InterMat Staff

Rossford via Siena Heights

Haddon Township

Sycamore

Pueblo East

North Allegheny

Here are our interviews with champions in the Men's freestyle portion of the 2025 US Open. Luke Lilledahl (57 kg) Jax Forrest (61 kg) Joey McKenna (65 kg) Yianni Diakomihalis (70 kg) Mitchell Mesenbrink (74 kg) Evan Wick (79 kg) Zahid Valencia (86 kg) Trent Hidlay (92 kg)

The finals of the 2025 Senior US Open featured some incredible performances and some semi-surprising results most notably at 86 kg where Zahid Valencia used his picturesque duck under to knock off four-time world champion Kyle Dake. Valencia was one of four champions (Jax Forrest, Joey McKenna, Valencia, Wyatt Hendrickson) for Oklahoma State’s Cowboy RTC on Saturday night. They also put Dean Hamiti Jr. in the finals at 79 kg, giving them a finalist in half of the ten weights. This tournament, and 2025 overall, represents a changing of the guard in US Men’s freestyle as we’ve seen plenty of notable retirements and weight changes in the wake of the 2024 Olympic Games. This new era of men’s freestyle wrestling could include a world team member, not named Dake or Burroughs, for the first time since 2010. Mitchell Mesenbrink has the best chance to be that guy as he turned in an impressive win over David Carr - his 2024 NCAA finals opponent. Winners from the Open automatically punched a ticket to Final X in Newark, New Jersey on June 14th. With returning world medalists at the same weight confirmed to compete at Final X, we know the matchups at the 57 and 61 kg weight classes. Olympic silver medalist Spencer Lee will clash with 2025 true freshman All-American Luke Lilledahl at 57 kg. At the next weight class up, 2023 World Champion Vito Arujau will face high school phenom Jax Forrest, at 61 kg. The remaining eight champions have advanced to Final X and will await a challenge to emerge from the World Team Trials in mid-May. 2025 US Open Senior Men’s Freestyle Final Results 57 kg - Luke Lilledahl (NLWC/TMWC) over Liam Cronin (Nebraska RTC/TMWC) 10-0 61 kg - Jax Forrest (Cowboy RTC/TMWC) over Seth Gross (MATPAC WC) 19-8 65 kg - Joey McKenna (Cowboy RTC/TMWC) over Jesse Mendez (Ohio RTC/TMWC) 3-2 70 kg - Yianni Diakomihalis (Spartan Combat RTC/TMWC) over James Green (Nebraska RTC/TMWC) 8-2 74 kg - Mitchell Mesenbrink (NLWC/TMWC) over David Carr (Cyclone RTC/TMWC) 16-6 79 kg - Evan Wick (SoCal RTC/TMWC) over Dean Hamiti Jr. (Cowboy RTC/TMWC) 9-1 86 kg - Zahid Valencia (Cowboy RTC/TMWC) over Kyle Dake (NLWC/TMWC) 8-4 92 kg - Trent Hidlay (Wolfpack WC/TMWC) over Aeoden Sinclair (Tiger Style WC) 7-1 97 kg - Kyle Snyder (NLWC/TMWC) over Jay Aiello (Penn RTC/TMWC) 11-0 125 kg - Wyatt Hendrickson (Cowboy RTC/TMWC) over Demetrius Thomas (NYAC) 14-3

The 2025 Senior Men’s Greco-Roman World Team has been set. The team will feature some familiar faces like stalwarts Ellis Coleman, Alejandro Sanchez, Kamal Bey, and Cohlton Schultz. At the same time, there is plenty of new blood - in the form of hungry, young athletes with a track record of success. Jayden Raney will handle the lightest weight class and was a 2024U17 world champion. The 82 kg slot will be held down by Beka Melelashvili who was a U23 world silver medalist last year. Saturday’s Greco-Roman Trials Finals Series’ 82 kg - Beka Melelashvili (NYAC) over Jesse Porter (NYAC) InjDef, FFT 87 kg - Payton Jacobson (NMU/NYAC) over Spencer Woods (Army WCAP) 5-1, 5-6, 7-5 97 kg - Michail Foy (Army WCAP) over Joe Rau (TMWC) 6-0, 1-3, 4-3 130 kg - Cohlton Schultz (Atreus WC) over Adam Coon (CKWC/NYAC) Fall :55, FFT 2025 Senior Greco-Roman World Team 55 kg - Jayden Raney (NYAC) 60 kg - Max Black (NYAC/NMU) 63 kg - Ellis Coleman (Army WCAP) 67 kg - Alston Nutter (Army WCAP) 72 kg - Alejandro Sancho (Army WCAP) 77 kg - Kamal Bey (Army WCAP) 82 kg - Beka Melelashvili (NYAC) 87 kg - Payton Jacobson (NMU/NYAC) 97 kg - Michail Foy (Army WCAP) 130 kg - Cohlton Schultz (Atreus WC)

Note: The 2025 US Open also served as the World Team Trials for Men's Greco-Roman. Therefore, the winners of the series' below have secured a spot on the world team. The remainder of the weights will be decided on Saturday. Greco Roman World Team Trials Finals 55 kg - Jayden Raney over Brady Koontz FFT 60 kg - Max Black over Zane Richards 3-2, 2-1 63 kg - Ellis Coleman over Ildar Hafizov 9-0, 8-4 67 kg - Alston Nutter over Otto Black Fall 4:21, Fall 2:58 72 kg - Alejandro Sancho over Aliaksandr Kikiniou 2-1, 6-1 77 kg - Kamal Bey over Aliaksandr Kikiniou 7-2, 5-0

Women's Freestyle Championship Finals 50 kg - Audrey Jimenez over Erin Golston 11-0 53 kg - Brianna Gonzalez over Felicity Taylor 6-5 55 kg - Cristelle Rodriguez over Everest Leydecker 4-1 57 kg - Amanda Martinez over Jacarra Winchester FFT 59 kg - Abby Nette over Michaela Beck Fall 4:06 62 kg - Kayla Miracle over Adaugo Nwachukwu 4-0 65 kg - Aine Drury over Bella Mir 8-7 68 kg - Kennedy Blades over Solin Piearcy 10-0 72 kg - Alex Glaude over Skylar Grote 4-3 76 kg - Kylie Welker over Yelena Makoyed 11-0

Men's Freestyle 57 kg Luke Lilledahl (NLWC/TMWC) over Nico Provo (California RTC) 10-4 Liam Cronin (Nebraska RTC/TMWC) over Daniel DeShazer (Gopher WC) 4-1 61 kg Seth Gross (MATPAC Wrestling Club) fall Marcus Blaze (TMWC) 6:00 Jax Forrest (Cowboy RTC/TMWC) over Ben Davino (Ohio RTC/TMWC) 4-0 65 kg Joey McKenna (Cowboy RTC/TMWC) over Aden Valencia (California RTC/TMWC) 9-6 Beau Bartlett (NLWC/TMWC) vs. Jesse Mendez (Ohio RTC/TMWC) 4-2 70 kg James Green (Nebraska RTC/TMWC) over Will Lewan (Cliff Keen WC) 9-2 Yianni Diakomihalis (Spartan Combat RTC/TMWC) over Bryce Andonian (Southeast RTC/TMWC) Fall 1:11 74 kg David Carr (Cyclone RTC/TMWC) over Jarrett Jacques (Tiger Style WC) 11-0 Mitchell Mesenbrink (NLWC/TMWC) over Quincy Monday (New Jersey RTC/TMWC) 12-1 79 kg Evan Wick (SoCal RTC/TMWC) over Simon Ruiz (Spartan Combat RTC/NLWC) 9-5 Dean Hamiti (Cowboy RTC/TMWC) over Kennedy Monday (New Jersey RTC/TMWC) 14-4 86 kg Kyle Dake (NLWC/TMWC) vs. Parker Keckeisen (Panther WC) 8-1 Zahid Valencia (Cowboy WC/TMWC) over Chance Marsteller (New Jersey RTC/TMWC) 4-2 92 kg Trent Hidlay (Wolfpack WC/TMWC) over Eric Schultz (Nebraska RTC/TMWC) 7-4 Aeoden Sinclair (Tiger Style WC) over Mike Macchiavello (Lehigh Valley WC) 1-1 97 kg Kyle Snyder (NLWC/TMWC) over Gavin Hoffman (Pennsylvania) 10-0 Jay Aiello (Penn RTC/TMWC) over Ethan Laird (DMV RTC) 11-0 125 kg Demetrius Thomas (Rhode Island) over Jordan Wood (NYAC) 6-1 Wyatt Hendrickson (Cowboy RTC/TMWC) over Trent Hillger (Gopher WC) 10-4 Greco-Roman 82 kg Jesse Porter (NYAC) over Andrew Berreyesa (NYAC) 9-1 Beka Melelashvili (NYAC) over Fritz Schierl (Minnesota Storm/NYAC) 8-0 87 kg Payton Jacobson (NMU/NYAC) over Adrian Artsisheuski (NYAC) 9-0 Spencer Wood (Army WCAP) over Zac Braunagel (IRTC) 9-0 97 kg Joe Rau (TMWC) over Tim Young (Army WCAP) 5-2 Michial Foy (Army WCAP) over Nicholas Boykin (Ohio) Fall 2:15 130 kg Adam Coon (NYAC) over Courtney Freeman (All-Marine) 7-3 Cohlton Schultz (Atreus WC) over Aden Attao (NYAC) 8-0

Saginaw United

Berks Catholic

Malvern Prep

57 kg Luke Lilledahl (NLWC/TMWC) vs. Nico Provo (California RTC) Liam Cronin (Nebraska RTC/TMWC) vs. Daniel DeShazer (Gopher WC) 61 kg Marcus Blaze (TMWC) vs. Seth Gross (MATPAC Wrestling Club) Ben Davino (Ohio RTC/TMWC) vs. Jax Forrest (Cowboy RTC/TMWC) 65 kg Joey McKenna (Cowboy RTC/TMWC) vs. Aden Valencia (California RTC/TMWC) Beau Bartlett (NLWC/TMWC) vs. Jesse Mendez (Ohio RTC/TMWC) 70 kg James Green (Nebraska RTC/TMWC) vs. Will Lewan (Cliff Keen WC) Bryce Andonian (Southeast RTC/TMWC) vs. Yianni Diakomihalis (Spartan Combat RTC/TMWC) 74 kg David Carr (Cyclone RTC/TMWC) vs. Jarrett Jacques (Tiger Style WC) Quincy Monday (New Jersey RTC/TMWC) vs. Mitchell Mesenbrink (NLWC/TMWC) 79 kg Evan Wick (SoCal RTC/TMWC) vs. Simon Ruiz (Spartan Combat RTC/NLWC) Kennedy Monday (New Jersey RTC/TMWC) vs. Dean Hamiti (Cowboy RTC/TMWC) 86 kg Kyle Dake (NLWC/TMWC) vs. Parker Keckeisen (Panther WC) Chance Marsteller (New Jersey RTC/TMWC) vs. Zahid Valencia (Cowboy WC/TMWC) 92 kg Trent Hidlay (Wolfpack WC/TMWC) vs. Eric Schultz (Nebraska RTC/TMWC) Aeoden Sinclair (Tiger Style WC) vs. Mike Macchiavello (Lehigh Valley WC) 97 kg Kyle Snyder (NLWC/TMWC) vs. Gavin Hoffman (Pennsylvania) Ethan Laird (DMV RTC) vs. Jay Aiello (Penn RTC/TMWC) 125 kg Demetrius Thomas (Rhode Island) vs. Jordan Wood (NYAC) Trent Hillger (Gopher WC) vs. Wyatt Hendrickson (Cowboy RTC/TMWC)

The second session of Thursday’s competition at the US Open featured the semifinals in women’s freestyle and the first six Greco-Roman weights. Tomorrow’s upcoming finals will have plenty of interesting storylines based on the semifinal results. In the women’s tournament, we’ll have a meeting between former Iowa teammates Felicity Taylor and Brianna Gonzalez at 53 kg. The pair met in the 2024 NCWWC national finals and Taylor was victorious. 55 kg has a high school junior, Everest Leydecker, in the finals. Leydecker got by 2024 World Team member Areana Villescusa in the semis 2-1 and handled two-time NCWWC national champion Amani Jones in the quarterfinals. Leydecker will have to contend with two-time NAIA national champ Cristelle Rodriguez. It’ll be a rematch of 2023 Final X at 62 kg as Kayla Miracle will look to get back to Final X this year against Adaugo Nwachukwo. In 2023, Miracle prevailed 6-1 and 10-3. At 72 kg, former Beaver Dam RTC teammates Skylar Grote and Alex Glaude will do battle. Each will be looking to lock up their second career Final X appearance. Closing out the women’s finals will be another chapter in the long rivalry between Kylie Welker and Yelena Makoyed. Welker has generally gotten the best of Makoyed; however, Makoyed does have two wins over Welker in the past two years. The Greco finals will be intense as they will serve as the World Team Trials championship bouts. Additionally, there are still some good storylines from the first six weights. 55 kg will feature Greco prodigy Jayden Raney - a U17 world champion last year. Raney is now two wins over two-time world team member Brady Koontz away from making the 2025 Senior team. He’s already had world team experience; however, Zane Richards’ trip to the World Championships came in freestyle. He’s now in the Greco-Roman national finals. Max Black will try and prevent Richards from accomplishing the rare double feat. 63 kg has Army WCAP teammates clashing in a bout that features two of the most decorated active Senior level Greco competitors. Ildar Hafizov and Ellis Coleman have combined to appear in the World Championships on 12 occasions and each has made an Olympic team. This will be their first official meeting as Hafizov has largely competed at 55-60 kg. At 72 and 77 kg, we’ll have a father-son combo in back-to-back matches. Aliaksandr Kikiniou will face rival Kamal Bey at 77 kg. The pair have met in the Olympic Trials finals and Final X in each of the last two years - with Bey taking each series. The younger Kikiniou, also Aliaksandr, will have two-time Olympian Alex Sancho in the 72 kg finals. 50 kg Audrey Jimenez (Lehigh Valley WC) over Heather Crull (Northeastern WC) 10-0 Erin Golston (NYAC) over Emily Shilson (TMWC) Fall 1:33 53 kg Felicity Taylor (TMWC) over Sydney Petzinger (Cardinal WC) 5-2 Brianna Gonzalez (Iowa Women’s WC) over Sage Mortimer (TMWC) 13-2 55 kg Everest Leydecker (Thorobred WC) over Areana Villaescusa (Army WCAP) 2-1 Cristelle Rodriguez (Tiger WC) over Louisa Schwab (Menlo WC) 10-0 57 kg Jacarra Winchester (USOPTC/TMWC) over Ashley Whetzal (The Valley WC) 10-0 Amanda Martinez (Cardinal WC/TMWC) over Lorianna Piestewa (Colorado Mesa WC) 6-0 59 kg Michaela Beck (TMWC) over Alexis Janiak (TMWC) 6-5 Abby Nette (Army WCAP) over Xochitl Mota-Pettis (Rise RTC) 10-0 62 kg Kayla Miracle (Valiant WC) over SaVannah Cosme (Atreus WC) 10-0 Adaugo Nwachukwu (Army WCAP) over Alara Boyd (Cardinal WC) 12-11 65 kg Isabella Mir (Cardinal WC) vs. Katerina Lange (Laker WC) Fall 5:52 Aine Drury (NYAC) over Jennifer Page (TMWC) Fall 2:14 68 kg Kennedy Blades (Hawkeye WC/TMWC) over Noelle Gaffney (New Jersey) 10-0 Solin Piearcy (USOPTC/TMWC) over Brooklyn Hays (USOPTC/TMWC) 3-2 72 kg Skylar Grote (USOPTC/TMWC) over Tiffany Baublitz (Team Pennsylvania) 10-0 Alex Glaude (Beaver Dam RTC/TMWC) over Joye Levendusky (TMWC) 7-0 76 kg Kylie Welker (Iowa Women’s WC) over Marlynne Deede (Laker WC) 10-0 Yelena Makoyed (Cardinal WC/TMWC) over Dymond Guilford (USOPTC/TMWC) 8-2 Greco-Roman 55 kg Brady Koontz (Dubuque RTC/TMWC) over Billy Sullivan (Army WCAP) 9-1 Jayden Raney (NYAC) over Peter Del Gallo (South Side WC) 8-0 60 kg Zane Richards (Illinois RTC/TMWC) over Isaiah Cortez (Daniel Cormier WC) 6-2 Max Black (NYAC/NMU) over Randon Miranda (NYAC) 4-1 63 kg Ildar Hafizov (Army WCAP) over Kaden Ercanbrack (NMU) Fall 1:21 Ellis Coleman (Army WCAP) over Riley Lomenick (OTC) 9-0 67 kg Otto Black (NYAC/Colorado Top Team) over Richard Fedalan (NYC RTC) 10-0 Alston Nutter (Army WCAP) over David Stepanian (NYAC) 7-1 72 kg Alex Sancho (Army WCAP) over Noah Wachsmuth (NYAC) 8-0 Aliaksandr Kikiniou (NYAC) over Peyton Robb (Nebraska/NYAC) 11-3 77 kg Kamal Bey (Army WCAP) over Ayden Rix McElhinney (NYAC/NMU) 10-0 Aliaksandr Kikiniou (NYAC) over Britton Holmes (Army WCAP) 9-0

Senior level competition was the name of the game from Las Vegas on Thursday at the 2025 US Open. For the first time, men's Greco-Roman and women’s freestyle competitors took the mat in hopes of earning a spot on the 2025 World Team. As you would expect from a tournament of this caliber and with the depth in the field, there were some early-round upsets - primarily coming on the Greco-Roman side of things. While only six Greco weights were contested on Thursday, a pair of past Senior World Team members were tripped up before the semifinals (Dalton Roberts at 60 kg and Xavier Johnson at 67 kg). Here are the semifinal matchups in both styles which will take place starting at 7pm (Eastern) tonight. Greco-Roman 55 kg Brady Koontz (Dubuque RTC/TMWC) vs. Billy Sullivan (Army WCAP) Jayden Raney (NYAC) vs. Peter Del Gallo (South Side WC) 60 kg Isaiah Cortez (Daniel Cormier WC) vs. Zane Richards (Illinois RTC/TMWC) Randon Miranda (NYAC) vs. Max Black (NYAC/NMU) 63 kg Ildar Hafizov (Army WCAP) vs. Kaden Ercanbrack (NMU) Riley Lomenick (OTC) vs. Ellis Coleman (Army WCAP) 67 kg Richard Fedalan (NYC RTC) vs. Otto Black (NYAC/Colorado Top Team) Alston Nutter (Army WCAP) vs. David Stepanian (NYAC) 72 kg Alex Sancho (Army WCAP) vs. Noah Wachsmuth (NYAC) Aliaksandr Kikiniou (NYAC) vs. Peyton Robb (Nebraska/NYAC) 77 kg Kamal Bey (Army WCAP) vs. Ayden Rix McElhinney (NYAC/NMU) Britton Holmes (Army WCAP) vs. Aliaksandr Kikiniou (NYAC) Women’s Freestyle 50 kg Audrey Jimenez (Lehigh Valley WC) vs. Heather Crull (Northeastern WC) Emily Shilson (TMWC) vs. Erin Golston (NYAC) 53 kg Felicity Taylor (TMWC) vs. Sydney Petzinger (Cardinal WC) Brianna Gonzalez (Iowa Women’s WC) vs. Sage Mortimer (TMWC) 55 kg Areana Villaescusa (Army WCAP) vs. Everest Leydecker (Thorobred WC) Cristelle Rodriguez (Tiger WC) vs. Louisa Schwab (Menlo WC) 57 kg Jacarra Winchester (USOPTC/TMWC) vs. Ashley Whetzal (The Valley WC) Lorianna Piestewa (Colorado Mesa WC) vs. Amanda Martinez (Cardinal WC/TMWC) 59 kg Michaela Beck (TMWC) vs. Alexis Janiak (TMWC) Abby Nette (Army WCAP) vs. Xochitl Mota-Pettis (Rise RTC) 62 kg Kayla Miracle (Valiant WC) vs. SaVannah Cosme (Atreus WC) Alara Boyd (Cardinal WC) vs. Adaugo Nwachukwu (Army WCAP) 65 kg Isabella Mir (Cardinal WC) vs. Katerina Lange (Laker WC) Jennifer Page (TMWC) vs. Aine Drury (NYAC) 68 kg Kennedy Blades (Hawkeye WC/TMWC) vs. Noelle Gaffney (New Jersey) Solin Piearcy (USOPTC/TMWC) vs. Brooklyn Hays (USOPTC/TMWC) 72 kg Skylar Grote (USOPTC/TMWC) vs. Tiffany Baublitz (Team Pennsylvania) Joye Levendusky (TMWC) vs. Alex Glaude (Beaver Dam RTC/TMWC) 76 kg Kylie Welker (Iowa Women’s WC) vs. Marlynne Deede (Laker WC) Dymond Guilford (USOPTC/TMWC) vs. Yelena Makoyed (Cardinal WC/TMWC)

The final five selections for the National Duals Invitational were made today as there was a lottery-style drawing live on FloWrestling for the spots. Arizona State, Lehigh, Little Rock, Missouri, and Wyoming are the teams who could round out the field and travel to Tulsa, Oklahoma on November 15th-16th. These teams will have to accept their invitation to finalize the field. Wyoming’s addition was the biggest surprise, odds-wise, as the Cowboys only had a total of three ping-pong balls in the hopper. Purdue had the most (12) but was not drawn. The teams with the next best shot at selection, Missouri (11) and Lehigh (10) both were chosen. Penn was eligible to be selected but had their ping pong balls removed as they indicated before the show that they did not intend to participate. Now that the field has potentially been finalized, the event will feature the teams that finished #2-#12 at the 2025 NCAA Championships - along with #14 Missouri, #15 Lehigh, #17 Little Rock, #18 (t) Arizona State, #22 Wyoming. Of the five teams selected, Lehigh might be the most imposing in 2025-26. They could field a team that includes All-Americans at each of the first three weights. Two alternates were drawn as well, in the event that these teams are not able to participate. West Virginia is the first alternate and South Dakota State is the second. There will be $1 million dollars worth of prizes available for the participating teams - $200,000 for the winning squad and a guaranteed $20,000 for each squad.

Marmion Academy

Mount Carmel

Deerfield

Montoursville

Harrison County

Central Valley

Mineral Point