David Taylor won by technical fall over Quinton Godley (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)MADISON, Wis. -- Five years ago David Taylor and Ed Ruth became teammates at Penn State. Tonight the two will look to move one step closer to becoming teammates on the U.S. World Team.
Taylor and Ruth both came through the challenge tournament on Sunday at the U.S. World Team Trials in Madison, Wisconsin.
The 23-year-old Taylor, a four-time NCAA finalist and two-time NCAA champion, won by technical fall in his semifinal victory over Quinton Godley, and then grinded out a tough 3-1 victory over Andrew Howe to advance to the best-of-three finals at 74 kilos where he will meet Olympian champion Jordan Burroughs. The two met just over a month ago in the finals of the U.S. Open, with Burroughs rallying late to win 7-6.
Ruth, a three-time NCAA champion and four-time All-American, won the challenge tournament at 86 kilos by avenging a loss from the U.S. Open to Clayton Foster. Ruth and Foster battled to a 2-2 tie after the opening period. In the second period Ruth took control of the match, scoring with a one-point near-takedown, two-point exposure, and late takedown for the 7-3 victory. Ruth will face returning World Team member Keith Gavin in the best-of-three finals tonight.
Jordan Oliver rebounded from a disappointing U.S. Open where he suffered an injury and defaulted to sixth place to win the challenge tournament on Sunday at 65 kilos. Oliver avenged a U.S. Open loss to Kellen Russell in the semifinals, and then edged two-time U.S. World Team member Reece Humphrey in the challenge tournament finals, 4-3. All four of Oliver's points in the match came off one move, a trip on the edge of the mat, in the second period. The former Oklahoma State Cowboy will now get a crack at U.S. Open champion Brent Metcalf for a chance to wrestle at the World Championships.
World No. 1 Adeline Gray was untested in the challenge tournament at 75 kilos on Sunday. She recorded a 10-0 technical fall, followed by two falls, including one in the finals over past World champion Iris Smith. Gray, who missed the U.S. Open, battles Jackie Cataline tonight.
U.S. Open runner-up Katherine Fulp-Allen cruised through the challenge tournament at 53 kilos in women's freestyle, blanking Carlene Sluberski in the finals, 6-0. Tonight she wrestles Whitney Conder in a rematch of the U.S. Open finals. Conder won that meeting 2-0.
Another U.S. Open finals rematch will take place at 63 kilos in women's freestyle as challenge tournament champion Erin Clodgo meets three-time World medalist Elena Pirozhkova.
Tonight's final session will begin at 6 p.m. CT.
Day 2 Best-of-three finals matchups
Men's freestyle:
65 kilos: Brent Metcalf vs. Jordan Oliver
74 kilos: Jordan Burroughs vs. David Taylor
86 kilos: Keith Gavin vs. Ed Ruth
Women's freestyle:
53 kilos: Whitney Conder vs. Katherine Fulp-Allen
63 kilos: Elena Pirozhkova vs. Erin Clodgo
75 kilos: Jackie Cataline vs. Adeline Gray
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