Garcia places fifth, Jones seventh and Reusing eighth at women’s freestyle Cadet World Championships

Gabrielle Garcia in the bronze medal bout at the Cadet World Championships. T.R. Foley, Fila-Official.com Photo

SNINA, Slovakia – It was a day of close calls for the U.S. women at the 2014 FILA Cadet World Championships.

Three U.S. athletes placed in the top eight of their respective brackets, but all three were unable to capture a World medal.

California product Gabrielle Garcia made a return trip to the Cadet Worlds with aspirations of earning the World medal that eluded her one year ago.

Garcia dominated in the early rounds of competition at 52 kg/114.5 lbs., winning two matches to advance to the semi-final round against Russia’s Alina Kazymova. It was a back and forth bout, but ultimately Garcia fell just short of the gold medal match, losing 2-4 to the tough Russian.

Falling back to the bronze medal match after her loss in the semifinals, Garcia would again come up just short of a world medal, dropping the match to Japan’s Haruna Okuno 0-10.

“On the final day of competition Gabby Garcia fell just short of reaching the finals, but wrestled with heart and came up just shy of the bronze. This is a young team but the future looks bright for team USA,” said Cadet World Team Coach Donnie Stephens.

Another member of this U.S. Cadet squad looking to make the most of a return trip to the World Championships was Sariyah Jones of Modesto, California at 46 kg/101.25 lbs.

Jones made quick work of her first opponent, scoring a fall over Juliana Rodrigues of Brazil to start the competition. However, it would be a heartbreaking quarterfinal for Jones, losing a tightly contested 4-6 bout to Beata Kosla of Poland. Kosla lost in the semifinals knocking Jones out of medal contention, and earning her a seventh place finish.

Kendall Reusing, another talented California prospect, earned an eighth place finish at 70 kg/154.25 lbs. Reusing went 1-1 on the day, earning a fall over Emese Elekes of Hungary before dropping her quarterfinal bout against Volha Zenina of Belarus by fall.

Koral Sugiyama of Pocatello, Idaho lost her only match of the competition at 60 kg/132.25 lbs. to eventual bronze medalist Yukako Kawai of Japan 0-10.

“We had higher expectations coming in to the competition and will continue to keep the bar set high. With that said we are very proud and inspired by the effort put forth by these young women,” Stephens said.

Action will continue on Saturday from Snina, Slovakia with the men’s freestyle competition. Five talented young stars for the U.S. have weighed in and received their draws for tomorrow’s competition.

The official website for the 2014 FILA Cadet World Championships is http://www.cadetworldchampionship2014.eu/. A live stream of this event is available on fila-official.com.

2014 FILA Cadet World Championships
At Snina, Slovakia, July 18

Women’s freestyle results

40 kg/88 lbs.
Gold – Yumenka Tanabe (Japan)
Silver – Oksana Livach (Ukraine)
Bronze – Aleksandra Skirenko (Russia)
Bronze – Dinura Sulaimanova (Kyrgyzstan)
5th – Kayar Derya (Turkey)
5th – Stefania Claudia Priceputu (Romania)
7th – Maria Marinska (Bulgaria)
8th – Srishti (India)
9th – Karah Bulaqui (Canada)
10th – Azjargal Nkhamkhuu (Mongolia)

46 kg/101.25 lbs.
Gold – Miho Igrashi (Japan)
Silver – Mariana Kolos (Ukraine)
Bronze – Morgane Gerard (Italy)
Bronze – Turkan Nasirova (Azerbaijan)
5th – Beata Kosla (Poland)
5th – Annika Wendle (Germany)
7th – Sariyah Jones (United States)
8th – Manju (India)
9th – Marina Zakshevskaya (Kazakhstan)
10th – Cristina Evanghelina Rusteac (Romania)

52 kg/114.5 lbs.
Gold – Olena Kremzer (Ukraine)
Silver – Alina Kazymova (Russia)
Bronze – Elena Brugger (Germany)
Bronze – Haruna Okuno (Japan)
5th – Arianna Carieri (Italy)
5th – Gabrielle Garcia (United States)
7th – Reena (India)
8th – Johanna Lindborg (Sweden)
9th – Marina Ulinici (Moldova)
10th – Anasasiya Kanashevich (Belarus)

60 kg/132.25 lbs.
Gold – Bullen Grace (Norway)
Silver – Koumba Larroque (France)
Bronze – Yukako Kawai (Japan)
Bronze – Anhelina Lysak (Ukraine)
5th – Emma Johansson (Sweden)
5th – Paulina Nastarowicz (Poland)
7th – Biliana Dudova (Bulgaria)
8th – Alexandra Anghel (Romania)
9th – Alena Poselskaya (Russia)
10th – Viviane Herda (Germany)

70 kg/154.25 lbs.
Gold – Nicole Ammann (Germany)
Silver – Natalia Strzalka (Poland)
Bronze – Volha Zenina (Belarus)
Bronze – Kristina Dudaeva (Russia)
5th – Iisa Neumaier (Austria)
5th – Pauline Lecarpenitier (France)
7th – Raya Nikolova (Bulgaria)
8th – Kendal Reusing (United States)
9th – Ozbege Aysegiul (Turkey)
10th – Anita Kalantarova (Azerbaijan)

Team standings
1. Japan 77
2. Russia 65
3. Ukraine 62
4. Poland 38
5. United States 33
6. Germany 31
7. Romania 29
8. India 28
9. Bulgaria 26
10. Azerbaijan 24

U.S. women’s freestyle performances

46 kg/101.25 lbs. – Sariyah Jones, Modesto, Calif., 7th
WIN Juliana Rodrigues (Brazil), Fall
LOSS Beata Kosla (Poland), 4-6

52 kg/114.5 lbs. – Gabrielle Garcia, Anaheim, Calif., 5th
WIN Yanik Elif (Turkey), Fall
WIN Johanna Lindborg (Sweden), 9-4
LOSS Alina Kazymova (Russia), 2-4
LOSS Haruna Okuno (Japan), 0-10

60 kg/132.25 lbs. – Koral Sugiyama, Pocatello, Idaho, 17th
LOSS Yukako Kawai (Japan), 0-10

70 kg/154.25 lbs. – Kendall Reusing, Riverside, Calif., 8th
WIN Emese Elekes (Hungary), Fall
LOSS Volha Zenina (Belarus), Fall

U.S. men’s freestyle draws for Saturday

42 kg/92.5 lbs. – Gavin Teasdale, Rices Landing, Pa.
Vs. Uladislav Kouka (Belarus)

50 kg/110 lbs. – Spencer Lee, Saegertown, Pa.
Vs. Balazs Egyed (Hungary), 11th place at 2013 Cadet World Championships

58 kg/127.75 lbs. – Carter Happel, Lisbon, Iowa
Vs. Enrike Fombeya (Ukraine)

69 kg/152 lbs. – Mason Manville, Blairstown, N.J.
Vs. Mahammad Hasanzada (Azerbaijan)

85 kg/187.4 lbs. – Hunter Ritter, Perryville, Md.
Vs. Hovhannes Mkhitaryan (Armenia), 7th place at 2014 European Championships