Kenny and Blaze to U17 World Finals

Friday was a big day in Istanbul at the U17 World Championships as the women’s freestyle portion of the event wrapped up, after the first five men’s freestyle weights got underway. The US women’s freestyle team finished the tournament in second place as a team and saw six young women earn world medals. 

As of Friday morning, four women had the opportunity to earn medals and managed to push through and claim bronze medals. Jaclyn Bouzakis (40 kg), Haylie Jaffe (61 kg), and Jasmine Robinson (69 kg) each finished with a bronze medal at their respective weight classes. 

Bouzakis only needed 1:27 to put ten points on the board and pin Nurana Asadli (Belarus - Individual Neutral Athlete). Jaffe used a second-period surge to take a 6-2 victory over local favorite Beyza Akkus (Turkey). Also beating an opponent from the host country was Jasmine Robinson, who pulled out a clutch win over Elif Kurt. Robinson and Kurt were deadlocked at one point a piece (with Kurt ahead on criteria) late in the final stanza. Robinson pulled out a throw for four points in the final :20 seconds to grab a 5-1 win. Not only did Robinson’s throw clinch a bronze medal for the Texas native, but it put the United States ahead of India for second place. A match later Veronika Vilk (Croatia) pinned Srishti (India), which clinched a second place finish for the Stars and Stripes. 

The six world medals are the most by a women’s freestyle Cadet/U17 in a tournament that included Japan. They had seven at the 2021 tournament (without Japan). 

The US men’s freestyle team got off to a great start as four of the five wrestlers active on Friday advanced to the semifinals. Two of those four (Paul Kenny - 48 kg and Joey Blaze - 55 kg) were victorious and will wrestle for gold medals tomorrow. The other two (Brock Mantanona - 65 kg and Zack Ryder - 80 kg) have bronze medal hopes. Heavyweight Sampson Stillwell was eliminated after his Armenian counterpart fell in the semifinals. 
 

Final Results

Women’s Freestyle

40 kg

Gold Medal Match: Koharu Akutsu (Japan) over Rachana (India)  4-3

Bronze Medal Match: Shokhista Shonazarova (Uzbekistan) over Klara Winkler (Germany)  10-0

Bronze Medal Match: Jaclyn Bouzakis (USA) over Nurana Asadli (Belarus - Individual Neutral Athlete)  Fall 1:17
 

46 kg

Gold Medal Match: Natsumi Masuda (Japan) over Muskan (India)  11-6

Bronze Medal Match: Hava Konca (Turkey) over Daniella Hossein Beky (Norway)  Fall 2:24

Bronze Medal Match: Diana Rybchenko (Russia - Individual Neutral Athlete) over Meiramgul Akhmetzhan (Kazakhstan)  2-0
 

53 kg

Gold Medal Match: Sakura Onishi (Japan) over Olga Ovchinnikova (Russia - Individual Neutral Athlete)  10-0

Bronze Medal Match: Fabiana Rinella (Italy) over Karlee Brooks (USA)  7-4

Bronze Medal Match: Sakibjamal Esbosynova (Uzbekistan) over Amelia Tomala (Poland)  Fall 1:21
 

61 kg

Gold Medal Match: Savita (India) over Konami Ono (Japan)  9-6

Bronze Medal Match: Haylie Jaffe (USA) over Beyza Akkus (Turkey)  6-3

Bronze Medal Match: Leah Samsonsen (Norway) over Leonie Steigert (Germany)  5-3
 

69 kg

Gold Medal Match: Veronika Vilk (Croatia) over Srishti (India)  Fall :55

Bronze Medal Match: Jasmine Robinson (USA) over Elif Kurt (Turkey)  5-1

Bronze Medal Match: Liliana Kazmina (Russia - Individual Neutral Athlete) over Evelin Ujhelji (Serbia)  3-0

US Results

Women’s Freestyle

40 kg

Bronze Medal Match: Jaclyn Bouzakis (USA) over Nurana Asadli (Belarus - Individual Neutral Athlete)  Fall 1:17
 

53 kg

Repechage: Karlee Brooks (USA) over Liliana Kapuvari (Hungary)  10-0

Bronze Medal Match: Fabiana Rinella (Italy) over Karlee Brooks (USA)  7-4
 

61 kg

Bronze Medal Match: Haylie Jaffe (USA) over Beyza Akkus (Turkey)  6-3
 

69 kg

Bronze Medal Match: Jasmine Robinson (USA) over Elif Kurt (Turkey)  5-1
 

Men’s Freestyle

48 kg 

Qualification: Paul Kenny (USA) over Oliwier Orzechowski (Poland)  11-0

Round of 16: Paul Kenny (USA) over Azymberdi Ashyrgulyyev (Turkmenistan)  4-2

Quarterfinals: Paul Kenny (USA) over Yeraly Zhetpissov (Kazakhstan)  Fall 3:38

Semifinals: Paul Kenny (USA) over Sam Sayar (Iran)  8-8

55 kg

Qualification: Marcus Blaze (USA) over Amirreza Teymorizad (Iran)  2-1

Round of 16: Marcus Blaze (USA) over Azatberdi Ashyrgulyyev (Turkmenistan)  12-1

Quarterfinals: Marcus Blaze (USA) over Oubayda Itaev (France)  10-0

Semifinals: Marcus Blaze (USA) over Samvel Gevorgyan (Armenia)  11-0

65 kg

Qualification: Brock Mantanona (USA) over Almas Sabyr (Kazakhstan)  14-6

Round of 16: Brock Mantanona (USA) over Ankh Altangerel (Mongolia)  16-5

Quarterfinals: Brock Mantanona (USA) over Zafarbek Kamolov (Uzbekistan)  13-2

Semifinals: Magomed Alibakharchiev (Russia - Individual Neutral Athlete) over Brock Mantanona (USA)  14-2
 

80 kg

Round of 16: Zack Ryder (USA) over Askhab Khajiyev (Kazakhstan)  2-1

Quarterfinals: Zack Ryder (USA) over Saurabh Yadav (India)  Fall :59

Semifinals: Alexandru Bors (Moldova) over Zack Ryder (USA)  4-1

110 kg

Round of 16: Henrik Haykyan (Armenia) over Sampson Stillwell (USA)  13-3