2023 U20 U.S. Men’s Freestyle World Team Biographies
by Richard Immel, USA Wrestling
Photo: The U20 U.S. Men’s Freestyle World Team at the U20 World Team Trials in Geneva, Ohio. (Sam Janicki, sjanickiphoto.com)
57 kg – Luke Lilledahl (St. Charles, Missouri/X-Calibur Athletics WC)
2023: U20 Pan-American Championships gold medalist… U20 Freestyle World Team Trials champion…
2022: U17 World Championships gold medalist in Rome, Italy… Phil Portuese Northeast Regional champion in freestyle… U17 Freestyle Nationals champion…
2021: Cadet World Championships silver medalist in Budapest, Hungary… Cadet Pan-American Championships gold medalist in freestyle and Greco-Roman… Frank E. Rader Southeast Regional champion in freestyle, runner-up in Greco-Roman… Northern Plains Regional champion in Greco-Roman… UWW Cadet Nationals champion in freestyle, third in Greco-Roman…
College: Committed to Penn State University…
High School: Will be a Senior at Wyoming Seminary (Pennsylvania)… 2023 National Prep champion…
Current FloWrestling National High School Ranking: No. 3 at 126 pounds and No. 16 pound-for-pound…
Personal: Son of Drew and Heather Lilledahl… Born on Aug. 1, 2005… 18 years old…
61 kg – Nic Bouzakis (Dallas, Pennsylvania/X-Calibur Athletics WC/Ohio RTC)
2023: U20 Pan-American Championships gold medalist… U20 Freestyle World Team Trials champion… U20 Freestyle Nationals champion…
2022: Seventh in U20 World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria… U20 Pan-American Championships gold medalist… U20 Freestyle World Team Trials champion… U20 Freestyle Nationals champion…
2021: Eighth in Junior World Championships in Ufa, Russia… Third in USMC Junior Freestyle Nationals… UWW Junior Greco-Roman Nationals champion…
2019: USMC 16U Freestyle Nationals champion… Phil Portuese Northeast Regional champion in freestyle and Greco-Roman…
2018: USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals champion…
College: Will be a Sophomore at Ohio State University…
High School: Two-time National Prep champion (2020, 2022) for Wyoming Seminary (Pennsylvania)… three-time FHSAA state champion (2017-19) for Lake Highland Prep (Florida) and Citrus Park Christian (Florida) School…
Current FloWrestling National College Ranking: No. 9 at 133 pounds…
Personal: Son of Troy and Toni Bouzakis… Born on May 21, 2003… 20 years old…
65 kg – Jesse Mendez (Crown Point, Indiana/Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC)
2023: U20 Freestyle World Team Trials champion… Third in U20 Freestyle Nationals…
2022: U20 Freestyle World Team Trials runner-up… Third in U.S. Open…
2021: Eighth in Junior World Championships in Ufa, Russia… U23 Freestyle Nationals runner-up… UWW Junior Freestyle Nationals champion…
2020: Third in UWW Junior Freestyle Nationals…
2019: Ninth in Cadet World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria… Pan-American Championships gold medalist in freestyle and Greco-Roman… UWW Cadet Freestyle Nationals champion… USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals champion…
2018: USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals runner-up…
2016: U15 Pan-American Championships bronze medalist…
College: Will be a Sophomore at Ohio State University… Sixth in 2023 NCAA Div. I Championships…
High School: Four-time IHSAA state champion (2019-22) for Crown Point (Indiana) High School…
Personal: Son of Hector Mendez… Born on April 28, 2003… 20 years old…
70 kg – Meyer Shapiro (Woodbine, Maryland/Spartan Combat RTC)
2023: U20 Freestyle World Team Trials champion… U20 Freestyle Nationals champion…
2021: Cadet World Championships gold medalist in Budapest, Hungary… UWW Cadet Freestyle Nationals champion…
2019: Third in Phil Portuese Northeast Regional in freestyle…
College: Will be a Freshman at Cornell University…
High School: 2022 National Prep champion for Wyoming Seminary (Pennsylvania)… 2020 Maryland Independent School state champion for Bullis (Maryland) School…
Current FloWrestling National High School Ranking: No. 1 at 152 pounds and No. 3 pound-for-pound…
Personal: Son of Mike and Shannon Shapiro… Born on July 9, 2004… 19 years old…
74 kg – Mitchell Mesenbrink (Hartland, Wisconsin/Askren Wrestling Academy)
2023: U20 Pan-American Championships gold medalist… Dan Kolov – Nikola Petrov Tournament bronze medalist… U20 Freestyle World Team Trials champion… U20 Freestyle Nationals champion…
2022: U20 World Championships silver medalist in Sofia, Bulgaria… U20 Pan-American Championships gold medalist… Fifth in Bill Farrell Memorial International… U20 Freestyle World Team Trials champion… U20 Freestyle Nationals champion…
2021: Southern Plains Regional champion in freestyle… Central Regional champion in freestyle… USA Wrestling National High School Recruiting Showcase champion…
2019: USA Wrestling Preseason Nationals champion… Central Regional champion in freestyle… Phil Portuese Northeast Regional champion in freestyle… Western Regional champion in freestyle… USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals champion…
2018: Third in USA Wrestling Preseason Nationals… Third in Central Regional in freestyle… Fifth in USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals…
College: Will be a Redshirt Freshman at Penn State University… Attended California Baptist University during redshirt year…
High School: Three-time WIAA state champion (2020-22) for Arrowhead (Wisconsin) High School… Fourth in 2019…
Personal: Son of John Mesenbrink… Born on June 2, 2003… 20 years old…
79 kg – Matthew Singleton (College Park, Georgia/Wolfpack WC)
2023: U20 Freestyle World Team Trials champion…
2022: Seventh in U20 Freestyle Nationals… Frank E. Rader Southeast Regional champion in freestyle and Greco-Roman…
2021: Competed at Junior World Championships in Ufa, Russia, in Greco-Roman… Fifth in Junior Pan-American Games in Cali, Colombia, in Greco-Roman… UWW Junior Nationals champion in Greco-Roman, seventh in freestyle…
2019: USMC 16U Nationals runner-up in freestyle and Greco-Roman… UWW Cadet Greco-Roman Nationals runner-up… Frank E. Rader Southeast Regional champion in freestyle and Greco-Roman…
2018: Fourth in USMC Cadet Greco-Roman Nationals… Frank E. Rader Southeast Regional champion in freestyle and Greco-Roman…Phil Portuese Northeast Regional runner-up in freestyle…
College: Will be a Sophomore at North Carolina State University… Fourth in 2023 ACC Championships…
High School: Four-time GHSA state champion (2019-22) for Woodward Academy (Georgia)…
Current FloWrestling National College Ranking: No. 22 at 165 pounds…
Personal: Born on Nov. 21, 2003… 19 years old…
86 kg – Bennett Berge (Mantorville, Minnesota/Jackrabbit WC)
2023: U20 Pan-American Championships gold medalist… U20 Freestyle World Team Trials champion… U20 Freestyle Nationals champion…
2022: U20 World Championships silver medalist in Sofia, Bulgaria… U20 Freestyle World Team Trials champion…
2021: Fourth in USMC Junior Freestyle Nationals…
2019: USMC 16U Freestyle Nationals champion… Northern Plains Regional champion in freestyle…
2018: Western Regional runner-up in freestyle…
College: Will be a Redshirt Freshman at South Dakota State University…
High School: Five-time MSHSL state champion (2018-22) for Kasson-Mantorville (Minnesota) High School…
Personal: Son of Kevin and Cheri Berge... Born on April 24, 2003… 20 years old…
92 kg – Jack Darrah (Washington, Missouri/California RTC)
2023: U20 Pan-American Championships gold medalist… U20 World Team Trials champion in freestyle, runner-up in Greco-Roman… U20 Nationals champion in freestyle, runner-up in Greco-Roman…
2022: USMC Junior Nationals champion in Greco-Roman, seventh in freestyle… Third in U20 Greco-Roman World Team Trials… U20 Nationals third in Greco-Roman, eighth in freestyle…
2021: Fifth in UWW Junior Greco-Roman Nationals… USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals champion…
2020: UWW Junior Greco-Roman Nationals champion…
2019: Cadet Pan-American Championships gold medalist in Greco-Roman, silver medalist in freestyle… USMC 16U Nationals runner-up in Greco-Roman, seventh in freestyle… Seventh in UWW Cadet Greco-Roman Nationals… USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals runner-up…
2018: Third in USMC Cadet Greco-Roman Nationals… Northern Plains Regional runner-up in freestyle… Western Regional champion in Greco-Roman, third in freestyle…
College: Will be a Sophomore at Stanford University…
High School: Third in 2022 National Prep Championships for Wyoming Seminary (Pennsylvania)… 2021 MSHSAA state champion for Christian Brothers College (Missouri)… Second in 2020… Fifth in 2019…
Personal: Son of Dustin and Nicole Darrah… Born on June 25, 2003… 20 years old…
97 kg – Camden McDanel (Circleville, Ohio)
2023: U20 Pan-American Championships gold medalist… U20 Freestyle World Team Trials champion… U20 Freestyle Nationals champion…
2022: Sixth in USMC Junior Freestyle Nationals… U17 Freestyle Nationals runner-up…
2021: USMC 16U Freestyle Nationals champion… Central Regional runner-up in freestyle…
College: Will be a Freshman at the University of Nebraska…
High School: 2023 OHSAA state champion for Teays Valley (Ohio) High School… runner-up in 2022 and 2021…
Current FloWrestling National High School Ranking: No. 4 at 220 pounds…
Personal: Son of Josh McDanel… Born on March 28, 2005… 18 years old…
125 kg – Christian Carroll (Stillwater, Oklahoma/Cowboy RTC)
2023: U20 Freestyle World Team Trials champion… U20 Freestyle Nationals champion…
2022: Competed in U20 World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria, in Greco-Roman… U20 Greco-Roman World Team Trials champion…
2021: USMC Junior Freestyle Nationals champion… UWW Junior Nationals runner-up in freestyle and Greco-Roman…
2018: Central Regional runner-up in freestyle, third in Greco-Roman…
College: Will be a Freshman at Oklahoma State University…
High School: 2022 IHSAA state champion for New Prairie (Indiana) High School…
Current FloWrestling National High School Ranking: No. 1 at 285 pounds and pound-for-pound…
Personal: Born on Aug. 9, 2003… 20 years old…