Taylor began his career as a Nittany Lion redshirting at 157 pounds. During the 2009-2010 season, as an unattached competitor Taylor logged a 21-2 record, claiming individual titles at three of the five open tournaments he entered.
In his official debut season, Taylor continued the momentum he generated during the past year, finishing the regular season with a perfect record. He completed the season with a 19-0 record in dual competition and 8-0 record against Big Ten opponents.
In his first post season, Taylor logged an undefeated 3-0 record earning his first Big Ten title at 157 pounds. As a result of his victory Taylor earned an automatic bid to the NCAA National Championships, where he took down the event’s number two seed on his way to a runner-up finish.
For his success, Taylor was named Intermat’s National Freshman of the Year, the Big Ten Wrestler and Freshman Wrestler of the Year, and earned his first All-American honors. Taylor finished the year with a 38-1 overall record.
As a redshirt sophomore Taylor logged another perfect regular season, this time at 165 pounds, wrestling to a 14-0 record in dual competition and 8-0 record against Big Ten opponents.
In the post season Taylor earned his second consecutive Big Ten individual title after winning four consecutive matches. Taylor was recognized as Big Ten Wrestler of the Year for his accomplishments.
At the national championships Taylor blazed a path to the finals at 165 pounds, logging pins against every wrestler he came up against. In the finals Taylor continued to awe fans logging an all-time finals record of 22 points in his 22-7 technical fall win against Lehigh’s Brandon Hatchett where he earned his first national title.
Taylor won the 2012 NCAA Championships Gorrarian Award and Most Dominant Wrestler Award and the 2012 Hodge Trophy.
Taylor began the 2012-2013 season with a trip to the 2012 NWCA All-Star Classic, where he took on Cornell’s Kyle Dake. This match showcased the first time the two would face each other during the season, but not the last.
As a redshirt junior, Taylor again logged his third consecutive season undefeated in both dual competition, 14-0, and against Big Ten opponents, 8-0, and won his third straight Big Ten individual title at 165 pounds.
At the national championships Taylor once again reached the finals where he was poised to take on Cornell’s Dake. In the matchup Taylor suffered a narrow 5-4 decision on 1:13 riding time loss.
Moreno enters the matchup as a redshirt junior riding a wave of success from last season.
Moreno began his career as a Cyclone redshirting during the 2010-2011 season.
During the 2011-2012 season, Moreno made his official debut as a Cyclone. Moreno completed the season with a 4-13 record, appearing in 15 dual meets. In the post season, Moreno advanced to the Big Twelve Championships where he finished fourth.
Entering the 2012-2013 season Moreno made Iowa State Wrestling history for completing one of the most successful season turnarounds to date.
Moreno completed his redshirt sophomore season with 31-10 record and reached the NCAA National Championships for the first time. With 31 wins, Moreno led the Cyclone teams in most wins on the season.
At the national championships, Moreno earned his first All-American honors after finishing sixth as an unseeded competitior.
The All-Star Classic, presented by the Marine Corps, will take place on November 2nd at 7:15 p.m. on the campus of George Mason University. To purchase tickets to the event, visit the Ticketmaster website. For more information on the All-Star Classic, visit the NWCA website and follow the NWCA on Facebook and Twitter.
About the NWCA
Founded in 1928, the NWCA strives to promote and provide leadership for the advancement of amateur wrestling, primarily at the scholastic and collegiate levels. The association is headquartered in Manheim Pa. The three core competencies are coaching development, student-wrestler welfare, and promotion/advocacy. The NWCA has 10,000 members and educational programs that serve 230,000 students each year.
About George Mason University (GMU)
Was established in 1957 and obtained university status in 1972. George Mason University is located in Fairfax Virginia has 32,000 students. The GMU wrestling program has a rich tradition as evidenced by having advanced 41 different wrestlers to the NCAA Division I Championships, two wrestlers achieved All American status one time and one wrestler achieved All American status two times. The head coach is Joe Russell and he is in his 2nd year.
About Wrestlers in Business Network (WIBN)
The WIBN-Washington DC Chapter consists of prominent business leaders in the Washington DC metropolitan region. The organization was originally formed in September 2012 under the name of the Greater Washington Wrestlers in Business Network and more recently merged with the Wrestlers in Business Network (headquartered in Cleveland OH) to form a national Wrestlers in Business Network. The purpose of this organization is to support amateur wrestling activities in major cities across America.
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