Taylor's first international match at 86kg

[mrh1645]

I saw on themat.com forum that David is planning to wrestle at the Golden Grand Prix in Baku, Azerbaijan on Nov. 27-29. That event attracts a pretty strong field. Varner and Ruth took bronze in the event the last time. Should be interesting to see how David and the rest of the Americans do.

57 kg/125.5 lbs. – Andrew Hochstrasser, Boise, Idaho (Titan Mercury WC)
61 kg/132 lbs. – Chris Dardanes, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
65 kg/143 lbs. – Logan Stieber, Columbus, Ohio (New York AC/Ohio RTC)
65 kg/143 lbs. – Jimmy Kennedy, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC/Cliff Keen WC)
70 kg/154 lbs. – Kevin LeValley, Williamsport, Pa. (Minnesota Storm)
74 kg/163 lbs. – Nick Marable, Morgantown, W.Va. (Sunkist Kids/Mountaineer RTC)
74 kg/163 lbs. – Anthony Valencia, Pico Rivera, Calif. (Sunkist Kids)
86 kg/189 lbs. – David Taylor, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC)
86 kg/189 lbs. – Clayton Foster, Laramie, Wyo. (GRIT Athletics/Cowboy WC)
97 kg/213 lbs. – J.D. Bergman, Columbus, Ohio (New York AC/Ohio RTC)
97 kg/213 lbs. – Dustin Kilgore, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
125 kg/275 lbs. – Dom Bradley, Morgantown, W.Va. (Sunkist Kids)

 

[Tom McAndrew]

Odd (at least to me) that Dardanes and LeValley are competing at non-Olympic weights. You'd think that with the Olympics 10 months away, that they'd want to compete at a weight that will be contested at the Olympics.

Perhaps Coach Slay encouraged them to compete at the non-Olympic weights.

Good to see DT getting in the circle at the new weight.

I'm also somewhat surprised that more US guys are not competing at Golden Grand Prix, though I have no idea how the funding works for sending these guys to the overseas meets.

 

[HawkTalk3]

Odd (at least to me) that Dardanes and LeValley are competing at non-Olympic weights. You'd think that with the Olympics 10 months away, that they'd want to compete at a weight that will be contested at the Olympics.

Perhaps Coach Slay encouraged them to compete at the non-Olympic weights.

Good to see DT getting in the circle at the new weight.

I'm also somewhat surprised that more US guys are not competing at Golden Grand Prix, though I have no idea how the funding works for sending these guys to the overseas meets.

LeValley is probably still shrinking himself would be my guess. He would probably rather worry about making 65 in December at the Open and just get matches in at the the GGP.

I know a few guys will be wrestling at the Club World Cup championships (Ramos, Telford, and I think Dennis are going from Iowa) and I thought I heard there might be two USA teams there (Could be wrong on the two team part), so some guys will be wrestling there instead. I would assume some Titan Mercury guys will be at the Club championships with Ramos.

 

[El-Jefe]

What really sticks out to me: geographic distribution. Specifically, 1 guy at Colorado Springs, the rest at RTCs and/or their coaching jobs.

 

[Wrestler2u]

Can Taylor be up to full strength yet at 189#s. (86kg)