Valencia, Maroulis Among 16 To Take 1-0 Series Lead At 2026 Final X, Presented By Kerberos Capital Management
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²ú²âÌýRichard Immel, 91°µÍø
Helen Maroulis defeated Amanda Martinez 8-1 in round one at 2026 Final X, presented by Kerberos Capital Management.
NEWARK, N.J. – Round one winners in the 2026 Final X, presented by Kerberos Capital Management, best-of-three series are settled—16 athletes took early 1-0 series leads to put themselves in a prime position to make the U.S. World Team.
Four returning World medalists who earned automatic bids to the Final X championship series all won their openers.
Returning World champions Zahid Valencia and Helen Maroulis won in the main events, Valencia 3-2 over two-time Olympic medalist and four-time World champion Kyle Dake at 86 kg, and Maroulis 8-1 over U.S. Open champion Amanda Martinez at 57 kg. The Valencia-Dake match came down to a takedown call on the edge of the mat overturned by video review in the final moments. Maroulis chipped away at a game Martinez with three second-period takedowns.
Kyle Snyder, who also topped the World podium in 2025, earned a 5-2 decision over U.S. Open champion Stephen Buchanan at 97 kg. 2025 World silver medalist Levi Haines pushed his way to a 6-1 win over 2023 World Team member Chance Marsteller at 79 kg.
2024 Olympic champion Amit Elor received a forfeit from 2025 World Team member Alexandria Glade at 72 kg. Spencer Lee, a silver medalist from the Paris Olympics, regained the momentum against reigning U23 World champion Luke Lilledahl with a 7-1 win at 57 kg.
Two-time World medalist and Olympian Kayla Miracle cruised to a 7-2 decision over 2023 World bronze medalist Jennifer Page to open the show at 65 kg.
2023 World champion Zain Retherford took a 2-1 decision over U.S. Open champion Ridge Lovett at 70 kg, while Returning World Team member Wyatt Hendrickson upended 2024 Olympian and 2023 World bronze medalist Mason Parris in a 9-5 heavyweight shootout.
Returning Final X champions and World Team members David Carr and Jax Forrest dropped tight matches in round one, Carr 6-3 to two-time World medalist James Green at 74 kg and Forrest 2-2 to 2025 U20 World champion Marcus Blaze at 61 kg. Both matches were decided in the waning moments.
Two past World Team members on the women’s freestyle side earned pins in round one. Abigail Nette reversed an Alexis Janiak pinning attempt to gain a pin of her own at 59 kg. Adaugo Nwachuwku beat the buzzer with a pin on two-time World medalist Macey Kilty with one second left in the first period at 62 kg.
Also earning critical wins on Friday afternoon at Prudential Center were 2025 World Team member Cristelle Rodriguez at 53 kg, 2025 U20 World champion Everest Leydecker at 55 kg and two-time U17 World champion Morgan Turner at 50 kg.
The action continues from Prudential Center at 5 p.m. (ET) with rounds two and three (if necessary) of the best-of-three championship series to determine who will compete at the 2026 Senior World Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan.
A live stream of 2026 Final X, presented by Kerberos Capital Management, is available at . Results can be found on .
125 kg – Wyatt Hendrickson (Cowboy RTC/Air Force WCAP) leads Mason Parris (Cliff Keen WC/Titan Mercury WC), one match to none
Round one – Hendrickson dec. Parris, 9-5
70 kg – Zain Retherford (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC) leads Ridge Lovett (Nebraska WTC/Training Mercury WC), one match to none
Round one – Retherford dec. Lovett, 2-1
79 kg – Levi Haines (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC) leads Chance Marsteller (New Jersey RTC/Titan Mercury WC), one match to none
Round one – Haines dec. Marsteller, 6-1
74 kg – James Green (Nebraska WTC/Titan Mercury WC) leads David Carr (Cyclone RTC/Titan Mercury WC), one match to none
Round one – Green dec. Carr, 6-3
97 kg – Kyle Snyder (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC) leads Stephen Buchanan (Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury WC), one match to none
Round one – Snyder dec. Buchanan, 5-2
61 kg – Marcus Blaze (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC) leads Jax Forrest (Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC), one match to none
Round one – Blaze dec. Forrest, 2-2
57 kg – Spencer Lee Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury WC) leads Luke Lilledahl (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC), one match to none
Round one – Lee dec. Lilledahl, 7-1
86 kg – Zahid Valencia (Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC) leads Kyle Dake (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC), one match to none
Round one – Valencia dec. Dake, 3-2
65 kg – Kayla Miracle (Titan Mercury WC) leads Jennifer Page (Titan Mercury WC), one match to none
Round one – Miracle dec. Page, 7-2
55 kg – Everest Leydecker (Thorobred WC/New York AC) leads Areana Villaescusa (Army WCAP), one match to none
Round one – Leydecker dec. Villaescusa, 2-1
59 kg – Abigail Nette (Army WCAP) leads Alexis Janiak (Titan Mercury WC), one match to none
Round one – Nette fall Janiak, 1:41
53 kg – Cristelle Rodriguez (Tiger WC/Titan Mercury WC) leads Elena Ivaldi (California), one match to none
Round one – Rodriguez tech. fall Ivaldi, 10-0
72 kg – Amit Elor (New York City RTC/Titan Mercury WC) leads Alexandria Glaude (Titan Mercury WC), one match to none
Round one – Elor forfeit Glaude
50 kg – Morgan Turner (All I See Is Gold Academy/Titan Mercury WC) leads Katie Gomez (Titan Mercury WC), one match to none
Round one – Turner dec. Gomez, 7-2
62 kg – Adaugo Nwachukwu (Army WCAP) leads Macey Kilty (Iowa Women’s WC/Titan Mercury WC), one match to none
Round one – Nwachukwu fall Kilty, 2:59
57 kg – Helen Maroulis (Titan Mercury WC) leads Amanda Martinez (Cardinal WC/Titan Mercury WC), one match to none
Round one – Maroulis dec. Martinez, 8-1
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