Penn State Olympic RTC/NLWC Dominates at Final X

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA – Ten current or former Penn State wrestling stars and members of Penn State’s Olympic Regional Training Center competed at the 2023 Final X event Saturday in Newark, N.J., and six have earned a spot on the 2023 United States World Team. Five of the U.S. Men’s Freestyle World Team train in Happy Valley.

The best-of-three title matchups determined who would represent the U.S. at the 2023 Senior World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, on Sept. 16. The event also featured a lengthy list of ‘true third’ matches, which determined the third member of the U.S. National Team at each weight class.

Nine members of Penn State’s Olympic Regional Training Center/Nittany Lion Wrestling Club took part in the Championship Final X bouts, six of whom emerged victorious and will head to Belgrade in September.

Former Nittany Lion great Nick Lee met Yianni Diakomihalis in the final set at 65 kg. Lee took round one 7-6 and then notched a late two-point score to secure an 8-8 victory in the second bout. Lee’s late points secured a spot on the 2023 U.S. World Team for the NLWC standout.

Former Penn State great Zain Retherford faced Tyler Berger in the final series at 70 kg. Retherford took down Berger 11-2 in the first match and then posted a 4-3 win in the second bout to take the series 2-0 and earn a spot on the 2023 U.S. World Team and a trip to Belgrade in September.

In an all-Penn State/RTC/NLWC final, former Lion great Jason Nolf met NLWC teammate Kyle Dake in the finals at 74 kg. Dake took round one 6-0 and the second 3-0. Dake’s 2-0 series win earned him the U.S. title and a spot on the world team, Nolf takes second and is world team alternate on Team USA.

In another all-Penn State/RTC/NLWC final, current Nittany Lion Aaron Brooks took on Penn State great David Taylor in the match-up at 86 kg. Taylor beat Brooks 6-0 in the first round and 5-4 in the second round to secure a spot on the U.S. World Team. Brooks is the U.S. Alternate as the second place finisher.

Penn State RTC/NLWC’s Kyle Snyder was set to meet J’Den Cox in the finals at 97 kg. Snyder won via No Contest with Cox not being able to compete. Snyder’s title earns him a spot on the U.S. World Team and is the Penn State RTC/NLWC’s fifth men’s freestyle wrestler on Team USA’s World Team headed to Belgrade, Serbia.

In women’s freestyle action, Penn State RTC/NLWC’s Jennifer Page faced Michaela Beck in the final series at 59 kg. Page rolled to an 11-0 technical fall in the first round and duplicated that showing with another 11-0 tech fall in the second match to win the series 2-0 and grab the spot on Team USA.

The Penn State RTC/NLWC’s Thomas Gilman met Zane Richards in the best-of-three series at 57 kg. Gilman lost the first match 4-3 and the second 8-6, falling the best-of-three series 2-0.

Former Nittany Lion standout Vincenzo Joseph (SKWC) was set to take on Keegan O’Toole in a true-third series at 74 kg but did not compete, forfeiting fourth place.

Penn State and the RTC/NLWC will have fully half of the members of Team USA’s men’s freestyle team headed to Belgrade with five of the ten wrestlers training in State College. In all the RTC/NLWC had six winners at Final X (including Page on the women’s side) and three runners-up.