What the hell does David Taylor know about beating Kyle Dake? 
I never thought I'd make that joke in my lifetime
I never thought I'd make that joke in my lifetime
'26 Final X, 6/19, thread
- Thread starter Tom McAndrew
- Start date
86kg round three: Zahid Valencia vs. Kyle Dake
Dake gets an early step out on a counter to a Valencia shot. He leads 1-0 at 5:25. Dake then gets two exposures on a counter shot for a 3-0 lead, and it's a stalemate at 5:05. Valencia is on a single, but Dake counters it and runs Valencia right off the mat for another step out and a 4-0 lead at 4:49. Late low single for Valencia but Dake gets a chest wrap in and time expires.
4-0 Dake over Valencia at the break.
Dake gets an early step out on a counter to a Valencia shot. He leads 1-0 at 5:25. Dake then gets two exposures on a counter shot for a 3-0 lead, and it's a stalemate at 5:05. Valencia is on a single, but Dake counters it and runs Valencia right off the mat for another step out and a 4-0 lead at 4:49. Late low single for Valencia but Dake gets a chest wrap in and time expires.
4-0 Dake over Valencia at the break.
DT to Valencia here: I'm not sure what to do, go ask Cael.
I'm probably going to be hungover tomorrow but that's an entirely different conversation.
It’s funny, we lost the only H2H against Iowa, but I barely think about them at all!
Beautiful Final-X!
Beautiful Final-X!
Dake looks ******* phenomenal! My lord
86kg round three: Zahid Valencia vs. Kyle Dake
Dake gets an early step out on a counter to a Valencia shot. He leads 1-0 at 5:25. Dake then gets two exposures on a counter shot for a 3-0 lead, and it's a stalemate at 5:05. Valencia is on a single, but Dake counters it and runs Valencia right off the mat for another step out and a 4-0 lead at 4:49. Late low single for Valencia but Dake gets a chest wrap in and time expires.
4-0 Dake over Valencia at the break.
BREAK ENDS
Dake shoots in on a high double and gets two and two as they go flying off the edge off a feet to back. That was neat. Challenge by Okie State. I must give FLO credit. Having the chair call is great. WOW: Upon review, Dake commited a singlet infraction and all of his points are wiped out. So now it's 4-0 at 2:44. What a stroke of luck on that challenge by Okie State. No chance that's what they challenged.
Back to action at 4-0 Dake with 2:23 to go. Valencia drops on a single but cannot switch to the double before Dake breaks away. Neutral at 1:40. Dake shoots but cannot finish it. Stalemate at 1:19 with Dake up 4-0. Neutral still at :30. Valencia has nothing left. 15 seconds to go. It's over.
Dake d. Valencia 4-0 to win 86kg series 2-1
Dake gets an early step out on a counter to a Valencia shot. He leads 1-0 at 5:25. Dake then gets two exposures on a counter shot for a 3-0 lead, and it's a stalemate at 5:05. Valencia is on a single, but Dake counters it and runs Valencia right off the mat for another step out and a 4-0 lead at 4:49. Late low single for Valencia but Dake gets a chest wrap in and time expires.
4-0 Dake over Valencia at the break.
BREAK ENDS
Dake shoots in on a high double and gets two and two as they go flying off the edge off a feet to back. That was neat. Challenge by Okie State. I must give FLO credit. Having the chair call is great. WOW: Upon review, Dake commited a singlet infraction and all of his points are wiped out. So now it's 4-0 at 2:44. What a stroke of luck on that challenge by Okie State. No chance that's what they challenged.
Back to action at 4-0 Dake with 2:23 to go. Valencia drops on a single but cannot switch to the double before Dake breaks away. Neutral at 1:40. Dake shoots but cannot finish it. Stalemate at 1:19 with Dake up 4-0. Neutral still at :30. Valencia has nothing left. 15 seconds to go. It's over.
Dake d. Valencia 4-0 to win 86kg series 2-1
these reviews are horrible. I can’t believe they took that 4 away from dake
Zahid will again give up 0 points at worlds....
No shame in retiring Zahid. You just lost to a has been.
NLWC shows out again. Just an unbelievable performance across the board.
DT definitely takes a hit today. Wyatt made the team but Zahid who was last years world champ and Jax who was 5th at worlds last year both don’t make the team. OkST puts 1 on the team while the NLWC puts 5 on it. Maybe this slows the hype train down a bit
Kyle Dake is on a Freaking Mission to say the least….So Happy he’s Here in State College.
I can't help but wonder if Jax is still punching his head
DT allowed back in state college as Nick Lee’s personal assistant
So glad they make the 86 kg match up to be the last one. It was so worth it.
Thanks for the pbp, updates, and banter. Have a good weekend everyone.
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PSU/NLWC is the Best In The World By Far. Not even Close
It's a great day to be a Nittany Lion wrestling fan! (Most days have been that way for a LONG time!)
Not sure which is sweeter, dispatching Jax or Zahid.
Wow.
I previously didn’t think Dake could beat Valencia at 86 kilos. I thought he was too small.
He just beat the reigning world champ.
And I never showed Dake enough respect in college.
But what do you say about a guy that has won at this high a level at this many different weight classes?
It’s unreal.
I previously didn’t think Dake could beat Valencia at 86 kilos. I thought he was too small.
He just beat the reigning world champ.
And I never showed Dake enough respect in college.
But what do you say about a guy that has won at this high a level at this many different weight classes?
It’s unreal.
What a performance from our boys! This made my entire month especially seeing Marcus beat Jax and Dake beat Zahid. Zain out of retirement and onto the team! Snyder making his 12th straight team! And the 21 year old beast Levi looking like a world champ. What a ******* day!
It’s just a shame that PSU puts so much money into wrestling when they get virtually nothing out of it beyond the collegiate level.
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And the USMNT into the knockout stage of the World Cup with the possibility we can rest all our key guys next game
Drink water and take a Pepsid AC. You’ll wake up fine.I'm probably going to be hungover tomorrow but that's an entirely different conversation.
Full Final X results:
125 kg – Wyatt Hendrickson (Stillwater, Okla./Cowboy RTC/Air Force WCAP) vs. Mason Parris (Ann Arbor, Mich./Cliff Keen WC/Titan Mercury WC)
R1: Hendrickson d. Parris, 9-5
R2: Hendrickson d. Parris, 7-1
Hendrickson wins the series 2-0 to make Team USA
70 kg – Ridge Lovett (Post Falls, Idaho/Nebraska WTC/Training Mercury WC) vs. Zain Retherford (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)
R1: Retherford d. Lovett, 2-1
R2: Retherford d. Lovett, 8-2
Retherford wins the series 2-0 to make Team USA
79 kg – Levi Haines (Bellefonte, Pa./Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Chance Marsteller (Reading, Pa./New Jersey RTC/Titan Mercury WC)
R1: Haines d. Marstellar, 6-1
R2: Haines d. Marstellar, 6-3
Haines wins the series 2-0 to make Team USA
74 kg – James Green (Lincoln, Neb./Nebraska WTC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. David Carr (Ames, Iowa/Cyclone RTC/Titan Mercury WC)
R1: Green d. Carr, 6-3
R2: Carr d. Green, 6-5
R3: Green d. Carr, 4-1
Green wins the series 2-1 and makes Team USA
97 kg – Kyle Snyder (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Stephen Buchanan (Coralville, Iowa/Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury WC)
R1: Snyder d. Buchanan, 5-2
R2: Buchanan d. Snyder, 5-5
R3: Snyder d. Buchanan, 9-3
Snyder wins the series 2-1 and makes Team USA
61 kg – Marcus Blaze (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Jax Forrest (Johnstown, Pa./Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC)
R1: Blaze d. Forrest, 2-2
R2: Forrest d. Blaze, 6-1
R3: Blaze d. Forrest 5-2
Blaze wins the series 2-1 and makes Team USA
57 kg – Luke Lilledahl (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Spencer Lee (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury WC)
R1: Lee d. Lilledahl, 7-1
R2: Lee d. Lilledahl, 8-4
Lee wins the series 2-0 and makes Team USA
86 kg – Zahid Valencia (Stillwater, Okla./Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Kyle Dake (Port Matilda, Pa./Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)
R1: Valencia d. Dake 3-2
R2: Dake d. Valencia, 4-1
R3: Dake d. Valencia 4-0
Dake wins the series 2-1 and makes Team USA
125 kg – Wyatt Hendrickson (Stillwater, Okla./Cowboy RTC/Air Force WCAP) vs. Mason Parris (Ann Arbor, Mich./Cliff Keen WC/Titan Mercury WC)
R1: Hendrickson d. Parris, 9-5
R2: Hendrickson d. Parris, 7-1
Hendrickson wins the series 2-0 to make Team USA
70 kg – Ridge Lovett (Post Falls, Idaho/Nebraska WTC/Training Mercury WC) vs. Zain Retherford (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)
R1: Retherford d. Lovett, 2-1
R2: Retherford d. Lovett, 8-2
Retherford wins the series 2-0 to make Team USA
79 kg – Levi Haines (Bellefonte, Pa./Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Chance Marsteller (Reading, Pa./New Jersey RTC/Titan Mercury WC)
R1: Haines d. Marstellar, 6-1
R2: Haines d. Marstellar, 6-3
Haines wins the series 2-0 to make Team USA
74 kg – James Green (Lincoln, Neb./Nebraska WTC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. David Carr (Ames, Iowa/Cyclone RTC/Titan Mercury WC)
R1: Green d. Carr, 6-3
R2: Carr d. Green, 6-5
R3: Green d. Carr, 4-1
Green wins the series 2-1 and makes Team USA
97 kg – Kyle Snyder (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Stephen Buchanan (Coralville, Iowa/Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury WC)
R1: Snyder d. Buchanan, 5-2
R2: Buchanan d. Snyder, 5-5
R3: Snyder d. Buchanan, 9-3
Snyder wins the series 2-1 and makes Team USA
61 kg – Marcus Blaze (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Jax Forrest (Johnstown, Pa./Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC)
R1: Blaze d. Forrest, 2-2
R2: Forrest d. Blaze, 6-1
R3: Blaze d. Forrest 5-2
Blaze wins the series 2-1 and makes Team USA
57 kg – Luke Lilledahl (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Spencer Lee (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury WC)
R1: Lee d. Lilledahl, 7-1
R2: Lee d. Lilledahl, 8-4
Lee wins the series 2-0 and makes Team USA
86 kg – Zahid Valencia (Stillwater, Okla./Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Kyle Dake (Port Matilda, Pa./Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)
R1: Valencia d. Dake 3-2
R2: Dake d. Valencia, 4-1
R3: Dake d. Valencia 4-0
Dake wins the series 2-1 and makes Team USA
Watching that interview all I could do was shake my head... he was way too arrogant.
The Team USA for men's freestyle at Senior Worlds:
57 kilograms: Spencer Lee
61 kilograms: Marcus Blaze
65 kilograms: Real Woods OR Bo Bassett (match date TBD)
70 kilograms: Zain Retherford
74 kilograms: James Green
79 kilograms: Levi Haines
86 kilograms: Kyle Dake
92 kilograms: Trent Hidlay
97 kilograms: Kyle Snyder
57 kilograms: Spencer Lee
61 kilograms: Marcus Blaze
65 kilograms: Real Woods OR Bo Bassett (match date TBD)
70 kilograms: Zain Retherford
74 kilograms: James Green
79 kilograms: Levi Haines
86 kilograms: Kyle Dake
92 kilograms: Trent Hidlay
97 kilograms: Kyle Snyder
Thank You to those giving pbp on her. It's greatly appreciated by those who can't watch it.
Iowa should put a statue of Spencer right next to Gable's. Spence has kept that program afloat for nearly a decade
Great showing by the good guys. Not so much magic from the cowboy!
