Five American Greco wrestlers to compete for medals at Matteo Pellicone International

ROME, Italy – Five U.S. Greco-Roman athletes will wrestle for medals later today at the Matteo Pellicone International in Rome, Italy, which serves as the first United World Wrestling Ranking Series event of the 2020 season.

At 55 kg, 2019 World Military Games bronze medalist Max Nowry went 1-1 in the first session of round-robin action. Later, he will wrestle for silver against 2013 Junior World champion and 2018 University World bronze medalist Serif Kilic of Turkey.

The four other USA wrestlers alive in the tournament will compete for bronze.

At 87 kg, there are two Americans aiming for bronze, including 2019 World Team member Joe Rau and 2018 World Team member Patrick Martinez.

Rau will take on four-time age-group World medalist Ali Cengiz of Turkey, while Martinez will face 2019 Pan American Games champion Luis Avendano Rojas from Venezuela.

At 97 kg, three-time Senior World Team member G’Angelo Hancock advanced to the semifinals before suffering his first loss at the tournament at the hands of 2019 European Games bronze medalist and 2014 Junior World bronze winner Felix Baldauf of Norway.

For bronze, Hancock will face two-time U23 World champion Semen Novikov of Ukraine.

Finally, at 130 kg, 2018 World silver medalist Adam Coon will go head-to-head against Lingzhe Meng of China.

Eliminated from the tournament in the opening session was 67 kg wrestlers Jamel Johnson (Marines), Xavier Johnson (Marines) and Calvin Germinaro (Minnesota Storm).

The medal matches will begin Wednesday at 12 p.m. (noon) ET live on Flowrestling.org.

MATTEO PELLICONE INTERNATIONAL

at Rome, Italy (UWW Ranking Series event), Jan. 15-18

Greco-Roman results
55 kg: Max Nowry (Army WCAP)
WIN Andrii Semenchuk (Ukraine), 6-0
LOSS Dogus Ayazci (Turkey), 9-0
vs. Serif Kilic (Turkey)

60 kg: Ildar Hafizov (Army WCAP)
LOSS Sailike Walihan (China), 9-1
LOSS Erbatu Tuo (China), 6-3

67 kg: Jamel Johnson (Marines)
LOSS Anthony Palencia Puentes (Venezuela), 5-1

67 kg: Xavier Johnson (Marines)
LOSS Qiye Tian (China), 2-2

67 kg: Calvin Germinaro (Minnesota Storm)
LOSS Qiye Tian (China), 7-2

87 kg: Patrick Martinez (New York AC/Finger Lakes WC)
WIN Mirco Minguizzi (Italy), 3-2
LOSS Kumar Sunil (India), 2-1
vs. Luis Avendano Rojas (Venezuela)

87 kg: Joe Rau (Titan Mercury/Chicago RTC)
LOSS Viktor Lorincz (Hungary), 7-0
WIN Junjie Na (China), 3-1
vs. Ali Cengiz (Turkey)

97 kg: G’Angelo Hancock (Sunkist Kids/USOPTC)
WIN Hardeep Hardeep (India), 8-0
WIN Ramsin Azizsir (Germany), 5-0
LOSS Felix Baldauf (Norway), 7-2
vs. Semen Novikov (Ukraine)

97 kg: Daniel Miller (Marines)
WIN Yanan Chen (China), 4:18
LOSS Nikolaz Kakhelashvili (Italy), 3-1
LOSS Lulliyus Perez Mora (Venezuela), 6-3

130 kg: Adam Coon (New York AC/Cliff Keen WC)
LOSS Moises Perez Hellburg (Venezuela), 6-4
WIN Tuomas Lahti (Finland)
vs. Lingzhe Meng (China)