Twenty-One Titles Claimed in Masters Division Action; Nickel, James, Medeiros, Otterness Repeat at Folkstyle Nationals
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by David Gerhart, USA Wrestling
Masters division participants prior to competing at the 2026 USA Wrestling 16U & Junior Folkstyle Nationals
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa – The Masters divisions at the 2026 USA Wrestling 16U & Junior Folkstyle Nationals featured 21 men taking home championships at The MidAmerican Energy Company RecPlex.
This year’s Masters field had over 100 entrants across the six different divisions.
Standouts Derek Nickel, Rudy James, James Medeiros and Chad Otterness collected back-to-back championships.
In the 87.7-104.4 kg division in Masters B, Nickel went 3-0 with three bonus wins. He bookended the tournament with technical falls.
Multiple-time UWW Veterans World champion James highlighted his 3-0 day in the Masters C division with a pin in his second match at 75.5-78.5 kg. Medeiros also competed in Masters C, where he won all three of his matches in the 106.9-119.4 kg round robin.
Otterness shutout his opposition en route to earning the Masters E 69.1-77.2 kg title. Otterness posted 4-0 and 2-0 decisions to start, then notched a 15-0 technical fall in his final match of the day.
Final placements for each Masters Mens weight class can be found below. Brackets and updated match-by-match results will be available through USA Bracketing.
The 2026 USA Wrestling 16U & Junior Folkstyle Nationals continues Sunday morning with 16U Boys and Girls medal matches. Visit usawrestlingevents.com for a complete schedule of events for every division.
All the action from West Des Moines, Iowa, will be available to watch live or on-demand on FloWrestling.
2026 USA Wrestling 16U & Junior Folkstyle Nationals
At West Des Moines, Iowa, March 14
Quick Links
Masters Mens Results
Masters A
57.8-61.6 kg
1st - Dillion Cox (Iowa)
2nd - Tatem Bluml (Riverside Wrestling Club)
3rd - Tyler Gamble (Wisconsin)
64.9-69.6 kg
1st - Duncan Delzell (Iowa)
2nd - Isaiah Baker (Minnesota)
3rd - Carlos Monteon Jr (Arizona)
4th - Carter Logue (Iowa)
5th - Joel Becerra (Iowa)
76.4-84 kg
1st - Wayne Lamont (New York)
2nd - Will Dixon (Wisconsin)
3rd - Sean Barrett (Tennessee)
4th - Ryan Kostszewa (Meneely School of Wrestling)
5th - Xavier Rosenbloom (Minnesota)
6th - Tucker Bluml (Iowa)
87.6-97.1 kg
1st - Jacob Godinez (Metamora Kids Wrestling Club)
2nd - Miles Hammerlund (Fire-Cracker Wrestling Club)
3rd - Payton Housman (Riverside Wrestling Club)
4th - Joshua Suedbeck (Minnesota)
5th - Andrew Warren (South Sip Wrestling Club)
121.1-129.4 kg
1st - Damyen Gothard (Lemont Bears WC)
2nd - Colin Fisher (Eagan Wrestling Club)
3rd - MacKenzie Housman (Iowa)
Masters B
62-69.9 kg
1st - Kevin Caraballo (Ascent Wrestling Academy)
2nd - Michael Shaughnessy (Florida)
3rd - Joe Schrock (Indiana)
4th - Jared O'Riley (Lenox Tiger Wrestling Club)
5th - Drew Elliott (Wisconsin)
6th - Solomon Addico (CORE Wrestling)
7th - Eliu Vigil (Nomad Wrestling Club)
8th - Anthony Degani (Mississippi)
75-85 kg
1st - Robert Fisher (Minnesota Storm)
2nd - Casper Petty (Las Vegas Wrestling Club)
3rd - Wade England (Iowa)
4th - Loren Dilworth (Team Idaho Wrestling Club)
5th - Christopher Leftridge (Iowa)
87.7-104.4 kg
1st - Derek Nickel (Adair County Middle School Wrestling)
2nd - Shelby Deno (Minnesota)
3rd - Joseph Greenhagen (Ringers Wrestling Club)
4th - James Haddix (Indiana)
110.2-128.8 kg
1st - Douglas McDuffie (CORE Wrestling)
2nd - Evan Osterhoudt (Minnesota)
3rd - Christopher Michael (Seasons Freestyle Club)
4th - Philip Pilosi (Illinois)
Masters C
57.5-61.6 kg
1st - Forrest Bouge (Montana)
2nd - Bryan Wales (Michigan)
3rd - Jymes Ehlers (Tennessee)
68.1-69.9 kg
1st - Nathaniel Falconer (Best Trained Wrestling)
2nd - James Ferguson (The Best Wrestler)
3rd - James Whitescarver (Rocky Mountain Wrestling Academy)
4th - Jason Ditchie (Dungeon Wrestling Club)
5th - David Haecker (Ringers Wrestling Club)
6th - Joseph Smrekar (California)
75.5-78.5 kg
1st - Rudy James (Chicago Wrestling Club)
2nd - Matthew Reinke (Nebraska)
3rd - Matthew Edwards (Iowa)
4th - Albert Hobart (Oklahoma)
85-98.9 kg
1st - John Gillis (Ringers Wrestling Club)
2nd - Eben Faler (Stoic Wrestling)
3rd - Jacob Phillips (Grantsville Wrestling Club)
4th - Darrell Campbell (Holden Youth Wrestling Club)
5th - Andrew Pulk (Minnesota)
6th - Ben Creedy (Missouri)
106.6-119.4 kg
1st - James Medeiros (World Team Training Center)
2nd - Hunter Hughes (Indiana)
3rd - Anthony Rodebush (Team Idaho Wrestling Club)
4th - Luke Giesmann (Missouri)
Masters D
57.3-65.1 kg
1st - Jason Malchow (Wisconsin)
2nd - David Crabtree (Arkansas)
3rd - Adam Paul (New Jersey)
77.8-87.9 kg
1st - Brian Van Hoven (Legacy Dragons Wrestling)
2nd - Kennedy Gilbertson (Mustang Wrestling Club)
3rd - Michael Kelly (Old School Wrestling)
4th - William Carr (Minnesota Storm)
6th - Vance Cornelison (Arkansas)
6th - Matt Kaldenberg (Iowa)
98.7-99.3 kg
1st - Jason Klohs (Minnesota)
2nd - Chris Mangum (Pennsylvania)
Masters E
61.6-61.7 kg
1st - Joe Raia (Chicago Wrestling Club)
2nd - Alexander Dilmaghani (Twin Towers Wrestling Club)
69.1-77.2 kg
1st - Chad Otterness (Mat Rats Wrestling Club)
2nd - Don Jones (Mad Cow Wrestling Club)
3rd - Cal Cherrington (Wild West Wrestling Club)
4th - Jesse Ortega (California)
86.6-98.6 kg
1st - James Miller (Vici Wrestling Club)
2nd - Jeff Steele (Las Vegas Wrestling Club)
3rd - Michael Bramlett (Grindhouse Wrestling)
4th - Louis Orr (Minnesota)
Masters F
88 kg
1st - Peter Wirs
