Kelani Corbett secures spot in 2017 Cadet World Championships semifinal

CADET WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS INTERVIEWS

ATHENS, Greece – Kelani Corbett advanced to the 70 kg/154 lbs. semifinals of the 2017 Cadet World Championships in Athens, Greece, on Thursday morning, winning two tough bouts.

The 2017 Cadet freestyle national champ made her World debut, facing Mongolia’s Khulan Tsermaa, who took fifth at the 2017 Cadet Asian Championships. Corbett trailed early in the first period, 4-2, but picked up a takedown and two turns for an 8-4 lead at the break. With less than 20 seconds left in the bout, Tsermaa scored a takedown but it was not enough as Corbett held on for an 8-6 win.

In the quarterfinals, the American battled a tough opponent in 2017 Cadet European champion Romana Vovchak of Ukraine, who was first on the board with a takedown. The two exchanged exposure points in a scramble halfway through the first, with Corbett trailing 4-2. She took the lead on criteria with takedown to put the Ukrainian in danger of a pin, but it was not awarded. The second period saw Corbett strong arm her way to two more takedowns to seal the win, 8-4.

In her first trip to the Cadet World Championships, Corbett has guaranteed herself the opportunity to wrestle in a medal match.

She’ll compete in the semifinals tonight against 2016 Cadet Asian bronze winner Yuka Kagami of Japan. Americans Emily Shilson and Alara Boyd will follow up Corbett’s match, wrestling in the finals at 43 kg/95 lbs. and 65 kg/143 lbs., respectively.

Three wrestlers, Caitlyn Walker (40 kg/88 lbs.), Olivia Shore (46 kg/108 lbs.) and Alexandria Liles (60 kg/132 lbs.), were knocked out of the championship bracket on Thursday morning and must await the semifinals, which will determined if they are pulled back into the repechage.

Liles won her first match in a dominant 10-0 tech fall over Miriam Loetscher of Switzerland, before suffering a heartbreaking 2-1 decision to Erika Bognar of Hungary in the quarterfinals.

Both Walker and Shore dropped their tournament openers, losing by fall. Walker was defeated by Japan’s Sakurai Hanano, while Shore fell to 2015 Cadet World champion Ekaterina Mikhailova of Russia.

Two-time Cadet World team member Vayle Baker was unable to qualify for the bronze medal bout at 49 kg/108 lbs.

After falling short in yesterday’s championship bracket, Baker wrestled in repechage this morning. She faced Azerbaijan’s Sevinj Ahadova to start the day, who she defeated in an easy 12-2 tech. fall.

In her second match, she fell in a wild 16-8 decision to Nataliia Varakina of Belarus, who took 8th at the 2016 Cadet World Championships.

Alisha Howk was also unable to qualify for the medal round at 52 kg/114 lbs.

Howk, a 2017 Junior freestyle national champion, put up a fight in her first match against two-time Cadet European bronze medalist Mariana Dragutan of Moldova. The two went back and forth for all four minutes, but it was Dragutan who came out on top 10-8.

The semifinals will begin at 5:30 p.m. local time (10:30 a.m. ET), with the medal matches from day-one women’s competition set for 6 p.m. (11 a.m. ET). Fans can find live streams and brackets on Trackwrestling.com.

2017 CADET WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

at Athens, Greece, Sept. 4-10

U.S. women’s freestyle results
40 kg/88 lbs. – Caitlyn Walker, Hatboro, Pa. (Team Pennsylvania)
LOSS Sakurai Hanano (Japan), fall 1:21

46 kg/101 lbs. – Olivia Shore, St. Paris, Ohio (Ohio National Team)
LOSS Ekaterina Mikhailova (Russia), fall 3:51

49 kg/108 lbs. – Vayle Baker, Benton, Pa. (Team Pennsylvania)
WIN Maria Triantafyllidou (Greece), fall 1:19
LOSS Suzuna Yoshimura (Japan), 10-0
WIN Sevinj Ahadova (Azerbaijan), 12-2
LOSS Nataliia Varakina (Belarus), 16-8

52 kg/114 lbs. – Alisha Howk, River Falls, Wisc.
LOSS Mariana Dragutan (Moldova), 10-8

60 kg/132 lbs. – Alexandria Liles, Allen, Texas (Best Trained WC)
WIN Miriam Loetscher (Switzerland), 10-0
LOSS Erika Bognar (Hungary), 2-1

70 kg/154 lbs. – Kelani Corbett, Mililani, Hawai’i (Team Hawai’i)
WIN Khulan Tsermaa (Mongolia), 8-6
WIN Romana Vovchak (Ukraine), 8-4