Gray wins FILA Junior women's freestyle World title, Padilla and Maroulis claim bronze medals

Adeline Gray (Littleton, Colo.) defeated Ochirbat Nasanburmaa of Mongolia, 1-1, 0-2, 2-1, to win a FILA Junior World title at 67 kg/147.5 lbs. for the U.S. women's freestyle team in Istanbul, Turkey.

Helen Maroulis (Rockville, Md./New York AC) and Tatiana Padilla (Azusa, Calif./Sunkist Kids) earned bronze medals, and Victoria Anthony (Huntington Beach, Calif.) finished fifth.

Gray scored two points with less than ten second remaining in the third period to secure the victory. She posted wins over Chiaki Iijima of Japan and Olga Kalinina of Kazakstan to reach the finals.

Padilla will also take home a bronze medal for women's freestyle and, in doing so, becomes a two-time FILA Junior World medalist. Padilla pinned Geeta of Inda in the first period at 59 kg/130 lbs. to claim third place. She was a silver medalist at the 2007 FILA Junior Worlds.

Earlier today, Padilla beat Volha Hlebik of Belarus and Rio Watari of Japan before losing to Johanna Mattsson of Sweden in the semifinals.

At 51 kg/112.25 lbs., Maroulis topped Roksana Zasina of Poland, 3-1, 1-1, to come away with a bronze medal.

Maroulis beat Hanna Schuster of Germany in the first round, then lost to Yu Horiuchi of Japan. In the wrestlebacks, Maroulis posted wins over Aurelie Basset of France and Roksana Zasina of Poland to get the chance to compete for a bronze medal.

Anthony lost to Priyanka Singh of India, 2-7, 0-1, to just miss out on a medal at 44 kg/97 lbs. In the first round of wrestlebacks she defeated Anastasia Tumanova of Ukraine to earn a match against Singh.

Anthony beat her first round opponent Nuria de Jesus of Spain before losing to Eleonora Abutalipova of Kazakstan, because Abutalipova made it to the finals at 44 kg/97 lbs. Anthony had the opportunity to wrestleback.

U.S. women's freestyle is second in the team standings after the first day of competition. Russia is first with 33 points, while the U.S. has 32.

The seeds for the four women wrestling tomorrow have been announced.

For more information or to follow the action, visit www.fila-wrestling.com/istanbul08/.

Junior World Championships
At Istanbul, Turkey, July 31

U.S. performances on Thursday

44 kg/97 lbs. - Victoria Anthony, Huntington Beach, Calif., 5th
WIN Nuria de Jesus (Spain), 6-0, pin
LOSS Eleonora Abutalipova (Kazakstan), pin
WIN Anastasia Tumanova (Ukraine), 4-0, 0-7, 2-1
LOSS Priyanka Singh (India), 2-7, 0-1

51 kg/112.25 lbs. - Helen Maroulis, Rockville, Md. (New York AC), 3rd
WIN Hanna Schuster (Germany), 1-0 3-1
LOSS Yu Horiuchi (Japan), 3-2, 0-1, 0-1
WIN Aurelie Basset (France), 5-0, 3-0
WIN Roksana Zasina (Poland), 3-1, 1-1
WIN Genevieve (Canada), 1-0, 3-1

59 kg/130 lbs. - Tatiana Padilla, Azusa, Calif. (Sunkist Kids), 3rd
WIN Volha Hlebik (Bulgaria), 1-0, pin
WIN Rio Watari (Japan), 1-0, 0-4, 6-0
LOSS Johanna Mattsson (Sweden), 0-1, 0-4
WIN Geeta (India), pin

67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Adeline Gray, Littleton, Colo., 1st
WIN Chiaki Iijima (Japan), pin
WIN Olga Kalinina (Kazakstan), pin
WIN Ochirbat Nasanburmaa (Mongolia), 1-1, 0-2, 2-1

U.S. women's freestyle draws for Friday's session

48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Alyssa Lampe, Tomahawk, Wis. (USOEC)
vs. Liliana(Portugal)

55 kg/121 lbs. - Michaela Hutchison, Soldotna, Alaska
vs. Irina Kisel(Russia)

63 kg/138.74 lbs. - Schuyler Brown, Montpelier, Va. (USOEC)
vs. Hanna Savenia (Belarus)

72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Paige Rife, Fowlerville, Mich. (USOEC)
vs. Eva-Maria Maierhofer (Austria)