David Taylor’s Prophecy Coming True? Penn State Barging In Olympic Qualifiers With 12 Wrestlers

The USA Wrestling team’s Olympic dreams are getting bigger and the Penn State has the best roster in the house. Last month, David Taylor, the 3-times world champion wrestler sent out ripples across the community with his bold claims. While many had their skepticism about his statements, it looks like Taylor’s words indeed came from solid observations.

Penn State’s Nittany Lions Wrestling Club is among the most revered names in the national circuit. Now, the famed club has shared its latest feat and fans believe the NLWC (Nittany Lions Wrestling Club) is fixated on making the 2024 Paris Olympics a memorable one for themselves and the country. With 12 wrestlers qualifying for the men’s freestyle national team trials, the Nittany Lions are determined to sound their roar across their wrestling brethren.

NLWC makes the waves on the national circuit with eyes on 2024 Olympics

David Taylor, in November 2023, said that the USA national team can rest easy if they just send the NLWC wrestlers to Paris next year. Many experts marked their reservations about such claims, but the Penn State wrestlers were girding up their loins to make it to the roster. In a social media post on X, 12 PSU athletes have been named who have secured their spot at Olympic team trials.

The list boasts some incredible talent. Thomas Gilman left Iowa Hawkeyes to join the prestigious NLWC and it looks like his decision was a sound one. Gilman is the first one on the list by qualifying in the 57kg category. In the 65kg division, three PSU stars Beau Bartlett, Zain Retherford, and Nick Lee have been named for the Olympic qualifiers.

4 Nittany Lion members have been named on the qualifiers list in the 74kg category. The All-American Kyle Dake, Jason Nolf, redshirt freshman Mitchell Mesenbrink, and Alex Facundo look to make their mark on an international level. Dake is already one of the most-followed collegiate wrestlers in the country, and his Olympic hopes are now within a hand’s reach.

Iconic Olympian on the list

The list would’ve been incomplete without Olympic gold medalist and Penn State’s blue-eyed boy David Taylor, and, unsurprisingly, he’s one of the Nittany Lions to have qualified for the men’s freestyle team trials. Taylor will be joined by PSU senior Aaron Brooks and Max Dean.

Read more: David Taylor Along With 2 Other American Wrestlers Make the Cut in United World Wrestling’s Exclusive List

For many wrestling connoisseurs in the country, Kyle Snyder is one of the top prospects in the 97kg category. Snyder has represented the USA in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and looks like he’s not done just yet. Kyle is another NLWC wrestler who has qualified for the team trials in the 97kg.

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