U.S. U17 Men’s Freestyle World Team set at CLAW U.S. Open; Sanchez, Taylor among stars in great finals round

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The 2025 U.S. U17 Men’s Freestyle Team was determined in an exciting finals round of the U17 Freestyle World Team Trials on Sunday afternoon. The champions will represent Team USA at the 2025 U17 World Championships in Athens, Greece, July 28-August 3.

The finals featured a best-of-three championship series, and two of the 10 matchups had to go the full three matches to determine a winner.

Among the team members is 2024 U17 World champion Samuel Sanchez of California, who earned a return trip to the Worlds with a two match sweep over 2024 U.S. U17 Greco-Roman World Team member Hayden Schwab of Iowa. Sanchez got his offense going in both matches, and shut down Schwab’s attack, scoring a pair of shutout wins, 9-0 and 6-0.

The Outstanding Wrestler Award winner was 110 kg champion Alex Taylor of Ohio, who scored a pair of pins to sweep Josh Hoffer of Illinois. Taylor was trailing in both matches but powered back with big moves to put away the match. He scored pins in 3:32 and 1:57.

Taylor was one of three athletes who were able to win both Greco-Roman and freestyle at the U17 World Team Trials and will compete in both styles in Athens. Also winning double titles were Ariah Mills of Georgia (48 kg) and Arseni Kikiniou of California (65 kg).

Mills won a pair of hard-fought decisions over 2024 U15 Nationals champion Chase Karenbauer of Pennsylvania. Mills claimed a tight 2-1 decision in match one, and powered back with an 8-2 win in the second match to secure the sweep.

Kikiniou needed three matches to defeat Rocco Cassioppi of Illinois in their series. Cassioppi opened the series with a 5-4 win, but Kikiniou rallied back to win a tight 2-1 decision in bout two to force a deciding third match. Kikiniou was able to create separation in the final match with a 10-4 victory.

Taylor was also one of three 2024 16U National freestyle champions to secure a berth on the 2025 U17 Freestyle World Team, joined by Jayden James of New Jersey (71 kg) and Aaron Stewart of Illinois (80 kg).

James was in command in his two-match sweep over Justus Heeg of Illinois. James scored a quick 10-0 technical fall in the first match in just 1:18. In the second match, James won the key positions in a 3-1 decision.

Stewart needed three bouts to edge tough Salah Tsarni of Maryland. It was Tsarni who won the first match, scoring late in a 3-1 decision. Stewart won another close battle in bout two, 5-4. In the deciding match, it was Stewart who jumped to a lead and closed out a 4-1 decision.

2024 16U Nationals runner-up Ashton Besmer of California won a two-match sweep over 2023 U17 World champion Paul Kenny of New Jersey at 60 kg. Besmer won the first match 6-1, then took control in a 12-0 technical fall in bout two.

2024 U15 Nationals freestyle champion Keegan Bassett of Pennsylvania was the champion at 45 kg, beating fellow Keystone State wrestler Kooper Deputy in two straight. Basset trailed early in match one, then opened up the offense in a 17-6 technical fall. Bassett was able to close out the series with a 10-4 win in bout two.

The other champions were Grey Burnett of Ohio (55 kg) and Tanner Hodgins of New Jersey (92 kg), both who won in two straight bouts.

Burnett swept Izayiah Chavez of Texas, scoring a 10-0 technical fall in the first match, then finishing it with a 12-5 win in bout two. Hodgins did not allow a point in his two-match win over Brady Brown of Pennsylvania, with an 8-0 win in bout one and a 10-0 technical fall in bout two.

U17 MEN’S FREESTYLE WORLD TEAM TRIALS

At Las Vegas, Nev., April 26-27

45 kg

1st - Keegan Bassett (Bishop McCort High School Wrestling) dec. Kooper Deputy (Orchard Wrestling Club), two matches to none

Bout One – Bassett tech fall Deputy, 17-6 (2:56)

Bout Two – Bassett tech fall Deputy, 10-4

3rd - Shiloh Joyce (New Jersey) Dec. Hudson Chittum (Tennessee), 8-8

5th - Thales Silva (Izzy Style Wrestling) Dec. Lincoln Valdez (Pomona Wrestling Club Colorado), 5-0

7th - Carter Smith (Burnett Trained Wrestling) T.F. Wyatt Dannegger (Team Missouri Select), 14-4 (3:54)

48 kg

1st - Ariah Mills (Roundtree Wrestling Academy) dec. Chase Karenbauer (Bad Karma Wrestling Club), two matches to none

Bout One – Mills dec. Karenbauer, 2-1

Bout Two – Mills dec. Karenbauer, 8-2

3rd - Turner Ross (Oklahoma) T.F. Thiago Silva (Izzy Style Wrestling), 11-0 (2:30)

5th - Cruz Gannon (Sebolt Wrestling Academy) Dec. Connor Maddox (Maurer Coughlin Wrestling Club), 4-4

7th - Anthony Curlo (New Jersey) T.F. Shaefer Hoffman (Steller Trained Wrestling), 11-1 (3:16)

51 kg

1st - Samuel Sanchez (Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC) dec. Hayden Schwab (Immortal Athletics WC), two matches to none

Bout One – Sanchez dec. Schwab, 9-0

Bout Two – Sanchez dec. Schwab, 6-0

3rd - Michael Batista (New Jersey) Dec. Carter Shin (Palm Wrestling Academy), 5-0

5th - Cruzer Dominguez (MWC Wrestling Academy) T.F. Jackson Shipley (3F Wrestling), 10-0 (1:25)

7th - Justin Farnsworth (Steller Trained Wrestling) Dec. Sean Kenny (New Jersey), 6-0

55 kg

1st - Grey Burnett (Burnett Trained Wrestling) dec. Izayiah Chavez (Best Trained Wrestling), two matches to none

Bout One – Burnett tech. fall Chavez, 10-0 (3:25)

Bout Two – Burnett dec. Chavez, 12-5

3rd - Rocklin Zinkin (California) Dec. Ignacio Villasenor (Cowboy Wrestling Club), 8-7

5th - Shamus Regan (Pennsylvania) Dec. Miklo Hernandez (Gun Smoke Wrestling Club), 10-3

7th - Maximus Hay (Askren Wrestling Academy) Dec. Tommy Wurster (Beast Mode Wrestling), 6-0

60 kg

1st - Ashton Besmer (Dethrone Wrestling Club) dec. Paul Kenny (New Jersey), two matches to none

Bout One – Besmer dec. Kenny, 6-1

Bout Two – Besmer tech. fall Kenney, 12-0 (2:34)

3rd - Dale Corbin (Wyoming Seminary College Preparatory High School Wrestling) F. Nicholas Sorrow (Simmons Academy Of Wrestling), 3:43

5th - Stephen Myers (Olympia Wrestling Club) F. Deven Lopez (La Gente Wrestling Club), 3:27

7th - Brenden Jorden Agcaoili (Gold Rush Wrestling) Dec. Vincent Anello (New Jersey), 2-1

65 kg

1st - Arseni Kikiniou (Poway Wrestling) dec. Rocco Cassioppi (Hononegah Wrestling Club), two matches to one

Bout One – Cassioppi dec. Kikiniou, 5-4

Bout Two – Kikiniou dec. Cassioppi, 2-1

Bout Three – Kikiniou dec. Cassioppi, 10-4

3rd - Matthew O'Neill (Malvern Wrestling Club) F. Austin Ellis (Sanderson Wrestling Academy), 3:34

5th - Austin Collins (Bear Cave Wrestling Club) Med. For. Noah Bull (Sanderson Wrestling Academy),

7th - Gabriel Ballard (Grit Mat Club) Med. For. Braylon Reynolds (Red Cobra Wrestling Academy),

71 kg

1st - Jayden James (KD Training Center) dec. Justus Heeg (Illinois), two matches to none

Bout One – James tech fall Heeg, 10-0 (1:18)

Bout Two – James dec. Heeg, 3-1

3rd - Justis Jesuroga (Sebolt Wrestling Academy) Dec. Maximus Fortier (Quest School Of Wrestling), 6-1

5th - Asher Bacon (X-Calibur Athletics Wrestling Club) Dec. Drake Morrison (East Idaho Elite Wrestling Club), 3-2

7th - Lucas Boe (Spartan RTC@LHP) T.F. Nathaniel Replogle (Steller Trained Wrestling), 11-0 (3:51)

80 kg

1st - Aaron Stewart (Toss Em Up Wrestling Academy) dec. Salah Tsarni (DMV RTC), two matches to one

Bout One – Tsarni dec. Stewart, 3-1

Bout Two – Stewart dec. Tsarni, 5-4

Bout Three – Stewart dec. Tsarni, 4-1

3rd - Isai Fernandez (Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)) Dec. Slava Shahbazyan (Birmingham Community Charter High School Wrestling), 6-4

5th - Kyle Scott (Pennsylvania) Dec. Zane Gerlach (Avalanche Wrestling Association), 9-7

7th - Mario Hutcherson (Young Guns Wrestling Club) T.F. Nicholas Singer (Steller Trained Wrestling), 13-2 (1:41)

92 kg

1st - Tanner Hodgins (Shore Thing Wrestling Club) dec. Brady Brown (All-American Wrestling Club), two matches to none

Bout One – Hodgins dec. Brown, 8-0

Bout Two – Hodgins tech fall Brown, 10-0 (1:44)

3rd - Maximus Konopka (Connecticut) Dec. Ronan An (Level Up Wrestling Center), 10-9

5th - Sam Howard (Maurer Coughlin Wrestling Club) Med. For. JT Smith (MWC Wrestling Academy),

7th - Michael White (Lawrence North Wrestling Club) T.F. Daniel Hoke (Ohio), 13-2 (0:55)

110 kg

1st - Alex Taylor (Beast Mode Wrestling) dec. Josh Hoffer (Dubtown Wrestling Club), two matches to none

Bout One – Taylor pin Hoffer, 3:32

Bout Two – Taylor pin Hoffer, 1:57

3rd - Ryder Smith (Rabbit Wrestling Club) Dec. Mateo Vinciguerra (Seagull Wrestling Club), 7-7

5th - Noah Mathis (Bobcat Wrestling Club) Dec. Eaghan Fleshman (Iowa), 11-2

7th - Makhi Rodgers (Askren Wrestling Academy) Dec. Luke Driedric (Askren Wrestling Academy), 15-10

Outstanding Wrestler – Alex Taylor (110 kg)