By Tanner Lafever
USA Wrestling

LAS VEGAS – A mixture of new and familiar faces littered the Senior Men’s Freestyle semifinals at the 2026 U.S. Open Championships – and the same will hold true for Saturday night’s finals.

World/Olympic Team veterans Spencer Lee (57kg), James Green (74kg), Kyle Dake (86kg), Hayden Zillmer (97kg) and Wyatt Hendrickson (125kg) all successfully moved on.

Zillmer faced the greatest adversity, scoring all five of his points in a 5-4 decision after the break – including the match-winning takedown with just 13 seconds remaining.

Green also faced a close, albeit different semifinal bout, prevailing 2-1 on passivity points over Cameron Amine, who’d just upset returning World Teamer David Carr a few hours earlier.

As for Lee (fall) and Hendrickson (11-1 tech fall), they each needed less than 90 seconds to get their hand raised. Meanwhile, Dake won a controlled 6-1 decision over 2025 U.S. Open runner-up Aeoden Sinclair.

Returning World Teamer Jax Forrest wasn’t as fortunate, dropping his 61 kg semifinal 8-4 to Benjamin Davino.

Forrest won the previous high-profile bout between the two, earning an NCAA title in Cleveland last month. But Davino came prepared for the freestyle rematch – building an 8-1 lead at the break despite several breathtaking scrambles by the young stars.

He’ll face another familiar foe in the finals, as U20 World champion Marcus Blaze defeated former World teamer Seth Gross, 6-1.

Returning U.S. Open champion Joseph McKenna brought a buzz to the crowd during his 65 kg semifinal – scoring a late takedown to defeat two-time NCAA champion Jesse Mendez, 3-2.

So too did his finals opponent – high school star Bo Bassett – during a 10-0 tech. fall victory over Beau Bartlett.

(PA announcers everywhere are breathing a collective sigh of relief with that matchup having concluded.)

Meanwhile, both 70 kg semis ended early – albeit for different reasons.

A 17-6 win by Ridge Lovett was the fun version, as the former Cornhusker broke open a 7-6 match with a series of leg laces to secure the tech. fall.

Unfortunately, the opposite semi was stopped early – with Caleb Henson winning via injury default less than 90 seconds into his match against Tyler Kasak.

Bumping up to 79 kg, both matches followed a similar script for finalists Chance Marsteller and Evan Wick.

Both Marsteller (a past World teamer) and Wick (last year’s U.S. Open champ) led 4-0 at the break after big early moves, then coasted to 7-0 and 6-0 decisions respectively.

And at 92 kg, another former U.S. Open champion got the job done when Michael Macchiavello outdueled U20 World silver medalist Joshua Barr by a score of 4-1.

Macchiavello will face Dustin Plott after the latter rolled to a 12-2 tech. fall.

Circling back to the first five names/weights we mentioned, here’s who stands to face the quintet of past World teamers in tomorrow’s finals:

Last year’s U.S. Open champ Luke Lilledahl (57kg) set up a Final X rematch with Spencer Lee thanks to a 10-0 tech. fall victory over Liam Cronin.

Kannon Webster (74 kg) continued his impressive run – overcoming an early 4-0 deficit to Quincy Monday to get the 8-4 win – and will face James Green with a title on the line.

At 86 kg, Parker Keckeisen chipped away at his own early deficit to NCAA finalist Rocco Welsh – then stamped his eventual 11-4 victory with a four-point double leg takedown late in the second period.

His reward will be seven-time World/Olympic medalist Kyle Dake.

Stephen Buchanan (97 kg) continued his recent strong form on the Senior Freestyle scene – teching U20 World champion Justin Rademacher, 10-0, to set up a final with Zillmer.

And at 125kg, Demetrius Thomas will face Wyatt Hendrickson after holding on for a 6-5 decision over Coby Merrill, who’d reached the semis by defeating 2024 Olympian Mason Parris.

After a whirlwind Day 1, there’s only one thing fans can be certain of:

You sure as heck won’t want to miss out on Day 2.

Senior Men’s Freestyle action will resume tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. PT with all consolation and medal matches.

The championship finals will be held a few hours later, starting at 6:00 p.m. PT.

The 2026 U.S. Open Championships are broadcast live on FloWrestling.

Brackets, mat assignments and other information are available through USA Bracketing.

2026 U.S. Open Championships 

At Las Vegas, Nevada, April 24 

Reference Links 

• Live stream

• Brackets

• Event hub

Finals Matchups

57 kg

Spencer Lee (Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Luke Lilledahl (NLWC/TMWC)

61 kg

Benjamin Davino (Ohio RTC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Marcus Blaze (NLWC/TMWC)

65 kg

Joseph McKenna (Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Bo Bassett (Titan Mercury WC)

70 kg

Ridge Lovett (NEBWTC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Caleb Henson (SERTC/Titan Mercury WC)

74 kg

James Green (NEBWTC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Kannon Webster (New York AC/IRTC)

79 kg

Chance Marsteller (Titan Mercury WC) vs. Evan Wick (Titan Mercury WC)

86 kg

Kyle Dake (NLWC/TMWC) vs. Parker Keckeisen (PWC RTC)

92 kg

Michael Macchiavello (LVWRTC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Dustin Plott (Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

97 kg

Stephen Buchanan (Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Hayden Zillmer (Gopher RTC/ Titan Mercury WC)

125 kg

Demetrius Thomas (New York AC) vs. Wyatt Hendrickson (Cowboy RTC/WCAP)

Semifinal Results

57 kg

Spencer Lee (Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury WC) F. Anthony Knox (Scarlet Knight WC), 0:45

Luke Lilledahl (NLWC/TMWC) T.F. Liam Cronin (NEBWTC/Titan Mercury WC), 10-0 (3:52)

61 kg

Benjamin Davino (Ohio RTC/Titan Mercury WC) Dec. Jax Forrest (Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC), 8-4

Marcus Blaze (NLWC/TMWC) Dec. Seth Gross (Titan Mercury WC), 6-1

65 kg

Joseph McKenna (Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC) Dec. Jesse Mendez (Ohio RTC/Titan Mercury WC), 3-2

Bo Bassett (Titan Mercury WC) T.F. Beau Bartlett (NYCRTC/Titan Mercury WC), 10-0 (3:38)

70 kg

Ridge Lovett (NEBWTC/Titan Mercury WC) T.F. Alec Pantaleo (CKWC/Titan Mercury WC), 17-6 (3:35)

Caleb Henson (SERTC/ Titan Mercury WC) Inj. Tyler Kasak (NLWC/TMWC), 1:27

74 kg

James Green (NEBWTC/Titan Mercury WC) Dec. Cameron Amine (Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC), 2-1

Kannon Webster (New York AC/IRTC) Dec. Quincy Monday (NJRTC/Titan Mercury WC), 8-4

79 kg

Evan Wick (Titan Mercury WC) Dec. Muhamed McBryde (WVRTC), 7-0

Chance Marsteller (Titan Mercury WC) Dec. Patrick Kennedy (Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury WC), 6-0

86 kg

Kyle Dake (NLWC/TMWC) Dec. Aeoden Sinclair (Tiger Style RTC/Titan Mercury WC), 6-1

Parker Keckeisen (PWC RTC) Dec. Rocco Welsh (NLWC/TMWC), 11-4

92 kg

Michael Macchiavello (LVWRTC/Titan Mercury WC) Dec. Joshua Barr (NLWC/TMWC), 4-1

Dustin Plott (Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC) T.F. Dillon Bechtold (Buffalo Valley RTC), 12-2 (4:09)

97 kg

Stephen Buchanan (Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury WC) T.F. Justin Rademacher (Beaver Dam RTC/Titan Mercury WC), 10-0 (5:19)

Hayden Zillmer (Gopher RTC/Titan Mercury WC) Dec. Jonathan Aiello (Ohio RTC/Titan Mercury WC), 5-4

125 kg

Wyatt Hendrickson (Cowboy RTC/WCAP) T.F. Daniel Kerkvliet Jr (Spartan Combat RTC/Titan Mercury WC), 11-1 (1:23)

Demetrius Thomas (New York AC) Dec. Coby Merrill (New York AC), 6-5