Winners of Senior World Team Challenge tournament advance to Final X

Kyle Dake won the Senior World Team challenge tournament on Saturday to earn a spot at Final X in June.  

Courtesy USA Wrestling
Eight men’s freestyle champions moved closer to securing a Senior World Team berth following the finals at the 2025 Senior World Team Trials Challenge Tournament in Louisville, Kentucky, on Saturday.

Nittany Lion Wrestling Club sends three more athletes to Final X following the finals round. At 86 kg, two-time Olympic bronze medalist Kyle Dake defeated teammate Carter Starocci 3-3 on criteria.

The winner of the challenge tournament qualify for the Final X tournament on June 14 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey for a best-of-3 final against the U.S. Open champion to qualify for the U.S. world championship team.

While leading 3-1 through most of the second period, Starocci forced a step out and Dake received a caution, retaining a narrow lead. Starocci’s late shot appeared to grant him two points, but a challenge from Dake’s corner proved time had expired, and Dake held on to win on criteria.

Levi Haines and Josh Barr join Dake at Final X after winning their brackets in Louisville. Haines, continuing to emerge on the freestyle scene, defeated U.S Open runner-up Dean Hamiti at 79 kg, 10-2. After a 2-2 first period, Haines opened up the scoring, adding eight points on four takedowns in period two.

Barr saw a familiar freestyle opponent in Aeoden Sinclair in the finals. In this match at 92 kg, Barr four-point move in the second gave him the edge over Sinclair. The U20 World silver medalist will compete at Final X next month, hoping to transition his success to the Senior level.

PJ Duke, competing for Titan Mercury Wrestling Club and committed to Penn State, found his way to the last Final X spot at 70 kg. The rising star picked up wins over NCAA champions Antrell Taylor and Ridge Lovett on day one, defeating 2021 Junior World bronze medalist Bryce Andonian in the championship final on Saturday, 4-1.

A pair of Gopher Wrestling Club athletes will head to Final X in Hayden Zillmer and Trent Hillger. Zillmer, a 2022 Senior World Team member at 125 kg, dropped to 97 kg just prior to the start of the tournament. Zillmer bested U.S. Open runner-up and U23 World bronze medalist Jonathan Aiello, 5-3, in the finals at 97 kg.

Hillger battled back from a tough placement at the U.S. Open in late April, defeating U.S. Open runner-up Demetrius Thomas in the finals, 10-4. Two first-period takedowns gave Hillger an early lead, before he piled on the points in the second with three more takedowns.

Two-time age-group World medalist David Carr set up a rematch of the U.S. Open finals after powering into Final X at 74 kg. Carr edged out past Senior National Team member Jarrett Jacques, 2-0, with an early step out and a passivity point after Jacques was put on the clock.

At 65 kg, Real Woods battled Brock Hardy in a high-flying final. Woods struck first with a takedown, followed by a crucial four-point throw on the edge to bump to a 6-0 lead through one. Woods’ continued to pile on the points in the second period, while Hardy put a step out point on the scoreboard. After adding four with a takedown and exposure, Woods held off Hardy’s late offensive surge to punch his ticket to Final X.

2025 Senior World Team Challenge Tournament
At Louisville, Ky.
Men’s freestyle
Championship matches
65 kg
Final: Real Woods (Cliff Keen WC/Titan Mercury WC) Dec. Brock Hardy (Nebraska RTC/Titan Mercury WC), 10-6
70 kg
Final: PJ Duke (Titan Mercury WC) Dec. Bryce Andonian (SERTC/Titan Mercury WC), 4-1
74 kg
Final: David Carr (Cyclone RTC/Titan Mercury WC) Dec. Jarrett Jacques (Tiger Style Wrestling Club), 2-0
79 kg
Final: Levi Haines (TMWC/NLWC) Dec. Dean Hamiti Jr (Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC), 10-2
86 kg
Final: Kyle Dake (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC) Dec. Carter Starocci (NLWC/TMWC), 3-3
92 kg
Final: Joshua Barr (NLWC/TMWC) Dec. Aeoden Sinclair (Tiger Style Wrestling Club), 7-3
97 kg
Final: Hayden Zillmer (Gopher Wrestling Club) Dec. Jonathan Aiello (Penn RTC/Titan Mercury WC), 5-3
125 kg
Final: Trent Hillger (Gopher Wrestling Club) Dec. Demetrius Thomas (New York Athletic Club), 10-4

Eight spots in Women’s Final X determined
The eight remaining women’s freestyle slots at 2025 Final X were determined on Saturday afternoon at Norton Healthcare Sports & Learning Center, with a gutsy performance from Olympic champion Amit Elor headlining the Senior World Team Trials finals.

It was a nip-and-tuck 2-1 decision for Elor over U.S. Open runner-up Skylar Grote in the 72 kg championship contest. All points were awarded from the shot clock—Grote scoring once in the first period and Elor returning serve with two in the second frame. The win pushes Elor back to Final X where she will see Alexandria Glaude best two-of-three for her third Senior World Team berth.

Elor hadn’t competed since earning a gold medal at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, last August. She earned the title of youngest Olympic wrestling champion in U.S. history at the Paris Games. Elor is a two-time Senior world champion, six-time age-group world champion and among the best pound-for-pound wrestlers in the world.

Securing her second Final X appearance, this time in emphatic fashion, was 2022 U20 World bronze medalist Adaugo Nwachukwu. The four-time age-group World Team member struck with an over-under toss early in the 62 kg finals, pinning two-time age-group World Team member SaVannah Cosme in 1:19.

Nwachukwu’s Final X opponent is two-time World medalist and Olympian Kayla Miracle. The series lead sits four wins to none in favor of Miracle, including a recent 4-0 decision in the U.S. Open finals. Expect another tight set of matches between these two in Newark, next month.

Scoring impressive technical fall wins in the finals were U.S. Open runners-up Felicity Taylor at 53 kg and Everest Leydecker at 55 kg. Taylor picked apart 2024 U23 World champion Sage Mortimer, 13-1. Leydecker sailed past six-time age-group World Team member Ronna Gross, 11-0. Both will look to avenge losses from the U.S. Open finals at Final X—Taylor against Brianna Gonzalez and Leydecker against Cristelle Rodriguez.

Olympian and 2019 world champion Jacarra Winchester battled to a 7-3 win over two-time U20 World medalist Alexis Janiak at 59 kg. Winchester, a five-time U.S. World Team member and two-time World medalist, is the reigning World Team member in the weight class.

2022 U.S. World Team member Dymond Guilford edged 2024 U23 World champion Yelena Makoyed in the 76 kg finals. Guilford reversed an 8-2 loss at the hands of Makoyed from the U.S. Open semifinals.

Also booking trips to Final X were 50 kg champion Erin Golston and 68 kg champion Brooklyn Hays. Both women won on Saturday with close decisions—Golston 2-1 over Kendra Ryan and Hays 4-0 over Solin Piearcy.

2025 Senior World Team Challenge Tournament
At Louisville, Ky.
Women’s freestyle
Championship matches
50 kg
Final: Erin Golston (New York AC) dec. Kendra Ryan (Cardinal WC), 2-1
53 kg
Final: Felicity Taylor (Titan Mercury WC) tech. fall Sage Mortimer (Titan Mercury WC), 13-1
55 kg
Final: Everest Leydecker (Thorobred WC) tech. fall Ronna Gross (MATPAC WC/Titan Mercury WC), 11-0
59 kg
Final: Jacarra Winchester (USOPTC/Titan Mercury WC) dec. Alexis Janiak (Titan Mercury WC), 7-3
62 kg
Final: Adaugo Nwachukwu (Army WCAP) fall SaVannah Cosme (Atreus WC), 1:19
68 kg
Final: Brooklyn Hays (USOPTC/Titan Mercury WC) dec. Solin Piearcy (Titan Mercury WC), 4-0
72 kg
Final: Amit Elor (Titan Mercury WC) dec. Skylar Grote (USOPTC/Titan Mercury WC), 2-1
76 kg
Final: Dymond Guilford (USOPTC/Titan Mercury WC) dec. Yelena Makoyed (Cardinal WC/Titan Mercury WC), 5-3

Men’s Freestyle Final X
June 14 at Newark, N.J.
57 kg: Spencer Lee (Hawkeye WC) vs. Luke Lilledahl (Nittany Lion WC)
61 kg: Vito Arujau (Spartan Combat) vs. Jax Forrest (Cowboy RTC)
65 kg: Joey McKenna (Cowboy RTC) vs. Real Woods (Cliff Keen WC)
70 kg: Yianna Diakomihalis (Spartan Combat) vs. PJ Duke (Titan Mercury Wrestling Club)
74 kg: Mitchell Mesenbrink (Nittany Lion WC) vs. David Carr (Cyclone Regional Training Center)
79 kg: Evan Wick (SoCal RTC) vs. Levi Haines (Nittany Lion Wrestling Club)
86 kg: Zahid Valencia (Cowboy RTC) vs. Kyle Dake (Nittany Lion Wrestling Club)
92 kg: Trent Hidlay (Wolfpack RTC) vs. Josh Barr (Nittany Lion Wrestling Club)
97 kg: Kyle Snyder (Nittany Lion WC) vs. Hayden Zillmer (Gopher Wrestling Club)
125 kg: Wyatt Hendrickson (Cowboy RTC) vs. Trent Hillger (Gopher Wrestling Club)

Women’s Freestyle Final X
June 14 at Newark, N.J.
50 kg: Audrey Jimenez (Lehigh Valley Wrestling RTC) vs. Erin Golston (New York Athletic Club)
53 kg: Brianna Gonzalez (Iowa Women’s WC) vs. Felicity Taylor (Titan Mercury Wrestling Club)
55 kg: Cristelle Rodriguez (Tiger WC) vs. Everest Leydecker (Thorobred Wrestling Club)
57 kg Helen Maroulis (Rockville, Md.) vs. Amanda Martinez (Cardinal WC)
59 kg: Abigail Nette (U.S. Army WCAP) vs. Jacarra Winchester (US Olympic Training Center)
62 kg: Kayla Miracle (Valiant WC) vs. Adaugo Nwachukwu (Army WCAP)
65 kg: Macey Kilty (Iowa Women’s WC) vs. Aine Drury (New York AC)
68 kg: Kennedy Blades (Hawkeye WC) vs. Brooklyn Hays (US Olympic Training Center)
72 kg: Alexandria Glaude (Beaver Dam RTC) vs. Amit Elor (Titan Mercury Wrestling Club)
76 kg: Kylie Welker (Iowa Women’s WC) vs. Dymond Guilford (US Olympic Training Center)