Oklahoma State Wrestling RTC Lands World Bronze Medalist Zahid Valencia
The Oklahoma State Cowboys wrestling program has long been known as a historically dominant collegiate wrestling program. Following an impressive offseason, the Cowboys added one of the best in the game with first-year head coach David Taylor. With Taylor locked in at head coach, dominant names in USA wrestling began to follow.
In a recent interview with FloWrestling Radio Live, Taylor expressed the importance of a strong RTC (Regional Training Center). “A lot of people feel like it’s kind of maybe an extra thing," Taylor said. "I think it’s an essential thing. Building it out properly, with the right people in place, I think is important."
Taylor and the OSU Cowboy wrestling added yet another crucial piece to the puzzle on Tuesday. Zahid Valencia, Taylor’s 2024 World Team Trials finals opponent, announced he would be making the move from Tempe, Arizona, to Stillwater to train with the Cowboy’s RTC.
Valencia is an Arizona State superstar who won a pair of NCAA Championships with the Sun Devils. He then went on to win the 2023 World bronze medal. He is the second ranked wrestler in the United States only behind Taylor.
We are excited to announce World Bronze medalist, Zahid Valencia, will be joining Cowboy RTC! Welcome to Stillwater 🤠 pic.twitter.com/1TvLLn8XcG
— Cowboy RTC (@CowboyRTC) October 22, 2024
With the addition of Zahid Valencia to the Cowboy RTC, Oklahoma State may have one of the most elite training camps in all of collegiate wrestling. Valencia joins a Cowboy RTC that already includes World silver medalist Daton Fix and recent addition, 2024 Olympian Roman Bravo-Young.
Valencia is the first upper weight division addition to the Cowboy RTC in 2024. He will likely be a major contender to make the World and Olympic teams between now and the 2028 LA Games.
The recent addition of coach David Glover along with the revamping of the Cowboy RTC has caused a major shakeup in NCAA recruiting in wrestling. 2025 Cornell commit Sergio Vega, who is one of the top young wrestlers in the nation, recently flipped his commitment to the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
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Taylor Skieens has been an avid sports journalist with the McCurtain Gazette in Idabel, Oklahoma for seven years. He holds the title of Sports Editor for one of the oldest remaining print publications in the state of Oklahoma. Taylor grew up in the small lumber town of Wright City Oklahoma where he played baseball and basketball for the Lumberjax.