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Stanich strikes gold as U.S. picks up three more medals in men's freestyle

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by Jason Bryant, Special to TheMat.com

Luke Stanich captured the gold medal at 65kg at the U20 World Championships in Samokov, Bulgaria

Luke Stanich captured the gold medal at 65kg at the U20 World Championships in Samokov, Bulgaria

SAMOKOV, Bulgaria - Opportunistic, timely and defensive. All three of those words could be used to describe Luke Stanich's performance on Tuesday night at Arena Samokov in Samokov, Bulgaria.

Stanich, a redshirt sophomore at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania capped off his appearance at the U20 World Championships with a 4-3 win over Japan's Reiji Uchida to win the gold medal at 65kg. Stanich's two-day stretch saw him nearly bounced out of championship contention a minute into his opening match on Monday to standing atop of the podium just over 24 hours later.

Stanich's gold was one of three medals won by the men's freestyle squad on Tuesday, which locked up the team title even with two weights yet to be completed. Incoming Penn State freshman William Henckel wrestled solidly despite falling 8-6 to Iran's Mahdi Yousefi at 79kg, while Penn State redshirt freshman Connor Mirasola closed out his performance with a technical fall over Azerbaijan's Anar Jafarli 10-0 to win a bronze medal at 92kg.

With Marcus Blaze and Max McEnelly already in Wednesday's finals, the American squad earned eight medals, tying the second-most in history at a U20 world championships. The record was nine won back in 2023.

In Stanich's final, he scored a pair of takedowns and gave up a takedown and a first-period stepout. The first of his takedowns could have checked that opportunistic box as Uchida attempted a snapdown, which either drew Stanich right into Uchida's leg or Stanich was already headed that direction. His second takedown countered an Uchida attack to build out a 4-1 lead. Defensively, he had to stop Uchida best chance to take the lead in par terre when he dropped his head between Stanich's legs and tried to lace him up.

Henckel fell just short, but despite falling behind 8-2 in the second, he chipped away, using his conditioning to his advantage, forcing Yousefi, last year's U23 world champion, to continually come back to the center at a slower pace.

The Mirasola twins became just the second brother tandem in American wrestling history to medal at the same U20, Junior or Espoir world championship since Jimmy Carr won gold and Joe Carr won silver in 1973 at Miami Beach, Florida.

Team Standings (Through Eight Completed Weights) #

1. United States 135

2. Kazakhstan 104

3. Iran 76

4. Azerbaijan 71

5. Georgia 58

6. India 50

7. Japan 47

8. Moldova 44

9. Kyrgyzstan 32

10. Turkiye 31

Team points are scored by placement (25-20-15-15-10-10-8-6-4-2)

57kg #

Gold - Magomed Saliakh Ozdamirov (UWW)

Silver - Sumit Malik (India)

Bronze - Nurdanat Aitanov (Kazakhstan)

Bronze - Vasif Baghirov (Azerbaijan)

5. Baiaman Kerimbekov (Kyrgyzstan)

5. Ion Bulgaru (Moldova)

7. Riccardo Bonanno (Italy)

8. Arshia Bahram Haddadi (Iran)

9. Karoly Barath (Hungary)

10. Nika Zangaladze (Georgia)

Medal Matches #

Gold: Magomed Ozdamirov (UWW) dec. Sumit Malik (India) 8-5

Bronze: Vasif Baghirov (Azerbaijan) dec. Ion Bulgaru (Moldova) 8-2

Bronze: Nurdanat Aitanov (Kazakhstan) tech. fall Baiaman Kerimbekov (Kyrgyzstan) 11-0

65kg #

Gold - Luke Stanich (United States)

Silver - Reiji Uchida (Japan)

Bronze - Abdullah Toprak (Turkey)

Bronze - Arman Musikyan (Armenia)

5. Amal Dzhandubaev (UWW)

5. Viktor Borohan (Ukraine)

7. Alessandro Dante Nini (Italy)

8. Lazare Gujaraidze (Georgia)

9. Ion Berghi (Moldova)

10. Benjamin Boejthe (Romania)

Medal Match Results #

Gold: Luke Stanich (United States) dec. Reiji Uchida (Japan) 4-3

Bronze: Arman Musikyan (Armenia) dec. Viktor Borohan (Ukraine) 4-0

Bronze: Abdullah Toprak (Türkiye) dec. Amal Dzhandubaev (UWW) 14-10

79kg #

Gold - Mahdi Yousefi Hajivar (Iran)

Silver - William Henckel (United States)

Bronze - Davit Tchechelashvili (Georgia)

Bronze - Said Saidulov (United World Wrestling)

5. Amit (India)

5. Ion Marcu (Moldova)

7. Muradkhan Omarov (Azerbaijan)

8. Yerkhan Abil (Kazakhstan)

9. Bohdan Oleksiienko (Ukraine)

10. Maksat Tabyldyev (Kyrgyzstan)

Medal Match Results #

Gold: Mahdi Yousefi Hajivar (Iran) dec. William Henckel (United States) 8-6

Bronze: Said Saidulov (United World Wrestling) tech. Ion Marcu (Moldova) 11-0

Bronze: Davit Tchechelashvili (Georgia) dec. Amit (India) 9-6

92kg #

Gold - Sherzod Poyonov (Uzbekistan)

Silver - Kamil Kurugliyev (Kazakhstan)

Bronze - Gadzhimurad Gadzhibatyrov (UWW)

Bronze - Connor Mirasola (United States)

5. Sorato Kanazawa (Japan)

5. Anar Jafarli (Azerbaijan)

7. Toohid Amirali Noory (Iran)

8. Michealjeet Grewal (Canada)

9. Teimuraz Kochkiani (Georgia)

10. Sachin (India)

Medal Match Results #

92kg

Gold: Sherzod Poyonov (Uzbekistan) dec. Kamil Kurugliyev (Kazakhstan) 3-2

Bronze: Connor Mirasola (United States) tech. Anar Jafarli (Azerbaijan) 10-0

Bronze: Gadzhimurad Gadzhibatyrov (UWW) tech .fall Sorato Kanazawa (Japan) 15-5

2025 U20 World Championships #

At Samokov, Bulgaria, August 17-24 #


U.S. Men’s Freestyle Group 3 results #

61kg – Marcus Blaze (Perrysburg, Ohio/Perrysburg WC/Titan Mercury WC) #

WIN Sandro Hungerbuehler (Switzerland), tech. fall, 10-0.

WIN Sargis Begoyan (Armenia), disq., 3 cautions

WIN Askat Toktomatov (Kyrgyzstan), tech. fall, 11-1

WIN Magomedkhan Magamedkhanov (UWW), tech. fall, 15-4

vs. Ahora Khateri (Iran)


86 kg – Max McEnelly (Waconia, Minn./Minnesota RTC) #

WIN Razmik Yepremyan (Armenia), tech. fall, 10-0

WIN Dachi Papinashivili (Georgia), tech. fall, 10-0

WIN Abolfazl Rahmani Firouzjaei (Iran), dec. 5-5, criteria

vs. Bozigit Islamgereev (UWW)

U.S. Men’s Freestyle Group 2 results #

57kg - Anthony Knox (Freehold, N.J./Spartan Combat RTC/Titan Mercury WC) #

WIN Mykola Bratov (Ukraine), tech. fall, 11-0.

LOSS Nurdanat Aitanov (Kazakhstan), tech. fall, 14-3


65kg - Luke Stanich (Succasunna, N.J./Lehigh Valley Wrestling RTC) #

WIN Abdullah Toprak (Turkiye), tech. fall, 18-8

WIN Omurbek Asan Uulu (Kyrgyzstan), dec. 9-3

WIN Alessandro Nini (Italy), dec. 3-3, criteria

WIN Amal Dzhandubaev (UWW), dec. 3-1

WIN Reiji Uchida (Japan) dec. 4-3


79 kg – William Henckel (Southbury, Conn./Blairstown WC) #

WIN Maksat Tabyldyev (Kyrgyzstan), dec. 8-5.

WIN Bohdan Oleksiienko (Ukraine), tech. fall, 10-0

WIN Davit Tchetchelashvili (Georgia), dec. 11-5

WIN Amit (India), dec. 5-4

LOSS Mahdi Yousefi Hajivar (Iran) 8-6


92 kg – Connor Mirasola (Jackson, Wis./Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC) #

WIN Zixu Yuan (China), tech. fall, 10-0

LOSS Kamil Kurugliyev (Kazakhstan), dec. 7-5.

WIN Teimuraz Kochkiani (Georgia), tech. fall, 12-2

WIN Anar Jafarli (Azerbaijan) 10-0


U.S. Men’s Freestyle Group 1 results #

70 kg – PJ Duke (Slate Hill, N.Y./KD Training Center) #

WIN Umut Uslu (Turkiye), tech. fall 11-0

WIN Gabriel Alejandro Sanchez Zepeda (Mexico), fall, 0:43.

WIN Abdoullah Nakaev (France), tech fall, 14-4

WIN Ebrahim Elahi Chouran (Iran), dec. 2-2, criteria

WIN Aleksandr Gaidarli (Moldova), dec. 7-5


74 kg – Ladarion Lockett (Stillwater, Okla./Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC) #

WIN Tolui Munkhbat (Mongolia), tech. fall 10-0

LOSS Ismael Khaniev (UWW), dec. 5-2

WIN Vatan Annaorazov (Turkmenistan), tech. fall, 10-0

WIN Manuel Wagin (Germany), dec. 8-5

LOSS Kanata Yamaguchi (Japan), tech. fall 10-0


97 kg – Justin Rademacher (West Linn, Ore./ Beaver Dam Wrestling RTC) #

WIN Ibrahim Benekli (Turkiye), fall, 5:50.

WIN Nikolaos Karavanos (Greece), dec., 9-1

WIN Konstantine Petriashvili (Georgia), tech. fall, 16-5

WIN Magomedgadzhi Magomedov (UWW), dec. 4-1


125 kg – Cole Mirasola (Jackson, Wis./Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC) #

WIN Sertac Aksoy (Turkiye), tech fall, 10-0.

WIN Inal Gagloev (UWW), dec. 3-0

LOSS Yedige Kassimbek (Kazakhstan), tech. fall, 11-0.

WIN Narantulga Darmaabazar (Mongolia), tech. fall, 12-0