Robbie Wendell

Fargo, North Dakota – Pennsylvania remained atop of the women’s wrestling world when the nine-day marathon that is Fargo came to a close. But it was by the slimmest of margins. With three individual champions, the Keystone State won the Junior Girls team championship and the Battles Won Award with 165 points, one point ahead of second place Michigan on Saturday afternoon at the 2026 U.S. Marine Corps Junior Nationals in the Fargodome in Fargo, North Dakota. New Mexico’s Eloise Woolsey was named the Outstanding Wrestler, winning the 155-pound title with an 8-5 decision over New Jersey’s Ella Poalillo, becoming the state’s first women’s freestyle champion in either the Junior or 16U divisions. Woolsey went 6-0 and beat four previous Fargo finalists en route to the title including a win over Connecticut’s Sarah Henckel, a 2022 16U champion, and Poalillo, a U17 World bronze medalist. Jaclyn Bouzakis and Emma Bacon both won their second Junior titles and third overall, while Marlee Solomon won her first stop sign to highlight Pennsylvania’s 11 All-Americans. Michigan, with a pair of champions and a state-record five Junior Girls finalists, will have to wait at least another year to try to claim its second title. The state won the unofficial title in 2003. The Mitten was paced by 100-pound champion Lillee Denson and 170-pound champion Kaili Manuel. Bouzakis’ third all-time title in Fargo was a 12-2 technical superiority victory over Colorado’s Emma Faczak at 105 pounds. A three-time National Preps champion at Wyoming Seminary and two-time U17 World bronze medalist, Bouzakis now has four total medals here in Fargo. As tradition with the family of Bouzakis wrestlers, Jaclyn honored the memory of her late brother, Greco-Roman Bouzakis, who passed away in 2016, by kissing a pair of wrestling shoes and hanging them around her neck after the championship. Solomon’s 120-pound title came with a controlled 4-0 win over Texas’ Hailey Delgado, last year’s 16U champion at 105 pounds. Solomon’s title is her first after finishing as the runner-up in the 16U division the past two years. She’s a two-time PIAA champion at Canon-McMillan in Western Pennsylvania. The third PA title came with authority as Bacon pinned Arizona’s Camila Torres 27 seconds into the 135-pound final. Bacon quickly transitioned from a takedown to turn Torres with a bar and half to get the fall. The win gave Pennsylvania a six-point lead, a lead that would be trimmed, but never relinquished. Michigan had its chances to grab the team title and started off strong as Denson won her first Junior title with an 11-3 victory over Colorado’s Justice Gutierrez at 100 pounds. Denson was rolling, but nearly saw it evaporate as Gutierrez reversed Denson to her back for a two-point exposure. Denson recovered and cruised the rest of the way. Manuel won her first Junior title to go with a pair of 16U titles in a dominant 11-0 technical fall win over Pennsylvania’s Ciyanna Okocha. With Pennsylvania up by just one point and no more finalists, it left Michigan’s championship hopes in the hands of 207-pound finalist Maddie Hayden. Illinois’ Phoenix Molina dashed Michigan’s championship hopes, shutting out Hayden 6-0, and winning Illinois’ only title of the night. Third-place Indiana and Wisconsin each crowned two individual champions. The third-place finish was Indiana’s highest in state history in the Junior Girls division. The first Indiana title came at 140 pounds where Maddie Marsh decisioned Michigan’s Alexis Lazar 5-2. The Hoosier State closed out the night with Aubrey Bartkowiak’s 25-second gold medal fall over Texas’ Alyciana Rogers at 235 pounds – one of the six falls in Saturday’s Junior finals. Both Wisconsin champs scored falls in the finals as 130-pounder Madilyn Peach pinned Texas’ Kailin Sebert at 2:21 and Brooke Huffman pinned Utah’s Tevia Nau Rarick in 73 seconds in a matchup between past 16U champions at 190 pounds. The other three falls came from Bacon, 115-pound champion Abigail Gonzalez of Florida, and 125-pound champion Mackenzie Carder of Ohio. Gonzalez pinned Idaho state champion Kinzie Williams at 1:48, while Carder took out Arizona’s Martynique Davis at 1:05. Not to be lost in all the team race talk and historic achievements is the performance from 145-pound champion Nora Akpan of Minnesota, who repeated as a Junior champion with an 11-5 win over Michigan’s Belicia Manuel, the oldest of the two Manuel sisters in the finals. Earlier in the day, Akpan defeated returning champion Violette Lasure of Pennsylvania 7-5 in the semifinals. Virginia’s Sarissa Tucker won the Commonwealth’s fifth ever title in the division, topping Indiana’s Isabel Kaplan 4-0. It was Tucker’s third medal in Fargo and second in the Junior division after she took fifth last year. At 95 pounds, New Jersey’s Francesca Gusfa won the state’s fourth ever Junior Girls title with a 14-3 technical fall over Indiana’s Katelyn Rowles. It was Gusfa’s second career placement in Fargo after finishing fifth in the Junior division last year. A New Jersey state champion this past year at Ridgewood, Gusfa represented the U.S. at the 2024 U17 World Championships in Amman, Jordan, finishing seventh. It was Rowles second medal in Fargo. She finished third in 2024 at 88 pounds in 16U. Junior Girls Results Team Standings 1. Pennsylvania, 165 2. Michigan, 164 3. Indiana, 117 4. Texas, 84 T5. California, 68 T5. Arizona, 68 T7. Ohio, 61 T7. Wisconsin, 61 9. Iowa, 60 10. New Jersey 57 Placement Matches 95 pounds 1st - Francesca Gusfa (New Jersey) tech. fall Katelyn Rowles (Indiana), 14-3 3rd - Leivelle Alejado (Hawaii) dec. Aaliyah Brown (Indiana), 12-6 5th - McKenzie Mantei (Michigan) dec. Alliya Walker (Virginia), 6-5 7th - Mya Van Beek (Iowa) fall Alexandra Thomas (Florida), 5:27 100 pounds 1st - Lillee Denson (Michigan) dec. Justice Gutierrez (Colorado), 11-3 3rd - Abigail Peterson (Iowa) dec. Sky Ramos (Hawaii), 13-6 5th - Maisie Elliott (Washington) fall Vina Nguyen (Washington), 2:07 7th - Lilly Breeden (Missouri) fall Noah Kovach (Texas), 0:29 105 pounds 1st - Jaclyn Bouzakis (Pennsylvania) tech. fall Emma Faczak (Colorado), 12-2 3rd - Ryleigh Sturgill (Tennessee) tech. fall Grace Jawulski (Florida), 10-0 (0:31) 5th - Kyrstan Perez (Oklahoma) dec. Kiana Lien (California), 13-7 7th - Katie Biscoglia (Iowa) dec. Dilynn Albrecht (Wisconsin), 7-3 110 pounds 1st - Sarissa Tucker (Virginia) dec. Isabel Kaplan (Indiana), 4-0 3rd - Eva Zimmerman (Utah) dec. Summer Mutschler (Maryland), 15-10 5th - Jayden Keller (Missouri) For. Julia Horger (Pennsylvania) 7th - Elizabeth Valenzuela Smith (Arizona) dec. Kayleigh Milam (Missouri), 14-8 115 pounds 1st - Abigail Gonzalez (Florida) fall Kinzie Williams (Idaho), 1:48 3rd - Malia Ottow (Washington) dec. Hepua Salter (Hawaii), 4-0 5th - Daynah Gomez (Arizona) dec. Morgan Hyland (Pennsylvania), 9-8 7th - Ali Svancara (Idaho) fall Jaydin Cuevas (Colorado), 1:04 120 pounds 1st - Marlee Solomon (Pennsylvania) dec. Hailey Delgado (Texas), 4-0 3rd - Aubree Gutierrez (California) dec. Cheyenne Frank (Michigan), 10-7 5th - Kaylyn Harrill (Nebraska) fall Reagan Mathers (Arizona), 1:36 7th - Angelina Gochis (Illinois) fall Violet Diaz (Iowa), 0:19 125 pounds 1st - Mackenzie Carder (Ohio) fall Martynique Davis (Arizona), 1:05 3rd - Raenah Smith (Pennsylvania) dec. Neve O'Byrne (Pennsylvania), 12-8 5th - Me'kala James (California) fall Kylee Kurszewski (Wisconsin), 3:33 7th - Cameron Leng (Ohio) tech. fall Samiyah Rahming (Pennsylvania), 10-0 (2:19) 130 pounds 1st - Madilyn Peach (Wisconsin) fall Kailin Sebert (Texas), 2:21 3rd - Olivia Bezdicek (Idaho) fall Haley Smarsh (Pennsylvania), 1:16 5th - Kayla Moroschan (Ohio) tech. fall Emma Chacon (Arizona), 10-0 (3:10) 7th - Willow White (Florida) forfeit Riley Drennan (Texas) 135 pounds 1st - Emma Bacon (Pennsylvania) fall Camila Torres (Arizona), 0:27 3rd - Naima Ghaffar (Indiana) fall Kaison Miller (Kansas), 1:14 5th - Nia Hagler (Utah) fall Chloe Wehry (Minnesota), 0:49 7th - Iyanna Crawford (North Carolina) tech. fall Eva Garcia (California), 10-0 (1:57) 140 pounds 1st - Maddie Marsh (Indiana) dec. Alexis Lazar (Michigan), 5-2 3rd - Jordyn Parker (Texas) fall Ema Durst (Illinois), 0:37 5th - Timberly Martinez (Colorado) dec. Clover Williams (Oklahoma), 9-2 7th - Keanna Conrad (Idaho) dec. Saige McCleery (Washington), 8-3 145 pounds 1st - Nora Akpan (Minnesota) dec. Belicia Manuel (Michigan), 11-5 3rd - Violette Lasure (Pennsylvania) fall Greta Brus (Iowa), 1:43 5th - Emily Beckley (Oklahoma) forfeit Hayden Bratland (Iowa) 7th - Chloe Sanders (Iowa) tech. fall Natalin Hout (California), 11-0 (2:13) 155 pounds 1st - Eloise Woolsey (New Mexico) dec. Ella Poalillo (New Jersey), 8-5 3rd - Sarah Henckel (Connecticut) tech. fall Symone Jewell (California), 10-0 (1:07) 5th - Julia Araujo (North Dakota) fall Mary Snider (California), 0:43 7th - Matilda Hruby (Colorado) fall Skylar Slade (Iowa), 0:11 170 pounds 1st - Kaili Manuel (Michigan) tech. fall Ciyanna Okocha (Pennsylvania), 11-0 3rd - Kiley Dillow (Kansas) dec. Olivia Georges (New Jersey), 11-5 5th - Sarah Pulk (Minnesota) forfeit Elizabeth Madison (Ohio) 7th - Rylynn Keziah (North Carolina) fall Clarion Fager (Utah), 1:04 190 pounds 1st - Brooke Huffman (Wisconsin) fall Tevia Nau Rarick (Utah), 1:13 3rd - Irelynn Laurin (Tennessee) tech. fall Ava Asing (Hawaii), 10-0 (3:19) 5th - Kanata Richardson (Michigan) dec. Autumn Elsbury (Iowa), 7-6 7th - Jaida Kuntz (Texas) forfeit JayaShree Bray (Nebraska) 207 pounds 1st - Phoenix Molina (Illinois) dec. Maddie Hayden (Michigan), 6-0 3rd - Deionna Borders (Ohio) fall Isabella Lorenzana (California), 2:30 5th - Lulu Kirk (Kansas) fall Vivianna Scott (Oregon), 4:43 7th - Sophiea Quinn (Missouri) fall Kimura Segerson-Hutter (Wisconsin), 3:16 235 pounds 1st - Aubrey Bartkowiak (Indiana) fall Alyciana Rogers (Texas), 0:25 3rd - Mya Brandenburg (Michigan) dec. Peyton Mullin (New York), 5-1 5th - Halle Spears (Michigan) dec. Jasmine Enriquez (Illinois), 7-2 7th - Angela Bereuter (Missouri) fall Katherine Luna (California), 1:23

BUDAPEST, Hungary – Reese Larramendy concluded her tournament with a gold medal, leading a trio of U.S. medalists on day three of the 2026 Polyák Imre, Varga János & Kozma István Memorial in Budapest, Hungary. Larramendy defeated Jennifer Page in the 65 kg finals, while Abigail Nette narrowly fell in the 59 kg gold-medal match. Larramendy struck first with a takedown just 15 seconds into the match, giving her a 2-0 lead. A tactical stalemate over the ensuing minutes put Page on the clock and ultimately gave Larramendy a 3-0 lead at intermission on a passivity point. Page opened the second period with power and scored a push-out point, but Larramendy responded with a scramble shortly after, extending the lead to 5-1. One final takedown by Larramendy sealed the win at 7-1. Larramendy’s gold and Page’s silver mark the U.S. duo’s first international medals of the year. Nette scored first in her gold-medal match against India’s Neha, forcing Neha out of the circle for a 1-0 lead in the opening minute. Neha rebounded and converted a blast double on Nette to move ahead 2-1 at the break. After a takedown and a turn, Neha extended her lead, but Nette responded with a shot that brought her within two points, 6-4, with two minutes to go. Neha rode out the clock to retain her lead and clinch the gold medal. Nette concludes her tournament with a 2-1 record and the silver medal, marking her third medal at a 2026 Ranking Series event, after winning back-to-back bronze medals at the Zagreb Open and the Muhamet Malo Tournament. Janiak finished fifth in the 59 kg bracket after Ukraine’s Mariia Vynnyk took an early lead that she never relinquished. A pushout by Janiak placed her on the scoreboard in the opening moments of the second period, but Vynnyk secured the win 8-1. Women’s freestyle action concludes Saturday, while Greco-Roman competition continues with two more weight classes. The U.S. will see women’s freestyle competitors Cristelle Rodriguez and Sydney Petzinger in action at 53 kg; Amanda Martinez in the 57 kg weight class; and Dymond Guilford at 76 kg. Saturday’s Greco-Roman competition will feature Benji Peak and Brett Back at 72 kg and Beka Melelashvili at 87 kg. Women’s Freestyle Results Weight Class Rankings 59 kg Gold – Neha (India) Silver – Abigail Nette (United States) Bronze – Mariia Vynnyk (Ukraine) Bronze – Othelie Hoeie (Norway) 5th – Alexis Janiak (United States) 5th – Altyn Shagayeva (Kazakhstan) 7th – Guldana Bekesh (Kazakhstan) 8th – Jowita Wrzesien (Poland) 9th – Erika Bognar (Hungary) Gold – Neha (India) dec. Abigail Nette (United States), dec., 6-4 Bronze – Mariia Vynnyk (Ukraine) dec. Alexis Janiak (United States), 8-1 Bronze – Othelie Hoeie (Norway) dec. Altyn Shagayeva (Kazakhstan), 3-3 62 kg Gold – Ana Godinez Gonzalez (Canada) Silver – Mansi (India) Bronze – Grace Bullen (Norway) Bronze – Savita (India) 5th – Veranika Ivanova (Belarus) 5th – Irina Kuznetsova (Kazakhstan) 7th – Yaru Wu (China) 8th – Adaugo Nwachukwu (United States) 9th – Subeen Jo (Korea) 10th – Qi Zhang (China) Gold – Ana Godinez Gonzalez (Canada) med. forfeit Mansi (India) Bronze – Savita (India) dec. Irina Kuznetsova (Kazakhstan), 14-5 Bronze – Grace Bullen (Norway) dec. Veranika Ivanova (Belarus), 6-4 65 kg Gold – Reese Larramendy (United States) Silver – Jennifer Page (United States) Bronze – Birgul Soltanova (Azerbaijan) Bronze – Gulnura Tashtanbekova (Kyrgyzstan) 5th – Miki Rowbottom (Canada) 5th – Virginia Jimenez Fernandez (Chile) 7th – Agnes Nygren (Sweden) 8th – Maria Pantiru (Romania) 9th – Kyzzhibek Zharkynbayeva (Kazakhstan) 10th – Emilija Jakovljevic (Serbia) Gold – Reese Larramendy (United States) dec. Jennifer Page (United States), 7-1 Bronze – Birgul Soltanova (Azerbaijan) fall Miki Rowbottom (Canada), 4:07 Bronze – Gulnura Tashtanbekova (Kyrgyzstan) dec. Virginia Jimenez Fernandez (Chile), 8-2 68 kg Gold – Jia Long (China) Silver – Meerim Zhumanazarova (Kyrgyzstan) Bronze – Zelu Li (China) Bronze – Noémi Szabados (Hungary) 5th – Nesrin Bas (Türkiye) 5th – Alina Shevchenko (Russia) 7th – Alina Shauchuk (Belarus) 8th – Irina Kazyulina (Kazakhstan) 9th – Manola Skobelska (Ukraine) 10th – Karolina Pok (Hungary) Gold – Jia Long (China) dec. Meerim Zhumanazarova (Kyrgyzstan), 4-0 Bronze – Zelu Li (China) dec. Nesrin Bas (Türkiye), 5-4 Bronze – Noémi Szabados (Hungary) dec. Alina Shevchenko (Russia), 5-3

Greater Questions this week. My theory it is because Earl is on vacation and I did a better job soliciting them. I'm probably right Let's get right to it Can you provide any related context on why New York's biggest hitters would not be in attendance at Fargo this year? No Cam Howard, Gavin Mangano, Will Soto, Finnegan O'Brien, Matt Peterson, Spencer Lee, Jace Rooney, Dunia Sibomana, Griffin LaPlante, Chris Noto. Devin Downes, Chris Belmonte, Matt McDermott, Ethan Andreula, Kymah Gummow, Dominic Darch, and the list goes on. Is this a NY-USAW admin issue? Is this an issue at the club level with kids protecting national and class rankings? New York has an abundance of talent and great coaches. What does the state need to do to put together great 14U, Cadet, and Junior Duals teams? What do they need to get guys at Fargo? Think of the time when you used to coach J.P. O'Connor and how those teams in the mid 2000's performed at Fargo. What does NY-USAW need to do to get back there?- Matty D. Matty- this is an important topic. Other states face similar things Back in the golden era, there was absolutely no question that the best wrestlers in the state were going to Fargo. There were less other opportunities for them and the best club coaches all were there. There was a training camp. There was more state wide development of athletes and because clubs were not sources of primary income (at least not for me, I can tell ya) there was more cooperation state wide- which is better for kids in terms of Fargo. Now we have kids making world teams from NY which is great. But a lot of them are shutting it down after NHSCA fake nationals, because they can. This is one area where going to 2 divisions and multiple wild cards hurts us. You can not compete or train at a high level from April to December and still be a state qualifier, or maybe even a state champ. There are also more folk options in the fall- which some kids are more comfortable with. There's a lot to unpack. Club coaches are getting paid to make kids happy, so they might have them avoid Fargo because it's tough to justify the money they are charging if a kid goes 1-2 at a big event. Conversely, if you have a top kid like the ones you mentioned you are prepping them for a World Team run. I could write about this all day, but bottom line is it is complicated. Might do a Overreaction Time on it to really flesh it out In your humble opinion, what’s the best way to grow Greco??? @RudisRowley Another complex one. I think funding is a big part of it. I don't think it is a one size fits all solution either. Identifying athletes early and getting them in Greco programs at a young age is important, but I think there has to be room for crossover guys later in their careers. We can't ignore that. It isn't a direct comparison, but wrestlers do jump to MMA and win at a high level, so with the right funding and training it could work. Another potential deep dive on a future podcast, but that's my early starter pack Coach Green, what are your early thoughts on New York’s decision to go freestyle for HS girls after year 1? @RyanSeagreaves Some people won't like this- but girls should never wrestle anything but international styles. I get why boys do folkstyle, as it leads to college opportunities. But girls folkstyle is dumb. Really dumb. Our team will be forced to wrestle it at NatPreps this year. It makes ZERO sense Bravo, NY What wrestler that coach green coach have the big impact on coach become the coach he is now - Hijo I always say that no matter how good a wrestler is, when they leave- there is something that you won't miss dealing with. Their parent, their work ethic, their lifestyle- some type of flaw that you are glad to be done with. You love everything about them except that 5% that really wore on you, or really pissed you off. The kid who I can't say that about is JP O'Connor. It's no surprise that he was one of the most decorated wrestlers in NYS history and and NCAA Champ. I model a lot of practices and conversations on the time I spent with him at Oxford and Shamrock Not all Wegmans are the same. Agree or disagree? @FantasyD1Wrestl Totally true. I was going to multiple Wegmans in the 70s when they were "just a grocery store" in Western NY. Today, Malvern is a great one. Montvale, NJ has that North Jersey feel and is located in a White Lady Compound. Pittsofrd is by far the best combo of old/ new Wegmans But remember, even the worst Wegmans is better than the best Publix. Have a great weekend kids!

FARGO, N.D. – It is the 20th year of the USA Wrestling Triple Crown program in the Junior Boys division. Iowa’s Waylon Cressell added his name to the exclusive list of winners, becoming just the 10th individual, and first since 2022, to win a USA Wrestling folkstyle, freestyle and Greco-Roman national title in the Junior Boys division during the same year. The Cressell triple stamp came on Wednesday evening at the FARGODOME in the 190-pound Greco-Roman finals. Cressell toughed out a 4-3 decision over returning All-American Victor Marks-Jenkins of Maryland in the championship match. Prior to the finals, neither Cressell nor Marks-Jenkins had surrendered a point in the tournament and pinned or teched all comers—a worthy matchup for the moment. This is one of the unique Triple Crowns in Junior Boys history. All past winners have come from the edges of the weight class bell curve—either under 112 pounds or at heavyweight. Cressell is the first Triple Crown winner in the upper weights that isn’t a heavyweight. The list of heavyweight Triple Crown winners is impressive—Adam Coon of Michigan (2012, 2013), Anthony Cassioppi of Illinois (2017, 2018) and Aden Attao of Idaho (2022)—a promising sign for Cressell’s upcoming college career with Northern Iowa and in the Olympic styles. Cressell was one of two freestyle champions to double up in Fargo. Iowa teammate Ty Martin took a 1-1 criteria win over Dakota Harmer of Michigan to capture the 106-pound title. Martin was the 100-pound champion in freestyle earlier in the week. A third Iowa champion was guaranteed at 285 pounds, with Ashton Honnold edging Joe Constable by two points in an all-Iowa final. No repeats were had in the Junior Greco-Roman division. Illinois’ Wyatt Medlin, the only returning champion to make the finals, was stopped by Alaska’s Jacob Morris at 157 pounds by a single point. It was Medlin’s third-straight Junior Greco-Roman finals appearance, and fifth overall Fargo final. The win bolsters Morris’ already solid Greco-Roman resume. He owns third-place finishes from the 2025 U17 World Team Trials and 2025 Junior Nationals prior to this Fargo run. The Outstanding Wrestler award for the division went to 175-pound champion Ivan Ivanov of Idaho, who was a 16U Greco-Roman champion the past two years. Ivanov made quick work of Tennessee’s Gary High, 8-0, less than a minute and a half into the championship match. Up next for Ivanov is a trip to the U17 World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, representing Team USA at 80 kg. 2025 U17 World bronze medalist Michael Rundell of Illinois put up a 14-4 technical fall over his Illinois teammate Ray Long in the 120-pound finals. He finished his run in Fargo with seven wins by technical fall, shutting out his first six opponents, and outpacing the opposition by a combined 65-4 score. Joining Ivanov and Rundell with technical falls in the finals were Cruzer Dominguez of Nebraska at 126 pounds, Ned Kauffman of Pennsylvania at 144 pounds and Ladd Holman of Utah at 215 pounds. Additional champions include Logan Raske of Tennessee at 100 pounds, Cason Craft of Oklahoma at 113 pounds, Jamiel Castleberry of Illinois at 132 pounds, Nicholas Sorrow of Michigan at 138 pounds, Gavin Weichelt of Colorado at 150 pounds and Jared Remington of Texas at 165 pounds. Taking the top spot in the team standings and earning the Battles Won Award was Illinois, which amassed 249 team points from two champions and 17 All-Americans. Iowa finished in second place with 112 team points. Rounding out the top five teams were Oklahoma, Minnesota and California. The U.S. Marine Corps Junior Nationals continues on Thursday with the start of the Junior and 16U women’s freestyle tournaments. Junior Greco-Roman Results Team Standings 1. Illinois, 249 2. Iowa, 112 3. Oklahoma, 84 4. Minnesota, 80 5. California, 64 6. Maryland, 63 7. Colorado, 61 T8. Ohio, 59 T8. Florida, 50 10. Utah, 56 Placement Matches 100 pounds 1st - Logan Raske (Tennessee) dec. Symon Woods (Illinois), 6-4 3rd - Eldon Roth (Wisconsin) tech. fall David Serrano (Florida), 14-6 (3:54) 5th - Jackson Taylor (Kentucky) fall Rocco Valvano (Illinois), 0:31 7th - Jayland Davis (Indiana) tech. fall Logan Wray (Washington), 11-2 (1:35) 106 pounds 1st - Ty Martin (Iowa) dec. Dakota Harmer (Michigan), 1-1 3rd - Aidan Ortega (Illinois) dec. Derik Kiefer (Georgia), 9-7 5th - Stephano Calderon (South Carolina) dec. DeVaughn Miller (Alabama), 5-2 7th - Parker Williams (Florida) tech. fall Grady Swalberg (Utah), 10-2 (2:03) 113 pounds 1st - Cason Craft (Oklahoma) dec. Niko Odiotti (Illinois), 8-2 3rd - Austin Hayes (Maryland) tech. fall Blackburn Savage (Ohio), 8-0 (2:59) 5th - Koa DeLoach (Florida) tech. fall RJ Phelan (Florida), 8-0 (0:44) 7th - Evan Centeno (Utah) tech. fall Rowdy Angst (Missouri), 12-2 (3:40) 120 pounds 1st - Michael Rundell (Illinois) tech. fall Ray Long (Illinois), 14-4 (3:00) 3rd - Brendon Oehme (South Dakota) fall Dustin John Snider (Colorado), 4:12 5th - Kaleb Blackner (Utah) fall Tyler Verceles (Maryland), 3:49 7th - Joel Friederichs (Minnesota) dec. Lazarus McEwen (Washington), 8-6 126 pounds 1st - Cruzer Dominguez (Nebraska) tech. fall Isaiah Jones (Oklahoma), 10-1 (2:33) 3rd - Nicolas Enzminger (North Dakota) tech. fall Titan Friederichs (Minnesota), 9-0 (1:44) 5th - Thiago Silva (California) forfeit Loc Webber (Ohio) 7th - Kai Plinski (West Virginia) tech. fall Jesse Landtroop (Oregon), 8-0 (0:24) 132 pounds 1st - Jamiel Castleberry (Illinois) dec. Tommy Wurster (Ohio), 6-5 3rd - Kaleb Pratt (Illinois) dec. Caleb Schaefer (Indiana), 5-1 5th - Robert Ruscitti (Illinois) tech. fall Jr Ortega (Colorado), 9-0 (2:01) 7th - Aidan McClure (Illinois) fall Chase Kastner (Connecticut), 2:42 138 pounds 1st - Nicholas Sorrow (Michigan) dec. Thomas Banas (Illinois), 4-1 3rd - Gage Bjerga (Minnesota) tech. fall Matthew Orbeta (California), 9-1 (4:05) 5th - Jensen Boyd (Indiana) tech. fall Louden Elliott (New York), 9-1 (3:53) 7th - Blake Nevils (Idaho) tech. fall William Christopher (Wisconsin), 9-0 (5:42) 144 pounds 1st - Ned Kauffman (Pennsylvania) tech. fall Liam Collins (Minnesota), 8-0 (1:39) 3rd - Mason Goelz (Indiana) dec. Tyler Stephens (Maryland), 8-6 5th - Adante Washington (Illinois) dec. Mason DesRochers (Washington), 4-1 7th - Garrison Sartain (Oklahoma) dec. Anthony Severino (New York), 11-8 150 pounds 1st - Gavin Weichelt (Colorado) dec. Legend Ellis (Oklahoma), 6-0 3rd - Austin Collins (Colorado) tech. fall Bennett Kujawa (Minnesota), 13-0 (1:07) 5th - Dimitri Kizer (Oklahoma) fall Hayden Reuter (Alaska), 1:09 7th - Samson McKissick Staley (New York) dec. David Burchett (Colorado), 9-7 157 pounds 1st - Jacob Morris (Alaska) dec. Wyatt Medlin (Illinois), 5-4 3rd - Gregory Torosian (California) tech. fall Daniel Acosta (Texas), 8-0 (4:47) 5th - Dominic Way (West Virginia) dec. Donald Jackson (Kansas), 10-9 7th - Parker Casey (Iowa) fall Micah McCaskill (Texas), 0:34 165 pounds 1st - Jared Remington (Texas) dec. Cael Gilmore (Ohio), 5-3 3rd - Tre Haines (Washington) dec. Thunder Page (Kansas), 3-0 5th - Emerson Tjaden (Kansas) tech. fall Drake Morrison (Idaho), 9-0 (0:45) 7th - Preston Scott (Oklahoma) fall Aiden Arnett (Illinois), 2:58 175 pounds 1st - Ivan Ivanov (Idaho) tech. fall Gary High (Tennessee), 8-0 (1:25) 3rd - Lucas Boe (Florida) dec. Mason Carnrite (California), 6-5 5th - Noah Tucker (Maryland) dec. Grady Weinbrenner (Minnesota), 8-8 7th - Ty'Quavion Smart (Illinois) dec. Jad Urribarri (Florida), 6-4 190 pounds 1st - Waylon Cressell (Iowa) dec. Victor Marks-Jenkins (Maryland), 4-3 3rd - Shepard Stephens (Utah) fall Hugh Meyer (North Dakota), 2:45 5th - Kyle Gallo (Florida) tech. fall Caden Grenier (Minnesota), 9-0 (2:09) 7th - Andy Franke (Iowa) tech. fall Gabriel Cohn (Minnesota), 12-3 (3:55) 215 pounds 1st - Ladd Holman (Utah) tech. fall Jaxon Penovich (Illinois), 8-0 (1:54) 3rd - Gage Ponton (Idaho) dec. Cooper Reves (Kansas), 9-5 5th - Carter Brown (Missouri) dec. Xander Dossett (Georgia), 7-3 7th - Carter Vannest (California) tech. fall Layne O'Neil (Michigan), 17-6 (2:24) 285 pounds 1st - Ashton Honnold (Iowa) dec. Joe Constable (Iowa), 2-0 3rd - Kade West (Washington) dec. Jeremy Marshall (Illinois), 5-0 5th - Matthew Cooley (California) dec. JT Kelso (Iowa), 2-1 7th - Damian Bodiu (Texas) forfeit Noah Larios (California)

BUDAPEST, Hungary – Ridge Lovett and Will Lewan reached the podium on day one of the 2026 Polyák Imre, Varga János & Kozma István Memorial, the fourth United World Wrestling Ranking Series event of the year. Lovett won gold at 70 kg, while Lewan claimed bronze at 74 kg, closing Wednesday’s men’s freestyle action at BOK Hall in Budapest, Hungary. Lovett cruised through the 70 kg bracket, earning shutouts in two of his three wins on the way another international title. After two wins in the opening session, he turned his attention to Georgia’s Akaki Kemertelidze, a 2026 European bronze medalist, in the finals. Lovett controlled Kemertelidze from the opening whistle, quickly building a 4-0 lead in the first minute with a takedown and a turn. He added another takedown with 30 seconds left in the opening period, giving him the 6-0 lead that he carried to the final whistle. Lewan made quick work of Türkiye’s Muhammed Besir in his medal match, earning a fall in just under two minutes. After locking up a tight headlock, Lewan took Besir down for a 2-0 lead. Besir countered the position and wrapped up Lewan’s legs in an attempt to turn him, but Lewan calmly sat into the position, reversed it and finished the pin to secure the bronze. Lovett’s gold medal marks his second international gold medal of the year, following his Pan American Championships title in May, and his first title at a Ranking Series event. Lewan’s bronze medal marks his second international medal of 2026 and his first since the Grand Prix de France Henri Deglane in January. The U.S. men’s freestyle team returns to action on Thursday, with four athletes—Dustin Plott (92 kg), Jacob Cardenas (97 kg), Mason Parris (125 kg) and Demetrius Thomas (125 kg)—taking the mats. Women’s freestyle also begins on Thursday with the 50 kg and 55 kg weight classes. Qualification rounds begin at 10:30 a.m. local time/4:30 a.m. ET. A live stream of the Polyák Imre, Varga János & Kozma István Memorial will be available to the U.S. audience through FloWrestling. Brackets and updated results will be hosted on UWW Arena.

USAF ACADEMY, Colo. – After more than three decades of coaching collegiate wrestling and 18 years of developing leaders of character at the United States Air Force Academy, head coach Sam Barber announced his retirement from coaching, Wednesday morning. At the time of his retirement, Barber was named Associate Athletic Director for Development and Strategy, transitioning from his role as Head Wrestling Coach to help lead strategic initiatives across the United States Air Force Academy Department of Athletics. Barber leaves an impressive legacy with Air Force Wrestling, guiding the program through one of its most successful stretches in recent history. During Barber's tenure, the Falcons garnered three NCAA Top 25 finishes; 25th in 2026, 21st in 2024, and a program highlight finish of 18th place in 2023, tying with all-time NCAA Championships leader Oklahoma State. Barber's Falcons out placed Army and Navy in those NCAA Championship appearances. Barber guided three All-America honors, most notably Wyatt Hendrickson who finished third place for two consecutive seasons and Carter Nogle who battled to fifth place after a first round loss as the No. 18 seed. Of his 33 national qualifiers, 13 qualified in the last five seasons, testament to the positive trajectory of the program. Barber's Falcons garnered two Big 12 champions with Outstanding Wrestler, and 43 Big 12 Championship medalists. Beyond collegiate wrestling, he helped lead 11 cadet-athletes to compete on the international stage with a pair of Falcons garnering a United World Wrestling World Champion title and Pan-American Champion titles. He was the driving factor in the development and establishment of the Air Force Regional Training Center which has provided Cadet Athletes countless opportunities to wrestle internationally. The pinnacle of Barber's international coaching success was his contribution as head coach of the U23 World Championship Team. The team dominated the world stage, winning the nation's first-ever U23 Freestyle World Championship team title. Air Force's Wyatt Hendrickson was one-of-four team members to battle to World Championship titles, setting a new standard of success for USA Wrestling's U23 Freestyle team. Barber's new role will focus on organizational development, strategic planning, leadership education, coach and staff development, culture enhancement, stakeholder engagement, and cross-functional collaboration while strengthening the cadet-athlete experience across all Air Force athletic programs. The position supports Air Force Athletics' mission of developing warfighters and leaders of character through athletic experiences while aligning athletic excellence with the Academy's broader mission of educating, training and inspiring officers of character. "This opportunity allows me to continue the work that has always inspired me most—developing people," Head Coach Sam Barber said. "Coaching wrestling at the Air Force Academy has been the greatest honor of my life. Every day, we had the opportunity to help shape young men into officers of character who will serve something greater than themselves. I am grateful for every cadet-athlete, coach, alumnus, donor, and family who has been part of that journey, and I look forward to serving our entire department as we continue pursuing excellence in developing leaders for our Air Force, Space Force, and Nation." While competitive success remained an important goal, Barber consistently emphasized that Air Force Wrestling existed to support the Academy's mission of developing leaders of character. Under his leadership, cadet-athletes distinguished themselves in academics, military leadership, and service beyond the wrestling mat. Barber's Falcons earned consistent national recognition for academic excellence highlighted by a 98-percent Graduation Success Rate. He mentored and guided 23 Falcons to become NWCA Scholar All-Americans. At the same time, his athletes have been named to academic all-conference teams over 100 times. Five former Air Force wrestlers have gone on to attend medical school, while many others now serve around the world as Air Force and Space Force officers in aviation, special warfare, intelligence, cyber operations, engineering, acquisitions, medicine, and other critical career fields. "Our responsibility has always extended far beyond wins and losses," Barber said. "Success at the Academy is measured by the quality of officer and leader our cadet-athletes become. Wrestling has simply been the vehicle to help develop discipline, resilience, humility, teamwork, and servant leadership." In his new position, Barber will work collaboratively with coaches, administrators, faculty, military leadership, alumni, donors, and campus partners to strengthen leadership development systems, improve organizational effectiveness, enhance communication and collaboration, and support strategic initiatives across the Department of Athletics. His responsibilities will include advancing coach and staff professional development, organizational culture, strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and initiatives that further position Air Force Athletics as a national leader in integrating Division I athletic excellence with officer development. Reflecting on the transition, Barber emphasized that while his role is changing, his purpose remains the same. "I have had the honor and privilege to spend the past thirty years doing what I love—I have had a front row seat in watching and supporting young men in pursuing their goals and dreams of pursuing excellence on and off the mat," Barber said. "The relationships built through the sport of wrestling will always be among the greatest blessings of my life. Although my office is changing, my mission remains the same: to serve others, develop leaders of character, and help Air Force Athletics become the premier mission-first, values-based athletic department in the nation."

Junior Freestyle Final Results The first set of Fargo Finals saw two repeat champions from last year with Antonio Mills and Melvin Miller adding another Stop Sign to their collections. Mills took out two 2025 champions-- Miklo Hernandez in the quarterfinals and Tommy Wurster in the semifinals--before taking a 12-9 decision over former World Champion Paul Kenny in one of the most entertaining matches of the evening session. Miller had a tight win over Grayson Eggum in the quarterfinals in an otherwise dominant tournament showing from the future Hokie. He turned in a 10-0 win over Aiden Arnett in the semifinals and a 7-4 decision in the finals over a very scrappy Rocco Cassioppi. We also saw an impressive finals victory from U17 World Champion Sammy Sanchez over multiple time Fargo Champion Hayden Schwab with the 11-1 Technical Fall. Fellow World Champion Michael Mocco capped off the evening with a decision win over Wisconsin State Champion Tyson Martin. Action continues from Fargo on Monday with Men’s Beach Wrestling, while Greco action starts on Tuesday. Junior Freestyle Finals 100 Ty Martin (IA) def. Symon Woods (IL) TF 10-0 (3:22) 106 Luke Loren (California) def. Cache Williams (Oklahoma) Dec 12-8 113 Analu Woode (Hawaii) def Thales Silva (California) Fall 3:15 120 Brayden Wenrich (Pennsylvania) def. Michael Batista (New Jersey) TF 14-2 (2:06) 126 Samuel Sanchez (California) def. Hayden Schwab (Iowa) TF 11-1 (3:45) 132 Antonio Mills (Georgia) def. Paul Kenny (New Jersey) Dec 12-9 138 Tyler Dekraker (Florida) def. Dawson Youngblut (Iowa) Dec 10-2 144 Jesse Grajeda (California) def. Braylon Reynolds (Indiana) TF 11-0 (5:37) 150 Davis Parrow (Minnesota) def. Jason Dube (Pennsylvania) Dec 9-7 157 Charlie DeSena (Florida) def. Mac Crosson (Iowa) Dec 3-2 165 Melvin Miller (Pennsylvania) def. Rocco Cassioppi (Illinois) Dec 7-4 175 Zack Aquila (Ohio) def. Mario Carini (California) Dec 9-8 190 Waylon Cressell (Iowa) def. Nicholas Singer (Pennsylvania) Dec 8-3 215 Sam Howard (Indiana) def. Daniel Moylan (California) Dec 11-10 285 Michael Mocco (Florida) def. Tyson Martin (Wisconsin) Dec 9-6 Junior Freestyle Final Placements 100 Ty Martin (Iowa) Symon Woods (Illinois) DeVaughn Miller (Alabama) Logan Raske (Tennessee) Ryker Leonard (Ohio) David Serrano (Florida) Parker Williams (Florida) Jaxson Tocco (New York) 106 Luke Loren (California) Cache Williams (Oklahoma) Jackson Thorn (Minnesota) Frank Fuentes (California) Aidan Ortega (Illinois) Alex Huddleston (Indiana) Dakota Harmer (Michigan) Michael Densmore (Georgia) 113 Analu Woode (Hawaii) Thales Silva (California) Cason Craft (Oklahoma) Camden Rugg (Wisconsin) Koa DeLoach (Florida) Niko Odiotti (Illinois) Turner Ross (Oklahoma) Traevon Ducking (Indiana) 120 Brayden Wenrich (Pennsylvania) Michael Batista (New Jersey) Thiago Silva (California) Landon Thoennes (Minnesota) Loc Webber (Ohio) Brand'n Edstrom (Idaho) Aiden Garcia (California) Tyler Verceles (Maryland) 126 Samuel Sanchez (California) Hayden Schwab (Iowa) Mateo Gallegos (Pennsylvania) Cale Vandermark (Iowa) Van Smith (Oklahoma) Matthew Mulligan (New Jersey) Cody Clarke (Georgia) Isaiah Jones (Oklahoma) 132 Antonio Mills (Georgia) Paul Kenny (New Jersey) Nathan Rioux (Indiana) Blaze Van Gundy (Ohio) Tommy Wurster (Ohio) Miklo Hernandez (Minnesota) Jamiel Castleberry (Illinois) Eddie Woody, Jr. (Iowa) 138 Tyler Dekraker (Florida) Dawson Youngblut (Iowa) Nicholas Sorrow (Michigan) Tanner Guenot (Pennsylvania) Urijah Lopez (Ohio) Gage Bjerga (Minnesota) Austin Ellis (Utah) Shamus Regan (Florida) 144 Jesse Grajeda (California) Braylon Reynolds (Indiana) Dale Corbin (Pennsylvania) Cole Speer (Ohio) Michael Lopez (Colorado) Cody Trevino (Iowa) Gavin Landers (Iowa) Nico DeSalvo (Iowa) 150 Davis Parrow (Minnesota) Jason Dube (Pennsylvania) Peyton Hornsby (Indiana) Austin Collins (Colorado) Matthew O'Neill (Pennsylvania) Deacon Morgan (Michigan) Bennett Kujawa (Minnesota) Bobby Duffy (New Jersey) 157 Charlie DeSena (Florida) Mac Crosson (Iowa) Lincoln Robideau (Minnesota) Jet Brown (Missouri) Wyatt Medlin (Illinois) Mason Petersen (Nebraska) Brooklyn Pickett (Maryland) Jake Miller (Oklahoma) 165 Melvin Miller (Pennsylvania) Rocco Cassioppi (Illinois) Jacob Perez (California) Aiden Arnett (Illinois) Joe Bachmann (Pennsylvania) Declan Koch (Wisconsin) Grayson Eggum (Minnesota) David Ogunsanya (Illinois) 175 Zack Aquila (Ohio) Mario Carini (California) Tomm Heiser (Wisconsin) Lucas Boe (Florida) Bruno Cassioppi (Illinois) Jakob Hoke (Ohio) Maximus Dhabolt (Iowa) Noah Tucker (Maryland) 190 Waylon Cressell (Iowa) Nicholas Singer (Pennsylvania) Mason Ontiveros (California) Jaxon Penovich (Illinois) Kyle Gallo (Florida) Everett Joyce (Kansas) Eli Leonard (Wisconsin) Victor Marks-Jenkins (Maryland) 215 Sam Howard (Indiana) Daniel Moylan (California) William Ward (North Dakota) Ceasar Salas (Indiana) Ladd Holman (Utah) Decker Bechtold (Pennsylvania) Maximus Konopka (Connecticut) Carter Brown (Missouri) 285 Michael Mocco (Florida) Tyson Martin (Wisconsin) Ashton Honnold (Iowa) Kal-El Fluckiger (Arizona) Cael Leisgang (Wisconsin) Kaz Morosetti (Rhode Island) Kade West (Washington) William Glesing (Indiana)