By Joe Lacdan, U.S. Armed Forces Sports
FORT BLISS, Texas – Army Spc. Kamal Bey didn’t get flustered as he fell behind Marine Corps Capt. Terrence Zaleski 5-0 in the first round of matches in the men’s freestyle tournament Sunday.
Bey, a 2024 Olympian and member of the Army World Class Athlete Program, has faced tough circumstances before on world teams and as a member of the USA Wrestling Team.
Zaleski posed a stiff challenge for Bey at the 2026 Armed Forces Wrestling Championships. Zaleski previously won Armed Forces gold in both freestyle and Greco-Roman and also has qualified for the Olympic trials. And for the second time, Zaleski, a communications officer from Parris Island, South Carolina raced to an early points lead over Bey.
Bey and Zaleski got into a 50-50 scuffle where both wrestlers went out of the wrestling circle. The referees awarded a challenge point to Zaleski, after an Army challenge went unsuccessful. Zaleski held a 5-1 lead.
“A lot of times you don’t get the calls you want,” Bey said. “When I [saw] I was down points I kind of tried to get him tired; try to see where he’ll open up at.”`
Bey, studied Zaleski for the right moment to strike. He had attempted to corral and throw Zaleski earlier in the freestyle match but failed to get a solid grasp. Finally, while trailing 5-2, turned Zaleski over for the pin.
“At that point I just worked on my strategy and worked on my stance …,” Bey said. “Coach gave me some good advice and then I just went out and executed.”
Like the wrestlers’ Greco-Roman match the day before, he saved his best for last on Sunday during the freestyle tourney and notching eight straight points.
Bey’s second come-from-behind win of the weekend propelled Army to a 35-11 victory over the Marine Corps to win another Armed Forces Wrestling Championship in freestyle wrestling Sunday after Army claimed the Armed Forces Greco-Roman championship on Saturday. Navy finished in third place in freestyle, followed by Air Force.
The All-Army women’s wrestling team, led by two wins from World Class Athlete, Staff Sgt. Areana Villaescusa, won all five of its matches. However, Air Force won the women’s team title due to forfeits and by successfully fielding a full team of female wrestlers.
Villaescusa pinned Airman Yaneli Hermosillo-Carrasco in 19 seconds in one of Army’s dominant wins. Bey, a 2024 Olympian, and Villaescusa who finished third at 57 kg at the 2024 Olympic trials, hope for another shot at the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.
The Armed Forces Wrestling and WCAP programs showcase the U.S. military’s top athletes and Olympic hopefuls, bolstering recruiting and providing troops athletic opportunities.
Col. Michael Soyka, Fort Bliss garrison commander, said hosting athletic events at Fort Bliss, which boasts the Army’s largest contingent of armor Soldiers, provides an opportunity for troops and post residents to witness elite athletic competition.
“Showing the dedication that these guys have put in over decades gives our young Soldiers someone to look up to, someone that they can aspire to be,” Soyka said.
All-Army coach Spenser Mango took the mat for the first time in a decade. But the St. Louis native didn’t miss a beat. Mango at 39 years old, needed only 46 seconds to pin Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Christopher Propst in a 65kg match. Mango qualified for multiple world teams during his wrestling career and represented the U.S. at the 2008 and 2012 Summer Games.
Mango went on to win score technical fall wins over Airman 1st Class Taylor Vasquez and Coast Guard Lt.j.g. AJ Pagliarulo who competed for Navy.
Meanwhile the Marine Corps secured its second runner-up finish of the tournament finishing behind champion Army.
After his loss to Bey, Zaleski went on to notch a 10-0 technical fall win for the Marines over Navy’s Tyler Godfry and then pinned Air Force’s Mac Boackle in his final match. Zaleski’s only losses of the weekend came vs. Bey. Finally, in a heavyweight match that drew the attention of the entire gym at the Mitchell W. Stout Center, Air Force 2nd Lt. Wyatt Hendrickson, a highly-touted grappler and 2025 NCAA national champion, pinned Marine Corps’ Courtney Freeman in 36 seconds.
“From our perspective anybody who’s willing to put themselves in the ring to strap on their headgear to go against another champion shows a tremendous amount of heart and things that we want to see,” Colonel Soyka said.