A’s Player of the Month: Slam Nevada's Drake Hooiman

Slam Nevada's Drake Hooiman is committed to wrestle in college at Purdue. He's believed to be the first from Nevada to wrestle in the Big Ten Conference Photo by: Ray Brewer

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Drake Hooiman had been in Las Vegas for only a few weeks, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to stay.

His friends were back in Elko. His family had deep roots in the Northern Nevada community. And his new school — Slam Nevada — didn’t feel like home.

The Hooiman family had moved so Drake could train at Slam, a Nevada powerhouse and one of the nation’s elite wrestling programs. Now, the senior is grateful he stuck it out.

A three-time state champion, Hooiman has flourished in Slam’s year-round program, competing against the country’s top grapplers. He’s more than held his own, drawing attention from college recruiters across the nation before signing last late year with Purdue.

That decision carries added weight.

The Big Ten Conference, with most of its schools nestled in the midwest wrestling hotbed, represents the pinnacle of college wrestling. Its programs rarely need to venture far for talent — yet Purdue came to Las Vegas for Hooiman, who will become the first Nevadan to compete in the conference.

“There are so many resources at Purdue. The opportunities are endless,” he said. “We’ve got dietitians. We’ve got trainers. We’ve got a weightlifting coach. On top of that you have like-minded guys that are chasing the NCAA goal like you are. With all that going together, it’s hard not to succeed.”

The transformation from Hooiman’s freshman to senior year is striking, Slam coach Jacob Rollans said. The work ethic was always there — Hooiman has never hesitated to put in the hours. What’s changed is his mental approach and confidence on the mat, turning him into a formidable opponent.

The numbers tell part of the story. Hooiman owns a career record of 171-20, with all 20 losses coming at national tournaments. He can’t remember the last time he was pinned.

“We’ve always seen his potential and seen what a great wrestler he is,” Rollans said. “But his head wasn’t always there. He has been in a really good head space the past two years. That’s why we are seeing the growth in his skill level and success.”

Hooiman earned All-American status with a second-place finish in the 144-pound division at the Tournament of Champions in Reno in late December, falling in the finals to California’s Jesse Grajeda. The two will likely renew their rivalry in college — Grajeda is headed to Ohio State.

He advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2025 Powerade Wrestling Tournament in Pittsburgh despite suffering a shoulder injury. The tournament is considered one of the elite events of the season, drawing top teams and wrestlers from across the nation.

It’s the kind of schedule Rollans has carefully constructed to test his wrestlers against the best competition. Slam won its fourth straight state title last season with a record-breaking 280 points — more than double the 130 scored by the runner-up. The program crowned eight individual champions and sent 12 wrestlers to the finals.

“Our toughest matches are everyday in practice,” Rollans said.

There’s no room for complacency — not against teammates in practice, not against the elite competition on Slam’s schedule. For Hooiman, it’s been the perfect environment to thrive. He’s 28-2 this season.

“I want to have fun in every match,” he said. “This sport is too hard to not have fun, and I’m really grateful to be able to chase my dreams with these guys. This is a special group of guys, and it’s pushed me to be my best every day.”

Mom Tera Hooiman is an eighth-generation Nevadan who served on Elko’s planning commission. But when it came time to consider moving to Las Vegas for her son’s wrestling career, the decision wasn’t difficult, she said.

“It’s his drive and focus,” she said. “He’ll get done from a long practice, come home and run for five miles.”

Drake Hooiman started wrestling at age 4. At that first practice, his parents had to bribe him with a candy bar just to get him out of the car, his mother recalls with a smile.

He instantly fell in love with the competition and hasn’t looked back. He’ll compete for a fourth Nevada championship next month and then turn his focus to duplicating the success in the Big Ten.

“I’m pretty excited about representing Nevada (in the Big Ten),” he said.