Welcome to the 2026 Waconia FREECO Throwdown! This event features the annual Freestyle/Greco Combo for Youth/High School Boys/Girls (in Session #1 and #2) & the Brand New U20/U23 Men's Freestyle division Tournament in Session #3

Youth / High School - Freestyle / Greco Combo Tournament (6U-Juniors)

Tournament Overview, Divisions & Format:

• This is the 2nd annual year hosting this format where all participants MUST participate in both session #1 (Greco in the morning) and session #2 (Freestyle in the afternoon).
• Age Groups: 6U, 8U, 10U, 12U, 14U, 16U and Juniors based on USAW birth years: usawmembership.com/age_group_weight_chart
• Divisions: This event will feature co-ed and Girls Only divisions across all the above youth/high school age groups.
• Format will feature 4-man round robin brackets (where at all possible).
• Awards will include mdeals for 1st - 4th place finishers.

Membership / Eligibility: 

• Membership Required - A current USAW membership and card is required for all participants to register and participate at the tournament. 

Youth/High School Combo Weigh-Ins:

• For this division, random weight audits within each youth/HS age group will be uitlized. During check-in, selected wrestlers will be sent over to weight audit. Their weight needs to be with in 3% of whatever weight their parents pre-registered them at. For example, if the parent pre-registered their wrestler at 50lbs, their wrestler can weigh no more than 51.5lbs. If a wrestler is over-weight, the parent and wrestler must report to the head table immediately. The wrestler will then be removed from the tournament and no refund will be given. 
• See weigh-ins tab for all details and rules.

Youth/High School Freestyle/Greco Combo Division Schedule: 

• 7:15am - Doors will open. Please park on west side of Waconia High School and enter through Main Entrance.
• 7:30am - 8:30am - Check in / Skin Checks & (random) Weight Audits for BOTH styles. If any wrestler is a no-show by 8:30am for Greco, you will be scratched from the tournament for both Greco & Freestyle without refund. 
• 9:00am - Session 1 - Youth/High School Greco compeition begins
• 12:00pm - Session 2 -  Youth/High School Freestyle competition will begin approximately 15 min after Greco is completed (12:00pm is the approximate start time).
• 2:00 - 2:30pm - Competition will conclude (estimated time)

Youth/High School Combo Registration:

• All participants in the youth/high school division & event MUST register and compete in both styles. Registration will close at 8pm on 4/11 and no late registrations will be allowed. 
• There will be a limit of 225 participants in the Youth/High School Freestyle/Greco Combo with a cost/wrestler of $40. Must check-in in the morning and attend/compete in Greco to also compete in Freestyle. Those that check-in but do not compete in Greco will be scratched from freestyle without refund.
• Be sure to enter their actual weight to be used in case of a weight audit (see weigh-in tab for more information - cannot be more than 3% above the weight entered or will be scrateched from the tourney). 
• Register here: MN/USA Waconia Freestyle/Greco Combo & U20-U23 Freestyle Open

UWW U20/U23 Men's Freestyle Tournament

Tournament Overview, Divisions, Format & Features:

• Waconia Wrestling Club & MN/USA presents the inaugural year of this new division, which was created to allow for more regional competition opportunities (outside of the U.S. Open WTT U20s & U23 Nationals events) for the older HS and college age freestyle athletes.
• Competition for this division will begin following session #2 competition (from the Youth/HS Freestyle Tournament noted above). 
• High school age wrestlers eligible for U20 (with 2006 and 2007 birth years) may register and compete in this division if interested.
• Wrestlers will be bracketed in 4-5man round-robin groups within each weight class by registration weight wherever possible to ensure a goal of 3-4 matches per wrestler.
• Event officials plan to feature USA Wrestling Certified referees with 3 man mechanics to be offered for U20/U23 division across 4-6 mats

U20/U23 Athlete Referee & Tableworker Discounts/Benefits Opportunity (for Session 1 & 2):

• For the Youth/High School Freestyle/Greco Tournament, opportunities exist for U20/U23 athletes to assist and augment our referee / tableworker pool of resources (across session #1 or #2) with discounts/benefits available for those that do.
• U20/U23 athletes competing who signup/work as referees in either of the youth/high school sessions will get access to the early weigh-in (at 7:30am-8:30am), registration fee reimbursement + $50 stipend. Offer open to first 12 athletes that apply.
• U20/U23 athletes competing who signup/work as tableworkers in either of the youth/high school sessions will get access to the early weigh-in (7:30am-8:30am) and receive full registration fee reimbursement. Offer open to first 12 athletes that apply.
• To apply to be a referee or tableworker, please signup here: 2026 Waconia Freestyle/Greco Combo - U20/U23 Athlete Referee / Tableworker Signup
• For any 16U/Junior age wrestlers wishing to referee or referee/compete, a referee training program will be utilized as well to augment the pool of USAW certified referees with supervision and training onsite. Officials are paid roles, so inquire with tournament director, Jeff Katherman (jdkatherman@gmail.com), if interested in applying for one of these roles.

Men's U20/U23 Freestyle Division Schedule & Weigh-Ins:

• Skin checks will be performed on all wrestlers.
• Event will feature full weigh-ins and will utilize UWW weights: 57kg, 61kg, 65kg, 70kg, 74kg, 79kg, 86kg, 92kg, 97kg, 110kg (1kg allowance will be allowed at weigh-ins) 
• 7:30am - 8:30am - Skin Checks & Weigh-Ins ONLY for U20/U23 athletes refereeing or tableworkers in session #1 and/or #2
• 11:00am - 12:00pm - Regular Weigh-In for all other athletes (outside of those refs/tableworkers)
• 2:30pm - Session #3 start for U20/U23 Men's Freestyle wrestling 
• 5;30pm - Estimated completion time of U20/U23 Men's Freestyle competition

U20/U23 Men's Freestyle Registration:

• There will be a limit of 150 participants in the U20/U23 Freestyle tournament with a cost of $25 per wrestler. 
• Registration will close at 8pm on 4/11.  
• Discounts remain available for early registration by 4/3 - please reach out to Jeff Katherman (jdkatherman@gmail.com).
• Pre-registration only available through USA Bracketing only.
• Register on usabracketing.com Here: MN/USA Waconia Freestyle/Greco Combo & U20-U23 Freestyle Open.
• Or, click "Register Now" on the main page or Registration Info tab. Create an account in USA Bracketing if you do not have one already and add your wrestler information. If you have an existing account, choose your wrestler to register. Be sure to complete payment to ensure registration is complete. 

Membership / Eligibility: 

• Membership Required: A current USAW membership and card is required for all participants to register and participate at the tournament.
• UWW U20/U23 Age Groups: Age group eligibility will follow the 2026 UWW Age group birth years here: usawmembership.com/age_group_weight_chart

FAQs / Other Information: 

• Commons/Cafeteria area seating will be available for families to congregate in between matches and sessions.
• Concessions: A "light" concession stand will be open during the day with drinks, hot dogs, nachos, popcorn, and some candy items. A food truck will be available during the event as well.
• Wrestlers/families may bring their own food/drink items as necessary.
• Admissions cost for spectators will be $10 for adults and $5 for students (> age 5) and seniors (65 or older). Children 5 and under will be admitted for free. 
• Coaches with a current USA Wrestling Leader Membership will be allowed into the event for free.
• Payment options will include cash, check, Square payment options (debit/credit card and Apple Pay)
• Please use the below user guides and training videos (from the USA Bracketing YouTube channel) for assistance and support for how to use USA Bracketing.
  • USA Bracketing User Guide
  • USA Bracketing - FAQS
  • USA Bracketing - YouTube