ZRENJANIN, Serbia – Two U.S. women wrestlers won a bronze medal on the first day of women’s wrestling at the Cadet World Championships, Marina Doi of California at 38 kg/83.75 lbs. and Teshya Alo of Hawaii at 56 kg/123.25 lbs.

Doi, a 2012 Cadet World champion, won her third career Cadet World medal. She also won a silver medal in 2011. This gives her a medal of each kind during her Cadet career.

In the bronze-medal bout, Doi beat 2013 European champion Aleksandra Skirenko of Russia, 5-3. She had her offense going against the taller opponent. She scored a takedown to lead 3-0 at half, then added another in the second period. Skirenko was able to put Doi on her back in the second period and was close to a fall, but Doi battled off her back and closed out the win.

It was a nice rebound from her first match, where she scored the first takedown, but could not hold off 2013 European silver medalist Oksana Livach of Ukraine at 38 kg/83.75 lbs. Livach who scored six straight points, giving Doi a loss, 2-6. Doi had difficult getting leg shots on the powerful Ukrainian opponent. When Livach won her semifinal match, Doi was pulled back into the repechage. Because there are only eight entries in her weight, Doi went right into a bronze-medal bout.

“I just wanted to go out there and wrestle, because it was my last match. I did a lot out there and was able to beat Russia. I was listening to (coaches) Seiko (Yamamoto) and Tony (DeAnda), and they helped me through this tournament. I was really down after my first match, and they brought me back up,” said Doi.

Alo, a 2013 Junior and Cadet Nationals champion in the USA, scored an impressive second period pin of 2013 European champion Grace Bullen of Norway in 3:52. Alo scored a takedown with one second left in the first period to take a 4-3 lead at the break. In the second period, after another takedown, Alo drove Bullen to her back and was able to secure the fall.

 Alo lost to a formidable opponent in the first round, 2011 Cadet World champion and 2012 Cadet World bronze medalist Maria Kotsareva of Russia, who went on to win her second career Cadet title tonight. Alo opened the scoring with a nice three-point hip toss and led 5-3 at the break. Kotsareva scored the only four points of the second period, and Alo appeared hampered with an injury, with the final score going for the past World Champion, 5-7.

Kotsareva reached the finals, pulling Alo back into the repechage, where she threw and pinned Arianna Carieri of Italy in the first period.

“My first match, I had a really tough wrestler who was really strong, and she won this title a year ago. It was hard for me to recover, but I tried my best for the next match so I could qualify for third. Then I had a girl from Norway who was really, really strong. My shoulders were sore in the middle of the match, but I kept pushing, and I am glad I didn’t give up,” said Alo.

Cadence Lee of California, competing in her second Cadet World Championships, placed eighth at 49 kg/108 lbs. with a 1-1 record. She scored a pin over Noemi Szenttamasi of Hungary in 1:39 in her first match.  In a close match, Lee scored a takedown in the second period to take a 3-2 lead, then turned Szenttamasi over to her back for a quick pin.

In the second match, Lee faced Janika Vakkila of Finland. She received a point on a passivity call against Vakkila in the first period. Vakkila scored a takedown in the second period to make it 2-1. As time ran out, Lee was close to a takedown on a spin behind but it was not called. The USA requested a challenge, which was denied, and Vakkila received another point for the failed challenge to win the match 3-1.

Lee was eliminated from the repechage when Vakkila was defeated in the semifinals by 2012 Cadet World champion Kika Kagata of Japan.

Sariyah Jones of California dropped her first match to Bidyarani Potshangbam of India, 1-4 at 43 kg/94.75 lbs.. The match was tied at 1-1 at the break, but Potshangbam scored a three-point throw off a Jones front headlock to take the lead and the match in the second period. Jones was eliminated from the repechage when Potshangbam was pinned in the semifinals.

Two-time Junior Nationals champion Alexis Porter of New York had trouble getting her offense going in a 1-4 loss in the first round to Darnya Legusha of Ukraine at 65 kg/143.25 lbs. Porter was eliminated from the repechage when Legusha lost her next match.

“It was a little slow start this afternoon. With these Cadets, it’s a learning experience and it’s not the end, it’s the beginning. One thing that was encouraging was the way we finished up, and the two girls came back and getting bronzes. It was awesome, and will hopefully set us up for tomorrow. We will need to be a little more aggressive and on the attack a little more,” said U.S. World Team Coach Brent Barnes.

The final five U.S. women wrestlers have weighed in and received draws for Friday’s action.

CADET WORLD WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Zrenjanin, Serbia, August 22

Women’s freestyle results

38 kg/83.75 lbs.
Gold – Oksana Livach (Ukraine)
Silver – Christina Zoltan (Romania)
Bronze – Marina Doi (USA)
Bronze – Ramona Eriksen (Norway)
5th – Ulkar Babayeva (Azerbaijan)
5th – Aleksandra Skirenko (Russia)
7th - Derya Kaya (Turkey)
8th - Mamta Mamta (India)
Gold – Oksana Livach (Ukraine) pin Christina Zoltan (Romania), 3:13
Bronze – Ramona Eriksen (Norway) tech. fall Ulkar Babayeva (Azerbaijan), 11-2
Bronze – Marina Doi (USA) dec. Aleksandra Skirenko (Russia), 5-3

43 kg/94.75 lbs.
Gold – Elvira Abilkairova (Kazakhstan)
Silver – Miglena Selishka (Bulgaria)
Bronze – Nadezhda Sokolova (Russia)
Bronze – Amiru Tanaka (Japan)
5th – Turkan Nasirova (Azerbaijan)
5th – Bidyarani Potshangbam (India)
7th – Evanghelina Rusteac (Romania)
8th - Azzaya Tumurjav (Mongolia)
9th - Fatma Piraz (Turkey)
10th - Augusta Eve (Canada)
Gold – Elvira Abilkairova (Kazakhstan) tech. fall Miglena Selishka (Bulgaria). 7-3 (2 three-point throws)
Bronze –Amiru Tanaka (Japan) tech fall Bidyarani Potshangbam (India), 7-0
Bronze – Nadezhda Sokolova (Russia) pin Turkan Nasirova (Azerbaijan), 0:58

49 kg/108 lbs.
Gold – Kika Kagata (Japan)
Silver – Alina Kazmova (Russia)
Bronze – Luisa Springmann (Germany)
Bronze – Kataryna Mashkevych (Ukraine)
5th – Janika Vakkila (Finland)
5th – Daniela Lopez Mejia (Mexico)
7th - Suzana Seicariu (Romania)
8th - Cadence Lee (USA)
9th - Elizabeth Fagan (Canada)
10th - Elif Yanik (Turkey)
Gold – Kika Kagata (Japan) pin Alina Kazmova (Russia), 3:21
Bronze – Luisa Springmann (Germany) dec. Janika Vakkila (Finland), 3-2
Bronze – Kataryna Mashkevych (Ukraine) tech. fall Daniela Lopez Mejia (Mexico), 12-4

56 kg/123.25 lbs. 
Gold – Maria Kotsareva (Russia)
Silver – Alexandra Wolczynska (Poland)
Bronze – Madina Barkbergenova (Kazakhstan)
Bronze – Teshya Alo (USA)
5th – Alexandra Anghel (Romania)
5th – Grace Bullen (Norway)
7th - Nade Dragunova (Belarus)
8th - Kathrin Mathis (Austria)
9th - Arianna Carieri (Italy)
10th – Bolortuya Khurelkhuu (Mongolia)
Gold – Maria Kotsareva (Russia) dec. Alexandra Wolczynska (Poland), 3-0
Bronze – Madina Barkbergenova (Kazakhstan) pin Alexandra Anghel (Romania), 3:21
Bronze – Teshya Alo (USA) pin Grace Bullen (Norway), 3:52

65 kg/143.25 lbs.
Gold – Masako Furuichi (Japan)
Silver – Nicole Amann (Germany)
Bronze – Daria Shisterova (Russia)
Bronze – Zhamila Bakgergenova (Kazakhstan)
5th – Rani Babita (India)
5th – Nelli Brinle (Sweden)
7th - Magdalena Ragginger (Austria)
8th - Daryna Legusha (Ukraine)
9th - Aleksandra Kotlewska (Poland)
10th - Khalbazar Narbaeva (Uzbekistan)
Gold – Masako Furuichi (Japan) dec. Nicole Amann (Germany), 6-1
Bronze – Daria Shisterova (Russia) pin Rani Babita (India), 4:18
Bronze – Zhamila Bakgergenova (Kazakhstan) dec. Nelli Brinle (Sweden), 6-0

U.S. women’s freestyle performances

38 kg/83.75 lbs. – Marina Doi, Kingsburg, Calif., bronze medal
LOSS Oksana Livach (Ukraine), 2-6
WIN Aleksandra Skirenko (Russia), 5-3

43 kg/94.75 lbs. – Sariyah Jones, Modesto, Calif.
LOSS Bidyarani Potshangbam (India), 1-4

49 kg/108 lbs. – Cadence Lee, Los Altos Hills, Calif., 8th place
WIN Noemi Szenttamasi (Hungary), pin 1:39
LOSS Janika Vakkila (Finland), 1-3

56 kg/123.25 lbs. – Teshya Alo, Honolulu, Hawaii, bronze medal
LOSS Maria Kotsareva (Russia), 5-7
WIN Arianna Carieri (Italy), pin 1:13
WIN Grace Bullen (Norway), pin 3:52

65 kg/143.25 lbs. – Alexis Porter, Ballston Lake, N.Y.
LOSS Darnya Legusha (Ukraine), 1-4