David Carr earns a true third match at Final X

PHOTO: David Carr wrestles at 74 kg during the first session of the USA Wrestling World Team Trials Challenge Tournament, Saturday, May 21, 2022, at Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa. / © Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK.

The following is a press release from Iowa State Athletic Communications.

CORALVILLE, Iowa – David Carr earned a true third place match at Final X courtesy of a third-place finish at the World Team Trials (WTT) Challenge Tournament last weekend inside Xtream Arena.

The No. 4 seeded Carr was victorious, 15-6, in the 74 kg quarterfinals against No. 5 Collin Purinton before top-seeded and eventual champion Jason Nolf used a cradle to pin Carr in 2:30 in the semifinals, sending the Carr to the consolation side. Carr secured back-to-back wins against No. 2 Joshua Shields and No. 3 Thomas Gantt to earn third place in the challenge tournament and an opportunity to wrestle at Final X.

Carr will wrestle Joey Lavallee of the Lehigh Valley WC for true third at Final X Friday, June 3 in Stillwater, Okla. The winner will earn a spot on the 2022 U.S. National Team and have the option to compete at the U23 World Championships in Pontevedra, Spain Oct. 17-23.

Three other Cyclones – Ian Parker (65 kg), Julien Broderson (86 kg) and Marcus Coleman (86 kg) – also competed in the WTT Challenge over the weekend.

No. 6 Parker opened the tournament with two-straight wins, including a thrilling come-from-behind upset over No. 3 Joseph McKenna in the quarterfinals. Parker fell to No. 2 Yianni Diakomihalis in the semifinals but would battle through the consolation bracket. Parker advanced to the third-place bout but dropped a rematch against McKenna to finish fourth.

No. 5 Coleman and No. 9 Broderson each fell short of the podium at the WTT Challenge, going 1-2 and 0-2 in the tournament, respectively.