Thanks to a harvest of hardware from developmental wrestlers along with a near-sweep of the continental championships across all age groups, the United States earned over five dozen medals at international events in 2025.
But there were two tournaments that provided the most highlights and, of course, they transpired on the World level. In addition, both American performances were, for the country, history-making. At the U17 World Championships in July, the US had three medalists for the first time in the modern era of the event as MJ Rundell (48 kg), Arseni Kikiniou (65 kg) and David Calkins Jr. (92 kg) each put forth tremendously-impressive efforts to come away with bronze. Then in October at the U23 Worlds, the US broke through with two medalists for the first time since the event’s inception in ’17 with both Otto Black (67 kg, NYAC/NTS) and Payton Jacobson (87 kg, NYAC/NTS) placing 3rd.
The year started strong for the United States as a combined nine athletes made the podium at two separate events (the Kolding Cup in Denmark and Sweden’s Sundsvall Open, respectively). The Seniors got a boost themselves in February with Brady Koontz (55 kg, Position Wrestling) and Ellis Coleman (63 kg, Army/WCAP) each earning bronze at the Zagreb “Ranking Series” event. Once the spring arrived, so too did the slate of continental events (albeit out of order). Team USA started off by coming in 2nd at the U23 Pan-Ams in April; but the Senior, U15, U17, and U20 rosters all trounced through their age division’s version of the event.
Quick fact: the first American to place at a tournament outside of the US in ’25 was Brian Grabner of the Interior Grappling Academy in Alaska (bronze, Kolding Cup); the last USA Greco athlete to emerge with a medal overseas this year was Jace Koelzer (60 kg, Position Wrestling), who hustled through his bracket just two weeks ago at the Haparanda Cup in Sweden.
Brief Stats
The US earned a combined 67 medals in international tournaments throughout 2025 (33 golds, 16 silvers, and 17 bronze).
- U15 — 13 medals (8 golds, 3 silvers, and 4 bronze).
- U17 — 14 medals (7 golds, 2 silvers, and 5 bronze).
- U20 — 15 medals (8 golds, 3 silvers, and 4 bronze).
- U23 — 11 medals (3 golds, 5 silvers, and 3 bronze).
- SR — 14 medals (7 golds, 3 silvers, and 4 bronze).
2025 USA Overseas Medal Count
January
Kolding Cup — 1/18/25 — Kolding, DEN (U17)
BRONZE: Brian Grabner (63 kg, IGA)
Sundsvall Open — 1/26/25 — Sundsvall, SWE (U15, U20-U23)
GOLD: Gabriel Brown (60 kg, NMU/NTS), Aidan Squier (82 kg, Combat WC), Brennan Carey (130 kg, NMU/NTS)
SILVER: Sam Briggs (41 kg, CYC), Harris Nurakhunov (48 kg, CYC), Amryn Nutter (63 kg, Combat WC), Gunnar Hamre (67 kg, NMU/NTS)
BRONZE: Mason Parsons (87 kg, NMU/NTS)
February
Grand Prix Zagreb Open — 2/9/25 — Zagreb, CRO (SR)
BRONZE: Brady Koontz (55 kg, TMWC/Dubuque RTC), Ellis Coleman (63 kg, Army/WCAP)
Petko Sirakov-Ivan Iliev International Tournament — 2/15/25 — Sofia, BUL (U23)
SILVER: Aden Attao (130 kg, NYAC)
International MYHI Tournament — 2/22/25 — Ilmajoki, FIN (U20)
BRONZE: Will Scherer (74 kg, Combat WC)
March
Rosny Cup — 3/8/25 — Paris, FRA (U20)
SILVER: Aidan Squier (87 kg, Combat WC)
BRONZE: Will Scherer (72 kg, Combat WC)
April
Pan-American Championships — 4/12/25 — Queretaro, MEX (U23)
GOLD: Hunter Garvin (77 kg, California RTC), Adrian Artsisheuskiy (82 kg, NYAC), Keith Miley (130 kg, Arkansas RTC)
SILVER: Jonathan Gurule (63 kg, NMU/NTS), Richard Fedalen (67 kg, NYCRTC), Clay Radenz (72 kg, Bison WC)
BRONZE: Davian Guanajuato (55 kg, Southern Illinois RTC)
May
Pan-American Championships — 5/9/25 — Monterey, MEX (SR)
GOLD: Jayden Raney (55 kg, NYAC), Max Black (60 kg, NYAC/NTS), Alex Sancho (72 kg, Army/WCAP), Kamal Bey (77 kg, Army/WCAP), Beka Melelashvili (82 kg, NYAC), Payton Jacobson (87 kg, NYAC/NTS)
SILVER: Ellis Coleman (63 kg, Army/WCAP), Cohlton Schultz (130 kg, Atreus WC)
BRONZE: Michial Foy (97 kg, Army/WCAP)
Pan-American Championships — 5/22/25 — Guatemala City, GUA (U15)
GOLD: Johnathan Thompson (38 kg, Sebolt Wrestling Academy), Rylen Wax (41 kg, Beast Mode), Brody Compau (44 kg, Michigan Premier WC), Spencer McCammon (48 kg), Maurer Coughlin WC), Lewis Davis (52 kg, Threestyle Wrestling of OK), Tommy Rowlands (68 kg, Ohio Crazy Goats Wrestling), Daniel Jackson (85 kg, Southern Bulldogs WC)
SILVER: Riley Watts (62 kg, MWC)
BRONZE: Mason Milsaps (57 kg, Boneyard Wrestling Academy), Samuel Harrington (75 kg, Bad Karma WC)
June
Pan-American Championships — 6/20/25 — Rio De Janeiro, BRA (U17)
GOLD: Ariah Mills (48 kg, Roundtree Wrestling Academy), Carter Shin (51 kg, Palm Wrestling Academy), Tommy Wurster (55 kg, Beast Mode), Nicholas Sorrow (60 kg, Simmons Academy of Wrestling), Arseni Kikiniou (65 kg, Poway HS), Jayden James (71 kg, KD Training Center), JT Smith (92 kg, MWC)
SILVER: Thales Silva (45 kg, SilvaBack Training Center), Alex Taylor (110 kg, Beast Mode)
BRONZE: Isai Fernandez (80 kg, TMWC)
July
Pan-American Championships — 7/10/25 — Lima, PER (U20)
GOLD: Pierson Manville (67 kg, Atreus WC), Jude Randall (72 kg, Bellator Pro Deus Wrestling), Leister Bowling IV (77 kg, Hawkeye WC), Nick Nosler (87 kg, Southern Illinois RTC), Shilo Jones (130 kg, Bison WC)
SILVER: Quinlan Morgan (97 kg, Jackrabbit WC)
BRONZE: Gavin Ricketts (82 kg, KY)
World Championships — 7/30/25 — Athens, GRE (U17)
BRONZE: MJ Rundell (48 kg, The Wrestling Academy), Arseni Kikiniou (65 kg, Poway HS), David Calkins Jr. (92 kg, Liberty HS/CYC)
October
Valamar Cup — 10/4/25 — Porec, CRO (SR)
SILVER: Aydin-Rix McElhinney (77 kg, Northern Colorado WC)
BRONZE: Duncan Nelson (67 kg, Air Force/WCAP)
World Championships — 10/23/25 — Novi Sad, SRB (U23)
BRONZE: Otto Black (67 kg, NYAC/NTS), Payton Jacobson (87 kg, NYAC/NTS)
December
Haparanda Cup — 12/6/25 — Haparanda, SWE (SR)
GOLD: Jace Koelzer (60 kg, Position Wrestling)
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