An accomplished lineup of men’s freestyle athletes, including three age-group World medalists, is preparing to compete at the 2024 U23 World Championships, October 21-27 in Tirana, Albania.

The Men’s freestyle portion of the event will be held on the final three days of action at Sports Hall “Feti Borova” in Tirana. Athletes in the first five Men’s freestyle weight classes (61 kg, 74 kg, 86 kg, 92 kg and 125 kg) begin their tournaments on October 25, with the second group (57 kg, 65 kg, 70 kg, 79 kg and 97 kg) kicking off action on October 26. Each bracket will be contested over a two-day stretch, running through semifinals on day one, followed by repechage and medal matches on day two.

Mitchell Mesenbrink, competing at 74 kg, is having a phenomenal year on the mat. He won gold at the 2023 U20 World Championships and was the runner-up at both the U.S. Olympic Trials Challenge Tournament and the 2024 NCAA Division I Championships at 165 pounds. A sophomore at Penn State, Mesenbrink’s aggressive and skillful style makes him a top contender at the U23 World Championships. This is Mesenbrink’s third World Championship tournament, as he also earned silver at the U20 World Championships in 2022.

This will be the third consecutive U23 World Championship tournament for Jacob Cardenas. Competing at 92 kg in Tirana, he brings international success as a two-time U23 World medalist, winning silver in 2022 and bronze in 2023. In 2024, Cardenas captured the U23 Nationals title and finished fourth at the NCAA Division I Championships at 197 pounds. His experience will be vital as he aims to reach the top of the podium this year.

2023 U20 World bronze medalist Nic Bouzakis, competing at 61 kg, continues to make waves at the international level. He earned the U23 Nationals title earlier this year, and looks to repeat his international success next week. This will be the fourth World Championship tournament for an experienced Bouzakis. No stranger to the podium, he is also a two-time U20 Pan American Championships gold medalist.

Joshua Saunders, wrestling at 65 kg, is another past age-group World Team member in the group. In 2018, Saunders placed eighth at the Junior World Championships and tenth at the Cadet World Championships. With consistent high finishes at National tournaments around the country, he has the tools for success entering this World tournament.

A trio of athletes experienced their first international tournament in June, competing at the U23 Pan American Championships in Rionegro, Colombia. John Gunderson, competing at 86 kg in Tirana, claimed silver at the U23 Pan-American Championships. A senior at Northern Iowa, Gunderson has excelled in both freestyle and Greco-Roman disciplines throughout his career. At 125 kg, Lucas Stoddard won gold at the 2024 U23 Pan-American Championships. Massoma Endene, competing at 97 kg, has been on a rapid rise in 2024, securing gold at the U23 Pan-American Championships. All three are primed and ready to make their World Championships debut.

Patrick Kennedy, competing at 79 kg, brings experience and success to the U23 World Championships. A senior at the University of Iowa, Kennedy won the 2024 U23 Nationals and captured gold at the 2023 City of Sassari Tournament. This is Kennedy’s second international tournament, but his national success in the United States has prepared him well for action in Albania.

Max Gallagher, wrestling at 57 kg, captured the 2024 U23 Nationals title in June. Gallagher will be one to watch as he makes his international debut in Albania. He has found success in his home state of New York and at several National tournaments, and hopes to translate that success internationally.

At 70 kg, John Wiley earned runner-up honors at the 2024 U23 Nationals and has shown consistent excellence in both freestyle and Greco-Roman. A sophomore at the University of Oklahoma, Wiley elected to compete at the tournament just a few weeks prior to the event. In 2019, Wiley was a 16U Nationals champion in both freestyle and Greco-Roman.

The United States won the team title at the 2023 U23 World Championships with a total of 148 points and four World Champions: Keegan O'Toole at 74 kg, Aaron Brooks at 86 kg, Isaac Trumble at 97 kg and Wyatt Hendrickson at 125 kg.

The U23 World Championships will be live streamed on FloWrestling to the U.S. market. Brackets and updated results will be provided by United World Wrestling on uww.org and the UWW mobile app.

Those seeking to follow along in real time can reference the complete event schedule below. Tirana, Albania, is in the GMT +2 time zone, which is six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Time. USA Wrestling will provide regular updates on TheMat.com and its social media platforms throughout the event.

2024 U23 World Championships

At Tirana, Albania, October 21-27

Quick Links

· U.S. Men’s Freestyle athlete bios

· Event entry list provided by UWW

· Live stream on FloWrestling.com

· Event website on UWW.org

Event Schedule

Monday, October 21

10:30 a.m. – Qualification Rounds (Greco-Roman 60 kg, 67 kg, 72 kg, 82 kg and 97 kg)

6 p.m. – Semifinals (Greco-Roman 60 kg, 67 kg, 72 kg, 82 kg and 97 kg)

Tuesday, October 22

10:30 a.m. – Repechage (Greco-Roman 60 kg, 67 kg, 72 kg, 82 kg and 97 kg) and Qualification Rounds (Greco-Roman 55 kg, 63 kg, 77 kg, 87 kg and 130 kg)

4:45 p.m. – Semifinals (Greco-Roman 55 kg, 63 kg, 77 kg, 87 kg and 130 kg)

6 p.m. – Finals (Greco-Roman 60 kg, 67 kg, 72 kg, 82 kg and 97 kg)

Wednesday, October 23

10:30 a.m. – Repechage (Greco-Roman 55 kg, 63 kg, 77 kg, 87 kg and 130 kg) and Qualification Rounds (Women’s freestyle 50 kg, 55 kg, 59 kg, 68 kg and 76 kg)

4:45 p.m. – Semifinals (Women’s freestyle 50 kg, 55 kg, 59 kg, 68 kg and 76 kg)

6 p.m. – Finals (Greco-Roman 55 kg, 63 kg, 77 kg, 87 kg and 130 kg)

Thursday, October 24

10:30 a.m. – Repechage (Women’s freestyle 50 kg, 55 kg, 59 kg, 68 kg and 76 kg) and Qualification Rounds (Women’s freestyle 53 kg, 57 kg, 62 kg, 65 kg, and 72 kg)

4:45 p.m. – Semifinals (Women’s freestyle 53 kg, 57 kg, 62 kg, 65 kg, and 72 kg)

6 p.m. – Finals (Women’s freestyle 50 kg, 55 kg, 59 kg, 68 kg and 76 kg)

Friday, October 25

10:30 a.m. – Repechage (Women’s freestyle 53 kg, 57 kg, 62 kg, 65 kg, and 72 kg) and Qualification Rounds (Men’s freestyle 61 kg, 74 kg, 86 kg, 92 kg and 125 kg)

4:45 p.m. – Semifinals (Men’s freestyle 61 kg, 74 kg, 86 kg, 92 kg and 125 kg)

6 p.m. – Finals (Women’s freestyle 53 kg, 57 kg, 62 kg, 65 kg, and 72 kg)

Saturday, October 26

10:30 a.m. – Repechage (Men’s freestyle 61 kg, 74 kg, 86 kg, 92 kg and 125 kg) and Qualification Rounds (Men’s freestyle 57 kg, 65 kg, 70 kg, 79 kg and 97 kg)

4:45 p.m. – Semifinals (Men’s freestyle 57 kg, 65 kg, 70 kg, 79 kg and 97 kg)

6 p.m. – Finals (Men’s freestyle 61 kg, 74 kg, 86 kg, 92 kg and 125 kg)

Sunday, October 27

4 p.m. – Repechage (Men’s freestyle 57 kg, 65 kg, 70 kg, 79 kg and 97 kg)

6 p.m. – Finals (Men’s freestyle 57 kg, 65 kg, 70 kg, 79 kg and 97 kg)

*Listed times reflect local time in Tirana, Albania, which is six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Time

U.S. Men’s Freestyle Roster

57 kg – Max Gallagher (Blue Point, N.Y./Pennsylvania RTC)

61 kg – Nic Bouzakis (Dallas, Pennsylvania/Ohio RTC)

65 kg – Joshua Saunders (Spartan Combat RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

70 kg – John Wiley (Mustang, Okla./Oklahoma RTC)

74 kg – Mitchell Mesenbrink (Hartland, Wis./Nittany Lion WC/Askren Wrestling Academy)

79 kg – Patrick Kennedy (West Concord, Minn./Hawkeye WC)

86 kg – John Gunderson (Baraboo, Wis./Panther Wrestling Club RTC)

92 kg – Jacob Cardenas (Kearny, N.J./Cliff Keen WC/Spartan Combat RTC)

97 kg – Massoma Endene (Waverly, Iowa)

125 kg – Lucas Stoddard (Chardon, Ohio/West Point WC)

U.S. Men’s Freestyle Delegation

National Team Coach – Joe Russell

USA Wrestling Assigned Coach – Brandon Slay

Personal Coach – Jeff Breese

Personal Coach – Casey Cunningham

Personal Coach – Elard Coello

Personal Coach – Kevin Jackson

Personal Coach – Doug Zapf

Personal Coach – Dan Dennis

Personal Coach – Drew Foster

Personal Coach – Logan Stieber

Personal Coach – Frank Perrelli

Personal Coach – Mark Hall

ATC – Randy Boswell

ATC – Elizabeth Del Re

DO – Andrew Peterson

Official – Jason Babi

Official – Brock Zollinger

Official – Nick Mancini

Team Leader – Tim Manning

USA Wrestling, President – Bruce Baumgartner

USA Wrestling, Executive Director – Richard Bender

USA Wrestling, Sr. Manager, Communications – Richard Immel

Mesenbrink, Cardenas lead strong Men’s freestyle squad set for U23 World Championships

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