Sanchez, Kikiniou, Taylor lead strong men’s freestyle team at U17 World Championships in Athens, Greece

Team USA will be represented by a talented group in men’s freestyle at the 2025 U17 World Championships, hosted at the Ano Liosia Olympic Hall in Athens, Greece. Action begins on July 28 with Greco-Roman, followed by women’s freestyle and will end with men’s freestyle.

Leading the lineup at 51 kg is Samuel Sanchez of Titan Mercury WC, the reigning 2024 U17 World Champion. Sanchez won a best-of-three series at the 2025 CLAW U.S. Open in April, securing a second-straight U17 World Team berth.

Joining him as proven competitors are Arseni Kikiniou of Poway Wrestling (65 kg) and Alex Taylor of Beast Mode Wrestling (110 kg). Kikiniou was dominant at the 2025 U17 Pan American Championships, winning gold in both styles, and also claimed the U17 Greco-Roman World Team Trials title.

Taylor captured U17 Pan American gold in freestyle and silver in Greco-Roman, and joins Kikiniou set to compete in both styles in Greece. He also swept both styles at the 2024 16U Nationals in Fargo, North Dakota.

At 48 kg, Ariah Mills of Roundtree Wrestling Academy has built a strong resume, with gold in both styles at the 2025 U17 Pan American Championships, and titles in both styles at the 2024 16U Nationals. He also won the U17 Greco-Roman World Team Trials, but will only be competing in freestyle next week.

Another standout across both styles is Jayden James of KD Training Center (71 kg), a 2025 U17 Pan American gold medalist in freestyle and Greco-Roman, and a two-time 16U Nationals champion in freestyle (2023, 2024).

At 45 kg, Keegan Bassett of Bishop McCort has captured four U15 Pan American Championships gold medals—two in freestyle and two in Greco-Roman. Bassett is also a 2024 16U National champion in freestyle.

Four-time 16U National champion Aaron Stewart of Toss Em Up Wrestling Academy (80 kg) will make his international debut in Athens. Stewart won titles in both styles in 2023 and 2024, and added to his success with a U17 World Team Trials freestyle title at the CLAW U.S. Open in April.

At 55 kg, Grey Burnett of Burnett Trained Wrestling enters with national-level accolades as a 2023 16U National champion in freestyle. This will also be Burnett’s introduction to international competition.  

Ashton Besmer of Dethrone WC (60 kg) and Tanner Hodgins of Shore Thing WC  (92 kg) round out the skilled team that will be competing in Greece. Besmer is a 2024 16U Nationals runner-up in freestyle, and Hodgins placed third at the 2024 16U Nationals in freestyle.

For live results and updates from the tournament in Athens, follow along with USA Wrestling’s social channels and article updates on TheMat.com. Results, brackets, and mat assignments from the U17 World Championships will be available on UWW Arena.

A stream of the event will be available on FloWrestling for fans in the United States.

Monday, July 28

10:30 a.m. – Qualification Rounds (GR 48-55-65-80-110 kg)

6:00 p.m. – Semifinals (GR 48-55-65-80-110 kg)

Tuesday, July 29

10:30 a.m. – Repechages (GR 48-55-65-80-110 kg) & Qualification Rounds (GR 45-51-60-71-92 kg)

5:00 p.m. – Semifinals (GR 45-51-60-71-92 kg)

6:00 p.m. – Finals & Medal Matches (GR 48-55-65-80-110 kg)

Wednesday, July 30

10:30 a.m. – Repechages (GR 45-51-60-71-92 kg) & Qualification Rounds (WFS 43-49-57-65-73 kg)

5:00 p.m. – Semifinals (WFS 43-49-57-65-73 kg)

6:00 p.m. – Finals & Medal Matches (GR 45-51-60-71-92 kg)

Thursday, July 31

10:30 a.m. – Repechages (WFS 43-49-57-65-73 kg) & Qualification Rounds (WFS 40-46-53-61-69 kg)

5:00 p.m. – Semifinals (WFS 40-46-53-61-69 kg)

6:00 p.m. – Finals & Medal Matches (WFS 43-49-57-65-73 kg)

Friday, August 1

10:30 a.m. – Repechages (WFS 40-46-53-61-69 kg) & Qualification Rounds (MFS 48-55-65-80-110 kg)

5:00 p.m. – Semifinals (MFS 48-55-65-80-110 kg)

6:00 p.m. – Finals & Medal Matches (WFS 40-46-53-61-69 kg)

Saturday, August 2

10:30 a.m. – Repechages (MFS 48-55-65-80-110 kg) & Qualification Rounds (MFS 45-51-60-71-92 kg)

5:00 p.m. – Semifinals (MFS 45-51-60-71-92 kg)

6:00 p.m. – Finals & Medal Matches (MFS 48-55-65-80-110 kg)

Sunday, August 3

4:30 p.m. – Repechages (MFS 45-51-60-71-92 kg)

6:00 p.m. – Finals & Medal Matches (MFS 45-51-60-71-92 kg)

*All times listed local to Athens, Greece, which is 7 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time

45 kg: Keegan Bassett (Windber, Pa./Bishop McCort)

48 kg: Ariah Mills (Dacula, Ga./Roundtree Wrestling Academy)

51 kg: Samuel Sanchez (Whittier, Calif./Titan Mercury WC)

55 kg: Grey Burnett (Perrysburg, Ohio/Burnett Trained Wrestling)

60 kg: Ashton Besmer (Clovis, Calif./Dethrone Wrestling Club)

65 kg: Arseni Kikiniou (Escondido, Calif./Poway Wrestling)

71 kg: Jayden James (Westwood, N.J./KD Training Center)

80 kg: Aaron Stewart (Gurnee, Ill./Toss Em Up Wrestling Academy)

92 kg: Tanner Hodgins (Howell, N.J./Shore Thing WC)

110 kg: Alex Taylor (Howard, Ohio/Beast Mode Wrestling)

Coach: J’den Cox, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Coach: Jamill Kelly, Durham, N.C.

Coach: Angel Cejudo, Scottsdale, Ariz.

Personal Coach: Scott Burnett, Perrysburg, Ohio

Personal Coach: TJ Parker, Round Lake Beach, Ill.

Personal Coach: John Azevedo, Templeton, Calif.

Personal Coach: Bill Bassett, Windber, Pa.

Personal Coach: Thomas Poklikuha, West Creek, N.J.

Personal Coach: Sam Roundtree, Braselton, Ga.

Personal Coach: Khaled Dassan, Yonkers, N.Y.

Personal Coach: Israel Silva, Fresno, Calif.

Personal Coach: Aliaksandr Kikiniou, Escondido, Calif.

Personal Coach: Matt Lybarger, Mount Vernon, Ohio

Medical ATC: Amber Helphenstine, Washington, Pa.

Medical ATC: Bruce Ferratt, Fairfax, Va.

MD: Jesse Shaw, Pullman, Wash.

Official: Andrew Mullet, Metairie, La.

Official: Na Humma, McKinney, Texas

Official: Brock Zollinger, Rexburg, Idaho

NF Secretary General: Rich Bender, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Team Leader: Christina Hargrove, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Greco-Roman Team Leader: James Foster, Clarksville, Md.

Women’s Freestyle Team Leader: Jeff Waters, Short Hills, N.J.

MFS Chaplain: Tim Hess, Beaverton, Ore.

NF Official: Michelle Bender, Colorado Springs, Colo.

NF Media: SJ Asmann, Colorado Springs, Colo.

NF Media: Justin Hoch, Astoria, N.Y.