Hall wins gold, Wood silver to cap off third place team finish for U.S. at Cadet Worlds

2014 FILA Cadet World Champion Mark Hall. Martin Gabor, Fila-Official.com Photo.

SNINA, Slovakia – Minnesota phenom Mark Hall capped off a record setting performance by the U.S. at the FILA Cadet World Championships, becoming the third American to bring home the gold in men’s freestyle.

Hall won five matches on the day at 76 kg/167.5 lbs. to lead the U.S. charge. In the gold medal bout, Hall would face Asian Championships runner-up Sumiyabazar Zandanbud of Mongolia. Hall struck first, connecting on a shrug attempt to take the early 2-0 lead heading into the second period. Hall added one more takedown in the second off a Zandanbud shot attempt, before giving up a pushout, to earn the 4-1 victory.

The win by Hall marked the third Cadet World Champion for the U.S. freestyle team in Slovakia, as he joined Spencer Lee and Mason Manville atop the world standings.

Pennsylvania big man Jordan Wood joined Hall in the finals on the final day of freestyle competition.

Wood won an impressive three matches during his finals run at 100 kg/220 lbs., including a 4-0 victory over European runner-up Dmitri Ceacusta of Moldova in the semifinals. Wood’s run to gold would come up just short, as he fell to Givi Matcharashvili of Georgia 6-1 in the gold medal bout.

After two tough days of competition, the U.S. finished in third place in the team standings with 50 points. Russia won the competition scoring 78 points, followed by Iran in second place with 68 points.

“All the guys competed really hard the past two days. They went out there to put points on the board and get their hand raised. I couldn’t be more happy with the way all the guys competed, even the ones that didn’t medal,” said Jamill Kelly, U.S. Cadet World Team coach.

Cade Olivas won a bronze medal for the U.S. in Greco-Roman at the Cadet Worlds last year. In 2014 Olivas would look to get back on the world medal stand, this time in freestyle.

Winning his first two bouts impressively, 10-0 over Hermanus Van Den Berg of South Africa and over Oscar Tigreros Columbia by fall, Olivas looked poised to make a run to that medal. In the semifinals, Olivas fell just short to eventual silver medalist Khadzi Denilkhanov of Russia 5-8 to fall back into the repechage where he would drop another tough decision to Nasanbuyan Narmandakh of Mongolia 2-6. Olivas finished in seventh place overall at 46 kg/104.4 lbs.

Cadet Triple Crown winner from Oklahoma, Daton Fix posted a 1-1 record for the tournament at 54 kg/119 lbs. Fix won his first bout against Vasile Dumitra of Romania 11-0 before falling to eventual bronze medalist Kaveh Rahmatabadi of Iran 3-6.

Pennsylvanis standout Jarod Verkleeren lost his opening match at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. to Armenia’s Gevorg Mkheyan 2-6.

“They showed a lot of heart and fight. We have a real bright future,” Kelly said.

Complete brackets and results for the 2014 FILA Cadet World Championships can be found at Fila-Official.com.

2014 FILA Cadet World Championships
At Snina, Slovakia, July 20

Men’s freestyle results

46 kg/104.4 lbs.
Gold – Erfan Aeini (Iran)
Silver – Khadzi Denilkhanov (Russia)
Bronze – Sarkytbayev Yerbulan (Kazakhstan)
Bronze – Nasanbuyan Narmandakh (Mongolia)
5th – Nairi Gharsayan (Armenia)
5th – Teimuraz Vanishivili (Georgia)
7th – Cade Olivas (United States)
8th – Stoykov Mitko (Bulgaria)
9th – Toshiya Abe (Japan)
10th – Sanzharbek Turdabaev (Kyrgyzstan)

54 kg/119 lbs.
Gold – Andriy Yatsenko (Ukraine)
Silver – Vadim Bikoev (Russia)
Bronze – Todua Shmagi (Georgia)
Bronze – Kaveh Rahmatabadi (Iran)
5th – Yermek Bagdaulet (Kazakhstan)
5th – Naim Mikyay (Bulgaria)
7th – Surenjav Chodogjahts (Mongolia)
8th – Mahal Novruzov (Azerbaijan)
9th – Joji Nagata (Japan)
10th – Daton Fix (United States)

63 kg/138.75 lbs.
Gold – Teymur Mammadov (Azerbaijan)
Silver – Elbrus Valiev (Russia)
Bronze – Amirreza Akberzadeh Maha (Iran)
Bronze – Taro Umebayashi (Japan)
5th – Lutfi Kucukyildirim (Turkey)
5th – Jasbir (India)
7th – Veselin Petrov (Bulgaria)
8th – Dair Ussen (Kazakhstan)
9th – Ahmed Mahmoud Said (Egypt)
10th – Gevorg Mkheyan (Armenia)

76 kg/167.5 lbs.
Gold – Mark Hall (United States)
Silver – Sumiyabazar Zandanbud (Mongolia)
Bronze – Yajuro Yamasaki (Japan)
Bronze – Soslanbek Lavoev (Russia)
5th – Surender Singh (India)
5th – Hamed Manfaian (Iran)
7th – Sergis Hovsepyan (Armenia)
8th – Meki Simonia (Georgia)
9th – Domantas Pauliuscenko (Lithuania)
10th – Tagir Akhvefkhanov (Kazakhstan)

100 kg/220 lbs.
Gold – Givi Matcharashvili (Georgia)
Silver – Jordan Wood (United States)
Bronze – Dmitri Ceacusta (Moldova)
Bronze – Naeim Hassanzadeh (Iran)
5th – Abdelmoteb Abdalla Hatem (Egypt)
5th – Alan Kelekhsaev (Russia)
7th – Karol Turczynski (Poland)
8th – Yasak Deniz (Turkey)
9th – Dominik Lajsz (Hungary)
10th – Prakash Ganesh (India)

Team Standings
1. Russia 78
2. Iran 68
3. United States 50
4. Georgia 49
5. Azerbaijan 47
6. India 37
7. Japan 32
8. Turkey 29
9. Kazakhstan 28
10. Mongolia 24

U.S. men’s freestyle performances

46 kg/104.4 lbs. – Cade Olivas, Fontana, Calif., 7th
WIN Hermanus Van Den Berg (South Africa), 10-0
WIN Oscar Tigreros (Columbia), Fall
LOSS Khadzi Denilkhanov (Russia), 5-8
LOSS Nasanbuyan Narmandakh (Mongolia), 2-6

54 kg/119 lbs. – Daton Fix, Sand Springs, Okla., 10th
WIN Vasile Dumitra (Romania), 11-0
LOSS Kaveh Rahmatabadi (Iran), 3-6

63 kg/138.75 lbs. – Jarod Verkleeren, Perryopolis, Pa., 16th
LOSS Gevorg Mkheyan (Armenia), 2-6

76 kg/167.5 lbs. – Mark Hall, Apple Valley, Minn., Gold
WIN Simone Innattoni (Italy), 6-0
WIN Meki Simonia (Georgia), 8-1
WIN Surender Singh (India), 10-0
WIN Yajuro Yamasaki (Japan), 9-4
WIN Sumiyabazar Zandanbud (Mongolia), 4-1

100 kg/220 lbs. – Jordan Wood, Gilbertsville, Pa., Silver
WIN Byamba Batbileg (Mongolia), 5-1
WIN Abdelmoteb Abdalla Hatem (Egypt), 7-0
WIN Dmitri Ceacusta (Moldova), 4-0
LOSS Givi Matcharashvili (Georgia), 1-6