VARNA, BULGARIA - Six U.S. FILA Junior won bronze medals at the Petko Sirakov - Ivan Iliev International, March 8-9. Claiming bronze medals were: Tyler Cox, at 50 kg/110.25 lbs., Eric Grajales at 55 kg/121 lbs., Jonathan Drendel and Jake Dietchler at 66 kg/145.5 lbs., Zak Nielson at 84 kg 185 lbs., and Peter Kowalzchuk at 120 kg/264.5 lbs., who all recorded third-place finishes. "Our athletes did a great job at this tournament," said Ike Anderson, USA Wrestling Greco-Roman Developmental Coach. "They battled back stron to win six medals." The U.S team included athletes from the U.S. Olympic Education Center at Northern Michigan University as well as other top age-group stars from the United States. Cox (Gillette, Wyo.) lost in the second round to eventual gold medalist Radostin Shindov of Russia, before beating Ferhat Tekin of Turkey in three periods. Grajales (Brandon, Fla./Team Florida) also lost in the second round before posting a win over Jonathan Thiam of France. Drendel (North Aurora, Ill./USOEC) and Dietchler (Anoka, Minn./Minnesota Storm) journeyed from opposite sides of the bracket to place third. Drendel lost in the second round to the eventual champion and Dietchler lost in the third. Nielson (Zimmerman, Minn./USOEC) beat fellow American Mike Kelley (New York, N.Y./USOEC) to claim the bronze medal. Kelley, who attends at the USOEC, finished fifth overall in the weight class. Kowalzchuk (Oak Park, Ill./USOEC) finished third behind two Russian opponents in the heavy weight division. He outscored Voussourelis Antonios of Greece 3-1, 3-0 to take the bronze medal. The tournament featured junior wrestlers from Turkey, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Russia, France, Greece, and Romania. Petko Sirakov - Ivan Iliev Varna, Bulgaria March 8-9, 2008 50 kg/110.25 lbs. 1st - Radostin Shindov (Bulgaria) 2nd - Erhan Karakus (Turkey) 3rd - Tyler Cox (USA) 3rd - Baizakov Aisultan (Kazakhstan) 55 kg/121 lbs. 1st - Aleksandar Kostandinov (Bulgaria) 2nd - Menlibekov Yerzhan (Kazakhstan) 3rd - Eric Grajalas (USA) 3rd - Topoev Vasiliy (Russia) 60 kg/132 lbs. 1st - Meulut Arik (Turkey) 2nd - Rahman Bilici (Turkey) 3rd - Svilen Kostadinov (Bulgaria) 3rd - Ilhan Myumyunov (Bulgaria) 66 kg/145.5 lbs. 1st - Vasif Arzumanov (Turkey) 2nd - Ozkan Kort (Turkey) 3rd - Jonathan Drendel (USA) 3rd - Jake Dietchler (USA) 74 kg/163 lbs. 1st - Selim Demir (Turkey) 2nd - Khahuev Islam (Russia) 3rd - Nikolay Bayryakov (Bulgaria) 3rd - Ivaylo Saykov (Bulgaria) 84 kg/185 lbs. 1st - Msadik Keskin (Turkey) 2nd - Lubomir Dimitrov (Bulgaria) 3rd - Zak Nielson (USA) 3rd - Moutoussidis Ioannis (Greece) 96 kg/211.5 lbs. 1st - Kodoev Zaur (Russia) 2nd - Alexiuc Catalin (Romania) 3rd - Efimov Konstantin (Russia) 3rd - Husein Husein (Bulgaria) 120 kg/264.5 lbs. 1st - Orlov Evgeny (Russia) 2nd - Ilnitskiy Vladimir (Russia) 3rd - Peter Kowalzchuk (USA) 3rd - Krassimir Vasev (Bulgaria) U.S. Greco-Roman Performances 50 kg/110.25 lbs. - Tyler Cox (Gillette, Wyo.), 3rd WIN Vaginluc Cristian (Romania), TF 6-0, 7-0 LOSS Radostin Shindov (Bulgaria), 2-4, 2-4 WIN Ferhat Tekin (Turkey), 0-7, 4-3, 6-1 50 kg/110.25 lbs. - Max Nowry (Wheeling, Ill.), 8th LOSS Balzakov Alsultan (Kazakhstan), 0-6, 0-4 50 kg/110.25 lbs. - Paul Telgren (Anoka, Minn./USOEC), 10th LOSSS Anton Byraktarov (Bulgaria), 1-1, 2-4, 2-2 55 kg/121 lbs. - Eric Grajales (Brandon, Fla./Team Florida), 3rd WIN Radostin Pavlov (Bulgaria), TF 10-4, 7-0 LOSS Menlibekov Yerzhan (Kazakhstan), 0-6, 8-14 WIN Thiam Jonathan (France), 5-4, 5-1 60 kg/132 lbs. - Chris Iorio (Holbrook, N.Y./USOEC), 9th LOSS Ilhan Myumyunov (Bulgaria), 3-3, 3-0 pin 66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Jonathan Drendel (North Aurora, Ill./USOEC), 3rd WIN Omer Aydemir (Turkey), 4-3, 5-0 WIN Atanas Kolev (Bulgaria), 0-6, 8-0, 3-0 LOSS Vasif Arzumanov(Turkey), 5-5, 1-1 Win Omer Aydemir (Turkey), 3-0, 2-2 pin 66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Jake Dietchler (Anoka, Minn./Minnesota Storm), 3rd WIN Bitoiu Mihai (Romania), 4-0 pin LOSS Ozkan Kort (Turkey), 0-3, 3-5 WIN Bo Beckman (USA), 2-1, 3-1 WIN Hassli Franck (France), 2-1, 3-1 66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Bo Beckman (Pleasant Grove, Utah), 10th LOSS Ozkan Kort (Turkey), 1-2, 3-6 LOSS Jake Deitchler (USA), 1-2, 1-3 74 kg/163 lbs. - Talon Knox (Salt Lake City, Utah/USOEC), 10th LOSS Nikolay Bayryakov (Bulgaria), 0-6, 0-3 84 kg/185 lbs. - Zak Nielson (Zimmerman, Minn./USOEC), 3rd WIN Ozmen Uzum (Turkey), 0-2, 3-0, 4-0 LOSS Msadik Keskin (Turkey), 4-4, 2-3 WIN Mike Kelley (USA), 5-0, 6-0 84 kg/185 lbs. - Mike Kelley (New York, N.Y./USOEC), 5th LOSS Msadik Keskin (Turkey), 1-2, 0-6 LOSS Zak Nielson (USA), 0-5, 0-6 96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Michael Rossetti (Pittsburg, Pa./USOEC), 9th LOSS Musa Akca (Turkey), 1-3, 1-2 96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Stephan Skroch (Yerington, Nev.), 11th LOSS Erimov Konstantin (Russia), TF 0-7, 0-6 120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Peter Kowalzchuk (Oak Park, Ill./USOEC), 3rd WIN Faghlan Cezar (Romania), 0-4, 1-1, 1-1 LOSS Ilnitskiy Vladimir (Russia), 0-3, 0-4 pin WIN Voussourelis Antonios (Greece), 3-1, 3-0