Olympic Trials Preview: Bey, Smith headline strong Greco-Roman field at 77 kg

This weight class will be one of the most compelling to watch at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. The field at 77 kg in Greco-Roman features five past Senior World Team members. Kamal Bey, who made three Senior World Teams at 77 kg, was also a 2017 U20 World champion. Bey, who won the 2023 Pan American Games, has won six U.S. Open titles. Bey is known for big throws when he gets his offense going and brings excitement when he steps on the mat.

Senior World Team member at 72 kg, Patrick Smith, has been on three Senior World Teams and adds a 2019 Pan American Games gold medal to his collection. Smith has been a the top level for the past decade, beginning with a trip to the 2014 World University Championships, where he claimed a silver medal. Smith was the runner-up at 72 kg at the 2023 U.S. Open, and he earned a spot at 2023 Final X with a top finish at the 2023 Senior World Team Trials Challenge tournament.

Jesse Porter, a 2021 Senior World Team member, won the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, but was not able to qualify the weight class for Tokyo. Porter made three age-group World Teams, with his highest finish coming at the 2017 U23 World Championships where he placed 16th. In 2022, Porter earned a silver medal at the Bill Farrell Memorial International.

Two-time U.S. Open champion RaVaughn Perkins is also in the mix at 77 kg. Perkins, a Senior National Team member at 77 kg, competed in the 2018 Senior Worlds at 72 kg. Perkins won the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials but was unable to qualify the weight class for Paris. He is a two-time Pan American Championships gold medalist and earned bronze at the 2022 Pan American Championships.

Benji Peak, a 2022 Senior and U23 World Team member at 72 kg, moves up to 77 kg for the Olympic Trials. Peak finished runner-up to Bey at the December 2023 Senior Nationals and is a 2019 U20 Pan American Championships bronze medalist. Like Bey, Peak is exciting to watch on the mat, and also brings a powerful personality to all that he does.

Senior National Team member Aliaksandr Kikiniou, a World bronze medalist and two-time Olympian for Belarus, placed second to Bey at the 2023 U.S. Open and Final X. Kikiniou began competing for the United States in 2023 and won the 2023 Senior World Team Trials Challenge last spring.

Danny Braunagel reached the Olympic Trials by placing fourth at the December 2023 Senior Nationals. Braunagel competes at the University of Illinois and is a 2019 U20 Pan American Championships gold medalist. U.S. Marine Terrence Zaleski, fifth at the 2023 Senior Nationals at 87 kg, is reportedly dropping to 77 kg. Zaleski placed third at the 2021 Senior National Championships.

Vincent Dolce punched his ticket to the Trials with a silver medal at the Armed Forces Championships. Dolce wrestled collegiately at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Tyler Eischens, a past age-group World Team member, won the Last Chance Qualifier. He topped his bracket at the 2023 U23 National Championships to capture a spot on the 2023 U23 World Team. In Albania, Eischens placed seventh at 82 kg. Eischens spent the last college season at the University of North Carolina and was most recently a National Qualifier for the Tarheels. Prior to the 2023-24 season, Eischens wrestled for Stanford University.

The winners of the Challenge Tournament semifinals both advance to the best-of-three championship series. This weight is not qualified for the 2024 Paris Games, so the Trials winner must place top three at the World Olympic Games Qualifier in Istanbul in May to secure the Olympic quota spot.

With no athlete sitting out at this weight, the winners of the Challenge Tournament semifinals advance to the best-of-three championship series. This weight is not yet qualified for the 2024 Paris Games, and the Trials winner must place top three at the World Olympic Games Qualifier in Istanbul, Turkey, in May to secure the Olympic quota spot.

Fans looking to attend the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in person can still purchase all session tickets and single session tickets through Ticketmaster.

For those unable to grab a ticket, fear not—all the action from Bryce Jordan Center will be broadcast by NBC properties, April 19-20. The Friday and Saturday evening sessions will be televised on USA Network. NBC’s streaming platform Peacock will host live streams of each mat throughout the competition.

Complete brackets and live results for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials will be hosted on Trackwrestling.com. Fans can also follow @usawrestling on the various social media platforms for regular updates throughout the event.

For more information about the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, please visit usawrestlingevents.com.

2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials Wrestling

April 19-20, Bryce Jordan Center, State College, Pa.

Event Schedule

Friday, April 19

10 a.m. (ET) – Challenge tournament prelims, quarterfinals, consolations

6:30 p.m. (ET) – Challenge tournament semifinals, finals

Saturday, April 20

10 a.m. (ET) – Championship series round one (all weights), championship series round two (GR 60-67-77 kg, MFS 57-65 kg), challenge tournament consolations, true third (if necessary)

6:30 p.m. (ET) –Championship series round two, championship series round three (if necessary)

Greco-Roman 77 kg

Challenge Tournament participants

2023 World Team member – Kamal Bey (U.S. Army WCAP)

2021 World Team member – Jesse Porter (New York AC)

2019 World Team member – Patrick Smith (Minnesota Storm)

2022 World Team member 72 kg – Benji Peak (Sunkist Kids)

2018 World Team member 72 kg – RaVaughn Perkins (New York AC)

Dec. 2023 Senior Nationals fourth place – Danny Braunagel (Illinois RTC/Illini WC)

Dec. 2023 Senior Nationals fifth place – Aliaksandr Kikiniou (California)

Dec. 2023 Senior Nationals fifth place at 87 kg – Terrence Zaleski (Marines)

2024 Armed Forces Greco-Roman runner-up - Vincent Dolce (U.S. Air Force)

2024 Final Olympic Trials Qualifier champion – Tyler Eischens (Tar Heel WC)