U.S. earns six medals and wins third place as team in women's freestyle at University Worlds

Women's freestyle University World Team with the third place team trophy at University Worlds. Photo courtesy of Melissa Simmons.

PECS, Hungary –The U.S. sent out six women’s freestyle wrestlers to compete on day three of University World Championships in Pecs, Hungary, and all six women earned a world medal.

The U.S. had three athletes compete in the gold-medal finals, but all three fell just short of the gold.

Jamestown University standout, Amy Fearnside (Morgan Hill, Calif./Titan Mercury WC) won her first two bouts of the tournament to earn a spot in the finals against Iulia Leorda of Moldova at 53 kg/116.5 lbs. Leorda won it over the American by technical fall 10-0.

Top wrestler for King University, Amanda Hendey (San Gabriel, Calif./Titan Mercury WC/King Univ.) pinned opponents from Poland and Bulgaria to make her way to the gold-medal match. In the finals, she faced former Junior World champion Danielle Lappage of Canada. Hendey fell in a close 7-2 bout to Lappage to earn the silver medal at 63 kg/138.75 lbs.

WCWA national champion for Wayland Baptist, Tamyra Mensah, (Katy, Texas/Titan Mercury WC/Wayland Baptist) scored a technical fall over Germany and a pin over Romania on the way to the finals. She drew 2012 World silver medalist Dorothy Yeats of Canada for the gold. Yeats earned a quick 10-0 technical fall, earning Mensah the silver medal at 69 kg/152 lbs.

Three U.S. athletes competed in bronze-medal bouts, with all three taking home the bronze. are Jacarra Winchester (San Leandro, Calif./Titan Mercury WC) at 58 kg/128 lbs., Brieana Delgado (Fountain Inn. S.C./OKCU Gator RTC) at 60 kg/132 lbs. and Julia Salata (Canton, Mich./New York AC) at 75 kg/165 lbs.

Jacarra Winchester (San Leandro, Calif./Titan Mercury WC), a star at Missouri Valley College, went 2-1 on the day. She faced Tetyana Lavrenchuk of Ukraine in a bronze-medal bout at 58 kg/128 lbs. Lavrenchuk was fifth in the 2013 Senior World Championships, but Winchester was up for the challenge as she defeated the Ukrainian 6-6 to win bronze.

Oklahoma City University standout, Brieana Delgado (Fountain Inn. S.C./OKCU Gator RTC) battled Natsumi Hayami of Japan for a bronze. Delgado came on top in an exciting 8-6 bout and earned herself a bronze medal.

WCWA national champion for King University, Julia Salata (Canton, Mich./New York AC) drew Noelia Lalin Canda of Spain in the bronze-medal round. Salata made quick work of the Spaniard, winning by a 12-1 technical fall to earn bronze.

The U.S. came in third place in the team standings behind Champion Canada and runner-up Russia.

Three U.S. Greco-Roman athletes have weighed in and received their draws for day four of the University World Championships.

There is an official website and LIVE WEBCAST for the event at:
http://birkozoszov.hu/index.php?menu=69

UNIVERSITY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Pecs, Hungary, July 10

Women’s freestyle results

53 kg/116.5 lbs.
Gold – Iulia Leorda (Moldova)
Silver – Amy Fearnside (United States)
Bronze – Arisa Tanaka (Japan)
Bronze – Olga Shnaider (Ukraine)
5th – Brianne Barry (Canada)
5th – Sara Jezierzanska (Poland)

58 kg/128 lbs.
Gold – Emese Barka (Hungary)
Silver – Oksana Nagornykh (Russia)
Bronze – Jacarra Winchester (United States)
Bronze – Mikako Higuchi (Japan)
5th – Tetyana Lavrenchuk (Ukraine)
5th – Ecaterina Rusu (Moldova)

60 kg/132 lbs.
Gold – Mariia Liulkova (Russia)
Silver – Celeste Contante-Rodrigues (Canada)
Bronze – Viktoriia Chpurko (Ukraine)
Bronze – Brieana Delgado (United States)
5th – Natsumi Hayami (Japan)
6th – N. Sandagdorj (Mongolia)

63 kg/138.75 lbs.
Gold – Danielle Lappage (Canada)
Silver – Amanda Hendey (United States)
Bronze – Agnieszka Krol (Poland)
Bronze – Valeriia Lazinskaia (Russia)
5th – Dzanan Manolova (Bulgaria)
5th – Haruna Uehara (Japan)

69 kg/152 lbs.
Gold – Dorothy Yeats (Canada)
Silver – Tamyra Mensah (United States)
Bronze – Adina-Elena Popescu (Romania)
Bronze – Darima Sanzheeva (Russia)
5th – Lisa Nadine Hug (Germany)
5th – Chihiro Hashimoto (Japan)

75 kg/165 lbs.
Gold – Erica Wiebe (Canada)
Silver – Epp Mae (Estonia)
Bronze – Julia Salata (United States)
Bronze – Ganna Telkova (Ukraine)
5th – Noelia Lalin Canda (Spain)
5th – Viktoriya Frolova (Russia)

U.S. women’s freestyle performances

53 kg/116.5 lbs. - Amy Fearnside, Morgan Hill, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC), 2nd
WIN Sara Jezierzanska (Poland), 10-5
WIN Olga Shnaider (Ukraine), 4-2
LOSS Iulia Leorda (Moldova), 0-10

58 kg/128 lbs. - Jacarra Winchester, San Leandro, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC), 3rd
WIN Elizabeth Milovitch-Sera (Canada), pin
LOSS Emese Barka (Hungary), pin
WIN Tetyana Lavrenchuk (Ukraine), 6-6

60 kg/132 lbs.- Brieana Delgado, Fountain Inn. S.C. (OKCU Gator RTC), 3rd
LOSS Mariia Liulkova (Russia), tech. fall, 2-12
WIN Natsumi Hayami (Japan), 8-6

63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Amanda Hendey, San Gabriel, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC/King Univ.), 2nd
WIN Agnieszka Krol (Poland), pin
WIN Dzanan Manolova (Bulgaria), pin
LOSS Danielle Lappage (Canada), 2-7

69 kg/152 lbs. - Tamyra Mensah, Katy, Texas (Titan Mercury WC/Wayland Baptist), 2nd
WIN Lisa Nadine Hug (Germany), tech. fall 12-1
WIN A. Popescu (Romania), pin
LOSS Dorothy Yeats (Canada), 0-10

75 kg/165 lbs. - Julia Salata, Canton, Mich. (New York AC), 3rd
WIN Tamae Yoshii (Japan), 5-0
LOSS Epp Mae (Estonia), pin
WIN Noelia Lalin Canda (Spain), 12-1

Women’s freestyle team standings
1. Canada
2. Russia
3. United States
4. Japan
5. Ukraine
6. Poland
7. Hungary
8. Moldova
9. Romania
10. Mongolia

U.S. Greco-Roman draws for Friday

59 kg/130 lbs. – Sam Jones, Folsom, La. (USOEC)
Vs. Akan Baimagambetov (Kazakhstan), 3rd at 2013 Junior World Championships

71 kg/156.5 lbs. – Patrick Smith, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
Vs. Stefan Fuchsreiter (Austria), 2012 Junior World Team Member

98 kg/216 lbs. – Orry Elor, Marquette, Mich. (New York AC)
Vs. Alin Alexuc-Ciurariu (Romania), 2nd in 2010 Junior World Championships; 2012 Olympian