BUDAPEST, Hungary – Nick Roberts (Hooversville, Pa./Young Guns) has qualified for a bronze-medal match at 50 kg/110 lbs. at the Junior World Championships at the Syma Arena on Saturday. 

Roberts will face Anatoli Buruian of Moldova in the bronze-medal round on Saturday evening.

In his opening bout, Roberts was pinned in 1:33 of the first period by 2010 European Junior bronze medalist Lasha Talakhadze of Georgia. Roberts scored the opening takedown and turned Talakhadze for exposure points, but the Georgian reversed Roberts to his back and secured the pin. U.S. coaches tried to protest but it was not something which can be reviewed.

When Talakhadze qualified for the gold-medal finals, Roberts was drawn back into the repechage rounds.

In his repechage match, Roberts beat Tugs Batjargal of Mongolia, 2-0, 3-2. After a solid first period win, Roberts jumped to a 3-0 lead in the second period on a three-point takedown going out of bounds. Batjargal came back with a two-point exposure, but Roberts was able to hold the lead when time ran out.

Roberts is a star high school wrestler, who was a Cadet National double champion last year and won both the FILA Junior Nationals and World Team Trials this year. He is a First Team member of the ASICS High School All-American Team. 

All four U.S. men’s freestyle wrestlers competing were defeated in their opening round matches on Saturday. The other three U.S. competitors were not able to get into the repechage rounds.

At 60 kg/132 lbs., Matt McDonough (Marion, Iowa/Hawkeye WC) was defeated by Stanislav Reutsky of Ukraine in the opening round, 1-2, 1-3. After dropping the first period, McDonough had a 1-0 lead in the second, but Reutsky put him on his back later in the period to seal the victory.

McDonough was not eligible for the repechage when Reutsky was defeated by Tengiz Chochishvili of Georgia in the next round.

McDonough was a Div. I NCAA champion for the Univ. of Iowa as a freshman last year. He was a multiple All-American in USA Wrestling age-group competition, and won the FILA Junior World Team Trials this summer.

At 74 kg/163 lbs., Conrad Polz (Orland Park, Ill./Illini WC) dropped a hard-fought three-period bout to 2010 European Junior bronze medalist Oleg Zakharevych of Ukraine, ), 2-1, 1-4, 1-2. Polz won the first period with two takedowns, but lost the second period. In the deciding period, Zakharevych jumped ahead 2-0. A late Polz takedown was not enough to close the gap.

Polz was not eligible for the repechage after Zakharevych was defeated in the next round by Oleg Chingisbayev of Kazakhstan.

Polz competes for the Univ. of Illinois, where he was a starter at 165 pounds as a freshman and placed seventh in the Big Ten. He was a Junior Nationals freestyle runner-up in 2007/

At 96 kg/211.5 lbs., Tyler Lehmann (Fargo, N.D./Minnesota Storm) was beaten in his opening bout by Takahiro Baba of Japan, 3-3, 1-2. 

In the first period, Baba hit a three-point move, and was reversed for two by Lehman during the exchange. Lehman tied it at 3-3 with a takedown, but Baba won the period on the highest-point value technique. In the second period, with 10 seconds to go, Baba scored a step-out point on the edge, which was protested by U.S. coaches. The call was upheld, and Baba received another point. Lehman’s quick takedown was not enough, as he could not get a turn as time ran out.

Lehman was not eligible for the repechage after Baba was defeated in the next round by Rafael Toth of Hungary.

Lehmann is a graduated high school star who is headed to the Univ. of Minnesota in the fall. Lehman was second in Greco-Roman and third in freestyle at the 2009 Junior Nationals. He won the FILA Junior World Team Trials in freestyle and was second in Greco-Roman this summer.

JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Budapest, Hungary, July 24

U.S. Men’s Freestyle Team results so far

50 kg/110 lbs. - Nick Roberts, Hooversville, Pa. (Young Guns)
LOSS Lasha Talakhadze (Georgia), pin 1:33
WIN Tugs Batjargal (Mongolia), 2-0, 3-2
Vs. Anatoli Buruian (Moldova) in bronze-medal match

60 kg/132 lbs. - Matt McDonough, Marion, Iowa (Hawkeye WC)
LOSS Stanislav Reutsky (Ukraine), 1-2, 1-3

74 kg/163 lbs. - Conrad Polz, Orland Park, Ill. (Illini WC)
LOSS Oleg Zakharevych (Ukraine), 2-1, 1-4, 1-2

96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Tyler Lehmann, Fargo, N.D. (Minnesota Storm)
LOSS Takahiro Baba (Japan), 3-3, 1-2

Gold Medal finalists

50 kg/110 lbs. - Lasha Talakhadze (Georgia) vs. Zikrula Dadaev (Russia)

60 kg/132 lbs. – Umid Mammadov (Azerbaijan) vs. Gadzhi Abdulaev (Russia)

74 kg/163 lbs. – Davit Khutsishvili (Georgia) vs. Soner Demirtas (Turkey)

96 kg/211.5 lbs. – Aslanbek Alborov (Azerbaijan) vs. Shamil Akhmedov (Russia)