Jackson gets men’s freestyle gold, Snyder a silver, Wick, Trumble, Parris add bronzes at the Zagreb Open

ZAGREB, Croatia – The United States won five medals in men’s freestyle on Thursday at the Zagreb Open, led by a gold medal from Nate Jackson at 92 kg.

Jackson scored a first-period pin over 2022 U20 World silver medalist Andro Margishvili of Georgia in 1:17 in the finals. Jackson scored first on a step out, then threw Margishvili with a hip toss to his back and closed out the fall.

2016 Olympic champion and three-time World champion Kyle Snyder secured a silver medal at 97 kg, falling to 2022 U23 World champion Amarali Azarpira of Iran in the finals, 6-3.

Snyder scored first on a shot clock point against Azarpira, to lead 1-0 at the break. Both wrestlers scored takedowns to make it 3-2 for Snyder. A key U.S. challenge was lost, as officials gave Azarpira a step out and the additional point to make it 4-3. Azarpira. Late in the bout, Azarpira added a spin behind takedown for the final margin.

Claiming bronze medals for the USA on Thursday were Evan Wick (79 kg), 2023 U23 World champion Isaac Trumble (97 kg) and 2023 World bronze medalist Mason Parris (125 kg)

Wick opened up his offense before pinning 2019 Asian U20 champion Abdollah Sheikhazami of Iran  at 4:49. Wick trailed 4-1, but powered back to take a 7-4 lead at the break. He continued his offensive assault, leading 13-4 in the second period before securing the pin.

Trumble defeated Indian wrestler Vicky of UWW, 8-5 in the bronze-medal bout. Vicky quickly got a takedown and two gut wrenches to lead 6-0. Vicky responded with a takedown, making it 6-2 at the break. After a Vicky step out point, each wrestler got another takedown giving Trumble the win.

In his bronze-medal bout, Parris grinded out a 5-2 win over Giorgi Meshvildishvili of Azerbaijan. Both wrestlers gave up a shot clock point, making it 1-1 in the second period. Parris scored a single leg takedown to lead 3-1. Meshvildishvili added a late step out, but a Parris body lock takedown at the end closed out the win.

Just missing a medal was Eric Schultz, who placed fourth at 92 kg. Schultz was edged in the bronze-medal match by Mirani Maisuradze of Georgia, 8-7. Maisuradze got a shot clock point and a takedown in the first period to lead 3-0. Schultz closed the score to 6-4 in the second, but a Maisuradze takedown gave him enough lead to hold off a late Schultz charge.

The USA finished with nine men’s freestyle medals, including two gold medals. Included were four medals on Thursday, with a gold from Jason Nolf (74 kg) and bronzes from Joey McKenna (65 kg), Doug Zapf (70 kg) and Chance Marsteller (86 kg).

The United States won the team standings in men’s freestyle with 159 points, followed by Iran with 115 points and Georgia with 110 points.

There were two women’s freestyle weight classes contested on Thursday, 50 kg and 55 kg, but the USA did not have any entries in these two weight classes. The women’s freestyle results will be added to the story after their medal matches conclude.

ZAGREB OPEN

At Zagreb, Croatia, January 11, 2024

Men’s Freestyle Results

79 kg

Gold - Mohammad Nokhodilarimi (Iran)

Silver - Avtandil Kentchadze (Georgia)

Bronze - Evan Wick (USA)

4^th - Abdollah Sheikhazami (Iran)

5^th - Joseph Lavallee (USA)

6^th - Denys Pavlov (Ukraine)

Gold – Nokhodiliarimi dec. Ketchadze, 6-0

Bronze – Wick pin Sheikhazami, 4:49

92 kg

Gold – Nate Jackson (USA)

Silver - Andro Margishvili (Georgia)

Bronze - Miriani Maisuradze (Georgia)

4^th - Eric Schultz (USA)

5^th - Taylor Lujan (USA)

6^th - Balasz Juhasz (Hungary)  

7^th - Denys Sahaliuk (Ukraine)

Gold – Jackson pin Margishvili, 1:16

Bronze – Masuradze dec. Schultz, 8-7

97 kg

Gold - Amirali Azarpira (Iran)

Silver - Kyle Snyder (USA)

Bronze - Kamran Ghasempour (Iran)

Bronze - Isaac Trumble (USA)

5^th - Erhan Yaylaci (Turkey)

5^th - Vicky (UWW)

7^th - Radoslaw Baran (Poland)

8^th - Ibrahim Ciftci (Turkey)

9^th - Cristian Sarco Colmenarez (Venezuela)

10^th - Mamuka Kordzaia (Georgia)

Gold – Azarpira dec. Snyder, 6-3

Bronze – Trumble dec. Vicky, 8-5

Bronze – Ghasempour dec. Yaylaci, 3-1

125 kg

Gold - Amir Zare (Iran)

Silver - Amirreza Masoumi Valadi (Iran)

Bronze - Deng Zhiwei (China)

Bronze - Mason Parris (USA)

5^th - Geno Petriashvili (Georgia)

5^th - Giorgi Meshvildishvili (Azerbaijan)

7^th - Nick Gwiazdowski (USA)

8^th - Robert Baran (Poland)

9^th - Givi Matcharashvili (Georgia)

10^th - Solomon Manashvili (Georgia)

Gold – Zare dec. Masoumi, 5-0

Bronze – Parris dec. Meshvildishvili, 5-2

Bronze – Zhiwei inj. dft. Petriashvili

U.S. men's freestyle results

79 kg: Joey Lavallee (Titan Mercury WC/NJCRTC), 5^th place

LOSS Mohammad Nokhodilarimi (Iran), 7-3

LOSS Abdollah Sheikhazami (Iran), 9-6

79 kg: Evan Wick (Titan Mercury WC/ SoCal RTC), Bronze Medal

WIN Denys Pavlov (Ukraine), 10-0

LOSS Avtandil Kentchadze (Georgia), 11-0

LOSS Mohammed Nokjodilarimi (Iran), 6-6

WIN Abdollah Sheikhazami (Iran), pin 4:49

92 kg: Nate Jackson (New York AC/NJRTC), Gold Medal

WIN Balasz Juhasz (Hungary), 11-1

WIN Andro Margishvili (Georgia), fall 1:09

WIN Miriani Maisuradze (Georgia), 10-0

WIN Andro Margishvili (Georgia), pin 1:16

92 kg: Eric Schultz (Sunkist Kids/Nebraska WTC), 4^th place

WIN Denys Sahaliuk (Ukraine), 12-2

WIN Miriani Maisuradze (Georgia), 7-1

WIN Taylor Lujan (USA), 12-4

LOSS Andro Margishvili (Georgia), 2-2

LOSS Mirani Maisuradze (Georgia), 8-7

92 kg: Taylor Lujan (Titan Mercury WC/Panther WC), 5^th place

LOSS Miriani Maisuradze (Georgia), 11-0

WIN Denys Sahaliuk (Ukraine), inj. def.

LOSS Eric Schultz (USA), 12-4

97 kg: Kyle Snyder (Titan Mercury WC/Nittany Lion WC), Silver medal

WIN Tuerxunbieke Muheite (China), 11-1

WIN Erhan Yaylaci (Turkey), 10-0

WIN Cristian Sarco Colmenarez (Venezuela), 10-0

WIN Kamran Ghasempour (Iran), 4-0

LOSS Amarali Azarpira (Iran), 6-3

97 kg: Isaac Trumble (Titan Mercury WC/Wolfpack WC), Bronze medal

WIN Erik Thiele (Germany), 8-4

LOSS Amirali Azarpira (Iran), 8-7

WIN Radoslaw Baran (Poland), 14-10

WIN Vicky (UWW), 8-5

97 kg: Michael Macchiavello (Titan Mercury WC/Lehigh Valley WC), 19^th place

LOSS Amirali Azarpira (Iran), 10-0

LOSS Radoslaw Baran (Poland), 5-0

125 kg: Mason Parris (Titan Mercury WC/Cliff Keen WC), Bronze medal

WIN Vakhit Galayev (Azerbaijan), 15-4

WIN Amarveer Dhesi (Canada), 11-0

LOSS Amirreza Masoumi Valadi (Iran), 11-6

WIN Giorgi Meshvildishvili (Azerbaijan), 5-2

125 kg: Nick Gwiazdowski (Titan Mercury WC/Spartan Combat RTC), 7^th place

WIN Gennadij Cudinovic (Germany), 10-0

WIN Christian Lance (USA), 4-2

LOSS Amir Zare (Iran), 11-0

LOSS Zhiwei Deng (China), 7-4

125 kg: Christian Lance (Sunkist Kids/Nebraska RTC), 18^th place

LOSS Nick Gwiazdowski (United States), 4-2

Men’s Freestyle Team Standings

1. United States 159

2. Iran, 115

3. Georgia, 110

4. Azerbaijan, 54

5. Bulgaria, 50

6. Turkiye, 39

7. UWW, 37

8. Ukraine, 37

9. China, 35

10. Hungary, 33

(of 28 nations)

Women’s freestyle results

50 kg

Gold - Yui Susaki (Japan)

Silver - Ziqi Feng (China)

Bronze - Nadezhda Sokolova (AIN)

Bronze - Otgonjargal Dolgorjav (Mongolia)

5^th - Kseniya Stankevich (AIN)

5^th - Evin Demirhan (Turkey)

7^th -  Szimonetta Szeker (Hungary)

8^th - Elizaveta Smirnova (AIN)

9^th - Anna Lukasiak (Poland)

10^th - Miglena Selishka (Bulgaria)

Gold – Susaki tech fall Feng, 10-0 3:38

Bronze -Dolgorjav dec. Demirhan, 7-6

Bronze -Sokolova pin Stankevich, 3:34

55 kg

Gold - Samantha Stewart (Canada)

Silver - Roksana Zasina (Poland)

Bronze - Mariana Dragutan (Moldova)

Bronze - Mariia Vynnyk (Ukraine)

5^th - Albina Rillia (Ukraine)

5^th - Roza Szenttamasi (Hungary)

7^th - Magdalena Glodek (Poland)

8^th - Gerda Terek (Hungary)

9^th - Gultakin Shirinova (Azerbaijan)

Gold – Stewart dec. Zasina, 3-1

Bronze – Vynnyk dec. Szenttamasi, 2-2

Bronze – Dragutan pin Rillia, 1:45

No U.S. women’s freestyle entries on Thursday