Semifinals set for Group A Senior Greco-Roman World Team Trials at 2025 CLAW U.S. Open Championships

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The semifinals are set for the first group of athletes competing in the Senior Greco-Roman World Team Trials at The Expo at World Market Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Group A, consisting of the 55 kg, 60 kg, 63 kg, 67 kg, 72 kg, and 77 kg tournaments, wrestled through the quarterfinal and second round of consolations.

Past Senior World Team members Brady Koontz, Ildar Hafizov, Ellis Coleman, Kamal Bey and Aliaksandr Kikiniou all advanced to the semifinals after the first session of the Senior Greco-Roman World Team Trials on Thursday morning.

Koontz of Dubuque RTC and Titan Mercury Wrestling Club will face two-time age-group World Team member and No. 4 seed Billy Sullivan of Army WCAP in the semifinals. In the quarterfinals, Koontz bested Dubuque RTC teammate Tyler Klein, 9-0.

At 63 kg, Hafizov, a 2020 Olympian and five-time Senior World Team member for Team USA, opened his tournament with a 28-second technical fall and continued his streak of success with a 12-3 technical fall over Ruben Calderon of Paradigm Wrestling in the quarterfinals. Hafizov meets Northern Michigan’s Kaden Ercanbrack in the semifinals.

On the other side of 63 kg, 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials champion and four-time Senior World Team member Coleman picked up a pair of technical falls en route to the semifinals. Coleman battles U.S. Olympic Training Center resident athlete Riley Lomenick this afternoon.

Bey, a 2024 Olympian, three-time Senior World Team member and 2017 Junior World Champion, wasted no time in the first session, winning his first match in 27 seconds and his quarterfinal match in just 23 seconds. Bey is set to face Aydin Rix McElhinney, a 2024 U20 World Team member, in the semifinals at 77 kg.

Also competing at 77 kg, Kikiniou reached the semifinals after an 11-2 technical fall over Patrick Curran in the previous round. His son, Aliaksandr Kikiniou, is in the semifinals at 72 kg, picking up a 9-3 decision and a second period fall in session one of the day.

2020 Olympian and past Senior World Team member Alejandro Sancho of Army WCAP) is in the semifinals at 72 kg, shifting up from his previous weight of 67 kg. Sancho’s day started with a pair of 8-0 technical falls.

Senior National Team and three-time age-group World Team member Max Black of NYAC/NMU-National Training Center squares off against Randon Miranda of NYAC at 60 kg, a past Senior National Team member and three-time age-group World Team member. Black, the No. 2 seed, found a spot in the semifinals with a 5-3 decision over Paxton Creese, while No. 3 Miranda dominated Dylan Koontz of Dubuque RTC, 10-0, in the quarterfinals.

At 55 kg, 2024 U17 World Champion Jayden Raney of NYAC advanced to the semifinals with an 11-0 technical fall over Fabian Gutierrez of West Point WC. Raney battles Peter Del Gallo of South Side Wrestling Club in the semifinals tonight.

In the quarterfinals at 60 kg, U20 World silver medalist Isaiah Cortez of Daniel Cormier Wrestling Club defeated No. 1 seed Dalton Roberts of Army WCAP, a 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials champion and two-time Senior World Team member, 4-3. A second period takedown by Cortez would be the difference maker in the match.

Cortez faces a tough opponent in 2023 Men’s Freestyle Senior World Team member Zane Richards in the next round. Richards made the move to Greco-Roman earlier this year, and advanced to the semifinals in his first Senior level Greco-Roman tournament.

2024 U20 World silver medalist Otto Black made his way into the semifinals after defeating 2016 Junior World bronze medalist Taylor LaMont, 8-0 at 67 kg.

The 2025 CLAW U.S. Open Championships continue at 4 p.m. with the semifinals and consolation matches for Group A. The Senior Women’s Freestyle, U20 Greco-Roman, High School Girls Showcase and Masters Greco-Roman tournaments continue in the next session, while the U15 freestyle tournament is set to begin at 5 p.m. (PT). A detailed schedule of events is available at usawrestlingevents.com.

All the action from Las Vegas will be broadcast live on FloWrestling. Brackets and match-by-match results are available through USA Bracketing, USA Wrestling’s new best-in-class event management software.

55 kg

Brady Koontz (Dubuque RTC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Billy Sullivan (Army WCAP)

Jayden Raney (NYAC) vs. Peter Del Gallo (South Side WC)

60 kg

Isaiah Cortez (Daniel Cormier WC) vs. Zane Richards (Illinois RTC)

Randon Miranda (NYAC) vs. Max Black (NYAC/NMU-National Training Center)

63 kg

Ildar Hafizov (Army WCAP) vs. Kaden Ercanbrack (NMU-National Training Center)

Riley Lomenick (USOTC) vs. Ellis Coleman (Army WCAP)

67 kg

Richard Fedalen (New York City RTC) vs. Otto Black (NYAC/Colorado Top Team WC)

Alston Nutter (Army WCAP) vs. David Stepanian (NYAC)

72 kg

Alejandro Sancho (Army WCAP) vs. Noah Wachsmuth (NYAC)

Aliaksandr Kikiniou (NYAC) vs. Peyton Robb (Nebraska/NYAC)

77 kg

Kamal Bey (Army WCAP) vs. Aydin Rix McElhinney (NYAC/NMU-National Training Center)

Britton Holmes (Army WCAP) vs. Aliaksandr Kikiniou (NYAC)

55 kg

Brady Koontz (Dubuque RTC/Titan Mercury WC) tech. fall Tyler Klein (Dubuque RTC), 9-0

Billy Sullivan (Army WCAP) tech. fall Austin Thiel (Betterman Elite), 12-3

Jayden Raney (NYAC) tech. fall Fabian Gutierrez (West Point WC), 11-0

Peter Del Gallo (South Side WC) dec. Kenneth Crosby (NMU-National Training Center), 10-9

60 kg

Isaiah Cortez (Daniel Cormier WC) dec. Dalton Roberts, (Army WCAP), 4-3

Zane Richards (Illinois RTC) tech. fall Phillip Moomey, (MWC/NYAC), 8-0

Randon Miranda (NYAC) tech. fall Dylan Koontz (Dubuque RTC/Titan Mercury WC), 10-0

Max Black (NYAC/NMU-National Training Center) dec. Paxton Creese (Minnesota Storm), 5-3

63 kg

Ildar Hafizov (Army WCAP) tech. fall Ruben Calderon (Paradigm Wrestling), 12-3

Kaden Ercanbrack (NMU-National Training Center) tech. fall Savion Haywood (Iguana WC), 9-1

Riley Lomenick (USOTC) dec. Jace Koelzer (Bear Cave WC), 8-6

Ellis Coleman (Army WCAP) tech. fall Ty Lydic (NYAC), 9-0

67 kg

Richard Fedalen (New York City RTC) dec. Xavier Johnson, (Army WCAP), 9-3

Otto Black (NYAC/Colorado Top Team WC) tech. fall Taylor LaMont (West Point WC), 8-0

Alston Nutter (Army WCAP) dec. Duncan Nelson (Air Force WCAP), 4-0

David Stepanian (NYAC) tech. fall Jaxon Bearden (Team Prestige Wrestling), 8-0

72 kg

Alejandro Sancho (Army WCAP) tech. fall Alec Ortiz (Minnesota Storm), 8-0

Noah Wachsmuth (NYAC) tech. fall Brayden Roberts (LIRTC), 10-0

Aliaksandr Kikiniou (NYAC) pin Justus Scott (Army WCAP), 4:27

Peyton Robb (Nebraska/NYAC) tech. fall Peter Ogunsanya (Army WCAP), 9-0

77 kg

Kamal Bey (Army WCAP) pin Glenn Rhees (Greater Heights), 0:23

Aydin Rix McElhinney (NYAC/NMU-National Training Center) dec. Arvin Khosravy (West Point WC), 7-1

Britton Holmes (Army WCAP) over Tyler Eischens (Tar Heel WC/NYAC), 5-1

Aliaksandr Kikiniou (NYAC) tech. fall Patrick Curran (NYAC/NMU-National Training Center), 11-2