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Greco-Roman

Kikiniou Named OW at U17 World Team Trials; 10-Man Greco-Roman Team Established at 2026 U.S. Open

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by David Gerhart, USA Wrestling

2026 Greco-Roman U17 World Team

2026 Greco-Roman U17 World Team

LAS VEGAS – 2025 U17 Greco-Roman World bronze medalist Arseni Kikiniou made his second-straight U17 World Team on Friday night at the 2026 U.S. Open Championships during the U17 Greco-Roman World Team Trials at The Expo at World Market Center.


Kikiniou stormed his way to the 65 kg title and was named the Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament. In the best-of-three championship series, Kikiniou posted 10-1 and 8-0 technical falls. Before the final series, Kikiniou had four of his five wins come by technical fall.


The winner of each of the 10 weight classes has now qualified for the U17 World Team. The 2026 U17 World Championships are slated for July 27-August 2 in Baku, Azerbaijan.


All 10 of the championship series were sweeps. Four wrestlers won their two matches in tech fall fashion to secure their U17 World Team spot.


Wyatt Dannegger collected a pair of 8-0 technical falls to win the 51 kg division. Two-time U17 Pan American champion Cooper Mathews earned his spot on the team with 8-0 and 9-0 tech falls in just 1:32 minutes of mat time in the finals.


At 110 kg, Bruno Pallone notched double digits in each of his two championship bouts, 10-1 and 13-5.


Arav Pandey put up 24 points in his last bout at 48 kg to post a 24-14 technical fall following a 10-5 decision in the first match in the best-of-three series.


William Etu scored an 8-0 technical fall in just 29 seconds of the first championship series match at 92 kg. Then, Etu collected a 14-12 decision to earn a World Team spot.


Four-time age-group Pan American medalist Rylen Wax won a pair of decisions (4-1 and 6-1) to win the 45 kg crown.


Corey Brown upended 2025 U17 World bronze medalist Michael Rundell in the championship series at 55 kg with 4-3 and 10-3 victories.


Rounding out the U17 World Team qualifiers were Gregory Torosian and Ivan Ivanov. Torosian won 3-0 and 7-1 in his championship series at 71 kg. Ivanov scored 5-1 and 3-1 decisions at 80 kg.


Complete semifinal and medal match results are available below.


Archived matches are available at FloWrestling. Brackets and full match-by-match results are available on USA Bracketing.


Action at the 2026 U.S. Open Championships continues Saturday with the conclusion of the Senior Greco-Roman and men’s freestyle divisions. U17 and U20 freestyle also get underway on Saturday at 10 a.m. PT.


2026 U.S. Open Championships

At The Expo at World Market Center, Las Vegas, Nev., April 24


Quick Links

U17 Greco-Roman Results


Best-of-Three Championship Series Results
45 kg

Rylen Wax (Beast Mode Wrestling) defeats Ty Martin (Immortal Athletics WC), two matches to none


Round 1 – Wax dec. Martin, 4-1

Round 2 – Wax dec. Martin, 6-1


48 kg

Arav Pandey (American Dream Wrestling Club) defeats Amir Newman-Winfrey (Sebolt Wrestling Academy), two matches to none


Round 1 – Pandey dec. Newman-Winfrey, 10-5

Round 2 – Pandey tech. fall Newman-Winfrey, 24-14


51 kg

Wyatt Dannegger (Team Missouri Select) defeats Garrett Bjerga (Pinnacle Wrestling Club), two matches to none


Round 1 – Dannegger tech. fall Bjerga, 8-0

Round 2 – Dannegger tech. fall Bjerga, 8-0


55 kg

Corey Brown (HeadHunters Wrestling Club) defeats Michael Rundell (The Wrestling Academy), two matches to none


Round 1 – Brown dec. Rundell, 4-3

Round 2 – Brown dec. Rundell, 10-3


60 kg

Cooper Mathews (Black Fox Wrestling Academy) defeats Lewis Davis (Threestyle Wrestling Of Oklahoma), two matches to none


Round 1 – Mathews tech. fall Davis, 8-0

Round 2 – Mathews tech. fall Davis, 9-0


65 kg

Arseni Kikiniou (Poway Wrestling) defeats Alexander Penzkover (LaCrosse Area Wrestlers), two matches to none


Round 1 – Kikiniou tech. fall Penzkover, 10-1

Round 2 – Kikiniou tech. fall Penzkover, 8-0


71 kg

Gregory Torosian (World Team Training Center) defeats Aiden Arnett (Izzy Style Wrestling), two matches to none


Round 1 – Torosian dec. Arnett, 3-0

Round 2 – Torosian dec. Arnett, 7-1


80 kg

Ivan Ivanov (Suples Wrestling Club) defeats Gary High (Higher Calling Wrestling Club), two matches to none


Round 1 – Ivanov dec. High, 5-1

Round 2 – Ivanov dec. High, 3-1


92 kg

William Etu (Wild Buffalo Wrestling Club) defeats Kannon Freschette (Inland Northwest Wrestling Training Center), two matches to none


Round 1 – Etu tech. fall Freschette, 8-0

Round 2 – Etu dec. Freschette, 14-12


110 kg

Bruno Pallone (Hardin Wrestling Club) defeats Camden Williams (Red Cobra Wrestling Academy), two matches to none


Round 1 – Pallone tech. fall Williams, 10-1

Round 2 – Pallone tech. fall Williams, 13-5

Medal Match Results
45 kg

3rd - Leonidas Murillo (American Dream Wrestling Club) dec. Jarek Gallegos (Betterman Elite Wrestling), 8-6

5th - Gavin Boller (Michigan) dec. Eldon Roth (Weigh In Club), 6-4

7th - Max Lindquist (Xtreme Training) tech. fall Rocco Valvano (Illinois), 8-0 (2:35)


48 kg

3rd - Xzander Donner (Tiger Den Wrestling Club) fall Dakota Harmer (Michigan Premier WC), 0:26

5th - Sebastian Gutierrez (SilvaBack Training Center) forfeit Miro Parr-Coffin (Inland Northwest Wrestling Training Center),

7th - Stephano Calderon (South Carolina) fall Sebastian Clark (3F Wrestling), 1:35


51 kg

3rd - Evan Restivo (M2 Training Center) dec. Evan Cies (Steller Trained Wrestling), 8-8

5th - Jantz Greenhalgh (Carbon Wrestling Club) tech. fall Lydon Vega (Portage Wrestling Club), 9-0 (2:28)

7th - Nathan Schuman (Mat Assassins Wrestling Club) dec. Rowdy Angst (Victory Wrestling), 13-8


55 kg

3rd - Tyler Verceles (HeadHunters Wrestling Club) fall Spenser McCammon (Maurer Coughlin Wrestling Club), 0:16

5th - Thiago Silva (SilvaBack Training Center) tech. fall Greysen Packer (Team Idaho Wrestling Club), 8-0 (0:15)

7th - Blake Mauch (Sanderson Wrestling Academy) dec. Cael Muller (Steller Trained Wrestling), 11-10


60 kg

3rd - Blake Nevils (Team Idaho Wrestling Club) dec. Tommy Wurster (Beast Mode Wrestling), 7-3

5th - Jaxon Lane (Grindhouse Wrestling) tech. fall Trestin Houck (Lions Den Wrestling Club), 16-8 (4:00)

7th - Robert Ruscitti (The Wrestling Academy) forfeit Ryder Owen (Inland Northwest Wrestling Training Center)


65 kg

3rd - Jaxsen Bailey (Curby 3 Style Wrestling Club) tech. fall Kameron Green Jr. (MWC Wrestling Academy), 10-0 (1:35)

5th - Gavin Cantera (Samurai Wrestling Club) forfeit Reece Movahed (American Dream Wrestling Club),

7th - Thomas Banas (Illinois) forfeit Austin Schield (Inland Northwest Wrestling Training Center),


71 kg

3rd - Kaleb Griffith (MWC Wrestling Academy) tech. fall Colin Rutlin (Team Missouri Select), 14-5 (3:16)

5th - Diego Valdiviezo (Poway High School Wrestling) dec. Hayden Reuter (Interior Grappling Academy), 4-4

7th - Jasper Harper (Plainfield Wrestling Club) forfeit Reza Massjouni (Virginia),

80 kg

3rd - Braylon Stewart (B.R.A.W.L.) fall Emerson Tjaden (Lawrence Elite Wrestling Club), 0:49

5th - Zane Engels (MN Elite Wrestling Club) forfeit Asher Bacon (Pennsylvania),

7th - Duane Leslie (Big Cat Wrestling Club) tech. fall Jakob Hoke (MVKWA Graham Youth Wrestling Club), 8-0 (1:33)


92 kg

3rd - Jaxson Mathenia (Illinois) tech. fall Joaquin Ruiz (Protos Wrestling Club), 9-0 (1:15)

5th - Ibrahim Zaky (Impact Wrestling Academy) dec. Carson Langford (Oregon Boys Wrestling National Team), 10-5

7th - Owen Conroy (Phoenix Wrestling Club) dec. Charlie Powers (Avalanche Wrestling Association), 17-12


110 kg

3rd - Carlos Rodriguez Jr. (Heartland Wrestling Academy) tech. fall Zachary Leftwich (Virginia), 12-4 (3:08)

5th - Grant Silverfield (Spartan RTC@LHP) dec. Gage Ponton (Suples Wrestling Club), 3-2

7th - Ryder Vincent (Juab Wrestling Club) fall Jericoh Powe (Dark Horse Wrestling Club), 0:35


Semifinal Results
45 kg

Rylen Wax (Beast Mode Wrestling) dec. Leonidas Murillo (American Dream Wrestling Club), 5-2

Ty Martin (Immortal Athletics WC) tech. fall Jarek Gallegos (Betterman Elite Wrestling), 8-0 (1:06)


48 kg

Arav Pandey (American Dream Wrestling Club) tech. fall Sebastian Gutierrez (SilvaBack Training Center), 12-0 (0:35)

Amir Newman-Winfrey (Sebolt Wrestling Academy) tech. fall Miro Parr-Coffin (Inland Northwest Wrestling Training Center), 8-0 (1:52)


51 kg

Wyatt Dannegger (Team Missouri Select) tech. fall Evan Restivo (M2 Training Center), 8-0 (1:07)

Garrett Bjerga (Pinnacle Wrestling Club) tech. fall Evan Cies (Steller Trained Wrestling), 12-4 (1:55)


55 kg

Michael Rundell (The Wrestling Academy) tech. fall Spenser McCammon (Maurer Coughlin Wrestling Club), 8-0 (1:04)

Corey Brown (HeadHunters Wrestling Club) dec. Tyler Verceles (HeadHunters Wrestling Club), 7-4


60 kg

Cooper Mathews (Black Fox Wrestling Academy) tech. fall Tommy Wurster (Beast Mode Wrestling), 9-1 (2:24)

Lewis Davis (Threestyle Wrestling Of Oklahoma) tech. fall Trestin Houck (Lions Den Wrestling Club), 10-1 (2:37)


65 kg

Arseni Kikiniou (Poway Wrestling) dec. Reece Movahed (American Dream Wrestling Club), 3-1

Alexander Penzkover (LaCrosse Area Wrestlers) tech. fall Gavin Cantera (Samurai Wrestling Club), 15-3 (2:19)


71 kg

Gregory Torosian (World Team Training Center) tech. fall Hayden Reuter (Interior Grappling Academy), 9-0 (1:30)

Aiden Arnett (Izzy Style Wrestling) dec. Colin Rutlin (Team Missouri Select), 10-6


80 kg

Ivan Ivanov (Suples Wrestling Club) fall Emerson Tjaden (Lawrence Elite Wrestling Club), 3:02

Gary High (Higher Calling Wrestling Club) tech. fall Asher Bacon (Pennsylvania), 9-0 (1:33)


92 kg

William Etu (Wild Buffalo Wrestling Club) tech. fall Jaxson Mathenia (Illinois), 13-5 (1:08)

Kannon Freschette (Inland Northwest Wrestling Training Center) dec. Joaquin Ruiz (Protos Wrestling Club), 7-1


110 kg

Bruno Pallone (Hardin Wrestling Club) dec. Gage Ponton (Suples Wrestling Club), 10-8

Camden Williams (Red Cobra Wrestling Academy) dec. Zachary Leftwich (Virginia), 6-4