Palmer wrestler Levi Hopkins turned an unexpected opportunity into a gold medal-winning performance

As a kid, Palmer’s Levi Hopkins used to wake up early and watch international wrestling such as the World Championships, Pan-American Games and the Olympics.

So, when an unforeseen opportunity to represent his country on an international stage presented itself last month, Hopkins jumped at the chance, even if it meant delaying his return to Alaska to assist in his family’s business.

The former Colony High standout tore through his bracket on the way to the top of the podium where he claimed a gold medal in the 2024 U23 Pan-American games in Rionegro, Colombia.

“It was awesome wrestling for Team USA,” Hopkins said. “It was really a dream come true and something that I’ve always wanted to do.”

While Hopkins’ performance was dominant, the chance to put on the Team USA singlet was completely unexpected.

Hopkins competed in the U23 National Championship wrestling tournament in early June and came in sixth in the 202-pound (92 kilogram) weight division.

“I was pretty happy with my performance at the U23 nationals,” he said. “I hadn’t placed at that tournament before so I was excited to finally place there.”

Typically, only the first-place finisher at junior nationals gets offered a chance to represent the United States at both the World Championships and Pan-American Championships, but after the top five in his weight class declined the offer to compete in the latter, Hopkins was elated to be the next man up.

“I ended up getting a call a couple days later asking, ‘Hey, would you be willing to go to Colombia in two weeks to represent the United States?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, of course,’” he said.

Hopkins’ family has been commercial fishing in Bristol Bay for the past 20 years, and he started assisting in the family business about 15 years ago. He’d planned to return to Alaska for his annual fishing stint but delayed the trip and went right back into “training mode.”

His mindset heading into the tournament was completely dialed after he got to train with members of Team USA leading up to it.

“I just had to treat it the same as any other competition and not treat it any differently,” Hopkins said. “The preparation and the warm-up routines all stayed the same. It worked out pretty well for me.”

He did not give up a single point, winning all three matches by 10 or more points. He claims his most challenging match came in the finals when he faced Colombian wrestler Marlon Londono.

“It was a tough match especially with him being from Colombia wrestling in Colombia and representing his home country,” Hopkins said. “The fans were definitely on his side but it was a fun experience.”

Hopkins isn’t the first Alaskan to have a strong showing at this particular event. Kotzebue’s Spencer Woods competed in the Pan-American games last year in the senior division and was crowned champion in the Greco-Roman discipline.

“He was in high school around the same time I was and he has been killing it on the international stage,” Hopkins said.

[Alaska wrestler Spencer Woods proves ‘7th time is the charm’ with win over two-time Olympian]

Humble beginnings paved the way and laid the foundation

Hopkins graduated from high school in 2019 and followed his older brother Caleb to Campbell University in North Carolina. Caleb had walked onto the team the year before.

“He really wanted to wrestle Division I and as an Alaskan, he didn’t get a ton of looks from other Division I coaches,” he said. “He had emailed a bunch of coaches and different people and the coach at the time, Cary Kolat, actually responded.”

From there, Caleb impressed the coaches as a freshman to the point where when they found out he had a younger brother coming down the pipeline, they wanted him too.

“I still had to walk on and when Caleb and I both got better we ended up earning scholarships,” Hopkins said. “It was a really great experience getting to earn our way onto the team and into the starting lineup. It’s been a really fun journey.”

Last spring he graduated with degrees in finance and math and he is currently in the second year of his master’s degree. He’s entering his final year of eligibility on the wrestling team.

He and his brother have been wrestling since 2006, and even though Hopkins won a state title as a freshman in high school, winning a gold medal at the Pan-American Games is by far the crown jewel achievement of his career to date.

“Winning a state title was special just because I got to do it with the team I went to school with and my dad who was the head coach, but getting to compete for my country alongside some of the best wrestlers in the country and world, it’s hard to beat that,” Hopkins said. “It was an amazing opportunity, and I’m really grateful for that.”