PRTC Wrestling

PRTC Sends 10 Athletes to 2026 US Open

2026-04-27

Philadelphia, PA - The Pennsylvania Regional Training Center (PRTC) was well represented on the national stage this past week as 10 athletes traveled to Las Vegas, Nevada to compete at the 2026 US Open, one of the premier freestyle wrestling events in the United States.

Held annually in Las Vegas, the US Open serves as a major benchmark on the domestic wrestling calendar, featuring many of the nation's top Senior-level athletes while also showcasing the next generation of talent in the U20 division. Strong performances at the event can open doors to future international opportunities, national team contention, and age-group World Team pathways.

The PRTC entered seven athletes in the U20 Nationals and three athletes in the Senior US Open, combining for 48 total matches and 295 match points over the course of the tournament.

Leading the way was Elliott Humphries, who earned U20 All-American honors with a 7th-place finish at 79 kg. Humphries put together an impressive run with six victories, including multiple technical falls, demonstrating the offensive pace and grit that define PRTC athletes.

At 74 kg, Caden Bellis delivered one of the most active performances of the week, battling through the backside with six victories in eight matches. Bellis showcased resilience and scoring ability, highlighted by several impressive wins.

At 125 kg, John Pardo showed determination bouncing back after an opening loss with a dominant technical fall victory. At 97kg, Greyson Meak responded similarly, earning two commanding wins in consolation action.

At 86 kg, Xander Kuokkanen recorded three victories, including a fall and a technical superiority win, while Deven Casey picked up two dominant technical falls at 61 kg. Donny Almeyda also gained valuable experience competing in a deep 70 kg bracket.

In the Senior division, the PRTC athletes competed against some of the best wrestlers in the country. Sean Seefeldt earned three wins at 74 kg. Martin Cosgrove posted three victories at 97 kg, while Max Gallagher battled to two wins at 57 kg in a loaded weight class.

The Pennsylvania Regional Training Center continues to provide elite training, mentorship, and competitive opportunities for wrestlers pursuing success at the collegiate, national, and international levels. Based in Philadelphia, the PRTC is committed to developing world-class athletes while supporting growth of wrestling in the region.

With another strong showing in Las Vegas, the future remains bright for the PRTC as its athletes continue to progress on the national scene.

Full Results

U20 Nationals

Deven Casey (61 kg)

WIN - Shirk 10-0

Loss - Rodriguez 5-1

WIN - Kastner 12-0

LOSS - Saldate 5-2

Donny Almeyda (70 kg)

LOSS - Lew 12-9

WIN - Gomez 9-3

WIN - Williams 12-1

WIN - Gosz 10-8

LOSS - Russell Injury Default

Caden Bellis (74 kg)

WIN - Baldwin 11-0

WIN - Burkett 4-2

LOSS - Denny 11-0

WIN - Campagna 13-2

WIN - Garcia 14-7

WIN - Diaz 5-2

WIN - Torres 5-0

LOSS - Routledge 4-1

Elliott Humphries (79 kg)

WIN - Placencia 10-0

WIN - Rios 10-0

WIN - Ibarra 12-1

WIN - Dhabolt 13-8

LOSS - Cunningham 14-5

WIN - Norman 14-2

LOSS - Heiser 10-0

WIN - Miller 7-4

Xander Kuokkanen (86 kg)

WIN - Trotter 4-1

LOSS - Robinson 9-0

WIN - Hancock FALL

WIN - Oizerowitz 10-0

LOSS - Bienus 10-0

Greyson Meak (97 kg)

LOSS - Brown FALL

WIN - Lohmeyer 10-0

WIN - Raines 12-2

LOSS - Cooley 10-0

John Pardo (125 kg)

LOSS - Schunke 15-9

WIN - Royce 10-0

LOSS - Weidman FALL

Senior US Open

Max Gallagher (57 kg)

LOSS - Assad 7-6

WIN - Martir 10-0

WIN - Oliver 10-1

LOSS - Witt FALL

Sean Seefeldt (74 kg)

WIN - DeSena 11-0

WIN - Thomas 5-2

LOSS - Amine 8-1

WIN - Peterson 4-2

LOSS - Downey 10-6

Martin Cosgrove (97 kg)

WIN - Henry 8-3

LOSS - Buchanan 12-1

WIN - Manning 13-2

WIN - Knop 3-0

LOSS - Mirasola 7-1

PRTC Set for 2026 US Open in Las Vegas

2026-04-22

Philadelphia, PA - The Pennsylvania Regional Training Center (PRTC) is set to compete at the 2026 US Open, held April 22-26 at The Expo at World Market Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The US Open serves as one of the premier events on the domestic competition calendar, with Senior champions earning qualification to the US World Team Trials, Final X, and a chance to represent Team USA at the World Championships.

The PRTC will be represented across both the Senior Men's Freestyle division and the U20 Nationals, continuing to showcase the depth of the program from developing athletes to Senior-level contenders.

Senior Level Competitors

Max Gallagher, 57kg

Gallagher enters the US Open as the 7th seed. He's had a strong collegiate career at the University of Pennsylvania as a two-time NCAA Championship Qualifier. Gallagher represented Team USA at the U23 World Championships in 2024. Known for his pace and ability to create offense from neutral, Gallagher has transitioned effectively into freestyle competition within the PRTC system.

Sean Seefeldt, 74kg

Seefeldt recently competed at the 2026 NCAA Championships representing Penn on the national stage. A tough and reliable competitor, he has been a key contributor in the Quakers' lineup and brings valuable high-level experience into the Senior freestyle division.

Martin Cosgrove, 97kg

Cosgrove competes at 97kg and brings size, strength, and solid positional control to the upper weights in this tournament. He was a U20 All-American having made it to the finals in 2022. Cosgrove's experience has helped him build momentum as he competes at the Senior level for the first time.

U20 Nationals Competitors

Deven Casey, 61kg

Casey has built a reputation as one of the top young talents in the Penn room. An Illinois native, he has earned success at major age-group events and continues to develop his freestyle skill set within the PRTC room.

Donny Almeyda, 70kg

Almeyda is a dynamic offensive wrestler with experience competing at national-level tournaments. His ability to generate points from multiple positions makes him a dangerous opponent in the U20 field.

Caden Bellis, 74kg

Bellis is completing his freshman year at Penn. He secured his spot as the 174lb starter early in the season and never looked back. Bellis represented the Quakers at the Ivy Championships this spring narrowly missing a national qualifying spot. His freestyle acumen is high and he'll definitely turn some heads in Vegas.

Elliott Humphries, 79kg

Humphries has consistently placed at competitive national events and is know to be a fierce opponent. His continued development has positioned him to compete deep into brackets at the U20 level.

Xander Kuokkanen, 86kg

Kuokkanen brings a physical, hard nosed style and has competed in high-level folkstyle and freestyle events. His progression within the Penn wrestling room over the past year will help him be a strong contender at 86kg.

Greyson Meak, 97kg

Meak's combination of size and athleticism has led to success at the regional and national levels. He continues to evolve technically and will look to make an impact in a competitive 97kg bracket.

John Pardo, 125kg

Pardo anchors the group at heavyweight. A consistent performer at the national level, he uses his athleticism and mat awareness to control matches and create scoring opportunities.

According to PRTC leadership, the US Open is one of the most important benchmarks in the sport when it comes to freestyle. To have athletes competing across both the Senior level and U20 divisions reflects the direction of the PRTC from where they've been to where they're headed. Competition for Senior Men's Freestyle is set for April 24-25, with U20 Nationals taking place on April 25-26 as part of the overall US Open schedule.

The Pennsylvania Regional Training Center remains committed to developing world-class athletes while building a sustainable pipeline of talent from the developmental and collegiate levels to the international stage. For updates and results throughout the tournament, follow the PRTC on social media. All matches will be streamed live on FloWrestling.

Tyler Berger Wins Us Open!

2023-05-01

Las Vegas, NV – In a come-from-behind victory, Tyler Berger won the 70kg US National Championship last Friday evening at the prestigious and highly competitive US Open. This is the first National title for Berger as he has qualified to battle for the World Team spot at 70kg. He’ll compete against world medalist Zain Retherford at Final X in Newark, New Jersey on June 10th in the Prudential Center. If he wins the best of three series, Berger will represent Team USA at the World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia this Fall.

In the final match, Berger defeated Sammy Sasso of the Ohio Regional Training Center with just eight seconds left on the clock. He was down by one point and utilized some recently learned skills to score a takedown as time ran out.

“We train this. We literally train this!” said Berger of the drill his coach, Olympic Gold Medalist Brandon Slay, instituted into the team’s training plan. “Seven second goes, you’re down by one, go figure it out.” The crowd at South Point Hotel and Conference Center went wild as the Oregon native and current resident of Philadelphia scored the deciding points.

The PRTC was well represented at this year’s US Open. In addition to Berger, senior resident athletes Joey McKenna (65kg), David McFadden (79kg), and Mark Hall (86kg) all competed in Las Vegas. McKenna won a silver medal while McFadden and Hall each won a bronze medal. All three will be competing at Final X for a spot on the national team.

The top three competitors at each weight make the US National Team. The final spots are determined by a wrestle-off to find the true placings at each weight if the competitors did not wrestle each other at the US Open. McKenna will wrestle Matt Kolodzik, McFadden will wrestle Alex Dieringer, and Hall will wrestle Zahid Valencia.

World Champion Jordan Burroughs will look to secure his spot on the World Team at Final X as well. He will wrestle US Open Champion Chance Marstellar at 79kg. This will be a rematch of last year’s Final X where Burroughs won two matches to one and went on to win a record breaking 7th World/Olympic medal in Serbia.

Also competing at the Senior level in Las Vegas for the PRTC were four University of Pennsylvania underclassmen. Ryan Miller (57kg), Michael Colaiocco (65kg), CJ Composto (65kg), and Maximus Hale (86kg) all stepped up to take on the challenge of competing at the national level against some of the best athletes in the country. Hale finished in the top eight gaining All-American Status.

Drexel Assistant Coach CJ LaFragola competed as well. He battled to an impressive 3-2 record for the weekend just missing the medal round. LaFragola, a three time NCAA qualifier, is undefeated as an MMA fighter yet he continues to enter high level wrestling tournaments to hone his skills.

Michael Boykin, a graduate of NC State, has been training with the PRTC. He made the trip west with the team and competed at 92kg. Boykin, who has been a welcome addition to the room, routinely works out with the Penn and Drexel upper-weights as well as training with Mark Hall.

Here are the full US Open results for the PRTC Senior Level athletes:

57kg Ryan Miller, 1-2

WIN Fischer (Wolves), 12-0

LOSS Glory (NJRTC), 10-0

LOSS McGowant (Blairstown), (7-5)

61kg Michael Colaiocco, 1-2

LOSS Shriever (Iowa), 11-5

WIN Kuketz (SERTC), 10-0

LOSS Valencia (CART), 14-4

65kg CJ Composto, 2-2

WIN Cooley (Missouri), 10-0

WIN Gold (New York), 10-0

LOSS Henderson (LVWC), 16-6

LOSS Madrigal (Oklahoma) 13-3

65kg Joey McKenna, Silver Medalist 4-2

WIN Koderhandt (Navy), 10-0

WIN Pfanz (Mustang), 10-0

WIN Aschnault (NYCRTC), 10-0

WIN Lovett (SKWC), 8-3

LOSS Lee (NLWC), 10-5

70kg Tyler Berger, Champion 5-0

WIN Monseratt (NERTC), 12-2

WIN Flores (TMWC), 10-0

WIN Verkleeren (Cavalier), 12-1

WIN Hidlay (Wolfpack), 11-0

WIN Sasso (ORTC), 10-9

79kg David McFadden, Bronze Medalist 5-1

WIN Torres (Arizona), 10-0

WIN White (Indiana), 7-2

WIN Marinelli (HWC), 10-6

LOSS Marstellar (NYCRTC), 6-1

WIN Kemerer (Spartan RTC), 11-9

WIN Marinelli (HWC), 10-0

86kg Mark Hall, Bronze Medalist 5-1

WIN Tarantino (NERTC), FALL

WIN Verhaege (Kansas), 10-0

WIN Marcelli (Cavalier), 10-0

LOSS Brooks (NLWC), 6-1

WIN Morgan (Spartan RTC), 8-2

WIN Hidlay (Wolfpack), 13-2

86kg Maximus Hale, 8th Place 3-3

WIN Lords (Viking), 10-0

WIN Harman (Tiger), 5-5 criteria

LOSS Valencia (SKWC), 7-2

WIN Jessen (Wildcat), 11-0

LOSS Morgan (Spartan RTC), 11-7

LOSS Webster (Gopher), 4-0

86kg CJ LaFragola, 3-2

LOSS Verhaeghe (Kansas), 7-3

WIN Danals (Cavalier), 14-4

WIN Morgan (Gopher WC), 10-0

WIN Squires (New Jersey), 13-7

LOSS Stewart (Cavalier), 7-2

92kg Michael Boykin, 1-2

LOSS Stemmet (Illinois), 10-6

WIN Filsaime (SERTC), 11-0

LOSS Haas (CRTC), 12-2

Pictures by Tony Rotundo and Eleni Glynos

Story by Kevin McGuigan