UPDATE: USA wins five medals in Senior No-Gi discipline at Grappling Worlds in Belarus

The U.S. World Grappling Team poses together before the start of the Senior No-Gi competition at the Grappling World Championships in Minsk, Belarus. Photo courtesy of Rich Tado.


MINSK, Belarus - The United States won five medal in the No-Gi discipline on the Senior level at the Grappling World Championships on Saturday.


The USA won one silver medal and four bronze medals on the day. Three of the medals were won by the USA women, with the other two captured by the men on the team.


Winning the silver medal was Laree Callihan (Lacey, Wash./United Training Center) at the 71+ kg/unlimited weight class. She defeated an opponent from France and lost to the eventual champion from Italy. Callihan was competing at the Grappling World Championships for the first time.


Winning bronze medals were women Lisa Ward (Olympia, Wash./United Training Center) at 53 kg and Jessica Philippus (Glenwood, Iowa/Edge MMA & Fitness) at 58 kg, plus men Daniel Rodriguez (LaSalle, Ill./Rodriguez bjj) at 71 kg and Josh Eckmann (Island Lake, Ill./Old School Wrestling) at 92 kg.


Ward finished 1-1, with a loss to a Ukrainian and a win over a Serbian. has won eight career World medal in Grappling for the United States. Only Tara Larosa with nine medals has won more than Ward. Included are five gold medals, one silver medal and two bronze medals.


Phillippus added a second World No-Gi bronze medal to her collection, after winning a medal last year. She was competing up from her normal 53 kg weight class. She had a loss to Serbia and a win over Italy.


Both of the men who won bronze medals, Rodriguez and Eckmann, were competing on their first U.S. World Grappling Team.


Rodriguez went 3-1, with a win over Erzhan Kasenov of Kazakhstan in the bronze-medal bout. Eckmann also went 3-1, with a victory in his bronze-medal match over Angelo Marino of Italy.


Placing fifth after losing in their bronze-medal bouts were Mark Huls (Champaign, Ill./Edge MMA & Fitness) at 62 kg and Dan Brecht (Sunset Beach, Calif./Edge MMA & Fitness) at 84 kg


On Sunday, the USA is expected to enter 10 athletes in the Gi Grappling competition.

GRAPPLING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

At Minsk, Belarus, Oct. 1


U.S. Senior No-Gi medalists


Men


62 kg - Mark Huls, Champaign, Ill. (Edge MMA & Fitness), 5th

WIN Mauel Ticchiarelli (Italy), 8-2

LOSS Shoto Watanabe (Japan), submission 1:32

LOSS Anthony DeOlivera (France), submission


66 kg - Aaron Johnson, Greenwood, Ind. (Team James Clingerman)

LOSS Alessio Vittori (Italy)


71 kg - Daniel Rodriguez, LaSalle, Ill. (Rodriguez bjj), bronze

WIN Roland Pavletti (Romania), 21-7

WIN Eduard Muravitski (Belarus), 8-2

LOSS Albert Pshihachiev (Russia)

WIN Erzhan Kasenov (Kazakhstan)


77 kg - Michael Kelly, Hebron, Ill. (Old School Wrestling)

WIN Mirko Pignoloni (Italy), 4-0

LOSS Bagynbai Uulu Torokan (Krygyzstan)


84 kg - Dan Brecht, Sunset Beach, Calif. (Edge MMA & Fitness), 5th

WIN Andrea Monache (Italy)

WIN Shay Brand (Israel), 8-0

LOSS Rasul Tskaev (Belarus)

LOSS Hajimurad Purtiyev (Azerbaijan)


92 kg - Josh Eckmann, Island Lake, Ill. (Old School Wrestling), bronze

WIN Amarjeet Singh (India), 13-9

WIN Andrian Ursachi (Moldova)

LOSS Avi Ibragimov (Israel)

WIN Angelo Marino (Italy)


100 kg - Carlos Soto, West Lafayette, Ind. (Atos)

LOSS Salar Delfaniabbark (Iran)


100+ kg - Gabe Beauperthuy, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Edge MMA & Fitness)

LOSS Frezza Alessandro (Italy), 9-3

Women


53 kg - Lisa Ward, Olympia, Wash. (United Training Center), bronze

LOSS Svitlana Skriypiak (Ukraine), 16-8

WIN Marina Milicevic (Serbia)


58 kg - Jessica Philippus, Glenwood, Iowa (Edge MMA & Fitness), bronze

LOSS Andrea Svcevic (Serbia), 7-5

WIN Valentina Lavadera (Italy)


71+ kg/unlimited - Laree Callihan, Lacey, Wash. (United Training Center), silver

LOSS Irene Mungai (Italy), submission

WIN Marie Charlotte Hebel (France), 14-6