BUDAPEST, Hungary - Amy Whitbeck (Duanesburg, N.Y./New York AC) has qualified for a bronze-medal match at the Junior World Championships at the Syma Arena.on Thursday. She will face Valentina Brik of Russia in the bronze-medal round this evening. Whitbeck opened at 51 kg/112 lbs. with a second period pin over Marta Iadeluca of Italy. Iadeluca won the first period, 3-3 with a three-point arm throw, but Whitbeck took over in the second period, scoring the fall in 1:41. Her next match was even shorter, a 1:42 pin over Melek Atakol of Turkey. Whitbeck twice had Atakol on her back, scoring the fall with the second pinning sequence. In the semifinals, Whitbeck lost a close battle with Haruka Hirano of Japan, 0-1, 0-2. In the first period, the U.S. lost a protest on a takedown attempt which no points were awarded. In the second period, on a scramble exchange, officials gave Hirano the two points, although it seemed as if Whitbeck had initiated the action. Whitbeck is No. 2 in the USA on the Senior level, placed second in the U.S. Open and the Senior World Team Trials. She competed in the 2007 Junior World Championships, where she placed fifth. Tatiana Padilla (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) was eliminated in the repechage rounds at 59 kg/130 lbs. and will not be able to compete for a medal. Padilla opened with a dominant 6-0, 6-0 technical fall over Izabela Magdelena Strazalka of Poland. In her second match, Padilla was edged by Lan Zhang of China, 0-1, 0-3. Zhang won the first period on the clinch. In the second period, Zhang scored a three-point move from the feet to win it. When Zhang made the finals, Padilla was brought back into the repechage. She was knocked out in a loss to Battsetseg Soronzonbold of Mongolia, 0-1, 1-1. Soronzonbold won the first period from the clinch. With Padilla leading 1-0 in the second, Soronzonbold got behind her and scored the winning takedown, getting the last point of the period. Padilla was a Junior World silver medalist in 2007 and a Junior World bronze medalist in 2008. In addition, she has won a Senior World bronze medal in 2008 and placed fifth at the Senior World Championships in 2009. She normally competes at 55 kg, but moved up to 59 kg for the Junior World Championships. She is also a member of the U.S. Senior World Team this year at 55 kg. The U.S. dropped its first two matches right at the start of the session. Both wrestlers were unable to compete in the repechage when the athletes who beat them did not make the finals. Erin Clodgo (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) was defeated at 67 kg/147.5 lbs. by Chiaki Iijuma of Japan, 0-1, 3-2, 1-2. Clodgo led 1-0 in the deciding third period when Iijima scored a leg attack takedown with one second left to tie it at 1-1 and win by scoring the last point. The U.S. protested, but the score was upheld, giving Iijima an additional point and the victory. Clodgo was knocked out when Iijima was pinned in the semifinals by Alina Makhynia of Ukraine. Clodgo, a 2010 U.S. Open champion on the Senior level, placed eighth in the 2007 Junior World Championships Erin Golston (Lake of the Hills, Ill./USOEC) at 44 kg / 97 lbs., lost to Li Ni of China in her first bout, 0-2, 0-3. She was not eligible for the repechage after Li lost to Nadezka Fedorova of Russia in the semifinals. JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS At Budapest, Hungary, July 22 U.S. women’s freestyle matches so far 44 kg/97 lbs. - Erin Golston, Lake of the Hills, Ill. (USOEC) LOSS Li Ni (China), 0-2, 0-3 51 kg/112.25 lbs.- Amy Whitbeck, Duanesburg, N.Y. (New York AC) WIN Marta Iadeluca (Italy), 3-3, pin 1:41 of 2nd period WIN Melek Atakol (Turkey), 1:42 of 1st period LOSS Haruka Hirano (Japan), 0-1, 0-2 vs. Valentina Brik (Russia) in bronze-medal match 59 kg/130 lbs. - Tatiana Padilla, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) WIN Izabela Magdelena Strazalka (Poland),6-0, 6-0 LOSS Lan Zhang (China), 0-1, 0-3 LOSS Battsetseg Soronzonbold (Mongolia), 0-1, 1-1 67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Erin Clodgo, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) LOSS Chiaki Iijima (Japan), 0-1, 3-2, 1-2 Thursday’s Championship Finals 44 kg/97 lbs. – Nadezda Fedorova (Russia) vs. Marziget Bagomedova (Azerbaijan) 51 kg/112.25 lbs. – Haruka Hirano (Japan) vs. Yanan Sun (China) 59 kg/130 lbs. – Lan Zhang (China) vs. Valeria Zholobova (Russia) 67 kg/147.5 lbs. – Jenny Aardalen (Norway) vs. Alina Makhynia (Ukraine)