Stephen Buchanan rediscovered his love for wrestling during his final collegiate season—and now he's turning that passion into freestyle dominance on the international stage.

The former Iowa star, who captured the 197-pound NCAA Championship in 2025, has found a second wind with the Hawkeye Wrestling Club. After feeling like wrestling had become a job during his college years, his one season in Iowa City reignited a dream he first had back in seventh grade.

"I wrestled my last year and I still thought that I could do more, be more as a wrestler," Buchanan said. "That was because I was surrounded by great wrestlers, great coaches and that kind of opened the door for freestyle wrestling and I kind of took off with it."

Buchanan's freestyle ascent has been nothing short of remarkable. Though he's only competed in one senior-level international event, it was a statement performance. At the Zagreb Open in Croatia this February, he faced Iran's Hassan Yazdani—a 2016 Olympic gold medalist, two-time Olympic silver medalist, and three-time senior world champion. Buchanan dismantled the legendary wrestler with a 13-3 technical fall.

Most recently, Buchanan won the 97-kilogram weight class at the US Open, punching his ticket to Final X on June 19 in New Jersey. There, he'll face Kyle Snyder, one of America's most decorated wrestlers, with a spot on the 2026 U.S. senior world team on the line.

The next stop on his rapid rise? The 2026 Pan-American Championships, set for May 7-10 in Coralville, where top wrestlers from across the Americas will compete for gold. For Buchanan, it's another chance to prove that his Iowa-fueled resurgence is just getting started.