EAP athlete Benjamin Smith finishes sixth at Clarion Open

Five athletes in USA Wrestling’s Elite Accelerator Program (EAP) competed at the 2025 Clarion Open with Maryland native Benjamin Smith earning top placement of the bunch, finishing in sixth place at 174 pounds.

Smith posted a 4-2 record at Clarion’s Waldo S. Tippin Gymnasium last Sunday to lead the group of talented youngsters who currently train in Colorado Springs, Colo., at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center. Smith qualified for the quarterfinal round before being pushed to the consolation bracket. He earned four decision wins on the day, two against Clarion’s Gabe Lilly, plus wins against Caleb Neal of Southern Illinois and John Altieri of Clarion.

Also making the quarters for the EAP team was New York native Reese Spiro at 184 pounds. Spiro pinned his way to the quarters with a 51-second fall over Tyson Clear of Edinboro and a pin in 1:35 on Carson Mize of Ohio State. He finished with a 3-2 record in the bracket and came one win shy of placing in the top six.

Other EAP athletes who competed in Clarion were Jeremiah Waldschmidt at 133 pounds, Lucas Kaufman at 133 pounds and Michael Saba at 149 pounds. All three came up short of the podium. Complete results for each athlete are available below.

The EAP was designed to develop young athletes with Olympic potential at the USOPTC in Colorado Springs, Colo. This has included wrestlers who are still in high school or are high school graduates who choose to train in the international styles before going to college.

EAP athletes on the men’s freestyle side are coached by two-time World champion and Olympic bronze medalist J’den Cox, who is the U.S. national men’s freestyle developmental coach.

More information about the EAP is available on TheMat.com.