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U.S. sends 26 athletes to Pat Shaw Memorial in Guatemala, June 5-6

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by Zack Chavez, USA Wrestling

Payton Helmin (MINN) competes at the 2026 Jr Folkstyle National Championship in West Des Moines, Iowa

The U.S. will send a delegation of 26 athletes, five coaches and three referees to the Pat Shaw Memorial in Guatemala City, Guatemala, June 5-6, to compete in the U15 men’s freestyle and Greco-Roman, the U15 women’s freestyle, U20 men’s freestyle and Senior men’s freestyle divisions.


Elite Batres Jr. will contest the U15 men’s freestyle and Greco-Roman divisions, while Karina Batres (46 kg) and Payton Helmin (62 kg) will compete in the U15 women’s freestyle division. Within the U20 men’s freestyle division, the U.S. will be represented by nine athletes in six weight classes. In the Senior men’s freestyle division, 14 athletes are slated to participate across seven weight classes.


All styles within the U15 divisions will be contested on Friday, alongside the U20 men’s freestyle bracket, with qualification rounds beginning at 9 a.m. and finals scheduled for 3 p.m. local time. The Senior men’s freestyle division begins on Saturday, with qualification rounds at 9 a.m. and finals scheduled for 3 p.m.


The U.S. contingent will be led by coaches Robert Bronson, Bryan Brunk, Brandon Fulco, John Conroy and Luke Helmin throughout the tournament.


The Pat Shaw Memorial is held in memory of wrestling leader Pat Shaw of the United States, who introduced wrestling in Guatemala in 1947, when the Guatemala Olympic Committee hired him to prepare their wrestling team for the Central American and Caribbean Games in Guatemala in 1950.

2026 Pat Shaw Memorial 

At Guatemala City, Guatemala, June 5-6 


Event Schedule 

Friday, June 5 

U15 GR 41 kg, U15 MFS 41 kg, U15 WFS 46-62 kg, U20 MFS 57-61-70-74-79-125 kg

9 a.m. – Qualification rounds and repechage

3 p.m. – Finals


Saturday, June 6 

Senior MFS 61-65-70-74-79-86-92

9 a.m. – Qualification rounds and repechage

3 p.m. – Finals


*All times listed local to Guatemala City, Guatemala, which is two hours behind U.S. Eastern Time.


U.S. U15 Men’s Freestyle Roster and Greco-Roman Roster 

41 kg – Eli Batres Jr. (South Side Wrestling Club)


U.S. U15 Women’s Freestyle Roster 

46 kg – Karina Batres (South Side Wrestling Club)

62 kg – Payton Helmin (Jack Pine Savage Wrestling)


U.S. U20 Men’s Freestyle Roster 

57 kg – Austin Jeffrey (Powhatan Youth Wrestling Club)

61 kg – Christopher Brooks (Maryland)

70 kg – Dylan Hart (Ohio)

74 kg – Garet Fowler (Pennsylvania)

74 kg – Justin Craig (Big Sussex Wrestling Club)

79 kg – Tucker Seidel (Pennsylvania)

79 kg – Joel Swanson (Smithfield Wrestling)

125 kg – Elijah Farr (Maryland)

125 kg – Kaleb Britting (Steel Mat Club)


U.S. Senior Men’s Freestyle Roster 

61 kg – Matthew Casey (Lancaster Alliance Wrestling Club)

61 kg – Aidan Sprague (The Fort Hammers Wrestling)

65 kg – Tyler Ratledge (Delaware)

70 kg – Robert Rooney

70 kg – Shawn Quirk

70 kg – Jacob Cunningham (Pennsylvania)

74 kg – Michael Hollar (North Carolina)

74 kg – Levi Snyder (South Central PA Wrestling Club)

74 kg – Dalton Monger (Primus Wrestling)

74 kg – Landen Pangborn (Michigan)

79 kg – Andrew Kozubal II (Virginia Team Predator Wrestling Club)

79 kg – Keegan Demarest (Signature Wrestling)

86 kg – Ezra Masood (Pennsylvania)

92 kg – Nathan Kovalcik (Maryland)


U.S. Support Staff 

Coach – Robert Bronson

Coach – Bryan Brunk

Coach – Brandon Fulco

Coach – John Conroy

Coach – Luke Helmin

Referee – Brad Mahoney

Referee – Sadiqullah Nemati

Referee – Joel Sturtevant