UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A familiar chant erupted inside the Bryce Jordan Center as Aaron Brooks celebrated on Mat 2 Friday night.
you know it.
The first voice was heard from one corner of the arena.
we …
Then people dressed in blue and white responded.
…Pennsylvania State University!
Brooks, a four-time NCAA champion at Penn State, fired up the crowd. The 7-6 victory over Zahid Valencia in the men's freestyle challenge tournament finals was a memorable performance by Penn State wrestlers, especially those affiliated with Penn State and the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club, here at the U.S. Olympic Games. On the night it was performed, the audience was amazed. Team Trials – Wrestling.
The best-of-three championship finals are scheduled for Saturday, with eight of the 12 men's freestyle finalists either from Penn State, wrestling at Penn State, or currently attending Nittany Lion Wrestling. Either you are training at a club.
Spencer Lee, who weighs 57 kilograms and hails from Murrysville, Pennsylvania, will face Thomas Gilman for a spot in the NLWC. Kyle Snyder, another NLWC member, weighs 97 kilograms and is already in the top three finals after winning bronze at last year's world championships.
The 65-kilogram match is a Penn State final between two-time NCAA champion Nick Lee and three-time Hodge Trophy winner Zane Retherford. At 86 kilograms, he is between Brooks and current Olympic gold medalist David Taylor, who won two national titles with the Nittany Lions in 2012 and 2014.
Jason Nolf, who weighs 74 kilograms and weighs three times at Penn State, has yet to make the U.S. world championship or Olympic teams, but is a six-time world champion and 2012 Olympic gold medalist. defeated Jordan Burrows 3-0. On Saturday, he will face Kyle Dake, a four-time world champion and 2020 Olympic bronze medalist who attends Cornell University and competes in the NLWC.
Penn State and NLWC officials had fans inside the BJC on their feet throughout the day. As the day began, 20 of the 69 total competitors were men's freestyle wrestlers who had attended Penn State or were currently training at the NLWC. Twenty-eight of the 69 people were from Pennsylvania.
As many as five athletes could represent the United States at the 2024 Paris Olympics this summer. In Brooks' final series with Taylor, it is certain that the Penn State graduate will represent the 86kg class. The two faced off in Final X last year, with Taylor winning the series 6-0, 5-4.
Taylor won the third world title in his illustrious career. On Saturday night, he will try to make the Olympic team for the second time, but to do so he will have to fend off another onslaught from the same program. Either way, Penn State wins.
Here's a quick summary of what happened Friday night by weight.
57kg — It will be a battle between two former Hawkeye wrestlers for the 57-year-old's spot. Spencer Lee, a three-time NCAA champion at Iowa State, defeated Niko Megaldis 8-0 and world returning team member Zane Richards 13-6. , Gilman, a three-time All-American and three-time world medalist and Olympic bronze medalist, defeated Jax Forest 5-4 and Dayton Fix 6-0 to advance to the finals after a career at Iowa State. advanced.
65kg — All-Iowa state finals in one weight class, all-Pennsylvania state finals in the next weight class. Nick Lee and Zane Retherford faced off in a best-of-three final, overcoming one of the heaviest weights of the tournament for a spot in the Olympics. Lee defeated Andrew Alirez in a thrilling 11-9 match, while Retherford stopped hot-blooded Jesse Mendez 3-2. Lee and Retherford were both on Penn State's team that won the national team title in 2017-18.
74kg — Jason Nolf defeated Jordan Burroughs in an impressive 3-0 decision in the Challenge Tournament finals, earning a passivity point in the first period and immediately scoring a takedown from a double leg in the second. He spent the rest of the game evading Burroughs' attacks, advancing to a best-of-three final against Nittany Lion WC teammate Kyle Dake. Burrows advanced to the challenge finals by defeating two Penn State wrestlers, Alex Facundo and Mitchell Mazenbrink, 5-3, while Nolf defeated Alex Marinelli, 7-2, and Jarrett Jack. They beat us 9-2.
86kg — Brooks defeated Connor Mirasola 11-5 to remain the top seed. Alex Dearinger, 8 wins, 4 losses. Zahid Valencia won 7-6 and advanced to the best-of-three final. He had to push himself to win each match. He put Mirasola up 2-1 two minutes into the first period. After the first period, they trailed Dieringer 4-0. By standards, Valencia were leading 6-6, but they scored in the final seconds to win. Now he has returning Olympic gold medalist David Taylor — yes, another Penn State final will be played Saturday.
97kg — Jayden Cox became the first wrestler to retire at the Trials, leaving his shoes in the center of Mat 2 after losing 2-2 to Colin Moore in the Challenge semifinals. He capped off a sensational career as his three-time NCAA champion, two-time world champion, five-time world medalist, and his 2016 Olympic bronze medalist. Salute to one of the best players. Moore faced Isaac Trumbull in the challenge final. Trumbull rallied from a 4-0 deficit in the semifinals to beat Jay Aiello 6-4 and beat Moore 11-1 to advance to Saturday's best-of-three final against Kyle Snyder.
125kg — The seeding was held at heavyweight, with Hayden Zillmer defeating Nick Gwiazdowski 5-1 in the challenge tournament finals. Gilmer defeated Dom Bradley 5-0 in one semifinal, and Gwiazdowski defeated Greg Kerkvliet 5-1 in the other semifinal. In the challenge final, Zillmer scored four points with 35 seconds left to win the game.
