It’s time to crown a Junior World Team and 10 senior-level national champions. This year’s version of the US Open is sure to bring the heat from the start. Here are the matches you aren’t going to want to miss.

Watch Junior & Senior Nationals LIVE on FloWrestling

Friday-Sunday, April 30-May 2, 2021

Juniors

57 kg

Rd 32: Cooper Flynn vs Noah Surtin

Rd 32: Jett Strickenberger vs Andre Gonzales

Rd 16: Matt Ramos vs Richard Figueroa

Along with 74 kg, this is my favorite weight. Cooper Flynn is one of the best high school wrestlers in the country, but Noah Surtin was an NCAA qualifier for Missouri this year. Jett Strickenberger vs Andre Gonzales is a battle of top-15 ranked guys in the country. Strickenberger has beaten Joey Cruz, can he beat another California hammer? My favorite early-round match, however, is Matt Ramos vs Richie Figs. Both of these guys have won Cadet World medals, now they have to go through each other just to make the Junior team.

65 kg

Rd 32: Daniel Cardenas vs Teague Travis

Currently ranked #28 on the Junior Big Board, Daniel Cardenas is already committed to Cornell. One grade older, Teague Travis will be heading south to Oklahoma State.

70 kg

Rd 16: Bretli Reyna vs Anthony Ferrari

Hawkeye vs Cowboy matchup here. Bretli Reyna has now spent a year in the Hawkeye room, but Anthony Ferrari now lives in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and trains out of the Cowboy RTC room.

74 kg

Rd 64: Chase Saldate vs David Ferrante

Rd 64: Julian Ramirez vs AJ Kovacs

Rd 16: Alex Facundo vs DJ Hamiti

Fireworks right off the bat here. This whole bracket is worth watching. Both of the round of 64 matches I listed are in the same eighth of the bracket with the winner getting Keegan O’Toole in the quarters. Facundo is currently #3 on the Senior Big Board, but DJ Hamiti has been wrestling like a top-ten recruit since winning Super 32 in the fall.

79 kg

R32: Trent Munoz vs Matt Singleton

Another top high school matchup here. Matt Singleton will be attempting to make double World Teams as he won Greco yesterday.

92 kg

Rd 16: Luke Surber vs Max Shaw

Luke Surber was a highly touted recruit coming out of high school and had an undefeated redshirt season for Oklahoma State, but Max Shaw had a solid freshman season at North Carolina. The Pennsylvania native was a national qualifier before falling to Tanner Sloan and Thomas Penola.

125 kg

Rd 16: Luke Luffman vs Wyatt Hendrickson

Rd 16: Matthew Cover vs Lewis Fernades

Don’t sleep on the heavyweight bracket here. It’s not the biggest, but a couple of solid early-round matches. 

Seniors

61kg

Rd 16: Daniel DeShazer vs Wyatt Henson

Incoming Iowa recruit Wyatt Henson will be tested early against veteran Daniel DeShazer. Look for a high pace early in this bout and heavy hand-fighting. 

65kg

Rd 16: Dom Demas vs Jakob Bergeland

You never know what you get with Dom Demas but he’s always a must watch! Minnesota Gopher, Bergeland could show us what to expect from Demas today. 

74kg

Rd 16: Josh Shields vs Branson Ashworth 

Rd 16: Luke Zilverberg vs Joey LaVallee

Branson Ashworth is coming off a win last month over Ryan Deakin and should challenge All-American Josh Shields. Zilverberg vs LaVallee is a match-up of two All-Americans-the winner of that match could make a run to the finals.

79kg

Rd 16: Devin Skatzka vs Dylan Lydy

Skatka and Lydy are both wild cards in this bracket who had great college careers and are looking to break out on the freestyle scene.

86kg

Rd 16: Max Lyon vs Mason Manville

Mason Manville won a Cadet World Title in freestyle in 2014 and made a senior Greco world team in 2017. It will be fascinating to see him in freestyle this weekend and Lyon will be a great test. 

125kg

Rd 16: Shawn Streck vs Mauro Correnti

Rd 16: Derek White vs Tony Cassioppi

Tony Cassioppi is wrestling in his first senior-level tournament and will have to run the gauntlet. National finalist Derek White will be the first hurdle for Cassioppi and will show us how ready the young Hawkeye is to challenge the best 125kg in America.