U20 World Team Trials preview: Top talent to meet in Geneva, Ohio

Richard Figueroa II at the 2021 U20 Nationals. Photo by Sam Janicki

Over 200 U20 Freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestlers are set to take the stage in Geneva, Ohio this weekend at SPIRE Institute. The champion in each weight class qualifies to represent the United States at the 2022 UWW World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria (August 15-21).

The U20 (formerly known as Junior) age level features competition between athletes born from 2002-2005. The top eight place winners in the U20 division who are age and grade eligible qualify for the Junior and 16U National Championships held in Fargo, ND on July 15-22, 2022.

The 2022 U20 Nationals champion (held at U.S. Open) earned an automatic berth to the finals this weekend and await their opponent for a best of three series match. Champions also have first dibs on the Pan American Championships set for July 8-10 in Oaxtepec, Mexico.

U20 U.S. Open Freestyle champions sitting in the finals:
57 Troy Spratley
61 Nic Bouzakis
65 Vince Cornella
70 Mitchell Mesenbrink
74 Alex Facundo
79 Luca Augustine
86 Samuel Fisher
92 Jaxon Smith
97 Ben Kueter
125 Nicholas Feldman

The U20 age division is stacked with top-ranked wrestlers and will be the first division to kick off an exciting weekend of high-level wrestling. At 57 kg, Troy Spratley, a University of Minnesota commit, sits in the finals after winning the 2022 U20 U.S. Open title. Spratley defeated 2018 Youth Olympic Games champion, Robert Howard, in the first round of the U.S. Open. Howard, of Penn State, wrestled back to take third. Howard’s teammate at Penn State, Gary Steen, is also registered. Steen placed 7th at the Open. Ohio State wrestler, Andre Gonzales, was the runner-up to Spratley at the Open and is another top contender in this weight class. Returning U20 World Team member Richard Figueroa II of California is also registered. Figueroa II, who wrestles for Arizona State University, took bronze at the 2021 Pan American championships, 12th at the 2021 World Championships and was on two U17 World Teams.

At 61 kg, Ohio State commit and U20 2022 U.S. Open champion, Nic Bouzakis, will sit in the finals, where he will face the winner of the challenge tournament. One of those challengers will be Bouzakis’ future teammate at Ohio State and returning World Team member Jesse Mendez of Region Wrestling Academy. Mendez placed 8th at the 2021 World Championships and was also on the 2019 U17 World Team. Dylan Chappell of Buffalo Valley Regional Training Center is also among those entered in the challenge tournament. He was the U.S. Open runner-up to Bouzakis and is also a top contender at 61 kg, as well as 2019 Fargo Junior National Freestyle Champion Dominick Serrano of Nebraska Wrestling Training Center.

65 kg is a very competitive weight class, featuring wrestlers with numerous accolades. Vince Cornella, who will be a freshman at Cornell University this fall, sits in the finals after winning the 2022 U.S. Open. Arizona State signee Kaleb Larkin, who took second to Cornella at the Open, is also registered. There are two NCAA qualifiers in the mix, Joseph Zargo of the University of Wisconsin and Carter Young of Oklahoma State. University of Michigan commit and 2021 U17 World Team member, Beau Mantanona, 2021 Fargo runner-up Pierson Manville and 2021 Junior Freestyle Fargo National Champion Tagen Jamison will all make things interesting.

Cal Baptist University commit Mitchell Mesenbrink of Askren Wrestling Academy waits for his opponent in the 70 kg finals. Paniro Johnson made the finals of the U.S. Open after edging out Stanford commit Hunter Garvin on criteria 9-9 in the semifinals of the U.S. Open. Three-time Fargo champion Jordan Williams, 2021 U17 World Team member Levi Haines and Minnesota commit Cody Chittum are also in the mix.

Penn State’s Alex Facundo is a two-time U17 World Team member who earned his berth to the finals after beating all of his opponents by seven or more points at the U.S. Open at 74 kg. Cornell commit Erik Gibson, a double Fargo All-American in Freestyle and in Greco-Roman, is also registered at 74 kg. 2021 Fargo National Junior Freestyle Runner-up Aiden Riggins of Sebolt Wrestling Academy, Super 32 Champion Nicco Ruiz of California, and Fargo National Freestyle All-American Braeden Scoles of Askren Wrestling Academy round out the field.

Luca Augustine, who was a redshirt freshman at the University of Pittsburgh, was the 2022 U20 U.S. Open Champion and sits in the finals at 79 kg. Notable entrants in the challenge tournament who could meet Augustine in the best of three finals include 3rd place U.S. Open finisher and 2021 Junior Pan American champion, Rocco Welsh, U17 World Silver medalist James Rowley and University of Nebraska’s Elise Brown Ton, a two-time Texas state champion. Brayden Thompson is another competitive wrestler in the mix. Thompson opted to compete in the Senior division at the U.S. Open, where he placed 6th and qualified for the Senior World Team Trials Challenge Tournament.

At 86 kg Virginia Tech’s Samuel Fisher waits for his opponent in the finals. Brock Del Signore of NC State finished behind Fisher at the U.S. Open and is a top contender as well as John Poznanski, a 2021 NCAA All-American for Rutgers. Brian Soldano, a three-time New Jersey state champion, Tate Picklo of Oklahoma University, Stanford commit Jack Darrah and Cornell’s Ethan Hatcher will make things interesting in the challenge tournament.

Maryland’s Jaxon Smith holds down his spot in the finals at 92 kg. U.S. Open Runner-up Silas Alred of Nebraska Wrestling Training Center and 2019 U17 World Team member Kyle Haas of the Cowboy RTC will attempt to navigate the challenge tournament to face Smith in the finals.

At 97 kg, U.S. Open champion and future Iowa Hawkeye, Ben Kueter, waits for his final’s opponent. 2018 Fargo National Cadet Freestyle Champion Noah Pettigrew, who finished second to Kueter at the U.S. Open and University of Michigan wrestler Dzhabrail Khurshidov are notable contenders. Penn commit Christian Carroll did not compete in the U.S. Open, but he defeated Kueter in last year’s Fargo Junior National Freestyle finals 10-0. He is certainly a top contender at the weight.

Rounding out the Freestyle competition is Ohio State commit Nicholas Feldman at 125 kg. Feldman is the No.1 ranked high school wrestler and will wait for his opponent after winning the U20 U.S. Open. 2021 Fargo Junior Greco-Roman National Champion and Missouri commit Ryan Boersma of Tiger Style Wrestling Club finished second to Feldman at the Open and will look to flip that result if he can make it out of the challenge tournament. However, this field is loaded with top-tier talent. Among the contenders are NCAA Qualifier for Virginia Tech Hunter Catka, who finished third at the Open. Ben Kawczynski and Chase Horne, who finished first and second, respectively, at the Fargo Junior Freestyle National Championships last summer.

U20 U.S. Open Greco-Roman champions sitting in the finals:
55 Jakason Burks
60 Max Black
63 Haiden Drury
67 Robert Perzez III
72 Richard Fedalen
77 Manuel Gaitan
82 Michael Altomer
87 Kodiak Stephens
97 Robert Pympton
130 Aden Attao

In the Greco-Roman competition, there will be one returning 2021 World Team Trials champion represented, Kodiak Stephens of Beaver Dam Wrestling Regional Training Center (87 kg). Stephens put together an incredible performance at the 2021 Pan American Championships to take silver. The Oregon State University wrestler from Arnold, California finished 20th at the 2021 World Championships. He sits in the finals in Ohio after winning the 2022 U.S. Open.

2021 Greco-Roman U20 World Team Trials 3rd place finisher, Niko Katsuyoshi, will also return. Katsuyoshi, of California, wrestles for Harvard and attended Wyoming Seminary. Other returning place finishers from the 2021 Greco-Roman U20 World Team Trials include Jonathan Gurule of NMU-National Training Center at 55 kg (4th), Carter Stephenson of Colorado at 63 kg (4th), Tyler Klein of Wisconsin at 55 kg (7th), Cole Smith of Army WCAP at 55 kg (8th) and Robert Weston of Panther Wrestling Club RTC at 77 kg (8th). These athletes are among those who will compete for the chance to meet one of the U20 U.S. Open Greco-Roman champions who are already sitting in the finals in a best of three series.

At 55 kg, Jakason Burks of the MWC Wrestling Academy, who teched all of his opponents at the U.S. Open, now sits in the finals in Geneva. Oregon State’s Caleb Coyle of Beaver Dam Wrestling Regional Training Center and Jonathan Gurule of NMU-National Training Center are top contenders to meet Burks. At 60 kg, Max Black, who hails from Colorado, is the projected champion. Black took 4th at the 2021 Senior World Team Trials.

Haiden Drury of Brunson UVRTC is the finalist at 63 kg. Drury a 2019 Junior Pan American Greco-Roman silver medalist, is also a 2021 NCAA qualifier for Utah Valley. It is very likely that Pierson Manville of Pennsylvania, makes a notable trek to the finals. Manville scored two gold medals at the 2021 Cadet Pan American Championships in both styles.

At 67 kg, Robert Perez III of Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club, 2019 U17 World Team member, waits for his opponent in the finals. Hunter Garvin, who took second place to Perez at the U.S. Open, will be busy this weekend wrestling in both styles. 2012 Fargo Junior Greco-Roman National Champion Jeremy Bockert is another strong contender.

Richard Fedalen of Warhawks Wrestling at 72 kg placed 2nd at the 2021 U20 Greco-Roman Pan American Championships. Jadon Skellenger was a 2021 U17 Greco-Roman World Team member and will put on a good show at 72 kg. The 77 kg U.S. Open Champion is Manuel Gaiton. Gaiton is a 2021 16U Greco-Roman Fargo National Champion. Peyton Jacobson is another athlete expected to excel at 77 kg. Jacobson not only took 3rd at the U20 U.S. Open, but also placed 3rd at the Senior U.S. Open, as well as taking 3rd at the Senior World Team Trials, making the National Team.

2021 Fargo Junior National Greco-Roman runner-up Michal Altomer sits in the finals at 82 kg. Aaron Dobbs of the NMU-National Training Center is a possible finalist at 82 kg. He placed 7th at the Senior U.S. Open as well as placing 4th at the U.S. U20 U.S. Open. Adrian Artsisheuskiy placed 2nd at the U.S. Open. Joining Altmoer in the finals is Robert Pympton of Oregon at 97 kg and Aden Attao of Suples Wrestling Club at 130 kg

Event Schedule:

Friday, June 3rd
 Session 1: Greco-Roman:
U20 GR World Team Trials - Challenge Tournament - Preliminaries, Quarterfinals, Semifinals, Finals & Consolations
10:00 AM - 2:15 PM
U23 GR Preliminaries, Quarterfinals, Semifinals, Finals & Consolations
10:00 AM - 2:15 PM

Session 2: Greco-Roman:
U20 GR World Team Trials Challenge Tournament Consolations, All Medal Matches, and FINAL WTT Best 2 out of 3 finals
4:00PM – 7:00 PM
U23 GR - All Medal Matches, and Best 2 out of 3 Finals
4:00PM – 7:00 PM
 
Saturday, June 4th
 Session 1: Freestyle
U20 FS World Team Trials - Challenge Tournament - Preliminaries, Quarterfinals, Semifinals, Finals & Consolations
9:30 AM - 2:30 PM
U23 (Men) FS Preliminaries and Consolations
9:30 AM - 2:30 PM

Session 2: Freestyle:
U20 FS World Team Trials Challenge Tournament Consolations, All Medal Matches, and FINAL WTT Best 2 out of 3 finals
4:00PM – 7:00 PM
U23 (Men) FS Preliminaries and Consolations
4:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Sunday, June 5th
Session 3: Freestyle:
U23 (Men) FS Quarterfinals, Semifinals, Consolations, All Medal Matches, and Best 2 out of 3 Finals
10:00 AM to 3:30 PM

2021 UWW Junior Freestyle World Team
57 Richard Figueroa II (California)
61 Jesse Mendez (Region Wrestling Academy)
65 Beau Bartlett (Nittany Lion Wrestling Club)
70 Bryce Andonian (Southeast Regional Training Center)
74 Keegan O’Toole (Tiger Style Wrestling Club)
79 Donnell Washington (Indiana RTC)
86 Colton Hawks (Tiger Style Wrestling Club)
92 Rocky Elam (Tiger Style Wrestling Club)
97 Braxton Amos (Wisconsin Regional Training Center)
125 Wyatt Hendrickson (Air Force Regional Training Center)

2021 UWW Junior Greco-Roman World Team
55 Billy Sullivan (Legends of Gold Las Vegas)
60 Nic Bouzakis (Pennsylvania)
63 Chayse LaJoie (Spartan Combat RTC)
67 Dominic Damon (NMU-National Training Center)
72 Justus Scott (Legends of Gold Las Vegas)
77 Matthew Singleton (Compound Wrestling)
82 Jonathon Fagen (Spartan Combat RTC)
87 Kodiak Stephens (Ebbetts Pass Wrestling)
97 Braxton Amos (Wisconsin Regional Training Center)
130 Luke Luffman (Illinois Regional Training Center/Illini WC)

The action will be streamed live on FloWrestling
For more details on this event visit USA Wrestling Events