 The Tar Heel Wrestling Club concluded competition at the U23 World Team Trials on Saturday with Mikey Calcagno earning a fourth-place finish at 92 kg.
Calcagno put together the club's best finish of the tournament, battling through the consolation bracket after an earlier championship-round loss. The North Carolina standout opened day two with a pin over Coy Raines before receiving a medical forfeit victory in the consolation quarterfinals. He continued his impressive run with a 10-0 technical fall over Patrick Brophy in just 38 seconds and followed with a 6-2 decision over Nick Nosler to earn a spot in the third-place match. Calcagno ultimately finished fourth after falling to Mac Stout in the bronze-medal bout. At 79 kg, Collin Carrigan turned in one of the tournament's strongest performances for THWC. Carrigan reached the championship quarterfinals after winning four consecutive matches on Friday, including three technical falls. His run came to an end Saturday after losses to eventual All-Americans Matthew Singleton and William Henckel, finishing one win shy of the placement rounds. Nolan O'Boyle also made a deep run at 86 kg. After battling back through the consolation bracket on Friday, O'Boyle opened day two with a pin over Gage LaPlante before falling in the consolation quarterfinals. O'Boyle finished the tournament with six victories, tied for the most by a Tar Heel wrestler during the event.
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 The Tar Heel Wrestling Club opened day one at the U23 World Team Trials on Friday, advancing five wrestlers into Saturday's action at the SPIRE Institute.
Leading the way was Collin Carrigan (79 kg), who remains unbeaten through the championship side and advanced to the quarterfinals after four impressive victories. Carrigan opened with a 10-0 technical fall before adding a 12-1 technical fall, a 20-7 technical fall, and a 9-1 decision to secure his spot among the final eight. Four Tar Heel wrestlers battled back through the consolation bracket to stay alive for a podium finish. All will need to win two matches tomorrow secure a placement at the U23 World Team Trials. At 57 kg, Cam Stinson responded to a championship-round loss by winning three straight consolation matches to advance into the consolation sub-quarterfinals. At 74 kg multiple Tar Heel wrestlers compete Laird Root leading the way to the round of 16 with victories over Joseph Clark, Brayden Leach, and Conner Harer before dropping into wrestle backs, where he continued his tournament with a hard-fought 10-8 victory. At 79 kg, THWC placed two wrestlers onto day two. Alongside Carrigan's championship-bracket run, Sabino Portella advanced to the consolation sub-quarterfinals after posting four victories on the day. Nolan O'Boyle (86 kg) showcased his resilience by winning four matches and battling back through the wrestle backs to remain in contention entering day two. At 92 kg, Michael Calcagno recorded a pair of dominant technical falls before losing in the quarterfinals. He finished his night with a win and is in the consolation sub-quarterfinals tomorrow. Heavyweight Nolan Neves (125 kg) picked up a few technical falls before dropping his quarterfinals bout. He closed the night with a technical fall and is into the consolation sub-quarterfinals tomorrow. Day Two Match Ups 79 kg – Collin Carrigan vs Matthew Singleton (Championship Quarterfinals) 57 kg – Cam Stinson vs Tyler Harper (Consolation Sub-Quarterfinals) 74 kg – Laird Root vs Dylan Evans (Consolation Sub-Quarterfinals) 79 kg – Sabino Portella vs Ryan Ford (Consolation Sub-Quarterfinals) 86 kg – Nolan O'Boyle vs Gage LaPlante (Consolation Sub-Quarterfinals) 92 kg – Michael Calcagno vs Coy Raines (Consolation Sub-Quarterfinals) 125 kg – Nolan Neves vs Grant Stromberg (Consolation Sub-Quarterfinals) Results 57 kg – Cam Stinson Championship Bracket
Consolation Bracket
61 kg – Marco Tocci Championship Bracket
Consolation Bracket
70 kg – Mitchell Younger Championship Bracket
70 kg – Nikolaus O'Neill Championship Bracket
74 kg – Laird Root Championship Bracket
74 kg – Joey Showalter Championship Bracket
Consolation Bracket
74 kg – Nathaniel Askew Championship Bracket
79 kg – Collin Carrigan Championship Bracket
79 kg – Sabino Portella Championship Bracket
79 kg – Omaury Alvarez Championship Bracket
79 kg – Colin Nugent Championship Bracket
86 kg – Nolan O'Boyle Championship Bracket
86 kg – Aidan Schlett Championship Bracket
92 kg – Michael Calcagno Championship Bracket
125 kg – Jacob Levy Championship Bracket
125 kg – Nolan Neves Championship Bracket
Competition resumes Saturday morning at 10:00AM EST.  Tar Heel Wrestling Club opened competition at the 2026 U20 and U23 World Team Trials with three athletes earning All-American honors at SPIRE Academy in Geneva, Ohio.
Leading the way was Robert Platt, who captured a third-place finish at 97 kg in the U20 freestyle division. Platt continued his spring campaign with another podium performance. Nate Askew added a fourth-place finish at 70 kg in U20 freestyle. In U23 Greco-Roman competition, Omaury Alvarez earned a fifth-place finish at 77 kg, giving the Tar Heel Wrestling Club its third All-American performance of the day. Attention now shifts to the U23 Freestyle World Team Trials, which begin Saturday and continue through Sunday. The Tar Heel Wrestling Club will be represented by 16 athletes. Competing for the Tar Heel Wrestling Club in U23 freestyle will be: 57 kg: Cameron Stinson Jr. 61 kg: Marco Tocci 70 kg: Mitchell Younger, Nikolaus O'Neill 74 kg: Colin Nugent, Joey Showalter, Laird Root, Nate Askew 79 kg: Omaury Alvarez, Collin Carrigan, Sabino Portella 86 kg: Aidan Schlett, Nolan O'Boyle 92 kg: Michael Calcagno 125 kg: Nolan Neves, Jacob Levy Fans can follow results and updates throughout the weekend on USA Wrestling and the Tar Heel Wrestling Club's social media channels. You can watch live on Flo Wrestling.  Photo Credit Tony Rotundo The Tar Heel Wrestling Club is preparing for a major showing on the national stage as athletes from the program head to Geneva, Ohio for the 2026 U20 and U23 World Team Trials, held May 29-31 at SPIRE Academy. The event will feature many of the nation’s top freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestlers competing for the opportunity to represent Team USA internationally
The Tar Heel Wrestling Club enters the weekend with a strong U20 contingent after standout performances at the U.S. Open in Las Vegas earlier this spring. Lincoln Jipp, Robert Platt, Nate Askew, and Jacob Levy each secured qualification for the U20 World Team Trials through their performances in one of the toughest tournaments in the country. Jipp earned a runner-up finish at 92 kg, while Platt also advanced to the finals and finished second at 97 kg. Askew battled through a deep field to secure a podium finish at 70 kg, and Levy added another strong heavyweight performance at 125 kg to earn his spot in Geneva. In addition to its U20 qualifiers, the Tar Heel Wrestling Club will send a deep and talented roster into the U23 divisions, showcasing the continued growth and national reach of the program. The U23 Freestyle roster includes Colin Nugent (74 kg), Omaury Alvarez (79 kg), Mitchell Younger (70 kg), Marco Tocci (61 kg), Nikolaus O’Neill (70 kg), Cameron Stinson Jr. (57 kg), Collin Carrigan (79 kg), Sabino Portella (79 kg), Aidan Schlett (86 kg), Nolan O’Boyle (86 kg), Laird Root (79 kg), Nolan Neves (125 kg), Michael Calcagno (92 kg), Joey Showalter (74 kg), Robert Platt (97 kg), Jacob Levy (125 kg), and Nate Askew (70 kg). The club will also be represented in U23 Greco-Roman competition by Omaury Alvarez at 77 kg. As an official U.S.A. Regional Training Center based in Chapel Hill, the Tar Heel Wrestling Club continues to establish itself as one of the premier developmental programs in the country, producing All-Americans, national finalists, and international-level competitors. Fans can follow results and updates throughout the weekend on the official USA Wrestling and through the Tar Heel Wrestling Club social media channels. Hanna Earns Bronze as THWC Brings Home Three Medals from Senior Pan American Championships5/10/2026  The Tar Heel Wrestling Club wrapped up competition at the Senior Pan American Championships in Coralville, Iowa, with another podium finish Sunday as Shannon Hanna earned a bronze medal at 65 kg.
Hanna put together a strong tournament performance before falling in the semifinal round to Real Woods of the United States. Woods entered the event as the reigning World bronze medalist at 65 kg and went on to win gold. Bouncing back after the semifinal loss, Hanna responded with a dominant performance in the bronze medal match to secure a spot on the podium and add to an impressive weekend for the Tar Heel Wrestling Club on the international stage With Hanna’s bronze medal, THWC finished the Senior Pan American Championships with three total medals, including one silver and two bronze medals against some of the top competition from across the Americas. The strong performances in Coralville continue to showcase the growth and international success of the Tar Heel Wrestling Club as its athletes compete against world-level competition across the globe.  Tar Heel Wrestling Club athlete Justin Benjamin made history this weekend at the 2026 USA Wrestling Beach Nationals, capturing the championship and earning a spot on the U.S. Beach World Team for the fourth time in his career. Benjamin becomes the first athlete in Tar Heel Wrestling Club history to win a Beach Nationals title.
With the victory, Benjamin qualified for the 2026 Beach Wrestling World Championships, set to take place in September in Katerini, Greece. The Beach World Championships will bring together top athletes from around the globe as Benjamin looks to continue building on his international success while representing both Team USA and the Tar Heel Wrestling Club on the world stage.  The Tar Heel Wrestling Club saw two athletes reach the podium Saturday at the Senior Pan American Championships in Coralville, Iowa, as Chris Foca captured a silver medal and Ethan Ramos secured bronze in freestyle competition.
Competing at 86 kg, Foca advanced to the championship finals with an impressive run through the bracket before falling to reigning World Champion Zahid Valencia in the gold medal match. Foca’s silver medal performance continues his rise on the international freestyle scene and adds another major achievement for the Tar Heel Wrestling Club on the senior level. Representing Puerto Rico, Ethan Ramos battled back through the bracket to earn a bronze medal finish at 86 kg. A past Pan American medalist, Ramos once again showcased his veteran experience and toughness against a deep international field. The medal-winning performances highlighted a strong showing for THWC athletes on the continental stage as the Senior Pan American Championships brought together many of the top wrestlers from across the Americas in Coralville. THWC’s international competition continues Sunday as Shannon Hanna is set to take the mat in Coralville looking to add another podium finish for the club.  The 2026 Senior Pan-American Wrestling Championships begin this week in Coralville, Iowa, bringing together many of the top freestyle wrestlers from across the Americas for one of the premier continental events on the international calendar.
Three athletes representing the Tar Heel Wrestling Club will take the mat this weekend, as Shannon Hanna, Chris Foca, and Ethan Ramos compete against elite international fields while representing their respective nations. At 86 kg in men’s freestyle, both Chris Foca and Ethan Ramos are set to compete on Saturday in a loaded bracket featuring top contenders from the United States, Brazil, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Canada, Colombia, and Mexico. Representing the Dominican Republic, Chris Foca enters will open his competition directly in the quarterfinals. Foca is positioned on the bottom side of the bracket and could see several high-level matchups on his road to the finals. Ethan Ramos, representing Puerto Rico, also received a direct berth into the quarterfinals. Ramos sits on the same side of the bracket from Foca, giving the two THWC athletes a potential opportunity to meet in the championship semifinals. The 86 kg bracket includes several accomplished international wrestlers and is expected to be one of the most competitive divisions of the tournament. On Sunday, Shannon Hanna will compete at 65 kg representing the Bahamas. Hanna advances directly into the quarterfinals, where he will begin his pursuit of a Pan-American medal against a field that includes athletes from the United States, Canada, Ecuador, Mexico, and Jamaica. The Pan-American Championships serve as one of the most important continental events of the year and feature many current World Team members, Pan-American medalists, and internationally ranked athletes. The tournament runs May 7–10 in Coralville, Iowa. Fans can follow the action live through United World Wrestling and FloWrestling coverage throughout the weekend.  Chapel Hill, NC — The Tar Heel Wrestling Club is set to be represented on the national stage as Justin Benjamin competes at 70 kg in the upcoming USA Wrestling Beach Nationals, held at the Carolina Beach Boardwalk in Carolina Beach, North Carolina.
Hosted by USA Wrestling, the Beach Nationals bring together top athletes from across the country to compete in one of the sport’s fastest-growing and most dynamic disciplines. The event features competitors of all ages and experience levels, all vying for national titles and, in select divisions, opportunities to qualify for international competition. Benjamin will compete in the highly competitive 70 kg division, a weight class featured across multiple age groups including U20 and Senior men’s divisions. Set against the backdrop of Carolina Beach, the event combines high-level wrestling with a unique outdoor atmosphere, highlighting the physicality and excitement of beach wrestling. Competition is scheduled to begin Saturday following weigh-ins and a mandatory rules clinic for all athletes.  Chapel Hill, NC — Dunia Rodriguez Sibomana continued his remarkable run on the international stage, capturing a second gold medal in as many days with a championship performance at the Senior African Championships in the 57kg division on Sunday.
Fresh off his UWW U20 African Championship title, Sibomana returned to the mat against the continent’s top senior-level competition and once again proved dominant. Showing no signs of fatigue, he controlled matches with the same high-paced offense and technical precision that defined his U20 run, solidifying his status as one of Africa’s premier wrestlers at 57kg—regardless of age level. Doubling up with both U20 and Senior African titles in the same weekend is a rare and impressive feat, highlighting Sibomana’s readiness to compete at the highest levels of international wrestling. With back-to-back gold medals, Sibomana now turns his focus to the global stage, where he will represent the Democratic Republic of Congo at the U20, U23, and Senior World Championships later this summer and fall. |
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