McKenna, Martinez score bronze medals at Ziolkowski and Pytlasinski International in Poland

Joey McKenna on the medal stand after winning bronze at 65 kg in Poland on Saturday.

SPALA, Poland – The U.S. opened competition in Poland on Saturday with bronze medal performances from Joey McKenna (Towaco, N.J./Lehigh Valley AC) in men’s freestyle and Patrick Martinez (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP) in Greco-Roman.

McKenna, a 2014 Junior World silver medalist, started his day at 65 kg/143 lbs. with a first period fall over Mateusz Nejman of Poland. In the semifinals, McKenna was downed by 2016 Olympic qualifier Katal Yeerianbieke of China, 8-2. He bounced back to defeat 2015 Asian bronze medalist Masakazu Kamoi of Japan, 5-4, in the bronze medal match.

Last March, McKenna finished in third place at the NCAA championships as a true freshman for Stanford University. He was a member of two U.S. Junior World Teams and a U.S. Cadet World Team prior to college.

Martinez, a 2015 U.S. World Team member, picked up a clutch 5-4 decision over 2014 University World bronze medalist Arkadiusz Kulynycz of Poland in his opening bout at 80 kg/176 lbs. He wound up getting caught his next match against Pavel Paminchuk of Belarus, losing by technical fall, 8-0. In the repechage, Martinez scored a fall over experienced Bulgarian Ilian Georgiev before topping Radik Kuliev of Belarus for the bronze medal, 3-0.

Two week ago Martinez earned a spot on the U.S. University World Team that will compete at the World University Championships in Corum, Turkey, Oct. 25-30.

“Both McKenna and Martinez showed a lot of grit and poise today,” said U.S. coach Jamill Kelly. “After having disappointing loses early they came back and did what they needed to do to bring home a medal. It was a solid start for us on the weekend.”

Also competing in men’s freestyle on Saturday was 2016 U.S. University World Team member and 2015 NCAA champion Kyven Gadson (Ames, Iowa/Sunkist Kids). Gadson lost his opening bout at 97 kg/213 lbs. to three-time World medalist Reineris Salas Perez of Cuba, 7-0. Salas went on the make the finals, pulling Gadson into the repechage where he fell to 2016 Yasar Dogu bronze medalist Ibrahim Bolukbasi of Turkey, 7-3.

Seven U.S. wrestlers, including four-time World medalist and 2016 Olympian Elena Pirozhkova and 2015 World bronze medalist James Green, will take the mat on Sunday in Poland. Wrestling is set to begin at 9 a.m. local time (3 a.m. ET).

Complete brackets, results and live stream from the Ziolkowski International, Pytlasinski International and Poland Open can be found at http://sportzona.pl/app/events/view/wrestling/1166.

ZIOLKOWSKI, PYTLASINSKI INTERNATIONAL/POLAND OPEN
At Spala, Poland, June 18-19

Final Results
Men’s Freestyle
57 kg
Gold – Rei Higuchi (Japan)
Silver – Vladimir Dubov (Bulgaria)
Bronze – Ismail Musukaev (Russia)
Bronze – Andriy Yatsenko (Ukraine)

65 kg
Gold – Alejandro Enrique Valdes Tobier (Cuba)
Silver – Katai Yeerianbieke (China)
Bronze – Eric May (Poland)
Bronze – Joey McKenna (United States)

74 kg
Gold – Batuhan Demircin (Turkey)
Silver – Zhiger Zakirova (Kazakhstan)
Bronze – Abdulkhakim Shapiyev (Kazakhstan)
Bronze – Aydar Baldanbaev (Kazakhstan)

97 kg
Gold – Reineris Salas Perez (Cuba)
Silver – Nicolai Ceban (Moldova)
Bronze – Mamed Ibragimov (Kazakhstan)
Bronze – Radoslaw Baran (Poland)

Greco-Roman
59 kg
Gold – Kenchiro Fumita (Japan)
Silver – Haitham Ahmed (Egypt)
Bronze – Soslan Daurov (Belarus)
Bronze – Arsenic Eraliev (Kyrgyzstan)

71 kg
Gold – Frank Stabler (Germany)
Silver – David Karecinski (Poland)
Bronze – Edgar Melkumov (Poland)
Bronze – Ridong Zhang (China)

80 kg
Gold – Ramin Taherisartang (Iran)
Silver – Pavel Paminchuk (Belarus)
Bronze – Patrick Martinez (United States)
Bronze – Eduard Sargsyan (Armenia)

98 kg
Gold – Aliyarifeizabadi Mahdi (Iran)
Silver – Yasm Daniel Lugo Cabrera (Cuba)
Bronze – Tsimafei Dzeinchenka (Belarus)
Bronze – Balazs Kiss (Hungary)

Women’s Freestyle
48 kg
Gold – Mariya Stadnik (Azerbaijan)
Silver – Carolina Castillo (Colombia)
Bronze – Angelika Dytrych (Poland)
Bronze – Iwona Matkowska (Poland)

55 kg
Gold – Tetiana Kit (Ukraine)
Silver – Roksana Zasina (Poland)
Bronze – Paul Kozlov (Poland)
Bronze – Katarzyna Michalak (Poland)

60 kg
Gold – Orkhon Purevdorj (Mongolia)
Silver – Shoovdor Baatarjan (Mongolia)
Bronze – Catherine Madrowska (Poland)
Bronze – Natalia Kubata (Poland)

69 kg
Gold – Jenny Fransson (Sweden)
Silver – Nasanburmaa Ochirbat (Mongolia)
Bronze – Alina Makhynia (Ukraine)
Bronze – Tumentsetseg Sharkhuu (Mongolia)

U.S. results for Saturday
Men’s Freestyle
65 kg/143 lbs. – Joey McKenna, Towaco, N.J. (Lehigh Valley AC), Bronze
WIN Mateusz Nejman (Poland), Fall
LOSS Katai Yeerianbieke (China), 8-2
WIN Masakazu Kamoi (Japan), 5-4

97 kg/213 lbs. – Kyven Gadson, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids)
LOSS Reineris Salas Perez (Cuba), 7-0
LOSS Ibrahim Bolukbasi (Turkey), 7-3

Greco-Roman
80 kg/176 lbs. – Patrick Martinez, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP), Bronze
WIN Arkadiusz Kulynycz (Poland), 5-4
LOSS Pavel Paminchuk (Belarus), 8-0
WIN Iliyan Georgiev (Bulgaria), Fall
WIN Radik Kuliev (Belarus), 3-0