Official senior-level freestyle is back underway in the United States. The elite contenders may not show at every weight, but there are plenty of high-level operators attending Senior Nationals in Iowa.
USA Wrestling is making a big push for a more consistent event schedule for the remainder of 2020. They kick off the season with the 2020 Senior National tournament. While Senior Nationals won’t impact the elusive Olympic Team Trials, it’s still an opportunity for some of The United States’ top wrestlers to get back into competition.
The top seeds for freestyle, men’s and women’s, were recently released.
Senior Nationals will contest Olympic weights only – just 57, 65, 74, 86, 97, and 125 kg for men’s freestyle action. Unlike women’s freestyle, only one men’s freestyle weight will feature a returning World team member – the two-time World and one-time Olympic champion Kyle Snyder.
However, each weight is stacked with national team members and rising contenders, it’s going to be one of the most heated tournaments of the year.
57 kg
The top three seeds at 57 kg have a bit of history. Vito Arujau has some big recent wins like Nick Suriano, but Zane Richards has wins over both Arujau and Darian Cruz. All three wrestlers have stayed busy competing on pro events this past year, each looking in some of the better form of their career. It’s anyone’s weight, as Cruz looked strong in a losing effort vs. World silver medalist Thomas Gilman, while Arujau and Sanders are currently streaking.
Vitali Arujau (TMWC)
2019 Junior World silver
2019 NCAA All-American (4th)
2016 Cadet World silver
Darian Cruz (NYAC) (Darian Cruz Breakdown)
2020 Pan-American Championship bronze
2019 Dave Schultz Memorial bronze
Three-time NCAA All-American (7th, 1st, 5th)
Zane Richards (TMWC) (Zane Richards Breakdown)
2018 Bill Farrell Memorial bronze
Two-time NCAA All-American (4th, 7th)
65 kg
The Pennsylvania RTC has been kind to Ohio State grad Joey McKenna. McKenna turned in a career-best win over two-time NCAA champion and freestyle star Yianni Diakomihalis at the last US Open, putting him in the mix for the Olympic team. He’ll be challenged by the physical and unorthodox Jaydin Eierman, as well as a solid veteran in Evan Henderson.
This weight is stacked with talented and improving wrestlers, while I favor McKenna to get to the top of the podium, the the other medalists may surprise you.
Joey McKenna (TMWC)
Three-time NCAA All-American (3rd, 3rd, 2nd)
2017 U23 World bronze
2016 Ziolkowski bronze
2014 Junior World silver
Jaydin Eierman (Hawkeye WC/TMWC)
2019 Pan-American Games bronze
Three-time NCAA All-American (5th, 4th, 3rd)
Evan Henderson (TMWC)
Two-time NCAA All-American (6th, 4th)
2019 Bill Farrell Memorial bronze
2019 Intercontinental Cup silver
2019 Dave Schultz Memorial silver
2018 Bill Farrell Memorial champion
2017 Dave Schultz Memorial silver
74 kg
This is one of the weights with the most variability. After some shaky seasons, Logan Massa has corrected course and is performing like you’d expect from a blue chip recruit at this point in his career. He’ll need to be in peak physical form, as there are a horde of young guns coming for him this year. The most favorable underdog has to be Ryan Deakin – who defeated James Green to win a US Open title in 2019 before falling to Green at the Final X wrestleoffs.
If someone is going to show up and perform at an entirely new level, it will most likely be David Carr. The returning Junior World champion was outstanding in his abbreviated redshirt freshman season for Iowa State, his lone loss coming to Deakin.
Logan Massa (CKWC)
2019 Dmitri Korkin bronze
2019 USA Senior National champion
2017 NCAA All-American (3rd)
Evan Wick (TMWC)
Two-time NCAA All-American (3rd, 4th)
Anthony Valencia (Sunkist Kids)
2016 Dave Schultz Memorial bronze
Three-time NCAA qualifier
Ryan Deakin (TMWC)
2019 US Open champion
2019 NCAA All-American (6th)
2017 Junior World silver
David Carr (Cyclone RTC)
2019 Junior World champion
2016 Cadet World bronze
Hayden Hidlay (TMWC)
Two-time NCAA All-American (2nd, 4th)
2018 U23 World team member
86 kg
NCAA champion and fast-improving freestyler Myles Martin, ranked top ten in the World by FloWrestling, was originally entered in this bracket and likely would have received the top seed.
Martin was absent from the seeding release from USA Wrestling, so for now we can assume he is out of the competition. That leaves us with one of the most prolific double leggers in the sport today – NJ RTC resident athlete Nate Jackson. Jackson has been outstanding since transitioning to freestyle, picking up respectable wins both at home and abroad.
The field below him is certainly tough, but he seems to be a cut above at the moment. Two-time NCAA champion Gabe Dean has yet to find his stride in the international styles, while hammers like David McFadden and Trent Hidlay are still relatively young in their careers.
I’m looking forward to NCAA champion Drew Foster’s return to action. His last big showcase was cut short when World champion David Taylor became injured in their match, but he looked sharp, getting to Taylor’s legs and scrambling well. Minnesota’s Brett Pfarr announced himself as a serious freestyle competitor when he picked up a win over World medalist Boris Makoev at the Schultz.
Nate Jackson (NYAC)
2019 Bill Farrell Memorial bronze
2019 Alexander Medved Prizes champion
2019 Dave Schultz Memorial silver
Two-time NCAA All-American (5th, 8th)
Gabe Dean (TMWC)
Four-time NCAA All-American (3rd, 1st, 1st, 2nd)
2017 Pan-American Championship bronze
2015 Pan-American Championship silver (Greco-Roman)
2014 Junior World bronze
Trent Hidlay (TMWC)
2019 Junior World bronze medalist
Brett Pfarr (Gopher WC RTC)
2019 Dave Schultz Memorial bronze
Two-time NCAA All-American (3rd, 2nd)
Drew Foster (Panther WC RTC)
Two-time NCAA All-American (7th, 1st)
David McFadden (Pennsylvania RTC/TMWC)
Three-time NCAA All-American (6th, 5th, 5th)
2018 U23 World team member
97 kg
While Kyle Snyder has hit some bumps in the road when it comes to his spectacular international career, he has been nothing short of dominant domestically. Since losing to Kyven Gadson in the NCAA finals his freshman year, Snyder has only suffered one loss to an American – the massive and talented Adam Coon (a loss that he soon avenged.) Snyder will certainly be challenged by two-time World champion J’den Cox when the trials roll around, but for now it’s comfortably his weight.
The rest of the field will be fierce as always, Kyven Gadson and Ty Walz have gone back and forth with each other, and breakout contender Ben Honis recently announced himself with a win over Ty Walz. The lanky Hayden Zillmer will be tough to get through, making the hunt for a national team spot as competitive as ever at 97 kg.
Kyle Snyder (TMWC)
Hayden Zillmer (Gopher WC RTC)
2019 Bill Farrell Memorial bronze
2019 Intercontinental Cup silver
2017 Dave Schultz Memorial champion (Greco-Roman)
2016 Olympic Trials bronze (Greco-Roman)
2015 NCAA All-American (6th)
Kollin Moore (TMWC)
Three-time NCAA All-American (3rd, 4th, 2nd)
2018 U23 World silver
2017 Junior World bronze
Kyven Gadson (Sunkist Kids) (Kyven Gadson Breakdown)
Three-time NCAA All-American (6th, 4th, 1st)
2018 Pan-American Championship silver
2017 Dave Schultz Memorial bronze
Ben Honis (Pennsylvania RTC/TMWC)
2019 US Open silver
2019 NCAA All-American (8th)
Ty Walz (TMWC)
2019 Intercontinental Cup bronze
2019 Alexander Medved Prizes silver
2019 Dave Schultz Memorial champion
2018 Bill Farrell Memorial champion
2017 U23 World bronze
Three-time NCAA All-American (7th, 4th, 4th)
125 kg
There key narrative at heavyweight is the “old guard” vs. the new. Standout veteran Dom Bradley silenced the doubters once already when he put a stop to the rising star Anthony Cassar, how will he perform against the next wave of promising up-and-comers?
Mason Parris was outstanding in his true freshman campaign at Michigan, but he jumped levels considerably that summer when he won a 2019 Junior World title by pinning Iran’s Amir Zare. Zare would go on to tech two-time World medalist and returning team member Nick Gwiazdowski. Parris 28-1 with a close loss to the phenom Gable Steveson in the abbreviated CoVid season, is he on a trajectory to challenged for an Olympic team spot?
Dom Bradley (Sunkist Kids)
2019 Bill Farrell Memorial silver
2019 Dave Schultz Memorial bronze
2017 Dave Schultz Memorial champion
2017 Alexander Medved Prizes bronze
2017 Pan-American champion
2016 Olympic Trials bronze
2016 Bill Farrell Memorial silver
2016 Pan-American Championship gold
Two-time NCAA All-American (3rd, 4th)
Mason Parris (CKWC)
2019 Junior World champion
Youssif Hemida (NYAC)
2018 U23 World silver
Two-time NCAA All-American (8th, 6th)
USA Senior Nationals action begins on Friday, October 9th with women’s freestyle and Greco-Roman.
Men’s freestyle will kick off on Saturday, October 10th on FloWrestling.