The 2023 Bill Farrell Memorial International tournament is set to take place November 17-18. This tournament holds extra significance this year with the highest placing American wrestler qualifying for the 2024 Olympic Trials. Check out the below article for a full preview and predictions for the men’s freestyle division at the Farrell. 

57 kg - The Return Of Spencer Lee

The Favorite

• Spencer Lee

Spencer Lee will make his return to the freestyle mats for the first time since the 2023 US Open in April where he medically forfeited out of the competition after making the semifinals. Prior to forfeiting out, Lee put together 3 straight wins with tech falls over Darrion Harris and Sheldon Seymour and a 9-4 decision over Caleb Smith. If Lee is fully healthy at the Farrell, which we believe he is, he’s the runaway favorite to win this bracket. He possesses an incredible ability to end matches quickly with either his leg lace or gut wrench and expect him to display that dominance at the Farrell.

Spencer Lee's win over Caleb Smith at the 2023 US Open:

Unlock this video, live events, and more with a subscription!

Sign Up

Already a subscriber? Log In

The Contenders

• Nico Megaludis
• Daniel DeShazer

Both Nico Meglaudis and Daniel DeShazer are established veterans in this field who will challenge to make the finals and take out Lee. Megaludis has battled injuries over the past few years but showed just how dangerous he is when he’s healthy by winning the 2022 US Open. Megaludis also has notable wins in his freestyle career over Cory Clark, Tyler Graff, Tony Ramos, Cody Brewer, and Seth Gross. 

As a two-time Division 2 NCAA Champion, Daniel DeShazer might not be as well known as Megaludis but he’s been a consistent threat on the senior level over the past few years. DeShazer made the finals of the 2022 World Team Trials where he defeated Tyler Graff and suffered two, close losses to Seth Gross. 

Sleepers & Landmines

• Brandon Courtney
• Cooper Flynn
• Luke Lilledahl

Three-time All-American Brandon Courtney will be a landmine in the bracket wherever he's seeded. Courtney had numerous wins in his college career over All-Americans but is largely untested on the freestyle scene. Courtney has the speed and offensive abilities to challenge anyone in the world at 57 kg and it shouldn't be considered too much of an upset if he beats Megaludis or DeShazer. 

Cooper Flynn and Luke Lilledahl are two younger contenders in this field who are just getting their feet wet on the senior level. Flynn placed 5th at the 2023 US Open where he lost competitive matches to Nick Suriano (7-1) and Jakob Camacho (4-2) while defeating Marc-Anthony McGowan (10-0) and Caleb Smtih (9-3). Camacho is taking an Olympic redshirt this year while at Virginia Tech and with his full-time focus on freestyle, we should expect him to challenge the more established guys in this field.

Luke Lilledahl is still just a senior in high school but his freestyle skills make him one of the best prospects for Team USA. Lilledahl is a three-time age-level world medalist winning U17 World Silver (2021), U17 World Gold (2022), and U20 World Silver (2023). Lilledahl has the speed to match anyone in this bracket and if he can handle the size and strength of some of the bigger 57 kg wrestlers, then Lilledahl could be a challenging matchup for anyone in this bracket.

Luke Lilledahl's win in the semi-finals of the U20 World Championships:

Unlock this video, live events, and more with a subscription!

Sign Up

Already a subscriber? Log In

57 kg Predictions:

1. Spencer Lee
2. Nico Megaludis
3. Luke Lilledahl
4. Cooper Flynn

65 kg Is Wide Open

The Contenders

• Jesse Mendez
• Austin DeSanto
• Pat Lugo
• Yahya Thomas

To me, there’s no clear favorite in the field at 65kg but the above 4 wrestlers are the front runners and I wouldn’t be surprised if any of the above come away with gold. Austin DeSanto has made steady progress in his freestyle game and is currently ranked #13 in the world at 61 kg. In fact, DeSanto even defeated 2023 world bronze medalist Shota Phartenadze (GEO) this past July. If DeSanto is adjusted to 65kg, expect him to be in contention for gold at the Farrell.

After DeSanto, Jesse Mendez has been improving his freestyle game over the past few years and even won U20 world silver over the summer. Mendez has been dominating in the first few weeks of the college season with 4 techs and 2 pins in his first 6 college matches. Mendez freestyle performance combined with the start to his college season makes him a threat to anyone at 65kg in American and a dark horse to watch at the Olympic Trials next year.

Jesse Mendez's win in the semis of the U20 World Championships:

Unlock this video, live events, and more with a subscription!

Sign Up

Already a subscriber? Log In

Pat Lugo and Yahya Thomas are two wrestlers who have the talent to beat anyone in this bracket. Thomas is incredibly challenging to score on and can stifle even wrestlers like Mendez and DeSanto who have a high-powered offense. Beyond the defense, Thomas has the offensive abilities to take anyone in the world down and is comfortable winning tight matches, which he'll likely be in multiple at the Farrell.

Lugo didn’t have the end to 2023 he likely wanted but at the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023 he put together a number of notable wins while placing at the Kolov (bronze), Farrell (4th), and Henri Deglane (gold). If Lugo returns to that form, he’ll be right in the mix with Thomas, Mendez, and DeSanto.

Sleepers & Landmines

• Aden Valencia
• Kaleb Larkin
• Michael McGee

There are some more experienced wrestlers in this bracket like Matt Kolodzik and Ian Parker. However, those two don’t fit the “Sleepers & Landmines” category like Valencia, Larkin, and McGee. Valencia is still just a senior in high school but he placed 7th at the 2023 US Open while defeating Daniel DeShazer, Shelton Mack, and Josh Rodriguez. Then Valencia followed up that performance with a victory over world medalist Joe Colon at the World Team Trials. Valencia might be slightly undersized at 65kg but he’ll still be a tough draw for anyone in the early rounds of the Farrell. 

Kaleb Larkin has yet to make a world team at any age level but his performance at the U20 US Open the last two years makes him an interesting wrestler to watch. He finished runner-up in 2022 while only losing to Vince Cornella but failed to place in 2023 at 70kg. Despite coming up short of the podium this year, Larkin gave Meyer Shapiro (eventual U20 World Champ) his closest match of the tournament - losing just 6-0. I’m not predicting Larkin to win but he could be a landmine for some of the contenders in this bracket.

Michael McGee might be the biggest unknown in the 65kg bracket. The 3-time All-American for Arizona State wrestled his last 3 years at 133 pounds and doesn’t have a ton of freestyle experience. He’s also interesting considering his wins over Daton Fix and Jesse Mendez and close losses to Roman Bravo-Young (6-4, OT) and Vito Arujau (7-5). 

65 kg Predictions:

1. Jesse Mendez
2. Austin DeSanto
3. Yahya Thomas
4. Michael McGee

74 kg - Will Nolf Be Challenged By Kemerer, Berger, And Marinelli?

The Favorite

• Jason Nolf

Jason Nolf might be the biggest favorite of any wrestler entered at the Farrell (at least in the men’s freestyle division). Nolf has developed into one of the best wrestlers in the world at 74 kg and is currently ranked #13 in our international rankings. Nolf has made Final X the past two seasons and accumulated multiple wins over past world medalists. It will be great to see him compete at the Farrell and whether or not anyone is able to test him.

Hear Jason Nolf dive deep into his wrestling journey:

The Contenders

• Tyler Berger
• Michael Kemerer
• Alex Marinelli

Berger, Kemerer, and Marinelli are the clear second tier at 74 kg at the Farrell. Berger has been the most active of this group on the senior level and made Final X at 70kg where he lost two close matches to eventual World Champion Zain Retherford. In fact, Berger was even ranked as high as #8 in the world at 70kg before he made the move up to 74kg last month winning gold at the Pan-Am Games. 

Kemerer and Marinelli are interesting prospects in this field considering they’ve primarily competed at 79kg over the past few years. Both wrestled and placed at the 2023 US Open with Marinelli coming in 4th and Kemerer placing 5th. They both accumulated impressive wins at the Open - Kemerer defeated Mikey Labriola and Taylor Lujan while Marinelli took out Devin Skatzka and Carson Kharchla. 

Kemerer's win over Mikey Labriola at the 2023 US Open:

Unlock this video, live events, and more with a subscription!

Sign Up

Already a subscriber? Log In

Sleepers & Landmines

• Joe Sealey
• Quincy Monday

Joe Sealey and Quincy Monday are two competitors I can’t wait to watch in the 74 kg bracket. Joe Sealey, a Penn State commit, is a senior in high school and won a U17 World Championship in 2022. Sealey wrestles at an insane pace and although he may be outmatched by some of the more experienced wrestlers in this bracket, I expect him to win a few matches and be competitive in all of his bouts.

Quincy Monday is a wrestler who could move into the contender tier and even make the finals to challenge Nolf. A two-time All-American and 2022 NCAA runner-up, Monday wrestles a perfect style to translate to the freestyle scene. He hand fights and holds position well on his feet and doesn’t put himself in risky positions. We haven’t seen Monday wrestle much freestyle over the past few years so he might still be adjusting but if his par terre defense isn’t a liability, I expect him to make a deep run in this bracket.

74 kg Predictions:

1. Jason Nolf
2. Tyler Berger
3. Alex Marinelli
4. Quincy Monday

86 kg Is A Toss-Up

The Contenders

• Mark Hall
• Alex Dieringer
• Trent Hidlay
• Max Dean
• Evan Wick

Like 65kg, there isn’t a clear favorite at 86kg but a large group that could challenge for gold at the Farrell. In fact, Mark Hall, Alex Dieringer, Trent Hidlay, and Evan Wick have all been ranked at either 79kg or 86kg over the past few years. It’s also interesting to think about the span of weight classes these top guys wrestled over their college years. Evan Wick and Alex Dieringer finished their careers at 165 while Trent Hidlay and Max Dean wrestled/are wrestling 197 pounds in their senior year. 

Watch Mark Hall and Trent Hidlay wrestle for true third at Final X in 2022:

Unlock this video, live events, and more with a subscription!

Sign Up

Already a subscriber? Log In

Sleepers & Landmines

• Connor Mirasola
• Marcus Coleman

Connor Mirasola and Marcus Coleman are interesting wrinkles to 86 kg. I don’t expect either to win this weight but I’m curious to see them compete against the top competition. Connor Mirasola, a Penn State commit, is currently ranked #2 at 195 pounds and is the #10 overall recruit in the class of 2024. Where does he stack up against some of the top guys on the senior level?

Two-time All-Amerian Marcus Coleman notably defeated Aaron Brooks last year and had an outstanding final two years to his college career. Coleman has all the skills to be a very good freestyle wrestler at 86 kg and his performance at the Farrell will show us how serious of a contender he is right now. 

86 kg Predictions:

1. Alex Dieringer
2. Trent Hidlay
3. Mark Hall
4. Evan Wick

97 kg - Can Anyone Take Out Mike Macch?

The Favorite

• Mike Macchiavello

Mike Macchiavello has been a steady force on the freestyle scene over the past 5 years and even worked his way to a #3 ranking in the world at 92 kg after winning the 2023 US Open. Macchiavello notably defeated both Nate Jackson and Kollin Moore at the Open to win his title making him the favorite at the Farrell. Macchiavello also defeated Jay Aiello 4-0 in the quarter-finals at the Open who will be one of the main contenders in this weight. 

Macchiavello's win over Jay Aiello at the 2023 US Open:

Unlock this video, live events, and more with a subscription!

Sign Up

Already a subscriber? Log In

The Contenders

• Jay Aiello
• Eric Schultz

Though Jay Aiello never earned All-American honors while in college, he’s proven to be one of the best in the country at 92kg over the past few years. Aiello won a bronze medal at the U23 World Championships in 2021 where he defeated this year’s senior world bronze medalist Feyzullah Akturk (TUR). Aiello has the goods to go with anyone in this bracket and we shouldn’t be surprised if he comes away with gold.

Erik Schultz is another wrestler who’s capable of coming away with gold in this bracket. Schultz placed 4th at the US Open this year where he defeated the aforementioned Aiello 8-0. However, Aiello then got revenge on Schultz at the World Team Trials in a close, 6-4 bout. Schultz and Aiello should be the 2 and 3 seeds at the Farrell and that potential semi-final should be considered a coinflip bout based on their past results.

Sleepers & Landmines

• Jacob Warner
• Cole Mirasola

I almost put Jacob Warner in the “Contender” category based on his outstanding college career. However, we haven’t seen Warner compete much at the senior level so there’s still a lot of mystery around how he’ll perform at the Farrell. It is worth noting that Warner made 2 age-level world teams and won a bronze medal at the Cadet World Championships back in 2016. Because of those freestyle chops, we might just see Warner win the whole bracket at 97kg.

Like his twin brother, Cole Mirasola is a Penn State commit and just a senior in high school. Competing with some of the top guys in this weight will be a tall task for Mirasola but I still believe he could surprise some guys in this bracket. 

97 kg Prediction:

1. Mike Macchiavello
2. Jay Aiello
3. Jacob Warner
4. Eric Schultz

125 kg - Nick Gwiazdowski Should Roll To Gold

The Favorite

• Nick Gwiazdowski

Gwiazdowski has been one of the top heavyweights in the country for the past 8 years and it be shocking if any wrestler other than Gwiz wins gold. Gwiazdowski is a two-time world bronze medalist and is currently ranked #8 in our international rankings at 125 kg. He’s truly world-class and should put those skills on display at the Farrell.

Watch Nick Gwiazdowski's win over Dom Bradley at the 2023 World Team Trials:

Unlock this video, live events, and more with a subscription!

Sign Up

Already a subscriber? Log In

The Contenders

• Jordan Wood
• Trent Hillger

Jordan Wood and Trent Hillger are two past All-Americans who could make some noise at 125 kg. Wood placed 7th at the 2022 US Open but failed to place at the 2023 US Open after losing to Dom Bradley and Demetrius Thomas. Hillger, however, hasn’t been active on the senior level in freestyle but is an athletic heavyweight who could give a lot of heavyweights trouble.

Sleepers & Landmines

• Gary Traub
• Sam Schuyler

Gary Traub and Sam Schuyler never earned All-American honors while in college but both have skills that should transition well to the senior level. Traub is a bigger heavyweight with great conditioning and controls the mat and positions well. Schuyler is the “modern-day heavyweight” and is leaner and more athletic. Traub and Schuyler could both move into that next tier and challenge the likes of Wood and Hillger.

125 kg Predictions:

1. Nick Gwiazdowski
2. Jordan Wood
3. Trent Hillger
4. Sam Schuyler

Check out the full Bill Farrell Entries Here