Bill Farrell Greco-Roman Preview: Past World Team members Coon, Rau, Jones, Porter among talented entries
by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
With a strong field of U.S. entries, some strong foreign talent, and with berths in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials up for grabs, the Greco-Roman division will be highly competitive at the annual Bill Farrell Memorial International New York City’s famed New York Athletic Club, Nov. 17-18.
The Greco-Roman competition is set for Friday, November 17. Up for grabs are spots in the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Wrestling at Penn State in April. The top U.S. placewinner (in the top four) in each weight class who has not already qualified in each weight class will advance to the Challenge Tournament of the Olympic Trials. The tournament will feature only the six Olympic Games weight classes, not the normal 10 World Championships weight classes.
2018 World silver medalist Adam Coon (130 kg), currently No. 2 on the national team, and 2023 Senior World Team member Josef Rau (97 kg) are among the top stars who have registered for New York. Coon and Rau are already qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, and will compete looking to help prepare for the run towards the 2024 Olympic Team.
Two other past Senior World Team members who are already qualified for the Olympic Trials and are registered include two-time World Team member Sammy Jones (60 kg) and 2021 World Team member Jesse Porter (77 kg). Jones is dropping down to an Olympic weight class. Porter won the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, but could not qualify the weight for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
Current U.S. Senior National Team members in the draw include Dalton Duffield (60 kg), Camden Russell (60 kg), Robert Perez III (67 kg), Justus Scott (67 kg), Noah Wachsmuth (77 kg), Aliaksandr Kikinou (87 kg), Ryan Epps (87 kg), Richard Carlson (87 kg) and Donny Longendyke (97 kg). Duffield, Russell, Scott, Wachsmuth, Kikinou, Epps and Longendyke are all competing in different weight classes than last season. There are at least six other past Senior National Team members in the draw as well.
2011 U20 World champion Shota Gogisvanidze of Georgia is among the talented athletes from other nations who are registered and are capable of making a run for the medals at the Bill Farrell Memorial Internationa.
For three straight days, we have previewed each of the disciplines.
This event will be broadcast live by FloWrestling.
60 kg Greco-Roman entries
Otto Black CO Colorado Top Team Wrestling Club
Max Black CO NMU-National Training Center
Mitchell Brown CO Air Force Regional Training Center
Joseph Couch MD West Point Wrestling Club
Paxton Creese MN Minnesota Storm
Dalton Duffield CO Army (WCAP)
Dylan Gregerson UT Brunson UVRTC
Jonathan Gurule NM NMU-National Training Center
Randon Miranda CA Greco-Roman National Team
Sammy Jones CO New York Athletic Club
Corbin Nirschl NE MWC Wrestling Academy
Aidan Nutter WI New York Athletic Club
Rhett Peak OK Checkmate WC
Dominic Robertson OR 10 Year Active Athlete List
Camden Russell NE MWC Wrestling Academy
Van Schmidt NE MWC Wrestling Academy
Billy Sullivan NV Army (WCAP)
Alan Waters MO Graham Greco
Foreign Athletes
Marat Garipov (Brazil)
Logan Suh (Canada)
Gizo Meladze (Georgia)
Yernur Fidakhmetov (Kazakhstan)
Yernar Fidakhmetov (Kazakhstan)
60 kg Greco-Roman summary: Current Greco-Roman National Team members Sammy Jones, Dalton Duffield and Camden Russell leads the large group of U.S. entries. Jones is a two-time World Team member moving down in weight. Max Black, Dylan Gregerson, Randon Miranda and Billy Sullivan are also in the hunt. Switching from freestyle is talented Alan Waters. 2020 Pan American bronze medalist Marat Garipov of Brazil, 2014 U20 World bronze medalist Gizo Meladze of Georgia and 2022 Asian bronze medalist Yernur Fidakhmetov of Kazakhstan are tough foreign opponents.
67 kg Greco-Roman entries
Joel Adams NE The Best Wrestler
Patrick Brackett CO Mile High Wrestling Club
Kyle Bridgeforth PA Pennsylvania
Charlie Dill NY NMU-National Training Center
Morgan Flaharty CO New York Athletic Club
Gunnar Hamre WI Combat W.C. School of Wrestling
Owen Hicks NY Curby 3 Style Wrestling Club
Ty Lydic PA New York Athletic Club
Lenny Merkin NY New York Athletic Club
Devin Montano CA California
Duncan Nelson IL Illinois
Robert Perez III CO Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club
Farrokh Safaeinejad FL Florida
Logan Savvy VA New York Athletic Club
Justus Scott CO Army (WCAP)
David Stepanian MI New York Athletic Club
Ryan Wheeler WA UP Vikings Wrestling Club
Foreign Athletes
Manzo Diatuka (Angola)
Joseph Dashou (Canada)
Daviti Takashvili (Georgia)
Ryoma Hojo (Japan)
Yerassyl Kenganov (Kazakhstan)
Assaukhat Mukhamadiyev (Kazakhstan)
Aidos Paimov (Kazakhstan)
67 kg Greco-Roman summary: Current Senior National Team members Robert Perez III and Justus Scott are entered here. Both were Final X runners-up, Perez at 67 kg and Scott at 72 kg. Top U.S. challengers at this weight include David Stepanian and Lenny Merkin, both with multiple U.S. Open placements. 2022 U17 World champion Joel Adams, also a Senior Open placer, should be in the mix. 2010 Asian U20 champion Assaukhat Mukhamadiyev of Kazakhstan leads a group of foreign entries.
77 kg Greco-Roman entries
Adrian Artsisheuskiy NY New York Athletic Club
Dan Bechtold PA Lancaster Alliance Wrestling Club (LAW)
Tyler Cunningham NE MWC Wrestling Academy
Patrick Curran IL NMU-National Training Center
Aaron Dobbs WI NMU-National Training Center
Payton Jacobson WI Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club
Rudy James MN New York Athletic Club
Timothy Johnson-Thompson TX Texas
Ashton Miess WI Combat W.C. School of Wrestling
Alec Ortiz MN Minnesota Storm
Jesse Porter NY New York Athletic Club
Calum Price NY New York
Glenn Rhees MO Graham Greco
Eddie Smith IA Sauk Prairie High School Wrestling
Andrei Stashonak NY New York
Noah Wachsmuth CO New York Athletic Club
Foreign Athletes
Francisco Kadima (Angola)
Hayk Asatryan (Armenia)
Shant Khachatryan (Armenia)
John Yeats (Canada)
Minto Maeda (Japan)
Abunassyr Omirzak (Kazakhstan)
77 kg Greco-Roman summary: Past Senior World Team member and Olympic Trials champion Jesse Porter, and current Senior National Team member Noah Wachsmuth are among the top U.S. talents in the field. Past National Team members Payton Jacobson and Alec Ortiz are also among the contenders. Age-group World Team member Tyler Cunningham is another talent. Two tough Armenians are entered, 2023 U23 World bronze medalist Shant Khachatryan and 2017 U17 World bronze medalist Hayk Asatryan. 2023 Pan American bronze medalist John Yeats of Canada could also contend.
87 kg Greco-Roman entries
Michael Altomer NY Curby 3 Style Wrestling Club
Andrew Berreyesa NV New York Athletic Club
Tommy Brackett CO New York Athletic Club
Cameron Caffey IL Michigan Wrestling Club
Richard Carlson MN Minnesota Storm
Ryan Epps MN Army (WCAP)
Javian Garrett TX Rise RTC
Arian Khosravy CA California
Aliaksandr Kikiniou CA California
Jack Lucie CO West Point Wrestling Club
Michael O'Malley NJ Pennsylvania RTC
Casey Recrosio WV NMU-National Training Center
Christian Rouleau MN Minnesota Storm
Keenan Wyatt AL Knights RTC
Timothy Young IL Army (WCAP)
Foreign Athletes
Jones Mabungu (Angola)
Ionnis Narlidis (Canada)
Ahmed Hassan Ahmed (Egypt)
Shynggyskhan Zhaisambay (Kazakhstan)
87 kg Greco-Roman summary: Current Senior National Team members Aliaksandr Kikinou, Ryan Epps and Richard Carlson are all among the entries. All came from different weights last year, with Kikinou at 77 kg, Epps at 82 kg and Carlson at 87 kg. 2022 Final X finalist Timothy Young is also in the mix. Past age-group World medalist Andrew Berreyesa is fully focused on Greco-Roman. 2022 U.S. Open freestyle champion Cameron Caffey is also a U20 World Team member in Greco-Roman, and is going the classic style in New York. Michael Altomer, Tommy Brackett and Arian Khosravy are also contenders for a medal. 2019 African champion Ahmed Hassan Ahmed of Egypt is the top international entry.
97 kg Greco-Roman entries
Nicholas Boykin OH Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club
Donny Longendyke MN Minnesota Storm
David Tate Orndorff OH Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)
Josef Rau IL Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)
George Sikes FL New York Athletic Club
Morgan Smith WA Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)
Foreign Athletes
Sergo Gogisvanidze (Georgia)
Kevin Mejia (Honduras)
97 kg Greco-Roman summary: 2023 World Team member Josef Rau, who is already qualified for the Olympic Trials, has entered. Another current National Team member Donny Longendyke has dropped down from 130 kg. Another 130 kg past National Team member, David Tate Orndorff, is also listed at 97 kg. Nick Boykin, a past National Team member, and George Sikes are challengers. Shota Gogisvanidze of Georgia brings international experience to the field
130 kg Greco-Roman entries
Malcolm Allen MN Viking RTC
Aden Attao ID Suples Wrestling Club
West Cathcart IL New York Athletic Club
Gage Cook WA West Point Wrestling Club
Adam Coon MI New York Athletic Club
Tom Foote MA New York Athletic Club
Courtney Freeman NC Marines
Caleb Vancura MN Viking RTC
Foreign Athletes
Shota Gogisvanidze (Georgia)
130 kg Greco-Roman summary: 2018 World silver medalist Adam Coon has registered, the most accomplished U.S. entry in this year’s Bill Farrell in Greco-Roman. Coon is already qualified for Olympic Trials. 2011 U20 World champion Shota Gogisvanidze of Georgia will be a tough opponent. Aden Attao, a 2022 U20 World bronze medalist, is a rising star. 2021 U.S. Open champion Malcolm Allen, and U.S. Open placers Courtney Freeman and West Cathcart are others who could contend.