Mensah-Stock wins silver, Ragan picks up bronze at Matteo Pellicone in Rome

ROME, Italy – Tamyra Mensah-Stock and Alli Ragan collected some hardware on day two of the Matteo Pellicone International in Rome, Italy, on Thursday. The event is serving as the first UWW Ranking Series event of 2020.

Winning silver was 2019 World champion and UWW Women’s Wrestler of the Year Tamyra Mensah-Stock.

Taking on two-time Senior World medalist Feng Zhou of China in the finals, Mensah-Stock registered a pair of takedowns to lead 4-0 at the break. In the second period, she extended her lead with a takedown and a gut to go up 8-0. Zhou responded late in the match, coming out on top in a scramble and rattling off three gut wrenches to lead on criteria. Despite strong effort from Mensah-Stock, Zhou held on for the criteria victory, 8-8.

At 57 kg, two-time World silver medalist Alli Ragan scored a bronze medal with a come-from-behind win against three-time age-group World medalist Alina Akobiia of Ukraine.

Halfway through the first period, Akobiia received four points on an exchange near the edge to carry a 4-0 lead into the break. In the second period, Ragan battled, scoring a takedown from a single leg to cut Akobiia’s lead to 4-2 with two minutes left. Ragan notched another takedown with only 20 seconds left, countering a shot from the Ukrainian.

The American held on for a 4-4 win on criteria to pick up the first bronze medal of the day for the USA.

Four athletes finished fifth on Thursday, including women’s freestylers Jenna Burkert at 57 kg and Kayla Miracle at 62 kg and Greco-Roman wrestlers RaVaughn Perkins at 77 kg and Jon Stefanowicz at 82 kg.

Burkert took on reigning Senior World champion Linda Morais of Canada for bronze. Morais put together a strong first period to defeat Burkert, 10-0.

At 62 kg, Miracle led after the first period against Jia Long of China. Long was on the board early in the second with a takedown and later scored a four-pointer to put the match away, 6-1.

Perkins took on 2015 Pan Am Games champion and 2019 Pan Am Games runner-up Wulleixis Rivas Espinosa of Venezuela in his bronze match. Rivas got a chance in par terre first and gutted Perkins three times to jump out to a 7-0 lead. The deficit proved to be too much as Perkins eventually fell, 8-2.

For bronze at 82 kg, 2019 World Team member Stefanowicz went up against 2019 World Military Games bronze medalist Florian Neumaier of Germany. Stefanowicz trailed, 1-1, on criteria with just seconds left in the bout. He attempted to jump over Neumaier at the buzzer, but it resulted in four points for the German, handing Stefanowicz a 5-1 loss.

The tournament continues Friday at 4:30 a.m. ET on Flowrestling with the remaining women’s freestyle weights (50-53-55-59-65-72kg) and two men’s freestyle weights (97 and 125 kg).

MATTEO PELLICONE INTERANTIONAL

at Rome, Italy

Women’s freestyle results
57 kg: Alli Ragan (Sunkist Kids/Hawkeye WC) - BRONZE
WIN Iryna Chykhradze Khariv (Ukraine), injury default
WIN Elena Brugger (Germany), 10-0
LOSS Odunayo Adekuoroye (Nigeria), 10-3
WIN Alina Akobiia (Ukraine), 4-4

57 kg: Jenna Burkert (Army WCAP) - FIFTH
WIN Maria Simonyan (Russia), 5-5
WIN Ramona Galambos (Hungary), 1-1
WIN Laura Mertens (Germany), 4-2
LOSS Anshu Anshu (India), 10-0
LOSS Linda Morais (Canada), 10-0

62 kg: Kayla Miracle (Sunkist Kids/Hawkeye WC) - FIFTH
WIN Nathaly Griman Herrera (Venezuela), fall 5:17
WIN Lais Nunes de Oliveira (Brazil), 4-0
WIN Aminat Adeniyi (Nigeria), fall 4:43
LOSS Aisuluu Tynybekova (Kyrgyzstan), fall 1:42
LOSS Jia Long (China), 6-1

62 kg: Macey Kilty (Sunkist Kids/USOPTC/TarHeel WC) – EIGHTH
WIN Sonam (India), 10-0
LOSS Aisuluu Tynybekova (Kyrgyzstan), 10-0
LOSS Jia Long (China), 3-1

62 kg: Mallory Velte (Titan Mercury WC) – NINTH
WIN Marianna Sastin (Hungary), 5-4
LOSS Liubov Ovcharova (Russia), 6-4
LOSS Iryna Koliadenko (Ukraine), 3-1

68 kg: Tamyra Mensah-Stock (Titan Mercury WC/USOPTC) – SILVER
WIN Blessing Oborududu (Nigeria), 3-1
WIN Koumba Larroque (France), 6-3
WIN Alina Berezhna Stadnik (Ukraine), injury default
LOSS Feng Zhou (China), 8-8

68 kg: Victoria Francis (Titan Mercury WC) – 11TH
LOSS Anastasija Grigorjeva (Latvia), 12-3

Greco-Roman results
72 kg: Raymond Bunker (Marines) – SEVENTH
LOSS Maksym Yevtushenko (Ukraine), 4-1

77 kg: RaVaughn Perkins (New York AC/USOPTC) - FIFTH
WIN Pat Smith (USA), 4-0
LOSS Zoltan Levai (Hungary), 5-0
WIN Furkan Bayrak (Turkey), 3-1
LOSS Wulleixis Rivas Espinosa (Venezuela), 8-2

77 kg: Kamal Bey (Sunkist Kids) – SEVENTH
WIN Nurbek Khashimbekov (Uzbekistan), 14-5
LOSS Wulleixis Rivas Espinosa (Venezuela), 7-5

77 kg: Pat Smith (Minnesota Storm) – 14TH
LOSS RaVaughn Perkins (USA), 4-0

82 kg: John Stefanowicz (Marines) – FIFTH
WIN Bing Lin (Taipei), 9-0
LOSS Singh Gurpreet (India), 5-0
LOSS Florian Neumaier (Germany), 5-1