Chubenko twins reach finals; Numerous champs tripped up as Junior Greco finals set after wild Saturday session

FARGO, North Dakota – Wrestling can be vindicating and thrilling - it can be ruthless, unforgiving and heart-wrenching.

For eight past Greco-Roman champions, it was the latter as just three wrestlers with previous championships in the style punched through to Saturday night’s Junior Greco-Roman finals at the 2025 U.S. Marine Corps Junior Nationals at the Fargodome on the campus of North Dakota State University.

While a number of those past winners had to immediately get back to fighting for podium finishes in the consolations – three champions powered through their draws – Oklahoma’s Thomas Verrette at 138 pounds, Illinois’ Wyatt Medlin at 157 pounds and Nebraska’s Adonis Bonar II at 190 pounds. Kentucky’s Lucas Ricketts found his way into the finals opposite Bonar II at 190. He’s the lone contender left to try to double up with titles in both styles.

With apologies to the Beastie Boys, there’s the story of two bad brothers you may not know so well – Ukrainian twins living in Ohio – Maksym and Dmytro Chubenko may have stolen the show.

The Chubenkos fled Ukraine in 2022 and settled in Columbus, wrestling for Worthington Kilbourne to close out their high school careers. Both were two-time Fargo placewinners entering the tournament and both are now three-time placers as Maksym reached the finals at 144 pounds and Dmytro made the finals at 150 pounds. Their long-term status in the country is still, at this point, undetermined as they await a green card for their father Yevhen Pylypenko.

At 144, Maksym scored three technical falls, two decisions and a fall on the way to the championship finals. He teched 2024 16U Greco champion Austin Collins of Colorado 10-0 in the semifinals to earn the right to face the impressive Luis Alberto-Desilva of Pennsylvania. Alberto-Desilva teched past U17 Greco world champion Jordyn Raney of Kentucky in the first period. Raney was trying to double up in Fargo after winning a Junior men’s freestyle title earlier in the week.

At 150, Dmytro knocked off 2024 U17 World Teamer Colton Weiler of Wisconsin 5-0 in the quarterfinals before dispensing with Kansas’ Donald Jackson in just over two minutes in the semifinals. Dmytro knocked off previous Fargo champion Chance Ruble of Missouri earlier in the bracket.

At 138 pounds, two-time 16U Greco-Roman champ Verrette made his first Junior final with a 5-1 win over Indiana’s Isaiah Schaefer. Verrette, twice a champion for Colorado, has outscored his opponents 50-1 and has five wins via technical fall. He’ll face Ned Kaufman of Pennsylvania, who beat Utah’s Geromino Rivera 7-5 in the semifinals. Kaufman’s been impressive as well, earning four technical falls on the way to the finals.

Medlin makes his fourth all-time Fargo final and third in Greco-Roman. Last year’s runner-up in Junior Greco, Medlin knocked off Nebraska’s Logan Glynn 4-1 in the semifinals. He’ll face Idaho’s Matthew Martino, who defeated returning champion Brandon Dean of Colorado 6-2 in the semis.

Bonar II will face Ricketts in a matchup of 2023 16U Greco-Roman champion vs. 2025 Junior freestyle champion. Bonar II teched New Jersey’s Aidan Squier, last year’s runner-up at 175 pounds in the semifinals. Ricketts, who with Raney became Kentucky’s first Junior freestyle champs, is now in position to try to do the same in Greco-Roman. The only titles won in the style were by Raney and twin brother Jayden at the 16U level. Ricketts is the first Junior Greco-Roman finalist in Kentucky history.

Utah’s Kaden Oldroyd became the state’s first Junior Greco finalist since 2016 with an 8-0 technical fall over California’s Frank Fuentes in just 32 seconds. Oldroyd will take on Colorado’s Onofre Gonzales, a 2024 16U All-American in Greco at 88 pounds. Gonzales teched Illinois’ Symon Woods 9-0 in his semifinal. Oldroyd will be joined in the finals by teammate Ladd Holman at 175 pounds.

At 106 pounds, Illinois’s Vincent DeMarco will face Kansas’ Xzander Donner. DeMarco picked off Nebraska’s Ace Schweitzer 12-9 in the top bracket semifinal, while Donner beat Florida’s R.J. Phelan 8-0. DeMarco was a 2023 16U Greco runner-up. He was third last season at 100 pounds.

At 113 pounds, Illinois’ Daniel Goodwin punched through to the finals after beating a pair of returning champions in back-to-back matches. Goodwin opened with a 6-6 criteria win over Oklahoma’s Cason Craft in the quarterfinals. Craft won Junior Greco last year at 106 pounds. Goodwin then took out teammate Caden Correll in a wild semifinal. Correll won the 2023 Junior Greco title at 106 pounds. Goodwin jumped out to a 4-0 lead early, but Correll rallied back to take an 8-4 lead heading into the second period. In the second, Goodwin retook the lead at 11-8 before Correll got within 11-10. With 26 seconds left in the bout, Goodwin countered a Correll roll-through attempt and pinned him to the mat for the fall and the finals berth. Goodwin will face Illinois teammate Kaleb Pratt in the finals. Pratt teched Missouri’s Mason Brayfield, a 2023 Junior Greco runner-up, 11-1 in the semifinals.

At 120 pounds, Roman Luttrell edged New York’s Dunia Sibomana 7-5 to punch through to the finals. Luttrell is the first Junior Greco finalist from New Mexico since Anthony Romero won the gold at 154 pounds in 1983. Luttrell will face Minnesota’s Joel Friederichs in the finals. Friederichs teched Missouri’s Carter Wallis 9-0 in his semifinal.

Paliku Chang became Hawaii’s third ever finalist in Junior Greco after beating California’s Jack Baker 8-0 at 126 pounds. Chang will face Oklahoma’s Van Smith, a 6-3 winner over Czar Quintanilla of Washington. The only other two Hawaiians to reach the finals both won titles – Travis Lee in 2001 and David Terao in 2013.

Alaska also joined the fun as returning Junior Greco All-American Brian Grabner reached the finals at 132 pounds. Grabner defeated Georgia’s Jesse Boyden 11-2 in the semifinals. Grabner will face Nevada’s Manuel Saldate in the final. Saldate teched Indiana’s Nathan Rioux in the semifinals – a match Saldate nearly didn’t make. Saldate rallied from a 6-0 deficit in the quarters to defeat California’s Tas Storer 11-6. In case you’re wondering, Alaska had recent finalists in 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023. Elyle Francisco was the state’s most recent champion, winning Junior Greco in 2023 at 120. Nevada’s last Junior Greco champion was Billy Sullivan in 2019. This will be the first Fargo finals meeting between wrestlers from Alaska and Nevada in any style.

At 165 pounds, Missouri’s Will Scherer beat Wisconsin’s Junior freestyle runner-up Sullivan Ramos 5-1 to reach the finals. Scherer will face Michigan’s JayDen Williams, who was a 10-0 winner over Texas’ Daniel Acosta in the bottom bracket semi.

At 175 pounds, Iowa’s Lincoln Jipp will face Utah’s Holman, an 11-3 winner over California’s Mario Carini.

At 215 pounds, Minnesota’s Evan McGuire upended 2023 U17 World teamer and 2024 Junior Greco All-American Aidan Squier of Texas 8-0. McGuire will face Illinois’ Josh Hoffer in the finals. Hoffer teched Utah’s Leimana Fager in the semifinals.

At 285 pounds, Hunter Vander Heiden reached the finals to face Washington’s Kade West. Vander Heiden beat Pennsylvania’s Caleb Rodridguez 8-0 in the semifinals. West was impressive, putting away 2024 U17 World Teamer Trayvn Boger of Utah in the quarterfinals and Wisconsin’s Preston Krueger in the semifinals.

The championship finals are set for 6 p.m. (CT). Catch all the action live at FloWrestling.com. Tournament brackets and updated results are available through USA Bracketing.