Pendleton won the 145-pound
CIF state championship his senior year at
Lemoore High School in
Lemoore, California. His senior year performance in 2000 earned him the
Junior Schalles Award as the top
high school pinner. In college, he defeated future two-time NCAA champion,
Dan Hodge Trophy winner, and MMA world champion
Ben Askren of
Missouri for both of his NCAA titles. Pendleton had beaten Askren in the majority of their meetings and provoked controversy after telling a reporter that there was no "rivalry" between them. He is the son of Bill Pendleton of Fresno and Lisa Cervantez of Lemoore. He has two younger brothers who both were wrestlers as well. In March 2020, he was named head wrestling coach at
Oregon State University. ==References==