Former Southern Regional Alumni Frank Molinaro Loses Bid For Olympic Medal

Frank Molinaro - the former Southern Regional High School and Penn State University wrestling champ whose bumpy ride to the Olympics was chronicled by many - failed in his bid to win a bronze medal recently.

But he has nothing to be ashamed of. In the race for the bronze, Molinaro lost 5-3 in the 143-pound weight class to world champion Frank Chamizo Marquez on Sunday afternoon in Rio de Janeiro, according to app.com.

"He's just a good wrestler, solid," Molinaro said of Chamizo. "He's out there fighting to win just as hard as I am. Sometimes it just comes down to inches. I've been very blessed and fortunate to be on the good end of those, but it was just his day, and he outfought me."

In the bronze medal match, Molinaro, trailing 4-2 in the final seconds, was close to a takedown but ran out of time. He received one penalty point, and the United States challenged the call, but the challenge was denied.

Molinaro was the first former Shore Conference wrestler to make it to the Olympics.

His long journey to the games began during the United States Team Trials in Iowa on April 9. He won the event after being the No. 9 seed in the 12-man tournament.

Molinaro will return home to meet second son Frank — born three weeks early on Aug. 8 — having been greatly enhanced by the Olympic endeavor, he added.

Molinaro was an assistant coach at Rutgers University from 2012-2014 and is currently an assistant coach at Penn State.

Image: Markus Schreiber, AP