Max Gallagher at the 2024 U23 Nationals in Geneva, Ohio.
2024 U23 Men’s Freestyle World Team Bios
by Savannah Asmann, USA Wrestling
57 kg – Max Gallagher (Blue Point, N.Y./Pennsylvania RTC)
2024: U23 Freestyle Nationals champion…
2022: Fifth at US Marine Corps Junior Freestyle Nationals…Third at Phil Portuese Northeast Regional…NYSPHSAA State Championships champion…
2020: NYSPHSAA State Championships runner-up…
2019: Third at NYSPHSAA State Championships…
2017: New York State Southern Super Regional champion at 85 pounds…Suffolk County Youth Championships champion at 80 pounds…
College: Sophomore at the University of Pennsylvania…
High School: Four-year varsity letterman and captain under coach Dave Cruz at Bayport-Blue Point…2022 New York State Champion 156-12 career high school record…Fifth at 2022 Super 32…2022 Iron Man All-American….Named top NY wrestler of the class of 2023…Finished high school career ranked #3 in the nation at 126 pounds…
Personal: Son of Michelle and Joseph Gallagher…Born July 14, 2005…Age 19…
61 kg – Nic Bouzakis (Dallas, Pennsylvania/Ohio RTC)
2024: U23 Freestyle Nationals champion…
2023: U20 World bronze medalist…U20 Pan-American Championships gold medalist… U20 Freestyle World Team Trials champion… U20 Freestyle Nationals champion…
2022: Seventh in U20 World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria… U20 Pan-American Championships gold medalist… U20 Freestyle World Team Trials champion… U20 Freestyle Nationals champion…
2021: Eighth in Junior World Championships in Ufa, Russia… Third in USMC Junior Freestyle Nationals… UWW Junior Greco-Roman Nationals champion…
2019: USMC 16U Freestyle Nationals champion… Phil Portuese Northeast Regional champion in freestyle and Greco-Roman…
2018: USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals champion…
College: Redshirt Sophomore at Ohio State University…
High School: Two-time National Prep champion (2020, 2022) for Wyoming Seminary (Pennsylvania)… three-time FHSAA state champion (2017-19) for Lake Highland Prep (Florida) and Citrus Park Christian (Florida) School…
Personal: Son of Troy and Toni Bouzakis… Born on May 21, 2003… 21 years old…
65 kg – Joshua Saunders (Spartan Combat RTC/Titan Mercury Wrestling Club)
2024: U23 Nationals champion…
2023: Fifth at U23 Freestyle Nationals…
2022: Sixth at U23 Freestyle Nationals…USAW Last Chance Qualifier champion…
2021: Third at U23 Nationals…Seventh at UWW Junior and Senior Nationals…
2019: Eighth at Senior Nationals…USMC/USAW Junior Nationals champion in Freestyle…Fourth in Greco-Roman…Third at U23 Freestyle Nationals…Fourth at U23 Greco-Roman Nationals…Fourth at Marine Corps US Open Junior Freestyle…
2018: Eighth at Junior World Championships…Tenth at Cadet World Championships…UWW Cadet Freestyle Nationals champion…Third at Junior Freestyle WTT Challenge…Third at Marine Corps US Open Junior Freestyle…
2017: Runner-up at USMC/USAW Cadet Greco-Roman Nationals…USMC/USAW Cadet Freestyle Nationals champion…Fourth at UWW Cadet and University Nationals…
2016: Sixth at USAW Cadet Freestyle Nationals…Runner-up at USAW/CK Jr/Cadet Folkstyle Nationals…
College: Senior at Cornell University…
High School: Helped Christian Brothers to two state team titles in 2018 and 2019…Named to the Missouri All-Decade Team and Wrestler of the Decade in 2020…Three-time state champion…NSHCA Champion (2017)…Two-time Fargo Champion (2017, 2019)…Walsh Ironman Champion (2019)…
Personal: Son of Nadia and Nolan Saunders…Born on September 28, 2001…23 years old…
70 kg – John Wiley (Mustang, Okla./Oklahoma RTC)
2024: U23 Nationals runner-up…
2023: Fifth at US Open U20 Freestyle Nationals…
2019: USMC/USAW 16U Nationals champion in both Freestyle and Greco-Roman…
2018: Runner-up at USMC/USAW Cadet Greco-Roman Nationals…Southern Plains Regional champion in both Greco-Roman and Freestyle…
College: Sophomore at the University of Oklahoma…
Personal: Son of Belinda and Daniel Wiley…Born on October 22, 2003…20 years old…
74 kg – Mitchell Mesenbrink (Hartland, Wisconsin/Nittany Lion WC/Askren Wrestling Academy)
2024: U.S. Olympic Team Trials Challenge Tournament runner-up…NCAA Division I Championships runner-up at 165 pounds…
2023: U20 World Champion…U20 Pan-American Championships gold medalist… Dan Kolov – Nikola Petrov Tournament bronze medalist… U20 Freestyle World Team Trials champion… U20 Freestyle Nationals champion…
2022: U20 World Championships silver medalist in Sofia, Bulgaria… U20 Pan-American Championships gold medalist… Fifth in Bill Farrell Memorial International… U20 Freestyle World Team Trials champion… U20 Freestyle Nationals champion…
2021: Southern Plains Regional champion in freestyle… Central Regional champion in freestyle… USA Wrestling National High School Recruiting Showcase champion…
2019: USA Wrestling Preseason Nationals champion… Central Regional champion in freestyle… Phil Portuese Northeast Regional champion in freestyle… Western Regional champion in freestyle… USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals champion…
2018: Third in USA Wrestling Preseason Nationals… Third in Central Regional in freestyle… Fifth in USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals…
College: Will be a sophomore at Penn State University…Attended California Baptist University during redshirt year…
High School: Three-time WIAA state champion (2020-22) for Arrowhead (Wisconsin) High School… Fourth in 2019…
Personal: Son of Bernadette and John Mesenbrink… Born on June 2, 2003…21 years old…
79 kg – Patrick Kennedy (West Concord, Minn./Hawkeye WC)
2024: U23 Freestyle Nationals champion…
2023: City of Sassari Tournament gold medalist…
2022: U23 Freestyle Nationals champion…
2021: Third at U23 Nationals…
2020: Runner-up at U23 and UWW Junior Nationals…
2019: USMC/USAW Junior Nationals champion…
2018: Eighth at UWW Cadet and U23 Nationals…
2017: Third at USMC/USAW Cadet Freestyle Nationals…Third at UWW Cadet and University Nationals…Northern Plains Regional Freestyle champion…
College: Senior at the University of Iowa…two-time NCAA Qualifier for the Hawkeyes…
High School: Four-time Minnesota high school state champion for Kasson-Mantorville…
Personal: Son of Tammy and Matt Kennedy…Born on May 4, 2001…23 years old…
86 kg – John Gunderson (Baraboo, Wis./Panther Wrestling Club RTC)
2024: U23 Pan American Championships silver medalist…U23 Nationals champion…Third at Last Chance OTT Qualifier…
2023: Eighth at US Open Senior Freestyle…
2021: Sixth at US Marine Corps 16U & Junior Nationals in Freestyle…Seventh in Greco-Roman…Northern Plains Regional Champion in both Freestyle and Greco-Roman…WWF Greco-Roman and Freestyle State Championships champion…Seventh at UWW Junior Freestyle Nationals…
2020: USAW Brian Keck Memorial Preseason Nationals runner-up…
2019: WWF Greco-Roman State Championships runner-up…Third at WWF Freestyle State Championships…
2018: WWF Greco-Roman and Freestyle State Championships champion…
2017: Fifth at WWF Kids Folkstyle State Championships…
College: Senior at Northern Iowa…
High School: Four-time freestyle Wisconsin state champion for Baraboo High School…Four-time Greco-Roman Wisconsin state champion…Folkstyle Wisconsin state champion…
Personal: Son of Vonny and Dan Gunderson…Born on June 12, 2002…22 years old…
92 kg – Jacob Cardenas (Kearny, N.J./Cliff Keen WC/Spartan Combat RTC)
2024: U23 Freestyle Nationals champion…Fourth at NCAA Division I National Championships at 197 pounds…
2023: U23 World bronze medalist…U23 Freestyle Nationals champion…Seventh at US Open…Eighth at NCAA D1 National Championships…
2022: U23 World silver medalist…U23 World Team Trials champion…Third at Last Chance Qualifier…
2019: Sixth at Marine Corps US Open in Junior Freestyle…
2018: Beast of the East runner-up…Fifth at UWW Cadet Nationals…
College: 2024 graduate of Cornell…Two-time NCAA All-American at 197 pounds…Three-time NCAA Qualifier…Graduate student at Michigan…
High School: New Jersey State Champion in 2018…Super 32 Champion in 2018…FloNationals Champion in 2019…New Jersey State Champion in 2019…First Team All-State in 2018 and 2019…
Personal: Son of Jesenia Reis and Roig Cardenas…Born on September 13, 2001…23 years old…
97 kg – Massoma Endene (Waverly, Iowa)
2024: Champion at U23 Pan-American Championships gold medalist…U23 Nationals & U20 WTT champion…
2022: Runner-up at NJCAA Championships…
Personal: Born on August 27, 2002…
125 kg – Lucas Stoddard (Chardon, Ohio/West Point WC)
2024: U23 Pan American Championships gold medalist…U23 Nationals champion…
2022: OHSAA State Tournament Division 1 champion…OHSAA State Tournament Division 3 (190 lbs) champion…
2021: OHSAA D3 State Tournament champion…
High School: State champion for Berkshire HS (USMAPS)…
College: Sophomore at the U.S. Military Academy, West Point…NCAA Qualifier in 2024…
Personal: Born on November 16, 2003…20 years old…