InterMat Staff

Bald Eagle Area

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 final women’s freestyle preview is at 76 kg where a pair of past Senior world teamers will collide with Kylie Welker and Dymond Guilford. There’s quite a bit of history between the two and each has a win over the other. Both have had good results internationally, so whoever wins will certainly be a medal threat in Croatia at the 2025 World Championships. Prior Previews 57 kg men’s freestyle 61 kg men's freestyle 65 kg men's freestyle 70 kg men's freestyle 74 kg men's freestyle 79 kg men's freestyle 86 kg men's freestyle 92 kg men's freestyle 97 kg men's freestyle 125 kg men's freestyle 50 kg women’s freestyle 53 kg women's freestyle 55 kg women's freestyle 57 kg women's freestyle 59 kg women's freestyle 62 kg women’s freestyle 65 kg women's freestyle 68 kg women's freestyle 76 kg men’s freestyle Kylie Welker vs Dymond Guilford This is only the second match on the women’s freestyle slate that features a pair of past Senior World team members squaring off. In addition, each has won at least one world medal at the age group level. Kylie Welker just finished up her second year at Iowa, but already has plenty of Senior level accolades to her name. Last year, Welker earned her first Senior World medal by taking bronze at 72 kg in the non-Olympic weight World Championships. Also in 2024, Welker claimed a gold medal at the U23 World Championships - marking her second age group world title. She also was a U20 world champion in 2021. Dymond Guilford has been a mainstay at this weight and in contention for Olympic and World Teams for the last five-plus years. In 2022, Guilford made the Senior and U23 world team. Though she wasn’t able to medal at the Senior tournament, she did make the finals of U23’s. When Guilford made her world team, she downed longtime rival Yelena Makoyed in two straight exciting matches at Final X Stillwater. How They Got Here Welker: Since Welker was wrestling at a different weight from her 2024 world medal (72 kg), she was forced to wrestle in the 2025 US Open. At that event, she earned the top seed and wrestled like one with four straight first-period techs. Welker outscored the field by a cool 41-0 margin. To clinch the trip to Final X, Welker dismantled Makoyed 11-0. Guilford: When Makoyed made the US Open finals, it was at the expense of Guilford in the semifinals, 8-2. As these things happened, the pair met for an umpteenth time in the finals of the World Team Trials. The difference-maker in this recent meeting was a four-point first-period throw that gave Guilford a commanding 5-0 lead. She wouldn’t relinquish that and ended up with a 5-3 victory. Recent Form Welker: After winning her two world medals in 2024, Welker got started on a collegiate campaign for the University of Iowa that saw her go unbeaten and win her second straight national title. For her efforts, Welker was a finalist for the Women’s Collegiate Wrestler of the Year award by USA Wrestling. After winning the Open, Welker earned another gold medal at the Pan-American Championships. Guilford: Guilford finished 2024 with a silver medal at the Bill Farrell Memorial in November. She would ring in the New Year by going to Albania and winning the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series tournament. Prior History There is a bit of a history between these two. Most recently at the 2024 Olympic Team Trials, Welker edged Guilford 5-4 in the third-place bout at the Challenge Tournament. They’ve also met in Final X, back in 2023, during a true third-place wrestle-off. Once again, Welker won a close 8-5 bout. Guilford’s only win came in the 2023 US Open when she pinned Welker while trailing, 8-2. Their first meeting came at the 2020 Olympic Trials as a 17-year-old Welker got by Guilford 8-0 in the Challenge Tournament semifinals. Keys to Victory In her US Open finals win over Makoyed, much of Welker’s damage was done on defense and through re-attacks. Guilford will need to be very methodical in the way she attacks the legs. If there isn’t an opening, she probably shouldn’t take a shot. If Guilford takes a shot, she should be fully committed to it and finish as quickly as possible. Half shots against Welker only make it easier for her on the re-attack. In one instance, Makoyed got in deep on a leg attack; however, Welker was able to sit the corner and get exposure points via crotch lock.

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 final men’s freestyle preview is at 125 kg where Wyatt Hendrickson and Trent Hillger will clash. The pair met in the US Open semifinals and Hillger was able to slow down Hendrickson, as much as anyone has lately. Still, Hendrickson rolled to an Open title. We’ll see on Saturday if Hillger can close the gap or if Hendrickson is destined to take on the world as our next great big man in Croatia. Prior Previews 57 kg men’s freestyle 61 kg men's freestyle 65 kg men's freestyle 70 kg men's freestyle 74 kg men's freestyle 79 kg men's freestyle 86 kg men's freestyle 92 kg men's freestyle 97 kg men's freestyle 50 kg women’s freestyle 53 kg women's freestyle 55 kg women's freestyle 57 kg women's freestyle 59 kg women's freestyle 62 kg women’s freestyle 65 kg women's freestyle 68 kg women's freestyle 125 kg men’s freestyle Wyatt Hendrickson vs. Trent Hillger We’ll have a first-time Senior World team member however this series ends up as Wyatt Hendrickson takes on Trent Hillger. Even though we’ve had some great heavyweights of late, there hasn’t been much continuity on the Senior level at this weight. Over the last five years worth of Olympic/World Championships, we’ve had four different 125 kg representatives. The winner on Saturday will make it five in six years. The only one to repeat during this span is Mason Parris, who made the 2023 world team and 2024 Olympic squad. Parris is currently attempting to make the San Diego Chargers. That logical next guy up is Wyatt Hendrickson, the 2025 NCAA champion, Hodge Trophy winner, and US Open champion. Hendrickson earned All-American honors on two occasions with the Air Force Academy, then transferred to Oklahoma State to use his final year of eligibility. Hendrickson’s game took off in Stillwater and led him to an undefeated campaign that culminated in a national title and one of the most unforgettable moments at the NCAA Tournament. Hendrickson also has a great freestyle pedigree. He was a 2023 U23 world champion and wrestled for a world bronze medal at the U20 level in 2021. Opposing Hendrickson is Trent Hillger who was a three-time NCAA All-American for Wisconsin and currently trains out of Minnesota’s Gopher Wrestling Club. With such a great crop of recent heavyweights at the collegiate level, Hillger is a name that might have gotten overlooked. Working out in a Minnesota room full of excellent heavyweights, it’s no surprise to see Hillger thrive at the next level. How They Got Here Hendrickson: As the second seed at the 2025 US Open, Hendrickson was true to form and continued to be a point-scoring machine. He posted techs in each of his first two matches - both within the first minute of the contest. That set up a meeting with Hillger in the semis. Hillger was the only opponent to go the full six minutes with Hendrickson, which still resulted in a 10-4 score. For the championship and the trip to Final X, Hendrickson ran through former Pitt star Demetrius Thomas, 14-3. Hillger: Hillger was seeded second at the World Team Trials and ended up crushing the third seed, Jordan Wood, 13-2 to earn a finals berth. There he used a pair of first-period takedowns to jump out to an early lead on Thomas and never looked back. Hillger added three more in the second period to win 10-4. Recent Form Hendrickson: Pulling off one of the most memorable upsets in NCAA wrestling history counts as being in good form, right? Hendrickson did that in March when he knocked off 2020 Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson - a training partner of Hillger. After the Open, Hendrickson mauled his way through the Pan-American Championships for a gold medal. Hillger: Since finishing his collegiate career in 2023, Hillger has been pretty busy on the international scene. Last fall, he won the Bill Farrell Memorial. Earlier this year, he traveled to the Zagreb Open Ranking Series and finished a match shy of a medal. He’s certainly on an upward trajectory in his development at the Senior level. Prior History Hendrickson obviously has the US Open win over Hillger that’s fresh on our minds; however, Hillger does have a past win over Hendrickson. You have to go back to 2021 and the NCAA bloodround, when Hillger downed Hendrickson 6-3 to earn a spot on the NCAA podium. Obviously, that match was a long time ago and Hendrickson has improved significantly since 2021, but it is something Hillger can latch onto mentally as he prepares for this series. Keys to Victory Whoever dictates the pace of these bouts should come out the winner. If Hendrickson is able to fire off shots and either get to the legs or creative scrambles, it significantly benefits him. Not only does he tend to win those 50/50 flurries, but he often catches an opponent on their back. If Hillger can tie up Hendrickson, limit his number of attacks, and pick his own spots, he’s got a much better chance.

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. Over the weekend, we had the sudden announcement of AJ Ferrari to Nebraska. Ferrari’s addition will give a huge boost to a Cornhusker team that finished second at the 2025 NCAA Championships. Just when we thought that the portal news was drying up, California Baptist had to go and make a couple of notable moves. The Lancers brought in a pair of veterans that should make an immediate impact. Kurt McHenry and Jesse Vasquez were both announced as transfers by school on Tuesday. Vasquez qualified for the 2024 NCAA Tournament for Arizona State, but has dealt with a variety of injuries throughout his career. McHenry, a two-time Cadet world champion, has been behind some good 125 lbers at Michigan and Penn State and has had injuries of his own. 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 Bloomsburg: Michael Giugliano (133) - Buffalo Bloomsburg: Jace Schafer (125) - West Virginia 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 California Baptist: Kurt McHenry (125) - Penn State California Baptist: Jesse Vasquez (149) - Arizona 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: Mason Cover (285) - Cleveland State CSU Bakersfield: Jeremy Manibog (157) - Oklahoma State 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: Chris Cannon (133/141) - Northwestern 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: AJ Ferrari (197/285) - CSU Bakersfield 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 Colorado: Emilio Trujillo (141) - California Baptist Northern Illinois: Ali Adel (184) - Harper College Northern Illinois: Caleb Roe (184) - Presbyterian Northern Iowa: Caleb Rathjen (149) - Iowa Northwestern: Sean Spidle (133) - Central Michigan 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: Rafael Hipolito (157) - Virginia Tech 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: Patrick Adams (125) - Northwestern 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 Jordan Decatur (141) - Kent State Kyle Dutton (149) - Little Rock Caden Horwath (125) - Michigan Isaiah Powe (141) - Chattanooga TJ Stewart (184) - Virginia Tech

This evening, 2024 Olympic gold medalist Amit Elor announced that she will withdraw from this weekend’s Final X event due to health concerns. In her post on Instagram, Elor stated that she, “recently found out that I was anemic during the World Team Trials, which added up to be too much with my current injuries.” In addition to her gold medal from the Olympics, Elor won the previous two world titles at 72 kg. She was set to face Alex Glaude in Final X on Saturday in the 72 kg matchup. At this time, it appears that there will be no delayed wrestle off or a Final X matchup with Glaude and another competitor. The most logical choice would be Skylar Grote who lost one-point matches to be Glaude and Elor at the US Open and World Team Trials, respectively.

Erie, PA – Jimmy Overhiser steps onto the mat as the next head coach of the Mercyhurst Wrestling program. "We are thrilled to announce Jimmy as our new head wrestling coach," said Athletic Director Joe Spano. "Jimmy's passion for wrestling and his focus on academics are the qualities we need to carry on Mike's legacy and help guide us through reclassification." Overhiser is set to take the helm of the wrestling program following the retirement of longtime head coach Mike Wehler. He joins Mercyhurst from Drexel University, where he served as an assistant coach during the 2024 season and helped guide the team to its highest-ever conference finish — second place. Before arriving at Drexel, he was an assistant coach at Army for the 2023 season, where he played a key role in bringing in two nationally ranked recruiting classes. At the start of his coaching career, Overhiser contributed to Reinhardt University's (NAIA) pursuit of its first-ever national title, coaching three All-Americans along the way. "I'm incredibly honored to be named the Head Wrestling Coach at Mercyhurst University." Overhiser said. "This program has a proud tradition, and I'm excited to lead it into this new chapter at the Division I level. I look forward to building a strong culture, developing our student-athletes on and off the mat, and competing at the highest level." A native of Bradford, New York, Overhiser attended Wyoming Seminary, where he was a National Prep All-American and helped the program win its first-ever team National Prep title. He also attended Lansing High School, where he graduated as a wrestling state champion. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Architecture, Art, and Urban Planning from Cornell University, where he was also a member of the wrestling team throughout his collegiate career. He is currently pursuing his Masters in Educational Admin. at Missouri Valley.

The recent run of notable lightweights signing with Real American Freestyle (RAF) continues as the organization announced via social media that Nathan Tomasello has been inked. Tomasello was a 2015 NCAA champion and four-time All-American for Ohio State University. His 2015 championship helped the Buckeyes to their first team title in school history. Tomasello also captured four Big Ten titles, making him the second Ohio State wrestler to accomplish the feat. His .926 (100-8) winning percentage ranks sixth all-time in Buckeye wrestling history. Tomasello also won a pair of titles at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Throughout his collegiate career, Tomasello never finished lower than third at the NCAA Championships. On the freestyle circuit, Tomasello was third at the 2020 Olympic Team Trials challenge tournament and a runner-up at the 2021 World Team Trials. His eighth-place finish at the 2025 US Open marked the fourth time he’s placed at the event on the Senior level. In the summer of 2024, Tomasello joined the coaching staff at California Baptist University. During his first year on staff, Tomasello helped lightweight Hunter Leake (133 lbs) advance to the national tournament. At this point, we’re unsure of how weight classes might work out for RAF; but however it shakes out, they’ll have some quality lightweights. Last week, RAF announced that Matt Ramos and Seth Gross signed with them. RAF’s inaugural event will take place on August 30th from Cleveland, Ohio. More information about tickets and an actual card will be found here as the information is released. With Tomasello’s addition, the RAF roster now looks like this: Ben Askren Kennedy Blades Aaron Brooks David Carr Kyle Dake Austin Gomez Seth Gross Wyatt Hendrickson Trent Hidlay Parker Keckeisen Will Lewan Matt Ramos Zahid Valencia Evan Wick Real Woods

Palmyra

Massillon Perry

Carson City

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 97 kg. It will feature an intriguing matchup between the legendary Kyle Snyder and former world team member Hayden Zillmer. Both have been on the domestic and international scene for a decade; however, they don’t have much of a history against each other. This series also might have some extra attention due to Kyle Snyder’s recent legal troubles. Prior Previews 57 kg men’s freestyle 61 kg men's freestyle 65 kg men's freestyle 70 kg men's freestyle 74 kg men's freestyle 79 kg men's freestyle 86 kg men's freestyle 92 kg men's freestyle 50 kg women’s freestyle 53 kg women's freestyle 55 kg women's freestyle 57 kg women's freestyle 59 kg women's freestyle 62 kg women’s freestyle 65 kg women's freestyle 68 kg women's freestyle 97 men’s freestyle Kyle Snyder vs. Hayden Zillmer This weight class took a strange turn in mid-May as Kyle Snyder was arrested and his status for Final X and beyond was in doubt. Since then, Snyder has pleaded to a lesser charge, was temporarily suspended and reinstated by USA Wrestling, and is set to wrestle on Saturday. With the uncertainty around this weight, Hayden Zillmer dropped down from 125 kg at the US Open to wrestle at 97 kg at the World Team Trials. This will be one of two matchups on the men’s freestyle card between past world team members. Snyder has been a mainstay at 97 kg - making every world and Olympic team at this weight since 2015. During that span, Snyder has claimed an Olympic gold medal and three world titles. The 2024 Olympic Games marked the only time in the last decade that Snyder came away from a world/Olympic tournament without any hardware. That being said, he hasn’t given us a reason to think that he won’t make the 2025 team and contend for a medal this year. Zillmer was a teammate of Snyder on the 2022 world team - he made it at 125 kgs. Amazing enough, this will be the third different weight class Zillmer has wrestled at in Final X. He was a part of the very first Final X and competed there at 92 kg. To make the 2022 world team, Zillmer knocked off two-time world medalist Nick Gwiazdowski in a dramatic, three-match series in New York City. How They Got Here Snyder: Since Snyder did not win an Olympic medal in 2024, he was forced to compete at the US Open which is relatively new territory for him. Snyder was never significantly threatened in Vegas and won all four matches via tech and without surrendering a single point. Only one of his four matches, the final against Jay Aiello, was the only bout that went into the second period. Zillmer: As mentioned above, Zillmer finished fourth at the US Open at 125 kgs, but dropped down to 97 kg for the Trials. At the Trials, Zillmer faced Snyder’s US Open finals opponent Aiello in the championship bout. Zillmer needed a last-second takedown to seal a 5-3 win over Aiello. Recent Form Snyder: Despite a decade on the Senior level, Snyder remains one of our most active wrestlers at the Senior level. Before the Open, Snyder saw action in a pair of international tournaments. He captured the gold at the Zagreb Open Ranking Series event and was a bronze medalist at Albania’s Muhamet Malo event. Zillmer: Like Snyder, Zillmer also competed in Zagreb. He took a bronze medal while hitting the mat at the 125 kg weight class. Prior History Surprisingly, there is only one Senior level matchup between these two grizzled veterans. That came in the semifinals of the 2019 Bill Farrell. In that meeting, Snyder won via tech, 11-0. Keys to Victory Snyder: Get your mind right. Aside from one tweet, we haven’t heard anything from Snyder since his arrest. With his history and track record, one would assume he’ll be ready to roll mentally and physically in Newark. But who knows? If it’s the version of Snyder we’ve come to expect, then he is a heavy favorite. Zillmer: Get your mind right. With all eyes and all attention on every move from Snyder, there is very little pressure on Zillmer. Thrive on being the underdog. He did that in 2022, against Gwiazdowski, and ended up making the world team.

Yesterday, the coaching carousel got a swift jolt as Army West Point announced Troy Nickerson as the program’s next head coach. Of course, Nickerson filling that vacancy creates another in Greeley as Northern Colorado will now need to find a head coach themselves. We’ll see if Nickerson’s hiring leads to further moves from the Army or Northern Colorado staff. Another move that was announced over the weekend was Tyler Grayson returning to the Brown University coaching staff. The Central Michigan grad had previously served on staff at Brown for eight years under previous head coaches Dave Amato and Todd Beckerman. Coaching Changes Army West Point: Troy Nickerson (Head Coach) Binghamton: Brevin Cassella (Assistant Coach) Brown: Tyler Grayson (Assistant Coach) Missouri: Keegan O’Toole (Assistant Coach) Oklahoma State: Kevin Ward (Assistant Coach) Penn: Matt Valenti (Head Coach) Princeton: Ryan Wolfe (Assistant Coach) Purdue: Matt Ramos (Assistant Coach) RTC/Club Lee Roper (Cowboy RTC) Open Appalachian State: Assistant Coach Bellarmine: Assistant Coach George Mason: Assistant Coach Kent State: Head Coach Little Rock: Assistant Coach Maryland: Assistant Coach Michigan State: Assistant Coach NC State: Assistant Coach Northern Colorado: Head Coach Northern Iowa: Assistant Coach Penn: Assistant Coach

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 at 68 kg. It will feature a matchup between Kennedy Blades and Brooklyn Hays. Both are young, rising stars on the women’s freestyle circuit. Blades has the 2024 Olympic silver medal, while Hays is steadily progressing after taking fifth at the U23 World Championships. Prior Previews 57 kg men’s freestyle 61 kg men's freestyle 65 kg men's freestyle 70 kg men's freestyle 74 kg men's freestyle 79 kg men's freestyle 86 kg men's freestyle 92 kg men's freestyle 50 kg women’s freestyle 53 kg women's freestyle 55 kg women's freestyle 57 kg women's freestyle 59 kg women's freestyle 62 kg women’s freestyle 65 kg women's freestyle 68 kg women’s freestyle Kennedy Blades vs. Brooklyn Hays One of the faces of USA Wrestling’s women’s division will be in action at 68 kg attempting to make her first Senior World Team. Of course, Kennedy Blades already competed in the 2024 Olympic Games and came away with a silver medal. Technically, this could be her first world team - at the Senior level that is. On the age group front, Blades won a U20 world title in 2021 and made the U23 finals in 2023. Opposing Blades is Brooklyn Hays, who has quietly worked her way up the domestic ladder at this weight. Last year, Hays finished third at the Olympic Team Trials and fell to Alex Glaude in a wrestle-off for a national title spot. Later in 2024, she went to the U23 World Championships and lost in a bronze medal match. Also in 2024, Hays represented the United States at the Pan-American U23 and Senior Championships. She won gold at the Senior level and took silver at U23’s. How They Got Here Blades: Since Blades’ 2024 Olympic silver medal came at 76 kg, she had to compete at the US Open after moving down to 68 kg. The Open didn’t present much of a test for Blades, who won all three of her bouts in Vegas via tech and without surrendering a point. Only one made it to the second period. Hays: At the Open, Hayes was edged by fellow USOPTC teammate Solin Piearcy, 3-2 in the semifinals. That meant she’d have to go to Louisville for the World Team Trials for an opportunity to make Final X. At the Trials, the pair met again, but it was Hays who prevailed 4-0 on the strength of a takedown and step-out point in the first period. Recent Form Blades: Even though she was competing in college for Iowa and won USA Wrestling’s Women’s College Wrestler of the Year Award, Blades still managed to get a Ranking Series event under her belt earlier this year. She went to Croatia and came away with a title at the Zagreb Open. After the Open, Blades went to Mexico and claimed a gold medal at the Pan-American Championships. Hays: Hays also competed in a continental championship event in 2025. She struck gold at the Pan-American U23 Championships. Her fifth-place finish at the U23 World Championships was in late October, so that could be classified as semi-recent. Prior History You have to go back a couple of years to find the only prior meeting between these two. They clashed in 2023 in the semifinals of the U20 Trials at Women’s Nationals. In that contest, Blades prevailed with a 10-0 tech. Keys to Victory For Blades, it will be to just wrestle her normal match. She will be considered a heavy favorite in this series. Hays will need to find a way to slow Blades; perhaps her length could keep Blades at bay for a bit.

The decision is in for Army West Point! New York native Troy Nickerson will head to his home state to become the new head coach for Army. Nickerson just wrapped up his 11th season as the head coach at the University of Northern Colorado. The 2024-25 proved to be one of the best in school history as the Bears placed two wrestlers on the NCAA podium, a feat that they had not achieved in almost 60 years. UNC also had two Big 12 champions for the second time in three seasons. In addition to the exploits from the 2024-25 season, Nickerson guided Andrew Alirez to a 2023 NCAA title at 141 lbs. Alirez was the first DI national champion for Northern Colorado in wrestling…or any other sport! Alirez finished the 2022-23 campaign undefeated and was named a Hodge Trophy finalist and Big 12 Wrestler of the Year. Nickerson finished his UNC tenure with three All-Americans and three others named honorable mention All-Americans during the 2019-20 season. In his 11 years, Nickerson helped send 37 wrestlers to the NCAA Tournament and had five of them win Big 12 crowns. Prior to Nickerson’s arrival, only 18 Bear wrestlers qualified for the NCAA tournament from 2007-15. Nickerson will inherit an Army West Point team that returns six of their seven NCAA qualifiers from 2025, along with two more from 2024. Army has an impressive recruiting Class of 2025 that will be featured in our forthcoming rankings, along with a loaded Class of 2026. Army finished tied for third in the revamped EIWA in 2025, the same place they finished in 2024. While Nickerson ultimately got the call, Army’s Associate Head Coach Scott Green and The Citadel’s head coach Ryan LeBlanc were finalists for the position. We’ll monitor how this move impacts the Army staff and Northern Colorado’s new vacancy.

Highland

Broken Arrow

St. Francis

St. Edward

Ringgold

Bakersfield

Knoxville Halls

Marietta

Brashear

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 92 kg. After previewing a handful of rematches, this will be one that we haven’t seen before. As they say in MMA, “styles make fights” and in this contest between, Trent Hidlay and Josh Barr, we should get some contrasting styles - and body types. Hidlay is compact and physically dominating with his underhooks. Barr is long and lean, but has high-quality leg attacks. Barr still has three years of collegiate eligibility remaining, while Hidlay finished in 2024. There’s a lot to be excited about for this matchup. Prior Previews 57 kg men’s freestyle 61 kg men's freestyle 65 kg men's freestyle 70 kg men's freestyle 74 kg men's freestyle 79 kg men's freestyle 86 kg men's freestyle 50 kg women’s freestyle 53 kg women's freestyle 55 kg women's freestyle 57 kg women's freestyle 59 kg women's freestyle 62 kg women’s freestyle 65 kg women's freestyle 92 kg men’s freestyle Trent Hidlay vs. Josh Barr This is a brand-new matchup that could be a lot of fun and very competitive. While both wrestlers have their share of age group and NCAA experience, each is seeking to make their first world team at the Senior level. Hidlay had an excellent collegiate career highlighted by a pair of NCAA finals appearances mixing in his four NCAA All-American finishes. On the international stage, Hidlay already has a pair of age-group world medals. He was a Junior world bronze medalist in 2019 and took silver at the U23 World Championships in 2022. Last year, Hidlay was the true third-place finisher at the Olympic Team Trials. Shortly after the Olympic Trials, Hidlay traveled to Hungary and was a silver medalist at the Polyak Imre & Varga Janos Memorial. Barr just completed his redshirt freshman year at Penn State. Although initially assumed to be a 184 lber, Barr moved up to 197 lbs and won his first 12 bouts at the weight. Barr would go on to make the NCAA finals before falling to the eventual champion Stephen Buchanan. Setting the tone for his freshman year, Barr made the gold medal match at the 2024 U20 World Championships. How They Got Here Hidlay: Hidlay was the top seed at the US Open and showed that he deserved top billing with his tournament title. He advanced to the semifinals after two tech falls and then downed former Nebraska All-American Eric Schultz, 7-4, to make the finals. In the championship match, Hidlay cruised by young star Aeoden Sinclair, 7-1 to clinch his first berth in Final X. Barr: Barr did not participate in the US Open. Two wins over Sinclair at the 2024 U20 Trials helped Barr receive the top seed at the World Team Trials. In Louisville, Barr got by former Oklahoma State national finalist Dustin Plott to set up another meeting with Sinclair. A second-period flurry of points helped Barr to a 7-3 win over Sinclair. Recent Form Hidlay: Hidlay has been relatively active in 2025. He started the year with a bronze medal at the Zagreb Open Ranking Series event. After sealing his spot in Final X, Hidlay traveled to the Pan-American Championships and captured the gold medal. Barr: The first couple months of 2025 were dedicated to helping Penn State cruise to a fourth-straight national title. Barr was sixth in the Big Ten, but second in the nation. He has not wrestled internationally since the 2024 U20 World Championships. Prior History This is a brand-new matchup which is always fun to get. As we alluded to earlier, both wrestlers defeated Missouri’s redshirting freshman Aeoden Sinclair to punch their ticket to Final X. Neither necessarily had trouble with Sinclair, but neither dominated him, so I don’t think the margin of victory really plays a role in trying to figure out the winner. Keys to Victory Hidlay: Establish the underhook. That’s what it usually comes down to in Hidlay’s matches. The underhook series is even more vital in freestyle, because of its ability to help Hidlay establish control of the center of the mat and draw passivities on his opponent. In addition, to his offensive attacks. If he gets to the underhook early and often, he rarely loses. Barr: Attack from space and score from reshots. Kind of the opposite of Hidlay. Barr needs to try and create distance from Hidlay. If so, he’ll be able to fire off some low-leg attacks. In the Sinclair bout at WTT’s, Barr scored from a crotch lift off a Sinclair shot and from a reshot. Hidlay likely won’t be a high-volume shooter, but when he does open it, it could present an avenue for Barr to score. There has to be something said for Hidlay’s past history with Penn State wrestlers. He lost twice in the NCAA finals to former Nittany Lion Aaron Brooks. Particularly in their 2024 final, Brooks had a perfect game plan to nullify Hidlay’s strengths. I’m sure the NLWC staff will try to implement something similar with Barr, but can he make it work on the mat?

The most notable name in the transfer portal is on the move as AJ Ferrari announced that he will transfer to Nebraska for the 2025-26 season. Ferrari is expected to compete at 285 lbs for the Cornhuskers. Earlier this offseason, Ferrari announced his transfer to North Carolina. Just over a week ago, news trickled out of Chapel Hill that Ferrari had been denied admission to UNC and would be on the market once again. Ferrari is a two-time NCAA All-American and two-time conference champion. He won a national title in 2021 as a true freshman for Oklahoma State and amassed a 19-1 record. Since then, Ferrari had a long road back to the NCAA Tournament. He was injured in a car accident in January of 2022 and was unable to compete in the postseason. Later that year, Ferrari was dismissed from the Cowboy team and did not compete in college until the 2024-25 season. Ferrari returned to the collegiate wrestling world this past season for CSU Bakersfield. He entered the NCAA Tournament with a perfect 17-0 record after defeating returning All-American Stephen Little (Little Rock) to claim a Pac-12 title. At the 2025 NCAA Championships, Ferrari showed off his stingy defense and low-risk offensive strategy in defeating his first three opponents by a 15-2 margin. That set the stage for a semifinal contest with Iowa’s Stephen Buchanan. Ferrari spent some time during the 2023-24 season training with the Hawkeye Wrestling Club at the University of Iowa, but never enrolled at the school. His younger brother, Angelo, is a freshman 184 lber at Iowa. Buchanan was able to give Ferrari a dose of his own medicine in a 3-0 win. After the Buchanan loss, Ferrari responded with back-to-back wins over Joey Novak (Wyoming) and Jacob Cardenas (Michigan) to claim third place. Cardenas entered the tournament as the top seed and was the Big Ten champion. He and Ferrari were briefly high school teammates at New Jersey’s Bergen Catholic High School. The win over Cardenas and the third-place finish gave Ferrari a 22-1 season record and ran his collegiate record to 51-2. The fit at heavyweight for Ferrari and the Cornhuskers could be a good one. 285 lbs was the only weight which Nebraska did not send to Philadelphia for nationals. Without counting Ferrari, Nebraska will return six All-Americans for the 2025-26 season. They’ll be in prime position to claim an NCAA team trophy for a second straight year.