Penn State Wrestling Shows Off Their Might as World Champion Alum and Current Star Take Center Stage

The Pennsylvania State University has produced some great wrestlers. A good number of them have become established names in the sport. The Nittany Lions Wrestling Club has expanded its reach in conjunction with Penn State. Its goal is to become the premier club for wrestlers in the USA. Based on the results of the last few years, that dream is slowly becoming a reality.

Some of Penn State’s graduates have made the institution proud in recent times. That notable list includes David Taylor. In the Men’s 86kg freestyle wrestling, he secured the gold medal at the 2023 World Wrestling Championships in Belgrade. He is also the defending Olympic champion in the same category. Taylor crossed paths with a new entrant for that esteemed list.

David Taylor and Aaron Brooks, two Penn State legends, meet

The handle @NlwcFan took to X, formerly Twitter, to post a picture of Taylor alongside Aaron Brooks. Brooks, 23, recently won the gold in the Men’s 86kg freestyle wrestling at the 2023 U23 World Wrestling Championships. He overcame Tatsuya Shirai in the final. The caption adjoining the image went thus: “Penn State, Past & Present…Best, 86 kg Wrestlers in the World…Penn State Greats, David Taylor & Aaron Brooks…@NittanyLionWC @pennstateWREST @__ABALLDAY @magicman_psu”

Brooks is eligible to compete for Penn State for one final year. Taylor, 33, has many more notches on his belt. Both have established themselves as legends at Penn State. Brooks is a three-time NCAA champion and one-time Hodge Trophy finalist. Taylor, on the other hand, has two NCAA championships and two Hodge trophies to his name. They were opponents in the past once.

Not the first time the pair met on a wrestling mat

It was billed as a clash set to bring about a changing of the guard, but David Taylor maintained the status quo. The two faced each other in a winner-takes-all qualifier for the World Championships. Taylor qualified as the defending champion and Aaron Brooks won the US Open to book his spot. The former won the first two bouts in a best-of-three clash.

Read More – Watch: USA’s Wrestling Sensation David Taylor Obliterate Opponents for Third World Championship Medal

Taylor will look to defend his Olympic crown in Paris following the addition of a third World Championship to his trophy cabinet. Brooks also wants to be part of that spectacular show. They could face each other on the mats once more, potentially. This meeting between them was friendly. That might not be the case if they stand in each other’s way en route to the gold medal. It remains to be seen if that matchup materializes and, if so, who prevails.

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