Penn State Wrestling Is the Darling of Final X

The Nittany Lion Wrestling Club qualifies half the U.S. men's freestyle team for the 2023 World Wrestling Championships.

Mandi Wright/USA Today Sports

Penn State wrestling will storm the world stage again in September, as half the U.S. men's freestyle team headed to the 2023 World Wrestling Championships trains in State College.

Three former Nittany Lions and two members of the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club won their best-of-three series at USA Wrestling's Final X to qualify for the U.S. team that will compete at worlds. Leading the group is two-time world champ David Taylor, who defeated current Penn State wrestler Aaron Brooks for the 86 kg freestyle spot.

Joining Taylor on the world team are former Penn State wrestlers Nick Lee (65 kg) and Zain Retherford (70 kg) and Nittany Lion Wrestling Club residents Kyle Dake (74 kg) and Kyle Snyder (97 kg). In all, 10 athletes from Penn State's Olympic Regional Training Center wrestled at Final X, with six earning spots on the U.S. world team. Jennifer Page, who trains at Penn State's RTC, won the women's 59 kg series at Final X to qualify for worlds, which will be held in Belgrade, Serbia. The Nittany Lion Wrestling Club claimed four medals (two gold, two silver) at the 2022 world championships.

Taylor, the defending Olympic champ at 86 kg, swept Brooks in the best-of-three series that pitted former and current three-time NCAA champions. Taylor defeated Brooks 6-0 and 5-4 and seeks to become a three-time world champ in Belgrade. Lee, a two-time NCAA champ at Penn State, made his first world team with a sweep of 2022 world silver medalist Yianni Diakhomihalis. After winning the first bout 7-6, Lee scored late in the second bout to secure an 8-8 victory and a spot on the world roster.

Zain Retherford, a world runner-up in 2022, looks for his first gold medal after sweeping Tyler Berger 11-2 and 4-3 at 70 kg. Retherford, a two-time Hodge Trophy winner at Penn State, is the defending champ at the Pan-American Championships.

Dake and Snyder, who compete for the NLWC, return to worlds seeking more gold. Dake is a four-time champ who won the 74 kg title in 2022. He defeated former Penn State star Jason Nolf 6-0 and 3-0 in the 74 kg series at Final X. Snyder is a three-time world champ, having won last year for the first time since 2017. He advanced from Final X after J'Den Cox withdrew from their 97 kg series because of injury.

Former Penn State standout Vincenzo Joseph withdrew from the true-third match at 74 kg because of injury.

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