U.S. puts four in medal round on first day of men's freestyle at Cadet Worlds

U.S. Cadet World Team member Vitali Arujau at the UWW Cadet Nationals in Akron, Ohio. Photo: Sam Janicki.

VIDEO: 2016 Cadet World Championships Interviews


TBILISI, Georgia – It was a banner morning for the U.S. men’s freestyle team at the 2016 Cadet World Championships with four wrestlers booking a spot in one of tonight’s medal matches at New Sports Palace in Tbilisi, Georgia.


First-time World Team members Kurt McHenry and Vitali Arujau buzz sawed all comers on their way to the championship finals at 42 kg/92.5 lbs. and 58 kg/127.75 lbs.


McHenry picked up a clutch first round win over Iran’s Seyed Azimisiyacheghaei, 6-4, before torching both Armenia’s Arakel Movsesyan and Russia’s Magomed Abdurakhmanov by technical fall. He will face Cadet European champion Mahir Mammadzada of Azerbaijan in the gold medal match.


Much like McHenry, Arujau scored two 10-0 technical falls over Hector Candelaria Rivera of Puerto Rico and Denys Borohan of Ukraine, in addition to a gritty 9-6 win over Japan’s Ryuto Sakaki to qualify for the gold medal bout. Arujau will compete for a Cadet World title against Amirhossein Maghsoudi of Iran.


“Kurt against Azerbaijan tonight, you know, that’s a big win to get that win and finish off his day great, and then Vito has the Iranian which is a big match for the team race too. So, those kind of things looking into it, I mean, just keep doing what we’re doing and score points, keep scoring points,” said U.S. coach Zack Esposito.


Wrestling for bronze medals this evening for the U.S. are David Carr at 69 kg/152 lbs. and Jacob Warner at 85 kg/187.4 lbs.


Carr earned two decisive wins to qualify for the semifinals where he faced Iranian Sajjad Gholami. Carr fell in an 8-2 hole after the first period, but battled back with three second period takedowns to tie the match, 8-8. He could not muster an additional point in the final seconds and fell on criteria. Carr will battle Gegham Galstyan of Armenia for the bronze medal.


Warner impressed in his first two matches, securing a fall and technical fall to make the quarterfinals. The two-time USAW Cadet Nationals champion met his match against Junior Asian champion Deepak Punia of India, losing on criteria, 4-4.


Punia went on to make the finals, pulling Warner into the repechage where he topped Simon Oksaniani of Georgia, 8-2. Warner is set to face Poland’s Jakub Szymula for the bronze medal.


“I’ve coached a Cadet World team before, and this year they’ve got a really good team bond between each other,” Esposito continued. “Definitely happy with the way they’ve wrestled so far. Wrestled with some passion. I believe they know they’re talented. They think they’re talented, and now it’s just going out and doing what they know they can do.”


Competing at 50 kg/110 lbs., American Aaron Cashman went 1-2 on the day and fell one win shy of qualifying for a medal match.


The men’s freestyle medal matches at 42 kg, 50 kg, 58 kg, 69 kg and 85 kg will be contested at 10 a.m. (ET) today. 


Flowrestling will provide a live stream and archived matches of the 2016 Cadet World Championships to U.S. spectators at Flowrestling.org. A Flo Pro membership is required to view the competition. 


Complete brackets and match-by-match results can be viewed at unitedworldwrestling.org.

2016 CADET WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Sept. 13-18 at Tbilisi, Georgia

Finals Matchups

42 kg/92.5 lbs.

Gold – Mahir Mammadzada (Azerbaijan) vs. Kurt McHenry (United States)

Bronze – Magomed Abdurakhmanov (Russia) vs. Seyed Azimisiyacheghaei (Iran)

Bronze – Giorgi Gegelashvili (Georgia) vs. Abdymalik Karachov (Kyrgyzstan)

50 kg/110 lbs.

Gold – Amir Parasteh (Iran) vs. Petr Kopylov (Russia)

Bronze – Daigo Hattori (Japan) vs. Tornike Katamadze (Georgia)

Bronze – Asgar Mammadaliyev (Azerbaijan) vs. Engin Cetin (Turkey)

58 kg/127.75 lbs.

Gold – Vitali Arujau (United States) vs. Amirhossein Maghsoudi (Iran)

Bronze – Giorgi Elbakidze (Georgia) vs. Vadim Bikoev (Russia)

Bronze – Denys Borohan (Ukraine) vs. Ryuto Sakaki (Japan)

69 kg/152 lbs.

Gold – Sajjad Gholami (Iran) vs. Abubakr Abakarov (Azerbaijan)

Bronze – Yuto Izutsu (Japan) vs. Dogukan Kalayci (Turkey)

Bronze – David Carr (United States) vs. Gegham Galstyan (Armenia)

85 kg/187.4 lbs.

Gold – Nail Seyyar (Turkey) vs. Deepak Punia (India)

Bronze – Jakub Szymula (Poland) vs. Jacob Warner (United States)

Bronze – Alik Shebzukhov (Russia) vs. Mher Markosyan (Armenia)

U.S. men’s freestyle results

42 kg/92.5 lbs. - Kurt McHenry, Leesburg, Va. 

WIN Seyed Azimisiyacheghaei (Iran), 6-4

WIN Arakel Movsesyan (Armenia), 10-0

WIN Magomed Abdurakhmanov (Russia), 11-0


50 kg/110 lbs. - Aaron Cashman, Spring Park, Minn.

WIN Azim Mamyshev (Kyrgyzstan), 15-4

LOSS Amir Parasteh (Iran), 7-1

LOSS Engin Cetin (Turkey), 8-2


58 kg/127.75 lbs. - Vitali Arujau, Syosset, N.Y. 

WIN Hector Candelaria Rivera (Puerto Rico), 10-0

WIN Ryuto Sakaki (Japan), 9-6

WIN Denys Borohan (Ukraine), 10-0


69 kg/152 lbs. - David Carr, Massillon, Ohio

WIN Davud Alizalau (Belarus), 11-0

WIN Yevhenii Dubovyi (Ukraine), 10-2

LOSS Sajjad Gholami (Iran), 8-8


85 kg/187.4 lbs. - Jacob Warner, Washington, Ill. 

WIN Gheorghe Erhan (Moldova), Fall 1:20

WIN Davlatbek Ashurov (Uzbekistan), 10-0

LOSS Deepak Punia (India), 4-4

WIN Simon Oksaniani (Georgia), 8-2