Former Iowa wrestler Brent Metcalf took gold in 66-kilogram freestyle wrestling at an Olympic test event in London on Sunday.

Metcalf was also named outstanding wrestler of the men’s freestyle meet.

"Metcalf was a monster today," USA Wrestling freestyle coach Zeke Jones said in a release. "He nailed down his points and was downright stingy on defense."

Metcalf faced 2010 Junior World Champion Kotaro Tanaka in the finals and won both rounds, 5-0. He defeated Jabrayil Hasanov of Azerbaijan (3-0, 0-1, 4-0) and Gergo Woller of Hungary (0-1, 5-0, 3-0) in the earlier rounds.

The U.S. national team claimed four more medals at the event in addition to Metcalf’s gold — silver medals at 55 and 74 kilograms and bronze medals at 60 and 96 kilograms.

Metcalf is planning on competing at the U.S. Olympic Trials, which will be held in Iowa City on April 21-22 of next year.

"We stood in the arena, and we felt the Olympic Games today," Jones said. "We won’t forget it all the way through Aug. 12 [the final day of wrestling at the Olympics in 2012]."

Metcalf wrestled for the Hawkeyes in 2007-10 at 149 pounds. The Davison, Mich., native won two NCAA and Big Ten championships with the Black and Gold and earned All-American honors all three years at Iowa.

— by Molly Irene Olmstead