Cox Clinches Spot on National Team at World Team Trials
6/10/2017 11:26:00 PM | Wrestling
Cox makes first World Team and will wrestle at World Championships, August 21-26 in Paris
LINCOLN, Neb. – Former Mizzou wrestler and current volunteer assistant coach J'den Cox (Columbia, Mo.) overcame a knee injury and a 1-0 deficit in a best-of-three finals series to earn a spot on the national team at the World Team Trials on Saturday in Lincoln, Neb. After falling to David Taylor in the first bout, Cox rebounded to defeat the two-time Hodge Award winner, 4-3 and 5-3, to make his first USA Wrestling World Team.
After capturing a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Cox was awarded a bye to the finals of the Trials. Taylor worked his way through the challenger bracket in the morning to advance to the finals where the three-time national champion was waiting. In the first match, Cox trailed 2-1 after the first period and yielded a four-point scoring sequence early in the second to fall behind, 6-1. A late takedown made the score closer, but it wasn't enough as Taylor took the first match, 9-3.
In the second bout, Cox fell behind once again after being put onto the shot clock and not scoring. Cox then scored the next two points in the period on push-out points, but Taylor responded with a push-out point of his own to knot the score at 2-2 at the end of the first period. Cox scored a takedown in the second period and held off a late comeback attempt from Taylor to take the match, 4-3.
In the third and deciding bout, Cox took a 3-0 lead heading into the second period after Taylor failed to score on shot clock and Cox scored a takedown late in the period. At the beginning of the second period, Taylor executed a takedown that hyper-extended Cox's knee near the edge of the mat. He stayed down on the mat for a few minutes before returning to his feet. After resuming the match, Taylor scored another point on a push-out to tie the score, 3-3, but Cox responded with back-to-back push-out points of his own to seal the match and the World Team spot, 5-3.
Dom Bradley (Kansas City, Mo.) finished second in the 125 kg bracket after falling to Nick Gwiazdowski (Titan Mercury WC) in the best-of-three finals. Bradley defeated Bobby Telford (Titan Mercury WC) and Tony Nelson (Minnesota Storm) to advance to the finals. Finishing second, Bradley will be a member of the national team as an alternate.
At 57 kg, Alan Waters (Kansas City, Mo.) finished his day 1-2 at the event. After upsetting No. 2-seed Nashon Garrett (SunKist Kids WC), 18-6, in the quarterfinals, Waters fell to Nathan Tomasello (Titan Mercury WC) in the semifinals and Tyler Graff (Titan Mercury WC) on the consolation side of the bracket.
Both Jaydin Eierman (Columbia, Mo.) and Canten Marriott (Excelsior Springs, Mo.) dropped their first two bouts to bow out of the competition. Eierman wrestled in the senior men's freestyle division at 65 kg, while Marriott competed at 84 kg in the junior men's freestyle division.
Cox will now compete at the World Championships, which will be held August 21-26 in Paris, France.
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Missouri Wrestling Foundation Results
Senior Men's Freestyle
57 kg: Alan Waters
Quarterfinals: Alan Waters (Missouri Wrestling Foundation) tech. Nashon Garrett (SunKist Kids WC): 18-6 (4:59)
Semifinals: Nathan Tomasello (Titan Mercury WC) dec. Alan Waters (Missouri Wrestling Foundation): 8-5
Consolation Semifinals: Tyler Graff (Titan Mercury WC) tech. Alan Waters (Missouri Wrestling Foundation): 16-5 (4:52)
65 kg: Jaydin Eierman
Quarterfinals: Zain Retherford (Nittany Lion WC) tech. Jaydin Eierman (Missouri Wrestling Foundation): 14-2 (2:32)
Consolation 4: Kellen Russell (New York Athletic Club) tech. Jaydin Eierman (Missouri Wrestling Foundation): 10-0 (0:16)
86 kg: J'den Cox
Finals Bout 1: David Taylor (Titan Mercury WC) dec. J'den Cox (Missouri Wrestling Foundation): 9-3
Finals Bout 2: J'den Cox (Missouri Wrestling Foundation) dec. David Taylor (Titan Mercury WC): 4-3
Finals Bout 3: J'den Cox (Missouri Wrestling Foundation) dec. David Taylor (Titan Mercury WC): 5-3
Junior Men's Freestyle
84 kg: Canten Marriott
1/8 Final: Jacob Covaciu (Wisconsin) dec. Canten Marriott (Missouri Wrestling Foundation): 4-0
Consolation 8-1: Kevin Parker (Princeton WC) criteria Canten Marriott (Missouri Wrestling Foundation): 12-12
Past Mizzou wrestlers
Senior Men's Freestyle
125 kg: Dom Bradley (SunKist Kids Wrestling Club)
Semifinals: Dom Bradley (SunKist Kids Wrestling Club) dec. Bobby Telford (Titan Mercury WC): 5-1
Challenge Finals: Dom Bradley (SunKist Kids Wrestling Club) dec. Tony Nelson (Minnesota Storm): 8-1
Finals Bout 1: Nick Gwiazdowski (Titan Mercury WC) dec. Dom Bradley (SunKist Kids Wrestling Club): 5-0
Finals Bout 2: Nick Gwiazdowski (Titan Mercury WC) dec. Dom Bradley (SunKist Kids Wrestling Club: 5-1
