Four NLWC athletes qualify for Tokyo Olympics as David Taylor becomes Penn State’s newest Olympian

FORT WORTH, TEXAS – Four resident athletes with the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club have qualified for the Tokyo Olympics later this summer and former all-time great David Taylor became the newest member of Penn State wrestling’s Olympian club. Penn State and/or the NLWC had 15 athletes competing at the United State Olympic Wrestling Team Trials in Fort Worth, Texas, this past weekend.

The NLWC had five wrestlers competing for titles in the OTT finals, all of whom had already clinched spots on the U.S. National Team. Four of the NLWCs finalists became 2020 Olympians with wins while the fifth lost to an NLWC teammate in the finals.

Additionally, two more Penn State/NLWC wrestlers finished in the top three in their respective weight and classifications, earning spots on the U.S. National Team. In all, seven NLWC resident athletes/current Nittany Lions earned spots on the U.S. National Team after their performances this weekend. The NLWC partnered with Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC) for this weekend’s tournament.

Taylor became the newest member of Penn State Wrestling’s Olympic club. Taylor beat NLWC teammate and former Lion great Bo Nickal in the best-of-three finals to earn the Olympic spot at 86 kg. Taylor awaited the winner of the challenge bracket for a best-of-three series and it was Nickal who stormed the field to meet his NLWC teammate. Nickal went 3-0 on Friday and Saturday morning to advance to the final series. While dropping the finale to Taylor, Nickal earned a spot on the U.S. National Team with his second-place finish.

Taylor rode an early score to a hard-fought 4-0 win over Nickal in the first match-up in the best-of-three series, turning the first period lead into a win. The second match was scoreless until Taylor opened up a 3-0 lead midway through the opening period. Taylor carried that lead into the second period and posted a 6-0 victory to clinch the series and earn a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team headed to Tokyo. Taylor went 2-0 with the series win while Nickal, who went 3-0 to roll to the challenge tournament title, went 3-2 overall (including the two bouts with Taylor), finished as OTT Runner-Up and earned a spot on the U.S. National Team.

Two Olympic Gold Medalists from the 2016 games were competing to become 2020 Olympians for the NLWC. Kyle Snyder awaited the challenge bracket winner for a best-of-three championship series at 97 kg and Helen Maroulis (NLWC/Sunkist Kids) awaited the challenge bracket winner for a best-of-three title series at 57 kg in women’s freestyle.

With a trip to the Tokyo games on the line, Snyder faced Kollin Moore and dominated the first bout. Snyder controlled Moore from the onset, rolling to a 10-0 technical superiority. He followed that up with another strong performance, bolting out to a big early lead en route to a 5-1 victory, to claim the finals series 2-0. Snyder’s victory earned him a trip to his second straight Olympic games after his Gold Medal performance in 2016.

With a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team at hand, Maroulis met Jenna Burkert in the finals. After giving up an early takedown, Maroulis rallied to score five straight and posted a 5-3 win in the first match. She led by one after one and fell behind 4-0 early in the second, came back to take a 5-4 lead but dropped a 6-5 bout to send the series to a third, winner-take-all, match. Maroulis and Burkert competed in the weekend’s final bout and Maroulis ended it early. The defending Olympic Gold Medalist caught Burkert and turned her, picking up the fall just 0:24 into the bout to win the series 2-1 and earn a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team.

Thomas Gilman became a U.S. Olympian at 56 kg for the NLWC. Gilman went 2-0 during Friday and Saturday’s championship bracket to advance to the best-of-three finals where he met Vitali Arujau. Gilman pinned Arujau at the 5:42 mark in the first bout, coming back from an early deficit, opening up a big lead and then ending the bout with a pin. Gilman used a first period takedown to open up an early lead in the second bout and rode that score to a 2-2 win (criteria) and a trip to the 2020 Tokyo Games. Gilman went 4-0 overall this weekend, including a 2-0 series win in the finals.

Current Nittany Lion national champion Nick Lee entered the 2021 OTTs as the sixth-seed and went 4-1 overall. After a 1-1 showing on Friday, Lee went 3-0 on Saturday to claim third place and earn a spot on the 2021 U.S. National Team. Lee beat former Lion great Zain Retherford to advance to the third place match where he downed 2019 NCAA Champion Yianni Diakomihalis 16-8 to take third. Lee beat three former NCAA Champions on Saturday alone by a combined 38-14 score.

Former Nittany Lion champion Jason Nolf went 1-1 on day one of the tournament and faced Evan Wick for third place overall (true second in the challenge bracket) and a spot on the U.S. National Team. Nolf dominated the first period, opening up a 5-0 lead before cruising to a 9-0 victory. Nolf’s win earned him a spot on the 2021 U.S. National Team. Nolf went 2-1 in Fort Worth this weekend.

The NLWC’s Jennifer Page finished off an outstanding tournament with two wins on Saturday, going 4-1 at 62 kg. Page downed Emma Bruntil in the finals of the consolation bracket but because she lost to Maya Nelson yesterday, no true second bout will be contested and Nelson grabs the third place spot on the national team.

Current Nittany Lion Greg Kerkvliet, two weeks removed from earning All-America laurels at the NCAA tournament, went 1-2 at 125 kg. Current Penn Stater Aaron Brooks, fresh off winning the 184-pound NCAA title two weeks ago, went 2-2 at 86 kg. Former Lion national champion Zain Retherford went 1-2 at 65 kg, dropping his last bout to NLWC teammate Lee in consolation action.

Current Nittany Lion freshman Carter Starocci competed at up a weight 86 kg two weeks after winning the NCAA title at 174. Starocci went 0-2 in his first OTT experience. Former Penn State champion Vincenzo Joseph competed at 74 kg and went 0-1.

Former Nittany Lion great Frank Molinaro went 1-1 at 65 kg. Molinaro represented the U.S. in the 2016 games. Penn State now has six Olympians in its history (Taylor, Molinaro, Kerry McCoy, Sanshiro Abe/Japan, Ken Chertow and Katsutoshi Naito/Japan). Current Nittany Lion Mason Manville competed at 77 kg in Greco-Roman, going 0-2 in Fort Worth.

Agate by weight/classification:

Men’s Freestyle
57 kg: Thomas Gilman (NLWC/TMWC) // 4-0 // 1st (member 2020 US Olympic Team/US National Team)
65 kg: Zain Retherford (NLWC/TMWC) // 1-2 // dnp
65 kg: Nick Lee (NLWC/TMWC) // 4-1 // 3rd (member US National Team)
65 kg: Frank Molinaro (SKWC/TMWC) // 1-1 // dnp
74 kg: Jason Nolf (NLWC/TMWC) // 2-1 // 3rd (member US National Team)
74 kg: Vincenzo Joseph (NLWC/TMWC) // 0-1 // dnp
86 kg: David Taylor (NLWC/TMWC) // 2-0 // 1st (member 2020 US Olympic Team/US National Team)
86 kg: Bo Nickal (NLWC/TMWC) // 3-2 // 2nd (member US National Team)
86 kg: Aaron Brooks (NLWC/TMWC) // 2-2 // dnp
86 kg: Carter Starocci (NLWC/TMWC) // 0-2 // dnp
97 kg: Kyle Snyder (NLWC/TMWC) // 2-0 // 1st (member 2020 US Olympic Team/US National Team)
125 kg: Greg Kerkvliet (NLWC/TMWC) // 1-2 // dnp

Women’s Freestyle
57 kg: Helen Maroulis (SKWC/NLWC) // 2-1 // 1st (member 2020 US Olympic Team/US National Team)
62 kg: Jennifer Page (NLWC/TMWC) // 4-1 // 4th

Greco-Roman
77 kg: Mason Manville (US Army WCAP/NLWC) // 0-2 // dnp