BEIJING, CHINA - Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va./Penn State WC) won a gold medal at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. at the Junior World Championships in freestyle wrestling at the China Agricultural University Gymnasium on Sunday night.

Jenkins defeated European Junior champion Okay Koksal of Turkey in the championship finals, 1-0, 3-0. He scored the only takedown of the first period during an active exchange. In the second period, Jenkins hit a three-point hip toss, countering a Koksal attack.

Jenkins is a student at Penn State Univ.

"Bubba came to training camp and said he was prepared to do what it takes to win this thing," said USA Wrestling Freestyle Developmental Coach Dave Bennett. "He managed his weight well and trained very hard. He did what he said he would do. He wrestled. He wrestled every period, and got the points when he needed them. He deserves to be the champion that he is."

"He didn't have an easy draw. He had to beat good wrestlers. He didn't let the opponents dictate the pace or control the match. Bubba is a great athlete with a great attitude," said Bennett.

One other wrestler competed in the evening session, Louis Caputo (Blue Springs, Mo./Harvard WC) at 84 kg/185 lbs. Caputo went 1-1 in the wrestleback rounds, and placed ninth in his weight class.

Caputo wrestled a smart match in his first wrestleback bout against B. Huwatibieke of China, winning by a 1-1, 2-0 score. Huwatibieke scored the first takedown, but Caputo got a reversal defending against a crotch lift attempt and won the period by scoring the last point. In the second period, Caputo was very deft along the edge of the mat, scoring a pushout and a counter takedown for his two points.

In his next match, Caputo was beaten by 2007 Asian Junior champion Ali Rajabzade of Iran, 0-7, 0-1. Rajabzade scored a quick takedown and turned Caputo a number of times to score the first period technical fall. In the second period, the only takedown went to Rajabzade.

Two other U.S. wrestlers, Tyler Graff (Loveland, Colo./Loveland Wrestling Academy) at 55 kg/121 lbs. and Stefan Tighe (Erie, Pa./Penn State WC) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs., were beaten in the morning session and did not earn a place in their weight class.

The U.S. finished in a tie for 11th in the men's freestyle division with 15 points. Russia won the team title, followed by Iran in second and Turkey in third.

JUNIOR WORLD FREESTYLE CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Beijing, China, August 26

U.S. performances on Sunday

55 kg/121 lbs. - Tyler Graff, Loveland, Colo. (Loveland Wrestling Academy), dnp
LOSS Vladislav Andreev (Belarus), 0-2, 3-0, 1-3

66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Bubba Jenkins, Virginia Beach, Va. (Penn State WC), 1st
WIN Samvel Adyan (Armenia), pin 1:19
WIN Nurlan Bekhanov (Kazakhstan), 0-1, 4-0, 4-2
WIN Saied Dadashpour (Iran), 2-0, 6-0
WIN Okay Koksal (Turkey), 1-0, 3-0

84 kg/185 lbs. - Louis Caputo, Blue Springs, Mo. (Harvard WC), 9th
WIN Colten Woznow (Canada), 3-1, 4-0
LOSS Anzor Urishev (Russia), 0-6, 0-5
WIN B. Huwatibieke (China), 1-1, 2-0
LOSS Ali Rajabzade (Iran), 0-7, 0-1

120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Stefan Tighe, Erie, Pa. (Penn State WC), dnp
LOSS Zhiewi Deng (China), 1-4, 0-4