Spencer Lee and Mason Manville dominate field en route to Cadet World gold

2014 FILA Cadet World Champion Spencer Lee. Martin Gabor, Fila-Official.com Photo.

SNINA, Slovakia – For the fourth straight year, Team USA has struck gold in men’s freestyle at the FILA Cadet World Championships, earning two gold medals on Saturday in Snina, Slovakia.

The dynamic duo of Spencer Lee and Mason Manville ran through their respective brackets to join Adam Coon, Zain Retherford and Aaron Pico as U.S. Cadet World Champions since the tournament was reimplented in 2011.

Lee, a Pennsylvania product, put on a dominant display at 50 kg/110 lbs., picking up three technical falls and a fall while not surrendering a single point en route to the gold medal.

Utilizing a relentless pace, Lee defeated Afgan Khashalov of Azerbaijan 11-0 in the gold medal match. He opened up the scoring with a quick takedown in the first 20 seconds to set the tone and take a 2-0 lead. Lee followed that up with four more takedowns and a push out point to earn the technical fall and the gold.

Manville also put on quite the show for the fans in Slovakia, winning his first three bouts by technical fall before stopping Radik Valiev of Russia in the finals 5-0. Manville scored the first point in the gold medal bout after Valiev was put on the 30-second shot clock and did not score. Manville put the match out of reach with two second period takedowns over the talented Russian.

Another young Pennsylvania standout competing for the U.S., Gavin Teasdale, earned a solid fifth-place finish at 42 kg/92.5 lbs. Teasdale won his first two bouts to advance to the semifinals where he dropped a close 4-6 decision to eventual champion Alireza Goodarzi of Iran. In the bronze medal bout Teasdale faced Giorgi Khachidze of Georgia, again losing a close one, 5-8.

Competing at 58 kg/127.75 lbs. for the U.S., Carter Happel of Lisbon, Iowa, lost in the opening round by fall to Enrike Fombeya of Ukraine.

Maryland product Hunter Ritter dropped his round one match at 85 kg/187.4 lbs. to Hovhannes Mkhitaryan of Armenia 3-7.

The final five athletes competing in Slovakia for the U.S. have weighed in and received their draws for Sunday’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 19

Men’s freestyle results

42 kg/92.5 lbs.
Gold – Alireza Goodarzi (Iran)
Silver – Maksim Zamorshchikov (Russia)
Bronze – Daigo Hattori (Japan)
Bronze – Giorgi Khachidze (Georgia)
5th – Intrigam Valizada (Azerbaijan)
5th – Gavin Teasdale (United States)
7th – Costel Tarcoci (Romania)
8th – Urna Cihan (Turkey)
9th – Pavlo Vyzir (Ukraine)
10th – Anuar Nurgeldi (Kazakhstan)

50 kg/110 lbs.
Gold – Spencer Lee (United States)
Silver – Afgan Khashalov (Azerbaijan)
Bronze – Nicolai Grahamez (Moldova)
Bronze – Nader Nasrisamakoush (Iran)
5th – Balazs Egyed (Hungary)
5th – Vasant Kolekar Prakash (India)
7th – Gaioz Gongladze (Georgia)
8th – Chermin Valiev (Russia)
9th – Arseniy Zur (Belarus)
10th – Akkaya Deniz (Turkey)

58 kg/127.75 lbs.
Gold – David Baev (Russia)
Silver – Mhir Amiraslanov (Azerbaijan)
Bronze –Kuatbek Mukhambet (Kazakhstan)
Bronze – Mojtaba Amouzad (Iran)
5th – Ali Cam (Turkey)
5th – Mamuka Chachua (Georgia)
7th – Enrike Fombeya (Ukraine)
8th – Temuulen Enkhtuya (Mongolia)
9th – Sharvan (India)
10th – Hiromu Sakaki (Japan)

69 kg/152 lbs.
Gold – Mason Manville (United States)
Silver – Valiev Radik (Russia)
Bronze – Pritam (India)
Bronze – Alberts Jurcenko (Latvia)
5th – Gheorgi Pascalov (Moldova)
5th – Samuel Scherrer (Switzerland)
7th – Patryk Kazmierowski (Poland)
8th – Martynas Damidavicius (Lithuania)
9th – Ahmad Bazrighaleh (Iran)
10th – Fazli Eryilmaz (Turkey)

85 kg/187.4 lbs.
Gold – Ahamil Sadullayev (Azerbaijan)
Silver – Semih Yazici (Turkey)
Bronze – Ilija Matuhin (Germany)
Bronze – Karamjeet (India)
5th – Hovhannes Mkhitaryan (Armenia)
5th – Ruslanbek Aldiev (Russia)
7th – Takashi Ishiguro (Japan)
8th – Yegor Yevlogiyev (Ukraine)
9th - Wesley Butters (South Africa)
10th – Toth Bedeguz (Hungary)

U.S. men’s freestyle performances

42 kg/92.5 lbs. – Gavin Teasdale, Rices Landing, Pa., 5th
WIN Uladislav Kouka (Belarus), 10-0
WIN Urna Cihan (Turkey), 6-2
LOSS Alireza Goodarzi (Iran), 4-6
LOSS Giorgi Khachidze (Georgia), 5-8

50 kg/110 lbs. – Spencer Lee, Saegertown, Pa., Gold
WIN Balazs Egyed (Hungary), 10-0
WIN Akkaya Deniz (Turkey), 12-0
WIN Nicolai Grahamez (Moldova), Fall
WIN Afgan Khashalov (Azerbaijan), 11-0

58 kg/127.75 lbs. – Carter Happel, Lisbon, Iowa, 21st
LOSS Enrike Fombeya (Ukraine), Fall

69 kg/152 lbs. – Mason Manville, Blairstown, N.J., Gold
WIN Mahammad Hasanzada (Azerbaijan), 14-1
WIN Gheorgi Pascalov (Moldova), 10-0
WIN Pritam (India), 13-3
WIN Radik Valiev (Russia), 5-0

85 kg/187.4 lbs. – Hunter Ritter, Perryville, Md., 16th
LOSS Hovhannes Mkhitaryan (Armenia), 3-7

U.S. men’s freestyle draws for Sunday

46 kg/104.4 lbs. – Cade Olivas, Fontana, Calif.
Vs. Hermanus Van Den Berg (South Africa)

54 kg/119 lbs. – Daton Fix, Sand Springs, Okla.
Vs. Vasile Dumitra (Romania)

63 kg/138.75 lbs. – Jarod Verkleeren, Perryopolis, Pa.
Vs. Gevorg Mkheyan (Armenia)

76 kg/167.5 lbs. – Mark Hall, Apple Valley, Minn.
Vs. Simone Innattoni (Italy)

100 kg/220 lbs. – Jordan Wood, Gilbertsville, Pa.
Vs. Byamba Batbileg (Mongolia)