Attao, Adams repeat as U20 Greco-Roman World Team Trials Champions

The first day of competition is complete in Geneva, Ohio, at the U20 World Team Trials. Ten athletes were crowned following a best-of-three championships series in Greco-Roman. The 2024 U20 World Championships are set for September 2-8 in Pontevedra, Spain.

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Senior National Team member Aden Attao was dominant in his best-of-three finals series, taking it two matches to none over challenge tournament winner Hayden Simpson. Attao, the U20 Nationals champion at the 2024 U.S. Open, earned a bye to the final series where he awaited Simpson. In his first match, Attao secured the 9-0 technical victory at 5:44. He totaled five of his nine point on step-outs. Match two was much quicker, as he captured the 8-0 technical fall win at 1:44 with two four-point throws and a takedown.

This will be his third trip to an age-group World Championships, as he earned bronze in 2022 and placed seventh in 2023. Attao is committed to wrestle at Oregon State.

Attao is one of two repeat champions from last year, including Joel Adams who captured the title at 67 kg. Adams, a 2022 U17 World Champion, went 2-0 in his series against Colton Parduhn. Adams collected a narrow 3-1 decision in the first round, followed by a 7-1 decision over Parduhn in round two. Adams wrestles collegiately at Michigan, and looks to add another medal at his third age-group World Championships.

At 60 kg, Cory Land, a 2021 U17 World Silver medalist, won his best-of-three series two matches to none against Elijah Cortez. Land awaited Cortez in the finals after finishing atop the podium at the 2024 U.S. Open. Two technical falls, 10-2 and 8-0, were enough to propel Land ahead of Cortez in the series and add another age-group World Team to his resume, his third in total.

Colorado native Otto Black, committed to Iowa, secured a spot on his second age-group World Team after sweeping Amryn Nutter in the best-of-three series at 63 kg. Black placed fifth at the 2021 U17 World Championships. In round one, he used a big move to lead 5-0 early, later adding two takedowns to the score for the 9-0 technical fall. Black’s second round  ended with a pin at 1:25 in the first period.

Another athlete that captured a spot on his second age-group World Team was Ohio State’s Ryder Rogotzke. The Minnesota native bested Nick Nosler by fall in round one, then  9-0 technical fall in round two. Rogotzke was just one of two athletes that secured a spot on the U20 Greco-Roman World Team after winning the challenge tournament and the championship series.

Patrick Brackett was another athlete that defeated the U20 Nationals champion in the finals series after winning the challenge tournament. Brackett, competing at 72 kg, defeated Brett Back in the championship series two matches to none. The first round match saw Brackett pick up a 5-2 decision, with round two ending 10-7 in Brackett’s favor. In the challenge tournament, Brackett took down No. 2 seed Braden Stauffenberg, 5-4, in his opening round. He continued with wins over No. 3 seed Aliaksandr Kikiniou and top seed Tyler Antoniak.

At 77 kg, Northern Colorado’s Aydin Rix McElhinney awaited the challenge tournament champion in the finals. Rix McElhinney swept Bradley Gillum in the finals by 8-0 technical in both matches. The Maine native won a title at the 2024 U.S. Open and aimed to make his first age-group World Team, and did just that in Geneva.

It was a Soren versus Soren matchup in the finals at 97 kg as Soren Herzog took on Soren Pirhoun in the best-of-three series. Herzog, the 2024 U.S. Open champion, won the first match 8-5. After falling behind early following a big throw by Pirhoun, Herzog rattled off eight consecutive points, including a four-point throw, to push himself ahead. The second match was not wrestled, as Pirhoun injury defaulted. This is the first trip to a World Championships for Herzog who wrestles collegiately at Air Force.

In the best-of-three championship series at 82 kg, Arian Khosravy brought home the title following a 2-0 series win over Nicholas Fox. Khosravy, from California, secured both wins by technical fall. In round one, he bested Fox 10-1, then 8-0 in round two. This is the first age-group World Team appearance for the 2024 U.S. Open U20 Nationals champion.

Isaiah Cortez picked up the best-of three series victory over Davis Motyka in the finals at 55 kg. Cortez sat out to the finals after winning the 2024 U.S. Open in April. It was a 9-0 second period technical fall, followed by a pin just 51 seconds into the match in round two.

Of the U20 World Team Trials champions, just two won the challenge tournament and the best-of-three finals series. Five have competed at age-group World Championships prior to the 2024 U20 World Championships in Pontevedra, Spain, in September.

The U20 World Team Trials continue with Men’s freestyle action kicking off on Saturday morning. For full results and brackets, visit FloArena. Join the conversation on social media using the hashtag #WrestleGeneva.