Fekete wins bronze medal at Ivan Yarygin Memorial Golden Grand Prix in Russia

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Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling)
01/29/2006


Nik Fekete, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) claimed a bronze medal at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. at the Ivan Yarygin Memorial Golden Grand Prix in Kranoyarsk, Russia, Sunday,  Jan. 29.

Fekete's bronze medal is the second bronze won by U.S. wrestlers in the tournament. On Saturday, Tommy Rowlands (Columbus, Ohio/Sunkist Kids) captured a bronze medal at 96 kg/211.5 lbs.

Fekete had a 3-1 record in the tournament, including a 1-1 victory in the bronze-medal match over Tokhtar Temrezov of Russia.

He opened the tournament with a 3-0,  1-0 win over Enhamglin Tumerhuu of Mongolia. In the second round, he dropped a 3-2, 1-3 decision to Smail Gitinov of Russia, who later won the silver medal. When Gitinov qualified for the finals, Fekete was drawn back into repechage rounds. He won his first wrestleback over Taimuraz Kochiev of Russia, by default, which placed him in the bronze medal match.

Fekete is a U.S. Olympic Training Center resident athlete, and is ranked No. 4 on Freestyle Team USA.

Placing fifth for the United States at 74 kg/163 lbs. was Donny Pritzlaff (Northport, N.Y./New York AC), who ended the tournament with a 2-2 record.

Pritzlaff lost his opening match to Albert Saritov of Russia, who went on to win the gold medal. When Pritzlaff was drawn back into the repechage rounds, he wrestled fellow American  Joe Heskett (Grover Beach, Calif./Gator WC), whom he beat 1-0, 1-2, 1-0.  His next bout was a three-period victory over Artur Skotdaev of Russia, by 0-3, 1-0, 2-0 margin, which put Pritzlaff in the bronze-medal round.

Heskett finished with an 0-2 record and did not place. The other American wrestling during the day was Damion Hahn (Minneapolis, Minn./Minn. Storm) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs., who dropped his opening bout and was eliminated.

This event is one of the new FILA Golden Grand Prix events, which provides prize money to athletes based upon their placement.

Results are posted in Russian on the official web page at
http://www.wrestrus.ru

Check back later on Sunday, and complete results from all divisions will be posted on TheMat.com

Ivan Yarygan Memorial Golden Grand Prix
at Krasnoyarsk, Russia, Jan. 29

Standings and medal matches

60 kg/132 lbs.
Gold -Mavlet Batirov (Russia)
Silver - Eugeniy Khavelov (Russia)
Bronze - Vasilli Fedoryshin (Ukraine)
Bronze - Ramil Islamov (Russia)
5th - Enkho Chzhun (Korea)
5th - Bauyrzhan Orazgaliev (Kazakhstan)
7th - Ramazan Santov (Russia)
8th - Gadzhimurad Abdullaev (Russia)
9th - Pak Nam Tek (Korea)
10th -  Tevfik Odabasi (Turkey)

Gold match - Batirov dec. Khavelov, 0-1, 1-0, 2-0
Bronze match - Fedoryshin dec. Chzhun, 0-7, 2-1, 2-1
Bronze match - Islamov dec. Orazgaliev, 1-0, 3-1

74 kg/163 lbs.
Gold - Albert Saritov (Russia)
Silver - Sergei Kirilov (Russia)
Bronze - Oleg Belozerkovskiy (Ukraine)
Bronze - Dmitiry Kirilov (Russia)
5th - Elnur Asanov (Azerbaijan)
5th - Donny Pritzlaff (USA)
7th - Artur Skotdaev (Russia)
8th - Dzhamaludin Aliev (Russia)
9th - Akhmet Gulkhan (Turkey)
10th - Ruslan Kokaev (Russia)

Gold match - Saritov dec. Kirilov, 3-0, 7-0
Bronze match - Belozerkovskiy dec. Asanov, 1-0, 1-1
Bronze match - Belozerkovskiy dec. Pritzlaff, 3-0, 7-0

96 kg/211.5 lbs.
Gold - Hetag Mustang Gazumov (Russia)
Silver - Shamil Gitinov (Russia)
Bronze - Alexsey Shemarov (Russia)
Bronze - Nik Fekete (USA)
5th - Nunjanc Cataev (Kazakhstan)
5th - Tokhtar Temrezov (Russia)
7th - Kazbek Kudzaev (Russia)
8th - Chluun Zhargaksaikhan (Mongolia)
9th - Maxsim Aramaszev (Russia)
10th - Sergei Borchenko (Belarus)

Gold match - Gazumov dec. 1-0, 4-2
Bronze match - Shemarov dec. Cataev, 1-0, 1-0
Bronze match - Fekete dec. Temrezov, 1-0, 1-0

U.S. performances

74 kg/163 lbs. - Donny Pritzlaff, Northport, N.Y. (New York AC), 5th
LOSS Albert Saritov (Russia), 1-1, 1-1
WIN Joe Heskett (USA), 1-0, 1-2, 1-0
WIN Artur Skotdaev (Russia), 0-3, 1-0, 2-0
LOSS Dmitry Kirilov (Russia), 0-3, 0-7

74 kg/163 lbs.  - Joe Heskett, Grover Beach, Calif. (Gator WC), dnp 
LOSS Albert Saritov (Russia), 0-2, 4-2, 0-1
LOSS Donny Pritzlaff (USA), 0-1, 2-1, 0-1

96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Damion Hahn, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minn. Storm), dnp
LOSS Aleksey Shemarov (Russia), 0-5, 0-3

96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Nik Fekete, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC), 3rd 
WIN Enhamglin Tumerhuu (Mongolia), 3-0, 1-0
LOSS Shamil Gitinov (Russia), 2-3, 1-3
WIN Taimuraz Kochiev (Russia), default
WIN Tokhtar Temrezov (Russia), 0-3, 1-1, 5-0

Complete information and scores will be posted when received.