Six Double Champions Highlight Final Day of 2026 U17 Pan American Team Trials
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by David Gerhart, USA Wrestling
Justus Heeg competing at the 2026 U17 Pan American Team Trials
NORTH LIBERTY, Iowa – The final day of the 2026 U17 Pan American Team Trials featured six wrestlers winning their second title in as many days at The Palestra.
After winning Greco-Roman titles on Friday, Rylen Wax, Lucas Forman, Evan Restivo, Copper Mathews, Justus Heeg and Salah Tsarni all came back on Saturday to win championships in men’s freestyle.
U15 Pan American champion Wax capped off the day going 2-0 at 45 kg, where we collected an 18-6 technical fall in the semifinals. For the title, Wax collected an 11-2 decision.
Forman had a high-scoring day during his run to the title at 48 kg. He scored double figures in each match, highlighted by a 12-6 decision in the championship match.
At 51 kg, two-time U15 Pan American champion Restivo shutout his opponents in freestyle and only gave up three points over the two days. En route to his two championships, Restivo outscored his opponents, 73-3. In his championship bout, Restivo notched an 8-0 victory to finish the weekend.
Heeg and Tsarni teched their way to the championships in the 71 kg and 92 kg, respectively. Two-time age-group Pan American medalist Heeg posted three-straight shutout technical fall wins before collecting a 14-3 victory in the finals. Tsarni had back-to-back 10-0 wins to start the day, then won a 17-6 affair to win gold at 92 kg.
Mathews rounded out the double champions on Saturday, earning a hard-fought 5-4 decision at 60 kg. Prior to the finals, Mathews’ first three wins of the day came via technical fall.
After injury defaulting in the finals on Friday to finish second in Greco-Roman, U17 World medalist Michael Rundell came back on Saturday to win the 55 kg freestyle bracket. In the first-place contest, Rundell secured gold with a 12-3 decision.
Two-time U15 Pan American champion Thomas Banas stormed to the title at 65 kg after missing out on a medal in Greco-Roman. In the finals, Banas avenged one of his losses in Greco-Roman and earned a 6-2 decision.
The lone round robin bracket on Saturday was at 110 kg, where Eaghan Fleshman went 2-0. He capped off the day with a pin just 13 seconds into his final bout. Fleshman finished with a pair of medals following bronze in Greco-Roman.
Kobe Cunanan was the final freestyle champion crowned after he won via injury default at 80 kg. Cunana finished the day going 3-0, including a 12-2 technical fall in the semifinals.
All ten of the U17 Pan American Team spots for Greco-Roman and freestyle will be announced following a verification process by USA Wrestling’s National Teams department. More information about the U17 Pan American Team selection process can be found here.
Archived matches from the 2026 U17 Pan American Team Trials are available on FloWrestling. Final matches and match-by-match results are available on USA Bracketing.
2026 U17 Pan American Team Trials
At North Liberty, Iowa, March 7
Men’s Freestyle Results
Placements & Medal Match Results
45 kg
1st - Rylen Wax (Beast Mode Wrestling)
2nd - Shay Lundvall (Sebolt Wrestling Academy)
3rd - Johnathan Thompson (Sebolt Wrestling Academy)
4th - Cyrus Millage (Sebolt Wrestling Academy)
1st - Rylen Wax (Beast Mode Wrestling) Dec. Shay Lundvall (Sebolt Wrestling Academy), 11-2
3rd - Johnathan Thompson (Sebolt Wrestling Academy) Dec. Cyrus Millage (Sebolt Wrestling Academy), 13-10
48 kg
1st - Lucas Forman (Wyoming Seminary College Preparatory High School Wrestling)
2nd - Miro Parr-Coffin (Inland Northwest Wrestling Training Center)
3rd - Ausome Guillermo (CVBJJ)
4th - Maurice Worthy (All I See Is Gold Academy)
6th - Xander Webber (Beast Mode)
6th - Jack Thrush (RBY WC)
1st - Lucas Forman (Wyoming Seminary College Preparatory High School Wrestling) Dec. Miro Parr-Coffin (Inland Northwest Wrestling Training Center), 12-6
3rd - Ausome Guillermo (CVBJJ) T.F. Maurice Worthy (All I See Is Gold Academy), 10-0 (0:41)
51 kg
1st - Evan Restivo (M2 Training Center)
2nd - Garrett Bjerga (Pinnacle Wrestling Club)
3rd - Cruz Gannon (Sebolt Wrestling Academy)
4th - Elijah Governor (Inland Northwest Wrestling Training Center)
6th - Anderson Osgood (Big Game Wrestling Club)
6th - Noah Thomas (Xtreme Training)
1st - Evan Restivo (M2 Training Center) Dec. Garrett Bjerga (Pinnacle Wrestling Club), 8-0
3rd - Cruz Gannon (Sebolt Wrestling Academy) Dec. Elijah Governor (Inland Northwest Wrestling Training Center), 6-4
55 kg
1st - Michael Rundell (The Wrestling Academy)
2nd - Jeremy Carver (Contenders Wrestling Academy)
3rd - Anthony Curlo (New Jersey)
4th - Kash Larkin (Valiant Wrestling Club)
6th - Ray Long (Notre Dame Wrestling Club)
6th - Jacob Saunders (Xtreme Training)
1st - Michael Rundell (The Wrestling Academy) Dec. Jeremy Carver (Contenders Wrestling Academy), 12-3
3rd - Anthony Curlo (New Jersey) Dec. Kash Larkin (Valiant Wrestling Club), 5-4
60 kg
1st - Cooper Mathews (Black Fox Wrestling Academy)
2nd - Eddie Woody, Jr. (Sebolt Wrestling Academy)
4th - Oliver Pulliam (Best Trained Wrestling)
4th - Ryder Owen (Inland Northwest Wrestling Training Center)
6th - Obadiah Willis (Beat the Street Chicago - Midway)
6th - Robert Ruscitti (The Wrestling Academy)
1st - Cooper Mathews (Black Fox Wrestling Academy) Dec. Eddie Woody, Jr. (Sebolt Wrestling Academy), 5-4
3rd - Ryder Owen (Inland Northwest Wrestling Training Center) Dec. Oliver Pulliam (Best Trained Wrestling), 5-3
65 kg
1st - Thomas Banas (Illinois)
2nd - Joaquin Chacon (Valiant Wrestling Club)
3rd - Riker Ohearon (Champions Wrestling Club)
4th - Gage Bjerga (Pinnacle Wrestling Club)
6th - Jaxsen Bailey (South Side Wrestling Club)
6th - Calan Manley (Cowboy Wrestling Club)
1st - Thomas Banas (Illinois) Dec. Joaquin Chacon (Valiant Wrestling Club), 6-2
3rd - Riker Ohearon (Champions Wrestling Club) T.F. Gage Bjerga (Pinnacle Wrestling Club), 12-2 (1:50)
71 kg
1st - Justus Heeg (Providence)
2nd - Aiden Arnett (Izzy Style Wrestling)
3rd - Brendan Nardin (Relentless Training Center)
4th - Kaleb Griffith (MWC Wrestling Academy)
6th - Gregory Torosian (World Team Training Center)
6th - Colton Shaffer (Moyer Elite Wrestling)
1st - Justus Heeg (Providence) T.F. Aiden Arnett (Izzy Style Wrestling), 14-3 (2:54)
3rd - Brendan Nardin (Relentless Training Center) Dec. Kaleb Griffith (MWC Wrestling Academy), 8-7
80 kg
1st - Kobe Cunanan (Valiant College Preparatory)
2nd - Ryder Schulte (Grindhouse Wrestling Club)
4th - Kyle Gallo (Funky Monkey)
4th - Cole Sackett (Angry Fish Wrestling)
6th - Parker Casey (Sebolt Wrestling Academy)
6th - Chaney Lewis Jr. (Wyoming Seminary)
1st - Kobe Cunanan (Valiant College Preparatory) Inj. Ryder Schulte (Grindhouse Wrestling Club)
3rd - Kyle Gallo (Funky Monkey) T.F. Cole Sackett (Angry Fish Wrestling), 10-0 (2:46)
92 kg
1st - Salah Tsarni (Capital Wrestling Club)
2nd - Cody Savage (Ranger 47 Wrestling Club)
4th - Maximus Purdy (Big Game Wrestling Club)
4th - Kannon Freschette (Inland Northwest Wrestling Training Center)
1st - Salah Tsarni (Capital Wrestling Club) T.F. Cody Savage (Ranger 47 Wrestling Club), 17-6 (2:00)
3rd - Maximus Purdy (Big Game Wrestling Club) T.F. Kannon Freschette (Inland Northwest Wrestling Training Center), 12-2 (3:34)
110 kg
1st - Eaghan Fleshman (Big Game Wrestling Club)
2nd - Lucas Feuerbach (Big Game Wrestling Club)
3rd - Zachary Leftwich (BTC)
R1 - Eaghan Fleshman (Big Game Wrestling Club) Dec. Lucas Feuerbach (Big Game Wrestling Club), 5-0
R2 - Eaghan Fleshman (Big Game Wrestling Club) F. Zachary Leftwich (BTC), 0:13
R3 - Lucas Feuerbach (Big Game Wrestling Club) T.F. Zachary Leftwich (BTC), 10-0 (0:58)
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