Dake vs. Valencia & Green vs. Diakomihalis among 10 great men’s freestyle finals set for CLAW U.S. Open

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – An exciting semifinals round on Friday night has set the gold-medal finals in men’s freestyle at the 2025 CLAW U.S. Open. There will be 10 big-time battles on Saturday night, with a Senior Nationals title and a berth in Final X up for grabs.

Two of the finals matchups will feature a pair of past Senior World medalists going for the title.

At 86 kg, two-time Olympic medalist and four-time World champion Kyle Dake will battle 2023 World bronze Zahid Valencia medalist in the finals. Dake advanced in the semifinals with an 8-1 decision over 2024 NCAA champion Parker Keckeisen, while Valencia stopped 2023 World Team member Chance Marsteller, 4-2.

The 70 kg finals will include two-time World medalist James Green against World silver medalist Yianni Diakomihalis. Green controlled Will Lewan in a 9-2 semifinals victory, while Diakomihalis scored a pin in 1:11 over Bryce Andonian.

The finals will include a mix of veteran stars and some of the top young talents who are starting to break through on the first year of the 2028 Los Angeles quadrennium.

Leading the veteran stars in the finals is 2016 Olympic champion, two-time Olympic finalist and three-time World champion Kyle Snyder, who will face U23 World medalist Jay Aiello in the finals at 97 kg. Both scored technical falls in the semifinals, with Snyder beating Gavin Hoffman, 10-0 and Aiello stopping Ethan Laird, 11-0.

All three of the 2025 NCAA Div. I champions in the field were able to advance to the championship finals, Dean Hamiti, Jr. and Wyatt Hendrickson, who won for Oklahoma State, and two-time NCAA champion Jesse Mendez of Ohio State.

Hamiti scored a 14-4 technical fall in the semifinals over Kennedy Monday, and will draw No. 1 seed Evan Wick in the finals. Hendrickson won a 10-4 decision over Trent Hillger, and will face an opponent on a roll, No. 8 seed Demetrius Thomas. After knocking off No. 1 seed Hayden Zillmer in the quarterfinals, Thomas stopped No. 5 seed Jordan Wood in the semifinals, 6-1.

Mendez beat a well-known opponent, Beau Bartlett from Penn State, in the semifinals, 4-2. Bartlett will battle No. 1 seed Joey McKenna in the finals on Saturday.

Among the young stars making the U.S. Open finals are Luke Lilledahl at 57 kg and Jax Forrest at 61 kg. Lilledahl will battle Liam Cronin in the finals, while Forrest has drawn past Senior World Team member Seth Gross for the title.

The other finals pairings is at 74 kg, where a pair of past U20 World champions, David Carr and Mitchell Mesenbrink will compete for their first U.S. Open title.

The winners of the U.S. Open in men’s freestyle will earn a spot in Final X, which is set for the Prudential Center in Newark, June 14.

The men’s freestyle consolations and medal placement matches will be held in the 10:00 a.m. PT session on Saturday morning, with the championship finals set for 6:00 p.m. PT. with the action live on on FloWrestling.

https://flosports.link/3CbGoVF

U.S. MEN’S FREESTYLE OPEN

At Las Vegas, Nev., April 25

Finals pairings

57 kg - Luke Lilledahl (Nittany Lion WC/TMWC) vs. Liam Cronin (Nebraska RTC/TMWC)

61 kg - Seth Gross (MATPAC Wrestling Club) vs. Jax Forrest (Cowboy RTC/ TMWC)

65 kg - Joseph McKenna (Cowboy RTC/TMWC)) vs. Jesse Mendez (Ohio RTC/ TMWC)

70 kg - James Green (Nebraska RTC/TMWC) vs. Yianni Diakomihalis (Spartan Combat RTC/TMWC)

74 kg - David Carr (Cyclone RTC/TMWC)) vs. Mitchell Mesenbrink (Nittany Lion WC/TMWC)

79 kg - Evan Wick (SoCal RTC/TMWC) vs. Dean Hamiti Jr (Cowboy RTC/ TMWC)

86 kg - Kyle Dake (Nittany Lion WC/TMWC)) vs. Zahid Valencia (Cowboy RTC/ TMWC)

97 kg - Kyle Snyder (Nittany Lion WC/ TMWC) vs. Jonathan Aiello (Pennsylvania RTC/TMWC)

125 kg - Demetrius Thomas (Rhode Island) vs. Wyatt Hendrickson (Cowboy RTC / Air Force WCAP)

Semifinal results

57 kg

Luke Lilledahl (NLWC/TMWC) Dec. Nico Provo (California Regional Training Center (CA RTC)), 10-4

Liam Cronin (Nebraska RTC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)) Dec. Daniel DeShazer (Gopher Wrestling Club), 4-1

61 kg

Seth Gross (MATPAC Wrestling Club) F. Marcus Blaze (Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)), 6:00

Jax Forrest (Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)) Dec. Benjamin Davino (Ohio RTC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)), 4-0

65 kg

Joseph McKenna (Cowboy RTC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)) Dec. Aden Valencia (California RTC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)), 9-6

Jesse Mendez (Ohio RTC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)) Dec. Beau Bartlett (NLWC/TMWC), 4-2

70 kg

James Green (Nebraska RTC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)) Dec. Will Lewan (Cliff Keen Wrestling Club), 9-2

Yianni Diakomihalis (Spartan Combat RTC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)) F. Bryce Andonian (Southeast RTC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)), 1:11

74 kg

David Carr (Cyclone RTC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)) T.F. Jarrett Jacques (Tiger Style Wrestling Club), 11-0 (2:09)

Mitchell Mesenbrink (NLWC/TMWC) T.F. Quincy Monday (New Jersey RTC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)), 12-1 (3:30)

79 kg

Evan Wick (SoCal RTC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)) Dec. Simon Ruiz (Spartan Combat RTC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)), 9-5

Dean Hamiti Jr (Cowboy RTC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)) T.F. Kennedy Monday (New Jersey RTC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)), 14-4 (5:32)

86 kg

Kyle Dake (NLWC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)) Dec. Parker Keckeisen (Panther Wrestling Club RTC), 8-1

Zahid Valencia (Cowboy RTC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)) Dec. Chance Marsteller (New Jersey RTC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)), 4-2

97 kg

Kyle Snyder (NLWC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)) T.F. Gavin Hoffman (Pennsylvania), 10-0 (1:06)

Jonathan Aiello (Penn RTC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)) T.F. Ethan Laird (DMV RTC), 11-0 (2:10)

125 kg

Demetrius Thomas (Rhode Island) Dec. Jordan Wood (New York Athletic Club), 6-1

Wyatt Hendrickson (Cowboy RTC / WCAP) Dec. Trent Hillger (Gopher Wrestling Club), 10-4