2022 U20 World Championships

Everything You Need To Know About The Men's Freestyle U20 World Team

Everything You Need To Know About The Men's Freestyle U20 World Team

Get to know your men's freestyle wrestling team in advance of the U20 World Championships held in Sofia, Bulgaria on August 14-21.

Aug 8, 2022
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Need a refresher on who made the U20 World Team or want to know more about a specific member? Look no further! Below is a breakdown of all 10 guys and everything you need to know about them.

57 kg: Jore Volk

Hometown: Lakeville, Minnesota

High School: Lakeville North

College: Wyoming

High School Club: Pinnacle

Instagram: @jorevolk

Championship Series: Jore Volk over Troy Spratley, 2-1

What you need to know: Despite being a Fargo champion, I’m sure Jore Volk wasn’t getting the respect he thought he deserved leading up to the freestyle circuit this spring. After defeating Richie Figueroa in the quarterfinals at the US Open, Volk was forced to injury default out. This left him at #40 on the 2022 big board. However, he ran an absolute gauntlet at the World Team Trials beating Robert Howard, Nate Jesuroga, Cooper Flynn, and US Open champ Troy Spratley to secure his spot on the World Team. That right there tells you just about all you need to know about Volk. The Cowboys got a good one.

61 kg: Nic Bouzakis

Hometown: Tampa, Florida

High School: Wyoming Seminary

College: Ohio State

High School Club: Team Greco

Instagram: @nicbouzakis

Championship Series: Nic Bouzakis over Jesse Mendez, 2-1

What you need to know: Unlike Volk, Nic Bouzakis has been one of, if not the, top recruit in the class of 2022 since they all entered high school. He’s won basically everything including Fargo, Super 32, Ironman, Eastern States, and National Preps. Last summer Bouzakis made the Junior Greco World Team and opted not to try and make the freestyle team, depriving fans of a highly anticipated matchup with the #3 overall recruit in the class, Jesse Mendez. Things changed in 2022, however. Not only did we get this matchup, but both wrestlers had since committed to wrestle at Ohio State. We were looking at a future roster battle between two of the best high school wrestlers in the country, and it lived up to the hype. After dropping match one, 14-6, Bouzakis came back to win matches two and three 12-7 and 15-4.

65 kg: Vince Cornella

Hometown: Lafayette, Colorado

High School: Monarch

College: Cornell

High School Club: Mile High Wrestling Club

Instagram: @vince.cornella

Championship Series: Vince Cornella over Carter Young, 2-1

What you need to know: A Colorado native, Vince Cornella was fairly highly touted coming out of high school. He had a decent redshirt year during his first year at Ithaca going 23-8, but I’m sure not what he wanted or expected. He kicked it up a notch in the postseason, winning the Open and doubling down at the Trials. I expect him to be Cornell’s starting 141-pounder this upcoming season.

70 kg: Mitchell Mesenbrink

Hometown: Hartland, Wisconsin

High School: Arrowhead

College: California Baptist

High School Club: Askren Wrestling Academy

Instagram: @mitchell_mesenbrink

Championship Series: Mitchell Mesenbrink over Levi Haines, 2-0

What you need to know: Mitchell Mesenbrink was the breakout star of the US Open in April. There’s no way a Cal Baptist commit could not just win, but tech fall his way through a bracket that included Paniro Johnson, Caleb Henson, Jordan Williams, Hunter Garvin, Cael Swensen, Chance Lamer, and more. But that’s exactly what happened. Mesenbrink proved it was no fluke when he beat Penn State commit Levi Haines in two matches in the Trials finals. Cal Baptist with a steal.

74 kg: Alex Facundo

Hometown: Essexville, Michigan

High School: Davison

College: Penn State

High School Club: Team Donahoe

Instagram: @cujo_2024

Championship Series: Alex Facundo over Jack Thomsen, 2-0

What you need to know: Penn State didn’t get Levi Haines on the team, but they did get Alex Facundo. The Michigan native thrives in freestyle. He made two Cadet World Teams while in high school and brought home two bronze medals. Now, he’s a junior and trying to bring home the gold. 

79 kg: Brayden Thompson

Hometown: Frankfort, Illinois

High School: Lockport

College: Oklahoma State

High School Club: Izzy Style

Instagram: @the.braydenthompson

Championship Series: Brayden Thompson over Luca Augustine, 2-0

What you need to know: With one year of high school still left to go, Brayden Thompson is one of, if not the, youngest guy to make the team. That doesn’t mean much, however. At the US Open Thompson was tossed his hat in the SENIOR division and come home with a 6th place finish. This didn’t allow him the opportunity to sit to the Trials finals, but it didn’t matter. He beat Aaron Ayzerov, Rocco Welsh, and Josh Barr before beating Pitt’s Luca Augustine in the finals to make the team. After Junior Worlds, Thompson will compete at Who’s Number One for the second-straight year.

86 kg: Bennett Berge

Hometown: Mantorville, Minnesota

High School: Kasson-Mantorville

College: SDSU

High School Club: Pinnacle

Instagram: @bennett_berge

Championship Series: Bennett Berge over Sam Fisher, 2-1

What you need to know: The younger brother of SDSU coach Brady Berge, Bennett will be following his brother to Brookings. After losing to Brian Soldano and Wyatt Voelker at the Open, Berge got hot in Ohio and beat Nathan Haas and Tate Picklo to make the finals where he beat Sam Fisher in three matches to make the team. A product of Pinnacle Wrestling Club, Berge is extremely experienced in both freestyle and Greco and should have no problems holding his own in Bulgaria.

92 kg: Jaxon Smith

Hometown: Cartersville, Georgia

High School: Woodland

College: Maryland

High School Club: Level Up

Instagram: @jaxonsmith12

Championship Series: Jaxon Smith over Silas Allred, 2-0

What you need to know: A Georgia native, Jaxon Smith went 23-6 while redshirting this year at Maryland. A 2X state champion, Smith was #35 on the 2021 Big Board. He is expected to take over the 197 lb starting spot for the Terps this season.

97 kg: Ben Kueter

Hometown: Iowa City, Iowa

High School: City High

College: Iowa

High School Club: Sebolt Wrestling Academy

Instagram: @ben_kueter32

Championship Series: Ben Kueter over Noah Pettigrew, 2-0

What you need to know: Some have called Ben Kueter not just the best wrestler, but the best athlete to come out of Iowa this side of 2000. While I lack the Iowa high school sport historical knowledge to confirm or deny that, I will say it’s hard to top someone who is committed to both wrestle and play football at the University of Iowa plus is a baseball stand-out as well.

On the wrestling mat, Kueter is 3X state champion, Fargo finalist, and now Junior World Team member.

125 kg: Nick Feldman

Hometown: Quarryville, Pennsylvania

High School: Malvern Prep

College: Ohio State

High School Club: Lancaster Alliance Wrestling Club

Instagram: @nick__feldman

Championship Series: Nick Feldman over Hunter Catka, 2-0

What you need to know: Nick Feldman was the #1 overall recruit this year. For the past two years, he has dominated everyone in his path, but that has just been domestic competition. Now, Feldman gets to test himself against the best in the world. He’s big and strong but has the athleticism and movement of a middleweight. That combination is deadly. There was a lot of talk if he would start over D1 All-American Tate Orndorff this season at Ohio State, but Tom Ryan recently put those talks to sleep when he confirmed that Orndorff would be the guy. However, there's still a mountain of expectations on the shoulders of this young man.