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UPDATED Vinson places eighth on last day of Junior World Greco-Roman in Turkey; Four U.S. women weigh in

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by Gary Abbott

ANKARA, Turkey - Donald Vinson (Marathon, N.Y./Shamrock WC) had a 2-2 record and placed eighth at 66 kg/145.5 lbs., the only U.S. athlete to win a match on the final day of Greco-Roman at the Junior World Championships.

Vinson opened with a technical fall victory over Mate Hencz of Slovakia, 7-0, 7-0. In the next round, he lost to Migran Arutyunyan of Russia, 0-1, 0-4. Arutyunyan qualified for the finals, which brought Vinson back into the repechage rounds.

In his first repechage bout, Vinson defeated Esengeldi Kozhobek Uulu of Krygyzstan, 2-3, 1-0, 4-2. He was eliminated in the next round by Hovhannes Varderesyan of Armenia, 2-3, 4-2, 0-3.

"He wrestled great," said National Greco-Roman Developmental Coach Ike Anderson. "Donnie won his first match by technical fall. He lost to the Russian who made the finals. He was strong in his win against Kyrgyzstan. In the match against Armenia, he lost the the last period. We protested the call but didn't get it. He wrestled the best of all our athletes today."

The other three U.S. wrestlers who competed dropped all of their matches.

In his first match, Peter Kowalczuk (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) lost to defending Junior World champion Riza Kayaalp of Turkey, 0-3, 0-3, at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. It was a rematch of the first round at the 2008 Junior World Championships, which Kayaalp won, 5-0, 4-0.

When Kayaalp reached the finals, Kowalczuk was drawn back into the repechage. Kowalczuk was then defeated by Shota Gogisvanidze of Georgia, 0-1, 0-1.

"Pete Kowalczuk had a disappointing day. He lost to the defending champion from Turkey who beat him last year. He should have beaten the Georgian. He just didn't wrestle well. He has been here before, and did not compete to his ability," said Anderson.

Losing their first match, then eliminated after their opponent failed to reach the finals, were Jesse Thielke (Germantown, Wis./Ringers) at 55 kg/121 lbs. and Travis Rutt, (New (Prague, Wis./Badger WC) at 84 kg/185 lbs.

The U.S. did not win a medal in Greco-Roman at this year's Junior World Championships. On Tuesday, Jimmy Chase (Carol Stream, Ill./Pinnacle School of Wrestling) placed fifth at 60 kg/132 lbs. and Max Nowry (Wheeling, Ill.,USOEC) placed sixth at 50 kg/110 lbs.

The U.S. finished in a tie with Poland for 14th in the team standings, with 14 points. Russia won the team title with 60 points, followed by Iran with 49 points, Azerbaijan with 40 points and host Turkey with 32 points.

"Overall, I'd say we wrestled OK," said Anderson. "Our athletes tried. They worked their butts off. If everybody wrestled like Jimmy Chase, Max Nowry and Donnie Vinson, we'd be right in it. They had a great effort. They were just beaten by better wrestlers at the time."

The women's freestyle competition begins on Thursday. Four weight classes weighed in today.

Three members of the 2008 Junior World Team will compete on the first day. Returning Junior World champion Adeline Gray (Denver, Colo./New York AC) will face Sandra Makela of Sweden in her first match at 67 kg/147.5 lbs. Other returning Junior World Team members on the mats on Wednesday are Victoria Anthony (Huntington Beach, Calif./Team So Cal) at 44 kg/97 lbs. and Schuyler Brown (Montpelier, Va./USOEC) at 59 kg/138.75 lbs.

JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Ankara, Turkey, August 5

Greco-Roman results

55 kg/121 lbs.
Gold - Orkhan Ahmadov (Azerbaijan)
Silver - Mohammad Hatami (Iran)
Bronze - Kanybek Jolchubekov (Kyrgyzstan)
Bronze - Aleksan Mikayelyan (Armenia)
5th - Madi Zarbolov (Kazakhstan)
5th - Mingiyan Semenov (Russia)
7th - Oliver Runge (Germany)
8th - Anders Ekstrom (Denmark)
9th - Donior Islamov (Moldova)
10th - Seung-Ju Park (Korea)

66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Gold - Saeid Abdevali (Iran)
Silver - Migran Arutyunyan (Russia)
Bronze - Frank Stabler (Germany)
Bronze - Hovhannes Varderesyan (Armenia)
5th - Rustam Aliyev Ali (Azerbaijan)
5th - Martin Szabo (Hungary)
7th - Tomi Hinoveanu (Romania)
8th - Donald Vinson (USA)
9th - Jeong-Geun Lee (Korea)
10th - Sasu Kaasinen (Finland)

84 kg/185 lbs.
Gold - Babak Ghorbani Goldasteh (Iran)
Silver - Alan Khugaev (Russia)
Bronze - Tuomas Tarino (Finland)
Bronze - Artur Aleksanyan (Armenia)
5th - Murtuza Taghiyev (Azerbaijan)
5th - Javid Hamzatov (Belarus)
7th - Azizbek Mamajonov (Uzbekistan)
8th - Aslan Atem (Turkey)
9th - Nikolay Bayryakov (Bulgaria)
10th - Shohei Iwama (Japan)

120 kg/264.5 lbs.
Gold - Riza Kayaalp (Turkey)
Silver - Vladimir Ilinitski (Russia)
Bronze - Bashir Babajanzadeh (Iran)
Bronze - Taisto Lalli (Finland)
5th - Shota Gogisvanidze (Georgia)
5th - Marko Koscevic (Croatia)
7th - Murat Ramonov (Kyrgyzstan)
8th - Madis Sihimets (Estonia)
9th - Eduard Popp (Germany)
10th - Dzianis Kapustsinski (Belarus)

U.S. Greco-Roman performances

55 kg/121 lbs. - Jesse Thielke, Germantown, Wis. (Ringers)
LOSS Seung-Ju Park (Korea), 0-4, 1-3

66 kg/145.5 lbs.- Donald Vinson, Marathon, N.Y. (Shamrock WC)
WIN Mate Hencz (Slovakia), 7-0, 7-0
LOSS Migran Arutyunyan (Russia), 0-1, 0-4
WIN Esengeldi Kozhobek Uulu (Krygyzstan), 2-3, 1-0, 4-2
LOSS Hovhannes Varderesyan (Armenia), 2-3, 4-2, 0-3

84 kg/185 lbs. - Travis Rutt, New Prague, Wis. (Badger WC)
LOSS Azizbek Mamajonov (Uzbekistan), 0-1, 0-2

120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Peter Kowalczuk, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
LOSS Riza Kayaalp (Turkey), 0-3, 0-3
LOSS Shota Gogisvanidze (Georgia), 0-1, 0-1

Team Standings
1. RUSSIA (RUS), 60
2. IRAN R.I. (IRI), 49
3. AZERBAIJAN (AZE), 40
4. TURKEY (TUR), 32
5. ARMENIA (ARM), 30
6. GERMANY (GER), 27
7. KAZAKHSTAN (KAZ), 26
8. FINLAND (FIN), 25
9. CUBA (CUB), 19
10. UZBEKISTAN (UZB), 18
10. GEORGIA (GEO), 18
12. BELARUS (BLR), 15
12. KOREA (KOR), 15
14. POLAND (POL), 14
14. UNITED STATES (USA), 14
16. KYRGIZSTAN (KGZ), 13
17. CROATIA (CRO), 9
18. BULGARIA (BUL), 8
19. HUNGARY (HUN), 7
20. ROMANIA (ROU), 4
21. DENMARK (DEN), 3
21. ESTONIA (EST), 3
23. MOLDOVA (MDA), 2
23. UKRAINE (UKR), 2
23. JAPAN (JPN), 2

U.S. Women's freestyle first round draws on Thursday

44 kg/97 lbs. - Victoria Anthony, Huntington Beach, Calif. (Team So Cal)
vs. Katharina Baumgartner (Germany)

51 kg/112.25 lbs. Trinity Plessinger, Colorado Springs, Colo. (USOTC)
vs. Anju Chadhary (India)

59 kg/138.75 lbs. - Schuyler Brown, Montpelier, Va. (USOEC)
vs. Ilana Kratysh (Israel)

67 kg/147.5 lbs. Adeline Gray, Denver, Colo. (New York AC)
vs. Sandra Makela (Sweden)

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