J'den Cox defeated past world champion Mihail Ganev of Bulgaria to win bronze at 86 kilograms (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)USA Wrestling has named J'den Cox (Columbia, Mo./Titan Mercury WC/Missouri WF) to its 2018 U.S. Men's Freestyle World Cup Team at 92 kg/202.5 lbs.
Cox 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.
Cox, a 2016 Olympic bronze medalist and 2017 World bronze medalist, will be competing in his second Freestyle World Cup. He had a strong 3-1 record in his dual meet matches in the 2016 Freestyle World Cup, held in Inglewood, Calif.
Cox won his 2016 Olympic bronze medal in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and claimed his 2017 World bronze medal in Paris, France. He won a gold medal at the 2016 World Olympic Qualifier in Mongolia, which qualified him for the Rio Olympics. He was second at the 2018 Outstanding Ukrainian Memorial International and was third in the 2016 German Grand Prix.
In college, Cox was a three-time NCAA champion and four-time All-American for Missouri. He was the first wrestler to win three NCAA titles in Missouri's history. Cox won his NCAA titles in 2014, 2016 and 2017.
He was a four-time Missouri state champion for Hickman High School, the first in Missouri prep history to win four state titles in four different weight classes.
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 12)
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. - J'den Cox, Columbia, Mo. (Titan Mercury WC/Missouri WF)
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.
J'den Cox previous World Cup results
2016 World Cup, Inglewood, Calif., June 11-12
WIN Pawan Kumar (India), 13-2 tech. fall
WIN Alexander Gostiev (Azerbaijan), 3-2
WIN Alireza Karimimachiani (Iran), 6-2
LOSS Dato Marsigashvili (Georgia), 7-4
J'DEN COX
Residence: Columbia, Mo. Club: Titan Mercury WC
College: Missouri High School: Columbia, Mo. (Hickman)
Born: March 3, 1995 Weight Class: 92 kg/202.5 lbs.
• 2016 Olympic bronze medalist
• 2017 World bronze medalist
• 2016 World Olympic Qualifier champion (Mongolia)
• Third in 2016 Grand Prix of Germany (2016)
• Three-time NCAA champion for Missouri (2014, 2016-17)
• Four-time NCAA All-American (2014-17)
• Four-time Mid-American Conference champion (2014-17)
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