By Gary Abbott

Two U.S. wrestlers are unbeaten after the first day of the Beach World Series Batumi at the Batumi Beach Arena Sectors 15-16 in the Batumi Seaside Park in Batumi, Georgia, on Saturday. This is the third stop of the five-event Senior Beach World Series for 2026.

Three-time World champion Eliana Bommarito, who was the Michigan winner of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame's Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award in 2022, of Michigan won her first two matches in a four-athlete round-robin at Over 70 kg in the women’s division.

She beat two regular rivals, Stefania Zacheila of Greece, and Angelique Gonzalez of France, by identical 3-0 scores. Bommarito has a bye on Sunday morning. In the second session, she will face Mariia Zenkina of Ukraine, who also has a perfect 2-0 record. The winner of the match between Bommarito and Zenkina will secure the gold medal, with the loser earning a silver medal.

During the last four seasons, Bommarito has won nine gold medals at individual Beach World Series events, one in 2026, two in 2025, four in 2024 and two in 2023. She has also won two age-group Beach World Championships medals, a U20 World gold in 2023 and a U20 World silver in 2024.

So far in the 2026 season, Bommarito has won a gold medal at the Beach World Series Poreč in Croatia. She is currently ranked No. 1 in the 2026 Beach World Series standings at Women’s Over 70 kg

Also unbeaten, with a 4-0 record on the day, is Daniel Cardenas, who was the Colorado winner of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame's Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award in 2022, in men’s 70 kg. Cardenas opened with a best-of-three knockout series against fellow American Rodrick Love of Illinois. Cardenas swept the series, pinning Love in the first match and winning a 2-2 criteria decision in the second match. Cardenas advanced to the Group A competition, while Love was eliminated.

In Group A, Cardenas won his first two matches, pinning Diego Makharadze of Georgia and scoring a 3-1 decision over Miljan Rajic of Serbia. On Sunday morning, he completes Group A competition against Vusal Aliyev of Azerbaijan. A win over Aliyev clinches him a spot in the semifinals, but he still might be able to advance with a loss based upon the results of his other opponents.

Cardenas won a bronze medal at the 2024 Beach World Series Timisoara in Romania at 80 kg. 

2024 Beach World bronze medalist Kyle Ferriter of Colorado finished with a 1-1 record at Over 90 kg in Group A. Ferriter opened with a loss to past World champion Mamuka Kordzaia of Georgia, 3-0, but rebounded with a clutch pin over Giorgi Chikhradze of Georgia. On Sunday, he completes Group A action against Sayedamirreza Sahraeimahali of Iran, with a chance to advance to the semifinals.

The other two U.S. competitors, Abraham Wojcikiewicz of Illinois and Terrance Zaleski of South Carolina, met in a best-of-three knockout round in the men’s 90 kg weight class. It went the full three bouts, with Wojcikiewicz winning two matches to one. Wojcikiewicz won the first match 1-0, but Zaleski came back with a 3-0 win in bout two. Wojcikiewicz claimed the deciding third match, 2-1, and advanced to Group A.

Wojcikewicz lost both of his Group A matches, falling to Iuza Tsertsvadze of Georgia, 3-1 and Amirhossein Kavousi of Iran, 3-0. He completes Group A on Sunday morning against Oleksii Yakovchuk of Ukraine.

Sunday morning will feature the final Group competition at 10 a.m., with the elimination rounds and finals in the 7:00 p.m. session.

Beach World Series Batumi will be broadcast live by FloWrestling. Batumi is eight hours ahead of the U.S. Eastern time zone.

The first two stops of the Beach World Series this year were in Da Nang, Vietnam, and Poreč, Croatia. After Batumi, the final two stops on the 2026 Beach World Series will be in Baku, Azerbaijan (August 28-29) and the Beach World Series Final in Katerini, Greece (September 26-27).

Beach World Series Batumi 

At Batumi, Georgia, June 20 

U.S. Men’s Results and future pairing 

80 kg – Daniel Cardenas, Westminster, Colo.  

Knockout – WIN Rodrick Love (USA), pin

Knockout – WIN Rodrick Love (USA), 2-2, 3:00

WIN Diego Makharadze (Georgia), pin

WIN Miljan Rajic (Serbia), 3-1

Vs. Vusal Aliyev (Azerbaijan)

80 kg – Rodrick Love, Springfield, Ill.  

Knockout – LOSS Daniel Cardenas (USA), pin

Knockout – LOSS Daniel Cardenas (USA), 2-2, 3:00

90 kg – Terrence Zaleski, Okatie, S.C. 

Knockout – LOSS Abraham Wojcikewicz (USA), 1-0, 3:00

Knockout – WIN Abraham Wojcikewicz (USA), 3-0

Knockout – LOSS Abraham Wojcikewicz (USA), 2-1, 3:00

90 kg – Abraham Wojcikewicz, Bethalto, Ill.  

Knockout – WIN Terrence Zaleski (USA), 1-0, 3:00

Knockout – LOSS Terrence Zaleski (USA), 3-0

Knockout – WIN Terrence Zaleski (USA), 2-1, 3:00

LOSS Iuza Tsertsvadze (Georgia), 3-1

LOSS Amirhossein Kavousi (Iran), 3-0

Vs. Oleksii Yakovchuk (Ukraine)

Over 90 kg - Kyle Ferriter, Colorado Springs, Colo.    

LOSS Mamuka Kordzaia (Georgia), 3-0

WIN Giorgi Chikhradze (Georgia), pin

Vs. Sayedamirreza Sahraeimahali (Iran)

U.S. Women’s Results and future pairing 

+70 kg: Eliana Bommarito, East Lansing, Mich.    

WIN Stefania Zacheila (Greece), 3-0

WIN Angelique Gonzalez (France), 3-0

Bye on Sunday morning

Vs. Mariia Zenkina (Ukraine)