SZOMBATHELY, Hungary - Zosima Castaneda of Atlanta, Ga. fell one match short of reaching the bronze-medal round at 65 kg/143.25 lbs. in women’s wrestling at the Cadet World Championships on Thursday.

Castaneda dropped her first match to Masako Furuichi of Japan and was pulled back into the repechage rounds when Furuichi reached the gold-medal finals. 

Castaneda scored a comeback three-period win over Aziza Sultamuratova of Uzbekistan, 0-5, 4-2, 1-3 in her first repechage match. She was pinned by Burneebaatar Nyamgerel of Mongolia in the next repechage bout, and Nyamgerel advanced to a bronze-medal bout.

The other three U.S. athletes competing on Thursday lost in the preliminary rounds and did not qualify for the repechage when their opponent did not reach the finals.

Regina Doi of Kingsburg, Calif. opened her competition at 43 kg/ 94.75 lbs. with a victory over Lkhamjav Undram of Mongolia. She fell in the next round to Valentina Faccio of Italy, 1-6, 1-1. Doi was eliminated when Faccio was defeated in the semifinals.

At 49 kg/108 lbs., Kayla Miracle of Culver, Ind. won her first bout, a pin over Aigul Nuralim of Kazakhstan. She was edged in the second round by Mercedesz Denes of Hungary, 1-1, 0-1. Miracle was eliminated when Denes was beaten in the quarterfinals.

Sophie Hertz of Colorado Springs, Colo. lost her opening bout to Alejandra Pagquaga-Frankovich of Canada at 56 kg/123.25 lbs. Hertz was eliminated when Pasquaga-Frankovich lost in the semifinals.

Competition was also held at 38 kg/83.5 lbs., a division in which the USA did not have an entry.

Coaching the women’s team is Donny Stephens of West Covina, Calif. along with USOEC Women’s Assistant Coach Tony DeAnda of Marquette, Mich.

Five other U.S. women’s freestyle athletes weigh in today and will compete on Friday. Their draws will be posted in another article.

FILA CADET WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Szombathely, Hungary, August 25

U.S. women’s freestyle performance on Thursday

43 kg/ 94.75 lbs. - Regina Doi, Kingsburg, Calif.
WIN Lkhamjav Undram (Mongolia), 2-1, 1-1
LOSS Valentina Faccio (Italy), 1-6, 1-1

49 kg/108 lbs. - Kayla Miracle, Culver, Ind.
WIN Aigul Nuralim (Kazakhstan), pin
LOSS Mercedesz Denes (Hungary), 1-1, 0-1

56 kg/123.25 lbs. - Sophie Hertz, Colorado Springs, Colo.
LOSS Alejandra Pagquaga-Frankovich (Canada), 0-1, 1-1

65 kg/143.25 lbs. - Zosima Castaneda, Atlanta, Ga. 
LOSS Masako Furuichi (Japan), 0-6, 0-7
WIN Aziza Sultamuratova (Uzbekistan), 0-5, 4-2, 1-3
LOSS Burneebaatar Nyamgerel (Mongolia), pin