David Taylor (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)USA Wrestling has named David Taylor (State College, Pa./Titan Mercury WC/Nittany Lion WC) to its 2018 U.S. Men's Freestyle World Cup Team at 86 kg/189 lbs.
Taylor will be on the USA Wrestling team which will compete at the 2018 Freestyle World Cup at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on the campus of the University of Iowa, April 7-8. The World Cup is the annual international dual meet championship, and will feature the top eight men's freestyle wrestling teams in the world.
Taylor, a two-time U.S. Open champion, will be competing in his second Freestyle World Cup. Taylor was a 2017 World Cup champion, going 4-0 in his dual meet matches in Kermanshah, Iran. Two of Taylor's wins were against past Olympic champions, with a third against a past World champion.
Taylor claimed his U.S. Open titles in 2015 and 2017. He was second in the U.S. World Team Trials in both 2014 and 2017, and placed third in the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. He was third at the 2013 World University Games. Taylor has won two Grand Prix of Spain titles (2015, 2016) and the Paris International title in France in 2017. He compete on the 2007 U.S. Junior World Team while still in high school.
In college, Taylor was a two-time NCAA champion and four-time NCAA finalist for Penn State. His NCAA titles came in 2012 and 2014, and he placed second in the NCAA Championships in 2011 and 2013. Taylor also won the Dan Hodge Trophy as the nation's top college wrestlers two times, taking this honor in 2012 and 2014.
He was a four-time Ohio State champion for St. Paris Graham High School.
USA Wrestling will announce one World Cup participant in each of the 10 weight classes each day through March 14. In addition to these 10 athletes, additional athletes will be added to the team roster, with at least two wrestlers in each weight class.
The USA has drawn into Pool A against the nations of Japan, Georgia, and Iran. Pool B consists of teams from Russia, Azerbaijan, Cuba, and Kazakhstan. Iran is the defending World Cup team champions.
This will be the first major international event for the U.S. men's freestyle program, since the United States won the team title at the 2017 World Wrestling Championships in Paris, France last August. It was the first World Team Title for the USA in men's freestyle in 22 years and only the third time in history.
Ticket opportunities for the World Cup include a Gold all-session package ($225), a Black all-session package ($150), and standard all-session tickets ($75/$50). Tickets are now available on the University of Iowa Athletics website.
Visit worldcupiowacity.com for more information on the event.
FREESTYLE WORLD CUP
At Iowa City, Iowa, April 7-8
U.S. men's freestyle lineup (as of March 11)
57 kg/125.5 lbs. - Thomas Gilman, Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC/Hawkeye WC)
61 kg/134 lbs. - Kendric Maple, Lincoln, Neb. (Titan Mercury WC/Nebraska WTC)
65 kg/143 lbs. - Logan Stieber, Columbus, Ohio (Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC)
70 kg/154 lbs. - James Green, Lincoln, Neb. (Titan Mercury WC/Nebraska WTC)
74 kg/163 lbs. - Jordan Burroughs, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids/Nebraska WTC)
79 kg/174 lbs. - Kyle Dake, Ithaca, N.Y. (Titan Mercury WC/Finger Lakes WC)
86 kg/189 lbs. - David Taylor, State College, Pa. (Titan Mercury WC/Nittany Lion WC)
92 kg/202.5 lbs. -
97 kg/213 lbs.
125 kg/275 lbs. -
National Freestyle Coaches - Bill Zadick, Kevin Jackson and Joe Russell (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
Honorary Coaches - Dan Gable (Iowa City, Iowa), J Robinson (Minneapolis, Minn.), Mike Duroe (Marion, Iowa)
Additional U.S. athletes and delegation members will also be named.
David Taylor's previous World Cup results
2017 World Cup, Kermanshah, Iran, Feb. 16-17
WIN Dato Marsagishvili (Georgia), 8-3
WIN Vladislav Valiev (Russia), 14-4 tech. fall
WIN Sharif Sharifov (Azerbaijan), 12-2 tech. fall
WIN Hassan Yazdanicharati (Iran), 5:05 pin
DAVID TAYLOR
Residence: State College, Pa.
Club: Titan Mercury WC/Nittany Lion WC
College: Penn State
High School: St. Paris Graham (Ohio)
Born: Dec. 5, 1990
Weight Class: 86 kg/189 lbs.
• 2017 World Cup champion
• Third in 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials
• Two-time U.S. World Team Trials runner-up (2014, 2017)
• Third in 2015 U.S. World Team Trials
• Two-time U.S. Open champion (2015, 2017)
• Third in 2013 World University Games
• Two-time Grand Prix of Spain champion (2015, 2016)
• 2017 Paris International champion
• Two-time NCAA champion for Penn State (2012, 2014)
• Two-time Dan Hodge Trophy recipient, as nation's best college wrestler (2012, 2014)
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