First four U.S. women eliminated in opening session at UWW Junior Worlds in Brazil
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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
Kayla Miracle hits a gutwrench on Gizem Babak of Turkey on way to technical fall win at 59 kg at the UWW Junior World Championships.
SALVADOR, Brazil – All four of the U.S. women wrestlers competing in Thursday’s competition lost matches in the first session and were eliminated at the UWW Junior World Championships. None of the U.S. women qualified to compete in the repechage rounds after their losses.
“We had game plans with the girls that should have worked, but we got away from them at the end of matches. Maybe that is our fault as coaches, not preparing them the way we should and not testing them enough. They are great kids and wrestled hard. They kept wrestling. There were three close matches that we lost. We will keep going back to the drawing board,” said U.S. coach Sam Schmitz.
Two of the U.S. wrestlers who were defeated were 2014 Junior World bronze medalists, Kayla Miracle (Campbellsville, Ky./Sunkist Kids) at 59 kg/130 lbs. and Marina Doi (Kingsburg, Calif./Titan Mercury WC) at 44 kg/97 lbs.
Miracle opened with a 12-2 technical fall over Gizem Babak of Turkey, scoring three different takedowns and three turns on the way to the win.
She next faced Alejandra Bonilla of Mexico in the quarterfinals. Bonilla had beaten Miracle in the Pan American Junior Championships earlier this year.
Miracle jumped to a 5-0 lead early in the second period, with two takedowns and a point from the shot clock. Bonilla battled back with a takedown and a turn to make it 5-4. Officials hit Miracle with a caution and one for fleeing the hold to tie it at 5-5. That gave Bonilla the tiebreaker. Miracle tried to open it up, and was scored on by Bonilla with a counter, with the final score 8-5 for the Mexican. When Bonilla lost in the semifinals, Miracle was eliminated.
A past UWW Cadet World medalist, Miracle was a WCWA women’s college nationals champion as a freshman for Campbellsville University.
Doi fell in her first match to two-time European Junior silver medalist Ksenia Stankevich of Belarus by a 0-10 technical fall. Stankevich scored counter takedown, a four-point fireman’s carry and two gutwrenches to defeat Doi. When Stanekvich lost her next match, Doi was eliminated.
Doi is a past Cadet World champion. She was a runner-up at the WCWA women’s college nationals as a freshman for King University in 2015.
King University star Forrest Molinari (Benicia, Calif./King University) opened with a pin over Alison Carrow of Canada in 4:41 at 67 kg/147.5 lbs. Molinari fell behind 2-0 at the break, but tied it up with a second period takedown. She nailed a counter hiptoss to put Carrow on her back, and secured the fall.
In her second match, Molinari was trailing Asli Tugcu of Turkey, 2-1, when there was a scramble on the edge. Officials called it a pushout and gave a point to Tugcu. The U.S. protested, and upon review, the scoring was changed, giving Molinari a takedown and a 3-2 lead. However, Tugcu scored a counter takedown with 30 seconds left for a 4-3 win. Tugcu was beaten in the semifinals, eliminating Molinari.
At 51 kg/112.25, Marizza Biruetta (Grandview, Wash./Gator OKCU RTC) opened with a victory over Sinem Cisem of Turkey in her opener, 11-7. She scored the first four takedowns to secure a 9-1 lead in the second period, but Cisem made a furious comeback, closing it to 9-7. A late Birrueta takedown secured the victory.
In her quarterfinal match, Ksenia Nezgovorova of Russia scored the first takedown, but Birrueta scored a counter takedown for a 2-2 tie after the first period. In the second period, with Birrueta holding the advantage if the bout ended tied, Nezgovorova scored a takedown with 20 seconds left to win, 4-2. Nezgovorova was beaten in the semifinals, eliminating Birrueta.
An Oklahoma City signee, she was the Tricia Saunders National High School Excellence Award winner and a Junior Nationals champion.
At the midpoint of the tournament, with two days of Greco-Roman and the first day of women’s wrestling, the USA has not yet won a medal.
The final four U.S. women weigh in and receive draws later this afternoon.
UWW JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Salvador, Brazil
U.S. Women’s freestyle performances
44 kg/97 lbs. – Marina Doi, Kingsburg, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC)
LOSS Ksenia Stankevich (Belarus), tech. fall 0-10
51 kg/112.25 lbs. – Marizza Biruetta, Grandview, Wash. (Gator OKCU RTC)
WIN Sinem Cisem (Turkey), 11-7
LOSS Ksenia Nezgovorova (Russia), 2-4
59 kg/130 lbs. – Kayla Miracle, Campbellsville, Ky. (Sunkist Kids)
WIN Gizem Babak (Turkey), tech. fall 12-2
LOSS Alejandra Bonilla (Mexico), 5-8
67 kg/147.5 lbs. – Forrest Molinari, Benicia, Calif. (King University)
WIN Alison Carrow (Canada), pin 4:41
LOSS Asli Tugcu (Turkey), 3-4
SALVADOR, Brazil – All four of the U.S. women wrestlers competing in Thursday’s competition lost matches in the first session and were eliminated at the UWW Junior World Championships. None of the U.S. women qualified to compete in the repechage rounds after their losses.
“We had game plans with the girls that should have worked, but we got away from them at the end of matches. Maybe that is our fault as coaches, not preparing them the way we should and not testing them enough. They are great kids and wrestled hard. They kept wrestling. There were three close matches that we lost. We will keep going back to the drawing board,” said U.S. coach Sam Schmitz.
Two of the U.S. wrestlers who were defeated were 2014 Junior World bronze medalists, Kayla Miracle (Campbellsville, Ky./Sunkist Kids) at 59 kg/130 lbs. and Marina Doi (Kingsburg, Calif./Titan Mercury WC) at 44 kg/97 lbs.
Miracle opened with a 12-2 technical fall over Gizem Babak of Turkey, scoring three different takedowns and three turns on the way to the win.
She next faced Alejandra Bonilla of Mexico in the quarterfinals. Bonilla had beaten Miracle in the Pan American Junior Championships earlier this year.
Miracle jumped to a 5-0 lead early in the second period, with two takedowns and a point from the shot clock. Bonilla battled back with a takedown and a turn to make it 5-4. Officials hit Miracle with a caution and one for fleeing the hold to tie it at 5-5. That gave Bonilla the tiebreaker. Miracle tried to open it up, and was scored on by Bonilla with a counter, with the final score 8-5 for the Mexican. When Bonilla lost in the semifinals, Miracle was eliminated.
A past UWW Cadet World medalist, Miracle was a WCWA women’s college nationals champion as a freshman for Campbellsville University.
Doi fell in her first match to two-time European Junior silver medalist Ksenia Stankevich of Belarus by a 0-10 technical fall. Stankevich scored counter takedown, a four-point fireman’s carry and two gutwrenches to defeat Doi. When Stanekvich lost her next match, Doi was eliminated.
Doi is a past Cadet World champion. She was a runner-up at the WCWA women’s college nationals as a freshman for King University in 2015.
King University star Forrest Molinari (Benicia, Calif./King University) opened with a pin over Alison Carrow of Canada in 4:41 at 67 kg/147.5 lbs. Molinari fell behind 2-0 at the break, but tied it up with a second period takedown. She nailed a counter hiptoss to put Carrow on her back, and secured the fall.
In her second match, Molinari was trailing Asli Tugcu of Turkey, 2-1, when there was a scramble on the edge. Officials called it a pushout and gave a point to Tugcu. The U.S. protested, and upon review, the scoring was changed, giving Molinari a takedown and a 3-2 lead. However, Tugcu scored a counter takedown with 30 seconds left for a 4-3 win. Tugcu was beaten in the semifinals, eliminating Molinari.
At 51 kg/112.25, Marizza Biruetta (Grandview, Wash./Gator OKCU RTC) opened with a victory over Sinem Cisem of Turkey in her opener, 11-7. She scored the first four takedowns to secure a 9-1 lead in the second period, but Cisem made a furious comeback, closing it to 9-7. A late Birrueta takedown secured the victory.
In her quarterfinal match, Ksenia Nezgovorova of Russia scored the first takedown, but Birrueta scored a counter takedown for a 2-2 tie after the first period. In the second period, with Birrueta holding the advantage if the bout ended tied, Nezgovorova scored a takedown with 20 seconds left to win, 4-2. Nezgovorova was beaten in the semifinals, eliminating Birrueta.
An Oklahoma City signee, she was the Tricia Saunders National High School Excellence Award winner and a Junior Nationals champion.
At the midpoint of the tournament, with two days of Greco-Roman and the first day of women’s wrestling, the USA has not yet won a medal.
The final four U.S. women weigh in and receive draws later this afternoon.
UWW JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Salvador, Brazil
U.S. Women’s freestyle performances
44 kg/97 lbs. – Marina Doi, Kingsburg, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC)
LOSS Ksenia Stankevich (Belarus), tech. fall 0-10
51 kg/112.25 lbs. – Marizza Biruetta, Grandview, Wash. (Gator OKCU RTC)
WIN Sinem Cisem (Turkey), 11-7
LOSS Ksenia Nezgovorova (Russia), 2-4
59 kg/130 lbs. – Kayla Miracle, Campbellsville, Ky. (Sunkist Kids)
WIN Gizem Babak (Turkey), tech. fall 12-2
LOSS Alejandra Bonilla (Mexico), 5-8
67 kg/147.5 lbs. – Forrest Molinari, Benicia, Calif. (King University)
WIN Alison Carrow (Canada), pin 4:41
LOSS Asli Tugcu (Turkey), 3-4
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