15 Knights RTC Wrestlers Competed In the United States’ Premier International Wrestling Tournament 

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Two Knights RTC (Bellarmine) wrestlers earned All-American honors at the US Open, USA Wrestling’s national tournament for building the country’s World Team. 

The international USA Wrestling arm of the Bellarmine University’s Wrestling Team, Kentucky’s only NCAA Division 1 program, Knights RTC sent 15 wrestlers to compete in the Under 20 Years Old and Senior Divisions of Greco and Freestyle brackets. According to USA Wrestling, more than 6,000 wrestlers competed in various ages, and the Knights competed with the best in the world.

“We love challenges, and the US Open brings the best of it. Really proud of our 15 guys for stepping up and putting it on the line,” said Ned Shuck, the executive director for Knights RTC and head coach of the Bellarmine Knights Wrestling Team, which sent two wrestlers to the National NCAA Tournament in March. “Competing is so fun and it feels like way too long ago since the National tournament. We had a great time together as a team!”

Anchored by a strong Greco performance, Knights RTC Greco wrestlers earned 16 total wins, a team record at the US Open, with Keenan Wyatt (Gardendale, Ala.) finishing 7th in 87 kilograms in the Senior Division and Tristin Greene (LeGrange, Ohio) earning 7th in the U20 82 kilograms. Both earned All-American status.

The Knights RTC head Greco coach Momir Petković, the 1976 Olympic Gold Medalist and former USA Wrestling Greco Coach, said all the wrestlers really put effort into their training and it showed at the US Open. 

“You can see the passion these young men have for the Olympic styles of wrestling, especially Keenen Wyatt, who jumped a level this past year in Greco,” said  Petković, a six time world medalist in Greco. “I am so happy with his all-in approach and his love for the sport.”

Wyatt, last year’s U23 World Team Trials Champion and PanAm Games’ Bronze Medalist, opened the tournament with a convincing tech fall over New York Athletic Club’s Antony Tuttle, and then faced off against the eventual US Open champion Beka Melelashvil, the tournament’s No. 2 seed and the 2024 U23 World Silver Medalist. Wyatt, No. 7 seed, took an early 1-0 lead and remained aggressive with his arm drag and underhook attacks, but the savvy veteran answered Wyatt’s every move. Meleashvili won by tech fall late in the bout, 10-1, and plowed his way to the championship. 

On the backside, Wyatt quickly tech-fell Henry Baronowski (NMU-National Training Center)  and lost to fourth-place medalist Michael Altomer (NYAC) by a decision 6-4. But it was his seventh place match that had the hallways of the US Open buzzing. After nearly two periods of pummeling for double underhooks, Wyatt earned a body lock and threw Christian Rouleau (Minneapolis; STNY) straight to his back for a stunning pin.

Head coach Ned Shuck said that was a heckuva way to finish Wyatt’s tournament.

“This builds off the success he had at U23 last year. His skill set and physical development are both taking a jump, and he’s responding the right way. It showed with his first senior level medal at the US Open,” Shuck said.

Like Wyatt, Greene wrestled five matches in his US Open debut and lost to a US Open finalist. 

Greene narrowly defeated Logan Hinton (Lughoff, S.C.; Valhalla SOT) 8-6 in his opening round and then lost to Ivan Ivanov (Eagle, Idaho; Suples Wrestling Club) by tech fall 11-0. Ivanov finished 2nd in U20s and won U17 Greco. 

From here, Greene really started cooking, earning an upset over No. 5 seed Broedy Hendricks (Thor, Iowa; BTWC). In the first period, Hendricks tried ripping a headlock throw, but Greene successfully slipped out and caught his opponent’s body before transitioning right into a gut. Going into the second period, Greene led 4-2 and hit an early arm drag takedown to a gut, earning Greene the tech fall win at 10-2.

Greene lost his next match to Cy Fowler (Cleveland, Tenn.; Air Force), a tech fall 8-0, but came back strong in his Seventh Place medal match. Down 5-0 to Brent Slade Jr. (Altoona, Iowa; Burg Training Center), a  former Cambell wrestler, Greene hit a sweet double-over throw for four points but a challenged review withdrew the points for it occurring out of bounds. Still down 5-0, Greene went back to his offense, quickly getting Slade’s back and collapsing him to the ground to Greene’s dangerous gut wrench. With the takedown and two turns, Greene evened the score, but led by criteria 6-6. From here, it was all Knights, who controlled the mat with two more takedowns and a gut, winning 12-6. 

Shuck said Greene’s tenacity and heart earned him the medal.

“It’s been a while since Tristin’s competed, and getting back out there brought the excitement back for him,” Shuck said. “He’s got real potential in Greco and he showed that this weekend.” 

Other notable Knights with deep runs, Grant O’Dell (North Liberty, Iowa; 79 kilograms) and Noah Hall (Bealton, Va.; 74 kilograms) both went 3-2. O’Dell (2026 National Qualifier for the Bellarmine Knights) defeated 2x NAIA National Champion and former Big 10 wrestler Johnathan Kerver and former Rider wrestler Gino Fluri. O’Dell was up 2-0 on Ethan Riddle (Minnesota) before the Knight had to medical forfeit the tournament after injury. 

Petković noted O’Dell really turned his year around. 

“I love how Grant finished the year, like a champ. No worries on the mat; he just wrestled,” Petković said. 

With Hall, while his wins seemed to come easy, including over Virginia Tech wrestler and former No. 12 recruit Duane Barton, it was his losses that put this Knight on the map. He scored takedowns on Jarrett Jacques (Missouri) and Joseph Sealy (Penn State), who finished 8th and 3rd respectively in the tournament. 

Senior level 97 kilogram Greco competitor Evan Grazzini (Elmhurst, Ill.) and U20s 74 kilogram freestlye wrestler Nick Piontkowski (Delaware, Ohio) both finished 2-2, impressing the coaches with significant wins over prominent talent.

Grazzini defeated Jarrett Baker (Oregon; SMMC) by tech fall 8-0 in 43 seconds and former Olympic Greco trials qualifier Brandon Marshall (Iowa City; SWC) by fall, while losing to eventual seventh place finisher Michial Foy (Colorado; ARWC) and MacAron Kukowsk (Plymouth, Minn.; Minnesota Storm). Both losses were by tech falls. 

 Piontkowski bested David Ogunsanya (River Forest, Ill.; BTSC) by tech fall 13-2 and Maikol Perez (Colorado; NIAC) by fall. He lost to eventual Sixth Place finisher Bruno Cassioppi (Rosco, Ill.; HWC)  and narrowly dropped his final match Zyon Trujillo (Las Vegas; Brunson UVRTC) 4-3. 

Other competitors

• Anthony Alanis: 1-2, 55 KG Seniors Greco; 0-2, 57 KG Seniors Freestlye
• Damion Ryan: 1-2, 57 KG Seniors Freestlye 
• Joshua Medina: 0-2, 60KG U20 Greco
• Travis Long: 2-2, 63KG U20 Greco; 2-2 65KG U20 Freestlye 
• Nathan Higley: 2-2 (1 win by forfeit), 70KG Seniors Freestlye
• Charlie Gessford: 1-2, 74KG U20 Freestlye
• Tyler Martinez: 0-2, 77KG U20 Greco
• Cael Miller: 1-2, 79KG U20 Freestlye; 1-2 77KG U20 Greco
• Gavin Rickets: 2-2 (1 win by forfeit), 82KG Seniors Greco