By Richard Immel
USA Wrestling

COLORADO SPRINGS - One-hundred men’s freestyle athletes have qualified for the 2026 Senior World Team Trials Challenge Tournament to be held May 14-15 at Norton Healthcare Sports & Learning Center in Louisville, Ky.

Five men’s freestyle weight classes (57 kg, 61 kg, 70 kg, 74 kg, 125 kg) will be featured at the Senior World Team Trials Challenge Tournament. The winners in each weight class qualify for Final X on June 19 in Newark, N.J., where they will face the U.S. Open champion in a best-of-three series to determine the Senior World Team member.

Five men’s freestyle weight classes (65 kg, 79 kg, 86 kg, 92 kg, 97 kg) have locked in a Final X series, with a returning Senior World medalist facing the U.S. Open champion. These weight classes will not be contested in Louisville. Qualified athletes who would normally compete in one of these three weight classes are eligible to move up or down in weight for the Senior World Team Trials Challenge Tournament.

To be eligible for the Senior World Team Trials Challenge Tournament, a men’s freestyle athlete must meet one of the following criteria, in order:

a) 2024 Senior Men’s Freestyle Olympic or World Team Member

b) 2025 Senior Men’s Freestyle National Team Member

c) 2025 U23 Men’s Freestyle World Medalist

d) 2025 Junior Men’s Freestyle Pan American Games Gold Medalist

e) 2025 U20 Men’s Freestyle World Medalist

f) 2025 U17 Men’s Freestyle World Champion (age eligible)

g) November 2025 Bill Farrell International highest placing (top 4) U.S. athlete, who has yet to qualify, will earn a spot in the 2026 World Team Trials Challenge Tournament

h) February 2026 UWW Medalists at Ranking Series events #1 & #2

i) March 2026 NCAA top 3 place finisher

j) April 2026 U20 Men’s Freestyle U.S. Open Championships Gold Medalist

k) April 2026 Senior Men’s Freestyle U.S. Open Championships - top 7 place finisher per weight class

l) May 2026 Senior Pan American Championships Medalist

The only remaining path to qualification is becoming a 2026 Senior Pan American Championships medalist next week in Coralville, Iowa.

The full list of men’s freestyle qualifiers is available below. Athletes are sorted by expected competition weight and the first method of qualification for the event. Athletes who qualified in non-World Team Trials weights are listed separately in alphabetical order.

All procedures to make a U.S. World Championships or Pan American Championships team can be found on the Team Selection Criteria page.

2026 Senior World Team Trials Challenge Tournament 

Men’s freestyle qualifiers, as of April 28, 2026 

57 kg 

Spencer Lee – 2024 U.S. Olympic Team member

Liam Cronin – 2025 U.S. National Team member

Elijah Oliver – 2025 Bill Farrell Memorial International, highest U.S. placer not previously qualified

Marc-Anthony McGowan – 2026 NCAA Div. I Championships top three placer

Nico Provo – 2026 NCAA Div. I Championships top three placer

Anthony Knox – 2026 U.S. Open Championships top seven placer

Brody Teske – 2026 U.S. Open Championships top seven placer

Austin Assad – 2026 U.S. Open Championships top seven placer

Ezekiel Witt – 2026 U.S. Open Championships top seven placer

Isaiah Cortez – 2026 U20 Nationals champion

61 kg 

Jax Forrest – 2025 U.S. National Team member

Vito Arujau – 2025 U.S. National Team member

Seth Gross – 2025 U.S. National Team member

Austin DeSanto – 2025 Bill Farrell Memorial International, highest U.S. placer not previously qualified

Ben Davino – 2026 NCAA Div. I Championships top three placer

Aaron Seidel – 2026 NCAA Div. I Championships top three placer

Michael McGee – 2026 U.S. Open Championships top seven placer

Nathan Tomasello – 2026 U.S. Open Championships top seven placer

Elijah Cortez – 2026 U20 Nationals champion

70 kg 

PJ Duke – 2025 U.S. National Team member

Yianni Diakomihalis – 2025 U.S. National Team member

Ian Parker – 2025 U.S. National Team member

Tyler Kasak – 2025 Bill Farrell Memorial International, highest U.S. placer not previously qualified

Caleb Henson – 2026 Zagreb Open Ranking Series medalist

Alec Pantaleo – 2026 Muhamet Malo Ranking Series medalist

Landon Robideau – 2026 NCAA Div. I Championships top three placer

Antrell Taylor – 2026 NCAA Div. I Championships top three placer

Jordan Williams – 2026 U.S. Open Championships top seven placer

Melvin Miller – 2026 U.S. Open Championships top seven placer

Edward Scott – 2026 U.S. Open Championships top seven placer

74 kg 

David Carr – 2025 U.S. National Team member

Mitchell Mesenbrink – 2025 U.S. National Team member

Jarrett Jacques – 2025 U.S. National Team member

Jayden James – 2025 U17 World champion

Will Lewan – 2025 Bill Farrell Memorial International, highest U.S. placer not previously qualified

Quincy Monday – 2026 Muhamet Malo Ranking Series medalist

Mikey Caliendo – 2026 NCAA Div. I Championships top three placer

Kannon Webster – 2026 U.S. Open Championships top seven placer

Joseph Sealey – 2026 U.S. Open Championships top seven placer

Cameron Amine – 2026 U.S. Open Championships top seven placer

125 kg 

Mason Parris – 2024 U.S. Olympic Team member

Demetrius Thomas – 2025 U.S. National Team member

Lucas Stoddard – 2025 Junior Pan American Games champion

Cole Mirasola – 2025 U20 World Championships medalist

Coby Merrill – 2025 Bill Farrell Memorial International, highest U.S. placer not previously qualified

Isaac Trumble – 2026 NCAA Div. I Championships top three placer

Taye Ghadiali – 2026 NCAA Div. I Championships top three placer

Anthony Cassioppi – 2026 U.S. Open Championships top seven placer

Daniel Kerkvliet – 2026 U.S. Open Championships top seven placer

Jimmy Mullen – 2026 U.S. Open Championships top seven placer

Jordan Wood – 2026 U.S. Open Championships top seven placer

Additional qualifiers in non-World Team Trials weights 

Jay Aiello – 2025 U.S. National Team member

Josh Barr – 2025 U.S. National Team member

Beau Bartlett – 2026 U.S. Open Championships top seven placer

Dillon Bechtold – 2026 U.S. Open Championships top seven placer

Michael Boyle – 2026 U20 Nationals champion

Daniel Braunagel – 2025 Bill Farrell Memorial International, highest U.S. placer not previously qualified

Patrick Brophy – 2026 U.S. Open Championships top seven placer

Jordan Burroughs – 2024 U.S. World Team member

Ryan Burton – 2026 U20 Nationals champion

Jacob Cardenas – 2025 Bill Farrell Memorial International, highest U.S. placer not previously qualified

Marcus Coleman – 2025 Bill Farrell Memorial International, highest U.S. placer not previously qualified

Cade DeVos – 2026 U.S. Open Championships top seven placer

Thomas Dineen – 2025 Junior Pan American Games champion

David Evans – 2026 U.S. Open Championships top seven placer

Dean Hamiti – 2025 U.S. National Team member

Will Henckel – 2025 U20 World Championships medalist

Trent Hillger – 2025 U.S. National Team member

Parker Keckeisen – 2026 Zagreb Open Ranking Series medalist

Patrick Kennedy – 2026 NCAA Div. I Championships top three placer

Zane Lanham – 2026 U.S. Open Championships top seven placer

Stephen Little – 2026 NCAA Div. I Championships top three placer

Layne Malczewski – 2026 U.S. Open Championships top seven placer

Pierson Manville – 2026 U.S. Open Championships top seven placer

Jimmy Mastny – 2026 U20 Nationals champion

Max McEnelly – 2025 U20 World Championships medalist

Joey McKenna – 2025 U.S. National Team member

Jesse Mendez – 2026 NCAA Div. I Championships top three placer

Muhamed McBryde – 2026 U.S. Open Championships top seven placer

Cody Merrill – 2026 NCAA Div. I Championships top three placer

Christopher Minto – 2026 NCAA Div. I Championships top three placer

Connor Mirasola – 2025 U20 World Championships medalist

Dustin Plott – 2026 Zagreb Open Ranking Series medalist

Justin Rademacher – 2025 U20 World Championships medalist

Zain Retherford – 2024 U.S. Olympic Team member

Rylan Rogers – 2026 U.S. Open Championships top seven placer

Samuel Sanchez – 2025 U17 World champion

Seth Shumate – 2026 U.S. Open Championships top seven placer

Aeoden Sinclair – 2025 U.S. National Team member

Matthew Singleton – 2026 U.S. Open Championships top seven placer

Luke Stanich – 2025 U20 World Championships medalist

Carter Starocci – 2025 U.S. National Team member

David Taylor – 2024 U.S. World Team member

Bernie Truax – 2026 U.S. Open Championships top seven placer

Aden Valencia – 2026 NCAA Div. I Championships top three placer

Shayne Van Ness – 2026 NCAA Div. I Championships top three placer

Sergio Vega – 2026 NCAA Div. I Championships top three placer

Rocco Welsh – 2025 Junior Pan American Games champion

Evan Wick – 2025 U.S. National Team member

Hayden Zillmer – 2025 U.S. National Team member