The U17 World Championships have kicked off with Greco and will wrap up this weekend with men’s freestyle. Below is almost everything you need to know for men’s freestyle. I say almost because, with Russia and Belarus’ recently lifted ban, it’s hard to find data on their athletes and many of the ones going to Worlds did not compete at the European Championships. However, it’s probably safe to assume anyone they are bringing (they will show up in the entries and brackets as AIN), will be pretty good.

And a special thank you to Kyle Klingman for collecting all of Team USA's athletes' info.

The Team

45 kg: Ignacio Villasenor

48 kg: Paul Kenny

51 kg: Christian Castillo

55 kg: Marcus Blaze

60 kg: Benjamin Davino

65 kg: Brock Mantanona

71 kg: Ladarion Lockett

80 kg: Zack Ryder

92 kg: Aeoden Sinclair

110 kg: Sampson Stillwell

The Schedule

Friday, August 4

4:00 am - 8:00 am: qualification rounds - 48-55-65-80-110 kg

10:00 am - 10:45 am: semifinals - 48-55-65-80-110 kg

4:00 am - 8:00 am: qualification rounds - 45-51-60-71-92 kg and repechage - 48-55-65-80-110 kg

10:00 am - 10:45 am: semifinals - 45-51-60-71-92 kg

11:00 am - 1:00 pm: medal rounds - 48-55-65-80-110 kg

Sunday, August 6

9:30 am - 10:45 am - repechage - 45-51-60-71-92 kg

11:00 am - 1:00 pm - medal rounds - 45-51-60-71-92 kg

45 kg: Ignacio Villasenor

Hometown: Longmont

High School: Pomona

Grade: Entering ninth

Club: Pomona Elite

Instagram: @ignaciovill4636

Championship series: Villasenor over Kavin Muyleart, 2-0

Ignacio Villasenor, the pride of Colorado, will be competing in his first World Championship. He represented Team USA at the Pan Ams last year and went undefeated. 45 kg can be quite unpredictable at the World level as it is almost always first-year U17 guys. The two most accomplished wrestlers in Villasenor’s bracket will be Jafar Jafarov of Azerbaijan and Ahora Farhad Khateri of Iran who both dominated their continental championships this year. Jafarov also won U15 Euros last year. Mate Tsinadze of Georgia has lost to Jafarov at Euros the past two years.

48 kg: Paul Kenny

Hometown: NJ

High School: Christian Brothers

Grade: entering ninth grade

Instagram: @paulkenny_1

Championship series: Kenny over Grey Burnett, 2-0

Only now entering 9th grade, Kenny is on the younger side of this team, but don’t let that fool you - he’s ready. Kenny defeated this year’s Fargo champ Grey Burnett in the finals two matches to none, but in order to get there, he had to defeat 2022 U17 World champion Dom Munaretto. I really like his chances of bringing home a medal. Sam Reza Sayar of Iran won Asians but was pushed by Yamato Furusawa of Japan and Rupesh of India. 

51 kg: Christian Castillo

Hometown: Glendale, Arizona

High School: Valiant Prep

Grade: entering eleventh 

Club: Thorobred WC

Instagram: @crissy_day_kid

Championship series: Castillo over Seth Mendoza, 2-0

After coming home with a silver medal from the U17 World Championships last year, Christian Castillo isn’t going to Turkey for anything less than gold. The Azerbaijani who defeated Castillo last year won’t be there this year. Instead, the Japanese wrestler, the Indian, and the Georgian will be Castillo’s main opposition. I’m just hoping this year’s run isn’t as nerve-racking as last year's.

55 kg: Marcus Blaze

Hometown: Perrysburg, Ohio

High School: Perrysburg

Grade: entering eleventh

Club: Perrysburg WC

Instagram: @123marcus

Championship series: Blaze over Anthony Knox, 2-0

If you beat Anthony Knox, you’re ready to perform on the World stage. Now, this is going to be a tough weight in Turkey, so a medal won’t come easy. Akhmad Musakhadzhiev is one of the few Russians I’m familiar with as he took 5th at U17 Worlds last year. Haji Karimov of Azerbaijan dominated Euros while Ankush, the Indian, narrowly won Asians over Amirreza Teymorizad of Iran. Allan Oralbek of Kazakhstan is also tough. 

60 kg: Benjamin Davino

Hometown: St. Charles

High School: St. Charles East

Grade: entering twelfth grade. 

Club: St. Charles WC

Instagram: @bdavino22

Championship series: Davino over Jax Forrest, 2-0

Who’s Number One, WTT, Super 32, Fargo, Ironman, etc. Ben Davino has won everything there is to win domestically. Now, it’s time to do it internationally. Standing in Davino’s way will be European champion Jamal Abassov of Azerbaijan and Asian champion Omurbek Asan Uulu of Kyrgyzstan as well as Japan National champion Akito Maehara.

65 kg: Brock Mantanona

Hometown: Palm Desert, California

High School: Palm Desert

Grade: entering twelfth grade. 

Club: Coachella Valley WC

Instagram: @mock_brantanona 

Championship series: Mantanona over Kollin Rath, 2-0

Brock Mantanoa is a wild card. He could win this thing or go 0-1 and I wouldn’t be surprised. Luckily for USA fans, this doesn’t appear to be the deepest of weights. The German, Manuel Wagin, actually won Euros. He also finished in 8th place at Worlds last year. Sina Mahdi Khalili of Iran won Asians. In 2021 Brock’s brother Beau represented Team USA at the Cadet World Championships but fell to Azerbaijan.

71 kg: Ladarion Lockett

Hometown: Stillwater, Oklahoma

High School: Stillwater

Grade: entering twelfth grade

Club: Cowboy WC

Instagram: @deemoneylockett

Championship series: Lockett over Vince Bouzakis, 2-0

Ladarion Lockett will be representing the United States for the first time this weekend. However, already going into his senior year of high school, the Oklahoma native is bringing a solid domestic resume into the World Championships with him. The top international guys in the bracket will be Seyedabolfazl Seyed Ayyoub Hosseini of Iran, Narek Nikoghosyan of Aermenia, and Islam Kazharov of Russia.

80 kg: Zack Ryder

Hometown: State College, Pennsylvania    

High School: Minisink Valley

Grade: entering twelfth grade

Club: M2 Training Center

Instagram: @zackryder.5

Championship series: Ryder over De'alcapon Veazy, 2-0

Zack Ryder will be trying to improve upon his bronze medal performance last year at the U17 World Championships. The Iranian who defeated Ryder last year, won’t be in the bracket, but the other bronze medalist from the bracket, Alexandru Bors from Moldova, will be. With how repechage works, the two did not see each other last year. The new Iranian in the bracket will be Abolfazl Rahmani. He dominated his way through the European Championships this year.

92 kg: Aeoden Sinclair

Hometown: Milton, Wisconsin

High School: Milton

Grade: entering twelfth grade

Club: Askren Wrestling Academy

Instagram: @aeoden_sinclair97

Championship series: Sinclair over Dreshaun Ross, 2-0

Aeoden Sinclair is one of my favorite prospects in the class of 2024, and I have high expectations for him in Turkey. Max McEnelly brought a World bronze back to the state of Wisconsin at this weight last year and I think Sinclair can repeat that performance, if not do better. The continental champions in the bracket will be Toohid Noory of Iran and Sandro Kurashvili of Georgia. 

110 kg: Sampson Stillwell

Hometown: Centerview, Missouri

High School: St. Michael The Archangel

Grade: entering eleventh grade

Club: Kobra Kai Training

Instagram: @sampsonstillwell

Competing at heavyweight for the US will be Sampson Stillwell. He’ll be up against a loaded field. Sigh Jaspooran of India took bronze at the weight last year, but lost Yedige Kassimbek of Kazakhstan at Asians. Yusif Dursunov of Azerbaijan is probably the favorite. He won bronze at this tournament in 2021 at 92 kg and won U17 Euros this year while also taking silver at Junior Euros. He narrowly beat Henrik Haykyan of Armenia, 4-4, in the finals of U17 Euros.