InterMat Staff

It’s about that time! In the past couple of weeks, we’ve spent time loosely discussing Final X; however, it’s time to start talking about the individual matches themselves. Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll break down all 20 Final X matchups - leading into the event itself on June 14th, from Newark, New Jersey. Our next preview is in men’s freestyle at 70 kg - Yianni Diakomihalis against PJ Duke. It seems a bit odd looking at Diakomihalis as the grizzled veteran against the young, up-and-comer, but that’s what’s going on here. The Penn State signee, Duke, looks like the latest superstar heading to State College. He’s already locked up a second trip to the U20 World Championships and has a medal from the 2024 event. With two Senior world appearances and a world silver medal under his belt, you have to look at Diakomihalis as the favorite; however, Duke has passed every test presented to him thus far. This should make for a very compelling series. With both wrestlers from New York and this event being held in Newark, I’d expect a robust cheering section for both wrestlers. Prior Previews 57 kg men’s freestyle 61 kg men's freestyle 65 kg men's freestyle 50 kg women’s freestyle 53 kg women's freestyle 55 kg women's freestyle 70 kg men’s freestyle Yianni Diakomihalis vs. PJ Duke This is a match-up of two of the best and most decorated wrestlers to come out of New York in recent years. It’s the kind of match that hardcore NY high school fans might dream up in a fantasy scenario. Both won four New York state titles and are among only 11 New York wrestlers to achieve the feat. When Diakomihalis wrapped up his collegiate career at Cornell in 2023, he became only the fifth wrestler to win four NCAA titles. In the middle of that decorated college career, Diakomihalis also made two Senior world teams. In the second of those two appearances, Diakomihalis snapped the long US medal-less streak at 65/66 kg and made the world finals at 65 kg. Prior to his silver medal, the US hadn’t won a medal in that range since Bill Zadick struck gold in 2006. At the 2024 Olympic Trials, Diakomihalis lost his second match and did not participate in the wrestlebacks. He also forgo an attempt to compete at the non-Olympic World Team Trials because he was rehabbing an injury. Since his return, Diakomihalis has claimed his second career US Open title. Duke just wrapped up his incredible high school career earlier this year and was tabbed the #1 recruit in the Class of 2025. He’ll attend Penn State - like a handful of Diakomihalis’ rivals have done. Last summer, Duke was a member of the U20 world team and came away with a bronze medal after a controversial loss in the semifinals. Since then, Duke went to the Bill Farrell and won a weight class that featured multiple collegiate All-Americans. How they got here Diakomihalis: The 70 kg weight class at the 2025 US Open was billed as one of the tournament’s deepest brackets. It ended up living up to the hype and Diakomihalis conquered the talented group. In the quarters, he teched All-American Daniel Cardenas 18-7. A match later, he earned a finals berth after pinning two-time All-American Bryce Andonian in just over a minute. In the finals, Diakomihalis downed two-time world medalist James Green, 8-2. Down on criteria in the second period, Diakomihalis wowed the crowd with a high-amplitude takedown finish for four points. Duke: The Bill Farrell win likely contributed to Duke getting the second seed at the World Team Trials. There he ran through an impressive cast of contenders that included two NCAA champions (Antrell Taylor, Ridge Lovett) just to make the finals. With a chance to make Final X hanging in the balance, Duke kept the dangerous Bryce Andonian at bay during a 4-1 victory. Recent Form Diakomihalis: It had been about a year in between competitions for Diakomihalis when he returned to the Open. With a fall over Andonian and a convincing win against Green, Diakomihalis seems to be healthy and as good as ever. Duke: In addition to his win at the World Team Trials, Duke has been very busy. He didn’t participate at the Senior level in Vegas, because he was focusing on the U20 Open (which he won). That gave him a chance to sit in the finals at the U20 Trials over the weekend. There he won a pair of matches over Oklahoma State signee Landon Robideau. Hopefully, Duke is still in peak physical condition for his Final X series. Prior History These two have not met each other in competition. I would assume that they might have worked out together - both being from New York, at clubs, camps, or perhaps in the recruiting process. Keys to Victory Diakomihalis: Wrestle like the favorite. Duke will be no easy task, judging by the list of recent wins he’s posted. If Diakomihalis can get to his offense and decisively take the first match, it will set the tone for the second. Should Duke win or even lose a close bout, it would give him hope for the second one. A crowd tends to get behind the young underdog, so you don’t want to give Duke any momentum. He’s been on a heater lately and doesn’t need any extra help. Duke: Finishing his shots. Getting to Diakomihalis’ legs is difficult enough. Finishing is a whole different story. With years of Penn State/NLWC wrestlers opposing Diakomihalis, the Nittany Lion WC staff should have a plan for Duke to compete his takedown attempts.

U23 National freestyle All-American 57 kg Championship: Mason Ziegler over Daniel Guanajuato 6-4, 5-3 3rd Place: Brendan McCrone over Charlie Farmer 10-0 5th Place: Koda Holeman over Carson Wagner 8-6 7th Place: Alan Koehler over Drew Davis Fall 1:36 61 kg Championship: Nic Bouzakis over Jett Strickenberger 16-5, 15-4 3rd Place: Anthony Noto over Sam Smith 10-0 5th Place: Evan Tallmadge over Logan Frazier FFT 7th Place: Drew Heethuis over Troy Hohman Fall 1:16 65 kg Championship: Vince Cornella over Evan Mougalian 16-5, Fall :49 3rd Place: Haiden Drury over Nash Singleton 8-6 5th Place: Connor Thorpe over Tahir Parkins 16-5 7th Place: Noah Tolentino over Jarvis Little 5-4 70 kg Championship: Josh Edmond over Drew Roberts 8-4, 8-6 3rd Place: CJ Hamblin over EJ Parco 11-0 5th Place: Sam Ewing over Kael Voinovich FFT 7th Place: Cade Wirnsberger over Connor Pierce 4-2 74 kg Championship: Michael Caliendo over Daniel Cardenas 8-15, 7-2, 14-6 3rd Place: Brandon Cannon over Tyler Lillard 16-6 5th Place: Ethan Birden over Stoney Buell 16-5 7th Place: Max Brignola over Matty Bianchi FFT 79 kg Championship: Beau Mantanona over Nicco Ruiz 13-2, 2-8, 11-0 3rd Place: Myles Takats over Ethan Riddle 10-6 5th Place: Moses Espinoza-Owens over Hudson Rogers 7-3 7th Place: Logan Messer over Ryan Ford FFT 86 kg Championship: Rocco Welsh over Jaxon Smith 4-2, 6-3 3rd Place: Dylan Fishback over Simon Ruiz 9-9 5th Place: Jersey Robb over Rylan Rogers FFT 7th Place: James Conway over Brayden Thompson 5-5 92 kg Championship: Gavin Nelson over Luke Geog 4-7, 14-3, 4-2 3rd Place: Hayden Walters over Kael Wisler 11-0 5th Place: Jesse Perez over Jack Wehmeyer FFT 7th Place: Wolfgang Frable over Conor Maslanek 11-0 97 kg Championship:Garavous Kouekabakilaho over Thomas Dineen 10-0, 10-0 3rd Place: Massoma Endene over Mason Christian 10-0 5th Place: Dan Rella Jr. over Christian Carroll FFT 7th Place: Steven Burrell Jr. over Max Ramberg 10-0 125 kg Championship: Daniel Herrera over Crew Howard 6-3, 10-0 3rd Place:Lucas Stoddard over Connor Barket 12-0 5th Place: Jarrett Stoner over Ryan Catka FFT 7th Place: Aden Attao over Brentan Simmerman 10-0

U20 Freestyle World Team Trials Final Results 57 kg - Anthony Knox (New Jersey) over Ignacio Villasenor (Oklahoma) 2-3, 13-5, 10-0 61 kg - Marcus Blaze (Ohio) over Kyler Larkin (Arizona) 10-0, 4-1 65 kg - Luke Stanich (New Jersey) over Bo Bassett (Pennsylvania) 3-2, 2-3, 10-0 70 kg - PJ Duke (New York) over Landon Robideau (Minnesota) 7-0, 9-4 74 kg - Ladarion Lockett (Oklahoma) over Jayden James (New Jersey) 6-1, 15-2 79 kg - Will Henckel (Connecticut) over Brock Mantanona (California) 10-0, 10-0 86 kg - Max McEnelly (Minnesota) over Aeoden Sinclair (Wisconsin) 2-10, 6-5, 3-2 92 kg - Connor Mirasola (Wisconsin) over Dillon Bechtold (Pennsylvania) 10-0, 4-1 97 kg - Justin Rademacher (Oregon) over Camden McDanel (Ohio) 10-5, 7-1 125 kg - Cole Mirasola (Wisconsin) over Dreshaun Ross (Iowa) 4-1, 5-2

It’s about that time! In the past couple of weeks, we’ve spent time loosely discussing Final X; however, it’s time to start talking about the individual matches themselves. Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll break down all 20 Final X matchups - leading into the event itself on June 14th, from Newark, New Jersey. Our next preview is in women’s freestyle - 55 kg to be exact. 2025 world team member Areana Villaescusa fell in the World Team Trials so there will be a new face from last year’s squad and a first-time Senior World Team member regardless of who wins. This weight will follow a pattern from the first two women’s freestyle weights we’ve previewed. Each contains a US Open finals rematch and this one is no different. Though Cristelle Rodriguez and Everest Leydecker do not have a long history against each other, they did tangle in Vegas. The result was a close 4-1 match, so anything can happen in Newark. Prior Previews 57 kg men’s freestyle 61 kg men's freestyle 65 kg men's freestyle 50 kg women’s freestyle 53 kg women's freestyle 55 kg women’s freestyle Cristelle Rodriguez vs. Everest Leydecker While neither of these young women has made a Senior world team yet, both are promising young prospects, where a world team berth would represent a logical next step in their already impressive careers. Rodriguez wrapped up her junior year at Doane with her second NAIA national title. In each instance, Rodriguez was named the NAIA Women’s Wrestler of the Year. Her most recent championship came over Katie Gomez, who was in the most recent edition of Final X. Rodriguez has also excelled internationally. She is a two-time U20 World Team member and won the gold at that age group last year. In 2019, she captured a silver medal at the Cadet World Championships. Leydecker is likely the top high school girl in the Class of 2026. Last year, she earned a spot on the U17 World Team and was second in the Trials at the U20 age group. During the high school season, Leydecker won the Super 32 and then picked up a win at FloWrestling’s Who’s #1 event. How they got here: Rodriguez: Rodriguez was the third seed at the US Open, but ran through the field with three consecutive 10-0 techs to make the finals. Only one of those three matches went to the second period. In the Open finals, Rodriguez squared off with Leydecker. She took control early after getting exposure after a low attack. She added another in the first period and ended up with the 4-1 victory. Leydecker: To make the Open finals, Leydecker downed multi-time U20 world medalist Amani Jones and pulled out a 2-1 win against 2024 world teamer Areana Villaescusa. With Rodriguez waiting in Final X, Leydecker had to win the World Team Trials to book a rematch - which she did in impressive fashion. Villaescusa fell in the semifinals to Ronna Gross, so there was a new opponent for the young star. Gross was never able to get anything going and Leydecker cruised to an 11-0 tech. Recent Form Rodriguez: After the collegiate season concluded, Rodriguez went to Women’s Nationals and posted two wins over Jones to clinch a spot on the U23 World Team. While she could make the Senior team, Rodriguez is guaranteed to be on one world team for a third consecutive year. Leydecker: Like Rodriguez, Leydecker already has a 2025 world team under her belt. She had a pair of dominating wins over Clare Booe to lock up a spot on the U20 team. Prior History The only prior meeting between these two is the finals match at the US Open. Rodriguez won by a 4-1 score, but in both of her takedown attempts, Leydecker could make minor adjustments to prevent a score - should those situations arise again. Keys to Victory Rodriguez: Rodriguez does her best offensive work from a distance. She has quick low attacks and will even play cat-and-mouse with her opponents - taking a quick, half-shot from space and backing out and catching them out of position. When Rodriguez is able to keep that separation from neutral, she’s also able to react quickly and is able to stuff attacks from her opponent. Leydecker: Though she’s tall and has good size, Leydecker seems to prefer closing the gap and working from her underhook. She’ll need to control the ties against Rodriguez and keep her uncomfortable. Though she gave up exposure in a scramble to Rodriguez at the Open, Leydecker is well-versed in scrambling and does well in 50/50 flurries.

U20 World Team Trials Finals 55 kg: Caleb Noble (Illinois) over Nico Enzminger (North Dakota) 5-3, 8-5 60 kg: Isaiah Cortez (California) over Treygen Morin (Idaho) 10-2, 9-0 63 kg: Landon Drury (Colorado) over Carter Nogle (Maryland) 5-2, 4-3 67 kg: Otto Black (Colorado) over Pierson Manville (Pennsylvania) 10-1, 7-5 72 kg: Joel Adams (Nebraska) over Jude Randall (Oklahoma) 5-1, 11-0 77 kg: Leister Bowling (Colorado) over Julian Slaastad (Illinois) Fall 1:59, Fall 6:00 82 kg: Arvin Khosravy (California) over Gavin Ricketts (Kentucky) 8-1, 9-0 87 kg: Nick Nosler (Illinois) over Aidan Squier (Connecticut) 1-6, 8-0, 2-1 97 kg: Soren Herzog (Minnesota) over Quin Morgan (Minnesota) 9-0, 10-1 130 kg: Shilo Jones (Idaho) over Travyn Boger (Utah) 8-0, 4-3 U23 World Team Trials Finals 55 kg: Kenneth Crosby (Colorado) over William Jakeway (South Carolina) 8-0, 8-0 60 kg: Rhett Peak (Oklahoma) over Jakason Burks (Nebraska) 5-1, 4-3 63 kg: Joseph Couch (Maryland) over James Joplin (North Carolina) 10-2, 8-0 67 kg: Brennan Van Hoecke (Florida) over Gunnar Hamre (Wisconsin) 8-0, 8-0 72 kg: Colton Parduhn (Alaska) over Dylan Whitt (Iowa) 3-2, 8-0 77 kg: Aydin Rix McElhinney (Colorado) over Ethan Barr (Missouri) 8-0, 16-8 82 kg: Adrian Artsisheuski (New York) over Ethan Wilson (New Jersey) 15-6, 9-0 87 kg: Keenan Wyatt (Alabama) over Kennedy Wyatt (Alabama) Fall 3:31, 10-0 97 kg: Max Ramberg (Wisconsin) over Jesse Perez (New Mexico) 12-6, 8-0 130 kg: Aden Attao (Idaho) over KJ Miley (Missouri) 9-1, 13-4

It’s about that time! In the past couple of weeks, we’ve spent time loosely discussing Final X; however, it’s time to start talking about the individual matches themselves. Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll break down all 20 Final X matchups - leading into the event itself on June 14th, from Newark, New Jersey. In our next men’s freestyle preview, we’ll look at a matchup that seems like we should have seen before but never have - Joey McKenna versus Real Woods. Both are three-time NCAA All-Americans, former national finalists for Big Ten power programs, who started off at Stanford. McKenna might have a healthy home-field advantage as he is from only about 20 miles away from Newark. Prior Previews 57 kg men’s freestyle 61 kg men's freestyle 50 kg women’s freestyle 53 kg women's freestyle 65 kg men’s freestyle Joey McKenna vs. Real Woods We are guaranteed to have a first-time Senior World team member at 65 kg as Joey McKenna takes on Real Woods. It’ll be a battle of wrestlers who initially started their careers at Stanford. The two never overlapped though. Both Woods and McKenna earned All-American honors at Stanford before transferring to the Big Ten and making a national final. McKenna is no stranger to Final X; however, it’s been a few years since he’s participated in one. He took on fellow Ohio State Buckeye Logan Stieber in the 2018 version of the event. Since then, he’s moved to the Penn RTC and now he’s in his first year training at Oklahoma State’s Cowboy RTC. McKenna was a runner-up at the 2021(1) Olympic Trials and third at the 2024 Trials - is it his time to finally break through? Although he hasn’t made a Senior Team, McKenna has plenty of international experience, highlighted by a Junior World silver medal and U23 bronze. Woods moved from Stanford to Iowa and finished second and fourth for the Hawkeyes. He took a step forward at the Trials and elevated himself into world team contender status. Prior to that tournament, he hasn’t been too close (results-wise) to making a team. Woods also made a recent adjustment to his training, moving to Michigan’s Cliff Keen Wrestling Club. A new setting might be responsible for his recent uptick in results. Almost a decade ago, Woods was a part of the Cadet World Team in Greco-Roman and in 2019 he captured a Junior World silver medal. How they got here McKenna: A title at the US Open locked up McKenna’s berth in Final X. He was the top seed at the tournament; however, that bracket was seen as wide-open, so him prevailing wasn’t a given. In the semifinals, McKenna got pushed by another wrestler with a Stanford connection, Aden Valencia. In that contest, McKenna trailed by criteria in the waning seconds. With just under two seconds left on the clock, he snapped Valencia and then head-pinched him for two exposure points. In the final, McKenna used a second-period takedown to edge another wrestler from one of his former school’s, Ohio State’s two-time national champion Jesse Mendez. Woods: Woods qualified for the World Team Trials by finishing fourth at the Open. Both losses came to Valencia. Right off the bat at the Trials, Woods had Valencia and used a last-second low attack to get the winning takedown. In the semis, he used a first-period barrage to jump way ahead of Mendez, then held on for an 11-9 win. It was more of the same in the WTT finals. Woods got up on Brock Hardy 6-0 at the break and coasted to a 10-6 win and a trip to Final X. Recent Form McKenna: By Senior level standards, McKenna has been rather busy this calendar year. In February, he traveled to Croatia and earned a silver medal at the Zagreb Open. After the Open, McKenna went to the Pan-American Championships and also left with a silver medal. Woods: Woods also hit a Rankings Series event earlier this year when he claimed a bronze medal at the Muhamet Malo Tournament in Albania. Then was fourth at the Open before winning the Trials. Woods has been in a bunch of close matches, of late, so those experiences might end up benefitting him in Newark. Prior History Even though these are two veterans who have been relatively active on the Senior level, they have not met before. Keys to Victory: Both wrestlers are very creative offensively and have a variety of ways to score points. Both have recently shown late-match heroics, so neither is ever really out of a match. Each has been in high-scoring shootouts or low-scoring tactical affairs - it just depends on the matchup. Of the men’s freestyle series' I think this one has the best potential to go three matches.

Rolesville

Crestview

Valiant Prep via Fort Hays State

FJ Reitz

Bear River

Bunn

Pinecrest

Millington Central

Warren Central

Pleasant Valley

We’re a ways away from the deadline to enter the transfer portal (May 2nd), but there are still wrestlers who are in the portal who are making decisions regarding their next step. The biggest recent transfer-related news in some time came down yesterday as AJ Ferrari was denied entry to North Carolina. After speaking with a coach knowledgeable about the portal, it is thought that he’ll be able to transfer again since he was in the portal during the allotted time frame. Also dropping yesterday, was news that NCAA qualifier Jaden Bullock was coming home for a final year of eligibility. He’ll leave Michigan to wrestle for the Virginia Tech Hokies in his home state. Bullock qualified for the national tournament in 2024 and went 2-2 at in his only NCAA appearance. Last year was a bit rough as Bullock went 13-13 and didn’t qualify for nationals. His presence is needed since All-American TJ Stewart went into the portal and there wasn’t a clear cut successor at 184 lbs. Remember, there are still avenues for a wrestler to enter the transfer portal at this time. Any additional entries will be tied to a coaching change or perhaps from a graduate student. The first list of wrestlers we’ve listed have already publicly committed to a new transfer destination. That new school is listed first, along with their projected weight, followed by their former school. Below them are notable wrestlers that have gone into the transfer portal. It is not a comprehensive list. Transfers Appalachian State: Joe Fongaro (149) - Rutgers Arizona State: Gavin Bauder (133) - Clackamas CC Arizona State: David Szuba (285) - Rider Arizona State: Leo Tukhlynovych (174) - Rochester CTC Arizona State: Ane’e Vigil (125) - Clackamas CC Army West Point: Jake Crapps (133) - Missouri Bloomsburg: Eric Alderfer (157) - Lock Haven Buffalo: Connor Jacobs (184) - Clarion Buffalo: Kelin Laffey (165) - Pittsburgh Buffalo: Gianni Silvestri (141) - Clarion Cal Poly: Caesar Garza (174) - Michigan State Cal Poly: Luke Gayer (165) - Rutgers Cal Poly: Andre Gonzales (141) - Ohio State Campbell: Ethan Ducca (184) - Wyoming Central Michigan: Seth Larson (157) - Campbell Central Michigan: Gianni Maldonado (165) - Air Force Prep Chattanooga: Cooper Flynn (125) - Minnesota Chattanooga: Hunter Mason (141) - Virginia Tech Chattanooga: Billy Meiszner (149) - Kent State Chattanooga: Carter Neves (285) - Ohio State Clarion: Brandon Bauer (141) - Little Rock Clarion: Peyton Costa (133) - Cleveland State Clarion: Connor Eck (157) - Lock Haven Clarion: Ky Szewczyk (133) - Ohio CSU Bakersfield: Jeremy Manibog (157) Davidson: Anwar Alli (165) - Virginia Drexel: Nate Schon (285) - Iowa State Edinboro: Brycen Arbogast (125) - West Virginia Edinboro: Tate Geiser (165/174) - Cleveland State Illinois: Ryan Boersma (285) - Triton College Illinois: Michael Gioffre (157) - Virginia Illinois: Cade Lautt (197) - North Carolina Illinois: Spencer Moore (125) - North Carolina Indiana: Orlando Cruz (174) - Purdue Iowa: Sammy Alvarez (149) - Rider Iowa: Nasir Bailey (133/141) - Little Rock Iowa: Massoma Endene (197) - Wartburg Iowa: Dean Peterson (125) - Rutgers Iowa: Jordan Williams (149) - Little Rock Iowa State: Isaac Dean (184) - Rider Iowa State: Rocky Elam (197) - Missouri Iowa State: Malton Powe (165) - Pratt CC Little Rock: Brock Herman (157) - Ohio State Little Rock: Draegen Orine (133) - NC State Lock Haven: Sam Gatreau (165) - Maryland Long Island: Domenic D’Agostino (165) - Drexel Maryland: Chase Horne (285) - NC State Michigan: Taye Ghadiali (285) - Campbell Michigan: Lachlan McNeil (149) - North Carolina Michigan: Diego Sotelo (125) - Harvard Minnesota: Jore Volk (125) - Wyoming Missouri: Maxx Mayfield (165) - Northwestern Morgan State: Anthony Ferrari (157) - Long Island NC State: Zach Redding (133/141) - Iowa State Nebraska: Chance Lamer (149) - Cal Poly North Carolina: Bryce Hepner (157/165) - Ohio State North Carolina: Kysen Terukina (125) - Iowa State Northern Colorado: Murphy Menke (174) - Oregon State Northern Illinois: Ali Adel (184) - Harper College Northern Iowa: Caleb Rathjen (149) - Iowa Ohio State: Cody Chittum (157) - Iowa State Ohio State: Dylan Fishback (184) - NC State Ohio State: Xander Myers (197) - Cleveland State Ohio State: Ethan Stiles (149) - Oregon State Oklahoma: Tyson Charmoli (133) - Wyoming Oklahoma: Jack Gioffre (149) - Virginia Oklahoma: Peyton Kellar (157) - Ohio Oklahoma: Brian Soldano (184) - Rutgers Oklahoma: Tyler Wells (133) - Minnesota Oklahoma State: Alex Facundo (165) - Penn State Oklahoma State: Richie Figueroa (125/133) - Arizona State Oklahoma State: Zack Ryder (184) - Penn State Oklahoma State: Gary Steen (133) - Penn State Oklahoma State: Casey Swiderski (149) - Iowa State Oregon State: Joel Adams (149) - Michigan/CKWC Oregon State: Daschle Lamer (174) - Cal Poly Penn State: Rocco Welsh (184) - Ohio State Pittsburgh: Lucas Daly (184) - Michigan State Purdue: Blake Boarman (133) - Chattanooga Purdue: Gavin Brown (149) - Ohio State Rider: Brendon Abdon (165) - Little Rock Rider: Eli Griffin (141) - California Baptist Rider: Dylan Layton (149) - Cleveland State Rider: Hogan Swenski (285) - Ohio State Rutgers: Hunter Catka (285) - Virginia Tech Rutgers: Remy Cotton (197) - Michigan State Rutgers: Lenny Pinto (174) - Nebraska Sacred Heart: Anthony Clem (133) - West Virginia Sacred Heart: Joey Clem (133) - West Virginia Sacred Heart: John Hildebrandt (133) - Drexel Sacred Heart: Caden Smith (125) - Virginia Tech SIU Edwardsville: Kevin Zimmer (285) - Wyoming Utah Valley: David Evans (149) - Penn State Virginia: Colton Washleski (157) - Rider Virginia Tech: Jaden Bullock (184) - Michigan Virginia Tech: Sergio DeSiante (174) - Chattanooga Virginia Tech: Ethen Miller (157) - Maryland West Virginia: Louie Gill (125) - NC State West Virginia: Willie McDougald (149) - Oklahoma Wyoming: Christian Carroll (197/285) - Iowa State Wyoming: Sefton Douglass (125) - Western Wyoming Wyoming: Cody Phelps (133) - Michigan State Portal Chris Cannon (133/141) - Northwestern Jordan Decatur (141) - Kent State Kyle Dutton (149) - Little Rock AJ Ferrari (197/285) - CSU Bakersfield Rafael Hipolito (157 - Virginia Tech Caden Horwath (125) - Michigan Isaiah Powe (141) - Chattanooga Sean Spidle (133) - Central Michigan TJ Stewart (184) - Virginia Tech Jesse Vasquez (149) - Arizona State

It’s about that time! In the past couple of weeks, we’ve spent time loosely discussing Final X; however, it’s time to start talking about the individual matches themselves. Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll break down all 20 Final X matchups - leading into the event itself on June 14th, from Newark, New Jersey. In our next women’s freestyle preview, we’ll look at a matchup that seems impossible to call? Why? Because, they are very familiar with each other as ex-collegiate teammates and they’ve both beaten each other, multiple times. There is the experience factor for Felicity Taylor who has been under the bright lights at Final X before; however, Brianna Gonzalez is riding the wave of an incredible showing at the US Open. Prior Previews 57 kg men’s freestyle 61 kg men's freestyle 50 kg women’s freestyle 53 kg Women’s Freestyle Brianna Gonzalez vs. Felicity Taylor We’ll have a first-time Senior World qualifier at this weight as we have this matchup that features plenty of storylines. Both Brianna Gonzalez and Felicity Taylor were teammates on the Iowa women’s team in 2023-24. Not only were they teammates, but the pair also met each other in the 2024 NCWWC national finals. Though she still has two years of collegiate eligibility remaining, Gonzalez does have some decent international experience under her belt. She made the U20 world team last year and also competed at the Grand Prix of Spain. Back in 2021, Gonzalez claimed a gold medal at the U17 Pan-American Championships. Taylor was a perennial college title contender wrestling for McKendree; however, she transferred home to Iowa and was able to capture her elusive collegiate championship for the Hawkeyes. On the international front, Taylor made two U23 World teams and wrestled in a bronze medal match on one occasion. How they got here Gonzalez: As the sixth seed at the 2025 US Open, Brianna Gonzalez ran quite the gauntlet to claim a title and earn a berth in Final X. In the Round of 16, she downed collegiate national champion and former U20 world team member Jaslynn Gallegos. A match later, Gonzalez blanked former Final X participant Katie Gomez. In the semis, she teched 2024 U23 world champion Sage Mortimer. That set up a finals win over Taylor, 6-5. Taylor: Though she had a tough field at the World Team Trials, Taylor won both of her matches via tech and secured her spot in Final X. First was North Central’s national champion Sydney Petzinger and then came Mortimer in the finals. Taylor also downed Petzinger in the semifinals of the Open. Recent Form Gonzalez: Based on her recent history, you probably would not have picked Gonzalez to be two matches away from a berth on the Senior World Team. She finished fifth in the nation at the 2025 NCWWC National Championships and then third at the U23 World Team Trials at Women’s Nationals. Those are not poor finishes, by any means; however, they are not what you’d expect from someone in contention for the Senior World Team. Taylor: Taylor comes in after finals appearances at the Open and the Trials. Obviously, she won the Trials in convincing fashion, so she has to be feeling pretty good. In her only international tournament of 2025, Taylor went 0-2 at the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series event in Turkey. Prior History This is about as even as you’re going to get in any series we’ll see in Newark. These two women have four career matches against each other and each has two wins. Gonzalez at the Open and in 2024 at the Regional finals in college. Taylor got revenge in the national finals and then a few months later at the Olympic Trials. This might be one of the most obvious series that will need three matches to decide. Keys to Victory Gonzalez: Attack on the outside. During the US Open finals bout with Taylor, Gonzalez’s two takedowns came when she created angles. She finished with relative ease. Gonzalez got in trouble when she attacked Taylor head-on. She either got stuffed, stalemated, or countered and taken down in the shooting directly at Taylor. Taylor: Be disciplined in her positions. Taylor generally does a better job of controlling the ties and the center of the mat - key for freestyle and in a close match where the shot clock might be a factor. Taylor is also very good from the front headlock position, so getting that area would be beneficial for her. She also had a strategic error late in the Open finals against Gonzalez. After a Gonzalez takedown put her down on criteria, she tried to wrestle through the position and ended up getting exposed. It ended up being a difference-maker in that match.

This morning, we learned that the University of North Carolina has denied admission to 2021 NCAA champion AJ Ferrari. Last month, an article in the Daily Tar Heel mentioned some of Ferrari’s past legal troubles and this reportedly led the UNC athletic department to reconsider his case. Ferrari spent the 2024-25 campaign at CSU Bakersfield and finished the year with a 22-1 record and was third in the nation. Shortly after the NCAA Tournament, Ferrari entered the transfer portal and selected North Carolina as his next destination. Since Ferrari was in the portal this year, there is the thought that he’ll be able to transfer again. The question arises as the portal closed for the year on May 2nd and the only loopholes are if there’s a head coaching change or for a graduate student. We’ll have more information about this situation and Ferrari’s status as it develops.

While the news of the evening on Wednesday was the flip of #52 Claudio Torres (Lake Highland Prep, FL) to Iowa, there have been a couple of key commitments from the Class of 2026 that you shouldn’t overlook. Cornell and Purdue already have impressive groups of commitments from the Class of 2026; however, that didn’t stop them from adding to them within the last 24 hours. Purdue kept a strong prospect in-state as they got a commitment from #112 Parker Reynolds (Brownsburg, IN). Reynolds is a two-time Indiana state placer taking sixth as a sophomore and winning a state championship at 150 lbs in 2025. He’s currently ranked #25 in the nation at that weight. After the 2024 season, Reynolds finished fifth at NHSCA Sophomore Nationals. Reynolds’ commitment gives Purdue five of the top 112 wrestlers in the country. The class is led by #31 Camden Baum (Bishop McDevitt, PA). Reynolds also took visits to George Mason and Indiana before settling on Purdue. At the next level, Reynolds projects as a 157 or 165 lber. 165, in particular, is a need for the Boilermakers who have some young wrestlers waiting in the wings, but no definite successor to Stoney Buell, whose eligibility expires in 2026. Cornell tends to recruit well in head coach Mike Grey’s home state of New Jersey and that continues with the commitment of Santino Rodriguez (Don Bosco Prep, NJ). Rodriguez is a two-time New Jersey state placewinner. As a freshman, he was sixth in the 120 lb weight class. In 2025, he was third all the way up at 165 lbs. Rodriguez has placed at the NHSCA grade-level tournament in each of the last two seasons, taking fifth in the sophomore division and second a year later. Rodriguez is currently ranked #144 in the Class of 2026. His commitment gives Grey’s team verbals from eight top 200 prospects! Cornell’s Class of 2026 has plenty of 149/157 types, but Rodriguez should end up around 174 or higher once he gets to Ithaca. With freshman All-American Simon Ruiz returning at 174 lbs, that weight doesn’t look like a dire need for the Big Red; however, weights can change and a little competition never hurt. Earlier this month, Rodriguez took a visit to Ivy League rival Columbia - in addition to his trip to Ithaca. For all of the recent recruiting news, check out our commitment page

Don Bosco Prep

Brownsburg

Just a few days ahead of the release of our recruiting rankings, Iowa made a late push as they picked up a great prospect from the Class of 2025. The #52 overall recruit in the Class of 2025, Claudio Torres (Lake Highland Prep, FL) has flipped from his commitment to Virginia Tech and will sign with the Hawkeyes. Torres finished his high school career ranked sixth in the nation at 165 lbs. He was one of seven National Prep champions in 2025 for Lake Highland Prep. That helped the school earn their first team title at the tournament. The individual championship was the second of Torres’ career. In addition to his National Prep title, Torres also finished seventh at the Super 32, third at the Ironman, and was a champion at the Beast of the East - all during the 2024-25 campaign. All told, Torres was a four-time Fargo placer earning All-American honors twice in Junior freestyle. Torres’ addition now gives Tom Brands’ team four of the top 60 seniors in the nation. He’ll join #7 Leo DeLuca (NJ), #10 Harvey Ludington (NJ), #59 Jarrel Miller (OH), and #146 Ty Miller (OH) in the Hawkeyes Class of 2025. Torres projects at 165 or 174 at the next level. Iowa will certainly need help in 2026-27 at 165 lbs as NCAA finalist Michael Caliendo is getting ready to use his final year of eligibility. Here are Iowa’s current recruits from the Class of 2025 and 2026 - Click Here

Lake Highland Prep

Back for episode 2 and the guys are digging into the suspensions of Kyle Snyder and Thomas Gilman, Lehigh's announcement of their women's wrestling team along with what the future holds for women and we ask the question: are duals the answer for the future of college wrestling? Timestamp: 0:00 - Intro 1:59 - Weigh in 8:57 - Lehigh announces women’s team + future of women’s wrestling 25:30 - Suspensions: Kyle Snyder + Thomas Gilman 52:00 - Are duals the future? + Mike Moyer’s tweet 1:16:03 - Posts for tickets at Final X…Really?