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Fearnside, Molinari set to wrestle for bronze in Friday afternoon session at Poland Open
by Joe Wedra, Special to TheMat.com
Four U.S. women’s freestylers took the mat at the Poland Open Friday morning in Warsaw, with Amy Fearnside (53kg) and Forrest Molinari (68kg) set to wrestle for bronze in this afternoon’s session.
Ronna Heaton (53kg) and Helen Maroulis (57kg) both won opening-round matches, but did not advance to this afternoon’s medal match session.
Fearnside, who won the 2019 Poland Open in Warsaw at 50 kg, began her day with a win over Germany’s Annika Wendle. Wendle, who took third at the 2020 European championships, put pressure on with a takedown in the second period, but Fearnside was able to score late to secure a 6-2 win. In the semifinals, India’s Vinesh, a 2016 Olympian and 2019 World bronze medalist, locked up the fall against Fearnside early in the first period to advance. Fearnside will face Ekaterina Poleshchuk of Russia in the bronze medal bout. Poleshchuk was the 2019 World bronze medalist at 50 kg.
Molinari began the day with an impressive 2-2 win on criteria over Battsetseg Soronzonbold of Mongolia. Soronzonbold, a 2012 Olympic bronze medalist and two-time World champion, scored twice on step outs, but an early takedown from Molinari proved to be enough to advance. In the semis, Molinari dropped an 8-2 match to Nigeria’s Blessing Oborududu, a two-time Olympian. Molinari will wrestle Russia’s Khanum Velieva for bronze. Velieva is a four-time age group World champion.
Maroulis started Friday with a quick fall over Canada’s Tianna Kennett to advance past the first round. Maroulis used a foot sweep to score and finish the fall against Kennett. In the quarterfinals, Nigeria’s Odunayo Adekuoroye had a dominant performance, scoring two four-pointers to win, 13-0. Adekuoroye went on to make the 57 kg finals after knocking off Russia’s Valeria Koblova-Zholobova, a 2016 Olympic silver medalist. Maroulis dropped her repechage match to Ukraine’s Tetyana Kit, 8-2.
Heaton opened up the tournament with a 4-3 win over Canada’s Samantha Stewart before falling in the quarterfubaks 6-6 on criteria in a back-and-forth match against Poland’s Katarzyna Krawczyk, a 2016 Olympian. Krawczyk lost in the semifinals, ending the tournament for Heaton.
Today’s action resumes at 12:00 p.m. EST and will be streamed live on FloWrestling.
2021 Poland Open
Warsaw, Poland
U.S. Women’s Freestyle Results
53 kg: Amy Fearnside (USOPTC/TMWC)
WIN – Annika Wendle (Germany), 6-2
LOSS – Vinesh (India), Fall 1:15
53 kg: Ronna Heaton (Wisconsin RTC/Sunkist Kids)
WIN – Samantha Stewart (Canada), 4-3
LOSS – Katarzyna Krawczyk (Poland), 6-6
57 kg: Helen Maroulis (Nittany Lion WC/Sunkist Kids)
WIN – Tianna Kennett (Canada), Fall 0:31
LOSS – Odunayo Adekuoroye (Nigeria), 13-0
LOSS – Tetyana Kit (Ukraine), 8-2
68 kg: Forrest Molinari (Sunkist Kids/TMWC)
WIN – Battsetseg Soronzonbold (Mongolia), 2-2
LOSS – Blessing Oborududu (Nigeria), 8-2
Ronna Heaton (53kg) and Helen Maroulis (57kg) both won opening-round matches, but did not advance to this afternoon’s medal match session.
Fearnside, who won the 2019 Poland Open in Warsaw at 50 kg, began her day with a win over Germany’s Annika Wendle. Wendle, who took third at the 2020 European championships, put pressure on with a takedown in the second period, but Fearnside was able to score late to secure a 6-2 win. In the semifinals, India’s Vinesh, a 2016 Olympian and 2019 World bronze medalist, locked up the fall against Fearnside early in the first period to advance. Fearnside will face Ekaterina Poleshchuk of Russia in the bronze medal bout. Poleshchuk was the 2019 World bronze medalist at 50 kg.
Molinari began the day with an impressive 2-2 win on criteria over Battsetseg Soronzonbold of Mongolia. Soronzonbold, a 2012 Olympic bronze medalist and two-time World champion, scored twice on step outs, but an early takedown from Molinari proved to be enough to advance. In the semis, Molinari dropped an 8-2 match to Nigeria’s Blessing Oborududu, a two-time Olympian. Molinari will wrestle Russia’s Khanum Velieva for bronze. Velieva is a four-time age group World champion.
Maroulis started Friday with a quick fall over Canada’s Tianna Kennett to advance past the first round. Maroulis used a foot sweep to score and finish the fall against Kennett. In the quarterfinals, Nigeria’s Odunayo Adekuoroye had a dominant performance, scoring two four-pointers to win, 13-0. Adekuoroye went on to make the 57 kg finals after knocking off Russia’s Valeria Koblova-Zholobova, a 2016 Olympic silver medalist. Maroulis dropped her repechage match to Ukraine’s Tetyana Kit, 8-2.
Heaton opened up the tournament with a 4-3 win over Canada’s Samantha Stewart before falling in the quarterfubaks 6-6 on criteria in a back-and-forth match against Poland’s Katarzyna Krawczyk, a 2016 Olympian. Krawczyk lost in the semifinals, ending the tournament for Heaton.
Today’s action resumes at 12:00 p.m. EST and will be streamed live on FloWrestling.
2021 Poland Open
Warsaw, Poland
U.S. Women’s Freestyle Results
53 kg: Amy Fearnside (USOPTC/TMWC)
WIN – Annika Wendle (Germany), 6-2
LOSS – Vinesh (India), Fall 1:15
53 kg: Ronna Heaton (Wisconsin RTC/Sunkist Kids)
WIN – Samantha Stewart (Canada), 4-3
LOSS – Katarzyna Krawczyk (Poland), 6-6
57 kg: Helen Maroulis (Nittany Lion WC/Sunkist Kids)
WIN – Tianna Kennett (Canada), Fall 0:31
LOSS – Odunayo Adekuoroye (Nigeria), 13-0
LOSS – Tetyana Kit (Ukraine), 8-2
68 kg: Forrest Molinari (Sunkist Kids/TMWC)
WIN – Battsetseg Soronzonbold (Mongolia), 2-2
LOSS – Blessing Oborududu (Nigeria), 8-2