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#Fargo2025 Greco-Roman division state highlights, with firsts, records and notable achievements

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by Jason Bryant, Special to TheMat.com

Illinois continued its dominance with another team championship in Junior Greco-Roman at the 2025 U.S. Marine Corps Junior Nationals in Fargo, North Dakota.

Illinois continued its dominance with another team championship in Junior Greco-Roman at the 2025 U.S. Marine Corps Junior Nationals in Fargo, North Dakota.

FARGO, North Dakota – The run of Pennsylvania titles in Fargo came to an end with the completion of Greco-Roman. Including unofficial titles, Illinois won its 32nd all-time Junior team championships, while Iowa its second straight 16U Greco-Roman team title.


The Junior Greco title gave Illinois 66, one better than Pennsylvania, which tied the Land of Lincoln after sweeping the four freestyle tournaments.


Here’s the annual breakdown of news, notes, facts and firsts from the Greco-Roman divisions in 2025.


Alabama: Cody Kirk’s fifth-place finish in the Junior Division gave the state a placer in the division for the fourth straight year. Kirk placed at 175 pounds for his first Fargo medal. Alabama’s scored a Greco-Roman All-American regardless of age-group at every tournament since 2019.


Alaska: The Last Frontier had multiple finalists in Greco-Roman for the first time in state history as Hayden Reuter and Brian Grabner both claimed silver medals. Reuter was the runner-up in the 16U division at 144 pounds, while Grabner was just seconds away from a title. Grabner fell in the 132-pound final. The four All-Americans – two in each age group – is the most since 2018 and the second most all-time. The two 16U placers were the first since 2019. All four wrestlers who placed finished in the top three – Trestin Houck was third at 126 in 16U, while Jacob Morris was third at Junior 150.


Arizona: Five Greco-Roman All-Americans is the most for the state since 2019, when they had six wrestlers hit the podium. It’s the 14th straight year Arizona’s placed a wrestler in the 16U division. The top finisher came in the 16U division as Jack Thrush finished third at 94 pounds. Marcus Killgore finished fifth at 150, giving him a pair of medals on the week and three 16U medals all-time in Fargo.


Arkansas: Zachary Donalson gave Arkansas a new era in Greco-Roman, reaching the 16U finals at 113 pounds. Donalson is the first finalist for the state in any style since the adoption of the new AR/USA Wrestling chapter. The reason Donalson’s accomplishment needs an explanation is back in 1997 and 1998, Bulgarian immigrant Leo Bogaj was the lone wrestler to compete for Arkansas in Fargo. At the time, Arkansas didn’t have sanctioned high school wrestling and had no state formal USA Wrestling chapter. But Bogaj showed up and won. In 1999, he won a Junior title while representing Oklahoma.


California: The 15 All-Americans across both age-groups was the second most behind Illinois and tied for second with Iowa and Utah. Gregory Torosian was the state’s lone champion, taking the gold in the 16U division at 150 pounds. Thiago Silva finished seventh at 113 pounds in the 16U division, giving him four medals in four tries in the 16U division.


Colorado: Another solid year for Colorado as the state tied its best output for total Greco-Roman All-Americans with 12. The record was set back in 2015 and tied in 2021. Colorado had five placers in 16U and seven in the Juniors. The state had two finalists – one in each division. Cooper Mathews finished second at 126 pounds in 16U, while Onofre Gonzales was the runner-up at 100 pounds. Three different wrestlers collected their fourth all-time Fargo medals. Gonzales joined Austin Collins and Derek Barrows. Brandon Dean finished with six total Fargo medals, with the last four while representing Colorado.


Connecticut: Jaxsen Bailey was the state’s lone Greco-Roman All-American, giving the state a 16U placer for the third straight year. Bailey was fourth at 126 pounds and doubled up after finishing seventh in freestyle.


Delaware: Cody Bakhsh was the only placewinner in Greco-Roman and he did it with a second-place finish at 94 pounds in the 16U division. Bakhsh became the state’s third all-time finalist in 16U Greco and the first one since Stephen Swiggett in 2008. Bakhsh was the first Greco-Roman All-American since 2021 when Max Agresti took fourth at 195 pounds.


Florida:  The last three years have been pretty consistent for the Sunshine State in Greco-Roman. Each of the last three tournaments, Florida’s earned two medals in the 16U division and three in Juniors. Peter Mocco was the state’s lone champion, winning the 16U title at 190 pounds. Mocco’s famous father Steve was an Olympian in 2008 and won four Fargo titles in freestyle, but never wrestled Greco-Roman. What made the title a bit notable was his finals opponent, William Etu of Virginia, has a famous wrestling father as well – Josh. The elder Etu was a two-time Fargo champion, winning double 16U titles in 1997 to go along with a U17 Greco-Roman world title the same year. Last year, Koa DeLoach was the first wrestler to represent the island territory of Guam in Fargo. In the offseason, he moved to Florida and finished third in the Class A state tournament at 113 pounds for North Bay Haven. After going 0-fer in Fargo last year, DeLoach knocked off returning Junior champion Cason Craft of Oklahoma in the bloodround to hit the podium and ultimately finish seventh at 113 pounds. Myron Mendez finished third at Junior 215. He won his opening round bout, then lost in the Round of 64. He reeled off nine straight wins to finish third, winning the most matches of any wrestler in the tournament.


Georgia: With four Junior All-Americans and six overall, the Peach State closed out with a respectable Greco-Roman performance. Georgia’s had multiple 16U All-Americans every tournament since 2017, while the medal streak on the Junior side goes back to 2012. The state hasn’t been blanked in Greco since 2002. The state’s highest placer was at 138 pounds in 16U where Mihai Necula was second. Jaden Wesley Rakestraw was third at 16U 285 pounds, giving him two medals on the week – the only Georgia wrestler to double up in Fargo in 2025.


Hawaii: A decade-long medals drought ended in Greco-Roman as Paliku Chang finished second at 126 pounds in the Junior division. The archival pages were turning back to 2001 and 2013, the only other two finalists appearances in Junior Greco for the islands. Back in 2001, Travis Lee was the first wrestler to win the division. David Terao followed in 2013. This past season, Chang was a 132-pound state runner-up at Kamehameha-Kapalama. Aloha.


Idaho: With five 16U All-Americans placing in the top four and eight total Greco placers, it’s the fifth straight year with at least eight on the podium. Those five 16U placers led Idaho to a second-place finish in the division, tied with three other teams – Washington, Pennsylvania and Utah. Ivan Ivanov repeated as 16U champion, taking gold at 175 pounds. He also repeated as Outstanding Wrestler, a first in USA Wrestling history in 16U Greco. It’s also the third straight year Idaho’s claimed the 16U OW – Saxton Scott won it in 2023. Gage Ponton won the 16U title at 215, while Matthew Martino doubled, winning the Greco crown at Junior 150 after finishing third in freestyle. Ivanov and Ponton’s titles gave Idaho multiple 16U champs in a year for only the second time and the first since 1996 when Jared Lawrence and Boe Rushton took gold the first time the division was wrestled in Fargo.


Illinois: No state has more Greco-Roman All-Americans the last 10 years than Illinois. The state added 21 more All-Americans - nine in 16U and 12 in Juniors – to give them 259 since 2015. The 47 total champions is also the highest, with 30 of them coming on the Junior side. As noted above, the Juniors won the state’s 32nd title in the division and crowned four champions. Since getting blanked on titles in 2014, Illinois has reeled off 10 straight tournaments with at least two. They’ve had four champions five times since. Wyatt Medlin won his first Junior title after winning 16U in 2023. He’s made the finals four times in Fargo and placed five times. Junior 106-pound champion Vincent DeMarco also earned his fifth medal and first title.


Indiana: Juniors put three on the podium, making it five straight years with at least three All-Americans. The All-American streak on the 16U side is now at 19 as Jeremy Carver and Deacon Dressler placed. Nathan Rioux finished third at Junior 132, while Isiah Schaefer was third at Junior 138, tying for the state’s best finish individually. Rioux now has six Fargo medals all-time. Waylon Cressell has four.


Iowa: So Iowa, you’re a Greco state. That’s not a question, it’s a statement. Iowa won its second straight 16U Greco title with nine All-Americans and three individual titles. Ty Martin won an all-Iowa final at 88 pounds, while Diego Roberty won the 106-pound crown and Lucas Feuerbach won gold at 285, bookending the championship. Iowa has finished second-first-first in the last three 16U Greco tournaments. The nine placers tied Illinois with the most in the division. Lincoln Jipp won the 175-pound Junior title. Since 2015, Iowa’s 144 Greco All-Americans ranks fourth behind Illinois (259), California (151) and Pennsylvania (149).


Kansas: The state earned at least four Greco medals for the 25th straight tournament with three coming on the 16U side and three on the Junior side. The streak of at least one the Junior side goes back to 2006, while the 16U squad hasn’t been shut out since 2001. The last time there wasn’t a Greco medal won by Kansas in either age grou was 1984. All three 16U medalists finished in the top four, while Junior 106-pounder Xzander Donner was the runner-up, the state’s highest individual finish this year. Thunder Page picked up his third all-time medal in Fargo with a fourth-place finish at 150 in the 16U division.


Kentucky: Perhaps one of the most surprising stats from Kentucky over the past decade is the state has produced at least one Greco placewinner at every tournament since 2018, so you can’t attribute the state’s success just to wonder twins Jordyn and Jayden Raney. Jordyn won a Junior freestyle title earlier in the week and collected his fourth Fargo medal with a third-place finish at 144 pounds, up a weight from freestyle. Lucas Ricketts, also a Junior freestyle champ, was trying to win the state’s first Junior Greco title, but fell short, losing in the finals to Nebraska’s Adonis Bonar II. Ricketts did make history becoming the first Junior Greco finalist in state history and picked up his fourth medal in Fargo in the process. Three are in Greco.


Louisiana: Braylon Stewart finished with a runner-up finish at 165 pounds in the 16U division. Stewart was the first medalist in three years on the Greco side and the first 16U medalist since 2021, which was also the last time the state had a finalist. The first Greco finalist in state history came back at Junior 191.5 – 2004 Olympian Daniel Cormier. Scott Gibbons still holds the only Greco title in state history, a 16U crown in 2010.


Maryland: The state placed a wrestler on the podium in 16U Greco for the sixth straight year, while they got back on the podium with two medals after getting shut out in 2024. Corey Brown closed out his 16U career with a third medal, finishing third at 120 pounds. Both Junior placewinners - Evan Boblits at 150 and Victor Marks-Jenkins at 130 - placed seventh.


Massachusetts: Northfield Mount Hermon’s Preston Burroughs was the state’s only placewinner in Greco-Roman. Burroughs was fourth at 165 pounds in the 16U division and became the state’s first 16U placer since Maximilian Leete finished eighth in 2019.


Michigan: With five All-Americans in Greco-Roman, Michigan’s had at least three in the style every year since 2016. The four medals won by the 16U squad is the most since five in 2018. JayDen Williams was the top medalist, finishing as the runner-up at 165 pounds, giving him four Fargo medals all-time to go along with his two finals appearances across both styles.


Minnesota: The Land of 10,000 wrestlers has put up double-digits in Greco All-Americans every single year since first eclipsing the mark in 1989. The fourth-place finish in Juniors is the 37th straight tournament Minnesota’s finished in the Top 10. Lawson Eller earned his sixth all-time medal with a sixth-place finish at Junior 132, while Gage Bjerga won the state’s lone title, a 16U gold at 132 pounds. The state is now tied with Wisconsin for in Greco medals won with 139 since 2015.


Missouri: Wyatt Danneger won the 100-pound 16U title and Will Scherer won the Junior title at 165 pounds for Missouri’s top Greco-Roman finishes. Missouri put three wrestlers into the 16U finals for the second year in a row. Colin Rutlin was the Outstanding Wrestler in 16U freestyle and he finished as the runner-up in Greco at 150 pounds. Mayson Brayfield finished sixth at Junior 113 pounds, earning his fourth medal all-time.


Montana: Both All-Americans from Montana finished fourth: Bruno Pallone in 16U at 215 pounds and Kellen Downing at Junior 126. Pallone makes it five straight years with a placer in the division, while Downing puts the Juniors back on the board after the state didn’t place in the division last year.

Nebraska: With five Junior All-Americans, Nebraska finished 10th in the team standings. Adonis Bonar II won the title at 190 pounds giving the state its only title. Cruzer Rodrigeuz and Bonar II each earned their third medals all-time in Fargo. Logan Glynn improved three spots with a third-place Junior finish at 157 pounds.


Nevada: Manuel Saldate won the state’s third-ever Junior Greco title, while Harrison Smith won the state’s third 16U title and first since 2014. It’s the first time Nevada has won two Greco-Roman titles in the same year. Saldate now owns seven Fargo medals, tying him for the state’s all-time lead with Andrew Berreyesa, who like Saldate, won a Junior Greco title. With all six tournaments combined, Nevada tied the state record for most All-Americans in a year with 13, a mark they set last year. The seven Greco-Roman medals in a year is a new state record, while the four 16U medals ties a state record first set in 2016 and tied last year.


New Jersey: While much more credentialed in freestyle, New Jersey’s streak of at least one 16U medalist in Greco-Roman stayed alive as Gideon Gonzalez won the 144-pound championship. The last time New Jersey didn’t put a 16U wrestler on the medal stand was 2002. On the Junior side, Aidan Squire was third at 190 pounds, the only placer in the division.


New Mexico: Roman Luttrell’s Junior Greco title at 120 pounds was just New Mexico’s second ever and the first since Anthony Romero was the 154-pound title in 1983. Luttrell was joined on the Junior podium by Damian Trujillo, who finished eighth at 106 pounds. It’s the second time in as many years New Mexico has multiple Junior Greco All-Americans and just the third time ever. The first came back in 1983.


New York: Dunia Sibomana kept the Greco-Roman streak alive for the Empire State. Sibomana’s fourth-place finish at 120 pounds was the only medal won in Junior Greco, but it was good enough to keep one of the longest Junior Nationals streaks alive. New York has had an All-American in Junior Greco every year since the division started in 1972.

North Carolina: The Tar Heel State’s medal drought ended with Aaron Ellison’s eighth-place finish at 160 pounds in the 16U division. The last time a North Carolina wrestler hit the podium in Greco-Roman in Fargo was newly inked 2025 World Teamer Jax Forrest, who finished sixth in 16U back in 2021.


North Dakota: Nicolas Enzminger, last year’s Junior Greco champion at 113 pounds, rebounded from a third-round loss to win six straight matches to reach the consolation semifinals before losing to New York’s Dunia Sibomana. Enzminger, a five-time North Dakota high school placewinner and three-time state champion already, ended up sixth, earning his third all-time Fargo medal. Tate Sailer was the state’s top finisher, earning a runner-up finish at 175 pounds in the 16U division. Sailer was the state’s lone double All-American this year. He was fifth in freestyle. Junior 285 Darion Bitz won the divisions most falls award, pinning five wrestlers in 11:39.


Ohio: With 12 Greco-Roman All-Americans, Ohio is in the midst of it’s most successful three-year stretch of placers since 2004-06, when 42 wrestlers medaled. Each age group had six All-Americans and two finalists. Tommy Wurster came close to doubling up, finishing second at 120 pounds in the 16U division after winning freestyle. Xander Horak was second at 16U 215. On the Junior side, the Ukrainian twins of Maksym and Dmytro Chubenko both ended with runner-up finishes at 144 and 150 pounds, respectively.


Oklahoma: With two champions, a fourth place and a fifth place, Oklahoma finished third in the Junior team standings with 71 points, the third straight year the state has placed in the top five in Greco-Roman. Van Smith won at 126 pounds, while Thomas Verrette won at 138 pounds. It’s just the second time Oklahoma’s earned two Junior Greco champs in the same year – they did it for the first time last year. The gold is Verrette’s first medal representing Oklahoma. He’d won four, including a pair of 16U Greco titles while wrestling in Colorado.


Oregon: All three placewinners from Oregon were first-timers on the podium. Isaac Conner finished sixth at 16U 144, while Joshua Enoch took 5th at Junior 120 and Lusiano Lopez was seventh at Junior 215. A traditional Greco power, Oregon’s still looking to break back into the double-digit medal column for the first time since 2014.

 

Pennsylvania: The quest for five team titles in a single year was quashed as Iowa and Illinois won Greco-Roman championships after Pennsylvania swept all the freestyle crowns. The 16U squad was in a four-way tie for second place, while the Juniors finished fourth, so overall, not a bad performance for Team PA. Caden Yanarella won a 16U title at 138 pounds, while Asher Bacon followed at 157 pounds. Bacon joined older sister Emma, a Junior Girls champ, as a brother-sister champion combo for only the second time in USA Wrestling history. The first occurrence came in 2006 when Alaska’s Eli Hutchison won Junior Greco and his sister Michaela won Junior Girls. Luis Alberto-DeSilva was the Junior Outstanding Wrestler after winning gold at 144. It’s the second straight year Pennsylvania has won the OW award and fifth overall. Other Junior Greco OWs from PA are Kevin Darkus (1980), Ray Brinzer (1989), Hayden Hidlay (2015) and Adam Waters (2024).


South Dakota: In a state synonymous with the term farm boy, South Dakota’s only All-American came at the tournament’s smallest weight – 16U 88 pounds. Parker Wingen finished sixth gave the state a Greco-Roman All-American for the 13th straight tournament.


Tennessee: One All-American each age group was all Tennessee could muster in 2025 after putting up seven a year prior. Logan Raske finished seventh at 16U 88, while Jose Cordero was fifth at Junior 113.


Texas: The Lone Star State hasn’t been shut out in Greco since 2001. Of the six total medals won – two in 16U and four in Juniors – the highest finish came from Hunter Gordon, who took third at 16U 144 pounds. Aiden Cooley was fourth at 215 pounds and earned his fifth Fargo medal.


Utah: Finishing second in both age groups, the state set a new record for Greco-Roman All-Americans in a year with 15 and tied each of its age-group records. The seven 16U All-Americans ties the record first set in 2012 and tied in 2023. The eight Junior All-Americans ties the division record first set in 2013 and tied last year. The 16U team placement is an all-time high, while the Utah Juniors were second one time previously – 2001. That 2001 team was anchored by it’s lone champion, Cam Jones, who won four Greco titles, including three Junior titles. The 2025 16U runner-up team was anchored by Kacen Jones, Cam’s son. Kaden Oldroyd won the Junior title at 100 pounds, the 20th Junior Greco title in state history. The four Greco finalists were the most for Utah since they put five in the finals in 2014.


Virginia: William Etu was the highest finisher among the four 16U placewinners, taking the silver at 190 pounds. Etu’s father Josh was a 1997 Cadet World Champion and also double 16U titles (then called Cadets) the same year. Reza Massjouni was third at 132 pounds and provided some highlight worthy throws throughout the course of the tournament. Ethan Osburn, the lone Junior placewinner, wrestled 11 bouts, tying for the most in the tournament. He went 8-3, finishing eighth at 190 pounds.


Washington: The six 16U All-Americans is the most since the state put up seven medals in 2019. It’s also continuing a streak dating back to 2000 with multiple All-Americans in the division. Miro Parr-Coffin completed the sweep, winning Greco after winning the 16U title in freestyle at 94 pounds. Parr-Coffin was joined atop the podium by 16U 120-pound champion Ryder Owen, who was part of the theme of the week of wrestlers winning titles in Fargo just like their fathers. Brian Owen – without an s, an important distinction in that part of the wrestling world – was a six-time Fargo placer and 16U Greco champion in 2004 at 98 pounds. Kade West was the runner-up at 285, the top finish in the Junior division.


West Virginia: Parkersburg’s Dominic Way kept the state from getting shut out in Greco-Roman with an eighth-place finish at Junior 144. Way was a 126-pound 16U All-American last year, won a high school state title as a sophomore at 138 pounds and is now up to 144.


Wisconsin: The 10 All-Americans in 16U is the third-most all-time for the state. Hunter Vander Heiden became the first Junior Greco champion from Freedom High School since Garrett Lowney won titles in 1997 and 1998. Eight of the 14 placewinners across both divisions medaled for a second time. The state has produced at least 8 All-Americans in Greco-Roman every year since 2005.