KOURTANE, Finland – Adeline Gray (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) won the gold medal at 72 kg/158.5 lbs. on the final day of women’s wrestling at the University World Championships on Thursday.

It was Gray’s second World title in a week, after winning the Senior World Championships at 67 kg/147.5 lbs. in Sherwood Park, Canada on September 27.

Gray moved up a weight for this event, and won three matches on the way to the title. In the gold-medal finals, she defeated Canadian Erica Wiebe, 4-0, 1-0. Gray avenged a loss to Wiebe at the 2012 Canada Cup in June.

Gray opened with a pair of dominant technical falls, beating Yinan Xi of China, 6-0, 6-0 in the quarterfinals, and Tamae Yoshii of Japan, 6-0, 6-0 in the semifinals.

Gray becomes the first U.S. women’s wrestler to win World titles on the FILA Junior, University and Senior levels. She was a Junior World champion in 2008.

Placing fifth at 67 kg/145.5 lbs. was Julia Salata (Canton, Mich./New York AC), who was defeated in the bronze-medal match by Chihiro Hashimoto of Japan, 1-4, 0-4.
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Salata, a student at King College, opened the tournament with a victory over Lei Wang of China, 4-3, 3-2. In her next match, she was defeated by Yulia Prontsevich of Russia, 0-4, 3-4. Prontsevich went on to win the gold medal.

Melissa Apodaca (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) finished with a 1-1 record at 63 kg/138.75 lbs., but did not qualify for medal rounds. She opened with a big win over two-time Junior World bronze medalist Ayako Sato of Japan, 1-0, 1-3, 1-0. She was pinned in the second round by Julie Guillaume of France. When Guillaume failed to reach the finals, Apodaca was ineligible for the repechage. She placed seventh in the final standings.

Two U.S. wrestlers were defeated in their first match, and were not drawn back into the repechage: Michaela Hutchison (Soldotna, Alaska/OKCU Gator RTC) at 55 kg/121 lbs. and  Ashley Hudson, Wildwood, Mo. (Gator WC) at 59 kg/130 lbs. Both finished eighth in their weight class.

Hutchison was beaten by 2011 European Junior silver medalist Tatiana Debien of France, 1-4, 2-3. Hudson lost in three periods to Viktoria Chepurko of Ukraine, 3-5, 4-1, 1-2. Both of their opponents lost in the next round, knocking the Americans out of the tournament.

The United States placed sixth in the team standings with 29 points, with Gray winning the only medal for Team USA. Teams on the podium were Ukraine, the team champion with 52 points, followed by Japan in second with 46 points and Canada in third with 44 points. Russia was fourth with 41 points and China was fifth with 34 points.

Four Greco-Roman weight classes weighed in and received their draws for Friday’s action. 

Among thos competing is 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials runner-up Max Nowry of the New York AC at 121 pounds. He drew Marcin Kunysz of Poland, who was fifth in 2010 World University Championships.  Nowry placed fifth at the 2010 Junior World Championships and ninth at the 2012 World University Championships.

The other U.S draws for Friday:
• Jamel Johnson, Greensboro, N.C. (YES Wrestling) vs. Sofian Salah (France) at 60 kg/132 lbs.
• Nick Alvarez, Miami, Fla. (USOEC) vs. Petteri Martikainen (Finland) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs.
• Jon Anderson, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) vs. Veli-Karri Suominen (Finland) at 74 kg/163 lbs.

UNIVERSITY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Kourtane, Finland, October 4

Women’s freestyle results

55 kg/121 lbs.
Gold - Iryna Husyak (Ukraine)
Silver - Maria Esanu (Moldova)
Bronze - Katarzyna Michalak (Poland)
Bronze - Senlian Yang (China)
5th - Serap Kosar (Turkey)
5th - Viktoriya Shulgina (Russia)
7th - Tatiana Debien (France)
8th - Michaela Hutchison (USA)
9th - Tiina Vainionpaa (Finland)
10th - Chiho Hamada (Japan)

59 kg/130 lbs.
Gold - Yurika Ito (Japan)
Silver - Amanda Gerhart (Canada)
Bronze - Hafize Sahin (Turkey)
Bronze - Iulia Alborova (Russia)
5th - Viktoriia Chepurko (Ukraine)
5th - Shoovdor Baatarjav (Mongolia)
7th - Xiuxiu Gu (China)
8th - Ashley Hudson (USA)
9th - Lais Oliveira (Brazil)
10th - Marzena Michalik (Poland)

63 kg/138.75 lbs.
Gold - Yuliya Ostapchuk (Ukraine)
Silver - Inna Trazhukova (Russia)
Bronze - Gabriella Sleisz (Hungary)
Bronze - Danielle Lappage (Canada)
5th - Sevim Gayretli (Turkey)
5th - Julie Guillaume (France)
7th - Melissa Apodaca (USA)
8th - Ayaka Sato (Japan)
9th -  E. Dalai (Mongolia)
10th -  Paulina Grabowska (Poland)

67 kg/147.5 lbs.
Gold - Yulia Prontsevich (Russia)
Silver - Beatrice Oancea (Romania)
Bronze - Svitlana Ryzhykova (Ukraine)
Bronze - Chihiro Hashimoto (Japan)
5th - Julia Salata (USA)
6th - Lei Wang (China)

72 kg/158.5 lbs.
Gold - Adeline Gray (USA)
Silver - Erica Wiebe (Canada)
Bronze - Maryna Panchokha (Ukraine)
Bronze - Yinan Xi (China)
5th - Tamae Yoshii (Japan)
6th - Patrycja Howis (Poland)

U.S. women’s freestyle performances

55 kg/121 lbs. – Michaela Hutchison, Soldotna, Alaska (OKCU Gator RTC), 8th
LOSS Tatiana Debien (France), 1-4, 2-3

59 kg/130 lbs. – Ashley Hudson, Wildwood, Mo. (Gator WC), 8th
LOSS Viktoria Chepurko (Ukraine), 3-5, 4-1, 1-2

63 kg/138.75 lbs. – Melissa Apodaca, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC), 7th
WIN Ayako Sato (Japan), 1-0, 1-3, 1-0
LOSS Julie Guillaume (France), pin

67 kg/145.5 lbs. – Julia Salata, Canton, Mich. (New York AC), 5th
WIN Lei Wang (China), 4-3, 3-2
LOSS Yulia Prontsevich (Russia), 0-4, 3-4
LOSS Chihiro Hashimoto (Japan), 1-4, 0-4

72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Adeline Gray, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC), GOLD MEDAL
WIN Yinan Xi (China), 6-0, 6-0
WIN Tamae Yoshii (Japan), 6-0, 6-0
WIN Erica Wiebe (Canada), 4-0, 1-0

Women’s Team Standings
1. Ukraine, 52
2. Japan, 46
3. Canada, 44
4. Russia, 41
5. China , 34
6. USA, 29
7. Turkey, 29
8. Mongolia, 23
9. Poland, 21
10. Moldova, 17
11. Finland, 11
12. Romania, 10
13. France, 10
14. Hungary, 8
15. Brazil, 2

U.S. Greco-Roman draws for Friday

55 kg/121 lbs. – Max Nowry, Wheeling, Ill. (New York AC)
Vs. Marcin Kunysz (Poland), fifth in 2010 World University Championships

60 kg/132 lbs. – Jamel Johnson, Greensboro, N.C. (YES Wrestling)
Vs. Sofian Salah (France)

66 kg/145.5 lbs. – Nick Alvarez, Miami, Fla. (USOEC)
Vs. Petteri Martikainen (Finland), 2012 Nordic Junior champion

74 kg/163 lbs. – Jon Anderson, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
Vs. Veli-Karri Suominen (Finland), 2012 Nordic Senior champion, 2010 Junior World bronze medalist