10 Men's Freestyle Matches We Hope To See At Senior Nationals
10 Men's Freestyle Matches We Hope To See At Senior Nationals
A breakdown of 10 of the top matches we hope to see in men's freestyle at the 2023 Senior Nationals.
The 2023 Senior Nationals is set for December 15-17 with the top 5 finishers at every weight qualifying for the 2024 Olympic Trials. The brackets are loaded with many of the top wrestlers in the United States competing at every weight but we wanted to highlight ten of the matches we hope to see go down in Forth Worth just to give you a taste of how amazing this tournament will be.
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Luke Lilledahl vs Brandon Courtney winner gets Nico Megaludis, 57 kg
Penn State commit Luke Lilledhal might still be a high school senior but he’s a serious threat at the senior level. Last month at the Farrell Lilledahl placed third in a tough bracket while recording wins over Daniel DeShazer and Muhammad Bilal (who defeated Brandon Courtney). Lilledahl is the 3 seed and if seeds hold, Lilledahl will wrestle NCAA runner-up Brandon Courtney for a chance to wrestle Nico Megaludis in the semis. While the Farrell was a preview for Lilledahl, Senior Nationals will show us just how close Luke is to the best in the country at 57 kg.
Luke Lilledahl's win over Daniel DeShazer at the 2023 Bill Farrell:
Alec Pantaleo vs Seth Gross, 65 kg
Alec Pantaleo is coming down from 70 kg while Seth Gross is moving up from 61 kg. Both established themselves as two of the best in the world at their respective weights but now the question revolves around how they’ll fare at 65 kg. Pantaleo’s the 2 seed while Gross is the 7 - so we’ll likely see this match in the quarters.
The potential Pantaleo vs Gross match is also fascinating because it represents a true clash of styles. Pantaleo is lightning-fast to the leg and has several, dynamic ways to score. Gross, on the other hand, allows his opponents in on his legs making his money in scrambles and scoring in more unconventional ways. How will this matchup play out in Fort Worth? I have no idea, but it should be incredibly entertaining.
Tyler Kasak vs Austin DeSanto, 65 kg
Penn State true freshman Tyler Kasak won a U17 world silver medal in 2022 but will face an entirely new test at Senior Nationals. As the 11 seed, Kasak will be the underdog against 6 seed DeSanto in the round of 16. This past year, DeSanto showed outstanding progression in his freestyle game and worked his way into the top 20 in the world at 61 kg. Last month at the Farrell, DeSanto placed third and showed he can be successful up in weight with wins over Michael McGee, Pat Lugo, and Yahya Thomas.
Tyler Kasak's win over Vince Cornella at the 2023 US Open:
Andrew Alirez vs Austin DeSanto, 65 kg
If seeds hold, Alirez and DeSanto will meet in the quarter-finals. Obviously, this matchup as a quarter-final bout shows how deep 65 kg but also has the potential to be the match of the tournament.
Alirez is currently ranked #10 in the country after defeating 3-time world champion Haji Aliyev over the summer and looks to be one of the main contenders to make the Olympic team for the United States at 65 kg. Alirez possesses a high-powered, dynamic offense while DeSanto sets a pace as high as anyone in the world. Alirez is the favorite but we shouldn’t be surprised if DeSanto makes this a match.
Beau Bartlett vs Joey McKenna, 65 kg
Like Alirez, Joey McKenna and Beau Bartlett are two legitimate contenders to make the Olympic team at 65 kg. In fact, McKenna has been second on the World/Olympic team ladder 3 times over the past 5 years. On the other side of things, Beau Bartlett placed 4th at the 2023 US Open and ALMOST defeated teammate and world team member Nick Lee.
If these two do wrestle, Bartlett will have to get by Matt Kolodzik in the quarters. That will be a great matchup in its own right considering Kolodzik defeated Bartlett in the third-place match at the 2023 US Open.
Joe Sealey vs Quincy Monday, 74 kg
Both Joe Sealey and Quincy Monday had impressive showings last month at the Farrell and have the potential to meet in the semi-finals if seeds hold. Monday placed 3rd at the Farrell only losing to Jason Nolf (7-6) while defeating Tyler Berger (12-2) and Jarrett Jacques (5-2). Sealey failed to place at the Farrell but still impressed losing competitive matches to Alex Marinelli (11-6) and Jarrett Jacques (4-1).
Joe Sealey is still only a senior in high school but as a U17 world champ, he has incredible skills and will likely make quick improvements on the senior level. He has his work cut out for him to make it to Monday and will likely have a rematch against Jacques in the quarters.
Quincy Monday's win over Tyler Berger at the 2023 Bill Farrell:
Alex Dieringer vs Evan Wick, 86 kg
Both Alex Dieringer and Evan Wick are moving up from 79 kg to make a run at the 86 kg Olympic spot. Dieringer wrestles a powerful, traditional style while Wick relies on his length and scrambling abilities to put up points and frustrate his opponents. Will the power of Dieringer prove too much for Wick to handle? Or will Wick’s craftiness get the best of Dieringer? We’ll likely find out when these two meet in the quarters!
Mark Hall vs Max Dean/Conner Mirasola, 86 kg
High school senior and Penn State commit Conner Mirasola just pinned Evan Wick last month at the Farrell. Max Dean is a national champion but has almost no experience wrestling freestyle. How does a match between Dean and Mirasola go? And then the winner of the Dean-Mirasola match will wrestle Mark Hall. These potential matchups, along with all wrestlers having ties to Penn State, should be a lot of fun.
Connor Mirasola's win over Evan Wick at the 2023 Bill Farrell:
Tony Cassioppi vs Nate Jackson, 97 kg
Tony Cassioppi surprised everyone when he entered the 97 kg weight class. While Cassioppi has incredibly freestyle results at 125 kg, senior nationals will tell us how much of a threat he’ll be at the new weight class. Jackson is the perfect test for Cassioppi in the new weight class. Jackson was one of the best in the world at 92 kg and even defeated J’den Cox back in 2022. If Cassioppi can take out Jackson, he’ll announce himself as a true contender at 97 kg.
Kollin Moore vs Jacob Warner, 97 kg
Over the past few years, Kollin Moore has been right on the verge of making a world team at both 92 kg and 97 kg. Along with being a great match, this potential semifinal matchup will tell us if Jacob Warner is a true threat at 97 kg. Warner didn’t wrestle much freestyle during his college career but showed promise at the Bill Farrell last month when he made the finals, losing a close, 4-0 match to Mike Macchiavello.
Jacob Warner's win over Ben Honis at the 2023 Bill Farrell:
