Abas wins a gold medal; Hill and Thompson win silver medals at Junior World Freestyle Wrestling Championships in Primm, Nev.   Stephen Abas of Fresno, Calif. (Sunkist Kids) won a gold medal at 123.25 pounds at the 1998 Junior World Freestyle Championships at the Star of the Desert Arena 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. 
 Abas defeated Mais Ibadov of Uzbekistan, 5-3 in the gold medal finals. Abas jumped to a 3-1 lead, but Ibadov rebounded with a two-point exposure with one minute left to tie the bout at 3-3. Abas took Ibadov down for a two-point takedown in the closing seconds for the victory and the gold medal. 
 "Words can't explain this," said Abas. "This year, I concentrated on wrestling a consistent match, staying in good position all the way through. He got that two point move on me, and that shows how good a wrestler he is. 
 "The whole match, I kept in my mind to be offensive. Even in the last few seconds, I wanted to be offensive all of the time. I think I could have wrestled better. I'm not one to be satisfied. I did what it took to win. I have to keep working hard until I'm satisfied," he said. 
 Abas placed fifth in the 1997 Junior World Championships. As a freshman at Fresno State Univ. this year, he placed fourth in the NCAA Championships. Abas is nationally ranked on Senior level, placing fifth in the Freestyle World Team Trials. He was a 1998 University Nationals champion. 
 Claiming silver medals for the United States were T. J. Hill of Farmington, Mo. (Dave Schultz WC) at 108 pounds and Zachary Thompson of Cleveland, Ohio (Cyclone WC) at 198.25 pounds. 
 Hill lost to Ali Reza Darvishi of Iran in the gold-medal match, 9-5. Hill jumped to a 3-0 lead, but Darvishi scored the next six points and never trailed again. Hill closed the score to 6-4, but a three-point throw by Darvishi sealed the victory. "I lost. I just didn't wrestle well," said Hill after the bout. 
 Hill, who graduated from high school this year, placed eighth in the 1997 Junior World Championships. He is one of the most successful age-group wrestlers in U.S. history, with 10 career age-group titles. He will attend Hofstra University in the fall. 
 Thompson was pinned by Georgi Gogehelidz of Russia in the gold medal finals in 1:47. Trailing 3-0, Thompson attempted an arm throw, which Gogehelidz countered and put Thompson on his back for the fall. 
 "I normally don't do an arm throw. In this match, I felt I could do it. When I tried it, he went the other way. Everybody gets caught sometimes. I had a good tournament. I'm not mad. I'm upset that I got caught. It has been a good experience." 
 Thompson is a starter on the Iowa State team, and placed eighth at the 1997 U.S. Senior Nationals. 
 Reggie Wright of Maywood, Ill. (Cougar WC) placed fourth at 143.25 pounds. He was defeated in the bronze-medal match by Majid Mohammadi of Iran, by technical fall, 11-0 in 3:59. He won his first match of the day, defeating Mirzaev Zahid of Azerbaijan, 6-3, which placed him in the bronze-medal match. 
 Wright was a junior college star at Lassen College, and will wrestle for Oklahoma State next year. "I think we did good as a team because we worked so hard. I never got untracked in the finals. They kept me down for a minute and a half, and then I was out of the match. In the matches that I lost, I didn't wrestle well at all." 
 The U.S. wrestlers from the second group of five weight classes qualified for Don Pritzlaff of Lyndhurst, N.J. (Team Wisconsin) at 154.25 pounds and Mark Munoz of Vallejo, Calif. (Cowboy WC) at 182.75 pounds. 
 In the semifinals, Pritzlaff defeated Chang-Joon Um of Korea, 3-0. He will face Fehrettin Ozata of Turkey in the gold-medal match on Monday. Pritzlaff competes for the Univ. of Wisconsin, and as a freshman, placed sixth in the NCAA Championships. 
 Munoz dominated Tamazi Gegeshidze of Georgia, 7-0, in the semifinals. He will battle Sajid Sajidov of Russia in the championship finals on Monday. Munoz competes for Oklahoma State Univ. 
 J.R. Plienis of Edgemere, Md. (Husker WC) was defeated in the semifinals by 1997 Junior World bronze medalist Artem Achigev  of Russia, 5-4 at 253.5 pounds.  It is still possible for Plienis to win a bronze medal through the consolation rounds. 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 attends the Univ. of Nebraska, was eliminated in the consolation rounds at 132.25 pounds. He lost a 4-2 decision to Fangming Fu of China, 4-2 in the morning session. 
 The U.S. team is 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 9, 1998 
 Final results for the first five weight classes 
 49 kg/108 lbs. - 1st -  Ali Reza Darvishi (Iran) dec. T.J. Hill, Farmington, Mo. (United States), 9-5; 3rd - Suchrab Khiziev (Russia) dec. Raim Kibar (Ukraine), 3-0; 5th - Dastan Amantayev (Kazakhstan); 6th - Samir Akmedov (Azerbaijan); 7th - Kim Hyo-Sub (Korea); 8th - Yusuf Ersoz (Turkey); 9th - Kumar Sanjeev (India); 10th - Francisco Sanchez (Spain) 
 56 kg/123.25 lbs.  - 1st - Stephen Abas, Fresno, Calif. (United States) dec. Mais Ibadov (Uzbekistan), 5-3; 3rd - Mehdi Nikmanish (Iran) dec. Sanjay Kumar (India), 4-1; 5th - Vasil Fedorishin (Ukraine); 6th - Safet Pherad (Bulgaria); 7th - Jung Hur (Korea); 8th -Toshinori Takahashi (Japan); 9th - Martin Berberyan (Armenia); 10th - Gadjiev Etibar (Azerbaijan) 
 65 kg/143.25 lbs. - 1st - Zaur Bataev (Russia) pin David Lezhava (Georgia), 3:37; 3rd - Majid Mohammadi (Iran) won  by tech. fall over Reggie Wright, Maywood, Ill. (United States), 11-0, 3:59; 5th - Phal Ram (India); 6th - Mirzaev Zahid (Azerbaijan); 7th - Andriy Shyika (Ukraine); 8th - Choi Kwon-Sub (Korea); 9th - Marek Zielezinski (Poland); 10th - Rahimov Alisher (Kyrgyzstan) 
 76 kg/167.5 lbs. - 1st - Shamil Aliev (Russia) dec. Majid Khodaie (Iran), 3-1, ot, 7:52; 3rd - Ramzan Murtazaliyev (Kazakhstan) won by ref. dec. over Alik Muzayev (Ukraine), 1-0, ot, 8:00; 5th - Sherzod Abduvaliev (Uzbekistan); 6th - Tamas Kiss (Hungary); 7th - Petar Kasabov (Bulgaria); 8th - Fabio Camarda (Italy); 9th - Carl Rainville (Canada); 10th - Narinbek Dhrbolon (Kyrgyzstan) 
 90 kg/198.25 lbs. - 1st - Georgi Gogehelidz (Russia) pin Zachary Thompson, Cleveland, Ohio (United States), 1:47; 3rd - Taskin Ozkale (Turkey) dec. Mohammed Rasekhi (Iran), 3-1, ot, 5:21; 5th - Alan Makiyev (Ukraine); 6th - Li Ruicai (China); 7th - Rajeev Tomar (India); 8th - Mikhail Turashvili (Georgia); 9th - Vincenzo Lipari (Italy); 10th - Robert Roszkiewicz (Poland) 
 Medals will be awarded in five weight classes on Monday, August 10th: 52 kg/114.5 lbs.; 60 kg/132.25 lbs; 70 kg/154.25 lbs.; 83 kg/182.75 lbs.; and 115 kg/253.5 lbs. 
 U.S. Group One second day results 
 49 kg/108 lbs. - T.J. Hill, Farmington, Mo. - lost dec. to Ali Reza Darvishi (Iran), 9-5 
 56 kg/123.25 lbs.  - Stephen Abas, Fresno, Calif. - dec. Mais Ibadov (Uzbekistan), 5-3 
 65 kg/143.25 lbs. - Reggie Wright, Maywood, Ill. - dec. Mirzaev Zahid (Azerbaijan), 6-3; lost by tech. fall to Majid Mohammadi (Iran), 11-0, 3:59  
 90 kg/198.25 lbs. - Zachary Thompson, Cleveland, Ohio - lost by pin to Georgi Gogehelidz (Russia), 1:47 
 U.S. Group Two first day results 
 60 kg/132.25 lbs. - Todd Beckerman, Crofton, Md. - lost dec. to Fangming Fu (China), 4-2 
 70 kg/154.25 lbs. - Don Pritzlaff, Lyndhurst, N.J. -  dec. Chang-Joon Um (Korea), 3-0 
 83 kg/182.75 lbs. -  Mark Munoz, Vallejo, Calif.  - dec. Tamazi Gegeshidze (Georgia), 7-0 
 115 kg/253.5 lbs. - J.R. Plienis, Edgemere, Md. -lost dec. to Artem Achigev (Russia), 5-4 
 Finalists determined in second set of five weight classes 
 The