Wrestlers · Career complete
Erin Clodgo
4x U.S. Open champion out of Richmond, Vermont; 2x World Team member; won the 2016 Pan American Olympic qualifier at 63 kg
Richmond, VT · Northern Michigan University
By Joe Spisak, Pennsylvania state champion and 4x NCAA qualifier at Virginia · Published September 11, 2026
Erin Clodgo was born on August 23, 1990, in Richmond, Vermont, the daughter of Donna and Walt Clodgo, and started wrestling at age 12. She wrestled in Richmond and then at Marquette High School in Michigan while training at the Northern Michigan University Olympic Education Center, where she also went to college and studied culinary arts.
She made her first U.S. Junior World Team in 2007 and won her first U.S. Open in 2010, the same year she finished second at the World Team Trials. She was runner-up at the Trials again in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2017, and she was runner-up at the 2011 Pan American Championships.
In 2015 she won the U.S. Open, the Dave Schultz Memorial International and the World Team Trials, and she took third at the Pan American Games. In March 2016 she won the Pan American Olympic Qualifier in Frisco, Texas. She beat Katerina Vidiaux Lopez of Cuba in the semifinals, an opponent who had beaten her twice before. The win secured the United States a spot at 63 kg, about 139 pounds, in Rio. She finished second at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials that April and third at the Olympic Test Event in Brazil.
She then jumped two weight classes from 63 kg and won the 2017 U.S. Open at 75 kg, beating Julia Salata of the New York Athletic Club 5-2. She won it again in 2018 at 72 kg, took the 2018 Final X, and went to the World Championships in Hungary. She won her qualifying match 5-2, lost 6-4 in the first round and finished seventh, scoring eight points as the American women placed third as a team. She was ranked No. 1 in the country at 72 kg for 2018-19, is in the Vermont Wrestlers Hall of Fame, and now coaches wrestling at Norwich University.
She coaches wrestling at Norwich University in Vermont, where she flipped the opening coin at the first NCAA women's wrestling competition held in the state.
Results
| Season | Level | Event | Weight | Place | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Age group | U.S. Junior World Team | team member | Also made the Junior World Team in 2010 | |
| 2010 | Senior | U.S. Open | 1st | First of four U.S. Open titles, with the others in 2015, 2017 and 2018 | |
| 2010 | Senior | U.S. World Team Trials | 2nd | Also runner-up at the Trials in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2017 | |
| 2011 | Senior | Pan American Championships | 2nd | Fourth at the Dave Schultz Memorial International and second at the U.S. Open the same year | |
| 2015 | Senior | U.S. World Team Trials | 1st | First World Team; also won the U.S. Open and the Dave Schultz Memorial International that year | |
| 2015 | Senior | Dave Schultz Memorial International | 1st | Two career Dave Schultz titles per USA Wrestling's career highlights, listed as 2015 and 2018; the season lines file one of them as the November 2017 edition, so only the count is recorded here | |
| 2015 | Senior | Pan American Games | 3rd | Did not place at the 2015 World Championships | |
| 2016 | Senior | Pan American Olympic Games Qualifier, Frisco, TX | 63 kg | 1st | March 2016; def. Katerina Vidiaux Lopez (Cuba) in the semifinals to qualify the United States at 63 kg for Rio |
| 2016 | Senior | U.S. Olympic Team Trials | 2nd | Third at the U.S. Open and third at the Olympic Test Event in Brazil the same year | |
| 2017 | Senior | U.S. Open | 75 kg | 1st | Def. Julia Salata (New York AC) 5-2 in the final after jumping two weight classes up from 63 kg; runner-up at the World Team Trials that year, and champion at the November Dave Schultz Memorial International |
| 2018 | Senior | U.S. Open and Final X | 72 kg | 1st | Won both to make her second World Team; ranked No. 1 in the U.S. at 72 kg for 2018-19 |
| 2018 | Senior | World Championships, Hungary | 72 kg | 7th | 1-1. Won her qualifying match 5-2, then lost 6-4 in the first round; scored eight points as the U.S. women placed third behind Japan and China |
What we could not confirm
Anything not on this page, a high school record, a final score, a season, was left out because no primary source stated it when this was written. If you have a bracket, a program, or a clipping, send it and the page gets the number.
Sources
- https://www.usawmembership.com/senior_national_teams?bio=943 · Born Aug. 23, 1990 in Richmond, Vt.; daughter of Donna and Walt Clodgo; started wrestling at 12; attended Northern Michigan University in the U.S. Olympic Education Center program under Shannyn Gillespie and Tony DeAnda and studied culinary arts; four-time U.S. Open champion (2010, 2015, 2017, 2018); second at the World Team Trials in 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2017; 2015 and 2018 World Team member; 2016 Pan American Olympic Games Qualifier champion; third at the 2015 Pan American Games; second at the 2016 Olympic Team Trials; 2007 and 2010 Junior World Team member; ranked No. 1 at 72 kg for 2018-19; 10 years on Team USA. CONFLICT: the Norwich coaching bio calls her a thirteen-year member of the U.S. women's World national team. This page names both Richmond High School (Vt.) and Marquette High School (Mich.), so no single high school is recorded here.
- https://nwhof.org/news/stubborn-clodgo-not-backing-down-from-challenges · Richmond, Vermont native; won the 2016 Pan American Olympic Qualifier in Frisco, Texas, beating Katerina Vidiaux Lopez of Cuba in the semifinals to qualify the U.S. at 63 kg for Rio; Vidiaux had beaten her twice before; two-time U.S. Open champion and Dave Schultz champion at the time; 2015 World Team member
- https://www.wcax.com/content/news/Richmond-native-takes-the-mat-at-Wrestling-World-Championships-498784661.html · 2018 World Championships in Hungary at 72 kg: won her qualifying match 5-2, lost 6-4 in the first round, finished seventh and scored eight points; the U.S. women placed third behind Japan and China
- https://www.timesargus.com/sports/local/mau-tops-essex-spaulding-for-32nd-title/article_1e3b38ed-fcd2-5cfa-9786-cc8412daaece.html · Erin Clodgo of Richmond, a member of the U.S. women's World team, was announced as a Vermont Wrestlers Hall of Fame inductee at the state high school championships
- https://norwichathletics.com/staff-directory/erin-clodgo/202 · Norwich University staff directory lists Clodgo as an assistant wrestling coach who primarily serves as the team's strength and conditioning coach; the bio text on the page still reads 'eighth season in 2024-25'
- https://norwichathletics.com/sports/wrestling/roster/coaches/erin-clodgo/256 · Norwich men's wrestling coaching page carries the same bio and lists her among the program's coaches
- https://norwichathletics.com/news/2026/1/10/womens-wrestling-cadets-sweep-cougars-rams-in-first-home-meet-in-program-history.aspx · Norwich University, Jan. 10, 2026: at the women's wrestling program's first home dual, 'the first NCAA Women's Wrestling competition in the state of Vermont, as well as the first to ever take place at a senior military college,' the release says 'decorated women's wrestler and native Vermonter Erin Clodgo flipped the coin to open the meet.' Norwich's current staff directory lists her as an assistant coach with a norwich.edu address.
- https://www.themat.com/news/2017/april/23/world-team-trials-preview-at-75-kg-in-womens-freestyle · USA Wrestling's April 2017 World Team Trials preview at 75 kg: 'Erin Clodgo... moved up to 75 kg this year and won the U.S. Open,' she 'jumped up two weight classes from 63 kg,' and the results block reads '1st - Erin Clodgo (Sunkist Kids) dec. Julia Salata (New York AC), 5-2'; she is called a three-time U.S. Open champion and eight-time Women's National Team member at that point
- https://www.themat.com/news/2018/june/12/final-x-preview-for-women-72-kg · USA Wrestling's June 2018 Final X preview at 72 kg: 'Clodgo earned her spot in Final X by winning the U.S. Open in April, where she edged Rachel Watters in the finals. It was Clodgo's fourth career U.S. Open title.' The bout is for the 'Women's freestyle World Team spot at 72 kg'. Same page lists her World Championship appearances (2007 and 2010 Junior, 2015 Senior, 16th). CONFLICT: this page's background prose says she 'won her first U.S. Open title in 2011', which contradicts USA Wrestling's career highlights (2010, 2015, 2017, 2018) and its own count of 2018 as her fourth title, so 2010 is used.
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