By David Gerhart
USA Wrestling

The pre-seeds for the 10 Senior men’s freestyle weight classes at the 2026 U.S. Open Championships have been announced ahead of this week’s action at The Expo at World Market Center Las Vegas.

Tournament seeding was based on an agreed upon set of seeding criteria that included USA Wrestling PIN ratings, head-to-head results, tournament placements, and common opponents. Pre-seeds were finalized by the U.S. men’s freestyle national team staff.

Seeding is not final until after weigh-ins conclude. Adjustments to the seeding will be made if a wrestler drops out of the field for any reason. In that case, the wrestler in question will be removed from the list and every wrestler underneath will bump up to the next seed.

Garnering No. 1 seeds include Olympic silver medalist Spencer Lee at 57 kg, two-time Olympic bronze medalist Kyle Dake at 86 kg and 2024 Olympian Mason Parris at 125 kg.

2025 World Team members Jax Forrest (61 kg) and David Carr (74 kg) also picked up No. 1 seeds. 2023 World Team member Chance Marsteller collected the top seed at 79 kg.

Current U.S. Senior National Team members and age-group World medalists Joey McKenna and Joshua Barr are the No. 1 seeds at 65 kg and 92 kg, respectively. Rounding out the top seeds in the Senior men’s freestyle division are Alec Pantaleo and Stephen Buchanan.

The Senior men’s freestyle tournament takes place on Friday and Saturday. Day one of competition features championship rounds through the semifinals. The medal rounds and championship finals will be held on day two. A detailed schedule of events is available at usawrestlingevents.com. 

The U.S. Open Championships will be broadcast live on FloWrestling. Brackets will be available through USA Bracketing.

2026 U.S. Open Championships

April 22-26, Las Vegas, Nevada

Senior Men’s Freestyle Pre-Seeds

57 kg

1. Spencer Lee (Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury WC)

2. Luke Lilledahl (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)

3. Liam Cronin (Nebraska Wrestling Training Center/Titan Mercury WC)

4. Sheldon Seymour (Lehigh Valley Wrestling RTC)

5. Anthony Knox (Scarlet Knight WC/Rhino Wrestling LLC)

6. Eric Barnett (Wisconsin RTC)

7. Max Gallagher (Pennsylvania RTC)

8. Antonio Mills (Roundtree Wrestling Academy)

61 kg

1. Jax Forrest (Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

2. Seth Gross (Titan Mercury WC)

3. Marcus Blaze (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)

4. Ben Davino (Ohio RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

5. Austin DeSanto (Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury WC)

6. Michael McGee (Virginia Beach RTC/New York AC)

7. Nathan Tomasello (Lehigh Valley Wrestling RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

8. Nic Bouzakis (Ohio RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

65 kg

1. Joey McKenna (Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

2. Vito Arujau (Spartan Combat RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

3. Aden Valencia (California RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

4. Jesse Mendez (Ohio RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

5. Brock Hardy (Nebraska Wrestling Training Center/Titan Mercury WC)

6. Bo Bassett (Titan Mercury WC)

7. Beau Bartlett (New York City RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

8. Nick Suriano (California)

9. Wyatt Henson (Mat Town USA)

10. William Dekraker (Wildcat WC)

11. Pierson Manville (Southwest WC)

12. Nathan Desmond (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)

13. Kale Petersen (Hawkeye WC)

70 kg

1. Alec Pantaleo (Cliff Keen WC/Titan Mercury WC)

2. Caleb Henson (Southeast RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

3. Tyler Kasak (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)

4. Ian Parker (PWC/Titan Mercury WC)

5. Ridge Lovett (Nebraska Wrestling Training Center/Titan Mercury WC)

6. Edward Scott (Brunson UVRTC/Titan Mercury WC)

7. Melvin Miller (Bishop McCort High School Wrestling)

8. Jaxon Joy (Spartan Combat RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

9. Cody Chittum (Titan Mercury WC)

10. Chance Lamer (Nebraska Wrestling Training Center)

11. Jaden Abas (California RTC)

12. Dayne Morton (West Coast RTC)

74 kg

1. David Carr (Cyclone RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

2. Jarrett Jacques (Tiger Style WC)

3. Quincy Monday (New Jersey RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

4. Will Lewan (Cliff Keen WC/Titan Mercury WC)

5. James Green (Nebraska Wrestling Training Center/Titan Mercury WC)

6. Peyton Robb (Nebraska Wrestling Training Center)

7. Terrell Barraclough (Brunson UVRTC/Titan Mercury WC)

8. Bryce Andonian (Southeast RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

9. Cameron Amine (Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

10. Yahya Thomas (New Jersey RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

11. Kannon Webster (Illinois RTC/New York AC)

12. Nicco Ruiz (Southwest WC)

13. Joseph Sealey (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)

14. Joey Bianchi (Arkansas RTC)

15. Matthew Bianchi (Arkansas RTC)

16. Elroy Perkin (Air Force RTC)

17. EJ Parco (California RTC)

18. Rider Downey (Panther Wrestling Club RTC)

79 kg

1. Chance Marsteller (Titan Mercury WC)

2. Dean Hamiti, Jr. (Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

3. Evan Wick (Titan Mercury WC)

4. Keegan O’Toole (Tiger Style WC/Titan Mercury WC)

5. Patrick Kennedy (Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury WC)

6. Simon Ruiz (Spartan Combat RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

7. Bernie Truax (Rancho Buena Vista High School Wrestling)

8. William Henckel (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)

9. Matthew Singleton (Wolfpack RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

10. Ethan Riddle (Minnesota RTC)

11. James Rowley (Boilermaker RTC)

12. Muhamed McBryde (WVRTC)

86 kg

1. Kyle Dake (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)

2. Parker Keckeisen (Panther Wrestling Club RTC)

3. Rocco Welsh (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)

4. Marcus Coleman (Titan Mercury WC)

5. Mekhi Lewis (New Jersey RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

6. Colton Hawks (Southwest WC)

7. Cade DeVos (Jackrabbit WC)

8. Rylan Rogers (Lehigh Valley RTC)

92 kg

1. Joshua Barr (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)

2. Aeoden Sinclair (Tiger Style RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

3. Jacob Cardenas (Cliff Keen WC/Titan Mercury WC)

4. Dustin Plott (Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

5. Michael Macchiavello (Lehigh Valley Wrestling RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

6. Cody Merrill (Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

7. Garavous Kouekabakilaho (Viking WC)

8. Dillon Bechtold (Buffalo Valley RTC)

9. Seth Shumate (Ohio RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

10. Patrick Brophy (Cyclone RTC)

11. Tucker Hogan (Mat-Town USA Wrestling)

12. Evan Bockman (Cyclone RTC)

97 kg

1. Stephen Buchanan (Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury WC)

2. Hayden Zillmer (Gopher RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

3. Jonathan Aiello (Ohio RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

4. Justin Rademacher (Beaver Dam Wrestling RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

5. Zane Lanham (Arkansas RTC)

6. Connor Mirasola (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)

7. Nick Stemmet (Izzy Style Wrestling)

8. Sonny Sasso (Southeast RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

9. Christian Knop (Wolfpack RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

125 kg

1. Mason Parris (Cliff Keen WC/Titan Mercury WC)

2. Wyatt Hendrickson (Cowboy RTC/WCAP)

3. Daniel Kerkvliet (Spartan Combat RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

4. Trent Hillger (Minnesota RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

5. Demetrius Thomas (New York AC)

6. Jordan Wood (New York AC)

7. Anthony Cassioppi (Titan Mercury WC)

8. Coby Merrill (New York AC)

9. Koy Hopke (Minnesota RTC)

10. Jimmy Mullen (Southeast RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

11. Lucas Stoddard (West Point WC)

12. Jaron Smith (Maryland)