World Bronze Medalist Valencia to Join Cowboy RTC

Tonight, the Cowboy RTC announced the addition of their latest resident athlete Zahid Valencia. Valencia comes to Stillwater after spending his collegiate career at Arizona State (2016-20) and since his graduation, he has continued to train out of Tempe with the Sunkist Kids. 

Valencia won a pair of NCAA titles competing for the Sun Devils at 174 lbs. Overall, he earned All-American honors three times (3,1,1) and was a three-time Pac-12 champion. Valencia also claimed the Pac-12 Championship on three occasions. Twice Valencia received the number one seed at the NCAA Championships and in 2018 he finished the year as an undefeated NCAA champion (32-0). 

Since college, Valencia has been active on the Senior level. In 2023, Valencia made the world team at 92 kg and proceeded to claim a bronze medal at the World Championships. He also has a Junior World silver medal from back in 2017. 

Valencia also has a long (and recent) history with Oklahoma State head coach David Taylor. The two recently met in the best-of-three finals at the 2024 World Team Trials and Taylor swept Valencia in two straight matches to make the world team. Also, in 2022, Taylor defeated Valencia in Final X NYC, 4-2 and 10-0. 

Valencia joins Daton Fix and Roman Bravo-Young as Senior-level members of the Cowboy RTC.

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