Northampton’s Brayden Wenrich Captures Junior Freestyle National Championship at Fargo

FARGO, N.D. — Brayden Wenrich added another major championship to his growing wrestling résumé Sunday, capturing the 120-pound Junior Boys Freestyle national title at the 2026 USA Wrestling Fargo Nationals.

Representing Northampton and Team Pennsylvania, Wenrich delivered a dominant performance in the championship match, defeating New Jersey’s Michael Batista by a 14-2 technical fall in just 2:06.

Wenrich controlled the action from the opening whistle and continued to pile up points before securing the technical fall and earning a spot atop the podium in Fargo.

The victory gave Pennsylvania its first Junior national championship of the night and increased the state’s all-time total to 53 Junior freestyle national champions.

Wenrich entered Fargo coming off a championship high school season. He captured the 2025 PIAA Class 3A state championship at 114 pounds after earning a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Hazleton Area’s Gabe Benyo in the state final at the Giant Center in Hershey.

Now, Wenrich can add a Fargo stop sign—one of the most prestigious prizes in youth wrestling—to his collection.

From winning PIAA gold in Hershey to earning national gold in Fargo, Wenrich continues to establish himself as one of Pennsylvania’s top young wrestlers.

Championship Result:
Junior Boys Freestyle — 120 Pounds

Brayden Wenrich (Pennsylvania) over Michael Batista (New Jersey), technical fall, 14-2 (2:06)