The United States roster for the 2022 U23 Greco-Roman World Championships is perhaps its most formidable in the brief history of this age division. Relevant international experience is witnessed among most of the athletes in addition to recognizable achievements logged both at home and abroad. Even when it comes to those wrestlers who have yet to be exposed to how this sport is contested at its highest reaches, there is still reason for optimism in the eyes of hardcore fans. 

But until the first whistle blows on Monday morning in Pontevedra, it is all talk. Conjecture reigns supreme leading up to marquee events, and the U.S. has dealt with plenty of hypotheticals over the past few months to last a lifetime. Eventually, it all becomes about wrestling again, about what transpires when the action starts and scores are kept. For now, gaining a baseline understanding of what the 2022 U23 Greco-Roman World Team brings to bear, as well as how and why it might matter, shall hopefully suffice. 

55 kg: Camden Russell (MWC)

Highlights:

– ‘19 Fargo Junior National Champion

– ‘18 Austrian Open gold

– ‘17 Croatia Open silver

Confidence and a lack of hesitation when pulling the trigger on attacks is how Russell can advance in this tournament. Most of his work this past season was done at the Senior level and he held his ground for the most part, but also in spots demonstrated reluctance to bite down on attempts despite being in sound position. The best way to benefit from a domino effect is usually to create one. Every little exchange in the lighter-weight classes can lead to crucial scores. Russell is one of those wrestlers who is more capable of contending than he probably realizes, but he can’t second-guess himself in Spain if medaling is the goal. 

60 kg: Phillip Moomey (TMWC/Spartan RTC)

Highlights:

– ‘21 U20 Pan-Am Games bronze

– ’21 U20 Trials runner-up

– ‘18 U17 World Team

– ‘17 Fargo Cadet National Champion

Foreign competitors prefer opponents who present a linear, conventional body style with the requisite accompanying tactics. Moomey will likely not show them that type of look. He doesn’t need to play their game, as his versatility and penchant for re-attacks could give them fits. Improvisation matters. So too does counter-pressure and a solid center of gravity. Moomey – who shined in the Trials to make this Team – brings to the table a customized American Greco style that is tailored to his actual strengths as a multi-discipline wrestler. As long as his PT defense has not been neglected, all of that could be enough to put together a promising performance. 

63 kg: Mason Hartshorn (West Coast Greco RTC)

Highlights:

– ‘22 US National Team

– ‘20 U23 National Champion

– ‘19 U20 World Team

– ‘18 Austrian Open silver

Hartshorn is the most classical and technical lightweight athlete on the U.S. roster, which by extension should make him a legitimate candidate to fight his way into the argument. His general approach is the closest approximation to how things are done overseas; and since that is exactly where he has been for the past two weeks (beginning in Denmark), it is likely that he has re-established a connection to the international landscape with which he first became familiar years ago. Hartshorn has already had a standout year on the mat where he made meaningful strides in nearly every department. If his time training in Europe recently has done what it was in fact designed to do, there is no reason why he can’t end ‘22 on an emphatic high note. 

67 kg: Peyton Omania (NYAC/CYC)

Highlights:

– ‘21 U.S. Senior World Team

– ‘20 U23 National Champion

– ‘19 U20 World bronze

– Member of five prior US World Teams

There is nothing “old hat” about appearing in a World event but Omania’s significant experience (which includes a Junior bronze) in this regard is an advantage, much the same way it is for Schultz. Having been there once is nice; having done it multiple times throughout the most critical phase of competitive development is decidedly more valuable. Omania won’t be wowed by the stage; and like his buddy Hartshorn, flew over to Europe late last month for training. The biggest key for Omania is feeling for that fine line between patience and explosive execution. He will make his attempts and try to go big whenever it makes sense to him. But U23 is really just a somewhat younger version of the Senior Worlds. Taking risks is part of the game, but the timing in which that occurs is what often determines outcomes. The hope for Omania is that he has that part of the deal locked down thanks to his recent time-on-target. 

72 kg: Benji Peak (Sunkist)

Highlights:

– ‘22 US Senior World Team

– Two-time U.S. National Champion

– Two-time U.S. National Team

Missing among Peak’s “highlights” listed above is an allotment of international medals. The medals aren’t what is important, however, it is what they represent, which is (or was, pre-pandemia) hefty overseas experience. From the moment he became a full-timer at Northern Michigan, Peak has embraced the authentic side of Greco, which he has modified to fit his unique body composition. That he is also now a reigning Senior World Team member and one of the program’s most accomplished young stars speaks to his zeal. It was a very rough summer for Peak in ‘22, and his loss in Belgrade to Robert Fritsch delivered a sting. To say that Peak is entering the U23 Worlds to prove a point would drip with an overflow of hubris. We’re not talking about the Dave Schultz Memorial or Farrell, but rather the highest level of competition available. But he did not have to raise his hand for this, as well. Peak could have used the fall to sit back and further recover a shop-worn shoulder. But that’s not his scene. Peak is in Spain solely because he believes he has what it takes to stand on the podium. When taking his dedication into account, it isn’t difficult to picture that coming to fruition.  

77 kg: Britton Holmes (Army/WCAP)

Highlights:

– ‘22 World Team Trials runner-up

– ‘22 US National Champion

– ‘19 U23 World Team Trials runner-up

For those who intensely follow the United States Greco-Roman program, Britton Holmes should be the most interesting athlete on this roster. Now heading into his seventh full-time Greco season, Holmes’ development has been nothing short of impressive. His increase in size along with the steady transition from promising brawler to becoming the most physical technician in the country are why he made this Team, and why he won a Senior Open title some six weeks before that. Holmes’ tenacity is balanced by swift, ever-refining technique, making for quite a useful combination. The main hitch in his endeavors has been…himself. Holmes has lost his share of bouts due to various mechanical breakdowns, with his own insistence on not abandoning a faulty position or tie the catalyst. Playing it a little tighter in Pontevedra, at least at first, is probably not a bad idea. They’re not going to want to wrestle him his way. They can’t even survive it. If Holmes defends the lock from bottom, he will be a wildcard in the tournament’s toughest weight category. 

82 kg: Ty Cunningham (MWC)

Highlights:

– ‘22 Pan-Am Championships bronze

– ‘22 Bill Farrell Memorial bronze

– ‘21 Last Chance WTT Qualifier Champion

Cunningham was not supposed to blink this brightly on the radar in ‘22. There was expected to be a heightened learning curve for him in his first full Greco season, and he surely did learn along the way, too. What Cunningham also did was right out of the gate announce himself as a very for-real competitor in a weight class that, domestically, was a shark tank. Towards the end of the spring, he was then tabbed to rep the US at the Pan-Am Championships, where he placed third. Aside from those peripherals, it was how Cunningham competed that made the difference. Fighting and grinding through position after position is not just a personality trait, it is a valuable skill, and one that is absolutely vital for American Greco athletes with World aspirations. Knowing when to cut the string, that will come with time. For the purposes of this tournament, “Turbo” keeping his foot to the floor (without overextending or neglecting his base) is a good thing. One good match is all it might take and we’ve seen that before. 

87 kg: Michial Foy (Minnesota Storm)

Highlights:

– NJCAA National Champion

The lone wrestler on the roster from a verifiable Greco bloodline, Foy’s father was the most dynamic upper-weight of his era as well as a World silver. The younger Foy himself had not passionately pursued Greco competition on a large scale until only recently, which occurred with his victory at the U23 Trials in June. What you saw in that performance, relative rawness aside was a wrestler whose instincts are completely compatible with the classical style in every discernible area. The U23 selection tournament was over four months ago. One-third of a year is not normally enough time to impart the polish necessary for a World Championships but Foy spends his time in the right room with the right people to stand as a possible exception, plus his clear natural inclination towards what this wrestling discipline offers makes him a very exciting entrant for the US heading into this tournament – and beyond.  

97 kg: Nick Boykin (Sunkist/Ohio RTC)

Highlights:

– Two-time U.S. National Champion

– ‘21 U23 World Team

– ‘21 Senior World Team Trials runner-up

– ‘19 U20 World Team

Schultz is the most battle-tested of this group when it comes to World tournaments, and Omania is just a tick behind him. It pays to look closer at the situation because, when you do, Boykin’s own profile is starting to stack up to theirs. Two Senior crowns, a Junior World Team (‘19), and member of last year’s U23 roster, Boykin is without question one of the American program’s most prolific young competitors. It is easy to forget that fact due to his years on the National circuit, which is by now over half a decade. Stylistically, Boykin is keen to press international foes enough to compel actionable responses that generate chances for him to strike with what is excellent athletic ability for a man his size. Any match in which he can score from the feet will allow him to take command . Otherwise, everyone knows the story, especially at the upper-weights: defending from par terre is all too often the key to victory. The passives are coming, deservedly or not. Boykin is aware of how things work at the top level. A lengthy resume of overseas experience coupled with his status as a premier domestic athlete automatically classify him as a must-watch.  

130 kg: Cohlton Schultz (Sunkist) 

Highlights:

– Two-time U.S. Senior World Team

– Three-time U.S. National Champion

– ‘19 U20 World silver

– ‘18 U20 World bronze

– ‘17 Cadet World Champion

Schultz clipped ‘21 U23 World silver David Ovasapyan of Armenia in the opening round of the Senior Worlds last month. It was extra notable because Ovasapyan had defeated Schultz in the Junior Worlds a few years ago – and it also served as a reminder of just how skilled (and tough) Schultz really is. It was a close, hard-fought bout won via criteria without any offense of which to speak. That is important to understand. Until the rules change, that is the predominant manner in which most big matches are won and lost at 130. Schultz can win those kinds of bouts thanks in large part to his positional discipline, constant underhooks, and the threat he poses during actual exchanges. Foreigners know Schultz can scramble and move in a different way than they do. So, they want him bottled up, for this helps them to play the passive game. But because Schultz can win that way, too, it limits their options and widens his. Another arrow in Schultz’s quiver – aside from his litany of achievements – is competitive maturity. He knows precisely when to create pressure, ease off, change his feet, or go into hurry-up mode, and he does all of it seamlessly without ever becoming rattled. A legitimate medal candidate for the USA every time he laces his shoes.