Lee, McKenna, Carr, Valencia advance to men’s freestyle finals at Zagreb Open Ranking Event

Four men’s freestyle wrestlers advanced to the finals of the 2025 Zagreb Open Ranking Event following the first two sessions on Wednesday. Spencer Lee, Joey McKenna, David Carr and Zahid Valencia will wrestle for gold later today. Three athletes will wrestle for bronze in the next session.

At 57 kg, 2024 Olympic silver medalist Lee advanced to the finals after going 2-0 in the first sessions. Lee opened his tournament with an 11-0 technical fall over Luka Gvinjilia of Georgia. In the semifinals, Lee defeated 2024 Olympian Roman Bravo-Young of Mexico, 6-3. Lee built a solid 6-0 lead early, and held strong on defense while Bravo-Young generated points from a step out and a takedown.

Lee will face Islam Bazarganov of Azerbaijan in the gold medal match later today. Bazarganov is a 2022 Senior World team member and 2024 European Championships bronze medalist.

McKenna went 2-0 at 65 kg, and will match up against Abbas Ebrahimzadeh of Iran in the finals. McKenna defeated 2018 U23 World silver medalist Ali Rahimzada of Azerbaijan in the quarterfinals to start his day. In the semifinals, McKenna used a 3-1 decision to defeat Goga Otinashvili of Georgia.

At 74 kg, Carr is set to face Tajmuraz Salkazanov of Slovakia, a 2024 Olympian, three-time Senior World medalist and 2018 U23 World Champion. Carr secured three wins in the first two sessions, all by technical fall. He opened the day with an 11-0 technical fall over Szymon Wojtkowski of Poland, then scored a 10-0 technical fall over Kamil Rybicki of Poland. In the semifinal, Carr used a 12-2 technical fall to get past 2024 Senior World team member Murad Kuramagomedov of Hungary.

Valencia reached the finals at 86 kg, going 3-0 in the first half of the day. Valencia recorded wins over Matthew Finesilver of Israel, 2024 U20 World bronze medalist Abolfazl Rahmani Firouzjaei of Iran and American Nate Jackson to advance to the gold medal match. Valencia, a 2023 Senior World bronze medalist, matches up against 2024 U23 World silver medalist Arseni Dzhioev of Azerbaijan in the gold medal match.

Wrestling for bronze in the next session is Nahshon Garrett at 61 kg. Garrett secured a victory over Joshua Kramer of Ecuador, 12-6, and fell in the quarterfinals to Ahmad Mohammadnezhadjavan of Iran, 7-2. He will meet Giorgi Goniashvili of Georgia in the bronze medal match.

Nate Jackson and Trent Hidlay will both wrestle for bronze at 86 kg later this afternoon. Jackson picked up a 9-0 decision over Krzysszof Sadowick of Poland in the quarterfinals, and fell to Valencia in the semifinals. Jackson will face Finesilver for bronze.

Hidlay, a two-time age-group World medalist, meets Tariel Gaphrindashvili of Georgia for bronze. In the first two sessions, Hidlay defeated Eugeniu Mihalcean of Moldova, 3-2, before dropping a 5-0 decision to Dzhioev in the semifinals.

Jarrett Jacques opened the Zagreb Open with a 3-2 decision over 2023 World Champion and two-time Olympian Ismail Musukaev of Hungary. In the quarterfinals, Jacques dropped a close 4-3 decision to Ebrahim Elahichouran of Iran.

James Green defeated Alec Pantaleo in a matchup of Americans at 70 kg, 4-3. Due to injury, Green was unable to compete in his next match against Sina Khalili of Iran.

At 61 kg, Michael McGee secured an 8-6 decision over Andri Dzhelep of Ukraine, but narrowly fell to Garrett’s bronze medal match opponent Goniashvili, 14-11.

Daniel DeShazer (57 kg), Brandon Courtney (61 kg), and Evan Henderson (65 kg) fell in their first matches of the tournament, and were not pulled into repechage.

The action continues at noon EST with the men’s freestyle medal matches. For live updates, follow USA Wrestling on X and Threads. The tournament is streaming on FloWrestling, and the full schedule is below.

At Zagreb, Croatia, February 5-9, 2025

57 kg – Spencer Lee (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury WC), in gold medal match

WIN Luka Gvinjila (Georgia), 11-0

WIN Roman Bravo-Young (Mexico), 6-3

Vs. Islam Bazarganov (Azerbaijan)

57 kg – Daniel DeShazer (Wichita, Kan./Minnesota RTC)

LOSS Roman Bravo Young (Mexico), 6-2

57 kg – Brandon Courtney (Avondale, Ariz./Atreus WC/NYAC)

LOSS Ahora Farhad Khateri (Iran), 7-7

61 kg – Nahshon Garrett (Bethlehem, Pa./Lehigh Valley WC/Titan Mercury WC), in bronze medal match

WIN Joshua Kramer (Ecuador), 12-6

LOSS Ahmad Mohammadnezhadjavan (Iran), 7-2

Vs. Giorgi Goniashvili (Georgia)

61 kg – Michael McGee (Bolingbrook, Ill./Atreus WC/NYAC)

WIN Andri Dzhelep (Ukraine), 8-6

LOSS Giorgi Goniashvili (Georgia), 14-11

65 kg – Joey McKenna (Towaco, N.J./Penn RTC/Titan Mercury WC), in gold medal match

WIN Ali Rahimzada (Azerbaijan), 7-4

WIN Goga Ontonashvili (Georgia), 3-1

Vs. Abbas Ebrahimzadeh (Iran)

65 kg – Evan Henderson (Allentown, Pa./Lehigh Valley WC/Titan Mercury WC), eliminated

LOSS Goga Otinashvili (Georgia), 12-11

70 kg – James Green (Lincoln, Neb./Nebraska Wrestling TC/Titan Mercury WC)

WIN Alec Pantaleo (USA), 4-3

LOSS Sina Khalili (Iran), injury default

70 kg – Jarrett Jacques (Columbia, Mo./Tiger Style WC)

WIN Ismail Musukaev (Hungary), 3-2

LOSS Ebrahim Elahichouran (Iran), 4-3

70 kg – Alec Pantaleo (Canton, Mich./Cliff Keen WC/Titan Mercury WC)

LOSS James Green (USA), 4-3

74 kg – David Carr (Ames, Iowa/Cyclone RTC/Titan Mercury WC), in gold medal match

WIN Szymon Wojtkowski (Poland), 11-0

WIN Kamil Rybicki (Poland), 10-0

WIN Murad Kuramagomedov (Hungary), 12-2

Vs. Tajmuraz Salkazanov (Slovakia)

86 kg – Zahid Valencia (Stillwater, Okla./Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC), in gold medal match

WIN Matthew Finesilver (Israel), 10-0

WIN Abolfazl Rahmani Firouzjaei (Iran), 5-2

WIN Nate Jackson (USA), 12-2

Vs. Arsenii Dzhioev (Azerbaijan)

86 kg – Trent Hidlay (Raleigh, N.C./Wolfpack WC/Titan Mercury WC), in bronze medal match

WIN Eugeniu Mihalcean (Moldova), 3-2

LOSS Arsenii Dzhioev (Azerbaijan), 5-0

Vs. Tariel Gaphrindashvili (Georgia)

86 kg – Nate Jackson (Princeton, N.J./Princeton WC/New Jersey RTC), in bronze medal match

WIN Krzysszof Sadowick (Poland), 9-0

LOSS Zahid Valencia (USA), 12-2

Vs. Matthew Finesilver (Israel)

*all times listed local to Zagreb, Croatia, which is six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time

Wednesday, February 5

10:30 a.m. – Qualification Rounds (MFS 57 kg, 61 kg, 65 kg, 70 kg, 74 kg, 86 kg)

12:30 p.m. – Semifinal Rounds (MFS 57 kg, 61 kg, 65 kg, 70 kg, 74 kg, 86 kg)

1:30 p.m. – Repechage (MFS 57 kg, 61 kg, 65 kg, 70 kg, 74 kg, 86 kg)

6:00 p.m. – Finals (MFS 57 kg, 61 kg, 65 kg, 70 kg, 74 kg, 86 kg)

Thursday, February 6

10:30 a.m. – Qualification Rounds (MFS 79 kg, 92 kg, 97 kg, 125 kg, WFS 50 kg, 55 kg)

12:30 p.m. – Semifinal Rounds (MFS 79 kg, 92 kg, 97 kg, 125 kg, WFS 50 kg, 55 kg)

1:30 p.m. – Repechage (MFS 79 kg, 92 kg, 97 kg, 125 kg, WFS 50 kg, 55 kg)

6:00 p.m. – Finals (MFS 79 kg, 92 kg, 97 kg, 125 kg, WFS 50 kg, 55 kg)

Friday, February 7

10:30 a.m. – Qualification Rounds (WFS 59 kg, 62 kg, 65 kg, 68 kg, GR 63 kg, 67 kg)

12:30 p.m. – Semifinal Rounds (WFS 59 kg, 62 kg, 65 kg, 68 kg, GR 63 kg, 67 kg)

1:30 p.m. – Repechage (WFS 59 kg, 62 kg, 65 kg, 68 kg, GR 63 kg, 67 kg)

6:00 p.m. – Finals (WFS 59 kg, 62 kg, 65 kg, 68 kg, GR 63 kg, 67 kg)

Saturday, February 8

10:30 a.m. – Qualification Rounds (WFS 53 kg, 57 kg, 72 kg, 76 kg, GR 77 kg, 87 kg)

12:30 p.m. – Semifinal Rounds (WFS 53 kg, 57 kg, 72 kg, 76 kg, GR 77 kg, 87 kg)

1:30 p.m. – Repechage (WFS 53 kg, 57 kg, 72 kg, 76 kg, GR 77 kg, 87 kg)

6:00 p.m. – Finals (WFS 53 kg, 57 kg, 72 kg, 76 kg, GR 77 kg, 87 kg)

Sunday, February 9

10:00 a.m. – Qualification Rounds (GR 55 kg, 60 kg, 72 kg 82 kg, 97 kg, 130 kg)

12:30 p.m. – Semifinal Rounds (GR 55 kg, 60 kg, 72 kg 82 kg, 97 kg, 130 kg)

1:30 p.m. – Repechage (GR 55 kg, 60 kg, 72 kg 82 kg, 97 kg, 130 kg)

6:00 p.m. – Finals (GR 55 kg, 60 kg, 72 kg 82 kg, 97 kg, 130 kg)