Five athletes punched their tickets last weekend at the 2023 ADCC East Coast Trials in Atlantic City, NJ, guaranteeing their spots in the upcoming ADCC World Championships in 2024, slated for the T-Mobile Arena in August.

Jacob Couch had the run of a lifetime in his quest for gold submitting all seven of his opponents to win the 88kg division. In his run, Couch defeated two ADCC veterans: Jay Rodriguez, the 2022 West Coast Trials winner, and — in the final — Elder Cruz, the former East Coast and West Coast runner up who was later invited to compete at ADCC.

The victory over Cruz was an especially significant one for Couch. Prior to the match, Couch had an 0-3 record against Checkmat’s “El Monstro.” The heel hook victory in the final was his first career victory over a long time rival.

Couch was a deep alternate for the 2022 ADCC World Championships, but he was not called on to compete. Now, he has earned his way into the upcoming 2024 World Championships.

In the 77kg division, Elijah Dorsey stole the show, knocking off the No.1 seeded Nicky Ryan in the final with a decision victory, where a late takedown put him convincingly ahead of the three-time ADCC veteran.

Dorsey had competed at a few ADCC Open tournaments recently, but he had never previously competed at an ADCC Trials. His win in the final extinguished a fiery Nicky Ryan run; Ryan was on a six submission streak headed into the final.

In the semifinal, Dorsey put a stop to three-time ADCC veteran Oliver Taza, who had caught five submissions in as many matches earlier in the weekend.

Dorsey, known as a talented gi competitor, has now put his name among the top of the heap in no-gi competition ahead of his ADCC debut, marked for 2024.

Big Dan Manasoiu of New Wave put together one of the most impressive runs of his young career in his gold medal campaign in the 99+kg division.

Manasoiu won each of his five matches via submission, winning an ADCC Trials event for the second time in as many years.

Just a month ago, Manasoiu fell in the final at the ADCC European Trials, and struggled to put submissions on the board on his way there. He appeared better prepared to dominate the competition on Sunday at East Coast Trials, where he captured gold on his 22nd birthday.

Manasoiu has now completed at four ADCC Trials in his career. He reached the finals each time and has won it twice. He’s headed back to ADCC in 2024.

Paul Ardila will also return to ADCC — for the fifth time — after capturing his fourth title at an ADCC Trials event. The career attorney from Atlanta submitted five of his six opponents to earn another berth into ADCC, proving himself one of the most successful ADCC Trials competitors of all time. He’s set to return to the 99kg division at ADCC 2024. At 32 years old, Ardila was the most senior of any East Coast Trials champion this weekend by nearly 10 years.

Meanwhile, Dorian Olivarez became the youngest athlete currently invited to ADCC 2024, winning the trials in the 66kg division at just 17 years old.

Olivarez, who trains mostly out of his garage, is a state-champion high school level wrestler, but put on demonstration of hard-nosed and well-rounded grappling in his campaign.\

Olivarez took out two ADCC veterans in his run: Gianni Grippo in the quarterfinals and Ethan Crelinsten in the semis. On his way there, the native Texan submitted three of his seven opponents. But it was his wrestling that put him over the top. It carried him through the bout against Crelinsten, and in the final against fellow division breakout Dominic Mejia.

Three women also won gold at the ADCC East Coast Trials, but did not punch their ticket to the World Championships in 2024. They will get free entry into the ADCC West Coast Trials in March 2024, where they will have an opportunity to fight for a spot.

Alex Enriquez submitted three of her five opponents to win gold. In the final, she earned a decision over Jasmine Rocha, a division rival who had defeated her at the West Coast Trials in 2022. It was her first victory over Rocha in three tries.

Morgan Black surprised the audience when she outscored teenage phenom Helena Crevar in the 65kg final. Black’s relied on her wrestling to outscore Crevar, and also to overcome tough opponents like Sophia Delgado in the earlier rounds. She ended the weekend with two submissions in five matches.

ADCC veteran Amanda Leve submitted all four of her opponents to win gold in the 65+kg division. In the final, she secured a submission in just 1 minute 18 seconds, bringing her total match time to 6 minutes 4 seconds on the day.