MINSK, BELARUS - Katie Downing (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) won a bronze medal at 67 kg/147.5 lbs. in the final day of wrestling at the Alexander Medved International, March 25. Downing had a 3-1 record on the day. Her only loss came in the semifinals by pin to Alena Perpiolkina of Russia. Both Downing and Perpiolkina were bronze medallists in this weight class at the 2005 World Championships. Downing rebounded to win the bronze medal match, stopping Yulia Bortnovskaya of Russia, 1-0, 1-0. Downing opened the day with two victories by pin, stopping Kristine Odrina of Latvia in the first match, then Heather Martin of the United States in her second match. "She lost to a World bronze medalist," said Izzy Izboinikov, U.S. team coach. "She got caught early in the match and was called for the pin. We weren't pinned, but we were on our back. It was a scramble and she was close to her back. The good part is she found the strength to come back and win the bronze medal. That is important." The U.S. had one other wrestler qualify for a medal match, two-time Junior World Champion Ali Bernard, (New Ulm, Minn./Univ. of Regina), who placed fifth at 72 kg/158.5 lbs. Bernard lost her first match, a semifinal bout against Alena Starodubtseva of Russia, 3-2, 1-0. Bernard had beaten Stardubtseva in the finals of the 2005 Junior World Championships. In the bronze medal match, Bernard was beaten by veteran Anita Schaetzle of Germany, 2-4, 4-4. This brings the U.S. total of medals for the tournament to five medals. On Friday, winning a gold medal at 51 kg/112.25 lbs. was Patricia Miranda (New Haven, Conn./Sunkist Kids) and winning a bronze medal at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. was Mary Kelly (Mahomet, Ill./USOEC/New York AC). On Saturday, winning silver medals were Sharon Jacobson, El Cajon, Calif. (USOE/Gator WC) at 55 kg/121lbs. and Erin Tomeo (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 59 kg/130 lbs. One U.S. men's freestyle wrestler competed on Sunday and did not earn a medal. Nik Fekete (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) won his first two bouts at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. on Sunday, but was defeated in the next round. Fekete won his first match against 2005 World bronze medalist Vasyl Tesmynetskyy (Ukraine), 1-1, 3-0. In the next round, he defeated Gergely Kiss of Hungary, who was 10th in the 2005 World Championships, by a 5-2, 3-0 decision. In the quarterfinals, he lost to 2004 European Junior bronze medalist Elimdar Saidov of Ukraine, 1-3, 2-2. When Saidov lost in the semifinals, Fekete was not eligible for the wrestleback rounds. ALEXANDER MEDVED INTERNATIONAL in Minsk, Belarus, March 26 Women's freestyle results 63 kg/138.75 lbs. Gold - Volha Khilko (Belarus) Silver - Monika Rogien (Poland) Bronze - Oksana Shalikova (Ukraine) Bronze - Anna Polovneva (Russia) 5th - Yana Poltavska (Ukraine) 5th - Laura Skujina (Latvia) 67 kg/147.5 lbs. Gold - Alena Perepiolkina (Russia) Silver - Anna Shamova (Russia) Bronze - Valeriya Zlatova (Ukraine) Bronze - Katie Downing (USA) 5th - Iryna Tsyrkevich (Belarus) 5th - Yulia Bortnovskaya (Russia) 72 kg/158.5 lbs. Gold - Alena Starodubtseva (Russia) Silver - Anna Wawrzycka (Poland) Bronze - Anita Schaetzle (Germany) Bronze - Vasilisa Marzaliuk (Belarus) 5th - Ali Bernard (USA) 5th - Ekaterina Bukina (Russia) U.S. women's performances 63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Alaina Berube, Escanaba, Mich. (New York AC), dnp LOSS Michala Krizhkova (Czech Republic), 2-4, 0-3 67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Katie Downing, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids), 3rd WIN Kristine Odrina (Latvia), 1-0, 4-0 WIN Heather Martin (USA), 1-0, 6-0 LOSS Alena Perepiolkina (Russia), pin 1st period WIN Yulia Bortnovskaya (Russia), 1-0, 1-0 67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Heather Martin, Wellington, Ohio (New York AC), dnp WIN Rabia Boughanmi (Tunisia), pin 1st period LOSS Katie Downing (USA), 0-1, 0-6 67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Randi Miller, Houston, Texas (USOEC), dnp WIN Viktoriya Mlynarska (Ukraine). 1-1, 2-0 LOSS Alena Perepiolkina (Russia), 1-0, 2-0 LOSS Yulia Bortnovskaya (Russia), 0-4, 0-3 72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Ali Bernard, New Ulm, Minn. (Univ. of Regina), 5th LOSS Alena Starodubtseva (Russia), 3-2, 1-0 LOSS Anita Schaetzle (Germany), 2-4, 4-4 Men's freestyle results 96 kg/211.5 lbs. Gold - Ruslan Sheikhov (Belarus) Silver - Said Bingel (Turkey) Bronze - Kurban Kurbanov (Russia) Bronze - Khotch Khakan (Turkey) 5th - Siarhei Pernikau (Belarus) 5th - Elmidar Saidov (Ukraine) 120 kg/264.5 lbs. Gold - Vadim Tasoev (Ukraine) Silver - Maksim Mikhalevich (Belarus) Bronze - Ivan Ichshenko (Ukraine) Bronze - Aliaksei Matsiapanau (Belarus) 5th - Zairkhan Magomedaliev (Russia) 5th - Ruslan Khamtsou (Belarus) U.S. performances 96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Nik Fekete, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC), dnp WIN Vasyl Tesmynetskyy (Ukraine), 1-1, 3-0 WIN Gergely Kiss (Hungary), 5-2, 3-0 LOSS Elimdar Saidov (Ukraine), 1-3, 2-2