Six Huskers to Compete at U.S. Olympic Team Trials

Six Nebraska wrestlers will compete in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials this weekend at the Bryce Jordan Center in University Park, Pa. The two-day event on Friday, April 19 and Saturday April 20, will determine the United States’ representatives at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games.

Six former Huskers have qualified for the event, as Liam Cronin (57 kg), James Green (65 kg), Jordan Burroughs (74 kg), Tyler Berger (74 kg), Eric Schultz (97) and Christian Lance (125 kg) will all compete. 

This group is led by the most decorated champion in U.S. wrestling history and top-seeded Burroughs who will wrestle the winner of Levi Haines and Alex Facundo first. No. 3 seed Green also received a bye in the opening round and will face the winner of Jesse Mendez and Joey McKenna in the quarterfinals.  

Lance was awarded the sixth seed and will wrestle Greg Kerkvliet in the finals, while Cronin and Schultz both received a seventh seed with Cronin wrestling Jax Forrest and Schultz facing Isaac Trumble. Rounding out the group is Berger who is a 10th seed and will meet Alex Marinelli in the opening round. 

The event begins on Friday with sessions at 9 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. (CT). Action will resume on Saturday with sessions at 9 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. (CT). All matches will be streamed or broadcast on Peacock and USA Network. 

2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials
April 19-20, Bryce Jordan Center,
State College, Pa.

Men’s Freestyle Pre-Seeds

57 kg

Challenge Tournament
1. Zane Richards (Illini WC/Titan Mercury WC)
2. Thomas Gilman (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)
3. Daton Fix (Cowboy WC/Titan Mercury WC)
4. Spencer Lee (Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury WC)
5. Nico Megaludis (Pitt WC/Titan Mercury WC)
6. Nick Suriano (Sunkist Kids WC)
7. Liam Cronin (Nebraska WTC)
8. Daniel DeShazer (Gopher WC-RTC)
9. Luke Lilledahl (X-Calibur Athletics WC)
10. Jax Forrest (Bishop McCourt)
11. Marcus Blaze (Perrysburg WC)

65 kg

Challenge Tournament Semifinal
Zain Retherford (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)

Challenge Tournament
1. Nick Lee (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)
2. Yianni Diakomihalis (Spartan Combat RTC/Titan Mercury WC)
3. James Green (Nebraska WTC/Titan Mercury WC)
4. Andrew Alirez (Northern Colorado RTC/Titan Mercury WC)
5. Beau Bartlett (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)
6. Joseph McKenna (Pennsylvania RTC/Titan Mercury WC)
7. Kaleb Larkin (Sunkist Kids WC)
8. Seth Gross (Wisconsin RTC/Sunkist Kids WC)
9. Alec Pantaleo (Cliff Keen WC/Titan Mercury WC)
10. Matthew Kolodzik (New Jersey RTC/New York AC)
11. Jesse Mendez (Ohio RTC/Titan Mercury WC)
12. Nahshon Garrett (Lehigh Valley WC/Titan Mercury WC)

74 kg

Best-of-Three Championship Series
Kyle Dake (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)

Challenge Tournament
1. Jordan Burroughs (Pennsylvania RTC/Sunkist Kids WC)
2. Jason Nolf (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)
3. Keegan O’Toole (Tiger Style WC)
4. Quincy Monday (New Jersey RTC/Titan Mercury WC)
5. Mitchell Mesenbrink (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)
6. Meyer Shapiro (Spartan Combat RTC)
7. Vincenzo Joseph (Sunkist Kids WC)
8. Alex Marinelli (Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury WC)
9. Alex Facundo (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)
10. Levi Haines (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)
11. Tyler Berger (Pennsylvania RTC/Sunkist Kids WC)
12. Jarrett Jacques (Tiger Style WC)
13. Ladarion Lockett (Cowboy WC)

86 kg

Best-of-Three Championship Series
David Taylor (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)

Challenge Tournament Semifinal
Zahid Valencia (Sunkist Kids WC)

Challenge Tournament
1. Aaron Brooks (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)
2. Chance Marsteller (New York City RTC/Titan Mercury WC)
3. Trent Hidlay (Wolfpack RTC/Titan Mercury WC)
4. Alex Dieringer (Cliff Keen WC/Titan Mercury WC)
5. Mark Hall (Pennsylvania RTC/Titan Mercury WC)
6. Carter Starocci (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)
7. Maxwell Dean (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)
8. David McFadden (Pennsylvania RTC/Titan Mercury WC)
9. Connor Mirasola (Askren Wrestling Academy)
10. Evan Wick (SoCal RTC/Titan Mercury WC)
11. Patrick Downey (Sanford MMA)

97 kg

Best-of-Three Championship Series
Kyle Snyder (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)

Challenge Tournament
1. J’den Cox (Cliff Keen WC/Titan Mercury WC)
2. Isaac Trumble (Wolfpack RTC/Titan Mercury WC)
3. Michael Macchiavello (Lehigh Valley WC/Titan Mercury WC)
4. Kollin Moore (Ohio RTC/Titan Mercury WC)
5. Nathan Jackson (New Jersey RTC/New York AC)
6. Jonathan Aiello (Cavalier WC/Titan Mercury WC)
7. Eric Schultz (Nebraska WTC)
8. Anthony Cassioppi (Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury WC)
9. Christian Carroll (Cowboy WC/Titan Mercury WC)

125 kg

Best-of-Three Championship Series
Mason Parris (Cliff Keen WC/Titan Mercury WC)

Challenge Tournament
1. Hayden Zillmer (Gopher WC-RTC)
2. Nick Gwiazdowski (Spartan Combat RTC/Titan Mercury WC)
3. Greg Kerkvliet (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)
4. Dominique Bradley (Sunkist Kids WC)
5. Wyatt Hendrickson (Air Force RTC)
6. Christian Lance (Sunkist Kids WC)
7. Gary Traub (Cowboy WC/Titan Mercury WC)
8. Demetrius Thomas (Pitt WC)
9. Trent Hillger (Gopher WC-RTC)
10. Jaron Smith (Orange Crush)