Reece Humphrey won the U.S. Open and U.S. World Team Trials this year. Larry Slater photo.

KIEV, Ukraine – Reece Humphrey has landed the final spot on the U.S. World Team in freestyle wrestling.

Humphrey makes the U.S. team after Shawn Bunch fell short of winning a medal at the Outstanding Ukrainian Wrestlers Memorial International on Sunday.

Humphrey (Columbus, Ohio/New York AC) lost in the second round and Bunch (Columbus, Ohio/Gator WC) lost in the third round at 60 kg/132 lbs. The wrestler who beat Bunch, Gevorg Terteriya of Russia, fell one win short of the finals. That prevented Bunch from wrestling back for a medal.

The wrestler Humphrey lost to, Ukraine’s Yevgen Khavilov, beat Terteriya in the semifinals. Humphrey finished fifth in the tournament. He rebounded for wins over Vasyl Fedoryshyn of Ukraine and Rizvan Gadzhiev of Belarus before falling to Gevorg Terteriya of Russia in the bronze-medal match.

In order for Bunch to make the U.S. World Team, he needed to win a medal in the event in Ukraine and place higher in the standings than Humphrey.

That needed to occur since Humphrey defeated Bunch in the finals of the U.S. World Team Trials on June 10 in Oklahoma City.

Bunch qualified for this opportunity under new U.S. freestyle criteria, which recognizes international performances. Bunch won the Medved International in Belarus to meet this criteria.

Humphrey will compete at his first World Championships in September in Istanbul, Turkey.

Bunch made the 2009 World Team.