University of Northern Iowa Athletics
Photo by: Nic Ryder / Iowa Wrestle
Lujan Earns UWW Senior Freestyle Title
5/4/2021 5:39:00 PM | Wrestling
CORALVILLE, Iowa – Former UNI wrestler Taylor Lujan won the Freestyle UWW Junior/Senior National Championship at 79 kilos which took place last weekend at the Xtreme Arena in Coralville. The title gives him a spot on the 2021 Pan American Championships which will take play May 27-30 in Guatemala City, Guatemala and gave him a spot to compete in the 2021 World Team Trials in September.
Lujan rolled through his early rounds. After a first-round bye, he quickly earned a tech fall over Oregon State grad Joe DeMatteo 10-0 in 1:13 before doing the dame to Ithica College grad Jaison White in the round of 16.
In the quarterfinals, he led 8-0 over former Augsburg wrestler Ryan Epps before earning the fall at the 3:42 mark.
He faced his toughest bout in the semifinals where he faced No. 2 seed and three-time NCAA All-American David McFadden. McFadden took an early 2-0 lead. Lujan responded to take a 3-2 advantage, but McFadden rallied and led 4-3 at the end of the first period.
After an early scramble in the second, Lujan took a 5-4 lead with 2:00 left in the second and never trailed again. With just over a minute left, he hit another takedown for a 7-4 lead and added two more takedowns in the final 30 seconds to earn the 11-4 win.
His finals opponent, two-time NCAA national champion Isaiah Martinez retired due to medical reasons and Lujan was awarded the National Championship.
Eleven former or current UNI wrestlers participated in the tournament as part of the Panther Wrestling Club, the Olympic Regional Training Center based in the West Gym.
On the Senior side of the tournament, 2019 NCAA National Champion Drew Foster went 4-1 on the weekend with a pair of tech fall wins to finish third at 86 and earn a spot in the World Team Trials. Current Panther Jack Wagner finished eighth with a 2-3 record.
The Junior side was highlighted by Evan Yant who rattled off five consecutive wins through the consolation bracket to earn a seventh-place finish at 70KG. Dajun Johnson finished sixth in the Junior Greco-Roman division at 77 KG.
Lujan rolled through his early rounds. After a first-round bye, he quickly earned a tech fall over Oregon State grad Joe DeMatteo 10-0 in 1:13 before doing the dame to Ithica College grad Jaison White in the round of 16.
In the quarterfinals, he led 8-0 over former Augsburg wrestler Ryan Epps before earning the fall at the 3:42 mark.
He faced his toughest bout in the semifinals where he faced No. 2 seed and three-time NCAA All-American David McFadden. McFadden took an early 2-0 lead. Lujan responded to take a 3-2 advantage, but McFadden rallied and led 4-3 at the end of the first period.
After an early scramble in the second, Lujan took a 5-4 lead with 2:00 left in the second and never trailed again. With just over a minute left, he hit another takedown for a 7-4 lead and added two more takedowns in the final 30 seconds to earn the 11-4 win.
His finals opponent, two-time NCAA national champion Isaiah Martinez retired due to medical reasons and Lujan was awarded the National Championship.
Eleven former or current UNI wrestlers participated in the tournament as part of the Panther Wrestling Club, the Olympic Regional Training Center based in the West Gym.
On the Senior side of the tournament, 2019 NCAA National Champion Drew Foster went 4-1 on the weekend with a pair of tech fall wins to finish third at 86 and earn a spot in the World Team Trials. Current Panther Jack Wagner finished eighth with a 2-3 record.
The Junior side was highlighted by Evan Yant who rattled off five consecutive wins through the consolation bracket to earn a seventh-place finish at 70KG. Dajun Johnson finished sixth in the Junior Greco-Roman division at 77 KG.
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