Penn State has a lot of wrestlers at Final X
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STATE COLLEGE -- Ten current or former Penn State Wrestling stars and members of Penn State's Olympic Regional Training Center will compete at the 2023 Final X event, set for June 10 in Newark, New Jersey.
The event features the top two wrestlers at every weight class, men's and women's freestyle and Greco-Roman, battling for a spot on the 2023 United State's World Team.
The best-of-three match-ups will determine who will make the trek to the 2023 Senior World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, on Sept. 16. The event also features a lengthy list of 'true third' matches, which will determine 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 will take part in the Final X portion of the event, with each gunning for a trip to Belgrade. One former Nittany Lion great will compete in the 'true third' portion of the event. In all, the Penn State RTC/NLWC comprises nine of the 40 participants in the freestyle portion of the event (men's and women's).
On the men's side of the freestyle ledger, two of the ten weight class battles feature all Penn State RTC/NLWC finals. Current Nittany Lion Aaron Brooks will face all-time Penn State great David Taylor in the 86-kilogram final. Brooks won the U.S. Open in April to earn a date with Taylor in the best-of-three finals. Former Nittany Lion great Jason Nolf will meet fellow RTC/NLWC teammate Kyle Dake in the finals at 74 kilograms. Nolf won the U.S. Open title to advance to the best-of-three set with Dake.
Thomas Gilman will take on U.S. Open winner Zane Richards in the final set at 57 kilograms. Former Nittany Lion standout Zain Retherford will face U.S. Open winner Tyler Berger in the final series at 70 kilograms. Kyle Snyder faces U.S. Open Champion J'Den Cox in the best-of-three match-up at 97 kilograms.
Former Penn State star Nick Lee won the U.S. Open crown at 65 kilograms to set up a Final X title set against Yianni Diakomihalis as well. On the women's side, the RTC/NLWC's Jennifer Page won the World Team Trials title in May to earn a spot in the Final X series finale at 59 kilograms against Michaela Beck.
In addition, former Nittany Lion great Vincenzo Joseph (SKWC) will take part in a 'true-third' match-up at 74 kilograms against Keegan O'Toole, with a spot on the U.S. National Team on the line.
Final X is set for Saturday, June 10 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.