GENEVA, Ohio – North Dakota State wrestling will have four student-athletes competing at the U23 Nationals & U20 World Team Trials this weekend at the Spire Academy in men’s freestyle and Greco-Roman.
Ezekiel Witt, Kody Tanimoto and Shilo Jones will compete in the U20 Greco-Roman and Freestyle World Team Trials, while Drew Blackburn-Forst will compete in the U23 Greco-Roman and Freestyle Nationals.
The event begins with the Greco-Roman competition for both divisions on Friday. Witt and Tanimoto will compete at 55 kg, while Jones and Blackburn-Forst will compete at 130 kg. Saturday will see the men’s freestyle competition begin for both age groups and end on Sunday. Witt and Tanimoto will compete at 57 kg, while Jones and Blackburn-Forst compete at 125 kg.
Jones won the 130kg U20 Greco-Roman National Championship at the U.S. Open in April.
The 2025 U20 World Championships will take place in Sofia, Bulgaria, August 18-24. The U23 Nationals will be held alongside the U20 World Team Trials. The event features a full challenge tournament and a best-of-three championship series.
Twenty athletes in the U20 Greco-Roman and men’s freestyle World Team Trials earned a spot in the best-of-three finals series by winning U20 Nationals titles at the U.S. Open in April. The athletes also earned the right to compete at the 2025 U20 Pan American Championships in Lima, Peru, July 10-12.
2025 U23 Nationals and U20 World Team Trials
Friday, May 30
Session 1: 9:00 a.m.
U20 GR World Team Trials: Challenge Tournament – Preliminaries, Quarterfinals, Semifinals, Challenge Finals & Consolations
U23 GR Nationals: Preliminaries, Quarterfinals, Semifinals, & Consolations
Session 2: 3:00 p.m.
U20 GR World Team Trials: All medal matches, and best-of-three finals
U23 GR Nationals: All medal matches, and best-of-three finals
Saturday, May 31
Session 1: 8:30 a.m.
U20 FS World Team Trials: Challenge Tournament – Preliminaries, Quarterfinals, Semifinals, Challenge Finals & Consolations
U23 FS Nationals: Preliminaries and Consolations
Session 2: 3:00 p.m.
U20 FS World Team Trials: All medal matches, and best-of-three finals
U23 FS Nationals: Preliminaries and Consolations
Sunday, June 1
Session 3: 9:00 a.m.
U23 FS Nationals: Quarterfinals, Semifinals, Consolations, all Medal Matches, and best-of-three finals
