Aaron Brooks defeated David Taylor in two straight matches in their best-of-three series in the 86kg division of the 2024 Olympic Team Trials.

Reigning Olympic gold medalist David Taylor STUNNED at wrestling trials as Aaron Brooks qualifies for the Paris Olympics! #WrestlingTrials24 pic.twitter.com/CvCoDCt6T1

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) April 21, 2024

Brooks, originally from Hagerstown, Maryland, won a spot on the men's freestyle Olympic Team and earned the right to call himself an Olympian as the weight was qualified for Team USA by David Taylor when he won a gold medal at the 2023 World Championships. 

Brooks beat Taylor 4-1 in the first round and 3-1 in the second. 

Penn State’s Aaron Brooks takes down reigning Olympic Champion David Taylor to win Round 1 of the Championship Series. #WrestlingTrials24 pic.twitter.com/XZIj1ElyLT

— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) April 20, 2024

The men's freestyle brackets trials, hosted by Penn State at the Bryce Jordan Center, were filled with members of the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club, so it was perhaps no surprise the 86kg finals would feature two Hodge Trophy-winning Penn State grads. 

Brooks is a four-time NCAA champ who just wrestled in his final collegiate match in March. Taylor is a four-time NCAA finalist and two-time Hodge winner who graduated in 2014.