UPDATE 4/12/2024: Vito Aurjau has since pulled out of the trials due to having to cut from 61kg to 57kg for the trials. According to Vito's father, Vougar, Vito will be focusing on the World Team Trials later this year. 

ITHACA, N.Y. (WENY) - The 2024 Summer Olympics are right around the corner as athletes around the country will be getting their shot to compete on the world stage. For three Cornell University wrestlers their life-long dreams of representing the United States at The Games could soon become a reality. 

Vito Arujau, Meyer Shapiro and 2023 Cornell graduate Yianni Diakomihalis will all be competing at the Olympic trials at Penn State University April 19th and 20th. 

Less than a month ago, Arujau grabbed his second straight NCAA title at 133 pounds after beating #1 ranked Daton Fix in the finals. The senior said he got his love for wrestling from his father, Vougar Oroudjov. Oroudjov competed in the 1992 and 1996 Olympic games--taking home the Bronze medal in the '92 Barcelona Olympic games. 

"Starting out wrestling it definitely wasn't my dream in the beginning", said Arujau. "My dad kind of had to force me in the room, I didn't like it. But I started buying into it, started training, started getting good. More and more as I've grown I have realized the importance of what it would mean to me if I won."

For freshman Meyer Shapiro, he was a world champion before he even started at Cornell last fall. Shapiro clinched the U20 World title at 154 pounds back in August of 2023. 

"I had the dreams to do all these things and you know, perfect example is the NCAA's. I dreamed of that tournament everyday when I was a kid and just to be able to compete in that is one dream but to be able to qualify for the Olympic trials is something like, you know for me to be 19 and to be competing in my first trials tournament is awesome," said Shapiro. 

This is not the first time Arujau and Diakomihalis have competed in the Olympic trials. Both athletes were in the 2021 Olympic trials after the 2020 Games were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Arujau took second place in his weight class and Diakomihalis took fourth. 

4-time NCAA champion Diakomihalis has been training this past year to get ready for Paris. 

"All those years ago I was right there," said Diakomihalis. "I've beaten guys that have medaled in the Olympic games, I've beaten guys who have won the world championship. So obviously it's all about who's day it is. But I know I have the skills, I know I have the mentality. I have the ability to do it. I'm as ready as I can be."

Stick with WENY News on air and online as we bring you Vito, Meyer and Yianni's Olympic trial results in the coming days.