World Bronze Medalist Zahid Valencia Joins Cowboy RTC
STILLWATER – The Cowboy RTC continues to add top-tier talent as World Championship bronze medalist, Zahid Valencia, announced he’s moving to Stillwater to join the program.
He makes the move from Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club and Sun Devil Wrestling Club.
This comes just a few months after Olympic qualifier, and two-time NCAA champion, Roman Bravo-Young, announced his move to Stillwater and the program.
Valencia is a two-time NCAA champion at 174 pounds for Arizona State, where he was also a three-time Pac-12 champion. This past year, he placed third at the World Championships in Belgrade at 92 KGs.
During his 2016-17 season, Valencia went 14-0 in dual meets and had a 31-0 overall record, making it all the way to the NCAA semifinals, where he fell to Penn State’s Mark Hall in an 8-2 decision.
The following season as a sophomore, Valencia posted a 25-0 regular season record, before rolling his way through the Pac-12 championships and the NCAAs, beating Hall in the finals to win his first NCAA title. Valencia dominated during the 2018-19 season, winning his second-straight NCAA title, before making the move up to 184 pounds as a senior, posting a 20-0 overall record, before a suspension from the team after testing positive for a recreational drug.
The Cowboy RTC has taken a massive jump up in talent following the spring, with former Cowboy wrestler, Daton Fix, joining the roster as well.
“The RTC is a foundation,” Taylor said in his introductory press conference. “Our very first order of business is Daton Fix staying at the RTC. We’re excited about Daton. I’m extremely excited about helping him — our staff Jimmy [Kennedy] and Thomas [Gilman] — and his goals. We sat down and kind of talked about what does it look like for him and surrounding him with people who can help do that.
“As we continue to build out the RTC, it’s gonna be selected with the right group of people. As our athletes finish [college], and if they have the same aspirations to be world and Olympic champions, then they’re gonna have a path and place to do that.”