The NCAA D1 college wrestling season may still be on the horizon, but the U20 World Championships is here now! 10 of America’s best men’s freestylers of the age 20 or younger, all of whom are on NCAA D1 college rosters, will be in Bulgaria representing the United State of America starting early Monday morning (or late Sunday night depending on your time zone and sleeping habits).
There will also be a smattering of wrestlers on NCAA D1 college roster representing other countries. It may not be an exact substitute for the college wrestling fan, but it should be of some sustenance to at least partially slake a rabid fan’s appetite for NCAA competition.
57 Kilograms
Anthony Knox, Cornell – USA
Knox is a four-time New Jersey state champ and a four-time Who’s Number One winner entering his first year at Cornell.
Rin Sakamoto, Oklahoma State – Japan
Sakamoto competed in one match for the Cowbpys last season at 133 while on redshirt. He is also the likley rep for Japan at the senior world championships.
Ethan Rivera, Princeton – Puerto Rico
Rivera went 9-8 for the Tigers last season during his freshman campaign. He is again expected to be the backup 125-pounder to Marc-Anthony McGowan for the 2025-26 season.
Caio Duarte Aron, Cal Baptist – Brazil
Aron is entering his first season at California Baptist.
61 Kilograms
Marcus Blaze, Penn State – USA
Blaze was a U17 world champ in 2023 and a U20 bronze medalist in 2025. This will be his first season at State College when he begins his true freshman season in the fall, although he has already racked up numerous wins over All-Americans while competing in freestyle events while still in high school.
Omar Ayoub, Nebraska – Puerto Rico
Ayoub spent the previous season, his first in Lincoln, on redshirt, amassing a 3-1 record against D1 opponents.
65 Kilograms
Luke Stanich, Lehigh – USA
New Jersey native Luke Stanich placed fifth as a true freshman in 2024 at 125-pounds. He spent last season on redshirt after bulking up to 141-pounds, finishing the season with a 12-1 record.
70 Kilograms
PJ Duke, Penn State – USA
New York native PJ Duke will be in Happy Valley this fall for his true freshman campaign for the Nittany Lions. He won a bronze medal at the 2024 U20 Worlds and won gold at the 2024 Bill Farrell last November. Like his teammate Blaze, Duke also has many wins over All-Americans from freestyle competitions.
Kade Brown, Pitt – Canada
Brown went 9-3 against D1 comp last season while on redshirt for the Panthers.
74 Kilograms
Ladarion Lockett, Oklahoma State – USA
Lockett is seeking his third age-level world medal as he has a gold medal from the 2023 U17 World Championships and a silver from the 2024 U20 World Championships. The Oklahoma native will be entering his first season in Stillwater.
79 Kilograms
Will Henckel, Penn State – USA
Henckel will be a true freshman this fall for the Nittany Lions, joining his teammates Duke and Blaze in another monster recruiting class for PSU. Henckel won gold earlier this summer at the U20 Pan-Am Championships.
Leandro Araujo, Nebraska – Brazil
Araujo earned a silver at 2025 U20 Pan-Ams, losing to Henckel in the finals. LJ went 7-4 against D1 opponents for the Huskers while redshirting as a freshman last season.
86 Kilograms
Max McEnelly, Minnesota – USA
McEnelly is coming off a stellar redshirt freshman campaign for the Gophers, having placed third at NCAAs in Philly last March and racking up an impressive 25-2 record. He also scored a bronze medal at the 2022 U17 World Championships.
92 Kilograms
Connor Mirasola, Penn State – USA
Mirasola spent last season in redshirt for the Nittany Lions, winning the Southern Scuffle and placing second at the Black Knight Invite, losing only to his teammate, 2025 NCAA runner-up Josh Barr. Connor placed fifth at last year’s U20s and earned gold at both U20 and U23 Pan-Ams this year.
97 Kilograms
Justin Rademacher, Oregon State – USA
Like many members of Team USA’s U20 men’s freestyle squad, Rademacher was at U20s last year and earned a medal, bringing home a bronze. He also won gold at the U20 and senior level Pan-Am Championships this year. He went 5-0 last season for the Beavers while on redshirt, winning the Reno Tournament of Champions. He was a national qualifier the year before as a true freshman.
125 Kilograms
Cole Mirasola, Penn State – USA
Like his twin brother Connor, Cole spent last season on redshirt. He won both the Black Knight Invite and the Southern Scuffle before dropping two matches in dual meets to All-Americans. He also earned a heavyweight gold medal at the U20 Pan-Am Championships this summer.
We’ve also grouped all the U20 World Championship entrants by college below, if you’re only interested in one particular college team. Nittany Lion fans will have plenty of matches to follow in Bulgaria!
Penn State
61kg: Marcus Blaze
70kg: PJ Duke
79kg: Will Henckel
92kg: Connor Mirasola
125kg: Cole Mirasola
Nebraska
61kg: Omar Ayoub
79kg: Leandro Araujo
Oklahoma State
61kg: Rin Sakamoto
74kg: Ladarion Lockett
Cal Baptist
57kg: Caio Duarte Aron
Lehigh
65kg: Luke Stanich
Minnesota
86kg: Max McEnelly
Oregon State
97kg: Justin Rademacher
Pitt
70kg: Kade Brown
Princeton
57kg: Ethan Rivera
Event Schedule
You can catch all the men’s freestyle matches by following the schedule below. All times Eastern.
Sunday, August 17
3:00 am: Men’s Freestyle 70-74-97-125 Qualification Rounds
11:00 am: Men’s Freestyle 70-74-97-125 Semifinals
Monday, August 18
3:00 am: Men’s Freestyle 57-65-79-92 Qualification Rounds; 70-74-97-125 Repechage
10:00 am: Men’s Freestyle 57-65-79-92 Semifinals
11:00 am: Men’s Freestyle 70-74-97-125 Medal Matches
Tuesday, August 19
3:00 am: Men’s Freestyle 61-86 Qualification Rounds; Men’s Freestyle 57-65-79-92 Repechage
9:45 am: Men’s Freestyle 61-86 Semifinals
11:00 am: Men’s Freestyle 57-65-79-92 Medal Matches
Wednesday, August 20
3:00 am: Men’s Freestyle 61-86 repechage
11:00 am: Men’s Freestyle 61-86 Medal Matches
