2024-25 Team USA ranking: No. 4 at 87 kg

Years on Team USA: 2 (2023-25)

Residence: O`Fallon, Ill.

Regional Training Center: Illinois Regional Training Center

Club: Illini Wrestling Club

College: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

High School: Althoff Catholic (Belleville, Ill.)

Born: July 15, 2000

Past Senior World Teams

2023 Senior World Championships (17th at 87 kg)

Past Age-Group World Teams

2019 Junior World Championships (10th at 82 kg)

Career Highlights

2023 Final X champion
2023 U.S. Open champion
Third at 2020 Senior Nationals

Career Biography

2024: Fourth at U.S. Olympic Team Trials…

2023: Final X champion…Senior World Team Trials champion…U.S. Open champion…NCAA Championships qualifier for Illinois at 197 pounds…Seventh at Pan American Games…

2020: Third at Senior Nationals… NCAA Championships qualifier for Illinois at 184 pounds.

2019: Tenth at Junior World Championships…Fourth at Junior freestyle World Team Trials challenge…USMC US Open champion in Junior Greco-Roman…USMC US Open runner-up in Junior freestyle…NCAA Championships qualifier for Illinois at 184 pounds…

2018: USMC Junior Greco-Roman National champion…Third at USMC Junior freestyle Nationals…UWW Junior Greco-Roman World Team Trials runner-up…Northern Plains Regional champion in freestyle and Greco-Roman…Third at USMC U.S. Open…

2017: Third at USMC Junior Greco-Roman Nationals…Fourth at USMC Junior Freestyle Nationals…

College: Four-time NCAA National Qualifier (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023)…Third at 2022 Big Ten Championships (184 pounds)…Foruth at 2023 Big Ten Championships (197 pounds)…Coached by Mike Poeta, Jeremy Hunter, Isaiah Martinez, Ed Ruth, Christian Kanzler and Bryan Medlin…Graduated with Bachelor of Science of Marketing in Business…Pursuing a Masters degree in Strategic Brand Communication…

High School: Graduate of Althoff Catholic High School in Belleville, Illinois…Two-time Illinois State Champion (2017 and 2018)…2018 Junior Greco-Roman Nationals champion…Five-time Fargo All-American in freestyle and Greco-Roman…Coached by Josh Harper and Ryne Harris…Also played football in high school…

Age-Group Achievements: 2019 Junior World Team member…2019 Junior Pan American Champion in freestyle…

Personal: Son of Elaine and Joe Braunagel…Has three brothers Danny, Joe and Jarrid…Brothers Danny and Joe are also on the Illinois wrestling team.

Twitter/X: @BraunagelZac

Instagram: @Braunagel

Alisha Howk

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Age

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