Talented Greco-Roman squad set for U20 World Championships in Bulgaria, Aug. 15-21

Photo of Kodiak Stephens by Osvaldo Aguilar/UWW. 

Team USA is sending a young, talented Greco-Roman team to the U20 World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria. The tournament wraps up with Greco-Roman competition, Aug. 19-21. Fans can watch all the action live on FloWrestling.

Heading up the squad are past World Team members Robert Perez III and Kodiak Stephens.

Wrestling at 87 kg, Stephens is entering his second-consecutive U20 World Championships. Last summer, he finished 20th. Since then, he’s claimed a 2022 U20 Pan American gold medal and a 2021 Junior Pan Am Games silver medal. Domestically, he won the U20 division of the U.S. Open.

Perez, who will compete at 67 kg, represented the United States at the 2019 U17 World Championships, taking 13th. In his young career, Perez has collected four international medals, including a double-gold performance at the U17 Pan American Championships, winning freestyle and Greco-Roman. He also secured silver at the 2022 U20 Pan Ams as well as a bronze at this year’s Bill Farrell Memorial.

Two athletes have made a name for themselves domestically on the Senior-level.

Payton Jacobson, the U.S. rep at 77 kg, earned a spot on this year’s Senior National Team and finished third at the Senior U.S. Open. Additionally, he is a two-time U20 Pan American silver medalist.

At 60 kg, Max Black took second at the Senior U.S. Open and in that same week, won the U20 division. He was also fourth at the 2022 Senior World Team Trials. Internationally, Black has a U20 Pan Am bronze medal from earlier this year.

Three other Pan American medalists are expected to compete for the USA.

Richard Fedalen won silver at the 2021 U20 Pan Ams and one year later improved on his performance with a gold medal. He’ll compete at 72 kg in Bulgaria.

Similarly, Utah Valley wrestler Haiden Drury (63 kg) earned silver in 2019 and went on to score gold at this year’s Pan Am Championships. Drury is a two-time Fargo champion in Greco-Roman, once at 16U and once at the Junior division.

Heavyweight rep Aden Attao has been busy this season. After claiming the title at the U20 U.S. Open, Attao went on to win gold at the U20 Pan Ams and shortly after secured the coveted USA Wrestling Triple Crown by winning national titles in folkstyle, freestyle and Greco-Roman.

Rounding out the roster is Jonathan Gurule at 55 kg, Adrian Artsisheuskiy at 82 kg and Christian Carroll at 97 kg. Gurule is a two-time Fargo All-American, who took third at the U.S. Open in the U20 division. Artsisheuskiy produced a runner-up finish at the U20 U.S. Open and turned in a first-place showing at the 2022 Senior World Team Trials Last Chance Qualifier. Carroll has a 2021 Junior Fargo title on his resume and was second at the 2021 U20 World Team Trials in both styles.

The team will be led by a group of talented coaches, including assigned coaches Zac Dominguez and Mohamed Abdelfattah as well as several personal coaches.

Opening the tournament is Gurule, Drury, Jacobson, Stephens and Attao on Aug. 19 with Black, Fedalen, Perez, Artsisheuskiy and Carroll beginning their competition on Aug. 20.

Fans can watch all the action live on FloWrestling and keep up with live updates on Twitter @USAWrestling.

U.S. Greco-Roman roster

55 kg – Jonathan Gurule (Peralta, N.M./NMU-NTC)
60 kg – Max Black (Castle Rock, Colo./NMU-NTC)
63 kg – Haiden Drury (Yakima, Wash./Brunson UVRTC)
67 kg – Robert Perez III (Long Beach, Calif./Sunkist Kids/USOPTC)
72 kg – Richard Fedalen (Laurel, Md./Warhawks WC)
77 kg – Payton Jacobson (Elkhorn, Wisc./Sunkist Kids/NMU-NTC)
82 kg - Adrian Artsisheuskiy (Brooklyn, N.Y./Elite Wrestling Academy)
87 kg – Kodiak Stephens (Arnold, Calif./Beaver Dam RTC)
97 kg – Christian Carroll (Elkhart, Ind./Midwest RTC)
130 kg – Aden Attao (Boise, Idaho/Suples WC)

Assigned Coach – Zac Dominguez
Assigned Coach – Mohamed Abdelfattah

Personal coach – Ike Anderson
Personal coach – Nathaniel Augustson
Personal coach – Brad Harper
Personal coach – Bill Kahle
Personal coach – Erkin Tadzhimetov

Medical – Steve Poon
Medical – Bruce Ferratt

Official – Danny Blackshear
Official – Josh Grube
Official – Na Humma
Official – Leslie Tamayo

Communications – Taylor Gregorio

Schedule (local time 7 hours ahead of U.S. ET)

Monday, Aug. 15
11 a.m. – Qualification rounds (MFS 57, 65, 70, 79, 97 kg)
6 p.m. – Semifinals (MFS 57, 65, 70, 79, 97 kg)

Tuesday, Aug. 16
11 a.m. – Qualification rounds (MFS 61, 74, 86, 92, 125 kg)
11 a.m. – Repechage (MFS 57, 65, 70, 79, 97 kg)
4 p.m. – Opening ceremony
4:45 p.m. – Semifinals (MFS 61, 74, 86, 92, 125 kg)
6 p.m. – Medal matches (MFS 57, 65, 70, 79, 97 kg)

Wednesday, Aug. 17
11 a.m. – Qualification rounds (WFS 50, 55, 59, 68, 76 kg)
11 a.m. – Repechage (MFS 61, 74, 86, 92, 125 kg)
4:45 p.m. – Semifinals (WFS 50, 55, 59, 68, 76 kg)
6 p.m. – Medal matches (MFS 61, 74, 86, 92, 125 kg)

Thursday, Aug. 18
11 a.m. – Qualification rounds (WFS 53, 57, 62, 65, 72 kg)
11 a.m. – Repechage (WFS 50, 55, 59, 68, 76 kg)
4:45 p.m. – Semifinals (WFS 53, 57, 62, 65, 72 kg)
6 p.m. – Medal matches (WFS 50, 55, 59, 68, 76 kg)

Friday, Aug. 19
11 a.m. – Qualification rounds (GR 55, 63, 77, 87, 130 kg)
11 a.m. – Repechage (WFS 53, 57, 62, 65, 72 kg)
4:45 p.m. – Semifinals (GR 55, 63, 77, 87, 130 kg)
6 p.m. – Medal matches (WFS 53, 57, 62, 65, 72 kg)

Saturday, Aug. 20
11 a.m. – Qualification rounds (GR 60, 67, 72, 82, 97 kg)
11 a.m. – Repechage (GR 55, 63, 77, 87, 130 kg)
4:45 p.m. – Semifinals (GR 60, 67, 72, 82, 97 kg)
6 p.m. – Medal matches (GR 55, 63, 77, 87, 130 kg)

Sunday, Aug. 21
4 p.m. – Repechage (GR 60, 67, 72, 82, 97 kg)
6 p.m. – Medal matches (GR 60, 67, 72, 82, 97 kg)