MARTINEZ, LAWRENCE, HAHN QUALIFY FOR QUARTERFINALS AT FILA JUNIOR WORLD FREESTYLE CHAMPIONSHIPS IN SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA 
 Three U.S. wrestlers have qualified for the quarterfinals after the first day of competition at the 1999 FILA Junior World Freestyle Wrestling Championships in Sydney, Australia, August 19.  
 Qualifying for the quarterfinals are Ben Martinez (Pixley, Calif./Tulare Titans) at 127.7 pounds, Jared Lawrence (Sandpoint, Idaho/Minnesota Storm) at 152 pounds and Damion Hahn (Lakewood, N.J./NYAC) at 187.25 pounds. 
 The tournament features the best 17-20 year-old freestyle wrestlers in the World. Sydney will be the host city of the 2000 Olympic Games. 
 Martinez lost his first match to I. Momtsevlidze of Kazakhstan, 5-2, by rebounded with a pin over J. Cornil of France. Martinez scored enough points during the pool competition at his weight class to advance to the quarterfinal round. 
 Lawrence won both of his matches, defeating C. Ram of India, 7-2 and R. Tanner of Switzerland, 4-1. Lawrence, who competes for the Univ. of Minnesota, won titles in both styles at the 1999 FILA Junior World Team Trials. 
 Hahn also claimed two wins on Thursday. In the first match, he scored a 10-0 technical fall over J. Santos of Guam. Trailing 8-0, Hahn stormed back to beat D. Temirbavev of Kazakhstan, 11-9 in the second match. 
 Hahn, a graduate of Lakewood High School, is a three-time Junior Nationals freestyle champion and the 1999 FILA Junior Nationals champion. He will attend the Univ. of Minnesota in the fall. 
 Undefeated after the first day is T.J. Hill (Farmington, Mo./Dave Schultz WC) at 110 pounds, who won his only match on Thursday with a 7-1 decision over Hon Kim of Korea. Hill must win one more match in this pool competition to qualify for the quarterfinals. 
 Hill was a 1998 FILA Junior World silver medalist, and boasts 11 age-group national titles during his outstanding youth career. 
 The only athlete eliminated from medal competition was John Lockhart (Champaign, Ill./Univ. of Illinois) at 286.5 pounds. Lockhart won his first match over R. Jackson of Canada, but was edged by S. Cakiroglu of Turkey in the second round in a 1-0 overtime referee's decision. Lockhart did not qualify for the quarterfinals, and is expected to place 10th in his weight class. He attends the Univ. of Illinois. 
 The U.S. team is made up of nine wrestlers, all of whom were champions of their weight classes at the 1999 FILA Junior Freestyle National Championships and World Team Trials held in Colorado Springs, Colo., April 24-25. 
 Four wrestlers have their first matches on Friday, August 20: Leroy Vega (Portage, Ind./Minnesota Storm) at 54 kg/119 lbs., Sean Gray (Flemington, N.J/Hokie WC) at 63 kg/138.75 lbs., Tony Gansen (Bell Point, Minn./Cowboy WC) at 76 kg/167.5 lbs. and Tommy Rowlands (Columbus, Ohio/Ohio WC) at 97 kg/213.75 lbs. 
 Team USA is coached by Brad Penrith of Cedar Falls, Iowa, the assistant coach at the Univ. of Northern Iowa, and Mark Schwab of Minneapolis, Minn., the assistant coach for the Univ.  of Minnesota.  
 FILA JUNIOR WORLD FREESTYLE WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS at Sydney, Australia, August 19, 1999 
 U.S. team results 
 50 kg/110 lbs. - T.J. Hill (Farmington, Mo./Dave Schultz WC) - dec. Hon Kim (Korea), 7-1 
 58 kg/127.7 lbs. - Ben Martinez (Pixley, Calif./Tulare Titans) - lost dec. to I. Momtsevlidze (Kazakhstan), 5-2; pin J. Cornil (France) 
 69 kg/152 lbs. - Jared Lawrence (Sandpoint, Idaho/Minnesota Storm) - dec. C. Ram (India), 7-2; dec. R. Tanner (Switzerland), 4-1 
 85 kg/187.25 lbs. - Damion Hahn (Lakewood, N.J./NYAC) - won by tech. fall over J. Santos (Guam), 10-0; dec. D. Temirbavev (Kazakhstan), 11-9 
 130 kg/286.5 lbs. - John Lockhart (Mahomet, Ill./Univ. of Illinois) - dec. R. Jackson (Canada), 3-0; lost dec. to S. Cakiroglu (Turkey), 1-0, ot, 9:00 
 These athletes will begin competition on August 20th 
 54 kg/119 lbs. - Leroy Vega (Portage, Ind./Minnesota Storm) 
 63 kg/138 lbs. - Sean Gray (Flemington, N.J/Hokie WC) 
 76 kg/167.5 lbs. - Tony Gansen (Bell Point, Minn./Cowboy WC) 
 97 kg/213.75 lbs. - Tommy Rowlands (Columbus, Ohio/Ohio WC) 
 U.S. Coaches 
 Head Coach - Brad Penrith, Cedar Falls, Iowa, Assistant Coach at the Univ. of Northern Iowa   Assistant Coach - Mark Schwab, Minneapolis, Minn., Assistant Coach at the Univ. of Minnesota