Over half of the 2025 United States World Team will conclude selection later this evening. The rest of the field will finish the job tomorrow and the remaining eight competitors tasked with the assignment have now been revealed.
The semifinal round for “Group B” at the 2025 US World Team Trials began at 4:00pm local time/7:00pm ET from the Expo in Las Vegas and streamed live on FLOWrestling.
“Group B” — consisting of weight categories 82, 87, 97, and 130 kilograms — featured the best upper-weights the American program has had to offer in recent years, including Olympians Payton Jacobson (87 kg, NYAC/NTS), Josef Rau (97 kg, TMWC), and ’18 World silver Adam Coon (130 kg, NYAC/Cliff Keen). But there were also two-time World Team member Spencer Woods (87 kg, Army/WCAP), three-timer Cohlton Schultz (130 kg, Atreus WC), ’23 World rep Zac Braunagel (87 kg, IRTC), and ’24 U23 World silver Beka Melelashvili (82 kg, NYAC).
In other words, it is in this collection of weight classes where many of the most competitive domestic matches have taken place over the past few seasons and Friday’s semifinal card promised to demonstrate why. However, not all outcomes were decided by narrow margins.
In fact, most of them weren’t.
’21 World Team member Jesse Porter (82 kg, NYAC) was being given all he could handle courtesy of ’18 Junior World silver Andrew Berreyesa (NYAC), but the tide turned in the second period following an odd sequence from par terre which saw Porter come up with two reverse lifts — but Berreyesa had scrambled up and out and the pair jousted for position. Porter was subsequently cautioned to give Berreyesa two points, and it had seemed like the match was only just heating up. But a challenge from Porter’s corner brought forth a review on the part of the officials, with the end result providing Porter with all of the points from his lifts. That meant the match was over and Porter has now moved on to the finals.
On the bottom side of the bracket, Melelashvili gained a quick advantage against Fritz Schierl (Minnesota Storm) and, after a reset, scored a takedown and followed with a short string of trap-arm gutwrenches to force a halt to the proceedings.
87, 97, & 130 KG
Two rematches from last year’s Olympic Team Trials will be availed tomorrow as the aforementioned foursome of Jacobson, Woods, Coon, and Schultz all prevailed in their semifinal contests.
Jacobson chugged and pressured his way to a 9-0 defeat of recent Junior World Team member Adrian Artsisheuskyi (NYAC). The Northern Michigan student did yield points from par terre (crash gut), but most of his violent work came from hustling in the tie-ups and compelling Artsisheuskyi to go on his heels.
Meanwhile, a rough affair was expected between Woods and Braunagel, and at first that appeared to be how the match would develop. At first. But a passive call on Braunagel catalyzed a big opportunity for Woods, and it was one in which he took full advantage. “The Alaskan Assassin” had actually scored an initial step-out point; but not long after, Braunagel was dinged for passive and Woods capitalized by pulling over one reverse lift for two, and a second one for four.
Woods and Jacobson last year battled it out in a tense three-round series at the Olympic Trials with the latter triumphing. They have not bumped into each other competitively since, though they have trained together on occasion.
Timothy Young (Army/WCAP) — who appeared at Final X: New York in ’22 — was behind Rau 5-0 entering the second period but picked up two points to make matters interesting. However, Rau, in solid condition, pressed the issue continually and remained upright to secure the win via decision and lock down a spot in a Team selection final for an eighth time.
But it will be a first-time experience for one Michial Foy (Army/WCAP) — son of the ’89 World silver medalist — as the upper-weight prospect shocked multi-time National Champion Nick Boykin (OH) to advance to the final via pin. The jolt was derived from par terre. After inching ahead 1-0, Foy was rewarded with a shot from passivity/par terre, thus bringing his lead to 2-0. Then from top, he locked around Boykin, briefly attempted to elevate, and Boykin over-corrected and got caught on his back. Foy promptly adjusted position and held Boykin in place until the signal for the fall arrived.
Coon raced out to a 7-0 lead against Courtney Denzel Freeman (Marines) and was hunting for one more point to end the thing. Freeman, however, was still in the fight and an arm spin for two points right before the break caught some attention. And when Coon was knocked for passive in the second period, Freeman had his best chance to deliver damage, but Coon defended the lock and eventually held his ground to emerge with the decision by a score of 7-3.
As for Schultz, he squared off against two-time U20 World bronze Aden Attao (Beaver Dam RTC) and managed to throw the thrower. Early in the first period, Schultz ambled behind Attao and let loose on a lift that was credited for five; upon impact, Schultz cranked a gutwrench to make the score 7-0. After a restart, Schultz busied Attao off the line for the 8th and conclusive point of the match.
The table is now set for another series between Coon and Schultz. Their rivalry began in ’19 at Final X: Lincoln with the former sweeping the latter, a feat that was repeated in the ’21 Olympic Trials final. But it was Schultz who would go on to win against Coon in the ’23 US Open final, Final X: Newark, and in the ’23 Nationals (Fort Worth). Just over a year ago, Coon was heard from once more as he took two of the three matches against Schultz at the Olympic Trials.
The opening round for the “Group B” best-of-three series begins tomorrow (Saturday) morning at 10:00am local time/1:00pm ET and can be viewed live on FLOWrestling.
2025 World Team Trials
“Group B” Semifinal Results
82 kg
Jesse Porter (NYAC) def. Andrew Berreyesa (NYAC) 9-1, TF
Beka Melelashvili (NYAC) def. Fritz Schierl (Minnesota Storm) 8-0, TF
87 kg
Payton Jacobson (NYAC/NTS) def. Adrian Artsisheuskyi (NYAC) 9-0, TF
Spencer Woods (Army/WCAP) def. Zac Braunagel (IRTC) 9-0, TF
97 kg
Joe Rau (TMWC) def. Timothy Young (Army/WCAP) 5-2
Michial Foy (Army/WCAP) def. Nick Boykin (OH) via fall
130 kg
Adam Coon (NYAC/Cliff Keen) def. Courtney Denzel Freeman (Marines) 7-3
Cohlton Schultz (Atreus WC) def. Aden Attao (Beaver Damn RTC)
“Group A” 3rd Place Results
55 kg: Billy Sullivan (Army/WCAP) def. Peter Del Gallo (South Side WC) via forfeit
60 kg: Randon Miranda (NYAC) def. Isaiah Cortez (Daniel Cormier WC) 7-4
67 kg: Duncan Nelson (Air Force/WCAP) def. David Stepanyan (NYAC/NTS) via DQ
72 kg: Peyton Robb (NYAC/Nebraska Wrestling TC) def. Justus Scott (Army/WCAP) 9-0, TF
77 kg: Britton Holmes (Army/WCAP) def. Tyler Eischens (NYAC/Tar Heel WC) via fall
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