It is a familiar scenario as the 2026 World Team Trials looms just three months away. Right about this time is when people begin discussing, or projecting, what the World Team roster might look like. And, as has been the case over the past two quads, it is difficult to have such conversations without including at least four or five (or more) members of Army’s World Class Athlete Program as part of that mix. Because, of course, the expectation is that Army — especially in the lighter weight categories — will have multiple wrestlers in contention within the same brackets — plus, there are also a handful of middle and upper-weights who are capable of standing tall at the end, or have already done so.
In terms of elite domestic competitors, it is almost an embarrassment of riches. What the Dodgers currently are to Major League Baseball, Army is to American Greco-Roman wrestling. They have the talent, resources, coaches, and performance record to warrant being viewed as the best team in the sport.
But how might they be challenged in ’26? More and more young athletes from outside of Fort Carson are continuing to develop and assert themselves on the Senior level. Also, wrestlers who in the recent past have been recognized as fringe contenders are starting to step up. The dynamics of the sport in this country are shifting, and Army/WCAP has to keep up. Again, the anticipation is that they will be able to do just that, if not more, but more obstacles may present themselves leading up to LA 2028, as well. And it is Army assistant coach Spenser Mango’s responsibility to ensure that his athletes are ready for that.
In this first Army report of the season, Mango is asked to convey his perspectives on a range of topics affecting both his team and the US program overall. Items from the fall are broached (such as the US’ trip to Georgia) and the recent “January Camp” in Colorado Springs is also part of the conversation. Then the focus moves towards imminent matters. There is the upcoming USA trip overseas for “Ranking Series” competition and training, the Armed Forces Championships, and much more.
Army Assistant Coach Spenser Mango
January 2026 Report
5PM: How has Dalton Roberts been doing, how has he been progressing? Simply because it has been a while obviously since he last competed.
Coach Spenser Mango: He has obviously just finished the January Camp and is now preparing to compete. He is definitely hungry. I went to him and asked what he wanted his schedule to look like, and he said that he wanted to compete in “all of it”. So, we have the Croatian Ranking Series (Grand Prix Zagreb Open), the camp following that, and then the Albania Ranking Series tournament (Muhamet Malo). He has been looking good and is eager to get back on the mat because he has not had a match since last year’s Trials.
5PM: How has the overall training plan been for Army between coming back from Georgia and then this recent January Camp?
SM: With everything that was going on, we took a good chunk of time and did one-a-days in order to let guys’ bodies heal. Now that competition season is right around the corner, we have ramped it up. Like you said, we had that camp in Georgia; we came back and had the January Camp; and now it is about continuing with high tempo practices so that we can prepare to compete. For some guys, they have not competed since the Worlds. For others, since the Trials last year. We’re looking forward to kicking it off and hitting the ground running all the way through April.
5PM: Spencer Woods for the past two seasons had been right there with Payton Jacobson and will again this year be looked at as a very serious challenger for the World Team spot. Woods is now in third season locked in at 87 kg. How has he adapted and fully grown into this weight category?
SM: He has definitely put on some size and gained some strength. He has really worked hard and not just with putting the weight on. He has also been getting better technically. The guys at 87 are a little bit different than the guys at 82. But, yes, he is looking to have another breakout season in a competitive weight class and I’m excited to see what he can do this year.
5PM: Are you a fan of this scheduling anomaly that has two Ranking Series tournaments in such close succession?
SM: Not necessarily. I think that the guys in Europe have a distinct advantage because they can go home in-between events and reset, regroup. For our guys, first off it is super-expensive to travel to Europe and go home in-between. And if you don’t go home in-between events, you have to spend almost a month over in Europe. It brings some challenges for those who are traveling from the Pan-Am countries, but it is what it is and we have to adapt and overcome.
5PM: The camp in Porec (Croatia) has become quite popular, like another Hungary.
SM: Yeah, I think it has become the premier camp for Greco now.
5PM: How do you coach your guys to get the most out of these opportunities?
Coach Spenser Mango: I think that they really do a good job of balancing mat practices, lifting, and cross-training. Because, with that level of camp along with the level of competitors in each weight class, that is not something I feel our guys are typically used to. So, our practices are going to be a little bit tougher based on the level of competition. But Porec has become the premier camp. Our goal is to go out there, get some good looks, and try to pick the best partners in the room. The more exposure we get to the top guys in the world, the better off we are.
5PM: Given that Kamal (Bey) is so popular at camps and a lot of guys from other countries always want to wrestle him, do you have to protect him at all in these situations from certain people? Or do you just let him run wild?
SM: No, I’ll let him run wild. He goes to the practices and, as you’re saying, everyone wants to wrestle Kamal Bey. Not only is he a phenomenal talent, but he is also a people-person (laughs). He talks to these guys, they know him, and I’m sure they are friends on all of the social medias. He is definitely the kind of wrestler where you don’t know what it is actually like until you wrestle him. I guess some people might want to protect him and not let others get that kind of feel, but I think that wrestling these guys also helps him prepare better for the Worlds and for other international competitions.
5PM: You guys are coming back from Ranking Series in Albania and right away preparing for the Armed Forces Championships. A lot of years at Armed Forces, Army guys change weight classes, generally moving up in weight. Has your team already discussed these sorts of details regarding weights?
SM: We’ll decide once we get closer. Plus, you never know with these two tournaments overseas first and then if guys are maybe banged-up, in which case we might have to shuffle guys around. But yes, it is a quick turnaround. It is ten days from when we get back from Albania. We’ll just have to turn and burn. Guys are aware of the schedule and they know the turnaround that they will face when we get back. I guess it is inconvenient for them but it is something that they know they have to do. We’re going to go to Armed Forces and hopefully have a good showing.
5PM: You still have Ellis (Coleman) and Ildar (Hafizov) there, but how would you compare this current group of Army lightweights to back a few years ago when you had the “Ninja Squad”?
SM: We’re definitely thinner. Honestly, I think it is just a product of the US being not as deep as we once were. A lot of guys who normally might do Greco are getting pulled in a bunch of different directions. We’re looking to continue to build and try to create depth, not only in our room but in the country, as well. And I think that will create a better overall Greco program for the US.
But as for the “Ninja Squad”, it is funny because I was just talking about that yesterday, how we used to have Max (Nowry), Ryan (Mango), and Fueff (Mike Fuenffinger), Ildar, Ellis, all these guys in the room scrapping it out everyday. I definitely miss those days. But the guys we have now compete hard and, like I said, we’re just trying to build and add some numbers.
5PM: What is your opinion of Albania in recent years becoming a destination spot for United World Wrestling tournaments?
SM: You know, it is interesting to me because when I was competing, I never would have thought that I would be going to Albania for a wrestling tournament. But I guess having wrestling tournaments in places that are not wrestling powerhouses helps the sport gain popularity in other regions. It also provides an opportunity for these countries to get exposure that they might not normally receive.
5PM: Is there anything that you would change about the current rule-set — and if there is, what would it be?
Spenser Mango: Ooooh… I’d say a longer match. I think adding just a minute onto each period would make a difference, for Greco-Roman at least. Because, guys would start getting a little tired, which would start opening up more stuff and more points would get scored. And yeah, I know, if they were to change to that rule-set then people would start getting in better shape and all that. But right now, that is the only thing I can think of. The first point now decides criteria and I like that one. I like the forced par terre, even though I wish that it were called more consistently across the board. But yeah, I would just say a longer match.
5PM: Would you be similarly in favor of a return to the bygone era of just having one five-minute period?
SM: I would not be opposed to that (laughs). I’m sure that would do the trick, too.
5PM: Michial Foy had such a breakout at the Trials and then went on to record a very solid win at the World Championships (over Mindaugas Venckaitis of Lithuania), as well. How do you think that he has utilized the kind of experience he has gained from having had the kind of season he did in 2025?
SM: I think that we are going to see him make jumps just because he is still so new to the Senior level. And he is a sponge. He is always listening, he is always trying to get extra work in, and he is willing to apply the adjustments that people are teaching him. I think that he is going to have a great season and that he will continue to make these jumps. As he gains experience, hopefully with that will come more success.
5PM: Army/WCAP has team goals that are paramount each year. But how do you approach goals for each individual athlete? Do you have conversations in a one-on-one setting, have sessions during which you discuss these things?
Coach Spenser Mango: Sometimes I will go an athlete and tell him, Okay, this is what I’m thinking, so how does it match up with what your plans are? What tournaments do you want to hit throughout the season? Other times, it is just, Hey, we need to go here, here, here, and here. It kind of depends on the athlete. But yes, I do like to get their input so that I can know if our heads are in the same spot. I want to know what they are thinking and to see how much, or how little, competition they feel that they need for the year.
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