USA Wrestling will send talented U.S. teams in Greco-Roman and men’s freestyle to FILA Junior international events in March. 

FILA Junior wrestlers are from 17-20 years old, featuring top underclassmen college athletes and high school wrestling stars. These young athletes often develop into future stars for Team USA.

In recent years, USA Wrestling sent a FILA Junior Greco-Roman team to Bulgaria for an international event. 

This year, a U.S. team will compete again in Bulgaria at the Petko Sirakov and Ivan Illiev Junior International in Varna, March 11-13, but will first compete at the Austrian Junior Greco-Roman Open in Gotzis, March 4-6.

The team will include 2010 Junior World bronze medalist Ellis Coleman at 145 pounds and 2010 Junior World Team member Jesse Thielke at 121 pounds. The team will also feature a number of athletes training with the U.S. Olympic Education Center program at Northern Michigan Univ.

“This gets our kids a chance to wrestle some foreign guys they may or may not see at the Junior World Championships,” said National Greco-Roman Developmental Coach Ike Anderson. “We don’t get a chance to get a pre-World tour like the Senior guys, so this is the most critical time to get them international exposure to those they meet at the Junior World meet.”

For the first time, a U.S. freestyle team on the FILA Junior level will travel to Bulgaria, to wrestle in the freestyle portion of the Sirakov and Illiev Junior International and attend a multi-national training camp.

The team will feature past FILA Junior World Team members Carson Kuhn and Tyler Lehmann, both who are currently training at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. 

In addition, a number of past USA Wrestling age-group national freestyle champions Derek Garcia, Devin Peterson and Tanner Hall will also participate.

“It is a great opportunity to go overseas and compete with other countries. We will also do a training camp with four or five other nations,” said National Freestyle Developmental Coach Bill Zadick. “We are getting them experience, growth and knowledge sooner, so they can assimilate new techniques and skills into their wrestling.”

FILA JUNIOR GRECO-ROMAN TOUR
Austrian Junior Greco-Roman Open, Gotzis, Austria, March 4-6
Petko Sirakov/Ivan Illiev Junior International, Varna, Bulgaria, March 11-13

55 kg/121 lbs. - Jesse Thielke, Germantown, Wis. (Ringers)
55 kg/121 lbs. - Aaron Runzo, Virginia Beach, Va. (USOEC)
60 kg/132 lbs. - Joey Denova, Fortson, Ga. (USOEC)
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Dillon Cowan, Harvard, Ill.
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Ellis Coleman, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
74 kg/163 lbs. - Josh Castellano, Wood Dale, Ill. (USOEC)
74 kg/163 lbs. - Caleb Smith, Pakota, Ind. (USOEC)
84 kg/185 lbs. - Mark Stenberg, Lockport, Ill. (USOEC)
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Marcus Finau, Oahu, Hawaii (USOEC)
120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Scott Helton, Elmhurst, Ill. (USOEC)
Coach - National Greco-Roman Developmental Coach Ike Anderson, Colorado Springs, Colo. 

FILA JUNIOR FREESTYLE TOUR
Petko Sirakov/Ivan Illiev Junior International, Varna, Bulgaria, March 11-13
50 kg/110 lbs. - Dalton Brady, Queen Creek, Ariz.
55 kg/121 lbs. - Carson Kuhn, Sandy, Utah
74 kg/163 lbs. - Derek Garcia, Mount Vernon, Wash.
84 kg/185 lbs. - Devin Peterson, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.
84 kg/185 lbs. – Greg Isley, Toledo, Ohio
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Tyler Lehmann, Apple Valley, Minn.
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Tanner Hall, Meridian, Idaho
Coach – National Freestyle Developmental Coach Bill Zadick, Colorado Springs, Colo.