TIRANA, Albania – The United States had two individual champions on the second day of the Veterans Freestyle World Championships on Saturday.

Capturing gold medals were Jamey Kasser of Lewis Center, Ohio at 63 kg in Div. C and Brad Swartz of Auburn, Wash. at 76 kg in Div. D. Both were Veterans World freestyle champions last year.

For Swartz, it was a fifth career Veterans World title. He defeated Darnsted of Germany, 3-0, 3-0 and Rodriguez of Argentina, 1-0, 3-0 on the way to the gold medal.

“Brad Swartz was his very physical self to win another Veterans World Championship,” said U.S. coach Dan Chaid.

Kasser three strong wins on his road to the gold, beating Sherozan of Armenia, Hoeflich of German and Kekec of Turkey to win his second straight Veterans World gold.

That brings the U.S. total to four individual champions after two days in Albania, with Kasser and Swartz joining Friday’s individual champions Shirzad Ahmadi of Coventry, Conn. (63 kg in Div. D) and Anthony Piva of Meridian, Idaho (58 kg in Div. B).

Coming home with a bronze medal in a very competitive 58 kg in Div. C was Rodger Horton of Winfield, Kan.

Two other wrestlers competed on Saturday but fell short of the medals.

Past Veterans World Greco-Roman champion Ron Hughes won his first match at 69 kg in Div. C over Koka of Albania, but was later eliminated. Hughes won a bronze medal at the Veterans Greco-Roman World Championships in Poland last weekend.

Jon Tush of Maplewood, N.J. was entered at 74 kg in Div. B but there were no competitors, so he moved up to 85 kg. He lost a close bout to Ponomarenko of Russia 0-1, 1-0, 1-0 and did not place.

After two days of competition at the Veterans Freestyle Worlds, the United States has collected 14 medals.

The final two age divisions will be contested on Sunday, Division A and Division G. Three U.S. athletes weighed in and will compete on the last day, Alvin Riggs, Octavius Bellamy, and Terrell Harris.

Veterans are athletes who are 35 years old and above. FILA has changed the age divisions this year, offering competition will be in seven different age categories.

VETERANS FREESTYLE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Tirana, Albania, October 15

U.S. Veterans freestyle placements on Saturday

Division C (46-50 years)

58 kg – Rodger Horton, Winfield, Kan., 3rd

63 kg – Jamey Kasser, Lewis Center, Ohio, 1st

69 kg – Ronald Hughes, Hollister, Calif., dnp

85 kg – Jon Tush, Maplewood, N.J., dnp

Division D (51-55 years)

76 kg – Brad Swartz, Auburn, Wash., 1st