Five athletes move one win away from spot on Greco-Roman World Team

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Five different athletes have secured 1-0 leads in their best-of-three series at the 2026 Senior Greco-Roman World Team Trials.

Competing as part of Group A, round one action began at 55 kg with a dominant tech. fall win by three-time U.S. Open champion Max Nowry (New York AC). Nowry used a grand amplitude throw to secure the 8-0 victory over World team veteran Brady Koontz (Position Wrestling/TMWC).

Up at 60 kg, a seven-point first period was all Dalton Roberts (Army WCAP) – himself a two-time World teamer – needed to best Zane Richards (Illinois RTC/Titan Mercury WC) by comfortable decision, 7-1.

Moving to 63 kg, Xavier Johnson (Army WCAP) moved one win away from his second Senior World team thanks to a 6-3 decision over Landon Drury (NMU-National Training Center). Johnson led 5-0 after a pair of first-period turns, but it was Drury who nearly completed the comeback with a buzzer-beating takedown, which was waived off and then confirmed following a subsequent challenge.

72 kg featured another bout where a fast start made all the difference. This time, Benjamin Peak (Position Wrestling/New York AC) built a 6-0 lead at the break before holding off Peyton Robb (Nebraska Wrestling Training Center) for the 6-3 decision. Peak can make his third Senior World Team with one more victory this evening.

And at 77 kg, youth was served in round one as U17 World champion Joel Adams (Beaver Dam Wrestling RTC) defeated nine-time World/Olympic competitor Aliaksandr Kikiniou Sr. (New York AC) by a score of 5-1.

At 67 kg, Otto Black (New York AC) has officially made the World Team for the United States after his finals opponent, Peyton Omania (Orange Country RTC), was disqualified on Friday morning. The much-anticipated championship series will not be wrestled.

Round 2 of the Championship Finals will begin tonight at 6 p.m. (PT) – followed immediately by Round 3 matches (if necessary).

The 2026 U.S. Open Championships are broadcast live on FloWrestling. Brackets, mat assignments and other information are available through USA Bracketing.