Three Champions, ten All-Americans
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The Northern Michigan Greco-Roman Wrestling team competed at the 2025 CLAW U.S. Open Championships in Las Vegas this past weekend, where three champions were crowned, 10 were named All-Americans, two earned a spot on the Senior World Team, and three claimed their place on the National Team/U23 World Team.
Competing in U20, Landon Drury (63 kg) claimed his title as National Champion. The NMU roster also added a pair of Senior U.S. Open Champions in Max Black (60 kg) and Payton Jacobson (87kg).
Both U20 and Senior competitions were held at The Expo at World Market Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
U20 Greco-Roman Nationals
A 2023 U20 World Team member, Drury earned his second U.S. Open title at 63 kg. Matched up with Ned Kauffman (Lancaster Alliance Wrestling Club (LAW)) in the championship tilt, Drury claimed his title in less than 90 seconds of work with a 9-0 technical fall.
Also earning All-America accolades were Julian Slaastad (77kg) and Hank Baronowski (87 kg). Slaastad finished in 3rd place, defeating Micah Roper (Viking Wrestling Club (IA)) by a 10-0 technical fall in 2:27 in the bronze medal match. Baronowski finished in 8th place in his weight class.
More from the U20 Greco-Roman National Championships can be found here.
Senior Greco-Roman World Team Trials
The Northern Michigan squad finished out the Senior Greco-Roman World Team Trials as part of the 2025 CLAW U.S. Open with seven All-Americans.
Max Black (60kg) and Payton Jacobson (87 kg) won their respective weight classes, earning them a spot on the Senior World Team that will head to Zagreb, Croatia, in September. Kaden Ercanbrack (63 kg) finished in 3rd, joining Black and Jacobson on the National Team and U23 World Team.
Black made his first Senior World Team at 60 kg by defeating 2023 Senior Men’s Freestyle World Team member Zane Richards (Illinois RTC/ Titan Mercury WC) in two rounds. Despite a close battle in each match, Black persevered with a 3-2 win in the first match and a 2-1 victory in the second. A step-out put Black up by one, and he doubled the score after Richards was hit for passivity. Black was called for passivity in the second period, but Richards was unable to generate any par terre offense.
Jacobson found himself in an intense battle at 87 kg, defeating Spencer Woods (Army WCAP) in three rounds. He won by decision 5-1 in the opening match, but Woods pulled even with a 6-5 decision in the second to force a winner-take-all final round. In that match, Jacobson came through with an immense body lock on the edge in the final seconds to highlight a 7-5 victory. This will be Jacobson’s first Senior World Team after making his first Olympic appearance last year in Paris.
At 63 kg, Ercanback defeated Riley Lomenick (OTC), 5-0 in the 3rd place match to earn his spot on the National Team and U23 World Team.
Jimmy Hustoles (130 kg – 6th place), Kenneth Crosby (55 kg – 8th place), Patrick Curran (77 kg – 8th place), and Timothy Eubanks (130 kg – 8th place) were also named All-Americans.
