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Nick Hamilton (McIntire ’26) Champions a Legacy

Hamilton’s journey to the Commerce School has been marked by a dedication to improvement, passion for his sport of wrestling, and deep commitment to his father’s legacy.

Nick Hamilton

UVA Wrestling’s Nick Hamilton is making a name for himself in the sport. He’s fulfilling the potential many rightfully saw in him early on by elevating his game.

Born in Council Bluffs, IA, and raised in the Omaha, NE, area, Hamilton’s wrestling career took off quickly in high school, where he became a three-time state champion, with an astonishing 199-3 career record. Already solidifying a storied wrestling career and now, pursuing a lifelong interest in finance and accounting at McIntire, Hamilton exemplifies the well-rounded student-athlete, driven by a dual legacy left to him by his father and supported by the relationships he’s formed with his UVA teammates.

As a 2023 ACC Champion at 165 pounds, he earned All-ACC honors and was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler of the ACC Championship. These accolades are the culmination of years of hard work and dedication that he cultivated as a teenage wrestler. But wrestling was more than a sport for Hamilton—it represented a bond he had with his father, Edward, who introduced him to the sport at a young age.

“My dad wrestled in high school, and he was the one who actually started me in wrestling. It became a thing we did together,” Hamilton recalls, explaining how they would travel long distances across the country, often undertaking road trips as far flung as Las Vegas in a straight shot so that he could compete. This connection to his father, who tragically passed away when Hamilton was in high school, continues to fuel his passion for the sport. Hamilton focuses on the lessons his father imparted, particularly the values of hard work and discipline that have propelled him to success.

When it came time to choose a college, Hamilton’s decision to attend UVA was heavily influenced by the wrestling program’s supportive coaching staff and the University’s academic reputation. “The coaches just started reaching out to me when recruiting opened, and Head Coach Steve Garland jumped through a lot of hoops to get me to UVA,” Hamilton says. The efforts of the coaching staff to bring him to Charlottesville were a clear sign that UVA was the right place for him to take his next steps. “I just felt like this was a place I needed to be because they were fighting as much as they could to get me here,” he adds.

Once at UVA, Hamilton found more than just a top-tier wrestling program; he found a close-knit team atmosphere. “It’s like a family on the team. Everybody’s super close,” he says. “The team atmosphere is amazing. We all support each other, whether we’re vying for the same spot or not. We’re always hanging out together. Win, lose, if anything happens we’re there for each other.”

Nick HamiltonThe bonds he’s formed with his teammates are a source of strength and motivation, particularly during the difficult times, such as last year when he found himself immobilized for weeks at a time by injuries and illness, which included a concussion, bruised elbows, thumbs, and even a bout with mononucleosis. “It was a challenge wading through all that stuff. It’s hard to wrestle well when you’re either kept off the mat or being hurt when you are on the mat,” he admits. “That was really hard mentally, but you just have to keep going.”

He says their support changed his usually stoic demeanor when he came out on top as ACC Champion. “I don’t really celebrate when I win,” he confesses, noting the difference between how he tends to conduct himself versus wrestlers who flex or showboat in offbeat ways. Normally reserved, Hamilton was buoyed by teammates to the point where he couldn’t contain himself. “When I won, I looked up in the stands and saw my team going nuts. I actually broke a smile and gave a fist bump. I was happier seeing that than I was winning the ACC.”

Camaraderie extends beyond the mat, as Hamilton frequently spends time with his teammates through other activities, including academics, as two other wrestlers, Griffin Gammell (McIntire ’26) and Cooper Rudolph (McIntire ’26), are also Commerce majors.

Hamilton’s own path to McIntire was also shaped by his father’s influence. Edward, an accountant, instilled in his son a love for numbers and an interest in finance from a young age. “My dad was an accountant and worked in finance. That was the biggest reason why I wanted to go down that path, too,” Hamilton shares. Even before high school, his father had him taking accounting classes at a local community college, laying the foundation for the academic path he would later pursue at McIntire. “Finance, accounting—it all makes sense to me,” Hamilton says with confidence.

Studying at McIntire while competing at a high level in wrestling requires a level of discipline that few can maintain. Hamilton’s days are packed with morning lifts, followed by classes, which give way to afternoon practices. It all leaves little room for downtime. Despite the hectic schedule, Hamilton remains committed to excelling both academically and athletically. He is currently focusing on concentrations in Finance and IT, with a potential track in Quantitative Finance. His academic goals are as ambitious as his athletic ones; he’s considering pursuing a master’s degree in Data Science or Accounting to fulfill the requirements for the CPA exam.

While wrestling and academics dominate most of his time, Hamilton does his best to indulge in his other interests. Outside of training and studying, he enjoys reading and playing video games, having recently been engaged in fighting frustrations caused by action role-playing game “Elden Ring” and diving into the pages of Frank Herbert’s sci-fi classic Dune. Well-rounded, he’s taking what time he can to balance the demands of his dual passions with personal interests that keep him grounded.

Nick HamiltonAs Hamilton looks to the future, his goals remain both ambitious and humble. He hopes to build on his successes from the previous season and continue to improve, particularly as the ACC becomes more competitive. “I feel like I’ve really gotten better over the summer. I just hope I can show it out there,” he says, focusing on giving his best effort, no matter the outcome. His ultimate aim is to earn All-American honors, but as always, Hamilton’s perspective remains centered on what he can control: hard work and dedication.

That philosophy and unshakeable commitment are what brought him to UVA in the first place. “I didn’t want to just be an athletic student, I want to be a student-athlete,” he says.

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