6–5 to win the state championship.
The result gained major attention because it became the only loss of Lee’s high school career. The match also showed DeSanto’s ability to remain competitive under pressure against an elite opponent. That victory became an important part of his wrestling story and helped raise his national reputation before college.
Austin DeSanto at Drexel University
After graduating from high school, DeSanto began his NCAA career at Drexel University during the 2017–18 season. He competed at 133 pounds and immediately proved that he could perform at Division I level. As a freshman, he recorded a 29–7 season.
He also finished third at the EIWA Championships and qualified for the NCAA Championships. His tournament run included reaching the quarter-finals. Although his time at Drexel lasted only one season, it helped establish him as a serious college wrestler. DeSanto later received permission to transfer and moved to the University of Iowa.
Austin DeSanto University of Iowa Career
The transfer to Iowa became the most important stage of his collegiate wrestling journey. The University of Iowa has one of the strongest wrestling traditions in the United States. The programme is known for demanding training, high expectations, and a focus on national championships.
DeSanto competed for Iowa from 2018 through 2022. During that period, he developed into one of the leading wrestlers in his division. He completed his collegiate career with a 102–23 overall record. His record at Iowa was 72–16. He also posted a 48–6 dual-meet record and went 22–2 in Big Ten dual competition.
Austin DeSanto NCAA Success
Austin DeSanto became a four-time NCAA All-American during his Iowa career. He finished fifth at the NCAA Championships in 2019. The 2020 NCAA Championships were cancelled, but he still received All-American recognition for that season. He returned to the national podium in 2021 and finished third. He repeated that result in 2022 with another third-place finish. These achievements made him the University of Iowa’s 24th four-time All-American.
Final Season at Iowa
DeSanto’s final college season in 2021–22 was another strong year. He finished the season with a 21–4 record, took second place at the Big Ten Championships, and earned third place at the NCAA Championships. His final season completed a college career that placed him among the strongest 133-pound wrestlers of his era.
Austin DeSanto Education
DeSanto combined wrestling with his academic studies. He attended Drexel University during the 2017–18 academic year before transferring to the University of Iowa. At Iowa, he studied Organisational Studies and completed a Bachelor of Liberal Studies. His studies in that programme ran from 2018 to 2021.
He later pursued graduate study in Sport and Recreation Management. His professional background shows a Master of Arts path beginning in 2021, although it also notes that he was not continuing the programme at that stage. His education connects closely with his longer-term career interests. DeSanto has expressed ambitions of becoming a college wrestling coach or athletic director.
Austin DeSanto and Hawkeye Wrestling Club
After finishing his NCAA career, DeSanto remained in Iowa and joined the Hawkeye Wrestling Club as a full-time wrestler. His professional timeline shows that he began the role in June 2022. The Hawkeye Wrestling Club provides experienced wrestlers with the training structure needed to continue competing after college. It also allows athletes to prepare for national and international freestyle events. For DeSanto, the move helped turn his focus from collegiate folkstyle wrestling towards senior freestyle competition.
Austin DeSanto Freestyle Wrestling Career
DeSanto has competed mainly at 61 kg during his senior freestyle career. His transition into freestyle brought success in international tournaments. He won the Henri Deglane Grand Prix in 2023 and also earned bronze at the Ibrahim Moustafa Ranking Series that year. He later earned silver at the 2023 Waclaw Ziolkowski Memorial in Poland. These results demonstrated that he could compete successfully outside the NCAA system and against experienced international opponents.
Austin DeSanto Wrestling Success in 2026
The 2026 season became one of the strongest periods of DeSanto’s senior career. At the Grand Prix de France Henri Deglane, he won the 61 kg title after an outstanding run. He won five matches by technical superiority and outscored his opponents 53–2. He followed that result with another gold medal at the Zagreb Open Ranking Series. DeSanto also earned bronze at the 2026 Muhamet Malo Ranking Series. In the bronze-medal contest, he defeated Nathan Tomasello 8–0.
His success continued at the Senior Pan-American Championships. He won gold at 61 kg after producing dominant performances throughout the event. DeSanto won his first three matches 10–0 before defeating Puerto Rico’s Caleb Smith 9–0 in the final. These results strengthened his position among America’s leading wrestlers at 61 kg.
Austin DeSanto and the U.S. National Team
DeSanto remained part of the American senior freestyle selection process during 2026. At the U.S. Open, he recorded four technical-fall victories and outscored those opponents 41–0. His performances later helped him earn a true-third position at 61 kg, securing a place on the 2026–27 U.S. National Team.
A true-third position does not mean that he became the United States World Championship representative. However, it placed him within the national team structure and confirmed his standing among the country’s top wrestlers in the division.
Austin DeSanto Real American Freestyle Career
DeSanto also entered professional freestyle wrestling through Real American Freestyle. He made a successful start and remained unbeaten through his first three matches. In October 2025, he defeated Nico Megaludis 10–0. In January 2026, he defeated Nathan Tomasello 11–1 and won the RAF Bantamweight Championship.
He later defended his position in June 2026 with a 3–1 victory over Reineri Ortega. That result moved his professional RAF record to 3–0. The success added another dimension to his career and gave him a professional platform alongside international freestyle competition.
What Is Austin DeSanto Doing Now?
As of 2026, DeSanto remains active in competitive wrestling. He continues to train and compete with the Hawkeye Wrestling Club while taking part in national and international freestyle events. He also holds a place within the U.S. National Team structure at 61 kg and competes professionally through Real American Freestyle. His recent tournament results show that his career is still moving forward rather than being defined only by his NCAA achievements.
Austin DeSanto Parents and Brother
His father is Tony DeSanto, while his mother is Deborah DeSanto. He also has an older brother who is also named Tony DeSanto. He has kept most of his family life away from the centre of his wrestling career, with much of the attention staying on his performances and achievements.
Austin DeSanto Wife and Personal Life
DeSanto has kept his romantic life relatively private. A wedding page carrying the names Austin DeSanto and Phoebe Parrish includes a wedding date of 15 October 2025. However, there is not enough strong independent confirmation to state with complete certainty that the page belongs to the wrestler.
Austin DeSanto Wrestling Camps and Volunteer Work
DeSanto has also worked with younger wrestlers outside his own competitive career. His professional background includes work as a Wrestling Camp Instructor with Beat the Streets Philadelphia, beginning in June 2018.
He has also served as a Wrestling Camp Counselor with the Exeter Township High School Wrestling Club. These positions involved helping young athletes with wrestling techniques, training, discipline, and development. His work with wrestling camps also connects well with his stated interest in coaching after his competitive career.
Austin DeSanto Wrestling Style
DeSanto is best known for an aggressive style built around pace and constant pressure. He often attacks quickly, forces his opponents to defend repeatedly, and tries to control the rhythm of the match. His conditioning has also been a major part of his success. Maintaining a high pace can force mistakes from opponents and create scoring opportunities later in matches. His ability to move from collegiate folkstyle into international freestyle also shows technical adaptability.
Future of Austin DeSanto
At 27 years old, DeSanto still has opportunities to add more achievements to his wrestling career. His 2026 results show that he remains capable of competing successfully at senior international level. He is already a Pennsylvania state champion, four-time NCAA All-American, international gold medallist, U.S. National Team member, and Real American Freestyle champion.
His education and coaching experience also give him possible career paths after wrestling. A future in college coaching or athletic administration would allow him to use both his competitive experience and academic background.
Final Thoughts
Austin DeSanto has built a wrestling career based on persistence, intensity, and long-term development. His victory over Spencer Lee in the 2017 Pennsylvania state championship final introduced him to a wider audience, but his later achievements proved that his career was much more than one famous match.
He went on to compete at Drexel, become a four-time All-American at Iowa, finish his college career with a 102–23 record, and establish himself in senior freestyle wrestling.
Today, he remains active through the Hawkeye Wrestling Club, the U.S. National Team structure, international tournaments, and Real American Freestyle.
With major medals, a professional championship, coaching experience, and a strong educational background already behind him, DeSanto has created a career that combines high-level competition with potential opportunities in wrestling leadership after his time on the mat ends.
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