The Army Greco-Roman team triumphed in three dual meets on Saturday to capture their third consecutive Armed Forces Championships title, though the re-emergence of the All-Marine Wrestling Team was just as much of a noteworthy development from the event held on location at Fort Bliss (El Paso, TX).
As has become custom at Armed Forces, Army shuffled its lineup with three athletes occupying weight classes different from where they have most recently competed. Justus Scott was up at 77 kilograms rather than his usual 72, Britton Holmes was elevated to 82 kg from his preferred 77, and multi-time World Team member/’24 Olympian Kamal Bey — who this year made overtures to do business at 82 — bumped up to 87. All three competitors went undefeated on Saturday, thereby finishing 1st in their respective weight categories. One could also insert Ellis Coleman as a wrestler who ascended in weight, as the two-time Olympian went up to 67 on Saturday, which follows him having been a World Team member in ’25 at 63 kg.
Army’s dominance was thorough and on display in each round of the event. So much so that, altogether, the roster suffered only three individual defeats, and two of them were forfeits on the part of ’22 National/’19 World Team Trials champ Luke Sheridan, who occupied 130 kg. Sheridan, 33, has not competed in a match since the ’22 World Team selection process due to injuries but was made available for this event.
Army Individual Records
55 kg: Billy Sullivan — 2-1
60 kg: Dalton Roberts — 3-0
63 kg: Xavier Johnson — 3-0
67 kg: Ellis Coleman — 3-0
72 kg: Alex Sancho — 3-0
77 kg: Justus Scott — 3-0
82 kg: Britton Holmes — 3-0
87 kg: Kamal Bey — 3-0
97 kg: Michial Foy — 3-0
130 kg: Luke Sheridan — 1-2
Army defeated the Marines 36-11 in Round 1, Navy in Round 2 (42-1), and Air Force (38-6) in Round 3 to clinch the team title.
The Marines
Prior to Saturday, a team representing the Marine Corps had not participated in the Armed Forces Championships since ’20 — a dual meet that had ended with Army prevailing by a razor-thin margin until the outcome was (somewhat controversially) overturned months later. But in ’24, four Marine wrestlers — Jamel Johnson, John Stefanowicz, Marciano Ali, and Courtney Denzel Freeman — were permitted to compete at Armed Forces as part of the Navy’s roster.
Johnson — a University World bronze in ’12 and eventually a multi-time National Team member — had declared his retirement from active competition following the ’24 Olympic Trials but was back in a singlet on Saturday and in fine form (more on that below). Johnson went 2-1, falling only to Alex Sancho (Army) by a score of 6-5. At 87 kg was a longtime friend and teammate of Johnson’s, Terrence Zaleski, who was one of the most explosive and yet underrated athletes in the sport until he, too, was forced to step away from full-time action. Zaleski provided Bey with a stiff test in the Army/Marines dual and was edged 7-5. He then had another fight on his hands courtesy of Paul Detwiler (Navy) in the final dual of the afternoon. Freeman, one of the top heavyweights in the country, cruised to gold after collecting two forfeits to go along with a 9-0 VSU over Air Force’s Brock Pierce. Also coming away with gold for the Marines was Xavier Medina at 55 kg. Medina, who is a tough and skilled athlete, decisioned Army’s Billy Sullivan 6-3 and, like Freeman, received two other forfeits.
Featured Matches
A selection of four matches from the event that were of particular interest either due to the parties involved, method of outcome, or both. They just all happen to include Army (WCAP) wrestlers.
Recaps
63 kg: Xavier Johnson (Army) def. Taylor Vasquez (Air Force) 15-6, TF
Despite what wound up a lopsided defeat for him, Vasquez acquitted himself quite well against ’23 World Team rep Johnson. Vasquez, who competed in college for Morningside University, startled Johnson in the first period by scoring four points from a headwrap, a maneuver which, ironically, was Johnson’s weapon of choice back in ’19 when he earned silver at the Grand Prix Zagreb Open in Croatia. Johnson answered back later in the period with a front headlock for four — but then Vasquez corkscrewed a headlock that yielded two, though Johnson exited that sequence with two exposure points of his own and therefore held a criteria lead as the frame concluded. Not long into the second, Johnson took full advantage of passivity by exploding with a pair of four-point lifts to end matters early. Nevertheless, promising stuff from Vasquez in a match that also included a reminder of Johnson’s power and precision from top par terre.
67 kg: Ellis Coleman (Army) def. Duncan Nelson (Air Force) via fall
Nelson is among the most hardened and dynamic lightweights the United States has to offer, and he had blitzed his previous two opponents on Saturday. So too did Coleman, which meant that 67 kg Armed Forces gold was on the line when they squared off against one another. It was a bout that most onlookers presumably anticipated to be a tight one. Although Coleman is still, effectively, Coleman, Nelson has constantly improved and has done whatever he can to sharpen his own skill-set, and he figures to be in the conversation next month at the World Team Trials. But this was not his match. As the pair jousted in the ties, Coleman slid a left underhook and acquired a head-and-arm position; next, he settled his clasp, brought his hips out just a little, and then whammed a headlock. Nelson was in immediate trouble and, try as he might, fighting off of his back was in this case a futile effort. Coleman recorded the pin, and along with it yet another individual gold from this event to accompany his many others.
72 kg: Alex Sancho (Army) def. Jamel Johnson (Marines) 6-5
Johnson received the first passivity point and gutted Sancho to jump ahead 3-0. Johnson achieved his lock, settled, and confidently rotated to gain the score. Amid an exchange after the reset, Sancho coerced Johnson off the edge to net a point in return. Johnson followed with a takedown and held a 5-1 lead entering the break. In the second period, Sancho was the beneficiary of the passivity call and capitalized with a lift to climb ahead 6-5, which represented the final score. This was a thrilling match from both athletes, both of whom are and have been tremendous. Johnson is obviously not in the same position as Sancho from a training aspect, but his skill-set has clearly not diminished even the slightest, while Sancho’s status as the most consistent and reliable worker from top par terre in the country was glitteringly-presented once again for all interested parties to witness.
87 kg: Kamal Bey (Army) def. Terrence Zaleski (Marines) 7-5
Key item: Bey trailed 5-1 heading into Period 2. This is because Zaleski had a) garnered the match’s first passive and b) scored four from a bodylock near the edge, a position that had been initiated by Bey before Zaleski commandeered the hold. The second period saw Bey have his chance from top par terre and he hopped from side to side for a reverse lift before settling on a conventional lock, neither of which were executed. A fracas at the edge provided Bey with a point but he was still behind by a 5-2 margin with time running out. But with :07 on the clock, Bey frantically pursued Zaleski near the line and thunderbolted a bodylock for four that gave him the 6-5 lead. The Marines challenged the sequence and lost, which gave Bey an extra tick in his column. The two most impressive takeaways are that Zaleski — who does not have the availability to train on a full-time basis — defended Bey from par terre bottom, and how Bey is always capable of hitting a home run whenever he steps into the batter’s box.
Notes
- This year’s edition of the Armed Forces Championships was inconsequential as far as the World Team selection process is concerned. In most years, athletes who place in the top-2 of their respective weight classes receive an automatic berth to the Trials. In ’26, such a distinction is unnecessary because the World Team Trials is essentially an open tournament and therefore does not require pre-qualification.
- Of the ten wrestlers who competed in Greco-Roman for the Army, six have been prior or recent World or Olympic Team members: Dalton Roberts (60 kg), Johnson, Coleman, Sancho, Bey, and Michial Foy (97 kg).
- Former Navy and Northern Michigan head coach Rob Hermann presided over the Marines, who participated in a training camp at the Naval Academy that began on March 1 and ended just prior to this weekend.
- Xavier Johnson was a member of the All-Marine Team and himself had previously been victorious at the Armed Forces Championships before joining the Army’s World Class Athlete Program in ’22.
- Army coach Spenser Mango returned to competition on Sunday for the legs portion and competed at 65 kg. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Mango went 3-0 with one pin and two technical falls.
Full Results
Round 1
Army — 36 Marines — 11
55 kg: Xavier Medina (Marines) def. Billy Sullivan (Army) 6-3
60 kg: Dalton Roberts (Army) def. Isaiah Serena (Marines) 8-0, TF
63 kg: Xavier Johnson (Army) def. Christopher Propst (Marines) 14-3, TF
67 kg: Ellis Coleman (Army) def. Alexis Carbajal (Marines) 8-0, TF
72 kg: Alex Sancho (Army) def. Jamel Johnson (Marines) 6-5
77 kg: Justus Scott (Army) def. Marco Miller (Marines) 9-0, TF
82 kg: Britton Holmes (Army) def. Marciano Ali (Marines) 10-0, TF
87 kg: Kamal Bey (Army) def. Terrence Zaleski (Marines) 7-5
97 kg: Michial Foy (Army) def. Evan Berdan (Marines) 8-0, TF
130 kg: Courtney Denzel Freeman (Marines) def. Luke Sheridan (Army) via injury def.
Air Force — 22 Navy — 19
60 kg: Brock Pierce (Air Force) won via forfeit
63 kg: Leandro Rodriguez (Navy) def. Jacob Supina (Air Force) 11-0, TF
67 kg: Taylor Vasquez (Air Force) def. Adam Pagliarulo (Navy) 6-1
72 kg: Duncan Nelson (Air Force) def. Sheldon Ealy (Navy) 12-0, TF
77 kg: Robert Yamashita (Navy) def. Michael Valney (Air Force) 12-2, TF
82 kg: Michael Monson (Navy) def. Zeus Arriaga (Air Force) 12-2, TF
87 kg: Mac Boackle (Air Force) def. Ronald Heartley (Navy) 10-6
97 kg: Paul Detwiler (Navy) def. Maximus Ehrensberger (Air Force) via fall
130 kg: Diante Cooper (Air Force) def. Nathaniel Sandquist (Navy) via fall
Round 2
Army — 42 Navy — 1
55 kg: Billy Sullivan (Army) won via forfeit
60 kg: Dalton Roberts (Army) def. Leandro Rodriguez (Navy) 8-0, TF
63 kg: Xavier Johnson (Army) def. Adam Pagliarulo (Navy) 9-0, TF
67 kg: Ellis Coleman (Army) def. Sheldon Ealy (Navy) 8-0, TF
72 kg: Alex Sancho (Army) def. Robert Yamashita (Navy) 8-0, TF
77 kg: Justus Scott (Army) def. Michael Monson (Navy) 8-0, TF
82 kg: Britton Holmes (Army) def. Ronald Heartley (Navy) 12-0, TF
87 kg: Kamal Bey (Army) def. Paul Detwiler (Navy) 9-1, TF
97 kg: Michial Foy (Army) def. Nathaniel Sandquist (Navy) 8-0, TF
130 kg: Luke Sheridan (Army) won via forfeit
Marines — 26 Air Force — 18
55 kg: Xavier Medina (Marines) won via forfeit
60 kg: Isaiah Serena (Marines) def. Jacob Supina (Air Force) 8-0, TF
63 kg: Taylor Vasquez (Air Force) def. Christopher Propst (Marines) 10-0, TF
67 kg: Duncan Nelson (Air Force) def. Alexis Carbajal (Marines) 8-0, TF
72 kg: Jamel Johnson (Marines) def. Michael Valney (Air Force) 9-0, TF
77 kg: Zeus Arriaga (Air Force) def. Marco Miller (Marines) 16-8, TF
82 kg: Marciano Ali (Marines) def. Mac Boackle (Air Force) 11-2, TF
87 kg: Terrence Zaleski (Marines) def. Maximus Ehrensberger (Air Force) 9-0, TF
97 kg: Diante Cooper (Air Force) def. Evan Berdan (Marines) via fall
130 kg: Courtney Denzel Freeman (Marines) def. Brock Pierce (Air Force) 9-0, TF
Round 3
Army — 38 Air Force — 6
55 kg: Billy Sullivan (Army) won via forfeit
60 kg: Dalton Roberts (Army) def. Jacob Supina (Air Force) 8-0, TF
63 kg: Xavier Johnson (Army) def. Taylor Vasquez (Air Force) 15-6, TF
67 kg: Ellis Coleman (Army) def. Duncan Nelson (Air Force) via fall
72 kg: Alex Sancho (Army) def. Michael Valney (Air Force) 9-0, TF
77 kg: Justus Scott (Army) def. Zeus Arriaga (Air Force) 8-0, TF
82 kg: Britton Holmes (Army) def. Mac Boackle (Air Force) 9-0, TF
87 kg: Kamal Bey (Army) def. Maximus Ehrensberger (Air Force) 9-0, TF
97 kg: Michial Foy (Army) def. Diante Cooper (Air Force) 8-0, TF
130 kg: Brock Pierce (Air Force) def. Luke Sheridan (Army) via injury def.
Marines — 36 Navy — 12
55 kg: Xavier Medina (Marines) forfeit
60 kg: Adam Pagliarulo (Navy) def. Christopher Propst (Marines) via fall
63 kg: Isaiah Serena (Marines) def. Leandro Rodriguez (Navy) 12-3, TF
67 kg: Alexis Carbajal (Marines) def. Sheldon Ealy (Navy) via fall
72 kg: Jamel Johnson (Marines) def. Robert Yamashita (Navy) 8-0
77 kg: Michael Monson (Navy) def. Marco Miller (Marines) via fall
82 kg: Marciano Ali (Marines) def. Ronald Heartley (Navy) 9-0, TF
87 kg: Terrence Zaleski (Marines) def. Paul Detwiler (Navy) 1-1 (criteria)
97 kg: Evan Berdan (Marines) def. Nathaniel Sandquist (Navy) 8-0, TF
130 kg: Courtney Denzel Freeman (Marines) won via forfeit
Placewinners
55 kg
GOLD: Xavier Medina (Marines)
SILVER: Billy Sullivan (Army)
60 kg
GOLD: Dalton Roberts (Army)
SILVER: Isaiah Serena (Marines)
63 kg
GOLD: Xavier Johnson (Army)
SILVER: Taylor Vasquez (Air Force)
67 kg
GOLD: Ellis Coleman (Army)
SILVER: Duncan Nelson (Air Force)
72 kg
GOLD: Alex Sancho (Army)
SILVER: Jamel Johnson (Marines)
77 kg
GOLD: Justus Scott (Army)
SILVER: Michael Monson (Navy)
82 kg
GOLD: Britton Holmes (Army)
SILVER: Marciano Ali (Marines)
87 kg
GOLD: Kamal Bey (Army)
SILVER: Terrence Zaleski (Marines)
97 kg
GOLD: Michial Foy (Army)
SILVER: Diante Cooper (Air Force)
130 kg
GOLD: Courtney Denzel Freeman (Marines)
SILVER: Brock Pierce (Air Force)
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