2023 U20 U.S. Men’s Freestyle World Team Biographies
by Richard Immel, USA Wrestling
Photo: The U20 U.S. Men’s Freestyle World Team at the U20 World Team Trials in Geneva, Ohio. (Sam Janicki, sjanickiphoto.com)
57 kg – Luke Lilledahl (St. Charles, Missouri/X-Calibur Athletics WC)
2023: U20 Pan-American Championships gold medalist… U20 Freestyle World Team Trials champion…
2022: U17 World Championships gold medalist in Rome, Italy… Phil Portuese Northeast Regional champion in freestyle… U17 Freestyle Nationals champion…
2021: Cadet World Championships silver medalist in Budapest, Hungary… Cadet Pan-American Championships gold medalist in freestyle and Greco-Roman… Frank E. Rader Southeast Regional champion in freestyle, runner-up in Greco-Roman… Northern Plains Regional champion in Greco-Roman… UWW Cadet Nationals champion in freestyle, third in Greco-Roman…
College: Committed to Penn State University…
High School: Will be a Senior at Wyoming Seminary (Pennsylvania)… 2023 National Prep champion…
Current FloWrestling National High School Ranking: No. 3 at 126 pounds and No. 16 pound-for-pound…
Personal: Son of Drew and Heather Lilledahl… Born on Aug. 1, 2005… 18 years old…
61 kg – Nic Bouzakis (Dallas, Pennsylvania/X-Calibur Athletics WC/Ohio RTC)
2023: U20 Pan-American Championships gold medalist… U20 Freestyle World Team Trials champion… U20 Freestyle Nationals champion…
2022: Seventh in U20 World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria… U20 Pan-American Championships gold medalist… U20 Freestyle World Team Trials champion… U20 Freestyle Nationals champion…
2021: Eighth in Junior World Championships in Ufa, Russia… Third in USMC Junior Freestyle Nationals… UWW Junior Greco-Roman Nationals champion…
2019: USMC 16U Freestyle Nationals champion… Phil Portuese Northeast Regional champion in freestyle and Greco-Roman…
2018: USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals champion…
College: Will be a Sophomore at Ohio State University…
High School: Two-time National Prep champion (2020, 2022) for Wyoming Seminary (Pennsylvania)… three-time FHSAA state champion (2017-19) for Lake Highland Prep (Florida) and Citrus Park Christian (Florida) School…
Current FloWrestling National College Ranking: No. 9 at 133 pounds…
Personal: Son of Troy and Toni Bouzakis… Born on May 21, 2003… 20 years old…
65 kg – Jesse Mendez (Crown Point, Indiana/Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC)
2023: U20 Freestyle World Team Trials champion… Third in U20 Freestyle Nationals…
2022: U20 Freestyle World Team Trials runner-up… Third in U.S. Open…
2021: Eighth in Junior World Championships in Ufa, Russia… U23 Freestyle Nationals runner-up… UWW Junior Freestyle Nationals champion…
2020: Third in UWW Junior Freestyle Nationals…
2019: Ninth in Cadet World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria… Pan-American Championships gold medalist in freestyle and Greco-Roman… UWW Cadet Freestyle Nationals champion… USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals champion…
2018: USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals runner-up…
2016: U15 Pan-American Championships bronze medalist…
College: Will be a Sophomore at Ohio State University… Sixth in 2023 NCAA Div. I Championships…
High School: Four-time IHSAA state champion (2019-22) for Crown Point (Indiana) High School…
Personal: Son of Hector Mendez… Born on April 28, 2003… 20 years old…
70 kg – Meyer Shapiro (Woodbine, Maryland/Spartan Combat RTC)
2023: U20 Freestyle World Team Trials champion… U20 Freestyle Nationals champion…
2021: Cadet World Championships gold medalist in Budapest, Hungary… UWW Cadet Freestyle Nationals champion…
2019: Third in Phil Portuese Northeast Regional in freestyle…
College: Will be a Freshman at Cornell University…
High School: 2022 National Prep champion for Wyoming Seminary (Pennsylvania)… 2020 Maryland Independent School state champion for Bullis (Maryland) School…
Current FloWrestling National High School Ranking: No. 1 at 152 pounds and No. 3 pound-for-pound…
Personal: Son of Mike and Shannon Shapiro… Born on July 9, 2004… 19 years old…
74 kg – Mitchell Mesenbrink (Hartland, Wisconsin/Askren Wrestling Academy)
2023: U20 Pan-American Championships gold medalist… Dan Kolov – Nikola Petrov Tournament bronze medalist… U20 Freestyle World Team Trials champion… U20 Freestyle Nationals champion…
2022: U20 World Championships silver medalist in Sofia, Bulgaria… U20 Pan-American Championships gold medalist… Fifth in Bill Farrell Memorial International… U20 Freestyle World Team Trials champion… U20 Freestyle Nationals champion…
2021: Southern Plains Regional champion in freestyle… Central Regional champion in freestyle… USA Wrestling National High School Recruiting Showcase champion…
2019: USA Wrestling Preseason Nationals champion… Central Regional champion in freestyle… Phil Portuese Northeast Regional champion in freestyle… Western Regional champion in freestyle… USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals champion…
2018: Third in USA Wrestling Preseason Nationals… Third in Central Regional in freestyle… Fifth in USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals…
College: Will be a Redshirt Freshman at Penn State University… Attended California Baptist University during redshirt year…
High School: Three-time WIAA state champion (2020-22) for Arrowhead (Wisconsin) High School… Fourth in 2019…
Personal: Son of John Mesenbrink… Born on June 2, 2003… 20 years old…
79 kg – Matthew Singleton (College Park, Georgia/Wolfpack WC)
2023: U20 Freestyle World Team Trials champion…
2022: Seventh in U20 Freestyle Nationals… Frank E. Rader Southeast Regional champion in freestyle and Greco-Roman…
2021: Competed at Junior World Championships in Ufa, Russia, in Greco-Roman… Fifth in Junior Pan-American Games in Cali, Colombia, in Greco-Roman… UWW Junior Nationals champion in Greco-Roman, seventh in freestyle…
2019: USMC 16U Nationals runner-up in freestyle and Greco-Roman… UWW Cadet Greco-Roman Nationals runner-up… Frank E. Rader Southeast Regional champion in freestyle and Greco-Roman…
2018: Fourth in USMC Cadet Greco-Roman Nationals… Frank E. Rader Southeast Regional champion in freestyle and Greco-Roman…Phil Portuese Northeast Regional runner-up in freestyle…
College: Will be a Sophomore at North Carolina State University… Fourth in 2023 ACC Championships…
High School: Four-time GHSA state champion (2019-22) for Woodward Academy (Georgia)…
Current FloWrestling National College Ranking: No. 22 at 165 pounds…
Personal: Born on Nov. 21, 2003… 19 years old…
86 kg – Bennett Berge (Mantorville, Minnesota/Jackrabbit WC)
2023: U20 Pan-American Championships gold medalist… U20 Freestyle World Team Trials champion… U20 Freestyle Nationals champion…
2022: U20 World Championships silver medalist in Sofia, Bulgaria… U20 Freestyle World Team Trials champion…
2021: Fourth in USMC Junior Freestyle Nationals…
2019: USMC 16U Freestyle Nationals champion… Northern Plains Regional champion in freestyle…
2018: Western Regional runner-up in freestyle…
College: Will be a Redshirt Freshman at South Dakota State University…
High School: Five-time MSHSL state champion (2018-22) for Kasson-Mantorville (Minnesota) High School…
Personal: Son of Kevin and Cheri Berge... Born on April 24, 2003… 20 years old…
92 kg – Jack Darrah (Washington, Missouri/California RTC)
2023: U20 Pan-American Championships gold medalist… U20 World Team Trials champion in freestyle, runner-up in Greco-Roman… U20 Nationals champion in freestyle, runner-up in Greco-Roman…
2022: USMC Junior Nationals champion in Greco-Roman, seventh in freestyle… Third in U20 Greco-Roman World Team Trials… U20 Nationals third in Greco-Roman, eighth in freestyle…
2021: Fifth in UWW Junior Greco-Roman Nationals… USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals champion…
2020: UWW Junior Greco-Roman Nationals champion…
2019: Cadet Pan-American Championships gold medalist in Greco-Roman, silver medalist in freestyle… USMC 16U Nationals runner-up in Greco-Roman, seventh in freestyle… Seventh in UWW Cadet Greco-Roman Nationals… USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals runner-up…
2018: Third in USMC Cadet Greco-Roman Nationals… Northern Plains Regional runner-up in freestyle… Western Regional champion in Greco-Roman, third in freestyle…
College: Will be a Sophomore at Stanford University…
High School: Third in 2022 National Prep Championships for Wyoming Seminary (Pennsylvania)… 2021 MSHSAA state champion for Christian Brothers College (Missouri)… Second in 2020… Fifth in 2019…
Personal: Son of Dustin and Nicole Darrah… Born on June 25, 2003… 20 years old…
97 kg – Camden McDanel (Circleville, Ohio)
2023: U20 Pan-American Championships gold medalist… U20 Freestyle World Team Trials champion… U20 Freestyle Nationals champion…
2022: Sixth in USMC Junior Freestyle Nationals… U17 Freestyle Nationals runner-up…
2021: USMC 16U Freestyle Nationals champion… Central Regional runner-up in freestyle…
College: Will be a Freshman at the University of Nebraska…
High School: 2023 OHSAA state champion for Teays Valley (Ohio) High School… runner-up in 2022 and 2021…
Current FloWrestling National High School Ranking: No. 4 at 220 pounds…
Personal: Son of Josh McDanel… Born on March 28, 2005… 18 years old…
125 kg – Christian Carroll (Stillwater, Oklahoma/Cowboy RTC)
2023: U20 Freestyle World Team Trials champion… U20 Freestyle Nationals champion…
2022: Competed in U20 World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria, in Greco-Roman… U20 Greco-Roman World Team Trials champion…
2021: USMC Junior Freestyle Nationals champion… UWW Junior Nationals runner-up in freestyle and Greco-Roman…
2018: Central Regional runner-up in freestyle, third in Greco-Roman…
College: Will be a Freshman at Oklahoma State University…
High School: 2022 IHSAA state champion for New Prairie (Indiana) High School…
Current FloWrestling National High School Ranking: No. 1 at 285 pounds and pound-for-pound…
Personal: Born on Aug. 9, 2003… 20 years old…
Read More#
Still time to register for the USMC Women’s Nationals in Spokane, April 14-16, with eight age-level events
Strong U.S. men’s and women’s freestyle team to compete in Ibrahim Moustafa Ranking Event in Egypt, Feb. 23-26
Returning champions Taylor, Howk, Moore, Kilty reach USMC U23 Women’s Nationals finals in Spokane
Loethen, Cook, Shalack win pool bouts at Beach World Series in Singapore, with World Beach Games berths on the line
Dake wins fourth World title, Gilman and Cox get silver, U.S. clinches men’s freestyle team title at World Championships
