U.S. stars Bommarito, Benjamin, Ferriter to compete in Beach World Series in Romania, July 20-21

TIMISOARA, Romania – The United States has entered an eight-athlete delegation to compete at the Beach World Series Timisoara in Romania, July 20-21, which is the third stop in the 2024 UWW Beach World Series.

The U.S. team will feature seven men and one woman, and will be led by two athletes who have won gold medals at past Beach World Series events, Eliana Bommarito (women’s Over 70 kg) and Justin Benjamin (men’s 70 kg).

Bommarito is the most successful Senior Beach wrestler in U.S. history. In 2023, she was a World champion, scoring the most points of anybody in her weight class during the Beach World Series events. In 2023, she won Beach World Series events in Mugla, Turkey and Constanta, Romania.This year, Bommarito has already won another Beach World Series event in Saint-Laurent-du-Var, France.

Benjamin became the first U.S. Senior men’s Beach wrestler to win a gold medal at a Beach World Series event, with his title at the 2024 Beach World Series Acapulco in Mexico earlier this year. He also competed in France this year, placing eighth.

Also on the tour is Kyle Ferriter (Over 90 kg), who won a bronze medal in the Beach World Series event in Saint-Laurent-du-Var, France this year. Ferriter also competed in Acapulco, Mexico this year. Bommarito, Ferriter and Mariah Anderson won medals in France, the first time the USA won three medals in a Beach World Series event.

Mitch Brown (70 kg) wrestled in the last Beach World Series event in France and is back for Romania. Three wrestlers who competed in the 2023 Beach World Series event in France are back this year for the Romania tour, Daniel Cardenas (80 kg), Hunter Garvin (80 kg) and Nick Stemmet (Over 90 kg). Garvin and Stemmet were both fifth at that event.  Gabe Rangel (Over 90 kg) rounds out the U.S. team.

Competition will be held Saturday and Sunday, with two sessions a day, 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Timisoara is seven hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time zone.

The event will be broadcast live on FloWrestling at https://flosports.link/49EAhEN

BEACH WORLD SERIES TIMISOARA

At Timisoara, Romania, July 20-21

U.S. men’s Beach roster

70 kg: Justin Benjamin, St. Charles, Ill.

70 kg: Mitch Brown, Colorado Springs, Colo.

80 kg: Daniel Cardenas, Arvada, Colo. 

80 kg: Hunter Garvin, Iowa City, Iowa 

Over 90 kg: Kyle Ferriter, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Over 90 kg: Gabe Rangel, Moline, Ill.

Over 90 kg: Nikolas Stemmet, Yorkville, Ill.   

U.S. women’s Beach roster 

+70kg: Eliana Bommarito, Brighton, Mich.

Coach: Tim Box, Oceanside, Calif.  

Team Leader: Ed Duncan, Spruce Pine, N.C.

Official Kenneth Timbs, Douglasville, Ga.

Delegate: Rusty Davidson, Grants, N.M.

Event Schedule, local time

(Timisoara is seven hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time)

Saturday, July 20

10:00 a.m. – Group Rounds

5:00 p.m. – Group Rounds

Sunday, July 21

10:00 a.m. – Group Rounds

5:00 p.m. – Elimination Rounds and Finals