Six athletes with No. 1 PIN ratings advance, quarterfinal set at U23 Nationals in men's freestyle

GENEVA, Ohio – The first sessions of the U23 Nationals in men’s freestyle concluded on Saturday evening at Spire Academy in Geneva, Ohio. The tournament was wrestled through the preliminary rounds, leading into the quarterfinals on the championship side.

Six athletes with No. 1 PIN ratings entering the event are in tomorrow’s quarterfinal bouts – Nic Bouzakis (61 kg), Daniel Cardenas (74 kg), Beau Mantanona (79 kg), Rocco Welsh (86 kg), Christian Carroll (97 kg) and Aden Attao (125 kg).

Bouzakis is a four-time age-group World Team member, and won bronze at the 2023 U20 World Championships in Amman, Jordan. 2024 U23 Pan American champion Cardenas navigated his way into the quarterfinals with a 4-0 day one record. 

Mantanona, a 2021 U17 World Team member, and Welsh, a 2021 Junior Pan American Games gold medalist, found their way into the quarterfinal round.

Two weight classes had more than one past age-group World Team members in the quarterfinals mix. At 97 kg, both Massoma Endene, a 2024 U23 World Team member, and Carroll, a two-time age-group World Team member, are both alive for a title on the championship side.

Attao, a two-time U20 Greco-Roman World medalist (2022, 2024), and Lucas Stoddard, a 2024 U23 World Team member), moved into the quarterfinals of the tournament at 125 kg. Attao won the U23 Nationals title in Greco-Roman on Friday, and remains in contention to win a title in freestyle.

Past men’s freestyle U23 Nationals runners-up Charlie Farmer (57 kg) and Cael Swenson (74 kg) advanced to the quarterfinals after the first day of action in Geneva, aiming to reach one step higher on the podium this year.

Three athletes with World Team experience had successful day one runs – Vince Cornella (65 kg), Jaxon Smith (86 kg) and Gavin Nelson (92 kg). Cornella is a 2022 U20 Pan American Champion and placed fifth at the 2022 U20 World Championships. Smith also competed at the 2022 U20 World Championships, placing fifth as well. Nelson was a 2021 U17 World Team member.

The 2025 U23 Nationals continue on Sunday at 10 a.m. ET, from the quarterfinals to the conclusion of the tournament.

Fans can follow the action live on FloWrestling. Watch the event live or on-demand at FloWrestling.com.

Online results for the U23 Nationals and U20 World Team Trials are available on USA Bracketing, USA Wrestling’s new best-in-class event management software.

• Live stream
• Brackets
• Event Schedule
• Photo gallery

57 kg

Drew Davis (Southern Illinois RTC) vs. Charlie Farmer (West Point WC)

Carson Wagner (Bearcat WC) vs. Mason Ziegler (Lehigh Valley Wrestling RTC)

Daniel Guanajuato (Jackrabbit WC) vs. Joseph Uhorchuk (Minion Training Center)

Brady Pruett (Pennsylvania RTC) vs. Brendan McCrone (Ohio RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

61 kg

Nic Bouzakis (Ohio RTC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Blaine Frazier (Indiana RTC)

Anthony Noto (Mat-Town RTC) vs. Sam Smith (Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

Jett Strickenberger (Black Fox Wrestling Academy) vs. Evan Tallmadge (Pittsburgh WC)

Garret Rinken (Panther Wrestling Club RTC) vs. Logan Frazier (Indiana RTC)

65 kg

Vince Cornella (Spartan Combat RTC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Connor Thorpe (Panther Wrestling Club RTC)

Jager Eisch (Minnesota - RTC) vs. Haiden Drury (Brunson UVRTC)

Logan Swensen (Jackrabbit WC) vs. Nash Singleton (Beaver Dam Wrestling RTC)

Ayden Garver (Beaver Dam Wrestling RTC) vs. Evan Mougalian (Pennsylvania RTC)

70 kg

Josh Edmond (Tiger Style WC) vs. Ethan Fernandez (Spartan Combat RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

Hunter Hollingsworth (Oklahoma RTC) vs. CJ Hamblin (Beaver Dam Wrestling RTC)

Drew Roberts (Minnesota - RTC) vs. Sam Ewing (WNY RTC)

Kael Voinovich (Hawkeye WC) vs. Connor Pierce (NLWC/TMWC)

74 kg

Daniel Cardenas (CA RTC) vs. Max Brignola (Lehigh Valley Wrestling RTC)

Damon McGee (Patriot Elite WC) vs. Tyler Lillard (Indiana RTC)

Ethan Birden (Ohio RTC) vs. Stoney Buell (Boilermaker RTC)

Matthew Bianchi (Arkansas RTC) vs. Michael Caliendo (Hawkeye WC)

79 kg

Beau Mantanona (Coachella Valley WC) vs. Carter Schubert (Oklahoma RTC)

Grant O'Dell (Knights RTC) vs. Ethan Riddle (Minnesota - RTC)

Hudson Rogers (Brunson UVRTC) vs. Connor Gaynor (Jackrabbit WC)

Moses Espinoza-Owens (Jackrabbit WC) vs. Nicco Ruiz (Atreus WC)

86 kg

Rocco Welsh (NLWC/TMWC) vs. Simon Ruiz (Spartan Combat RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

Rylan Rogers (Lehigh Valley Wrestling RTC) vs. Tate Naaktgeboren (Cyclone Regional Training Center C-RTC)

Jaxon Smith (DMV RTC) vs. Ian Bush (Mountaineer WC)

Jersey Robb (Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Dylan Fishback (Ohio RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

92 kg

Conor Maslanek (Buies Creek WC) vs. Jesse Perez (Life U Club Lucha Wrestling)

Gavin Nelson (Minnesota - RTC) vs. Kael Bennie (Brunson UVRTC)

Hayden Walters (Cliff Keen WC) vs. Luke Geog (Ohio RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

Rune Lawrence (Pennsylvania) vs. Kael Wisler (Michigan WC)

97 kg

Massoma Endene (Burg Training Center) vs. Mason Christian (Hilltopper WC)

Liam Daniels (Arkansas RTC) vs. Thomas Dineen (Jackrabbit WC)

Garavous Kouekabakilaho (Viking Wrestling Club (IA)) vs. Dan Rella, Jr. (Dragon WC)

Dakoda Rodgers (Hilltopper WC) vs. Christian Carroll (Wyoming Wrestling Reg Training Ctr)

125 kg

Lucas Stoddard (West Point WC) vs. Ryan Catka (Cavalier WC)

Daniel Herrera (Cyclone Regional Training Center C-RTC) vs. Brentan Simmerman (Golden Pride WC)

John Meyers (Clarion RTC) vs. Jarrett Stoner (Tiger Style WC)

Crew Howard (Nebraska Golden Eagles WC) vs. Aden Attao (Beaver Dam Wrestling RTC)