Eight senior champions crowned at Carolina Beach Nationals, earning berths on U.S. Beach World Series teams

CAROLINA BEACH, N.C. – The eight Senior champions at the 2024 Carolina Beach Nationals were a variety of experienced international Beach competitors, with some new athletes on the national Beach scene.

Champions in the four women’s weight classes and the four men’s weight classes clinched a berth on any of the four remaining United World Wrestling Beach World Series events.

There will be two major national championship events on the USA Wrestling Beach calendar this year, today’s Carolina Beach Nationals, plus the 2024 Beach Wrestling National Championships in Huntington Beach, Calif., August 16-17. According to team selection procedures, champions from either of these events can compete on any of the remaining tournaments on the 2024 UWW Beach World Series schedule.

Eliana Bommarito, who became the first U.S. wrestler to win a Senior UWW World title with a dominant season in 2023, won both of her finals matches in the Over 70 kg weight class. Bommarito stopped Emma Lavalle in two straight bouts, 5-0 in match one and 3-0 in match two.

It was a strong day for Bommarito, who also won the U20 division. Bommarito is a returning U20 World champion for the United States and can also defend that title if she chooses. Bommarito won two NAIA National titles for Indian Hills CC in folkstyle, and was a two-time Junior Nationals champion in freestyle.

In a weight class loaded with three past U.S. Senior Beach National champions, Jabari Irons defeated Austin Trotman in two straight matches to claim the 90 kg title. Irons got his high-flying offense going all day, beating Trotman 3-1 in round one and 3-0 in round two. Both have won Senior National titles, as did third-place finisher Jamal Morris.

Three other veteran international wrestlers were able to secure Senior Carolina Beach Nationals titles, Justin Benjamin (70 kg) and Kyle Ferriter (Over 90 kg) and Mia Macaluso (60 kg).

Benjamin, a 2024 Beach World Series champion in Acapulco, Mexico earlier this year, swept his finals series over Mitchell Brown in two straight. Benjamin won bout one 3-0 and bout two 3-1. Benjamin plans to attend all five Beach World Series events this year, with a goal of becoming the first U.S. man to win a Beach World Series overall title.

Ferriter, in his second year on the international Beach scene, swept Aiden Gassel, winning a tight first round match, 2-1, then closing it out with a 3-2 win in bout two.

Macaluso, who two seasons ago was one of the top Beach wrestlers in her weight class internationally, had a two match sweep, stopping Rebecca Mathewson in the finals, 3-0 in both the first and second match.

The other three Senior champions are relatively new to Beach wrestling, Mariah Anderson (50 kg) and Olivia Pizano (70 kg) and Zach Finesilver (80 kg). All three swept their finals series in two straight matches.

Anyone who placed in the top three here in Carolina Beach have an opportunity to compete at one or more future Beach World Series events. The U.S. team selection priority for 2023 Beach World Series teams will be the following for each event:

1. Top three placement at the specific weight class at either the 2024 Carolina Beach Nationals or the 2024 Beach Wrestling National Championships, based upon finish.
2. If there are two athletes with the same placement at the two qualifying events seeking the final berth on the team, a selection committee consisting of USA Wrestling staff members Jaimie McNab and Gary Abbott plus UWW Beach Commission member Ed Duncan will select the team member, based upon past results in international and domestic Beach wrestling events.
3. Athletes who placed in the top three in the final rankings from the 2023 Beach World Series at the specific weight class
4. Athletes who won a medal (top three) at any 2023 Beach World Series event
5. Athletes who were 2023 Senior Pan American Beach Wrestling champions
6. Athletes who have competed in two or more Beach World Series events.
7. Open to the general public to athletes that meet age-group and eligibility requirements on a first-come, first served basis

CAROLINA BEACH NATIONALS

At Carolina Beach, N.C., May 11

Senior Women

50 kg

1^st Place - Mariah Anderson (Air Force Regional Training Center) dec. Haley Viars (Virginia), two matches to none

Round 1 – Anderson dec. Viars, 3-0

Round 2 – Anderson dec. Viars, 5-0

60 kg

1st Place - Mia Macaluso (Venom Girls Wrestling Club) dec. Rebecca Mathewson (North Carolina), two matches to none

Round 1 – Macaluso dec. Mathewson, 3-0

Round 2 – Macaluso dec. Mathewson, 3-0

3rd Place - Isabella Hoffman (Emmanuel Training Center)

70 kg

1st Place - Olivia Pizano (Southern Oregon Regional Training Center) dec. Kaylee Anderson (Virginia), two matches to none

Round 1 – Pizano dec. Anderson, 3-1

Round 2 – Pizano dec. Anderson, 3-1

3rd Place - Anastasia Hardin (A-Train Performance Womens Wrestling Club) won by decision over Maura White (New Jersey) (Dec 5-0)

70+

1st Place - Eliana Bommarito (Michigan Revolution Wrestling Club) dec. Emma Lavalle (Pennsylvania), two matches to none

Round 1 – Bommarito dec. Lavalle, 5-0

Round 2 – Bommarito dec. Lavalle, 3-0

3rd Place - Gabrielle Holloway (North Carolina) won by decision over Diana Betanzo (California) (Dec 3-0)

Senior Men

70 kg - 1st Place - Justin Benjamin (Illinois) dec. Mitchell Brown (Air Force Regional Training Center), two matches to none

Round 1 – Benjamin dec. Brown, 3-0

Round 2 – Benjamin dec. Brown, 3-1

3rd Place - Ruben Calderon (Paradigm Wrestling) won by decision over Kevin Birmingham (North Carolina) (Dec 3-0

80 kg

1st Place - Zach Finesilver (Colorado) dec. Seth Thomas (Port City Pirates) (NC), two matches to none

Round 1 – Finesilver dec. Thomas, 3-0

Round 2 – Finesilver dec. Thomas, 3-0

3rd Place - Wilder Wichman (Askren Wrestling Academy) won by decision over Keenan Graef (Kansas) (Dec 3-1,0-0)

90 kg

1st Place - Jabari Irons (Irons Elite Wrestling Club) dec. Austin Trotman (Titan Mercury Wrestling Club), two matches to none

Round 1 – Irons dec. Trotman, 3-1

Round 2 – Irons dec. Troutman, 3-0

3rd Place - Jamal Morris (Cardinal Gibbons High School Wrestling) won by decision over John Parker (Newberry College Wrestling Club) (Dec 5-2)

90+ kg

1st Place Match - Kyle Ferriter (Colorado) dec. Aidan Gassel (California), two matches to none

Round 1 – Ferriter dec. Gassel, 2-1

Round 2 – Ferriter dec. Gassel, 3-2

3rd Place Match - Joseph Cutugno (North Carolina) won by decision over Miles Hammerlund (Hi Flyers Wrestling Club) (Dec 3-0)