NEWARK, N.J. - Cornell NCAA Wrestling National Champions Vito Arujau (2023) and Kyle Dake (four-timer) punched their tickets to Belgrade, Serbia as representatives of the United States National Team. These two Cornelians put up strong performances at Final X, sweeping their opponents in the best-of-three series.

Arujau def. Nahshon Garrett, 2-0 (6-5, 13-10)

Arujau entered his matchup with Nahshon Garrett looking to make his first ever national team. Vito has been regarded as one of the hottest wrestlers in the world right now, and he proved to keep that going. The opening match of the series was a tight battle, with both speedy wrestlers playing it safer than usual and attacking in the perfect moments. It was Arujau's four point takedown that would prove to be the difference, giving him the 6-5 edge and a 1-0 series lead.

Match two proved to be a the most thrilling match of Final X. Vito executed a major four-point takedown just five-seconds into the bout. Garrett stayed poised and responded, rattling off eight points in a row helping him overtake the lead. It was then Vito who would rattle off seven straight to pull himself back on top. Nahshon had a nose cut that led to several stoppages throughout the match. In the final moments another stoppage occured. Arujau, antsy to keep the match moving grabbed the towel from the trainer and began profusely wiping the mat. The whistle blew and the matched continued with both wrestlers trading points, ultimately with Vito winning 13-10 and earning a US National Team Bid at 61 kg.

Dake def. Jason Nolf, 2-0 (6-0, 3-0)
Dake, a four-time world freestyle champion and 2020 Bronze Olympian, was no stranger to the Final X stage as he was set to take on Nittany Lion Wrestling Club counterpart Jason Nolf. Kyle put on a defensive clinic against Nolf, dissecting him en route to two shutout victories to clinch yet another national team bid. Dake will represent the United States in the 74 kg weight class.

Full results can be found here - https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/11048269-results-for-usa-wrestlings-2023-final-x-presented-by-tezos

Next Action
Vito Arujau and Kyle Dake will represent Team USA in Belgrade, Serbia at the 2023 UWW World Championships. The best-of-three bouts are scheduled to held from September 16th - 24th.