The 2024 Olympic Wrestling Team Trials will be held April 19-20 at the Bryce Jordan Center in State College, Pennsylvania. The field is now set for who is eligible to compete at the Olympic Trials but we don't yet have the seeds for the event. Because of that, the below article will breakdown our predictions for the seeds at the Olympic Team Trials in the men's freestyle division.

Olympic Team Trials Seeding Criteria

According to USA Wrestling, seeding will be done by the USA Wrestling National Staff and will incorporate 4 different criteria in determining seeds (in no specific order):

• USA Wrestling Performance Index (PIN)
• Head-To-Head Matches
• Common Opponents
• National/International performances (i.e. tournament finishes)

Because we don't know how each above criteria will be weighted, I chose to base a majority of my seeds around head-to-head results and common opponent results. I believe those two criteria best represent where wrestlers should be seeded.

57 kg

*Vito Arujau is sitting in the semifinals as a 2023 World Medalist at a non-Olympic weight

1. Zane Richards 
2. Thomas Gilman
3. Daton Fix
4. Nick Suriano
5. Spencer Lee
6. Nico Megaludis
7. Liam Cronin
8. Daniel DeShazer
9. Luke Lilledahl
10. Jax Forrest
11. Richard Figueroa
12. Marcus Blaze

I feel fairly confident that Zane Richards and Thomas Gilman will be the #1 and #2 seeds but after that, it's challenging to predict where the seeding committee will place Daton Fix and Nick Suriano. I gave Fix the #3 seed based on his senior level freestyle credentials as a 2021 world silver medalist and for making Final X in 2022. Then, I gave Suriano the edge over Spencer Lee based on Lee forfeiting to Suriano at the 2023 US Open. 

The 6-9 seeds should fall in line with results from 2023 Senior Nationals but I'm not sure how they'll seed Forrest, Figueroa, and Blaze. I gave the edge to Forrest here for his win over Nathan Tomasello at the Last Chance and put Blaze at the #12 because he lacks senior-level experience. 

57 kg Projected Bracket

65 kg

*Zain Retherford sitting in the semifinals as a 2023 World Medalist at a non-Olympic weight

1. Nick Lee
2. Yianni Diakomihalis
3. Andrew Alirez
4. James Green
5. Beau Bartlett
6. Joey McKenna
7. Kaleb Larkin
8. Jesse Mendez
9. Seth Gross
10. Matt Kolodzik
11. Alec Pantaleo
12. Nahshon Garrett

65 kg might be the most challenging seeds to predict of any weight class due to recent results. Joey McKenna is the wrestler who makes things difficult because of his win over Yianni Diakomihalis overseas in November but his loss to Beau Bartlett in December at Senior Nationals. Because of that loss, I chose to put McKenna behind Bartlett. I also keep Yianni as the #2 seed for making Final X in 2023 and for his world silver medal in 2022. 

After Yianni, I gave Andrew Alirez the #3 seed for his performance at Senior Nationals where he defeated Austin DeSanto, Alec Pantaleo, and Beau Bartlett on his way to winning gold. On top of that performance, Alirez won gold at an international tournament in Poland last year where he defeated recent Olympic Qualifier and 3-time world champion Haji Aliyev. That result likely won't be taken into account for seeding purposes but it's still fun to point out.

After Alirez, I gave James Green the #4 seed because of his overall results on the senior level but I could see the seeding committee docking him for his time off the mat and for his lack of good results at 65kg. 

Kaleb Larkin defeated Jesse Mendez at the 2023 Bill Farrell giving Larkin the edge in seeding here. It's also worth noting that Kolodzik beat DeSanto at the Farrell but Gross beat both Kolodzik and DeSanto at Senior Nationals. Because of those wins, I could see the seeding committee moving Gross above Larkin.

65 kg Projected Bracket

74 kg

*Kyle Dake is sitting in the Olympic Trials Finals as a 2023 world medalist at 74 kg

1. Jordan Burroughs
2. Jason Nolf
3. Keegan O’Toole
4. Carter Starocci
5. Vincenzo Joseph
6. David Carr
7. Quincy Monday
8. Mitchell Mesenbrink
9. Meyer Shapiro
10. Alex Marinelli
11. Alex Facundo
12. Tyler Berger
13. Jarrett Jacques
14. Levi Haines
15. Ladarion Lockett

Jordan Burroughs and Jason Nolf feel like a clear lock for the #1 and #2 seeds at 74 kg but after that things get a little challenging to predict. O'Toole should get the #3 seed because of his finish at the US Open last year and for making the national team. I could see Vincenzo Joseph coming in as the #4 seed because he made the 2023 US Open finals but I gave Starocci the edge because Starocci has a win over Nolf (in 2021 at 79 kg) and Starocci is a U23 world medalist. 

After Joseph, I gave David Carr the #5 seed for making the senior national team in 2022. Quincy Monday earns the #6 seed in my predictions for his performance at Senior Nationals here he won gold by defeating Jarrett Jaques and Alex Marinelli.

Mesenbrink and Shapiro are challenging to predict and could move above Monday, Carr, Joseph, and Starocci because they are both 2023 U20 world champs. However, I chose to keep them a little lower in the seeds for their lack of results on the senior level. 

Seeds 10-13 fall in line with results from Senior Nationals. Levi Haines doesn't have any senior level results so he comes in after that group. Finally, Ladarion Lockett earned his spot here for winning U17 Worlds but he doesn't have any results suggesting he should be seeded above anyone in this bracket. 

74 kg Projected Bracket

86 kg

*David Taylor is sitting in the Olympic Trials Finals as the 2023 World Champ at 86 kg

*Zahid Valencia sitting in the semifinals as a world medalist at a non-Olympic weight

1. Aaron Brooks
2. Chance Marsteller
3. Trent Hidlay
4. Alex Dieringer
5. Mark Hall
6. Max Dean
7. Connor Mirasola
8. Evan Wick
9. David McFadden
10. Parker Keckesien

Aaron Brooks and Chance Marsteller are the clear #1 and #2 seeds but Marsteller does have a case for the #1 seed as the returning world team member at 79 kg. Despite that, I gave the nod to Brooks because of his results at the weight class. He made Final X last year while beating Zahid Valencia who went on to win a world medal at 92 kg. 

After the top 2, seeds fall in line from 3-9 based on results from the 2023 Bill Farrell and 2023 Senior Nationals. Parker Keckeisen did just dominantly win an NCAA Title but his lack of results on the senior level might keep him at the 10 seed in this deep field. 

86 kg Projected Bracket

97 kg

*Kyle Snyder is sitting in the Olympic Trials Finals as a 2023 world medalist at 97 kg.

1. J’den Cox
2. Isaac Trumble
3. Michael Macchiavello
4. Kollin Moore
5. Nate Jackson
6. Jay Aiello
7. Eric Schultz
8. Anthony Cassioppi
9. Christian Carroll

The seeds at 97 kg might be the simplest and follow head-to-head results from the 2023 US Open, 2023 Bill Farrell, and 2023 Senior Nationals. Trumble could fall below Nate Jackson based on Jackson's wins over Trumble at the 2022 WTT Challenge Tournament but I chose to reward Trumble for making the finals of the 2023 US Open and for winning a U23 World title last year. Beyond that, I'd be surprised if the seeds differ from what I have listed above.

97 kg Projected Bracket

125 kg

*Mason Parris sitting in the Olympic Trials Finals as a 2023 world medalist at 125 kg

1. Hayden Zillmer
2. Nick Gwiazdowski
3. Dom Bradley
4. Greg Kerkvliet
5. Wyatt Hendrickson
6. Christian Lance
7. Gary Traub
8. Demetrius Thomas
9. Trent Hillger
10. Jaron Smith

Hayden Zillmer was the 2022 world team representative at 125 kg but missed almost all of 2023 with an injury. Even with the lack of results, I still think his wins over Nick Gwiazdowski at 2022 Final X will give him the edge and earn him the #1 seed.

After Zillmer, I gave Gwiazdowksi the #2 seed for his win over Dom Bradley at the 2023 World Team Trials. At that same tournament, Bradley then went on to defeat Wyatt Hendrickson for third place. 

Greg Kerkvliet is the wild card here and I don't know what the seeding committee will do with him because he doesn't have any recent results on the senior level. I chose to put him right above Hendrickson because of folkstyle results.

After Kerkvliet, seeds 6-10 fall in line with results from 2023 Senior Nationals. 

125 kg Projected Bracket