FLASH: Pirozhkova wins gold, Humphrey & Henry win bronzes at University World Championships in Italy

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Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling)
10/27/2010


TORINO, Italy – Elena Pirozhkova (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) won a gold medal at 67 kg/147.5 lbs. at the 2010 FISU University World Championships, held at the Pala Ruffini arena on Wednesday.

Pirozhkova defeated Canada’s Elisabeth Williams in the gold-medal finals. It was her second career University World title, to go with her gold medal in 2008.

Pirozhkova was a 2010 World silver medalist on the Senior level at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. She is a U.S. Olympic Training Center resident athlete. 

Two U.S. wrestlers won bronze medals, men’s freestyle wrestler Reece Humphrey (Columbus, Ohio/New York AC) at 60 kg/132 lbs. and women’s freestyle wrestler Gabrielle Henry (Columbus, Ohio/Univ. of the Cumberlands) at 51 kg/112.25 lbs.

Humphrey defeated Undrakhbayar Khishignayam of Mongolia in the bronze-medal match. His only loss came in his opening match, to the eventual runner-up Andrei Perpelita of Moldova.

Humphrey, a past NCAA runner-up for The Ohio State Univ., won his second career University Worlds medal, to go with a silver in 2008.

Henry defeated Vayla Trandino of Bulgaria in a bronze-medal match. Her only loss was to Liubov Salnikova of Russia, the eventual silver medalist.

Sonny Yohn (Alamosa, Colo./Minnesota Storm) placed fifth at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. He was defeated in a bronze medal match by Dragomir Stoychev of Bulgaria. Yohn attends the Univ. of Minnesota.

At 74 kg/163 lbs., Jon Reader (Davison, Mich./Iowa State) finished eighth with a 1-1 record. Reader attends Iowa State.

The United States placed eighth in the men’s freestyle team standings with 29 points. Russia was first with 54 points, followed by Ukraine with 51 points and Moldova with 43 points.

Complete results will be posted later this afternoon.

There will be five women’s freestyle weights contested on Thursday. 

Four U.S. women made weight and received their draws: Trinity Plessinger (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 55 kg/121 lbs., Ashley Hudson (Wildwood, Mo./Gator WC/OCU) at 59 kg/130 lbs., Amberle Montgomery (Kent, Wash./Gator WC/OCU) at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. and Ali Bernard (New Ulm, Minn./Gator WC) at 72 kg/158.5 lbs. 

Bernard, who placed fifth at the 2008 Olympic Games, has won two Junior World gold medals during her career.

At 48 kg/105.5 lbs., Alyssa Lampe (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) did not make weight.

FISU WORLD UNIVERSITY CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Torino, Italy, Oct. 27

Women’s freestyle results

51 kg/112.25 lbs.
Gold –Genevieve Haley (Canada)
Silver - Liubov Salnikova (Russia)
Bronze – Gabrielle Henry (USA)
Bronze - Ai Shimizu (Japan)

67 kg/147.5 lbs.
Gold - Elena Pirozhkova (USA)
Silver - Elisabeth Williams (Canada)
Bronze - Oyunsuren Banzragch (Mongolia)
Bronze - Malwina Golczak (Poland)

U.S. women’s freestyle performances

51 kg/112.25 lbs. – Gabrielle Henry, Columbus, Ohio (Univ. of the Cumberlands), 3rd

67 kg/147.5 lbs. – Elena Pirozhkova, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC), 1st

Men’s freestyle results

60 kg/132 lbs.
Gold –Yuta Uchimura (Japan)
Silver - Andrei Perpelita (Moldova)
Bronze - Reece Humphrey (USA)
Bronze - Artur Akhmedov (Russia)

74 kg/163 lbs.
Gold – Imam Mohammadian (Iran)
Silver - Ibrahim Yusubov (Azerbaijan)
Bronze - Andrii Nagornyi (Ukraine)
Bronze - Ivan Deliverski (Bulgaria)

96 kg/211.5 lbs.
Gold – Salih Erinc (Turkey)
Silver - Valerii Andriitsev (Ukraine)
Bronze - Saeid Amiri (Iran)
Bronze - Dragomir Stoychev (Bulgaria)

U.S. men’s freestyle performances

60 kg/132 lbs. – Reece Humphrey, Columbus, Ohio (New York AC), 3rd

74 kg/163 lbs. – Jon Reader, Davison, Mich. (Iowa State), 8th

96 kg/211.5 lbs. – Sonny Yohn, Alamosa, Colo. (Minnesota Storm), 5th

U.S. Women’s freestyle draws for Thursday

48 kg/105.5 lbs.– Alyssa Lampe, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
Did not make weight

55 kg/121 lbs. – Trinity Plessinger, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
vs. Chiaki Arai (Japan)

59 kg/130 lbs. – Ashley Hudson, Wildwood, Mo. (Gator WC/OCU)
vs. Anna Maxsimova (Russia)

63 kg/138.75 lbs. – Amberle Montgomery. Kent, Wash. (Gator WC/OCU)
vs. Simona Corbani (Italy)

72 kg/158.5 lbs. – Ali Bernard, New Ulm, Minn. (Gator WC)
vs. Oksana Vasinchuk (Ukraine)