Adeline Gray celebrates after getting a fall in the quarterfinals (Photo/Sandy Slater)BUDAPEST, Hungary -- The second day of the women's wrestling competition at the World Championships began with a lot of positivity for the U.S women's team.
Tamrya Mensah-Stock and Adeline Gray both reached the semifinals and the four women competing combined for a 6-2 record in the opening session.
Tamrya Mensah-Stock talks with her coaches (Photo/Sandy Slater)Mensah-Stock, competing at 68 kilograms, started her day beating Yudaris Sanchez Rodriguez of Cuba. She used her quickness and strength to direct a series of takedowns and turns to obtain the technical decision with 1:40 left in the match.
In her second match against two-time world champion Battsetseg Soronzonbold of Mongolia, Mensah-Stock showed absolute confidence getting on the scoreboard early and building a quick lead before using a takedown to secure the technical shortly into the second period.
"My mental game, it's working," Mensah-Stock said. "[Thank] God in heaven."
In the semifinals, Mensah-Stock will wrestle Koumba Larroque of France.
Three-time world champion, Adeline Gray found herself having to overcome a three-point deficit to make the semifinals at 76 kilograms. Facing Elmira Syzdykova of Kazakhstan, Gray was losing 4-3 at the break after a challenge reversed her 3-2 lead. Beginning the second period Syzdykova scored to bring her lead to 6-3. With time not on her side, Gray was resilient and scored a takedown to cut the gap to one. She then used an arm bar to turn and pin Syzdykova with a 1:10 left in the match.
In her first match of the day against Epp Mae of Estonia, Gray got on the board quickly and orchestrated a well-planned attack to dominate with takedowns and finished with back exposure to earn the 10-0 technical.
She will face 2016 Olympic champion Erica Wiebe of Canada in the semifinals.
Forrest Molinari fell just short of qualifying for the semifinals at 65 kilograms. In her match against Danielle Lappage of Canada, Molinari found herself behind 2-0 at the break. The deficit increased to 4-0, but she seemed to rally as she scored a takedown bringing the score to 4-2. However, Lappage had the final score, countering Molinari's attacks to win 6-2.
Molinari was aggressive in her first match, beating Leidy Izquerdo Mendez of Colombia earlier in the day.
She will wait to see if Lappage makes the finals, which would put her in repechage.
Also, competing on the day was Erin Clodgo at 72 kilograms. She defeated Anastasia Zimiankova of Belarus in her opening match. Clodgo started sluggish, only leading 1-0 at the break, but two beautiful take downs allowed her to build a 5-0 final victory.
Clodgo would suffer a tough loss to Tatiana Kolesnikova of Russia in her second match. She found herself down 4-0 at the break which would turn into 6-0 shortly after. But Clodgo was determined to score. She climbed back into the match with a takedown and turn, making the score 6-4. However, time ran out before she could mount a comeback.
"It was a bummer losing in the last few seconds," Clodgo said. "I got the takedown and turned her and I [said] I'm only two behind, I still got to make it happen. There are endless things to work on."
Clodgo was eliminated from competition when Kolesnikova lost in the quarterfinals.
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