David Taylor and Ed Ruth power into finals at World Team Trials

MADISON, Wis. – The highly anticipated rematch between Jordan Burroughs and David Taylor will happen in the finals of the U.S. World Team Trials.

Taylor held off Andrew Howe 3-1 to win the Challenge Tournament freestyle finals at 74 kg/163 lbs. on Sunday afternoon at the Alliant Energy Center. 

Taylor moves into a rematch with Burroughs, the Olympic gold medalist and two-time World champion who rallied for an epic 7-6 win over Taylor in April’s U.S. Open finals.

“I’m wrestling the best guy in the World,” said Taylor, a two-time Hodge Trophy winner. “I’m ready to just go out and compete. I have to be ready to go hard for six minutes. I have to be focused and ready to go.” 

The best-of-3 match finals are set for 6 p.m. Central Time in Madison and will be webcast live on Flo Wrestling.

Champions at the Trials advance to September’s World Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. 

Adeline Gray pinned Iris Smith with an arm bar to win a battle of World champs in the Challenge women’s finals at 75 kg/165 lbs. Gray will meet Open champion Jackie Cataline in the finals.

“I want to be on that World Team again,” Gray said. “I want to prove I’m No. 1 in the World. I know I can beat these girls and be on top of that podium.”

Jordan Oliver won a tough Challenge Tournament at 65 kg/143 lbs. and advanced to face U.S. Open champion and two-time World Team Brent Metcalf in the finals.

Oliver shot in on a single and tripped two-time World Team member Reece Humphrey to his back en route to a 4-3 win in the Challenge freestyle finals.

Three-time NCAA champion Ed Ruth earned a hard-fought 7-3 win over Clayton Foster in the Challenge finals at 86 kg/189 lbs. Ruth advances to face Open champ and 2013 World Team member Keith Gavin in the freestyle finals. 

“I’ve never wrestled (Gavin) before, so we will have to see what happens,” Ruth said. “I’m wrestling smarter now and staying in better position. I have to keep wrestling smart and pick my spots where I attack and wrestle aggressively.”

Katherine Fulp-Allen downed Carlene Sluberski 6-0 to win the Challenge Tournament in women’s freestyle at 53 kg/116.5 lbs. Fulp-Allen advances to meet Open champ Whitney Conder for a spot on the World Team. 

Erin Clodgo rolled past Amanda Hendey 11-0 to win the Challenge Tournament at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. Clodgo will battle World champion and Olympian Elena Pirozhkova in the women’s finals.

U.S. World Team Trials

June 1, Madison, Wis. 

Freestyle

Finals matchups 

65 kg/143 lbs.

Brent Metcalf (Iowa City, Iowa/New York AC) vs. Jordan Oliver (Stillwater, Okla./Titan Mercury WC)

74 kg/163 lbs.

Jordan Burroughs (Lincoln, Neb./Sunkist Kids) vs. David Taylor (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC) 

86 kg/189 lbs.

Keith Gavin (Columbus, Ohio/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Ed Ruth (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC)

Women’s freestyle 

Finals matchups

53 kg/116.5 lbs.

Whitney Conder (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) vs. Katherine Fulp-Allen, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) 

63 kg/138.75 lbs.

Elena Pirozhkova (Colorado Springs, Colo./Titan Mercury WC) vs. Erin Clodgo (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids)

75 kg/165 lbs.

Jackie Cataline (Alhambra, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC) vs. Adeline Gray (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC)