11 win double titles as Masters Nationals conclude with the freestyle finals

LAS VEGAS, Nev. - It was a banner year for the Masters Nationals, held as part of the Pritchard Companies U.S. Open, in the South Point Arena. Not only were there record numbers of entries, but athletes from a dozen international nations came to the desert to battle the best from the United States.

There were 11 double champions this year, winners of both the Greco-Roman and freestyle divisions:

• Devon Jackson of Inner Beast Training Center (58 kg Div. A)
• Ben Kjar of Brunson UVRTC (58 kg Div. B)
• Garret Johnson of Medical Lake Mat Maulers (130 kg Div. B)
• Rudy James of the Minnesota Storm (78 kg Div. C)
• Carson Gainey of the Mad Cow WC (58 kg Div. D)
• Matthew Robertson of Fitness Quest WC (62 kg Div. E)
• Charles Jones of the Las Vegas WC (100 kg Div. E)
• Eric Mittlestead Sr of the Mad Cow WC (130 kg Div. E)
• Bruce Moe of the Bison WC (70 kg Div. F)
• Steve Contarino of Florida (88 kg Div. F)
• Ron Cole of Washington (100 kg Div. F).

There were 13 athletes who repeated as freestyle champions from last year:

• Cedric Gibson of Sarbacker Wrestling Academy (78 kg Div. A)
• Ben Kjar of BUVRTC (58 kg Div. B)
• Donovan McMahill of Western Colorado WC (88 kg Div. B)
• Rudy James of the Minnesota Storm (78 kg Div. C)
• Carson Gainey of the Mad Cow WC (58 kg Div. D)
• Aaron Hayes of Thresh Hold Wrestling (130 kg Div. D)
• Matthew Robertson of Fitness Quest WC (62 kg Div. E)
• Don Jones of Team Jones (70 kg Div. E)
• Brad Swartz of Fitness Quest WC (78 kg Div. E)
• Charles Jones of the Las Vegas WC (100 kg Div. E)
• Eric Mittlestead Sr of Mad Cow WC (130 kg Div. E)
• Raphael McDonald of the Samurai WC (62 kg Div. F) and
• Kevin Hejnal of the Modesto Wrestling Academy (78 kg Div. F)

Winning the freestyle gold medal at 100 kg in Div. C was James Medeiros of the Mad Cow WC, who beat Brett Faustman of Lake Orion Wrestling Club, 8-0 in the finals. Medeiros was second in the Greco-Roman on Wednesday.

In the team standings, which included both the freestyle and the Greco-Roman competition, the team champions this year was the Mad Cow Wrestling Club, with 226 points, with the Las Vegas Wrestling Club in second with 154 points.

There was a special presentation at the conclusion of the tournament, as the 2023 U.S. Veterans World Team was honored, after winning the team title in both freestyle and Greco-Roman at the Veterans World Championships in Loutraki, Greece. Team USA has won the last three freestyle World team titles at the Veterans Worlds, and the last two Greco-Roman World team titles. Athletes all were given special World champion t-shirts, and the wrestlers who won Veterans Worlds individual titles were presented with special belts.

MASTERS NATIONALS

At Las Vegas, Nev., April 26, 2024

Masters Div. A freestyle results

58 kg

Gold - Devon Jackson (Inner Beast Training Center)

Silver - Dalton Henderson (Clinic Wrestling)

Bronze - Michael Nguyen (Camas Wrestling Club)

62 kg

1st Jawid Azimi TX (Mad Cow Wrestling Club) dec. Nathaniel Johnson AZ (Arizona), 19-16

3rd Ty Mundt AZ (Thorobred Wrestling Club) inj. dft.  Ryan Peters ME (Maine)

70 kg

1st Ryan Fillingame CA (Swarm Wrestling Club) tech fall Javier Mandera OR (Oregon), 11-0 3:09

3rd Jeremy Huang CA (Mad Cow Wrestling Club) pin Glenn Robertson WA (Washington), 1:58

78 kg

1st Cedric Gibson WI (Sarbacker Wrestling Academy) tech fall Trevor Grant CO (Colorado), 13-2 3:37

3rd Maolu Woiwor MN (Minnesota) pin Brandon Fulco CT (South Side Wrestling Club), 0:41

88 kg

1st Lance Killgore AZ (Dominate Club Wrestling) dec. Jamal Morris FL (Florida), 2-1

3rd Alex Skipper IN (Brownsburg Wrestling Club) dec. Jake Ferris WA (Wrestling Club Tacoma Slam), 7-4

100 kg

1st Marco Retano OR (La Grande Mat Club) pin Isaiah Mcdougal AL (Alabama), 4-0 1:36

3rd Austin Mitchell OR (Oregon) pin Rashad Palmer SC (Legacy Elite Wrestling Club), 3:53

130 kg

Gold - Eric Schwark (Oregon)

Silver - Quentin Scott (Oregon)

Bronze - Casey Cook (California)

Masters Div. B freestyle results

58 kg

Gold - Ben Kjar (Brunson UVRTC)

Silver - Dante Lewis (Lewis Academy Wrestling)

Bronze - Daniel Coyne (Edgewood Wrestling Club)

62 kg

1st Max Oldenburg CA (Savage House Wrestling Club) tech fall Dontae Brown NV (Las Vegas Wrestling Club), 12-0 3:47

3rd Jon Schiewe IL (Chicago Wrestling Club) dec. David Crooke HI (O2 Rhino Wrestling Club), 11-4

70 kg

1st Kudret Belekov PA (Pennsylvania) dec. Matthew Collum IL (Chicago Wrestling Club), 10-6

3rd Almazbek Isakov CO (Colorado) dec. Jacob Salas CA (Mad Cow Wrestling Club), 7-1

78 kg

1st Jason Kiessling MD (Rampage Wrestling) tech fall Connor Keating VT (Rock Eater Wrestling), 12-2 3:36

3rd Joshua Nolan GA (Compound Wrestling) dec. Ted Bristol CA (Mad Cow Wrestling Club), 6-4

88 kg

1st Donovan Mcmahill CO (Western Colorado Wrestling Club) dec. Joseph Forsman TX (Vici Wrestling Club), 7-0

3rd Temur Gelitashvili CO (Colorado) dec. Roman Sarybaev CO (Colorado), 3-1

100 kg

1st Aibek Usupov OH (Ohio) dec. Alfonso Hernandez ID (Sublime Wrestling Academy), 7-5

3rd Deandre Nunn IL (Chicago Wrestling Club) dec. Reed Shelger TX (Mad Cow Wrestling Club), 11-3

130 kg

1st Garret Johnson WA (Medical Lake Mat Maulers) pin Bekbolsun Kushubakov CO (Colorado), 0:39

3rd Ronald Williams II NV (Las Vegas Wrestling Club) dec. Mm Grant MD (Maryland), 2-2

Masters Div. C freestyle results

62 kg

Gold - Leevy Mears (Olympic Heights High School Wrestling)

Silver - Curtis Ray (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club)

Bronze - Leshaunne Lewis (Florida)

70 kg

Gold - Shad Olvera (California)

Silver - James Ferguson (Wrestling With Character)

Bronze - Bradford Hebebrand (Master Statesmen WC)

78 kg

1st Rudy James MN (Minnesota Storm) dec. Uriankhai Lkhagvasuren UST (US Territory), 4-1

3rd Adrian Garcia CA (Mad Cow Wrestling Club) pin Rasoul Solati MI (Michigan), 1:39

88 kg

1st Edmund Gifford NV (Aniciete Training Club) tech fall Brian Cobb CA (Mad Cow Wrestling Club), 10-0 2:53

3rd Jeremy Black CA (Mad Cow Wrestling Club) pin Sean Ramos CA (Mad Cow Wrestling Club), 0:30

100 kg

1st James Medeiros CA (Mad Cow Wrestling Club) dec. Brett Faustman MI (Lake Orion Wrestling Club), 8-0

3rd Joshua Nacey WY (Wyoming) pin Michael Duncombe MN (Minnesota), 2:00

130 kg

1st Michael Harbison NV (Las Vegas Wrestling Club) pin Hector Ramirez Jr. CA (Dog Pound Wrestling), 0:53

3rd Byambadorj Chunag UST (US Territory) dec. Joseph t Bellavia CA (Mad Cow Wrestling Club), 6-1

Masters Div. D freestyle results

58 kg

Gold - Carson Gainey (Mad Cow Wrestling Club)

Silver - Robert Bonner (Cowboy Mat Club)

Bronze - Michael Cartossa (New Fairfield 3 Style

62 kg

Gold - Nyamdorj Khayankhyarvaa (Illinois)

Silver - Matt Ciampa (Eclipse Wrestling Club)

Bronze - Blake Tompkins (Idaho)

70 kg

1st Robert Porter IL (Naperville Wrestling Club) dec. Shamshe Tlashadze CO (Colorado), 9-4

3rd Stefan Pentschew UST (US Territory) dec. Scott Beale CA (Sunnyvale Wrestling Club), 5-3

78 kg

1st Derek Brignell CAN (Canada) pin Jon Banko PA (All-American Wrestling Club), 2:50

3rd Jason Knox PA (Pennsylvania) dec. Owen Dawkins CAN (Canada), 5-4

88 kg

1st Patrick Flynn NC (North Carolina) dec. Kevin Pine WA (Las Vegas Wrestling Club), 10-8

3rd Battulga Choijamts UST (US Territory) dec. Alexandr Chsherbakov CO (Master Statesmen WC), 6-1

100 kg

1st Erik Hinckley KS (Las Vegas Wrestling Club) pin Benjamin Morgan OH (Ohio), 2:30

3rd Jorge Otero VA (Grapplers Garage Wrestling) tech fall Craig Fredrikson WA (Washington), 11-0 2:56

130 kg

Gold - Aaron Hayes (Threshold)

Silver - George Porter (Chicago Wrestling Club)

Bronze - Tyrone Abercrombie (Arizona)

Masters Div. E freestyle results

58 kg

Gold - Kevin Grant (Maui Style Wrestling)

Silver - Daniel Cota (Mad Cow Wrestling Club)

62 kg

Gold - Matthew Robertson (Fitness Quest Wrestling Club)

Silver - Roger Papotto (Florida)

70 kg

1st Don Jones OH (Mad Cow Wrestling Club) tech fall John Laurenzi NY (Rockland International Wrestling Academy), 10-0 2:34

3rd Jerry Garcia AZ (Bear Wrestling Club) pin Boyd Fowler CA (Sunnyvale Wrestling Club), 2:00

78 kg

1st Brad Swartz WA (Fitness Quest Wrestling Club) dec. Darryl Hall WA (Las Vegas Wrestling Club), 6-1

3rd William Newton CA (Mad Cow Wrestling Club) dec. James H. Williams, Jr. CA (Sunnyvale Wrestling Club), 7-0

88 kg

1st James Miller TX (Vici Wrestling Club) dec. Petros Petrosyan CA (Orange County Grappling), 10-8

3rd Kevin Kares NV (Las Vegas Wrestling Club) pin Mark Drake FL (Alpha Pack Wrestling), 2:43

100 kg

Gold - Charles Jones (Las Vegas Wrestling Club)

Silver - Frank Lopez (US Territory)

Bronze - Douglas Pfeifer (Ridge Wrestling Club)

130 kg

Gold - Eric Mittlestead Sr (Mad Cow Wrestling Club)

Silver - Saadan Niiazov (Colorado)

Bronze - Attila Szabo (Las Vegas Wrestling Club)

Masters Div. F freestyle results

62 kg

Gold - Raphael McDonald (Samurai Wrestling Club)

Silver - Rick Mahonski (Pennsylvania)

Bronze - Sean Leson (California)

70 kg

Gold - Bruce Moe (Bison Wrestling Club)

Silver - Gaetano DiZebba (Maryland)

Bronze - Steve Ferguson (Wrestling With Character)

78 kg

1st Kevin Hejnal CA (California) tech fall Cal Cherrington CO (Wild West Wrestling Club), 10-0 1:53

3rd Scott Neitenbach CO (Ridge Wrestling Club) tech fall Arthur Trovei NY (New York), 10-0 2:14

88 kg

Gold - Steve Contarino (Florida)

Silver - Peter Haag (Chicago Wrestling Club)

100 kg

Gold  - Ron Cole (Washington)

130 kg

Gold - Jack Schwartz (California)

Team Standings

Champion - Mad Cow WC, 226 points

Runner-up - Las Vegas  WC, 164 points