CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois redshirt senior wrestler Isaiah Martinez will represent Team USA for the first time in his career as he competes at the inaugural Under-23 World Wrestling Championships on Sunday, November 26 in Bydgoszcz, Poland. Wrestling in the 74kg/163lb men's freestyle division, Martinez's preliminary rounds will begin at 3 a.m. central time, 10 a.m. locally, followed by finals at 11 a.m. central time, 6 p.m. locally.
The addition of U-23 World Championships was first announced on February 28 by United World Wrestling. The world event follows a successful U-23 European Championship in 2016 that saw 34 nations compete. The new event offers top prospects from each nation to gain experience at a federation-based championship.
Among the formidable world wrestlers joining Martinez at 74kg, Mohammad Mottaghinia of Iran enters after taking bronze at 2017 Junior World Championships, while Russia's Gadzhi Nabiev placed second at Russian Nationals and was a Junior World champion in 2015.
Martinez joins six other Illini wrestlers to represent the Orange and Blue at a junior World Championships, and the first since Conrad Polz in 2010. Karl Roesier was the first Illini to represent Team USA at Junior Championships in 1995.
The two-time NCAA champion advanced to his first world competition by defeating Chance Marsteller of Titan Mercury in a best-of-three series in Rochester, Minnesota on October 8. Martinez won the first bout 8-2 before posting a comeback win in the second match, a 7-6 decision.
U-23 World Championships begins on Tuesday, November 21 and continues through Sunday, November 26th with eight divisions each of men's and women's freestyle and men's Greco-Roman.
U23 World Championships Schedule
Tuesday, Nov. 21: Greco-Roman – 71 kg, 75 kg, 85 kg, 98 kg
Wednesday, Nov. 22: Greco-Roman – 59 kg, 66 kg, 80 kg, 130 kg
Thursday, Nov. 23: Women's freestyle – 55 kg, 58 kg, 63 kg, 75 kg
Friday, Nov. 24: Women's freestyle – 48 kg, 53 kg, 60 kg, 69 kg
Saturday, Nov. 25: Men's freestyle – 57 kg, 61kg, 86 kg, 125 kg
Sunday, Nov. 26: Men's freestyle – 65 kg, 70 kg, 74 kg, 97 kg
Team USA
Men's Freestyle
57 kg/125 lbs. – Daton Fix
61 kg/134 lbs. – Mitchell McKee
65 kg/143 lbs. – Joey McKenna
70 kg/154 lbs. – Richie Lewis
74 kg/163 lbs. – Isaiah Martinez
86 kg/189 lbs. – Sam Brooks
97 kg/213 lbs. – Ty Walz
125 kg/275 lbs. – Michael Kroells
Women's Freestyle
48 kg/106 lbs. – Cody Pfau
53 kg/117 lbs. – Amy Fearnside
55 kg/121 lbs. – Dominique Parrish
58 kg/128 lbs. – Megan Black
60 kg/130 lbs. – Kayla Miracle
63 kg/139 lbs. – Maya Nelson
69 kg/152 lbs. – Forrest Molinari
75 kg/165 lbs. – Rachel Watters
Greco-Roman
59 kg/130 lbs. – Dalton Roberts
66 kg/145 lbs. – Alejandro Sancho
71 kg/156 lbs. – Alex Mossing
75 kg/165 lbs. – Jesse Porter
80 kg/176 lbs. – Kamal Bey
85 kg/187 lbs. – Barrett Stanghill
98 kg/216 lbs. – Blake Smith
130 kg/286 lbs. – G'Angelo Hancock
For complete coverage of Fighting Illini wrestling, go to FIGHTINILLINI.com and follow @IlliniWrestling on Twitter and Instagram.
