SOFIA, Bulgaria – The United States won a pair of medals on the opening day of the men’s freestyle at the Junior World Championships, a gold medal from Kyle Snyder (Woodbine, Md./OTC) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. and a silver medal from Alex Dieringer (Port Washington, Wis./Cowboy WC) at 74 kg/163 lbs.

Snyder won a wild final over Viktor Kazishvili of Armenia, falling behind early and almost getting pinned,  but battling back for an impressive 11-4 technical fall in 4:04.

Kazishvili, who was third in the 2013 European Junior Championships, went upper body with Snyder and threw him to his back, almost getting the fall, but the tough American got free, but was trailing 4-1. He started a barrage of takedowns, as well as a turn, to take an 8-4 lead at the break. In the second period, a two-point takedown and a one-point pushout put him at 11-4 for the technical fall victory.

“I’m not a big upperbody guy. I like leg attacks. He was challenging me upperbody and he threw me to my back. I had to fight a little from there. After that, I had to buckle down in my positioning, get some attacks done and tire him down as quickly as I could,” said Snyder.

Snyder continued his impressive composure in the semifinals with an 8-0 second period technical fall over Robin Ferdinand of Germany in 3:42. Snyder scored four two-point takedowns for the victory, while maintaining a strong defense which has served him well all day. Ferdinand was fifth in the 2012 Junior World Championships.

In the morning session, Snyder won two matches with skill and composure. He opened with a 9-2 technical fall over Radu Balaur of Moldova in 2:20. In the quarterfinals, he controlled Yusup Malachmagomedov of Russia in a 3-1 victory.

“It was exciting. I have been thinking about this tournament for awhile and I was excited to compete in it. I am happy with my performance,” said Snyder.

Snyder was recently named the 2013 ASICS High School Wrestler of the Year after his junior year for Good Council High School in Maryland. Snyder will be training at the U.S. Olympic Training Center during his senior year in high school concentrating on freestyle wrestling. He has given a verbal commitment to attend Ohio State in 2015.

Dieringer was defeated in his gold medal finals by Alan Zaseev of Russia, in a 1-8 technical fall in 3:59. Zaseev opened up the scoring, and was able to get a big three-point throw off of a Dieringer attack in the second period, which the U.S. protested but was denied, to trail 7-1 at the break. Zaseev finished off the win with a score early in the second period. 

Dieringer reached the finals with an impressive first period pin over Gheorghe Bodisteanu of Romania in just 59 seconds in the semifinals. Dieringer quickly took control, scoring a takedown and getting Bodisteanu to his back for the quick fall.

Dieringer was also very impressive in the morning session with three wins. He scored a 7-0 technical fall over 2103 Junior European bronze medalist Lasha Gigashvili of Georgia in just 2:25 in the first match. In the second round, he emerged from a high-scoring shootout with 2013 European Junior silver medalist Bakhtiyar Israfilli of Azerbaijan, 12-11. In the quarterfinals, Dieringer quickly pinned Tekhron Khodjiev of Uzbekistan in 1:27.

“I came out strong. I wrestled a good first four matches. In the finals match, he’s real good defensively. He scored off a lot of my shots. I just have to work on my finishes,” said Dieringer. “This is a great experience, going overseas and competing against the best in the world. There is nothing better than this. I take a lot back from this.”

Placing fifth at 60 kg/132 lbs. was Mark Grey (Rockaway, N.J./Titan Mercury WC), who was defeated by Gamlet Ramanov of Russia by technical fall, 7-0 in 3:00 in a bronze-medal match. The Russian scored a pair of two-point takedowns, then received three points at the end of the first period with a throw with exposure.

It was the second time in his career that Grey has placed fifth at the Junior World Championships. He was also fifth at 55 kg/121 lbs. in the 2011 Junior Worlds.

Grey was defeated in the semifinals by 2013 Asian Senior Championships bronze medalist Nomin Batbold of Mongolia by technical fall, 2-9 in the second period. Grey trailed only 3-2 at the break, but the Mongolian was able to score takedown and exposure points in the second period to finish off the match.

He opened his day with three impressive wins in the morning session. Grey scored a 7-0 technical fall over Aaron Maher of Australia in just 22 seconds in this opener. His next match was a first period pin over Adrian Kranitz of Hungary. In the quarterfinals, Grey beat Germany’s Alexander Semisorow, coming from behind for a 6-3 win.

“It was good. In the beginning, I was moving my feet real well and my attacks were good. In the quarters, I had to come back and fight there. That was good. The semis didn’t go my way. I just kept wrestling. For bronze, it was close, 4-0, and he had a body lock so I went for a Polish. I didn’t get it and gave up three points. It’s alright. I just keep going,” said Grey.

Grey, who was a high school star for Blair Academy, trained this year in Ithaca, N.Y., and will attend Cornell University this year.

The fourth U.S. wrestler competing on Saturday, Ethan Lizak (Schnecksville, Pa./LVAC), lost to Ruslan Gasimov of Azerbaijan by technical  fall, 11-4 in 4:35 in his only bout at 50 kg/110 lbs.

After the first day of action, the United States is in second place with 25 points, trailing only Russia with 36 points. Azerbaijan and Iran are tied in third with 19 points.

“It is a solid start. It is great to have a champion. It is exciting. He is a great kid. Kyle works incredibly hard and that was big. We had three guys in the semis and we were really looking for three gold medals. To not get what we wanted in the three other weights, and to have him come back as champion was a good shot for the team. And those other two guys (Dieringer and Grey) are great competitors,” said Assistant National Coach Bill Zadick.

The final four U.S. wrestlers have weighed in and received draws for the final day of wrestling at the Junior Worlds, the last day of men’s freestyle, on Sunday.

JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Sofia, Bulgaria, August 17

Men’s freestyle results

50 kg/110 lbs.
Gold – Zaur Ugaev (Russia)
Silver – Suleyman Atli (Turkey)
Bronze – Yemur Kabataev (Kazakhstan)
Bronze – Mehmed Zeyti Feraim (Bulgaria)
5th – Makhmudjon Shavkatov (Uzbekistan)
5th – Satoshi Fujikawa (Japan)
7th – Mostafa Yaghoubizeleti (Iran)
8th - Nurgazy Abdurazakov (Kyrgyzstan)
9th - Chang-Jun Park (Korea)
10th - Ruslan Gasimov (Azerbaijan)
Gold – Zaur Ugaev (Russia) tech. fall Suleyman Atli (Turkey), 13-4
Bronze – Yemur Kabataev (Kazakhstan) tech. fall Makhmudjon Shavkatov (Uzbekistan), 13-5
Bronze –Mehmed Zeyti Feraim (Bulgaria) dec. Satoshi Fujikawa (Japan), 3-0

60 kg/132 lbs.
Gold – Akmednabi Gvarzatilov (Azerbaijan)
Silver – Nomin Batbold (Mongolia)
Bronze – Gamlet Ramonov (Russia)
Bronze – Shota Phartenadze (Georgia)
5th – Mark Grey (USA)
5th – Andriy Svyryd (Ukraine)
7th - Alexander Semisorow (Germany)
8th - Farzad Koviland (Iran)
9th - Batukhan Shrakpayev (Kazakhstan)
10th - Sedat Ozdemir (Turkey)
Gold – Akmednabi Gvarzatilov (Azerbaijan) tech. fall Nomin Batbold (Mongolia), 15-7
Bronze – Shota Phartenadze (Georgia) pin Andriy Svyryd (Ukraine), 1:49
Bronze – Gamlet Ramonov (Russia) tech. fall Mark Grey (USA), 7-0 

74 kg/163 lbs.
Gold – Alan Zaseev (Russia)
Silver – Alex Dieringer (USA)
Bronze – Bakhtiyar Israfilli (Azerbaijan)
Bronze – Mostafa Ghiyas (Iran)
5th – Gheorghe Bodisteanu (Romania)
5th – Engin Rashid Ismail (Bulgaria)
7th - Tekhron Khodjiev (Uzbekistan)
8th - Hanoc Rachamin (Israel)
9th - Zelimkhan Khadjiev (France)
10th - Pardeep Pardeep (India)
Gold – Alan Zaseev (Russia) tech. fall Alex Dieringer (USA), 8-1
Bronze – Bakhtiyar Israfilli (Azerbaijan) tech. fall Gheorghe Bodisteanu (Romania), 8-0
Bronze –Mostafa Ghiyas (Iran) tech. fall Engin Rashid Ismail (Bulgaria), 7-0

96 kg/211.5 lbs.
Gold – Kyle Snyder (USA)
Silver – Viktor Kazishvili (Georgia)
Bronze – Yusup Mlachmagomedov (Russia)
Bronze – Satywart Kadian (India)
5th – Robin Ferdinand (Germany)
5th – Ali Bonceoglu (Turkey)
7th - Pedram Jamshidi (Iran)
8th - Philipp Hutter (Switzerland)
9th - Murazi Mchedlidze (Ukraine)
10th - Giorgi Kakauridze (Georgia)
Gold – Kyle Snyder (USA) tech. fall Viktor Kazishvili (Georgia), 11-4
Bronze – Yusup Mlachmagomedov (Russia) tech. fall Robin Ferdinand (Germany), 7-0
Bronze –Satywart Kadian (India) tech. fall Ali Bonceoglu (Turkey), 8-0

U.S. men’s freestyle performances

50 kg/110 lbs. – Ethan Lizak, Schnecksville, Pa. (LVAC)
LOSS Ruslan Gasimov (Azerbaijan), tech fall, 11-4 (4:35)

60 kg/132 lbs. – Mark Grey, Rockaway, N.J. (Titan Mercury WC). 5th place
WIN Aaron Thomas Maher (Australia) tech. fall 7-0 (0:22)
WIN Adrian Kranitz (Hungary), pin (1st period)
WIN Alexander Semisorow (Germany), 6-3
LOSS Nomin Batbold (Mongolia), tech. fall 2-9 (second period)
LOSS Gamlet Ramanov (Russia), 0-7 (3:00)

74 kg/163 lbs. – Alex Dieringer, Port Washington, Wis. (Cowboy WC/Oklahoma State University), silver medal
WIN Lasha Gigashvili (Georgia), tech. fall, 7-0 (2:25)
WIN Bakhtiyar Israfilli (Azerbaijan), 12-11
WIN Tekhron Khodjiev (Uzbekistan), pin 1:27
WIN Gheorghe Bodisteanu (Romania), pin 0:59
LOSS Alan Zaseev (Russia), tech. fall 1-8 (3:59)

96 kg/211.5 lbs. – Kyle Snyder, Woodbine, Md. (OTC), gold medal
WIN Radu Balaur (Moldova) tech. fall 9-2 (2:20)
WIN Yusup Malachmagomedov (Russia), 3-1	
WIN Robin Ferdinand (Germany) tech fall 8-0 (3:42)
WIN Viktor Kazishvili (Armenia) tech fall 11-4 (4:04)