University of Northern Iowa Athletics

UNI Wrestling: Colon 1st Panther to Medal at Worlds
10/21/2018 6:27:00 PM | Wrestling
Information courtesy of Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
BUDAPEST, Hungary – Former Panther Joe Colon became UNI wrestling's first medalist at the World Championships, giving Team USA a lead in the standings.
Colon, a 2014 All-American for UNI, closed out his first Senior Worlds with a spectacular performance in the bronze-medal round, scoring a 13-2 technical fall over Mohammedbagher Yakhkeshi of Iran. Colon was able to secure a 5-1 lead in the second period, including two takedowns. He blasted the match open with a counter takedown, followed by a series of gut wrenches, until he had the 10-point difference for the technical fall.
Colon reached the semifinals of 61 kilogram-/134 pound-weight class Saturday, when he was defeated by eventual champion Yowlys Bonne Rodriguez of Cuba, 9-4.
Colon took third at the 2014 NCAA championships as a Panther and was an NJCAA national champion for Iowa Central Community College. He is now a volunteer assistant coach for Fresno State.
David Taylor (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC) capped off a dominant performance at 86 kg/189 lbs. with a gold-medal victory for the United States on Sunday night at the World Wrestling Championships at the Papp Laszlo Arena.
Also claiming bronze medals were Jordan Burroughs (Lincoln, Neb./Sunkist Kids/Nebraska WTC) at 74 kilograms/163 pounds and Nick Gwiazdowski, Raleigh, N.C. (Titan Mercury WC/Wolfpack RTC) at 125 kilograms/275 pounds.
In the first four weight classes completed, USA had 70 points in the team standings, with Russia in second place with 65 points. The U.S. has put two wrestlers in the finals on Monday night with J'den Cox at 92 kilograms and Kyle Dake at 79 kilograms, and Thomas Gilman is in a bronze bout at 57 kilograms. The U.S. team is guaranteed at least 50 more points from those three athletes. In 2017, USA beat Russia by one point in the team race.
The United States has three athletes competing for medals on Monday night, and two more athletes who start their competition on Monday morning.
The tournament is being broadcast live on Trackwrestling.
WORLD WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Budapest, Hungary, Oct. 21
Results from first group of U.S. men's freestyle wrestlers
61 kg/134 lbs. – Joe Colon, Fresno, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC/Valley RTC), bronze medal
74 kg/163 lbs. - Jordan Burroughs, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids/Nebraska WTC), bronze medal
86 kg/189 lbs. - David Taylor, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC), gold medal
125 kg/275 lbs. - Nick Gwiazdowski, Raleigh, N.C. (Titan Mercury WC/Wolfpack RTC), bronze medal
Medal Match results
61 kg
Gold - Yowlys Bonne Rodriguez (Cuba) dec. Gadzimurad Rashidov (Russia), 6-5
Bronze – Joe Colon (USA) tech. fall Mohammedbagher Yakhkeshi (Iran), 13-2
Bronze - Tuvshingulga Tumenbileg (Mongolia) dec. Beka Lomtadze (Georgia), 6-3
74 kg
Gold - Zaurbek Sidakov (Russia) dec. Avtandil Kentchadze (Georgia), 2-2
Bronze –Jordan Burroughs (USA) dec. Frank Chamizo (Italy), 4-4
Bronze - Bekzod Abdurakhmanov (Uzbekistan) dec. Soner Demirtas (Turkey), 3-2
86 kg
Gold - David Taylor (USA) tech. fall Fatih Erdin (Turkey), 12-2
Bronze – Taymuraz Friev (Spain) dec. Kim Gwanuk (Korea), 7-2
Bronze - Hassan Yazdani Charati (Iran) dec. Dauren Kurugliev (Russia), 11-5
125 kg
Gold - Geno Petriashvili (Georgia) dec. Zhiwei Deng (China), 6-0
Bronze – Nick Gwiazdowski (USA) dec. Sumit (India), 7-2
Bronze – Parviz Hadi Basmanj (Iran) dec. Anzor Khizriev (Russia), 11-2
Men's Freestyle Team Standings (after 4 weight classes)
1 United States, 70 points
2. Russia, 65
3. Georgia, 55
4. Iran, 40
5. Turkey, 38
6. Cuba, 27
7. China, 20
8. India, 16
9. Spain, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, 15
BUDAPEST, Hungary – Former Panther Joe Colon became UNI wrestling's first medalist at the World Championships, giving Team USA a lead in the standings.
Colon, a 2014 All-American for UNI, closed out his first Senior Worlds with a spectacular performance in the bronze-medal round, scoring a 13-2 technical fall over Mohammedbagher Yakhkeshi of Iran. Colon was able to secure a 5-1 lead in the second period, including two takedowns. He blasted the match open with a counter takedown, followed by a series of gut wrenches, until he had the 10-point difference for the technical fall.
Colon reached the semifinals of 61 kilogram-/134 pound-weight class Saturday, when he was defeated by eventual champion Yowlys Bonne Rodriguez of Cuba, 9-4.
Colon took third at the 2014 NCAA championships as a Panther and was an NJCAA national champion for Iowa Central Community College. He is now a volunteer assistant coach for Fresno State.
David Taylor (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC) capped off a dominant performance at 86 kg/189 lbs. with a gold-medal victory for the United States on Sunday night at the World Wrestling Championships at the Papp Laszlo Arena.
Also claiming bronze medals were Jordan Burroughs (Lincoln, Neb./Sunkist Kids/Nebraska WTC) at 74 kilograms/163 pounds and Nick Gwiazdowski, Raleigh, N.C. (Titan Mercury WC/Wolfpack RTC) at 125 kilograms/275 pounds.
In the first four weight classes completed, USA had 70 points in the team standings, with Russia in second place with 65 points. The U.S. has put two wrestlers in the finals on Monday night with J'den Cox at 92 kilograms and Kyle Dake at 79 kilograms, and Thomas Gilman is in a bronze bout at 57 kilograms. The U.S. team is guaranteed at least 50 more points from those three athletes. In 2017, USA beat Russia by one point in the team race.
The United States has three athletes competing for medals on Monday night, and two more athletes who start their competition on Monday morning.
The tournament is being broadcast live on Trackwrestling.
WORLD WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Budapest, Hungary, Oct. 21
Results from first group of U.S. men's freestyle wrestlers
61 kg/134 lbs. – Joe Colon, Fresno, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC/Valley RTC), bronze medal
- WIN Ivan Bileichuk (Ukraine), 9-6
- WIN Vladimir Dubov (Bulgaria), tech. fall 10-0
- LOSS Yowlys Bonne Rodriguez (Cuba), 9-4
- WIN Mohammedbagher Yakhkeshi (Iran), tech. fall 13-2
74 kg/163 lbs. - Jordan Burroughs, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids/Nebraska WTC), bronze medal
- WIN Venicious Juah (Liberia), forfeit
- WIN Mostafa Hosseinkhani (Iran), 4-3
- LOSS Zaurbek Sidakov (Russia), 6-5
- WIN Miroslav Kirov (Bulgaria), 9-0
- WIN Frank Chamizo (Italy), 4-4
86 kg/189 lbs. - David Taylor, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC), gold medal
- WIN Hassan Yazdani Charati (Iran), 11-6
- WIN Hajy Rajabau (Belarus), tech. fall 10-0
- WIN Yurieski Torreblanca (Cuba), 8-0
- WIN Dauren Kurugliev (Russia), 7-5
- WIN Fatih Erdin (Turkey), tech. fall 12-2
125 kg/275 lbs. - Nick Gwiazdowski, Raleigh, N.C. (Titan Mercury WC/Wolfpack RTC), bronze medal
- WIN Zolboo Natsatgsuren, 9-4
- LOSS Zhiwei Deng (China), 5-4
- WIN Amar Dhesi (Canada), 7-0
- WIN Sumit (India), 7-2
Medal Match results
61 kg
Gold - Yowlys Bonne Rodriguez (Cuba) dec. Gadzimurad Rashidov (Russia), 6-5
Bronze – Joe Colon (USA) tech. fall Mohammedbagher Yakhkeshi (Iran), 13-2
Bronze - Tuvshingulga Tumenbileg (Mongolia) dec. Beka Lomtadze (Georgia), 6-3
74 kg
Gold - Zaurbek Sidakov (Russia) dec. Avtandil Kentchadze (Georgia), 2-2
Bronze –Jordan Burroughs (USA) dec. Frank Chamizo (Italy), 4-4
Bronze - Bekzod Abdurakhmanov (Uzbekistan) dec. Soner Demirtas (Turkey), 3-2
86 kg
Gold - David Taylor (USA) tech. fall Fatih Erdin (Turkey), 12-2
Bronze – Taymuraz Friev (Spain) dec. Kim Gwanuk (Korea), 7-2
Bronze - Hassan Yazdani Charati (Iran) dec. Dauren Kurugliev (Russia), 11-5
125 kg
Gold - Geno Petriashvili (Georgia) dec. Zhiwei Deng (China), 6-0
Bronze – Nick Gwiazdowski (USA) dec. Sumit (India), 7-2
Bronze – Parviz Hadi Basmanj (Iran) dec. Anzor Khizriev (Russia), 11-2
Men's Freestyle Team Standings (after 4 weight classes)
1 United States, 70 points
2. Russia, 65
3. Georgia, 55
4. Iran, 40
5. Turkey, 38
6. Cuba, 27
7. China, 20
8. India, 16
9. Spain, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, 15
UNI Panther Football: The Best Pod of your Day (Episode 12)
Wednesday, November 05
UNI Panther Football: The Best Pod of your Day (Episode 11)
Wednesday, October 29
Doug Schwab | 2025-2026 Wrestling Media Day
Tuesday, October 28
UNI Panther Football: The Best Pod of your Day (Episode 10)
Wednesday, October 22















