UPDATED: McCaffrey wins bronze medal at FILA Junior World Championships in freestyle

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Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling)
09/02/2006


GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala - Patrick McCaffrey (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) won a bronze medal at 50 kg/110 lbs. in men's freestyle,  the top U.S. performance on Saturday at the FILA Junior World Championships.

It was the second straight year that McCaffrey has won a bronze medal at the FILA Junior World Championships.

McCaffrey won his first two matches, defeating Andrei Komar of Belarus, 4-0, 1-0, then stopping Duglas Gonzalez of Guatemala, 2-1, 4-3. In the semifinals, McCaffrey was defeated by Ahmet Peker of Turkey, 1-1, 1-1. In his bronze-medal match, McCaffrey stopped Sergeii Merenda of Ukraine, 2-2, 4-0, 1-0.

McCaffrey trains at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

"He could have been going for the gold medal. He lost 1-1 in the last 10 seconds of each period in the semifinals," said Dave Bennett, USA Wrestling's Freestyle Developmental Coach. "He wrestled very tough in the bronze-medal, and he had to, in order to win. He did a good job during the tournament."

"Patrick McCaffrey came through as a two-time World medalist. Not many people have done that on the Junior level. We can be proud of him. He beat some tough people to win that meda," said Bennett.

Placing eighth at 96 kg/211.5 lbs was Max Askren,( Hartland, Wis./Sunkist Kids), who finished the tournament with a 1-1 record. He opened with a 2-0, 5-3 win over Faisal Al Kutbi of the United Arab Emirates. In his second match, he fell to Riza Yilidrim of Turkey, 0-1, 2-8. When Yilidrim did not qualify for the gold-medal round, Askren was not eligible for the wrestle-back rounds. Askren competes for the Univ. of Missouri.

Two U.S. wrestlers lost in the their opening match and were eliminated when their opponents did not qualify for the gold-medal match, falling short of the top 10 in their division: Coleman Scott (Waynesburg, Pa./Gator WC) at 60 kg/132 lbs., and Matt Coughlin (Evansville, Ind. Hoosier WC) at 74 kg/163 lbs.

Scott lost his first match to Jack Bond of Canada, by injury default. The score was  1-4, 2-1, 1-0 when Scott injured his ankle and could continue. Scott competes for Oklahoma State Univ.

Coughlin was beaten by Lee Sang-Kyu of Korea, 0-1, 0-1.When Lee did not qualify for the finals. Coughlin wrestles for the Univ. of Indiana.

FILA has set up a website with results, pairings and information about the Junior World Championships, at:
http://www.fila-wrestling.com/gestion_competition/internet/home/accueil.php?num_compet=562

The final four U.S. men's freestyle wrestlers will weigh in on Saturday and compete on Sunday. They include: 
Henry Cejudo (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 55 kg/121 lbs., Brent Metcalf (Davison, Mich.) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs., Louis Caputo (Blue Springs, Mo./Harvard WC) at 84 kg/185 lbs. and Erik Nye (Red Bluff, Calif.) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs.

Cejudo, a 2006 U.S. Nationals champion on the Senior level and fifth at the Junior Worlds last year, faces  Muhammet Demir of Turkey. Metcalf will face Dimitar Tsvetkov of Bulgaria. Caputo opens with Beat Theiler of Switzerland. Nye wrestles Nobuyoshi Arakida of Japan in his first match.

"The kids are ready to wrestle tomorrow. We have some good draws," said Bennett.

U.S. MEN'S FREESTYLE FIRST-ROUND DRAWS FOR SATURDAY, SEPT. 2

50 kg/110 lbs. - Patrick McCaffrey, Glen Ellyn, Ill., 3rd 
WIN Andrei Komar (Belarus), 4-0, 1-0
WIN Duglas Gonzalez (Guatemala), 2-1, 4-3
LOSS Ahmet Peker (Turkey), 1-1, 1-1
WIN Sergeii Merenda (Ukraine), 2-2, 4-0, 1-0

60 kg/132 lbs. - Coleman Scott, Waynesburg, Pa. (Gator WC), dnp/24th
LOSS Jack Bond (Canada), 1-4, 2-1, injury default

74 kg/163 lbs. - Matt Coughlin, Evansville, Ind. (Hoosier WC), dnp/18th
LOSS  Lee Sang-Kyu (Korea), 0-1, 0-1

96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Max Askren, Hartland, Wis. (Sunkist Kids), 8th
WIN Faisal Al Kutbi (United Arab Emirates), 2-0, 5-3
LOSS Riza Yilidrim (Turkey), 0-1, 2-8

Coaches - Jim Humphrey (Canal Winchester, Ohio), Yero Washington (Hoboken, N.J.), Dave Bennett (Colorado Springs, Colo.)

WEIGHT CLASS RESULTS

50 kg/110 lbs.
1 RUS LEBEDEV VIKTOR 
2 TUR PEKER AHMET 
3  USA McCAFFREY PATRICK 
3  IRI DABBAGHI SOURAK ABBAS 
5  UKR MERENDA SERGII 
5  RSA VAN DER SCHYFF PIETER 
7 GER SCHLEICHER TIM 
8 GUA GONZALEZ DUGLAS 
9 CUB YOEL ROCHE 
10 PER VASQUEZ NUNGZ LUIS 
11 KGZ OROZBEK NURLAN 
12 KOR JUNG-HO LEE 
13 LAT TRUSKINS ALEKSANDRS 
14 BLR KOMAR ANDREI 
15 FRA KAPLANBABA LOKMAN 
16 CAN CHARANIA RAFIQ 
17 GEO DAVIDOVI GIVI 
18 NCA ALVARANGUA BALL RICARDO 

60 kg/132 lbs.
1 IRI TAGHAVI KERMANI MEHDI 
2 GEO MAKISHVILI GIGLA 
3  KAZ ZHAKUPOV SAMAT 
3  JPN OSAWA SHIGEKI 
5  GER DULGER SAMET 
5  RUS KUTSAEV ZELIMANHAN 
7 CAN BOND JACK 
8 BUL REDZHEP ISMAIL 
9 POL BLOK ADAM 
10 GRE AKRITIDIS A 
11 TUR DIK ERHAN 
12 ITA CAMPAGNA RAIMONDO 
13 RSA BOOYENS JOHAN 
14 ARM ARAKELYAN ARTUR 
15 DOM PEREZ ANGEL 
16 ROM BUCUR GEORGE 
17 MDA GOTISAN VLADIMIR 
18 BLR MAGOMEDOV BADRUDZIN 
19 KOR JAE-HO LEE 
20 UKR MATUS MAKSYM 
21 HON GUITY CHARLYN 
22 LAT SILINS ULDIS 
23 PAN MENDOZA FERNANDO 
24 USA SCOTT COLEMAN 
25 PUR JONATHAN DE JESUS 
26 ESA PUBON EDUARDO ALEXAND 
27 BRA NAIM WILLIAM 
27 MEX VIRAMONTES GABRIEL 
27 COL ANAYA JORGE 
27 GUA TORRES LESTER 

74 kg/163 lbs. 
1 RUS HUBEZHTUI KAHABER 
2 IRI GOUDARZI SADEGH 
3  JPN OTSUKI AOI 
3  UKR CHYKHLADZE GIYA 
5  MDA TAUCCI ANDREI 
5  KAZ ASHKEN NURLAN 
7 HUN VEREB ISTVAN 
8 GRE MOTSALIN OLEG 
9 KOR SANG-KYU LEE 
10 POL MARCINKIEWICZ RADOSLAW 
11 ROM STEFAN GHEORGHITA 
12 RSA ROSSOUW JAQUES 
13 FRA ELEZI BEKIM 
14 LAT ZVIRBULIS ARMANDS 
15 GER KOCH STEFAN 
16 CAN OLVER DANIEL 
17 VEN OLIVARES KELVIN 
18 USA COUGHLIN MATTHEW 
19 SVK PALINKAS DAN 
20 MEX GALLARDO ALEJANDRO 
21 TUR SUCU AYHAN 
22 PAN MARTINEZ TOMAS 
22 GEO SVANIDZE TORNIKE 
24 ARM AMROYAN KHACHIK 
25 BAH RASHJI MACKEY 

96 kg/211.5 lbs.
  1 RUS LOKHOV ALAN 
2 GEO MODZMANASHVILI DAVID 
3  TUR YILIDRIM RIZA 
3  UKR KYKOT VIKTOR 
5  HUN BONA DANIEL 
5  IRI TAGHIPOOR BEHNAM 
7 POL DUDZIAK KONRAD 
8 USA ASKREN MAX 
9 CAN CIRKUNOV MISCHA 
10 UAE AL KUTBI FAISAL 
11 RSA VAN HUYSTEEN ETIENNE 
12 ESA SERRANO WILLIAM FRANCIS 
13 KAZ BAIBOSSYNOV ANUAR 
14 BLR SHIBKO ILIYA 
15 JPN ASAMI TETSURO

U.S. MEN'S FREESTYLE FIRST-ROUND DRAWS FOR SUNDAY, SEPT. 3

FREESTYLE
55 kg/121 lbs. - Henry Cejudo, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
Vs. Muhammet Demir (Turkey)

66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Brent Metcalf, Davison, Mich.
Vs. Dimitar Tsvetkov (Bulgaria)

84 kg/185 lbs. - Louis Caputo, Blue Springs, Mo. (Harvard WC)
Vs. Beat Theiler (Switzerland)

120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Erik Nye, Red Bluff, Calif.
Vs. Nobuyoshi Arakida (Japan)