MINSK, Belarus - Three U.S. women freestyle wrestlers won bronze medals on the first day of the Alexander Medved International on Friday.

Bringing home bronze medals were Amantha Hordogoda (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) at 48 kg/105.5 lbs., Whitney Conder (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) at 55 kg/121 lbs. and Helen Maroulis (Rockville, Md./New York AC) at 55 kg/121 lbs 

All three of the U.S. wrestlers reached the semifinals, where they lost, but bounced back to win their bronze-medal bouts.

Hordogoda opened with wins against athletes from Russia and Azerbaijan. She was defeated in the semifinals by Nataia Tarakonovskay of Russia, 0-1,0-6. In the bronze-medal bout, she defeated Tatiana Hurnovich of Belarus by injury default in the first period.

Conder also won her first two rounds against opponents from Belarus and India. In the semifinals, she was pinned by Tatiana Zemchenco of Russia. Her bronze-medal victory came over Tatsiana Kravchenko of Belarus, 4-3, 4-3.

Maroulis, a 2008 U.S. World Team member, opened with a victory by pin over a Belarus opponent. In the second round, she defeated U.S. opponent Trinity Plessinger (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids), 1-0, 7-0. Her semifinal loss came to Aiym Abdildina of Kazakhstan by pin. In the bronze-medal bout, she pinned Zalina Sidakova of Belarus.

It was the second week in a row that Maroulis has won a bronze medal at an international event, after placing third at the Klippan Lady Open in Sweden last weekend.

In addition to the women's division, there is also a men's division being held at the tournament. The top U.S. men's performance on Friday was a fifth-place finish by 2009 U.S. World Team member Danny Felix (Morgantown, W.Va./Sunkist Kids) at 55 kg/121 lbs.

ALEXANDER MEDVED INTERNATIONAL
At Minsk, Belarus, March 12, 2010

U.S. women's freestyle results

48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Amantha Hordogoda, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC), 3rd
WIN Anastasia Tabaeva (Russia), 0-3, 1-1, Pin
WIN Barziget Bagamedova (Azerbaijan), 3-2, 1-1,
LOSS Nataia Tarakonovskay (Russia), 0-1,0-6
WIN Tatiana Hurnovich (Belarus), inj. dft. in 1st period

55 kg/121 lbs. - Trinity Plessinger, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids), dnp
LOSS Helen Maroulis (USA), 0-1,0-7

55 kg/121 lbs. - Helen Maroulis, Rockville, Md. (New York AC), 3rd
WIN Volha Hlebik (Belarus), pin
WIN Trinity Plessinger (USA), 1-0, 7-0
LOSS Aiym Abdildina (Kazakhstan), pin
WIN Zalina Sidakova (Belarus), pin in 1st period

55 kg/121 lbs. - Whitney Conder, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC), 3rd
WIN Lyudmila Pervushova (Belarus), 1-0, 4-0
WIN Kumari Babita (India), 1-1, 1-1
LOSS Tatiana Zemchenco (Russia), 2-2, pin in 2nd period
WIN Tatsiana Kravchenko (Belarus), 4-3, 4-3