Smith Leads EAP Quartet to Flatz Open in Austria

Team USA is sending four individuals from USA Wrestling’s Elite Accelerator Program (EAP) to Wolfurt, Austria, for the Flatz Open to compete in the U20 Division on February 7 at Hofsteigsporthalle Wolfurt.

Ben Smith leads the four Americans into the international tour following a silver medal at the 2025 Bill Farrell Memorial International. Next month’s Flatz Open is slated be Smith’s second international tournament of 2026 after an appearance at the Henri Deglane Grand Prix of France last weekend.

Kendall Drake, Lucas Kaufman and Reese Spiro also return to international competition in Austria after taking part in last weekend’s event in Nice, France.

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.

Competition at the Flatz Open begins at 10:30 a.m. local time/4:30 a.m. ET on Saturday, February 7.

Brackets and results are expected to be posted at urcw.at. If a live stream of the event is made available, USA Wrestling will provide those details prior to the event.

57 kg – Lucas Kaufman (Newton, Kan./EAP)

79 kg – Kendall Drake (Davisburg, Mich./EAP)

79 kg – Ben Smith (Clarksburg, Md./EAP)

86 kg – Reese Spiro (Buffalo, N.Y./EAP)

National Freestyle Development and Resident Coach – J’den Cox

Medical – Brian Wright (ATC)

Official – Adam Green