2024 Olympian Mason Parris pictured during the finals of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials.
Olympian Parris, World medalists Fix, Valencia among U.S. men’s freestyle entries at Dan Kolov – Nikola Petrov International
by Richard Immel, USA Wrestling
Team USA will be well represented in men’s freestyle at the 2025 Dan Kolov – Nikola Petrov International being held January 23-26 in Varna, Bulgaria. 2024 Olympian Mason Parris and past Senior World Medalists Daton Fix and Zahid Valencia are the headliners of the group.
Parris will compete for the first time since he finished in 10th place at the Paris Olympic Games last summer. He is a top contender in the heavyweight division heading into the Los Angeles 2028 quadrennial. Parris earned a bronze medal at the 2023 Senior World Championships, is a two-time Pan American champion, a 2019 U20 World champion and secured three medals at international events in 2024.
Bulgaria will mark the first international event for Fix dating back to the 2023 Waclaw Ziolkowski Memorial, where he won gold. Fix, who will compete at 61 kg, a is a two-time U.S. Senior World Team member with a silver medal performance in 2021, and a two-time Pan American champion. Most recently, Fix competed at the 2024 Senior World Team Trials where he came in third place.
Valencia scored bronze at the 2023 Senior World Championships at 92 kg, up from his current competition weight of 86 kg. He was fourth at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials and runner-up at the Senior World Team Trials last year.
2023 U.S. World Team member and reigning Pan American champion Chance Marsteller will compete in his second international competition at 86 kg in as many weeks. Marsteller is slated to wrestle at the Henri Deglane Grand Prix of France this Saturday before hopping over to Bulgaria next week.
Also pulling the France-to-Bulgaria double header are Nahshon Garrett at 61 kg, Yahya Thomas at 70 kg, Quincy Monday at 74 kg and Kennedy Monday at 79 kg.
2017 U17 World champion Will Lewan, plus seven more of America’s best, round out the U.S. lineup for this event. The complete U.S. delegation can be found below.
A live stream of the Dan Kolov – Nikola Petrov is expected to be available through the Bulgarian Wrestling Federation YouTube Channel. Brackets and updated results will be provided by USA Wrestling as available.
2025 Dan Kolov – Nikola Petrov International #
At Varna, Bulgaria, January 23-26 #
Event Schedule #
Thursday, January 23 #
10:30 a.m. – Qualification Rounds (MFS 61-70-79-92 kg, GR 55-63-72-82 kg, WFS 55-59-65-72 kg)
5 p.m. – Semifinals (MFS 61-70-79-92 kg, GR 55-63-72-82 kg, WFS 55-59-65-72 kg)
Friday, January 24 #
10:30 a.m. – Qualification Rounds (MFS 57-65-74 kg, GR 87-97-130 kg, WFS 62-68-76 kg), Repechage (MFS 61-70-79-92 kg, GR 55-63-72-82 kg, WFS 55-59-65-72 kg)
5 p.m. – Semifinals (MFS 57-65-74 kg, GR 87-97-130 kg, WFS 62-68-76 kg)
6 p.m. – Medal Matches (MFS 61-70-79-92 kg, GR 55-63-72-82 kg, WFS 55-59-65-72 kg)
Saturday, January 25 #
10:30 a.m. – Qualification Rounds (MFS 86-97-125 kg, GR 60-67-77 kg, WFS 50-53-57 kg), Repechage (MFS 57-65-74 kg, GR 87-97-130 kg, WFS 62-68-76 kg)
5 p.m. – Semifinals (MFS 86-97-125 kg, GR 60-67-77 kg, WFS 50-53-57 kg)
6 p.m. – Medal Matches (MFS 57-65-74 kg, GR 87-97-130 kg, WFS 62-68-76 kg)
Sunday, January 26 #
11 a.m. – Repechage (MFS 86-97-125 kg, GR 60-67-77 kg, WFS 50-53-57 kg)
12 p.m. – Medal Matches (MFS 86-97-125 kg, GR 60-67-77 kg, WFS 50-53-57 kg)
*All times listed local to Varna, Bulgaria, which is located seven hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Time.
U.S. Men’s Freestyle Roster #
57 kg – Brandon Courtney (Avondale, Ariz./Atreus WC)
57 kg – Liam Cronin (Lincoln, Neb./Nebraska WTC)
61 kg – Michael McGee (Bolingbrook, Ill./Atreus WC)
61 kg – Daton Fix (Stillwater, Okla./Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC)
61 kg – Nahshon Garrett (Bethlehem, Pa./Lehigh Valley WC/Titan Mercury WC)
61 kg – Devan Turner (Bloomington, Ind./Indiana RTC/New York AC)
70 kg – Yahya Thomas (Chicago, Ill./New Jersey RTC/Titan Mercury WC)
70 kg – Will Lewan (Ann Arbor, Mich./Cliff Keen WC)
74 kg – Quincy Monday (Princeton, N.J./New Jersey RTC/Titan Mercury WC)
74 kg – Elroy Perkin (Colorado Springs, Colo./Air Force RTC/Titan Mercury WC)
79 kg – Kennedy Monday (Chapel Hill, N.C./New Jersey RTC/Titan Mercury WC)
86 kg – Chance Marsteller (Reading, Pa./New Jersey RTC/Titan Mercury WC)
86 kg – Zahid Valencia (Phoenix, Ariz./Atreus WC)
92 kg – Eric Schultz (Tinley Park, Ill./Nebraska WTC)
125 kg – Mason Parris (Ann Arbor, Mich./Cliff Keen WC/Titan Mercury WC)
125 kg – Christian Lance (Nixa, Mo./Nebraska WTC)
U.S. Support Staff #
U.S. National Men’s Freestyle Head Coach – Bill Zadick (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
U.S. Manager of Men’s Freestyle Programs – Joe Russell (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
Coach – Zo El Ouarraqe (Stillwater, Okla./Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC)
Coach – Reece Humphrey (Pennington, N.J./New Jersey RTC/Titan Mercury WC)
Coach – Alex Dieringer (Ann Arbor, Mich./Cliff Keen WC/Titan Mercury WC)
Coach – Kerry McCoy (Coopersburg, Pa./Lehigh Valley WC/Titan Mercury WC)
Medical (ATC) – Ryan Palmer (Carthage, Mo.)
Official – Yaroslaw Petryna (Park Ridge, Ill.)
Read More#
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