Pritzlaff wins gold medal, Munoz wins silver medal in final day at Junior World Freestyle Wrestling Championships in Primm, Nev.; Iran wins team title, Russia places second and USA takes third 
   
 Don Pritzlaff of Lyndhurst, N.J. (Team Wisconsin) won a gold medal at 154.25 pounds at the final day of the Junior World Freestyle Wrestling Championships in Primm, Nev. 
  
 This major international competition features athletes from 17-20 years old, representing 33 nations. Many of the competitors in this event are expected to be medal hopefuls for the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. 
  
 Pritzlaff defeated Fehrettin Ozata of Turkey, 3-1 in the championship bout. Trailing 1-0, Pritzlaff hit a three-point knee-pick with just 27 seconds left for the margin of victory. 
  
 It was his first major international tournament. Pritzlaff competes for the Univ. of Wisconsin, and as a freshman, placed sixth in the NCAA Championships. He was a three-time state champion in New Jersey. 
  
 ³There is always room for improvement,² said Pritzlaff. ³I got out of my style a little bit in the finals. He was stronger than I thought. At this tournament, I learned how to wrestle the international style - that is to wrestle my style, not their style. I matured a lot this week; it was a great experience for me.² 
  
 ³I had an underhook and knee-picked him. I felt him backing up and I went for the move. It wasn¹t pretty, but it got the job done. I have never competed in a tournament that I didn¹t think I could win. This was new for me, seeing all of these countries was different. I focused on wrestling one match at a time, and I stepped it up every match,² he said. 
  
 Mark Munoz of Vallejo, Calif. (Cowboy WC) won a silver medal at 182.75 pounds. Munoz was defeated by Sajid Sajidov of Russia in the championship finals, 5-2. The bout was tied at 2-2, but Sajidov scored the last three points for the victory. Munoz competes for Oklahoma State Univ. He was a two-time high school state champion from California. 
  
 ³I made a couple of mistakes on my single leg,² said Munoz. ³I had him in the air and didn¹t take advantage. I gave him an opportunity to counter my shot and that turned the match around. It was a disappointing match. I can only learn from it; I can¹t dwell on it now.² 
  
 ³This is my third time at a World tournament. I was hoping to win it. I knew the international feel and believed I had the experience to win. Throughout the tournament, I was wrestling well. But it how you finish that counts,² he said. 
  
 J.R. Plienis of Edgemere, Md. (Husker WC) was defeated in his only match of the day, falling in a consolation bout to Markus Hamann of Germany, 4-0 at 253.5 pounds. The loss eliminated Plienis from medal contention, and he finished sixth in the final standings. Plienis placed fifth at the 1997 Junior World Championships. He qualified for the 1998 NCAA Tournament, competing for the Univ. of Nebraska.  
  
 Todd Beckerman of Crofton, Md. (Husker WC), who also competes for the Univ. of Nebraska, was eliminated in the consolation rounds at 132.25 pounds on Sunday and was ninth in his weight class.  
  
 Iran won the team title with 75 points, with seven medalists, including two champions. Russia was second with 66 points, featuring seven medalists and five champions. The United States was third with 61 points, with five medalists and two champions. It was the best U.S. performance in recent history, and the first time since 1977 at this age level that the USA had more than one champion. 
  
 U.S. gold medalists were Pritzlaff and Stephen Abas of Fresno, Calif. (Sunkist Kids) at 123.25 pounds. U.S. silver medalists were Munoz and T. J. Hill of Farmington, Mo. (Dave Schultz WC) at 108 pounds and Zachary Thompson of Cleveland, Ohio (Cyclone WC) at 198.25 pounds. 
  
 ³It think it is awesome that we can accomplish this,² said Jesse Reyes, the U.S. team coach. ³We had the goal of winning the team gold and taking as many individual gold medals as we could. we believed it was a realistic goal. But when it was all over, we took the team bronze and their was nothing wrong with that. The team had great intensity and character. It was an enjoyable team to work with. The chemistry between the athletes and coaches was unbelievable and that was the key to our success.² 
  
 The U.S. team was led by head coach Jesse Reyes of W. Lafayette, Ind., and assistant coach John Leone of Penfield, N.Y. and USA Wrestling Freestyle Developmental Coach Mike Duroe of Colorado Springs, Colo. 
  
 JUNIOR WORLD FREESTYLE WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS at Primm, Nev., USA, August 10, 1998 
  
 Final results for the second five weight classes 
  
 52 kg/114.5 lbs. - 1st - Babek Nourzad (Iran) dec. Manoj Kumar (India), 7-0; 3rd - Egor Okhlopkov (Russia) vs. Vitalij Yarym (Ukraine), 6-0; 5th - Erkin Tadzimetov (Uzbekistan); 6th -  Abil Ibragimov (Kazakhstan); 7th - Oh Jun-Sek (Korea); 8th - Nobuhiko Konuso (Japan); 9th - Sevak Baghdyan (Armenia); 10th - Murat Gencturk (Turkey) 
  
 60 kg/132.25 lbs. - 1st - Mehmet Yozgat (Turkey) dec. Mashalla Hosseini (Iran), 3-2; 3rd  - Victor Bilokopytyi (Ukraine) dec. Iossif Momiselidze (Kazakhstan), 11-5; 5th - Shiminkl Taboldy (Kyrgyzstan); 6th - Novruzov Goulman (Azerbaijan); 7th - Fangming Fu (China); 8th - Bazmaser Arakelyan (Armenia); 9th - Todd Beckerman (United States); 10th - Otari Tushushvili (Georgia) 
  
 70 kg/154.25 lbs. - 1st - Don Pritzlaff (United States) dec. Fehrettin Ozata (Turkey), 3-1; 3rd - Nikos Loizidos (Greece) dec. Alibek Pardakulov (Uzbekistan), 3-2, ot, 7:11; 5th - Chang-Joon Um (Korea); 6th - Bahram Abedi (Iran); 7th - George Gobejishvili (Georgia); 8th - Karol Chilinski (Poland); 9th - Oleg Kushnir (Ukraine); 10th - Toru Metoki (Japan) 
  
 83 kg/182.75 lbs. - 1st - Sajid Sajidov (Russia) dec. Mark Munoz (United States), 5-2; 3rd - Masoud Dehastani (Iran) dec. Taras Danko (Ukraine), 8-1; 5th - Tamazi Gegeshidze (Georgia); 6th -  Duane Van Staden (South Africa); 7th - Stefanos Karakoutis (Greece); 8th - Ismail Askhabov (Azerbaijan); 9th - Bartkomiej Szmigiel (Poland); 10th - Osman Ozgun (Turkey)  
  
 115 kg/253.5 lbs. - 1st - Artem Achijev (Russia) vs. Aleksi Modebadze (Georgia), 6-0; 3rd - Bojidar Boyadijiev (Bulgaria) dec. Markus Hamann (Germany), 3-0, ot, 6:59; 5th - Ferenc Turanyi (Hungary) ; 6th - J.R. Plienis (United States) ; 7th - Francesco Maniopetta (Italy) ; 8th - Rostislav Jefisov (Lithuania); 9th - Fatih Cakiroglu (Turkey) ; 10th - Javad Mohammadpour (Iran) 
  
 Team Standings - 1. Iran, 75, pts.; 2. Russia,66, pts.; 3. United States, 61, pts.; 4. Ukraine, 54 pts; 5. Turkey, 34 pts.; 6. Georgia, 32 pts.; 7. Uzbekistan and India, 28 pts.; 9. Kazakhstan, 26 pts.; 10. Korea, 21 pts.; 11. Azerbaijan, 19 pts.; 12. Bulgaria, 17 pts.; 13. Greece, 12 pts.; 14. Hungary, 11 pts.; 15. China and Italy, 9 pts.; 17. Kyrgystan and Poland, 8 pts.; 19. Germany, Armenia and Japan, 7 pts.; 22. South Africa, 5 pts.; 23. Lithuania, 3 pts.; 24. Canada, 2 pts.; 25. Spain, 1 pt. (of 33 nations) 
  
 U.S. Group Two results 
  
 70 kg/154.25 lbs. - Don Pritzlaff, Lyndhurst, N.J. -  dec. Fehrettin Ozata (Turkey), 3-2 
  
 83 kg/182.75 lbs. -  Mark Munoz, Vallejo, Calif.  - lost dec. to Sajid Sajidov (Russia), 5-2 
  
 115 kg/253.5 lbs. - J.R. Plienis, Edgemere, Md. -lost dec. to Markus Hamann (Germany), 4-0 
  
 Complete results can be found on the Championships web page at http://www.usawrestling.org/jrworlds98