Wrestling fans usually expect the unexpected, but the U20 World Team Trials wrestling 2025 felt like someone threw a handful of elite hammers into a blender and hit the "puree" button. If you weren't at the SPIRE Academy in Geneva, Ohio, from May 30 to June 1, you missed what was arguably the most concentrated display of raw, "I-don't-care-about-your-ranking" energy we’ve seen in years.
Geneva is a quiet spot, normally. Not that weekend.
Basically, the stakes were simple: win the best-of-three finals and you book a ticket to Samokov, Bulgaria, for the U20 World Championships in August. But getting to those finals? That was a gauntlet that chewed up plenty of blue-chip recruits and seasoned favorites. Honestly, the depth at weights like 65 kg and 70 kg was just stupidly deep.
What Happened in the Best-of-Three Finals?
You’ve got to feel for some of these kids. Imagine winning a bracket full of state champions only to run into a buzzsaw like Marcus Blaze or PJ Duke.
At 65 kg, the story was the rivalry between Luke Stanich and Bo Bassett. Now, Bo is a phenom, everyone knows it. But Stanich is a different kind of animal. Their series was a chess match played at 100 mph. Stanich took the first match 3-2. Bassett stormed back in the second, winning 3-2 to force a decider. Then, in the third match, Stanich just... exploded. He ended it with a 10-0 technical fall. It was one of those moments where the gym goes kinda quiet because you realize you’re watching a guy reach a different level in real-time.
Then you have PJ Duke at 70 kg. The kid is just 19 and he's already making Senior-level waves. He handled Landon Robideau in two straight matches (7-0, 9-4). It wasn't even that Robideau wrestled poorly; Duke is just that heavy on the head and impossible to move.
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The 2025 U20 Freestyle World Team
Here is how the squad shook out after the dust settled in Ohio:
- 57 kg: Anthony Knox (took down Ignacio Villasenor in a gritty three-match series)
- 61 kg: Marcus Blaze (clinical 10-0 and 4-1 wins over Kyler Larkin)
- 65 kg: Luke Stanich
- 70 kg: PJ Duke
- 74 kg: Ladarion Lockett
- 79 kg: William Henckel (double 10-0 techs over Brock Mantanona)
- 86 kg: Max McEnelly (survived a scare against Aeoden Sinclair)
- 92 kg: Connor Mirasola
- 97 kg: Justin Rademacher
- 125 kg: Cole Mirasola
The Mirasola twins making the team together? That’s the kind of stuff parents dream about, but doing it at 92 and 125 kg in the U20 division is just pure physical dominance. They’re basically a two-man wrecking crew for the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club.
The Greco-Roman Grind
While freestyle gets most of the "Discover Feed" glory, the Greco-Roman portion on Friday was a literal bloodbath. The technical level of U.S. Greco is rising, and it showed in Geneva.
Otto Black was a standout at 67 kg. He went up against Pierson Manville—a name every high school wrestling nut knows—and just shut him down. Two matches to none. Black’s ability to find leverage in positions where most guys are just hanging on is impressive.
At 130 kg, Shilo Jones (Bison WC) secured his spot, which was huge because the U.S. needs that heavyweight presence internationally. The Greco guys often get the short end of the stick in terms of media coverage, but the pace in these matches was higher than usual. No one was just standing around pushing heads for six minutes.
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Why the 2025 Trials Felt Different
Usually, you can pick the winners of these trials with about 80% accuracy just by looking at the FloWrestling rankings. This year? Not so much.
Take 86 kg. Max McEnelly is a stud, but Aeoden Sinclair came out and absolutely thumped him 10-2 in the first match of their finals series. It looked like an upset was locked in. But McEnelly showed that "college-ready" grit, clawing back for a 6-5 win in match two and a 3-2 nail-biter in match three. That’s three matches decided by a total of basically one or two exchanges. That’s the "Geneva Pressure" people talk about.
Also, we have to talk about Ladarion Lockett. The Stillwater kid is only 19 but wrestles like he’s been on the international circuit for a decade. He took out Jayden James in two matches at 74 kg. Lockett is one of those rare wrestlers who actually looks better under the UWW freestyle rules than he does in folkstyle.
The Samokov Results: Was the Trial a Good Litmus Test?
Since we're looking back at this now, we can see how this group actually did on the world stage in Bulgaria. Team USA didn't just show up; they basically took over the 2025 U20 World Championships.
The U.S. Men’s Freestyle team won the overall team title with 6 Gold medals. Six!
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- Marcus Blaze (61 kg) – Gold
- Luke Stanich (65 kg) – Gold
- PJ Duke (70 kg) – Gold
- Max McEnelly (86 kg) – Gold
- Justin Rademacher (97 kg) – Gold
- Everest Leydecker (Women's 55 kg) – Gold
Watching Blaze tech his way through the bracket in Samokov was a "told you so" moment for anyone who watched him in Geneva. He beat the Iranian, Ahora Khateri, 10-0 in the World Finals. 10-0. Against Iran. That’s unheard of at this level.
But it wasn't all perfect. Lockett, who looked invincible in Ohio, ended up 5th in the world. He lost a heartbreaker to Ismail Khaniev (UWW/Russia) and then dropped the bronze medal match. It’s a reminder that as good as our Trials are, the rest of the world is full of "grown men" in 19-year-old bodies.
Practical Takeaways for Athletes and Coaches
If you’re a young wrestler looking at these results and wondering how to get there, here’s the reality of the U20 World Team Trials wrestling 2025 and beyond.
First, the gap is closing. The difference between the #1 guy and the #10 guy at the Trials is often just one mistake in par terre. If you can’t defend a gut wrench or a lace, you’re dead in the water.
Second, weight management matters. Look at Luke Stanich. He was a 125-pounder in college (NCAA) but wrestled 65 kg (approx 143 lbs) for the U20s. That extra size and strength were clearly the difference-maker in his series against Bassett. You have to be strong, not just lean.
Finally, don't skip Greco. Even if you’re a freestyle specialist, the hand-fighting and "feel" for the torso that the Greco guys showed in Geneva are the same skills that let PJ Duke dominate the tie-ups in freestyle.
Next Steps for Following the Circuit
- Watch the Replays: If you have a FloWrestling sub, go back and watch the 65 kg Stanich/Bassett series. It's a masterclass in pace.
- Track the Transition: Most of these guys are now heading into the 2025-2026 NCAA season. Follow how PJ Duke adjusts to the Penn State room—that's going to be the next big story.
- Prep for 2026: The qualification process for next year's trials starts with the U.S. Open in April. If you aren't already qualified, that's your window.
The 2025 Trials proved that the U.S. is currently in a "Golden Age" of middleweight talent. Whether these guys can translate this to the Senior level in time for the 2028 Olympics is the big question everyone is asking now.