U.S. Greco-Roman team receives draws for U23 World Championships in Spain
by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
![Benji Peak (USA) competes at the 2022 Senior Worlds in Belgrade.](https://res.cloudinary.com/usopc-prod/image/upload/v1688764412/NGB%20Wrestling/Migration/Peak_BenjiBelgrade800x500.jpg)
Benji Peak (USA) competing in the 2022 Senior Worlds in Serbia. Photo by Tony Rotundo, Wrestlers Are Warriors
PONTEVEDRA, Spain – The United States U23 Greco-Roman World Team has received its draws for the 2022 U23 World Championships, which begin on Monday.
Two-time Senior World Team member Cohlton Schultz at 130 kg opens against Jonavan Smith of Puerto Rico, who has no international achievements. He is a resident of California, who attended Cerritos College.
This is Schultz’s seventh age-group World Championships, and he boasts three medals, a U17 World title in 2017, a U20 World silver medal in 2019 and a U20 World bronze in 2018.
Two more past Senior World Team members have received their draw, 2022 Senior World Team member Benji Peak at 72 kg and 2021 Senior World Team member Peyton Omania at 67 kg
Peak has the winner of 2022 U20 World bronze medalist Irfan Mizoiev of Ukraine and Furkan Zirin of Turkey. Omania drew Aleksander Mielewczyk of Poland.
Also competing are three past Senior Greco-Roman National Team members, Mason Carzino-Hartshorn at 65 kg, Britton Holmes at 77 kg and Nicholas Boykin at 97 kg.
Carzino-Hartshorn will wrestle 2022 African Senior silver medalist Ahmed Bagdouda of Egypt. Holmes will battle 2022 African Senior champion Lamjed Maafi of Tunisia. Boykin faces 2021 Senior World silver medalist Alex Szoke of Hungary.
Also competing this week are Phillip Moomey at 60 kg, Camden Russell at 55 kg, Tyler Cunningham at 82 kg and Michial Foy at 87 kg. Their draws are below.
Starting competition on Monday are five U.S. athletes, Russell at 55 kg, Carzino-Hartshorn at 63 kg, Holmes at 77 kg, Foy at 87 kg and Schultz at 130 kg. The medal rounds for these weight classes are on Tuesday night.
Starting competition on Tuesday are the final five athletes, Moomey at 60 kg, Omania at 67 kg, Peak at 72 kg, Cunningham at 82 kg and Boykin at 97 kg. The medal rounds for these weight classes are on Wednesday.
Fans can enjoy all of the competition this week live on FloWrestling. Pontevedra is six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Time
U.S. Greco U23 Worlds first round pairings
55 kg: Camden Russell, Omaha, Neb. (MWC Wrestling Academy)
Abduvali Rahimbayev (Turkmenistan). 3rd in 2022 FISU University World Cup
60 kg: Phillip Moomey, Kearney, Neb. (Spartan Combat RTC/TMWC)
Georgios Scarpello (Germany), 3rd 2022 U23 Europeans, 10th 2021 U20 Europeans, 9th 2019 U17 Europeans
63 kg: Mason Carzino-Hartshorn, Antioch, Calif. (West Coast Greco RTC)
Vs. Ahmed Fouad Bagdouda, 2nd in 2022 African Senior Championships, 1st in 2019 and 2020 African U20 Championships
67 kg: Peyton Omania, Concord, Calif. (New York AC)
Aleksander Mielewczyk (Poland), 3rd in 2020 Poland Senior Championships, 7th in 2017 U17 Europeans
72 kg: Benjamin Peak, Marquette, Mich. (NMU-OTS/Sunkist Kids)
Vs. winner of Irfan Mirzoiev (Ukraine) and Furkan Zirin (Turkey)
Mirzoiev – 3rd in 2022 U20 World Championships, 7th in 2021 U17 World Championships
Zirin – No international achievements
77 kg: Britton Holmes, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
Vs. Lamjed Maafi (Tunisia), 5th 2022 Islamic Solidarity Games, 2022 African Senior champion, 2020 African U20 champion
82 kg: Tyler Cunningham, Gretna, Neb. (MWC Wrestling Academy)
Vs. Semion Brekkeli (Moldova), 3rd 2022 U23 Europeans, 8th in 2021 U20 European
87 kg: Michial Foy, Crete, Ill. (Gopher WC RTC)
Vs. Filip Smetko (Croatia), 9th 2019 U20 Europeans, 3rd in 2020 Croatian Senior Championships
97 kg: Nicholas Boykin, Murfreesboro, Tenn. (Ohio RTC/Sunkist Kids)
Vs. Alex Szoke (Hungary), 2021 Senior World silver medalist, 5th in 2020 Olympics, 3rd in 2017 U17 Worlds
130 kg: Cohlton Schultz, Parker, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
Vs. Jonavan Smith (Puerto Rico), no international achievements
U23 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS SCHEDULE
Greco-Roman competition
Monday, October 17
10:30 a.m. – Qualification rounds (GR 55, 63, 77, 87, 130 kg)
6 p.m. – Semifinals (GR 55, 63, 77, 87, 130 kg)
Tuesday, October 18
10:30 a.m. – Qualification rounds (GR 60, 67, 72, 82, 97 kg)
10:30 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. – Finals (GR 55, 63, 77, 87, 130 kg)
Wednesday, October 19
10:30 a.m. – Repechage (GR 60, 67, 72, 82, 97 kg)
6 p.m. – Finals (GR 60, 67, 72, 82, 97 kg)
*All times listed reference Pontevedra local time, six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Time