Moomey, Russell lead U.S. Greco-Roman team at U23 World Championships in Tirana, Albania

The United States will send ten Greco-Roman athletes to Tirana, Albania, October 23-29 for the 2023 U23 World Championships. Four Senior National Team and six U23 Nationals champions are chasing gold at the tournament.

Greco-Roman begins competition next Friday at the Sports Hall “Feti Borova” in Tirana. Action begins with the first five weight classes (60-67-72-82-97 kg) in the qualification rounds on October 27. The second group of weights (55-63-77-87-130 kg) begin action on October 28. Each bracket will be contested over a two-day period that continues into the semifinals on the first day, followed by repechage and medal matches on the second day of competition.

There are two members from last year’s Greco-Roman team that return to the World Championships aiming for the podium – Nebraska natives Camden Russell (55 kg) and Phillip Moomey (60 kg).

This is Moomey’s third trip to an age-group World Championships. In 2021, he earned a bronze medal at the Junior Pan American Games and placed eighth at the Junior Pan American Championships.

Russell, a Senior National Team member, placed eighth at the 2022 U23 World Championships. This year, he was the Senior World Team Trials Challenge runner-up and placed third at the US Open. Moomey won his weight class at U23 Nationals and placed ninth at the event in 2022.

Along with Russell, there are three athletes that are members of the Senior National Team – Robert Perez III (67 kg), Justus Scott (72 kg) and Cade Lautt (97 kg). Perez enters the competition for the first time at the U23 level while having competed at the 2019 Cadet World Championships and the 2022 U20 World Championships. He is a US Open champion and Final X runner-up this year. Scott, a Final X runner-up, Senior Pan American Championships gold medalist and US Open champion, has experience at the 2021 Junior World Championships. Lautt wrestles collegiately at North Carolina and was the World Team Trials Challenge runner-up, taking the third spot on the Senior National Team.

Six athletes of the U23 Greco-Roman team were decided at U23 Nationals held in early June at Spire Academy in Geneva, Ohio - Moomey (60 kg), Jordan Hamdan (63 kg), Payton Jacobson (77 kg), Tyler Eischens (82 kg), Michael Altomer (87 kg) and Kaleb Reeves (130 kg). The champions in each respective weight class earned a berth if there was not an age-eligible athlete on the 2023 Senior National Team eligible to claim the spot.

Hamdan, a redshirt senior at Michigan State, will make his international wrestling debut in Tirana. He has consistently placed at top events at the U20 level, and chases gold for the first time at a World Championship next week.

Athletes that have previously competed at a U20 World Championships include Jacobson, Eischens and Altomer. Jacobson, a Junior Pan American Championships silver medalist,  placed eighth in 2022. Eischens, a 2023 graduate of Stanford, finished tenth at the 2019 Junior World Championships. Altomer won both the U20 World Team Trials and U23 Nationals this year, earning trips to two World Championships in 2023.

Reeves, a U23 Nationals champion, makes his international debut as a first-time age-group World Team member.

The U23 World Championships will be live streamed on FloWrestling.com to the U.S. market. Brackets and updated results will be provided by United World Wrestling on uww.org and the UWW mobile app.

Those seeking to follow along in real time can reference the complete event schedule below. Tirana, Albania, is in the GMT +2 time zone, which is six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Time. USA Wrestling will provide regular updates on TheMat.com and its social media platforms throughout the event.

U.S. Greco-Roman athlete bios

Event entry list provided by UWW

Live stream on FloWrestling.com

Event website on UWW.org

Monday, October 23

10:30 a.m. – Qualification Rounds (MFS 61-74-86-92-125 kg)

5:15 p.m. – Opening Ceremony

6 p.m. – Semifinals (MFS 61-74-86-92-125 kg)

Tuesday, October 24

10:30 a.m. – Qualification Rounds (MFS 57-65-70-79-97 kg) and Repechage (MFS 61-74-86-92-125 kg)

4:45 p.m. – Semifinals (MFS 57-65-70-79-97 kg)

6 p.m. – Medal Matches and Awards (MFS 61-74-86-92-125 kg)

Wednesday, October 25

10:30 a.m. – Qualification Rounds (WFS 50-55-59-68-76 kg) and Repechage (MFS 57-65-70-79-97 kg)

4:45 p.m. – Semifinals (WFS 50-55-59-68-76 kg)

6 p.m. – Medal Matches and Awards (MFS 57-65-70-79-97 kg)

Thursday, October 26

10:30  a.m. – Qualification Rounds (WFS 53-57-62-65-72 kg) and Repechage (WFS 50-55-59-68-76 kg)

4:45 p.m. – Semifinals (WFS 53-57-62-65-72 kg)

6 p.m. – Medal Matches and Awards (WFS 50-55-59-68-76 kg)

Friday, October 27

10:30 a.m. – Qualification Rounds (GR 60-67-72-82-97 kg) and Repechage (WFS 53-57-62-65-72 kg)

4:45 p.m. – Semifinals (GR 60-67-72-82-97 kg)

6 p.m. – Medal Matches and Awards (WFS 53-57-62-65-72 kg)

Saturday, October 28

10 a.m. – Qualification Rounds (GR 55-63-77-87-130 kg) and Repechage (GR 60-67-72-82-97 kg)

4:45 p.m. – Semifinals (GR 55-63-77-87-130 kg)

6 p.m. – Medal Matches and Awards (GR 60-67-72-82-97 kg)

Sunday, October 29

4 p.m. – Repechage (GR 55-63-77-87-130 kg)

6 p.m. – Medal Matches and Awards (GR 55-63-77-87-130 kg)

*Listed times reflect local time in Amman, Jordan, which is seven hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Time

55 kg - Camden Russell (Omaha, Neb./NYAC/MWC Wrestling Academy)

60 kg - Phillip Moomey (Kearney, Neb./Spartan Combat RTC)

63 kg - Jordan Hamdan (Hudson, Mich./Michigan WC)

67 kg - Robert Perez III (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids)

72 kg - Justus Scott (Colorado Springs, Colo./Army WCAP)

77 kg - Payton Jacobson (Elkhorn, Wis./Sunkist Kids)

82 kg- Tyler Eischens (Anoka, Minn./Spartan Combat WC)

87 kg - Michael Altomer (Stuyvesant, N.Y./Curby 3 Style WC)

97 kg - Cade Lautt (Olathe, Kansas/Tarheel WC)

130 kg - Kaleb Reeves (Sigourney, Iowa/Eastern Iowa WC)

Coach: Cheney Haight

Coach: Lucas Steldt

Personal Coach: Zack Wilcox

Personal Coach: Chris Williams

Personal Coach: Ike Anderson

Personal Coach: Bruce Robinson

Personal Coach: Andy Bisek

Personal Coach: Jessy Williams

Personal Coach: Enock Francois

MD: Dr. Steven Broman

ATC: Randy Boswell

Official: Leslie Tamayo

Official: Jason Babi

Official: Nick Kindred

Team Leader: Tim Manning

Team Leader: Meredith Suess

USA Wrestling, Communications Coordinator: Savannah Asmann

Delegate: Jose Campo