NEWS
Four Wildcat Wrestlers Head to U.S. Open Wrestling Championships
First year wrestler Ian McGehee defeated NC State’s Aaron Faison, 7-3.
DAVIDSON, N.C. – Four Wildcats are set to compete at the U.S. Open Championships hosted by USA Wrestling in Las Vegas this weekend. Tyler-Xavier McKnight, Marc Koch, Ian McGehee, and Wyatt Ferguson will all compete in the U20 freestyle division.
“I’m excited for our young guys to get an opportunity to wrestle in a different environment than they’re used to,” said head coach Nate Carr Jr.“Anytime you get a chance to compete with some of the country’s best wrestlers, it can only add to their experience as competitors.”
McKnight, a freshman from Cartersville, Ga., won 21 matches in his first collegiate season and was named to the Southern Conference All-Freshman squad. He will wrestle in the 70-kilogram weight class.
Sophomore Marc Koch and freshman Ian McGehee will step into the circle in the 74-kilogram weight class. Koch won ten matches this past season at both 165 and 174 pounds with six dual wins. McGehee, saw limited action as a freshman but was a Junior Fargo Greco All-American back in 2022.
The final current Wildcat making the trip is freshman Wyatt Ferguson, who will wrestle in the 86-kilogram weight class. Ferguson also made it to the SoCon All-Freshman team this past season with 15 wins and six conference dual victories at 184 pounds.
One other thing to keep an eye on will be a pair of future Wildcats suiting up in Vegas. Anderson Heap, a 3A FHSAA state champion, and Tyson Sherlock, a National Prep All-American, will both compete in the 70 kg division.
The U20 freestyle division is slated to begin on Friday at 10:00 a.m. pacific time. Brackets will be available on FloArena here.