Senior champions crowned at Carolina Beach Nationals; Benjamin, Pizano among top stars

CAROLINA BEACH, N.C. – Eight Senior-level champions were crowned on the sands of Carolina Beach, N.C., four in the men’s division and four in the women’s division, at the 2026 Carolina Beach Nationals on Saturday.

This is one of the key qualifying events for the U.S. teams that compete in the 2026 Senior Beach World Series events.

On the men’s side, Justin Benjamin of the Tar Heel WC, who was the first U.S. men’s Beach Wrestler to win an individual Beach World Series title, won the 70 kg weight class, with a two-match sweep over Wyatt Abele of the Southeast Ohio WC. Benjamin scored a 16-second pin in the first match and a 3-0 decision in bout two. Benjamin won a gold medal at the Beach World Series Acapulco in Mexico in 2024 and a silver medal in the Beach World Series Monterrey in Mexico in 2025. Abele was second in the 2025 U.S. Beach Nationals.

Among the women’s champions, 2025 U.S. Beach Nationals champion Olivia Pizano of the Lehigh Valley WC RTC claimed the 70 kg gold medal, with a two-match sweep over Amber Hunter of the Western Maryland WC. Pizano won the first match and the second match by identical 3-0 scores.  Hunter was fourth in the 2025 U20 Beach World Championships and competes for Frostburg State.

The other men’s champions were Justin Grant of Florida (80 kg), Terrance Zaleski of the U.S. Marine Corps (90 kg) and Joel Faglier of the Backyard Bullies WC (Over 90 kg).

Grant scored a two-match sweep over 2025 U20 World Team member Waleed Khairi of Texas in the finals. Grant won both matches by identical 3-0 scores. Grant was second in the 2024 U.S. Beach Nationals.

Zaleski, a successful Greco-Roman wrestler for the U.S. Marines, was the 90 kg champion, getting an injury default series sweep over 2025 U.S. Beach Nationals champion Jacob Bumgardner of the Bremen Takedown Club. Zaleski was previously second in the 2023 U.S. Beach Nationals. Bumgardner was injured during his semifinal victory and scratched from the finals.

Faglier scored a two-match sweep over Gabriel Rangel of the Tiger WC, with both victories by 3-0 decisions. Faglier, who is currently an MMA fighter and wrestled in college at Brewton-Parker College, scored a huge 3-1 decision in the semifinals over 2024 Beach World bronze medalist Kyle Ferriter of Colorado.

The other three women champions were Kenaya Mwehu of Beat the Streets Cleveland (50 kg), Briana Holcomb of Maryland (60 kg) and Jada Arnold of the South Georgia Athletic Club (Over 70 kg). It was a great day for the Frostburg State women’s wrestling team, as Mwehu, Holcomb and Arnold are all student-athletes and teammates there.

Mwehu won both of her finals series matches over Molly Root of Michigan by identical 3-0 decisions. Root was fourth at the U17 Beach World Championships.

Holcomb was also dominant in her finals series, securing a pair of 3-0 decisions over Jordan Williams of Nebraska to claim the title.

Arnold opened up her best-of-three series with Maria Hiles of Maryland with a pin in 1:22, then closed out the series with a 3-0 decision in bout two.