Lockett wins battle of World champs, Lilledahl named OW, McDanel repeats at U20 Freestyle Nationals

Watch: U20 Nationals men’s freestyle champion interviews

LAS VEGAS – Spectators at South Point Arena were treated to a top-notch set of U20 freestyle finals on Saturday evening at the 2024 Pritchard Companies U.S. Open Championships.

18-year-old Ladarion Lockett controlled the featured 74 kg final against Joseph Sealey to the tune of 8-2. A key sequence in the match came at the close of the first period as Lockett stepped over a Sealey gutwrench attempt to give the Cowboy WC athlete a four-point lead at the break. Lockett cemented the win with a powerful blast double in the second frame. Both Lockett and Sealey are past U17 World champions for Team USA.

Three-time age-group World medalist Luke Lilledahl put the proverbial feather in his cap with a relentless 10-0 technical fall over Ohio State freshman Vincent Kilkeary in the 57 kg finals. Lilledahl led 1-0 at the break courtesy of a shot clock point. He poured it on in the second stanza with four takedowns and a step out point to end the match early.

No wrestler impressed more this week in Las Vegas than Lilledahl, who ended his tournament with six technical fall wins in six contested matches, outscoring his opponents by a combined 67-3 tally. He was named Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament for his efforts.

2023 U20 World bronze medalist and U20 Pan American champion Camden McDanel controlled his way to the 97 kg title with a 5-1 decision over Penn State commit Cole Mirasola. It is McDanel’s second sound win over the Askren Wrestling Academy star-pupil in the past three weeks.

Lilledahl and McDanel are the only members of the 2023 U20 World Team in men’s freestyle to enter this week’s event. Both men repeated as champions and positioned themselves two wins from a return appearance to the U20 World Championships, which are set for Sept. 2-8 in Pontevedra, Spain.

Champions at the U20 Nationals earn an automatic berth to the best-of-three championship series at the U20 World Team Trials held at Spire Institute in Geneva, Ohio, the first week of June. Additionally, the top eight placers in each weight class in Las Vegas qualified for the U20 World Team Trials field.

2021 U17 World champion Bo Bassett of Bishop McCort High School fought to a 5-2 victory over Aden Valencia of California RTC in the 65 kg finals. Like McDanel and Mirasola, these two wrestled at the Last Chance Olympic Trials Qualifier three weeks ago—Bassett took the match, 7-4.

Earning flashy bonus-point wins in the finals were P.J. Duke of KD Training Center at 70 kg, Zack Ryder of M2 Training Center at 79 kg, Aeoden Sinclair of Askren Wrestling Academy at 86 kg, and Jimmy Mullen of Southeast RTC at 125 kg.

Connor Mirasola, the twin brother of Cole, completed his run at 92 kg without surrendering a single point to an opponent all weekend. His first four matches ended via technical fall. In the championship match he took a 5-0 decision from Justin Rademacher of Beaver Dam RTC.

Oklahoma State freshman Cael Hughes topped the 61 kg division with a solid 6-3 decision over 2022 U17 World Team member Kyler Larkin of Valiant WC.

The U.S. Open Championships concludes on Sunday with the freestyle semifinals and best-of-three championship series in the U17 World Team Trials at 10 a.m. (PT). In addition, the Girls National High School Recruiting Showcase will run to the finish with its finals set for 1 p.m. (PT).

Watch every match from Las Vegas live or on-demand at FloWrestling.com. Complete brackets and match-by-match results are available on FloArena.

For more information about the 2024 U.S. Open Championships visit the official event website at usawrestlingevents.com.

1^st – Luke Lilledahl (Nittany Lion WC) tech. fall Vincent Kilkeary (Ohio RTC), 10-0

3^rd – Anthony Knox (Titan Mercury WC) tech. fall Seth Mendoza (SPAR Wrestling Academy), 14-4

5^th – Isaiah Quintero (California) dec. Aaron Seidel (Steller Trained Wrestling), 12-4

7^th – Isaiah Cortez (Daniel Cormier WC) dec. Garret Rinken (Panther WC-RTC), 6-2

1^st – Cael Hughes (Cowboy RTC) dec. Kyler Larkin (Valiant WC), 6-3

3^rd – William Dekraker (Virginia) tech. fall Jake Hockaday (Contenders Wrestling Academy), 10-0

5^th – Kyison Garcia (Nittany Lion WC) forfeit Cory Land (Panther WC-RTC)

7^th – Zan Fugitt (Nixa) forfeit Matthew Botello (X-Calibur Athletics WC), 0-0

1^st – Bo Bassett (Bishop McCort) dec. Aden Valencia (California RTC), 5-2

3^rd – Pierson Manville (Pennsylvania) dec. Koy Buesgens (Minnesota), 5-2

5^th – Sergio Lemley (Cliff Keen WC) dec. Drew Gorman (Teknique Wrestling), 11-5

7^th – Jaxon Joy (Wadsworth Grizzly WC) forfeit Gabriel Bouyssou (Mayo Quanchi WC)

1^st – P.J. Duke (KD Training Center) tech. fall Kody Routledge (Husky WC), 10-0

3^rd – Kannon Webster (Illinois) dec. Landon Robideau (MN Elite WC), 8-1

5^th – Drayden Morton (West Coast RTC) tech. fall Kael Voinovich (Big Game WC), 10-0

7^th – Isaias Jimenez (Valiant WC) dec. Colin Dupill (Jackrabbit WC), 10-6

1^st – Ladarion Lockett (Cowboy WC) dec. Joseph Sealey (Pennsylvania), 8-2

3^rd – Cameron Steed (Tiger Style WC) dec. Vince Bouzakis (Pennsylvania), 4-3

5^th – Beau Mantanona (Cliff Keen WC) tech. fall Zach Hanson (Minnesota), 10-0

7^th – Charlie Millard (Askren Wrestling Academy) forfeit Laird Root (Poway)

1^st – Zack Ryder (M2 Training Center) tech. fall Noah Mulvaney (Wisconsin), 12-2

3^rd – William Henckel (Blairstown WC) dec. Lorenzo Norman (New Jersey), 11-10

5^th – Simon Ruiz (Spartan Combat RTC/Titan Mercury WC) tech. fall Ethan Deleon (Nebraska WTC), 11-0

7^th – Myles Takats (Perrysburg WC) dec. Carter Baer (New York), 8-3

1^st – Aeoden Sinclair (Askren Wrestling Academy) tech. fall Joshua Barr (Nittany Lion WC), 10-0

3^rd – Max McEnelly (Gopher WC-RTC) tech. fall Daschle Lamer (Central Coast RTC), 12-2

5^th – Ryder Rogotzke (Ohio RTC) tech. fall Tate Naaktgeboren (Cyclone RTC),13-3

7^th – Kole Mulhauser (New York) fall Lucas Condon (California), 1:43

1^st – Connor Mirasola (Askren Wrestling Academy) dec. Justin Rademacher (Beaver Dam RTC), 5-0

3^rd – Michael Dellagatta (Spartan Combat RTC/Titan Mercury WC) inj. def. Adam Haselius MI (New York City RTC), 5:09

5^th – Patrick Brophy (Charleston RTC) dec. Jack Wehmeyer (Malvern WC), 9-4

7^th – Soren Herzog (Air Force RTC) tech. fall Kael Wisler (Michigan WC), 10-0

1^st – Camden McDanel (Ohio) dec. Cole Mirasola (Askren Wrestling Academy), 5-1

3^rd – Steven Burrell Jr. (Cavalier WC) fall Thomas Dineen (Jackrabbit WC), 2:14

5^th – Max Ramberg (Viking RTC) forfeit Ian Smith (CrassTrained: Weigh In Club)

7^th – James Blacman (Virginia) tech. fall Kody Marschner (Illinois), 11-0

1^st – Jimmy Mullen (Southeast RTC) fall Nicholas Sahakian (Sunkist Kids Monster Garage), 2:25

3^rd – Koy Hopke (Wisconsin) dec. Aden Attao (Beaver Dam RTC), 10-9

5^th – Connor Barket (Indiana) dec. Alex Semenenko (Brown University), 6-0

7^th – Vincent Mueller (Pinnacle WC) fall Joshua Terrill (Michigan WC), 0:40