Beck, Garcia, Skatzka win silvers, Hedrick gets bronze in Bulgaria; four U.S. wrestlers to go for medals on Saturday

Michaela Beck (USA), shown at the World Cup, won a silver medal today in Bulgaria. Photo by Ginnie Coleman, United World Wrestling

SOFIA, Bulgaria – The United States won four medals at the Dan Kolov/Nikola Petrov International on Friday.

Claiming silver medals were U.S. women’s freestyle wrestlers Michaela Beck (59 kg) and Marilyn Garcia (72 kg) plus U.S. men’s freestyler Devin Skatzka (79 kg)

Beck was beaten in the finals by Sara Natami of Japan, 11-0. Garcia lost to Maria Nitu of Romania, 4-1. Skatzka fell to Mostafa Ghiyasicheka of Iran, 9-2.

Alex Hedrick won a women’s freestyle bronze medal at 55 kg, beating Elena Ionescu of Romania, 10-0 in her medal match.

In Greco-Roman, Aidan Nutter finished fifth, falling in a bronze-medal bout to Komei Sawada of Japan, 5-1.

Group Two of wrestlers started on Friday. Team USA punched four wrestlers into medal matches.

Going for gold at 68 kg in women’s freestyle is Solin Piearcy, who will battle Yuliana Yaneva of Bulgaria for the title.

Going for bronze medals are men’s freestylers Joey McKenna (65 kg) and Mitchell Mesenbrink (74 kg), plus women’s freestyler Jennifer Page (62 kg).

The U.S. wrestlers in Group Three also received their draws for Saturday, which are listed below.

Live Stream on Bulgarian Federation YouTube

DAN KOLOV/NIKOLA PETROV INTERNATIONAL
At Sofia, Bulgaria, March 3

Group One results

Men’s freestyle
61 kg
Gold – Recep Topal (Turkey)
Silver – Intigam Valizada (Azerbaijan)
Bronze – Kaisei Tanabe (Japan)
Bronze – Georgi Vangelov (Bulgaria)

70 kg
Gold – Ramazan Ramazanov (Bulgaria)
Silver – Servet Coskun (Turkey)
Bronze – Amirmohammad Yazdanicharati (Iran)
Bronze – Marc Dietsche (Switzerland)

79 kg
Gold – Mostafa Ghiyasicheka (Iran)
Silver – Devin Skatzka (USA)
Bronze – Eugeniiu Mihalcean (Moldova)
Bronze – Ramazan Sari (Turkey)

92 kg
Gold – Arashk Mohebi (Iran)
Silver – Ahmed Bataev (Bulgaria)
Bronze – Tatsuya Shirai (Japan)
Bronze – Ibrahim Yusabov (Azerbaijan)

Greco-Roman

55 kg
Gold – Adem Uzun (Turkey)
Silver – Rudik Mkrtchyan (Armenia)
Bronze – Ahmet Taskinoglu (Turkey)
Bronze – Kohei Yamagiwa (Japan)

63 kg
Gold – Abu Amaev (Bulgaria)
Silver – Hrachya Poghosyan (Armenia)
Bronze – Komei Sawada (Japan)
Bronze – Mehmet Ceker (Turkey)

72 kg
Gold Shahin Badaghi Mofrad (Iran)
Silver - Konstantin Stas (Bulgaria)
Bronze – Artem Khutko (Ukraine)
Bronze - Yuga Kasugai (Japan)

82 kg
Gold – Exause Mukubu (Norway)
Silver – Burhan Akbudak (Turkey)
Bronze – Rosian Dermanski (Bulgaria)
Bronze – Svetoslav Nikolov (Bulgaria)

Women’s freestyle

55 kg
Gold – Akari Fujinami (Japan)
Silver -Ainur Ashimova (Kazakhstan)
Bronze – Alex Hedrick (USA)

59 kg
Gold – Sara Natami (Japan)
Silver – Michaela Beck (USA)
Bronze – Guldana Bekesh (Kazakhstan)
Bronze – Emma Tissina (Kazakhstan)

65 kg
Gold – Naomi Ruike (Japan)
Silver – Mimi Hristova (Bulgaria)
Bronze – Albina Kairgeldinova (Kazakhstan)
Bronze – Khadija Jlassi (Tunisia)

72 kg
Gold – Maria Nitu (Romania)
Silver – Marilyn Garcia (USA)
Bronze – Anastassiya Panassovich (Kazakhstan)

U.S. men’s freestyle results

61kg: Devan Turner (BDRTC), eliminated
LOSS Stilyan Iliev (Bulgaria), 4-0

61kg: Thomas Gilman (TMWC/NLWC), eliminated
WIN Yaroslav Hurskyy (Ukraine), 6-1
LOSS Kaisei Tanabe (Japan), tech. fall 11-1

61kg: Nathan Tomasello (TMWC/CKWC), eliminated
LOSS Nika Zakashvili (Georgia), 9-6

79kg: Isaiah White (IRTC), eliminated
WIN Mihail Georgiev (Bulgaria),8-1
LOSS Michael Kemerer (USA), 3-1

79kg: Michael Kemerer (Spartan Combat), eliminated
WIN Isaiah White (USA), 3-1
LOSS Eugeniu Mihalcean (Moldova), 11-6

79kg: Devin Skatzka (TMWC/Spartan Combat), SILVER MEDAL
WIN Otari Adeishvili (Georgia), 5-3
WIN Iakub Shikhdzhamalov (Romania), inj. dft.
WIN Yerkhan Abdazov (Kazakhstan), tech. fall 10-0
WIN Eugeniu Mihalcean (Moldova), 10-2
LOSS Mostafa Ghiyasicheka (Iran), 9-2

U.S. Greco-Roman results

63kg: Aidan Nutter (NYAC/NMU NTS), 5th place
WIN Koki Yoshinaga (Japan), 7-1
LOSS Hrachya Poghosyan (Armenia), tech. fall 9-0
LOSS Komei Sawada (Japan), 5-1

82kg: Michael Altomer (NMU NTS), eliminated
WIN Yoshinosuke Aoyama (Japan), pin 2:16
LOSS Rosian Dermanski (Bulgaria), tech fall 8-0

82kg: DM Hallet (NMU NTS), eliminated
WIN Roslan Dermanski (Bulgaria), tech fall 9-0

U.S. Women’s Freestyle results

55kg: Alex Hedrick (TMWC), BRONZE MEDAL
WIN Aisha Ualishan (Kazakhstan), 2-1
LOSS Akari Fujinami (Japan), tech fall 10-0
WIN Nazife Mustafa Tair (Bulgaria), tech fall 10-0
LOSS Ainur Ashimova (Kazakhstan), 9-8
WIN Elena Ionescu (Romania), tech fall 10-0

59kg: Michaela Beck (Sunkist), SILVER MEDAL
WIN Fatime Shaban (Bulgaria), tech fall 14-4
WIN Emma Tissina (Kazakhstan), 11-0
LOSS Sara Natami (Japan), tech. fall 11-0

72kg: Marilyn Garcia (California), SILVER MEDAL
Group B round robin against:
WIN Maria Nitu (Romania), 10-4
LOSS Ilana Kratysh (Israel), 4-4
WIN Anastasia Panassovich (Kazakhstan), pin, 4:33
LOSS Maria Nitu (Romania), 4-1

Group Two U.S. results

Men’s freestyle

65kg: Joey McKenna (TMWC/PRTC)
WIN Changsu Kim (Korea), 6-2
WIN Luka Janezashvili (Georgia), tech fall 10-0
WIN Bek Zhaksylykov (Kazakhstan), 7-0
LOSS Islam Dudaev (Albania), 10-3
Bronze Medal Bout – Vs winner of Stefan Coman (Romania) and Kenho Uto (Japan)

74kg: Mitchell Mesenbrink (Askren WA)
WIN Presiyan Mihov (Bulgaria), tech. fall 11-0
WIN Askar Zhenisbekov (Kazakhstan), inj. dft.
LOSS Murad Kuramagomedov (Hungary), 12-5
Bronze Medal Bout – To be determined in repechage

Women’s Freestyle

62kg: Janida Garcia (Colorado/EAP), eliminated
LOSS Elis Manolova (Azerbaijan), 3-0
LOSS Jennifer Page (USA), tech fall 11-0

62kg: Jennifer Page (TMWC/NLWC) ,in bronze-medal bout
WIN Elis Manolova (Azerbaijan), 9-4
WIN Janida Garcia (USA), tech fall 11-0
LOSS Marwa Amri (Tunisia), tech fall 12-2
Bronze Medal Bout – Vs. Elis Manolova (Azerbaijan)

68kg: Solin Piearcy (Menlo WC), in gold-medal bout
WIN Saidy Chavez Figueroa (Honduras), forfeit
WIN Daniela Brasnarova (Bulgaria), tech fall 10-0
WIN Zsuzsanna Molnar (Slovakia), tech fall 10-0
Gold Medal Match – Vs. Yuliana Yaneva (Bulgaria)

Group Three U.S. first round draws

U.S. Men’s Freestyle roster

86kg: Andrew Morgan (NYRTC)
Vs. Ivars Samsusonoks (Latvia)

86kg: Quentin Perez (CARTC)
Vs. Orkhan Abasov (Azerbaijan)

97kg: Kyle Snyder (TMWC/NLWC)
Vs. winner of Sikes (USA) and Pidlypenets (Ukraine)

97 kg: George Sikes
Vs. Pidlypenets (Ukraine)

125kg: Ty Walz (TMWC/SERTC)
Vs. Ludescher (Austria)

U.S. Women’s Freestyle draw

50kg: Audrey Jimenez (Sunkist)
Vs winner of Ankicheva (Kazakhstan) vs. Cataloglu (Turkey)

U.S. Greco-Roman draw

60 kg: Gabe Townsell (NYAC/CARTC)
Vs. winner of Petrov (Bulgaria) and Sharshenbekov (Kyrgyzstan)

60kg: Ryder Smith (NMU NTS)
Vs. Michel Tracz (Poland)

67kg: Charles Welcome (NMU NTS)
Vs. Slavik Galstyan (Armenia)

67kg: David Stepanian (NYAC/NMW NTS)
Vs, Morten Thoresen (Norway)

77kg: Riley Briggs (NMU NTS)
Vs. Z Emilov (Bulgaria)

77kg: Mike Higgins (NMU NTS)
Vs. Akseli Yli Hannuksela (Finland)