PLIENIS PLACES FIFTH AND GUERRERO PLACES SIXTH AT 1997 WORLD JUNIOR FREESTYLE CHAMPIONSHIPS IN FINLAND; USA PLACES FIFTH IN THE FINAL TEAM STANDINGS 
    J.R. Plienis (Edgemere, Md./Husker WC) placed fifth at 253 pounds and Eric Guerrero (San Jose, Calif./Sunkist Kids) finshed sixth at 132 pounds, on the final day of competition at the 1997 Junior World Freestyle Wrestling Championships in Helsinki, Finland, August 10. 
   The Junior World Championships featured the best wrestlers in the world between 17-20 years of age. The final five weight classes completed competition on Sunday, with five other weight classes finishing on Saturday. 
   Plienis, who competes for the Univ. of Nebraska, dropped his first consolation match of the day, losing to Alireza Chavoski of Iran, 8-5 in the consolation semifinals. There was no fifth place match, as Plienis received fifth place by forfeit over Siavbuch Gouseynov of Azerbaijan. He ended with a 4-2 record. 
   Guerrero, who was a 1997 NCAA champion for Oklahoma State, lost twice on Sunday to finish sixth. He had a bye early in the morning round, then fell to Reza Azimi of Iran, 4-2 in the consolation semifinals. In the fifth-place match, Guerrero lost to Vendris Pompa of Cuba, 4-2. Guerrero had defeated Pompa in their first match of the tournament on Friday. His final record was 4-3 for the tournament. 
   Two other U.S. wrestlers in the second group placed in the top 10 of their weight classes, although they did not have any bouts on Sunday. T.J. Williams (Markham, Ill./Quicksilver) placed eighth at 154 pounds and Jeff Ragan (Engelwood, Fla./Sunkist Kids) was tenth at 114.5 pounds. 
   Williams, who is from Lassen College, had a 1-2 record in the meet, while Ragan, who attends Oklahoma State, had a 2-2 record in the tournament 
   Overall, the United States placed fifth in the team standings. The top performer was Shane Zajac (Mokena, Ill./Oregon State Univ.), won a bronze medal at 198 pounds on Saturday. 
   In total, eight of the 10 U.S. wrestlers placed in the top 10 of their weight classes, with one bronze medal, three fifth place finishes, a sixth place, two eighth places and a 10th place. 
   Russia won the team title, edging second place Iran by just four points, 74-70. Turkey was third with 56 points, and Ukraine was fourth with 44 points. 
   The athletes qualified for the World Team by winning the 1997 Espoir Nationals at Purdue University, May 16-17. 
   The head coach of the Junior Freestyle World Team is Greg Strobel of Bethlehem, Pa. and the assistant coach is Ron Jones of Bradenton, Fla. Strobel was the assistant coach of the 1996 U.S. Olympic Team and is the head coach at Lehigh Univ.  
  Complete results of this tournament can be located on the internet at http://www.kolumbus.fi/jwc97/wrestling/ 
  1997 FILA JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS at Helsinki, Finland, Aug. 10, 1997 
  Final results for Group Two 
   52 kg/114.5 lbs. - 1st - Ramazan Demir (Turkey) won by ref. dec. over Martin Berberyan (Armenia), 2-0, ot, 8:00; 3rd - Wilfredo Garcia (Cuba) dec. Kripa Shankar Patel (India), 4-2; 5th - Erkin Tadzhimetov (Uzbekistan) dec. Dmitri Zakhartchenko (Belarus), 12-8; 7th - Saued Kalial Mosavi (Iran); 8th - Andrej Fasanek (Slovakia); 9th - Yrbol Dukumbayev (Kazkhstan); 10th - Jeff Ragan (United States) 
   60 kg/132 lbs. - 1st - Ruslan Bodistean (Moldova) dec. Miron Dzadzaev (Russia), 7-3; 3rd - Reza Azimi (Iran) dec. Mehmet Yozgat (Turkey), 7-0; 5th - Vendris Pompa (Cuba) dec. Eric Guerrero (United States), 4-2; 7th - Nicolae Razvan (Romania); 8th - Levon Gasitashvili (Georgia); 9th - Sung-Shil Kim (Korea); 10th - Themistoklis Iakovidis (Greece) 
   70 kg/154 lbs. - 1st - Arsen Guitinov (Russia) dec. Masoad Jamshide (Iran), 10-8; 3rd - Ramzan Murtazaliev (Kazkhstan) dec. Tedore Ulumbegashvili (Georgia), 5-3; 5th - Gokhan Yavaser (Turkey) dec. Danilo Brigone (Italy), 7-0; 7th - Vladimir Sirotin (Ukraine); 8th - T.J. Williams (United States); 9th - Nikos Loisidis (Greece); 10th - Oleg Popovici (Moldova) 
   83 kg/182.5 lbs. - 1st - Fradoan Ghambary (Iran) dec. Joel Romero (Cuba), 3-1, ot, 7:41; 3rd - Taskin Ozkale (Turkey) dec. Taras Danko (Ukraine), 3-2; 5th - Stefanos Karakoutis (Greece) won by inj. dft. over Gitchan Ibraguimov (Russia); 7th - Dong-Ho Beak (Korea); 8th - Tamazi Gegeshidze (Georgia); 9th - Maxim Tishin (Kazakhstan); 10th - Xianghui Lu (China) 
   115 kg/253 lbs. - 1st - Aydin Polatci (Turkey) dec. Alexis Rodriguez (Cuba), 3-1, ot, 7:58; 3rd - Artem Achigev (Russia) dec. Alireza Chavoshi (Iran), 4-0; 5th - Ron Plienis (United States); 6th - Siavbuch Gouseynov (Azerbaijan); 7th - Maxim Chevtchenko (Belarus); 8th - Rostislas Jefisov (Lithuania); 9th - Daivid Otiashvili (Georgia); 10th - Benali Atayev (Kazakhstan) 
  Sunday results for Group Two 
   60 kg/132 lbs. - Eric Guerrero, San Jose, Calif. - bye; lost dec. to Reza Azimi (Iran), 4-2; lost dec. to Vendris Pompa (Cuba), 4-2 
   115 kg/253 lbs. - Ron Plienis, Edgemere, Md. - lost dec. to Alireza Chavoski (Iran), 8-5; won by forfeit over Siavbuch Gouseynov (Azerbaijan) 
  Final Team Standings 
   1. Russia, 74 pts.; 2. Iran, 70 pts.; 3. Turkey, 56 pts.; 4. Ukraine, 44 pts.; 5. United States, 38 pts.; 6. tie, Cuba and Moldova, 32 pts.; 8. Georgia, 28 pts.; 9. Kazakhstan, 20 pts.; 10. Greece, 16 pts.; 11. tie, Belarus and China, 14 pts.; 13. tie, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, 13 pts.; 15. tie, Armenia and Japan, 12 pts.; 17. Korea, 10 pts.; 18. Hungary, 9 pts.; 19. tie, India and Poland, 7 pts. (of 45 nations).