Updated: U.S. receives men’s freestyle draws for Zagreb Open Ranking Event in Croatia
by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
The draw has been announced for men’s freestyle at the Zagreb Open Ranking Event, which will be held in Zagreb, Croatia this week. The USA has 22 men’s freestyle athletes in Zagreb competing, including a number of past World and Olympic medalists
2016 Olympic champion and three-time World champion Kyle Snyder will face 2022 U23 European bronze medalist Richard Vegh of Hungary in his opening match at 97 kg.
Olympic silver medalist Spencer Lee opens against 2024 U20 World bronze medalist Luka Gvinjila of Georgia at 57 kg. Lee is on the same half bracket as U.S. wrestler Daniel DeShazer, who will face the winner of Kamil Kerymov of Ukraine and Roman Bravo Young of Mexico. Bravo Young won two NCAA titles at Penn State.
2023 Senior World bronze medalist Zahid Valencia will open against Matthew Finesilver of Israel, who competed for Michigan and Duke. Also in Valencia’s half-bracket is U.S. star Nate Jackson, who faces Krzysszof Sadowick of Poland in the first match.
Two-time World medalist James Green will battle fellow American Alec Pantaleo, a 2021 Pan American champion, in the opening match at 70 kg. Green defeated Pantaleo in two straight matches in the Championship Series of the 2024 Senior World Team Trials in Omaha, Neb.
There are three situations where American wrestlers will face each other in their opening match. In addition to the Green vs. Pantaleo pairing, Evan Wick and Rocco Welsh will battle each other in their first match at 79 kg.
In addition, at 125 kg, 2024 Olympian and 2023 World bronze medalist Mason Parris will open against U.S. wrestler Trent Hillger. The winner will face 2022 World Team member Hayden Zillmer, who opens against Nika Berulava of Georgia. Parris defeated Zillmer in the finals series of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in two straight matches.
At 61 kg, Nahshon Garrett of the USA will battle Joshua Kramer of Ecuador in their opening match. Kramer wrestled for Arizona State.
Below is the first round draws for all of the USA athletes. (The article will be updated with bio information on each of the opponents).
Zagreb Open brackets on UWW Arena
Note: Although Olympic medalist Aaron Brooks is listed in the bracket at 92 kg, he is not on the tour and will not compete in the Zagreb Open.
Men’s freestyle competition will be held on Wednesday and Thursday. Six weight classes will be held on Wednesday (57 kg, 61 kg, 65 kg, 70 kg, 74 kg, 86kg) with four contested on Thursday (79 kg, 92 kg, 97 kg, 125 kg). There will also be women’s freestyle and Greco-Roman competition to follow. The full schedule is posted below.
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.
The event will broadcast live on FloWrestling.
2025 Zagreb Open
At Zagreb, Croatia, February 5-9, 2025
U.S. Men’s freestyle first round pairings
57 kg – Spencer Lee (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury WC)
Vs. Luka Gvinjila (Georgia), 2024 U20 World bronze medalist, 2023 European U23 bronze medalist
57 kg – Daniel DeShazer (Wichita, Kan./Minnesota RTC)
Vs. winner of Kamil Kerymov (Ukraine) and Roman Bravo Young (Mexico)
Kerymov – 2022 U23 World bronze, 5th 2024 European Championships
Bravo Young – 2x NCAA champion, 2024 Olympian,
57 kg – Brandon Courtney (Avondale, Ariz./Atreus WC/NYAC)
Vs. Ahora Farhad Khateri (Iran), 2023 U17 World champion, 2023 Asian U17 champion
61 kg – Nahshon Garrett (Bethlehem, Pa./Lehigh Valley WC/Titan Mercury WC)
Vs. Joshua Kramer (Ecuador), 3rd 2024 Pan American Championships
61 kg – Michael McGee (Bolingbrook, Ill./Atreus WC/NYAC)
Vs. Andri Dzhelep (Ukraine), 2023 U23 European champion, 2nd 2021 Senior Europeans, 2016 U17 World champion
65 kg – Joey McKenna (Towaco, N.J./Penn RTC/Titan Mercury WC)
Winner of Ali Rahimzada (Azerbaijan) and Krzystof Bienkowski (Poland)
Rahimzada – 3rd 2021 and 2024 European Championships, 2018 U23 World silver medalist
Bienkowski – 2021 European silver medalist, 5th 2022 European Championships,
65 kg – Evan Henderson (Allentown, Pa./Lehigh Valley WC/Titan Mercury WC)
Vs. Goga Otinashvili (Georgia), 2023 U17 World bronze medalist, 3rd 2024 U20 Europeans, 3rd 2023 U23 Europeans
70 kg – James Green (Lincoln, Neb./Nebraska Wrestling TC/Titan Mercury WC)
Vs. Alec Pantaleo (USA)
70 kg – Jarrett Jacques (Columbia, Mo./Tiger Style WC)
Vs. Ismail Musukaev (Hungary), 2023 World champion, 5th in 2020 and 2024 Olympics, 2019 World bronze medalist
70 kg – Alec Pantaleo (Canton, Mich./Cliff Keen WC/Titan Mercury WC)
Vs. James Green (USA)
74 kg – David Carr (Ames, Iowa/Cyclone RTC/Titan Mercury WC)
Vs. Szymon Wojtkowski (Poland), 5th 2023 U23 Europeans,
79 kg – Evan Wick (San Gabriel, Calif./Titan Mercury WC)
Vs. Rocco Welsh (USA)
79 kg – Rocco Welsh (Fredericktown, Pa./Ohio RTC/Titan Mercury WC)
Vs. Evan Wick (USA)
86 kg – Zahid Valencia (Stillwater, Okla./Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC)
Vs. Matthew Finesilver (Israel), 5th 2023 Europeans, 2x Israel World Team member
86 kg – Trent Hidlay (Raleigh, N.C./Wolfpack WC/Titan Mercury WC)
Vs. Eugeniu Mihalcean (Moldova), 2024 U23 World bronze medalist, 2023 U20 Beach World champion
86 kg – Nate Jackson (Princeton, N.J./Princeton WC/New Jersey RTC)
Vs. Krzysszof Sadowick (Poland), 5th 2015 U20 World Championships, 6th 2021 World Military Championships
92 kg – Michael Macchiavello (Northampton, Pa./Lehigh Valley WC/Titan Mercury WC)
Vs. winner of Amirhoussein Fiouzpourbandpei (Iran) and Zaur Beradze (Georgia)
Firouzpourbandpei – 2022 and 2024 U23 World champion, 2024 Asian champion, 2021 and 2022 U20 World champion, 2019 U17 World champion
Beradze – 3rd 2109 U23 Europeans
97 kg – Kyle Snyder (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)
Vs. Richard Vegh (Hungary), 2023 European U23 bronze medalist, 2x U23 World team member
97 kg – Jay Aiello (Centreville, Va./Penn RTC/Titan Mercury WC)
Vs. Merab Suleimanishvili (Georgia), 3rd 2024 U23 Europeans, 2022 U20 World bronze medalist
125 kg – Mason Parris (Lawrenceburg, Ind./Cliff Keen WC/Titan Mercury WC)
Vs. Trent Hillger (USA)
125 kg – Hayden Zillmer (Crosby, Minn./Minnesota RTC)
Vs. Nika Berulava (Georgia), 5th 2018 U17 Europeans, 2023 Palusalu Memorial champion (Estonia)
125 kg – Trent Hillger (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota RTC)
Vs. Mason Parris (USA)
Event Schedule
*all times listed local to Zagreb, Croatia, which is six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time
Wednesday, February 5
10:30 a.m. – Qualification Rounds (MFS 57 kg, 61 kg, 65 kg, 70 kg, 74 kg, 86kg)
12:30 p.m. – Semifinal Rounds (MFS 57 kg, 61 kg, 65 kg, 70 kg, 74 kg, 86kg)
1:30 p.m. – Repechage (MFS 57 kg, 61 kg, 65 kg, 70 kg, 74 kg, 86kg)
6:00 p.m. – Finals (MFS 57 kg, 61 kg, 65 kg, 70 kg, 74 kg, 86kg)
Thursday, February 6
10:30 a.m. – Qualification Rounds (MFS 79 kg, 92 kg, 97 kg, 125 kg, WFS 50 kg, 55 kg)
12:30 p.m. – Semifinal Rounds (MFS 79 kg, 92 kg, 97 kg, 125 kg, WFS 50 kg, 55 kg)
1:30 p.m. – 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, February 7
10:30 a.m. – Qualification Rounds (WFS 59 kg, 62 kg, 65 kg, 68 kg, GR 63 kg, 67 kg)
12:30 p.m. – Semifinal Rounds (WFS 59 kg, 62 kg, 65 kg, 68 kg, GR 63 kg, 67 kg)
1:30 p.m. – Repechage (WFS 59 kg, 62 kg, 65 kg, 68 kg, GR 63 kg, 67 kg)
6:00 p.m. – Finals (WFS 59 kg, 62 kg, 65 kg, 68 kg, GR 63 kg, 67 kg)
Saturday, February 8
10:30 a.m. – Qualification Rounds (WFS 53 kg, 57 kg, 72 kg, 76 kg, GR 77 kg, 87 kg)
12:30 p.m. – Semifinal Rounds (WFS 53 kg, 57 kg, 72 kg, 76 kg, GR 77 kg, 87 kg)
1:30 p.m. – Repechage (WFS 53 kg, 57 kg, 72 kg, 76 kg, GR 77 kg, 87 kg)
6:00 p.m. – Finals (WFS 53 kg, 57 kg, 72 kg, 76 kg, GR 77 kg, 87 kg)
Sunday, February 9
10:00 a.m. – Qualification Rounds (GR 55 kg, 60 kg, 72 kg 82 kg, 97 kg, 130 kg)
12:30 p.m. – Semifinal Rounds (GR 55 kg, 60 kg, 72 kg 82 kg, 97 kg, 130 kg)
1:30 p.m. – 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)
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