Pirozzola, Clark qualify for bronze-medal bouts at Cadet Freestyle Worlds

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Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling)
06/19/1997


 PIROZZOLA AND CLARK QUALIFY FOR BRONZE MEDAL MATCHES AT CADET WORLD FREESTYLE CHAMPIONSHIPS IN NEW DELHI, INDIA 

Two wrestlers from the United States have qualified for the bronze-medal match at the 1997 Cadet World Freestyle Championships at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi, India. The Cadet World Championships feature the best athletes in the world between 14-16 years old.

Michael Pirozzola of Levittown, Pa. at 125.5 pounds and Trey Clark of LaPorte, Iowa at 182.5 pounds will wrestle in the third place match in their weight classes on Friday, June 20.

Pirozzola opened the tournament with a 9-4 loss to Stanislav of Tadjikistan, but won five straight matches to qualify for the bronze-medal bout. He scored two pins and a technical fall in his impressive five-match winning streak.

Clark pinned his first two opponents, then fell to Tonasi from Poland in the semifinals, 7-1. He defeated Cakiroglu from Turkey, 5-3, to qualify for the bronze-medal match.

Pirozzola and Clark were among the five U.S. wrestlers whose weight classes began competition on Wednesday, June 18, and will complete on Friday, June 20. Two other U.S. wrestlers have qualified for the fifth place matches in their weight classes: Mike Akers of Poquoson, Va. at 105.5 pounds and Wes Roberts of Oklahoma City, Okla. at 152 pounds.

Akers won his first two matches, then dropped two bouts in the consolation rounds to qualify for the fifth-place bout.

Roberts opened with a loss in the first round, then won four straight matches in the consolation rounds, including two technical falls and a pin. Roberts dropped a 3-0 match to Azmi of Iran, which sent him to the fifth-place bout.

The fifth U.S. athlete in Group I, Israel Martinez of Aurora, Ill., did not make weight at 92.5 pounds and was ineligible to compete.

A second group of five U.S. wrestlers began their competition on Thursday, June 19 and their weight classes will be completed on Saturday, June 21.

Two U.S. athletes in Group II are undefeated after the first day of competition: Cliff Moore of Dubuque, Iowa at 114.5 pounds and Coyte Cooper of Anacortes, Wash. at 138.5 pounds. Both are still in contention for the gold medal.

Moore opened with two victories, while Cooper received a bye, then scored a technical fall win in the second round. Cooper is on his third U.S. Cadet World Team.

Two other U.S. wrestlers have a 1-1 record after the first day, and are still in the hunt for a bronze medal: Mason Lenhard of Parma, Ohio at 99 pounds and Tommy Rowlands of Columbus, Ohio at 167.25 pounds. Lenhard is competing on his second straight Cadet World Team.

The fifth U.S. wrestler in Group II, Mike Novak of Cedar Rapids, Iowa at 209 pounds, dropped two matches and was eliminated from the tournament.

The head coach of the U.S. Cadet World freestyle team is Andy Rein of Hawthorne Woods, Ill. and the assistant coach is Tony Jones of Coos Bay, Ore.

The U.S. team qualified at the Cadet World Team Trials, held at Northwestern Univ., April 11-13.

CADET FREESTYLE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS at New Delhi, India

U.S. results on the first two days (June 18-19)

Group I

42 kg./92.5 lbs. - Israel Martinez, Aurora, Ill. - did not make weight

48 kg./105.5 lbs. - Mike Akers, Poquoson, Va - dec. Erjar (Kazakhstan), 5-0; won by tech. fall over Eghamyau (Armenia), 10-0; lost dec. to Yilmiz (Turkey), 7-3; lost dec. to Vasil (Ukraine), 6-3

57 kg./125.5 lbs. - Michael Pirozzola, Levittown, Pa. - lost dec. to Stanislav (Tadjikistan), 9-4; won by tech. fall over Kengo (Japan), 10-0; pin Salgadu (Sri Lanka), 2:50; dec. Bhagwan (India), 7-3; dec. Enjsazusal (Azerbaijan), 6-4; won by fall over Duisembat (Kyrgyzstan), 1:12

69 kg./152 lbs. - Wes Roberts, Oklahoma City, Okla. - lost by tech. fall to Shota (Georgia), 13-2; dec. Aleksandr (Ukraine), 7-3; won by tech. fall over Steffen (Germany), 12-2; pin Nirosean (Poland), 0:25; won by tech. fall over Ghazaryanartur (Armenia), 11-1; lost dec. to Azmi (Iran), 3-0

83 kg./182.5 lbs. - Trey Clark, LaPorte, Iowa - pin Seneviratas (Sri Lanka), 0:57; pin Izakli (Georgia), 3:24; lost dec. to Tonasi (Poland), 7-1; dec. Cakirogu (Turkey), 5-3

Group II

45 kg./99 lbs. - Mason Lenhard, Parma, Ohio - lost dec. to Rezale (Iran), 4-3; pin Kumar (India), 0:52

52 kg./114.5 lbs. - Cliff Moore, Dubuque, Iowa - dec. Macit (Turkey), 4-1; dec. Vartanchart (Armenia), 5-2, ot

63 kg./138.5 lbs. - Coyte Cooper, Anacortes, Wash. - bye, won by tech. fall over Christian (Germany), 10-0

76 kg./167.25 lbs. - Tommy Rowlands, Columbus, Ohio - won by inj. dft. over Baloghtsolt (Hungary); lost dec. to Faud (Azerbaijan), 7-3

95 kg./209 lbs. - Mike Novak, Cedar Rapids, Iowa - lost by fall to Yuslov (Uzbekistan); lost by fall to Behzadsohrabi (Iran)