Simsbury’s Max Konopka advances to semifinals at U20 world team trials

Simsbury’s Max Konopka competed at the U20 world team trials Friday in Ohio. (Photo courtesy Sam Janicki / SJanickiPhoto.com)

Simsbury’s Max Konopka advanced to the semifinals at the U20 men’s freestyle world team trials at 97 kilograms or 213 pounds on Friday in Geneva, Ohio.

But Wisconsin’s Garrett Kawczynski got a two-point exposure with 26 seconds left in regulation to beat Konopka in the semifinals, 5-4. Konopka had taken the lead at 4-3 with a takedown with 1:16 left in the match.

Kawczynski, who is from Random Lake, Wisconsin and a high school senior, advanced to the finals of the Challenge Tournament where he beat Cason Howle of Wolfpack RTC, 6-3.

In the best-of-3 series to determine a slot on the United States’ U20 world championship team, Kawcyznski was swept by Michael Boyle, a junior from Columbus, Ohio, who prevailed with a pair of 10-0 technical falls.

The U20 world championships will be held August 16-23 in Bratislava, Slovakia. Athletes competing in the U20 world team trials must be born between 2006 and 2009.

Konopka, who trains with South Side Wrestling Club in Bridgeport and attends Westport’s Greens Farms Academy, won his quarterfinal round match by pinning Evan McGuire of Minnesota in 2:11.

In the semifinals, Konopka was tied with Kawcyznski, 2-2 after one period. He got a takedown with 1:16 left to take a 4-3 lead. With 26 seconds left, Kawczynski used a cradle to exposure Konopka’s back to the mat and pick up two crucial points.

In the consolation bracket, Carter Brown of Missouri pinned Konopka in 22 seconds to end his tournament.

Konopka won the national Prep School championship for Greens Farms Academy in February with three pins at 215 pounds.

The U20 world team trials are being held in conjunction with the U23 national championship tournament in freestyle and Greco-Roman.

Only two winners from the respective U20 Challenge Tournaments earned a spot on the U.S. squad.

At 125 kilograms, Dreshaun Ross won the Challenge Tournament to set up a rematch with age-group world medalist Coby Merrill. Merrill outlasted Ross 8-6 at the U.S. Open to earn the bye into the final round in Ohio.

Merrill took the opening round on Friday, 11-0. However, Ross battled back and won the final two matches, 9-2 and 7-1, locking in his spot on the U20 World Team.

Aaron Seidel (61 kg), who was an NCAA All-American in 2026, only gave up one point across his five matches and won each by technical fall. In the championship series against Elijah Cortez, Seidel won a pair of 10-0 affairs to make his first age-group World Team.

Live video of the U23 Nationals & U20 World Team Trials is available on FloWrestling. Brackets and match-by-match results will be available through USA Bracketing

Information from USA Wrestling used in this report.