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Age-Group World Medalists Mills and Kikiniou Repeat; U17 Men’s Freestyle World Team Set on Final Day of 2026 U.S. Open

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by David Gerhart, USA Wrestling

2026 Men's Freestyle U17 World Team

2026 Men's Freestyle U17 World Team

LAS VEGAS – 2025 U17 World champion Ariah Mills and two-time 2025 U17 World medalist Arseni Kikiniou repeated as U17 World Team Trials champions in men’s freestyle, closing out the 2026 U.S. Open Championships at The Expo at World Market Center Las Vegas.


At 51 kg, Mills won each of his first five matches 10-0 to move into the championship series. In the best-of-three series, he posted a 9-2 decision, then got back on track with another 10-0 technical fall over Evan Restivo.


Kikiniou capped off his weekend double with the freestyle title on Sunday, following his U17 Greco-Roman title earlier in the week. In the finals, Kikiniou grabbed a pair of decisions, 4-3 and 6-0.


Rylen Wax also finished with two U17 titles and did so in dramatic fashion. After splitting the first two matches of the series, Wax found himself down 9-5 with just two seconds left in the match. Off the jump on the final restart, Wax secured the diving ankle pick and scored four points off the move. Following a lost challenge, he won 10-9 over Cyrus Millage and locked in his spot on the U17 World Team in freestyle and Greco-Roman.


Kooper Deputy was named Outstanding Wrestler after sweeping his championship series via bonus wins. Deputy first posted a 10-0 technical fall in just 1:10, then won by fall 32 seconds into the second match of the series. Deputy bonused his way through the 48 kg bracket with an 11-second pin and two technical falls before the championship series.


At 55 kg, Chase Karenbauer recorded the biggest upset of the U17 men’s freestyle finals and swept 2025 U17 World champion Keegan Bassett, 11-9 and 8-5.


The best-of-three championship series at 60 kg and 92 kg also went three rounds and followed similar patterns. Jojo Burke and Salah Tsarni dropped the opening matches of the finals but rebounded to win the next two matches and win the U17 freestyle titles.


Paul Ruiz upended Burke in the first match at 60 kg, 9-6, but Burke rallied to win 11-3 and 4-1. During the 92 kg final, Mario Hutcherson won on criteria in a 4-4 contest. In the final two matches of the series, Tsarni captured 6-1 and 5-2 victories.


Rounding out the U17 men’s freestyle champions are Camryn Howard (71 kg), Jayden O’Farrill (80 kg) and Peter Mocco (110 kg). Each of the three won their first two matches in their best-of-three series.


Complete semifinal and medal match results are available below.


The 10 U17 men’s freestyle champions will now represent the U.S. at the 2026 U17 World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, July 27-August 2.


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 26


Quick Links


U17 Men’s Freestyle Results


Best-of-Three Championship Series Results
45 kg

Rylen Wax (Beast Mode Wrestling) defeats Cyrus Millage (Sebolt Wrestling Academy), two matches to one


Round 1 – Wax tech. fall Millage, 11-1

Round 2 – Millage dec. Wax, 7-3

Round 3 – Wax dec. Millage, 10-9


48 kg

Kooper Deputy (Orchard Wrestling Club) defeats Amir Newman-Winfrey (Sebolt Wrestling Academy), two matches to none


Round 1 – Deputy tech. fall Newman-Winfrey, 10-0

Round 2 – Deputy fall Newman-Winfrey, 0:32


51 kg

Ariah Mills (Roundtree Wrestling Academy) defeats Evan Restivo (M2 Training Center), two matches to none


Round 1 – Mills dec. Restivo, 9-2

Round 2 – Mills tech. fall Restivo, 10-0


55 kg

Chase Karenbauer (Bad Karma Wrestling Club) defeats Keegan Bassett (Bishop McCort High School Wrestling), two matches to none


Round 1 – Karenbauer dec. Bassett, 11-9

Round 2 – Karenbauer dec. Bassett, 8-5


60 kg

Jojo Burke (New Jersey) defeats Paul Ruiz (California), two matches to one


Round 1 – Ruiz dec. Burke, 9-6

Round 2 – Burke dec. Ruiz, 11-3

Round 3 – Burke dec. Ruiz, 4-1


65 kg

Arseni Kikiniou (Poway Wrestling) defeats Gage Bjerga (Pinnacle Wrestling Club), two matches to none


Round 1 – Kikiniou dec. Bjerga, 4-3

Round 2 – Kikiniou dec. Bjerga, 6-0


71 kg

Camryn Howard (KD Training Center) defeats Jason Dube (Spire RTC), two matches to none


Round 1 – Howard dec. Dube, 4-3

Round 2 – Howard dec. Dube, 5-0


80 kg

Jayden O'Farrill (M2 Training Center) defeats Ryder Schulte (Grindhouse Wrestling Club), two matches to none


Round 1 – O'Farrill tech. fall Schulte,14-4

Round 2 – O'Farrill dec. Schulte,3-3


92 kg

Salah Tsarni (Blairstown Wrestling Club) defeats Mario Hutcherson (Young Guns Wrestling Club), two matches to one


Round 1 – Hutcherson dec. Tsarni, 4-4

Round 2 – Tsarni dec. Hutcherson, 6-1

Round 3 – Tsarni dec. Hutcherson, 5-2


110 kg

Peter Mocco (ATT/Mocco Wrestling Academy) defeats Satoshi Davis (Gold Rush Wrestling), two matches to none


Round 1 – Mocco dec. Davis, 9-7

Round 2 – Mocco dec. Davis, 3-0

Medal Match Results
45 kg

3rd - Johnathan Thompson (Sebolt Wrestling Academy) dec. Ty Martin (Immortal Athletics WC), 10-6

5th - Grady Moos (Burnett Trained Wrestling) tech. fall John Ross (Triumph Wrestling), 15-4 (3:22)

7th - Stephen Bagocius (Steller Trained Wrestling) tech. fall Ryker Leonard (Eagle Club), 10-0 (1:40)


48 kg

3rd - Carter Smith (Burnett Trained Wrestling) dec. Lucas Forman (Wyoming Seminary College Preparatory High School Wrestling), 8-0

5th - Knox Ayala (Sebolt Wrestling Academy) dec. Brody Compau (Michigan Premier WC), 13-9

7th - Sebastian Gutierrez (SilvaBack Training Center) tech. fall Jaden Uhde (Rampage Wrestling), 12-2 (1:18)


51 kg

3rd - Michael Bernabe (Dethrone Wrestling Club) dec. Connor Maddox (Maurer Coughlin Wrestling Club), 9-6

5th - Cruz Gannon (Sebolt Wrestling Academy) dec. Cohen Reer (Burnett Trained Wrestling), 10-3

7th - Shiloh Joyce (New Jersey) dec. Jett Kline (Cowboy Wrestling Club), 8-0


55 kg

3rd - Traevon Ducking (Contenders Wrestling Academy) dec. Izayiah Chavez (Best Trained Wrestling), 7-2

5th - Thiago Silva (SilvaBack Training Center) tech. fall Paden Alyea (Virginia), 10-0 (3:47)

7th - Lazarus McEwen (Mat Demon Wrestling Club) dec. Michael Rundell (The Wrestling Academy), 3-2


60 kg

3rd - Tommy Wurster (Beast Mode Wrestling) dec. Lukas Foster (Izzy Style Wrestling), 9-0

5th - Finnegan O'Brien (New York) med. forfeit Angel Cejudo Jr. (Valiant Wrestling Club)

7th - Robert Ruscitti (The Wrestling Academy) dec. Eddie Woody, Jr. (Sebolt Wrestling Academy), 8-1


65 kg

3rd - Reece Movahed (American Dream Wrestling Club) dec. Thomas Banas (Illinois), 7-2

5th - Grayson Davis (Steller Trained Wrestling) dec. Cole Speer (Seasons Freestyle Club), 8-3

7th - Adante Washington (Illinois) med. forfeit Landyn Shaffer (Gorilla Grapplers Inc)


71 kg

3rd - Lincoln Robideau (MN Elite Wrestling Club) dec. Weston Borgers (New Jersey), 16-11

5th - Nick Schwartz (New Jersey) forfeit Colin Rutlin (Team Missouri Select)

7th - Michael Ruane (Young Guns Wrestling Club) dec Dylan Villers (Boom Ranch Wrestling Club), 12-8

80 kg

3rd - Kobe Cunanan (Valiant Wrestling Club) Dec. Sean Breedlove (Red Cobra Wrestling Academy), 6-0

5th - Jakob Hoke (MVKWA Graham Youth Wrestling Club) Dec. William Fullhart (Northeast Iowa Wrestling Club), 10-8

7th - Jesus Guzman (Team So Cal Wrestling Club) Dec. Tomm Heiser (RT Elite Wrestling), 9-2


92 kg

3rd - Mason Chamberlain (Steller Trained Wrestling) dec. Maximus Purdy (Big Game Wrestling Club), 10-8

5th - Cody Savage (Ranger 47 Wrestling Club) fall Carson Langford (Oregon Boys Wrestling National Team), 2:59

7th - William Etu (Wild Buffalo Wrestling Club) med. forfeit Decker Bechtold (Steller Trained Wrestling)


110 kg

3rd - Ceasar Salas (Bulldog Wrestling Club) tech. fall Camden Williams (Red Cobra Wrestling Academy), 13-2 (1:39)

5th - Kade Splinter (Team Nazar Training Center) tech. fall Bruno Pallone (Hardin Wrestling Club), 18-7 (3:19)

7th - Eaghan Fleshman (Big Game Wrestling Club) tech. fall Ryder Vincent (Juab Wrestling Club), 10-0 (1:41)

Semifinal Results
45 kg

Rylen Wax (Beast Mode Wrestling) dec. Ty Martin (Immortal Athletics WC), 7-0

Cyrus Millage (Sebolt Wrestling Academy) tech. fall Johnathan Thompson (Sebolt Wrestling Academy), 14-4 (3:24)


48 kg

Kooper Deputy (Orchard Wrestling Club) tech. fall Lucas Forman (Wyoming Seminary College Preparatory High School Wrestling), 14-4 (2:12)

Amir Newman-Winfrey (Sebolt Wrestling Academy) dec. Carter Smith (Burnett Trained Wrestling), 10-8


51 kg

Ariah Mills (Roundtree Wrestling Academy) tech. fall Cruz Gannon (Sebolt Wrestling Academy), 10-0 (2:11)

Evan Restivo (M2 Training Center) dec. Cohen Reer (Burnett Trained Wrestling), 8-7


55 kg

Keegan Bassett (Bishop McCort High School Wrestling) tech. fall Paden Alyea (Virginia), 13-2 (3:41)

Chase Karenbauer (Bad Karma Wrestling Club) dec. Thiago Silva (SilvaBack Training Center), 7-0


60 kg

Paul Ruiz (California) dec. Angel Cejudo Jr. (Valiant Wrestling Club), 6-3

Jojo Burke (New Jersey) dec. Finnegan O'Brien (New York), 6-1


65 kg

Arseni Kikiniou (Poway Wrestling) tech. fall Reece Movahed (American Dream Wrestling Club), 11-0 (1:28)

Gage Bjerga (Pinnacle Wrestling Club) dec. Cole Speer (Seasons Freestyle Club), 7-1


71 kg

Camryn Howard (KD Training Center) dec. Lincoln Robideau (MN Elite Wrestling Club), 8-0

Jason Dube (Spire RTC) dec. Weston Borgers (New Jersey), 7-5


80 kg

Ryder Schulte (Grindhouse Wrestling Club) dec. Kobe Cunanan (Valiant Wrestling Club), 6-0

Jayden O'Farrill (M2 Training Center) dec. Sean Breedlove (Red Cobra Wrestling Academy), 8-1


92 kg

Salah Tsarni (Blairstown Wrestling Club) tech. fall Cody Savage (Ranger 47 Wrestling Club), 14-4 (1:56)

Mario Hutcherson (Young Guns Wrestling Club) tech. fall Mason Chamberlain (Steller Trained Wrestling), 11-0 (2:20)


110 kg

Peter Mocco (ATT/Mocco Wrestling Academy) dec. Ceasar Salas (Bulldog Wrestling Club), 12-11

Satoshi Davis (Gold Rush Wrestling) tech. fall Bruno Pallone (Hardin Wrestling Club), 10-0 (0:25)