Mason Parris has his arm raised at the 2023 Senior World Championships.
U.S. Men’s freestyle draws set at Zagreb Open
by Savannah Asmann, USA Wrestling
The 23 U.S. men’s freestyle athletes competing at the Zagreb Open in Zagreb, Croatia, have received their draws for the first United World Wrestling Senior Ranking Tournament of the new year.
The event will be held at Sport Hall Dom Sportova from Wednesday, January 10 through Sunday, January 14. The competition will be broadcast live in the United States on FloWrestling.
Men’s freestyle competition begins Wednesday and runs through Thursday. Women’s freestyle follows and runs from Thursday to Saturday, then Greco-Roman, which is held Friday to Sunday.
The U.S. team is represented by a number of past World and Olympic medalists, as well as many other Olympic and World Team members.
2023 Senior World Team member Zane Richards matches up against 2022 U23 Silver Medalist Ahmet Duman of Turkey in the qualification round at 57 kg. Brandon Courtney is set to face five-time age-group World Team member Luka Gvinjilia of Georgia in the 57 kg bracket.
Michael McGee, the United States’ lone representative at 61 kg, opens his tournament against 2021 U23 World Champion and two-time Senior World Team member Aliabbas Rzazade of Azerbaijan.
Senior National Team members Joey McKenna and Nahshon Garrett are in the mix at 65 kg. McKenna’s round of 16 opponent will be the winner of a qualification round matchup between 2023 U23 World Silver medalist Ziraddin Bayramov of Azerbaijan and two-time Senior World Team member Colin Realbuto of Italy. Garrett matches up against a six-time age-group World Team member in Nino Leutert of Switzerland.
Doug Zapf, a 2023 U23 World Team member, first meets 2022 U23 World Champion and 2023 U23 silver medalist Giorgi Elbakidze of Georgia in a round-robin style bracket at 70 kg.
At 74 kg, Senior National Team member Jason Nolf is set to face Anthony Montero Chirinos of Venezuela in the opening round. Montero Chirinos is a three-time Senior Pan American medalist and two-time Senior World Team member. 2023 Senior Nationals champion Quincy Monday opens the tournament against nine-time age-group World Team member Patryk Olenczyn of Poland.
Joey Lavallee, wrestling at 79 kg, matches up against three-time Senior World medalist Mohammad Nokhodilarimi of Iran in his first match of the round-robin style bracket in Zagreb. Evan Wick opens his tournament against Denys Pavlov of Ukraine. Pavlov’s best finish at an international tournament came at the 2023 City of Sassari Tournament where he earned a runner-up finish.
Senior World Team members Chance Marsteller and Zahid Valencia, and 2019 U23 World Team member Max Dean are set to compete at 86 kg in Croatia. Marsteller’s qualification round opponent is 2016 Olympian Pedro Ceballos of Venezuela. Valencia, a 2023 Senior World Bronze medalist, faces three-time age-group World Team member Valentyn Babii of Ukraine in his opening round. Dean is slated to match up against the winner of the qualification round bout between four-time World Team member Ethan Ramos of Puerto Rico and Magomed Ramazanov of Bulgaria, who previously competed for Russia.
At 92 kg, 2022 World Cup champion Nate Jackson opens his tournament in Zagreb against 2023 Senior World Team member Balasz Juhasz of Hungary. Eric Schultz faces Denys Sahaliuk of Ukraine in his first match of the round-robin style bracket. Taylor Lujan sees Miriani Maisuradze of Georgia in his opening match. Maisuradze earned bronze at the 2022 Senior and U23 World Championships, and is coming off of a fifth place finish at the 2023 Senior World Championships.
Olympic and three-time World champion Kyle Snyder sees Tuerxunbieke Muheite of China in the qualification round at 97 kg. Isaac Trumble, a 2023 U23 World Champion, opens his tournament against experienced four-time Senior World Team member Erik Thiele of Germany. Senior National Team member Michael Macchiavello is set to face the winner of a qualification round matchup between 2016 Radoslaw Baran of Poland and two-time U23 World Champion Amirali Azarpira of Iran.
At 125 kg, 2023 World Bronze medalist Mason Parris will face the winner of a qualification round matchup between 2023 U23 World Bronze medalist Vakhit Galayev of Azerbaijan and two-time Olympian Diaaeldin Abdelmottaleb of Egypt. Two-time World medalist Nick Gwiazdowski opens his tournament against 2021 Olympian Gennadij Cudinovic of Germany. Christian Lance, 2023 Senior Nationals runner-up, will face the winner of the matchup between Gwiazdowski and Cudinovic.
The Zagreb Open 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.
Ranking Series events are part of the process which determine seeds at the Olympic Games and World Championships, as well as year-end awards given by United World Wrestling.
ZAGREB OPEN
At Zagreb, Croatia, January 10-14
U.S. Men’s Freestyle Draws
57 kg: Zane Richards (Titan Mercury WC/Illinois RTC)
VS Ahmet Duman (Turkey)
57 kg: Brandon Courtney (Sunkist Kids)
VS Luka Gvinjilia (Georgia)
61 kg: Michael McGee (Sunkist Kids)
VS Aliabbas Rzazade (Azerbaijan)
65 kg: Joey McKenna (Titan Mercury WC/Pennsylvania RTC)
VS Ziraddin Bayramov (Azerbaijan) or Colin Realbuto (Italy)
65 kg: Nahshon Garrett (Titan Mercury WC/Lehigh Valley AC)
VS Nino Leutert (Switzerland)
70 kg: Doug Zapf (Pennsylvania RTC)
VS Giorgi Elbakidze (Georgia)
74 kg: Jason Nolf (Titan Mercury WC/Nittany Lion WC)
VS Anthony Montero Chirinos (Venezuela)
74 kg: Quincy Monday (Titan Mercury WC/NJRTC)
VS Patryk Olenczyn (Poland)
79 kg: Joey Lavallee (Titan Mercury WC/NJCRTC)
VS Mohammad Nokhodilarimi (Iran)
79 kg: Evan Wick (Titan Mercury WC/ SoCal RTC)
VS Denys Pavlov (Ukraine)
86 kg: Chance Marsteller (Titan Mercury WC/NYC RTC)
VS Pedro Ceballos (Venezuela)
86 kg: Zahid Valencia (Sunkist Kids)
VS Valentyn Babii (Ukraine)
86 kg: Max Dean (Titan Mercury WC/Nittany Lion WC)
VS Ethan Ramos (Puerto Rico) or Magomed Ramazanov (Bulgaria)
92 kg: Nate Jackson (New York AC/NJRTC)
VS Balasz Juhasz (Hungary)
92 kg: Eric Schultz (Sunkist Kids/Nebraska WTC)
VS Denys Sahaliuk (Ukraine)
92 kg: Taylor Lujan (Titan Mercury WC/Panther WC)
VS Miriani Maisuradze (Georgia)
97 kg: Kyle Snyder (Titan Mercury WC/Nittany Lion WC)
VS Tuerxunbieke Muheite (China)
97 kg: Isaac Trumble (Titan Mercury WC/Wolfpack WC)
VS Erik Thiele (Germany)
97 kg: Michael Macchiavello (Titan Mercury WC/Lehigh Valley WC)
VS Radoslaw Baran (Poland) or Amirali Azarpira (Iran)
125 kg: Mason Parris (Titan Mercury WC/Cliff Keen WC)
VS Vakhit Galayev (Azerbaijan) or Diaaeldin Abdelmottaleb (Egypt)
125 kg: Nick Gwiazdowski (Titan Mercury WC/Spartan Combat RTC)
VS Gennadij Cudinovic (Germany)
125 kg: Christian Lance (Sunkist Kids/Nebraska RTC)
VS Gennadij Cudinovic (Germany) or Nick Gwiazdowski (United States)
Event Schedule
(local time, six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time)
Wednesday, January 10
10:00 a.m. – Qualification and repechage - MFS 57 kg, 61 kg, 65 kg, 70 kg, 74 kg, 86 kg
6:00 p.m. – Finals - MFS 57 kg, 61 kg, 65 kg, 70 kg, 74 kg, 86 kg
Thursday, January 11
10:00 a.m. - Qualification and repechage - MFS 79 kg, 92 kg, 97 kg, 125 kg WFS 50 kg, 55 kg
6:00 p.m. – Finals - MFS 79 kg, 92 kg, 97 kg, 125 kg WFS 50 kg, 55 kg
Friday, January 12
10:00 a.m. – Qualification and repechage - WFS 59 kg, 62 kg, 65 kg, 68 kg GR 77 kg, 87 kg
5:00 p.m. – Official Ceremony
6:00 p.m. – Finals - WFS 59 kg, 62 kg, 65 kg, 68 kg GR 77 kg, 87 kg
Saturday, January 13
10:00 a.m. – Qualification and repechage – WFS 53 kg, 57 kg, 72 kg, 76 kg GR 63 kg, 67 kg
6:00 p.m. – Finals – WFS 53 kg, 57 kg, 72 kg, 76 kg GR 63 kg, 67 kg
Sunday, January 14
10:00 a.m. – Qualification and repechage – GR 55 kg, 60 kg, 72 kg, 82 kg, 97 kg, 130 kg
6:00 p.m. – Finals – GR 55 kg, 60 kg, 72 kg, 82 kg, 97 kg, 130 kg