Thomas, Davino among unexpected semifinalists in men’s freestyle at CLAW U.S. Open

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – While most of the nation’s top men’s freestyle wrestlers got off to a strong start in the first session of the 2025 CLAW U.S. Open, there were a few unexpected athletes to win their quarterfinal match and power into Friday night’s semifinal round.

Nine of the 10 No. 1 seeds were able to advance. It was No. 8 seed Demetrius Thomas, the former star for Pitt, who was able to knock off No. 1 seed and 2022 Senior World Team member Hayden Zillmer, 6-6. Thomas was able to tie the match at 6-6 with criteria, but a Zillmer throw attempt in the closing seconds got two points for an 8-6 lead. Thomas challenged the call, and it was reversed, with no points awarded, giving him the upset win. Thomas will battle No. 5 seed Jordan Wood in the semifinals.

Benjamin Davino, a freshman at Ohio State, was the only unseeded wrestler to power his way into Friday night’s semifinals, where he will battle No. 6 seed Jax Forrest at 61 kg. Forrest knocked off No. 3 seed Nahshon Garrett in his quarterfinal, 10-0.

Davino beat No. 7 seed Nico Megaludis, 3-1 in the round of 16, then stopped World silver medalist and No. 2 seed Daton Fix by injury default in the quarterfinals. Against Fix, he got a takedown and turned Fix three times with an ankle lace, with Fix getting injured and unable to continue the match.

The two Olympic medalists in the field had little problem reaching the semifinals round.

2016 Olympic champion, two-time Olympic finalist and three-time World champion Kyle Snyder had a pair of 10-0 technical fall victories at 97 kg and will battle Gavin Hoffman in the semifinals.

Two-time Olympic medalist and four-time World champion Kyle Dake had three technical falls, outscoring his opponents 32-1, to reach the 86 kg semifinals, where he will face 2024 NCAA champion and No. 4 seed Parker Keckeisen in the semifinals. Dake has moved up to 86 kg for the first time since the 2016 Olympic Trials, after which he competed at 79 kg and 74 kg.

Two-time World medalist James Green will wrestler in the 70 kg semifinals against No. 4 seed Will Lewan, a past U17 World champion.

The other two Senior World medalists in the field, Yianni Diakomihalis (70 kg) and Zahid Valencia (86 kg) are in the semifinals. Other past Senior World Team members in the semifinals are Seth Gross (61 kg) and Chance Marsteller (86 kg).

Gross, the No. 4 seed, defeated No. 5 seed Austin DeSanto in the quarterfinals, 6-3. He will battle No. 1 seed Marcus Blaze, a high school star who qualified for the 2024-25 Senior National Team, in the semifinals.

All three 2025 NCAA Div. I champions who entered are also semifinalists, Dean Hamiti (79 kg) and Wyatt Hendrickson (125 kg), who wrestled for Oklahoma State, and Jesse Mendez (65 kg) from Penn State.

The semifinal round in men’s freestyle will begin at 4:00 p.m. PT, with the action live on on FloWrestling.

https://flosports.link/3CbGoVF

U.S. SENIOR FREESTYLE NATIONALS

At Las Vegas, Nev., April 25, 2025

Semifinal pairings

57 kg

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

Nico Provo (California Regional Training Center) vs. Daniel DeShazer (Gopher Wrestling Club)

61 kg

Marcus Blaze (Titan Mercury Wrestling Club) vs. Seth Gross (MATPAC Wrestling Club)

Jax Forrest (Cowboy RTC/ TMWC) vs. Benjamin Davino (Ohio RTC/TMWC)

65 kg

Joseph McKenna (Cowboy RTC/TMWC) vs. Aden Valencia (California RTC/TMWC)

Beau Bartlett (Nittany Lion WC/TMWC) vs. Jesse Mendez (Ohio RTC/TMWC)

70 kg

James Green (Nebraska RTC/TMWC) vs. Will Lewan (Cliff Keen WC)

Bryce Andonian (Southeast RTC/TMWC) vs. Yianni Diakomihalis (Spartan Combat RTC/TMWC)

74 kg

David Carr (Cyclone RTC/TMWC) vs. Jarrett Jacques (Tiger Style Wrestling Club)

Quincy Monday (New Jersey RTC/TMWC) vs. Mitchell Mesenbrink (Nittany Lion WC/TMWC)

79 kg

Evan Wick (SoCal RTC/TMWC) vs. Simon Ruiz (Spartan Combat RTC/ TMWC)

Kennedy Monday (New Jersey RTC/TMWC) vs. Dean Hamiti Jr (Cowboy RTC/ TMWC)

86 kg

Kyle Dake (Nittany Lion WC/TMWC) vs. Parker Keckeisen (Panther Wrestling Club RTC)

Chance Marsteller (New Jersey RTC/TMWC) vs. Zahid Valencia (Cowboy RTC/TMWC)

92 kg

Trent Hidlay (Wolfpack WC/TMWC) vs. Eric Schultz (Nebraska RTC/TMWC)

Aeoden Sinclair (Tiger Style Wrestling Club) vs. Michael Macchiavello (Lehigh Valley Wrestling RTC/TMWC)

97 kg

Kyle Snyder (Nittany Lion WC/TMWC) vs. Gavin Hoffman (Pennsylvania)

Ethan Laird (DMV RTC) vs. Jonathan Aiello (Penn RTC/TMWC)

125 kg

Demetrius Thomas (Rhode Island) vs. Jordan Wood (New York Athletic Club)

Trent Hillger (Gopher Wrestling Club vs. Wyatt Hendrickson (Cowboy RTC/Air Force WCAP)

Quarterfinal results

57 kg

Luke Lilledahl (NLWC/TMWC) T.F. brendan mccrone (Ohio RTC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)), 10-0 (3:00)

Liam Cronin (Nebraska RTC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)) Dec. Austin Assad (Seasons Freestyle Club), 9-2

Nico Provo (California Regional Training Center (CA RTC)) T.F. Joshua Dragovich (Patriot Elite Wrestling Club), 10-0 (0:22)

Daniel DeShazer (Gopher Wrestling Club) T.F. Brady Roark (Jackrabbit Wrestling Club), 12-1 (5:33)

61 kg

Marcus Blaze (Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)) Dec. Nathan Tomasello (West Coast RTC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)), 2-1

Seth Gross (MATPAC Wrestling Club) Dec. Austin DeSanto (Hawkeye WC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)), 6-3

Jax Forrest (Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)) T.F. Nahshon Garrett (Lehigh Valley Wrestling RTC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)), 10-0 (2:32)

Benjamin Davino (Ohio RTC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)) Inj. Daton Fix (Cowboy RTC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)), 0:33

65 kg

Joseph McKenna (Cowboy RTC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)) T.F. Tom Crook (Southeast RTC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)), 10-0 (1:59)

Aden Valencia (California RTC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)) Dec. Real Woods (Cliff Keen Wrestling Club), 5-4

Beau Bartlett (NLWC/TMWC) Dec. Carter Young (Cowboy RTC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)), 5-3

Jesse Mendez (Ohio RTC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)) T.F. Vince Cornella (Spartan Combat RTC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)), 15-4 (5:19)

70 kg

James Green (Nebraska RTC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)) T.F. Doug Zapf (Pennsylvania RTC), 10-0 (4:32)

Will Lewan (Cliff Keen Wrestling Club) Dec. Yahya Thomas (New Jersey RTC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)), 2-1

Bryce Andonian (Southeast RTC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)) Dec. Alec Pantaleo (Cliff Keen WC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)), 4-4

Yianni Diakomihalis (Spartan Combat RTC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)) T.F. Daniel Cardenas (California Regional Training Center (CA RTC)), 18-7 (4:23)

74 kg

David Carr (Cyclone RTC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)) T.F. Edward Scott (Wolfpack WC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)), 11-0 (1:49)

Jarrett Jacques (Tiger Style Wrestling Club) Dec. Peyton Hall (West Virginia Regional Training Center), 5-1

Quincy Monday (New Jersey RTC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)) Dec. Terrell Barraclough (Brunson UVRTC), 4-3

Mitchell Mesenbrink (NLWC/TMWC) T.F. Jesse Dellavecchia (Blue & Gold Wrestling Club), 10-0 (1:46)

79 kg

Evan Wick (SoCal RTC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)) Dec. Ethan Riddle (Minnesota - RTC), 8-1

Simon Ruiz (Spartan Combat RTC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)) Dec. Carson Kharchla (Ohio RTC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)), 3-2

Kennedy Monday (New Jersey RTC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)) Dec. Muhamed McBryde (New York Athletic Club), 5-4

Dean Hamiti Jr (Cowboy RTC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)) F. Dajun Johnson (Ranger Wrestling Club), 2:05

86 kg

Kyle Dake (NLWC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)) T.F. Jersey Robb (Cowboy RTC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)), 12-1 (3:56)

Parker Keckeisen (Panther Wrestling Club RTC) Dec. Rocco Welsh (KD Training Center), 4-1

Chance Marsteller (New Jersey RTC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)) Dec. Marcus Coleman (Cyclone RTC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)), 8-0

Zahid Valencia (Cowboy RTC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)) T.F. Reece Heller (Pittsburgh Wrestling Club), 11-0 (1:07)

92 kg

Trent Hidlay (Wolfpack WC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)) T.F. Kalob Runyon (Panther Wrestling Club RTC), 10-0 (1:49)

Eric Schultz (Nebraska RTC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)) Dec. Dustin Plott (Cowboy RTC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)), 11-9

Aeoden Sinclair (Tiger Style Wrestling Club) Dec. Cameron Caffey (Michigan Wrestling Club), 9-4

Michael Macchiavello (Lehigh Valley Wrestling RTC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)) T.F. Jack Wehmeyer (New York City RTC), 12-2 (2:38)

97 kg

Kyle Snyder (NLWC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)) T.F. Tyrie Houghton (Wolfpack WC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)), 10-0 (2:20)

Gavin Hoffman (Pennsylvania) Dec. Gary Traub (Cowboy RTC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)), 5-1

Ethan Laird (DMV RTC) Dec. Massoma Endene (Burg Training Center), 7-3

Jonathan Aiello (Penn RTC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)) T.F. Zane Lanham (West Virginia), 12-2 (3:24)

125 kg

Demetrius Thomas (Rhode Island) Dec. Hayden Zillmer (Gopher Wrestling Club), 6-6

Jordan Wood (New York Athletic Club) T.F. Trevor Tinker (Central Coast Regional Training Center), 10-0 (1:23)

Trent Hillger (Gopher Wrestling Club) Dec. Christian Lance (Nebraska RTC/ Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)), 5-2

Wyatt Hendrickson (Cowboy RTC / WCAP) T.F. Lucas Stoddard (West Point Wrestling Club), 11-0 (0:26)