LAS VEGAS, NEV. - A busy weekend of wrestling by Cornellians at the CLAW US Open saw Yianni Diakimohalis '23 (70 kg FS) secure his fourth trip to Final X, Kyle Dake '13 (86 kg FS) and Simon Ruiz '28 (79 kg FS) earn silver and gold respectively, and Nahshon Garrett '16 announce his retirement from competitive wrestling. Five Cornellians recorded podium finishes at The Expo at World Market Center.
Diakimohalis' booked his fourth trip to Final X with an 8-2 victory in the finals against James Green. Dake fell to Zahid Valencia in the 86 kg finals to collect silver, and will continue his pursuit to make another United States World Team when he competes in the World Team Trials for the opportunity to meet Valencia for a rematch at Final X. Ruiz collected bronze after overcoming a 5-0 deficit against Kharchla to take a gritty 7-7 victory on criteria.
2025 CLAW U.S. Open Senior Men Freestyle Championship #USOpen25
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70kg - Yianni Diakomihalis, (Spartan Combat RTC/ Titan Mercury) Dec James Green, (Nebraska RTC/ Titan Mercury) (8-2) pic.twitter.com/BjiRHXbAff
Andrew Berreyesa '22 made it to the semifinal round of the 82 kg Greco-Roman stage, and ultimately went 2-2 which earned him a sixth-place finish. Vince Cornella made his return to the mat following an extended period away due to injury. Cornella earned a 3-2 record over the two days of wrestling and placed eighth at the US Open.
Garrett '16 announced on Instagram that he would be stepping away from competitive wrestling for the foreseeable future. During his Cornell career, Garrett was a four-time NCAA All-American and claimed an NCAA National Championship. On the freestyle stage, Garrett claimed a pair of silver medals at the US Open, as well as collecting a silver in the Pan American games, and Four medals in Grand Prix competition.
"I don't know exactly what's next, but I know it'll challenge me in new ways.", he shared. " Thank you to the wrestling community, my teammates, mentors, and coaches.", Garrett concluded with.