Olympic Medalists Lee, Blades Lead Decorated U.S. Team to Zagreb Open

2024 Olympic silver medalists Kennedy Blades and Spencer Lee lead a strong 62-person U.S. squad to the 2026 Zagreb Open on February 4-8. The Zagreb Open serves as the first UWW Ranking Series event on the international calendar. 

It’s the first international competition for both Blades and Lee since last year’s Senior World Championships, which was also held in Zagreb, Croatia. Blades won a bronze medal at the 2025 Worlds, while Lee came up short of the podium. 

Blades will compete at 68 kg on the women’s freestyle side. She is joined by three teammates from last year’s World Team—Jacarra Winchester at 55 kg, Macey Kilty at 62 kg and Alex Glaude at 72 kg. Winchester and Kilty are both multiple-time Senior World medalists. 2023 World bronze medalist Jennifer Page will also return to international action for the U.S. women at 65 kg. 

Lee steps to the mat at 57 kg for the men’s freestyle group. He is accompanied by 2025 World champions Zahid Valencia at 86 kg and Trent Hidlay at 92 kg, as well as returning World Team members David Carr at 74 kg and Wyatt Hendrickson at 125 kg. Additionally, two-time World medalist James Green will go at 74 kg. 

Four Olympians spearhead a stout Greco-Roman lineup—Ildar Hafizov at 63 kg, Alejandro Sancho at 72 kg, Kamal Bey at 77 kg and Payton Jacobson at 87 kg. The bulk of last year’s Greco-Roman World Team will make the trip to Zagreb. 

All told, 17 members of the 2025 U.S. World Team will enter the Zagreb Open in search of all-important UWW Ranking Series points.

The complete U.S. roster for all three styles, plus the delegation list, is available below.

The tournament spans five days, with each day kicking off at 10:30 a.m. local time/4:30 a.m. (ET). Medal matches are scheduled for 6 p.m. local time/Noon (ET). 

The full event schedule is listed below.

FloWrestling will provide a live stream of the event. Brackets and live results will be available on UWW Arena.

More information on Zagreb Open can be found at gpzagrebopen.com

MFS 57-61-65-70-74-86 kg

10:30 a.m. – Qualification Rounds

12:30 p.m. – Semifinals

1:30 p.m. – Repechage

6 p.m. – Finals 

MFS 79-92-97 kg, WFS 50-55 kg

10:30 a.m. – Qualification Rounds

12:30 p.m. – Semifinals

1:30 p.m. – Repechage

6 p.m. – Finals

WFS 59-62-65-68 kg, GR 63-67 kg

10:30 a.m. – Qualification Rounds

12:30 p.m. – Semifinals

1:30 p.m. – Repechage

6 p.m. – Finals 

WFS 53-57-72-76 kg, GR 77-87 kg

10:30 a.m. – Qualification Rounds

1:30 p.m. – Semifinals

2:30 p.m. – Repechage

6 p.m. – Finals

GR 55-60-72-82-97-130 kg

10:30 a.m. – Qualification Rounds

1:30 p.m. – Semifinals

2:30 p.m. – Repechage

6 p.m. – Finals

*All times reference local time in Zagreb, Croatia, which is six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Time. 

57 kg – Spencer Lee (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury WC)

57 kg – Liam Cronin (Lincoln, Neb./Nebraska Wrestling Training Center/Titan Mercury WC)

57 kg – Anthony Knox (Freehold, N.J./ Titan Mercury WC)

61 kg – Austin DeSanto (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury WC)

65 kg – Joey McKenna (Stillwater, Okla./Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

70 kg – Ian Parker (Cedar Falls, Iowa/Panther Wrestling Club RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

70 kg – Caleb Henson (Cartersville, Ga./Southeast RTC)

70 kg – Tyler Kasak (Lemont, Pa./Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)

74 kg – David Carr (Ames, Iowa/Cyclone RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

74 kg – Jarrett Jacques (Columbia, Mo./Tiger Style WC)

74 kg – James Green (Lincoln, Neb./Nebraska Wrestling Training Center/Titan Mercury WC)

79 kg – DJ Hamiti (Stillwater, Okla./Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

79 kg – Evan Wick (Madison, Wis./Askren Wrestling Academy/Titan Mercury WC)

79 kg – Danny Braunagel (O’Fallon, Ill./Illinois RTC/New York AC)

86 kg – Zahid Valencia (Stillwater, Okla./Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

86 kg – Parker Keckeisen (Glendale, Wis./Panther Wrestling Club RTC)

92 kg – Trent Hidlay (Raleigh, N.C./Wolfpack RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

92 kg – Dustin Plott (Tuttle, Okla./Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

92 kg – Michael Macchiavello (Northampton, Pa./Lehigh Valley Wrestling RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

97 kg – Zane Lanham (Hurricane, W. Va./Arkansas RTC)

97 kg – Stephen Buchanan (Coralville, Iowa/Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury WC)

125 kg – Demetrius Thomas (Providence, R.I./New York AC)

125 kg – Wyatt Hendrickson (Stillwater, Okla./Cowboy RTC/U.S. Air Force WCAP)

125 kg – Ceron Francisco (Bellefonte, Pa./Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)

50 kg – Kendra Ryan (Winfield, Ill./ Cardinal WC)

53 kg – Sydney Petzinger (Naperville, Ill./Cardinal WC)

53 kg – Katie Gomez (Van Nuys, Calif./Titan Mercury WC)

53 kg – Everest Leydecker (Phoenix, Ariz./Thorobred WC)

55 kg – Jacarra Winchester (Colorado Springs, Colo./Titan Mercury WC)

55 kg – Areana Villaescusa (Fountain, Colo./Army WCAP)

55 kg – Amani Jones (Jonesboro, Ga./Cowgirls WC)

57 kg – Amanda Martinez (Riverside, Ill./Cardinal WC/Titan Mercury WC)

59 kg – Abigail Nette (Colorado Springs, Colo./Army WCAP)

59 kg – Alexis Janiak (Plainfield, Ill./Titan Mercury WC)

62 kg – Alara Boyd (Muncie, Ind./Cardinal WC)

62 kg – Macey Kilty (North Liberty, Iowa/Iowa Women’s WC)

62 kg – Marilyn Garcia (Van Nuys, Calif./Beat The Streets – Los Angeles/Titan Mercury WC)

65 kg – Jennifer Page (Bellefonte, Pa./Titan Mercury, WC)

68 kg – Kennedy Blades (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury WC)

68 kg – Solin Piearcy (San Jose, Calif./Titan Mercury WC)

72 kg – Alex Glaude (Menlo Park, Calif./California RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

72 kg – Kaylynn Albrecht (Colorado Springs, Colo./Titan Mercury WC)

76 kg – Tristan Kelly (Erie, Colo./Army WCAP)

55 kg – Brady Koontz (Edmond, Okla./Position Wrestling/Titan Mercury WC)

60 kg – Max Black (Marquette, Mich./NMU National Training Center)

60 kg – Zane Richards (Urbana, Ill./Illinois RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

60 kg – Dalton Roberts (Fountain, Colo./Army WCAP)

63 kg – Ildar Hafizov (Colorado Springs, Colo./Army WCAP)

63 kg – Rhett Peak (Tulsa, Okla./Position Wrestling)

67 kg – Alston Nutter (Colorado Springs, Colo./Army WCAP)

67 kg – Otto Black (Marquette, Mich./NMU National Training Center)

72 kg – Alejandro Sancho (Colorado Spring, Colo./Army WCAP)

72 kg – Benji Peak (Colorado Springs, Colo./Position Wrestling/Combat W.C. School of Wrestling)

77 kg – Kamal Bey (Colorado Springs, Colo./Army WCAP)

82 kg – Beka Melelashvili (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC)

82 kg – Jesse Porter (Ballston Lake, N.Y./New York AC)

87 kg – Payton Jacobson (Marquette, Mich./NMU National Training Center)

87 kg – Zac Braunagel (Arnold, Md./Navy WC)

97 kg – Michial Foy (Colorado Springs, Colo./Army WCAP)

130 kg – Cohlton Schultz (Tempe, Ariz./Southwest WC)

130 kg – Aden Attao (Boise, Idaho/New York AC)

130 kg – Courtney Freeman (Richlands, N.C./All Navy Wrestling)

National Men's Freestyle Head Coach – Bill Zadick

National Greco-Roman Head Coach – Herb House

National Women's Freestyle Head Coach – Terry Steiner

Manager of Men's Freestyle Programs – Joe Russell

Personal Coach – Nate Engel

Personal Coach – Lee Roper 

Personal Coach – Nate Carr Sr.

Personal Coach – Jamill Kelly

Personal Coach – Kerry McCoy

Personal Coach – Jake Varner

Personal Coach – Mark McKnight

Personal Coach – Jared Frayer

Personal Coach – Kyle Brewer

Personal Coach – Cruse Aarhus

Personal Coach – Brandon Sorensen

Personal Coach – Jared Head

Personal Coach – Bruce Robinson

Personal Coach – Mark Ironside

Personal Coach – Izzy Martinez

Personal Coach – Randy Leydecker

Personal Coach – Spenser Mango

Personal Coach – Bryan Medlin

Personal Coach – Bryan Koontz

Medical – Jodi Loecke (ATC)

Medical – Johnathon Millwee (ATC)

Medical – Dr. Anthony Tam (MD)

Medical – Nuwanee Tamaki (Nutrition)

Medical – Alex LaRochelle (Strength)

Official – Ryan Green-Bolich

Official – Na Humma

Official – Yaroslaw Petryna

Team Leader – Cody Bickley

NF Official – Jose Campo (Men’s Freestyle Chaplin)