Reigning U17 World Champs Bassett and Mills Return to U17 Men’s Freestyle Quarterfinals at U.S. Open

Apr 26, 2026, 2:30 AM EDT

by David Gerhart, USA Wrestling

Keegan Bassett celebrates following win at the 2026 U.S. Open Championships

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LAS VEGAS – 2025 U17 World champions Keegan Bassett and Ariah Mills are both still on the hunt to make another U17 World Team and moved into the quarterfinals of the U17 men’s freestyle tournament at the 2026 U.S. Open Championships. The first day of U17 freestyle action at The Expo at World Market Center featured all 10 weight classes advancing to the quarterfinals.

Each champion earns a spot on the U17 World Team. The 2026 U17 World Championships take place July 27-August 2 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Over his first three matches at 51 kg, Mills posted three-straight 10-0 technical falls, with two coming in the first minute of each match. Mills takes on Connor Maddox in the quarterfinals, who also notched a trio of technical falls to move into the round of eight.

Bassett also notched three wins at 55 kg to move into the quarterfinals, highlighted by two tech falls. A battle of 2025 U17 World Team members is on the horizon to start the final day of the U.S. Open. Bassett’s quarterfinals opponent is Thales Silva, who finished 10th at last year’s U17 World Championships.

Arseni Kikiniou is the final 2025 U17 World Team member still alive in the U17 World Team Trials field. Kikiniou, who finished with two medals at last year’s U17 World Championships, scored three-straight 10-0 technical falls to start the tournament. Kikiniou now faces two-time U17 Pan American medalist Joaquin Chacon in the quarterfinals.

Kikiniou has already earned a spot to compete at the 2026 U17 World Championships after winning the trials event in Greco-Roman.

Fellow quarterfinalists Rylen Wax and Bruno Pallone are also in the hunt for two championships this week after winning U17 Greco-Roman titles on Friday.

At 45 kg, Wax posted a 10-0 technical fall 32 seconds into his lone match on Saturday. Pallone scored an 18-8 win to start, then only needed 12 seconds to move into the quarterfinals after pinning Koen Kreller in the round of 16. Three-time age-group Pan American champion Wax takes on Stephen Bagocius in the quarterfinals and Pallone faces Kade Splinter.

A trio of top seeds went down on the opening day of action. Lucas Reeves shutout No. 1-seeded and two-time U17 Pan American medalist Jeremy Carver in a 5-0 decision at 60 kg in the round of 64. Calan Manley edged Shane Ostermiller, 7-5, at 65 kg in the round of 32. With a spot in the quarterfinals on the line, Kobe Cunanan pinned No. 1-seeded Gary High in the first minute of their bout at 80 kg.

Manley and Cunanan are both in the quarterfinals. Manley battles Cole Speer, while Cunanan takes on Emerson Tjaden.

Complete quarterfinal matchups are available below.

Action in U17 men’s freestyle continues on Sunday at 10 a.m. PT. The best-of-three championship rounds are slated to start at 2 p.m. PT.

Along with U17 competition, the final day of the 2026 U.S. Open features the conclusion of U20 freestyle and UWW Futures freestyle.

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

2026 U.S. Open Championships

At The Expo at World Market Center, Las Vegas, Nev., April 25

Quick Links

U17 Men's Freestyle Results

Quarterfinal Matchups

45 kg

Rylen Wax (Beast Mode Wrestling) vs. Stephen Bagocius (Steller Trained Wrestling)

Ty Martin (Immortal Athletics WC) vs. Cole Palma (Seasons Freestyle Club)

Leonidas Murillo (American Dream Wrestling Club) vs. Cyrus Millage (Sebolt Wrestling Academy)

Michael Nicosia (Pennsylvania) vs. Johnathan Thompson (Sebolt Wrestling Academy)

48 kg

Kooper Deputy (Orchard Wrestling Club) vs. Miro Parr-Coffin (Inland Northwest Wrestling Training Center)

Lucas Forman (Wyoming Seminary College Preparatory High School Wrestling) vs. Luke Loren (Monster Garage Wrestling)

Brody Compau (Michigan Premier WC) vs. Amir Newman-Winfrey (Sebolt Wrestling Academy)

Sebastian Gutierrez (SilvaBack Training Center) vs. Carter Smith (Burnett Trained Wrestling)

51 kg

Ariah Mills (Roundtree Wrestling Academy) vs. Connor Maddox (Maurer Coughlin Wrestling Club)

Shiloh Joyce (New Jersey) vs. Cruz Gannon (Sebolt Wrestling Academy)

Cohen Reer (Burnett Trained Wrestling) vs. Finn Andersen (Ruthless Wrestling Club)

Michael Bernabe (Dethrone Wrestling Club) vs. Evan Restivo (M2 Training Center)

55 kg

Keegan Bassett (Bishop McCort High School Wrestling) vs. Thales Silva (SilvaBack Training Center)

Paden Alyea (Virginia) vs. Luke Young (M2 Training Center)

Tyler Verceles (HeadHunters Wrestling Club) vs. Thiago Silva (SilvaBack Training Center)

Lazarus McEwen (Mat Demon Wrestling Club) vs. Chase Karenbauer (Bad Karma Wrestling Club)

60 kg

Angel Cejudo Jr. (Valiant Wrestling Club) vs. Conner Whitely (Ohio)

Paul Ruiz (California) vs. Tommy Wurster (Beast Mode Wrestling)

Finnegan O'Brien (New York) vs. Lukas Foster (Izzy Style Wrestling)

Jojo Burke (New Jersey) vs. Ryder Owen (Inland Northwest Wrestling Training Center)

65 kg

Calan Manley (Cowboy Wrestling Club) vs. Cole Speer (Seasons Freestyle Club)

Gage Bjerga (Pinnacle Wrestling Club) vs. Grayson Davis (Steller Trained Wrestling)

Riker Ohearon (Champions Wrestling Club) vs. Reece Movahed (American Dream Wrestling Club)

Joaquin Chacon (Valiant Wrestling Club) vs. Arseni Kikiniou (Poway Wrestling)

71 kg

Tommy Rowlands (Ohio Crazy Goats Wrestling) vs. Jason Dube (Spire RTC)

Weston Borgers (New Jersey) vs. Lane Gudenkauf (Mission Athletics)

Camryn Howard (KD Training Center) vs. Colin Rutlin (Team Missouri Select)

Michael Ruane (Young Guns Wrestling Club) vs. Lincoln Robideau (MN Elite Wrestling Club)

80 kg

Kobe Cunanan (Valiant Wrestling Club) vs. Emerson Tjaden (Lawrence Elite Wrestling Club)

Ryder Schulte (Grindhouse Wrestling Club) vs. Deacon Dressler (Maurer Coughlin Wrestling Club)

Sean Breedlove (Red Cobra Wrestling Academy) vs. Parker Casey (Sebolt Wrestling Academy)

Jayden O'Farrill (M2 Training Center) vs. Kyle Gallo (Florida)

92 kg

Salah Tsarni (Blairstown Wrestling Club) vs. Michael Garcia (Bear Cave Wrestling Club)

Ibrahim Zaky (Impact Wrestling Academy) vs. Cody Savage (Ranger 47 Wrestling Club)

Duane Leslie (Big Cat Wrestling Club) vs. Mason Chamberlain (Steller Trained Wrestling)

Kannon Freschette (Inland Northwest Wrestling Training Center) vs. Mario Hutcherson (Young Guns Wrestling Club)

110 kg

Peter Mocco (ATT/Mocco Wrestling Academy) vs. Elijah Gustavson (Gold Rush Wrestling Academy Reno)

Camden Williams (Red Cobra Wrestling Academy) vs. Ceasar Salas (Bulldog Wrestling Club)

Kade Splinter (Team Nazar Training Center) vs. Bruno Pallone (Hardin Wrestling Club)

Grant Silverfield (Spartan RTC@LHP) vs. Satoshi Davis (Gold Rush Wrestling)