TIRAPELLE, ZAJAC, ABAS IN HUNT FOR BRONZE MEDALS AT 1997 WORLD JUNIOR FREESTYLE CHAMPIONSHIPS IN FINLAND; RAGAN, WILLIAMS, PLIENIS UNBEATEN IN THE SECOND GROUPThree U.S. wrestlers remain in contention for a bronze medal, competing in their the second day of action at the 1997 Junior World Freestyle Wrestling Championships in Helsinki, Finland, August 8.
The Junior World Championships feature the best wrestlers in the world between 17-20 years of age.
Two U.S. wrestlers who qualified for the semifinals from the first group of five athletes were defeated, but are still eligible to battle back for the bronze medal.
Adam Tirapelle (Clovis, Calif./Dave Schultz WC), lost a 2-1, overtime referee's decision to Dmitry Kirillov of Russia in the semifinals at 143 pounds. Tirapelle did not have another match on Friday, but will continue in the consolation rounds on Saturday morning.
Tirapelle competed for Stanford, but has transferred to the Univ. of Illinois.
Shane Zajac (Mokena, Ill./Oregon State Univ.), was also beaten in overtime by Ruicai Li of China, 3-1, at 7:15 in the 198 pound semifinals. In his first match in the consolations, Zajac pinned Islaimov Aliaskhab of Russia at 4:01.
Zajac was a 1996 Junior Nationals double champion and won the 1997 Espoir Nationals in freestyle.
Stephen Abas (Hayward, Calif./Sunkist Kids) won two matches to remain alive in the consolation rounds at 123.25 pounds. Abas lost one match on Thursday.
He received a bye in consolation rounds in the morning session. In the afternoon session, he beat Suemencoul Taabaldi of Kyrgyzstan, 7-0 and Toyokazu Shimamura of Japan, 6-3. Saturday morning, Abas will face Victor Bilokoptui (Ukraine).
Abas, who attends Fresno State, was sixth in the U.S. Nationals this year on the Senior level.
T.J. Hill (Farmington, Mo./MAWA) was eliminated at 108 pounds, dropping an 8-5 bout to Delong Chen of China. Hill, a junior at Farmington High School, was a double champion at the Junior Nationals and Espoir Nationals this year.
A second group of five wrestlers began competition on Friday. Three of these athletes are undefeated after their first day of wrestling: Jeff Ragan (Engelwood, Fla./Sunkist Kids) at 114.5 pounds, T.J. Williams (Markham, Ill./Quicksilver) at 154 pounds and J.R. Plienis (Edgemere, Md./Husker WC) at 253 pounds.
Ragan, who attends Oklahoma State, won two matches on Friday, beating Andrej Fasanek of Slovakia, 6-5 and Erkin Tadzhimetov of Uzbekistan, 7-5. He faces Dmitri Zakjartchenko of Belarus Saturday morning.
Williams, who is from Lassen College, had a bye in round one, then beat Dominic Gross of Germany, 5-1. His opponent on Saturday is Mosoad Jamshide of Iran.Plienis, who competes for the Univ. of Nebraska, won by technical fall over Aloma Artikov of Turkmenistan, 12-1 at 4:59, then stopped Chun-Mo Jung of China, 4-1. He will wrestle 1997 Pan American champion Alexis Rodriguez of Cuba.
Two wrestlers have one loss but are still alive in the hunt for the bronze medal: Eric Guerrero (San Jose, Calif./Sunkist) at 132 pounds and Joe Degain (Clarkston, Mich./Cliff Keen) at 182.5 pounds.
Guerrero, who was a 1997 NCAA champion for Oklahoma State, pinned his first opponent then lost a heartbreaking 5-4 overtime decision to Sung-Shil Kim of Korea at 5:48. He will compete in his first consolation bout on Saturday.
Degain, who attends the Univ. of Michigan, lost his first match, then received a bye in the consolation round. He also will compete in his first consolation match on Saturday.
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. 8, 1997
U.S. results for Group One
49 kg/108 lbs. - T.J. Hill, Farmington, Mo. - lost dec. to Delong Chen (China), 8-5
56 kg/123.25 lbs. - Stephen Abas, Hayward, Calif. - bye, dec. Suemencoul Taabaldi (Kyrgyzstan), 7-0; dec. Toyokazu Shimamura (Japan), 6-3
65 kg/143 lbs. - Adam Tirapelle, Clovis, Calif. - lost dec. to Dmitry Kirillov (Russia), 2-1, ot, 8:00
90 kg/198 lbs. - Shane Zajac, Mokena, Ill. lost dec. to Ruicai Li (China), 3-1, ot, 7:15; pin Islaimov Aliaskhab (Russia), 4:01
U.S. results for Group Two
52 kg/114.5 lbs. - Jeff Ragan, Engelwood, Fla. - dec. Andrej Fasanek (Slovakia), 6-5; dec. Erkin Tadzhimetov (Uzbekistan), 7-5
60 kg/132 lbs. - Eric Guerrero, San Jose, Calif. - pin Vendris Pompa (Cuba), 4:59; lost dec. to Sung-Shil Kim (Korea), 5-4, ot, 5:48
70 kg/154 lbs. - T.J. Williams, Markham, Ill. - bye, dec. Dominic Gross (Germany), 5-1
83 kg/182.5 lbs. - Joe DeGain, Clarkston, Mich. - lost dec. to Gitchan Ibraguimov (Russia), 4-2; bye
115 kg/253 lbs. - Ron Plienis, Edgemere, Md. - won by tech. fall over Aloma Artikov (Turkmenistan), 12-1, 4:59; dec. Chun-Mo Jung (China), 4-1
Saturday pairings for Group One
56 kg/123.25 lbs. - Stephen Abas, Hayward, Calif. vs. Victor Bilokoptui (Ukraine)
65 kg/143 lbs. - Adam Tirapelle, Clovis, Calif. - opponent to be determined
90 kg/198 lbs. - Shane Zajac, Mokena, Ill. - opponent to be determine
Saturday pairings for Group Two
52 kg/114.5 lbs. - Jeff Ragan, Engelwood, Fla. - vs. Dmitri Zakhartchenko (Belarus)
60 kg/132 lbs. - Eric Guerrero, San Jose, Calif. - vs. Marat Yerdenov (Kazakhstan)
70 kg/154 lbs. - T.J. Williams, Markham, Ill. - vs. Mosoad Jamshide (Iran)
83 kg/182.5 lbs. - Joe DeGain, Clarkston, Mich. - vs. Esidius Vielavicius (Lithuania)
115 kg/253 lbs. - Ron Plienis, Edgemere, Md. - vs. Alexis Rodriguez (Cuba)