McMann wins silver and Downing bronze at Yarygin Memorial International in Russia

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Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling)
03/11/2002


Two U.S. women freestyle wrestlers claimed medals at the Ivan Yarygin Memorial International Championships in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, March 8-9.    The Yargyin Memorial is one of the most respected international freestyle wrestling events in the world, held in honor of Russian Olympic champion and international leader Ivan Yarygin. The U.S. has sent a men's team to this event for many years, but has entered women competitors for the first time.    Winning a silver medal at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. was U.S. World Team member Sara McMann (Lock Haven, Pa./Sunkist Kids). Capturing a bronze medal at 67 kg/147.5 pounds was Junior World medalist Katie Downing (Pendleton, Ind./UM-Morris).     McMann won three straight matches, before losing to a Russian opponent in the finals, 9-0.    Downing competed in a five-athlete round-robin, and registered a 2-2 record to claim the bronze medal. Both of her losses were to Russian athletes.    A team of U.S. men's freestyle wrestlers also participated in the tournament. Only one of the U.S. men wrestlers, Lee Fullhart (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye WC) at 84 kg/185 lbs. was able to advance out of the preliminary pool competition. Fullhart dropped a 7-5 match in the quarterfinals, placing him in the top eight of his weight division.    TheMat.com will provide more details on this event when they become available.    U.S. women's results  51 kg/112 lbs. - Jenny Wong (Stillwater, Minn./Sunkist Kids) - dec. Natalia Shvedov (Russia), 6-0; dec. Lilia Islamova (Russia), 5-3; lost pin to (Russia); lost dec. to (Russia), 4-3  63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Sara McMann (Lock Haven, Pa./Sunkist Kids), 2nd - won by tech. fall over (Russia), 12-2; pin (Russia); won by inj. dft. over (Russia); lost dec. to Russia, 9-0  67 kg/147.5 lbs. -  Katie Downing (Pendleton, Ind./UM-Morris), 3rd - pin (Russia); lost pin to Svetlana Yaroshevich (Russia); lost dec. to Anna Shamova (Russia), 5-4; dec. Uliya Bartnovskya (Russia), 7-1    U.S. men's results   55 kg/121 lbs. - Jody Strittmatter (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye WC), dnp - lost pin to Tomohiro Matsunaga (Japan), 2:39; lost dec. to Enhor Badamsaihan (Mongolia), 5-2  60 kg/132 lbs. - Erik Juergens (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye WC), dnp - lost tech. fall to Miron Dzadzaev (Russia), 10-0, 1:35; lost tech. fall to Alan Dudaev (Russia), 13-2, 5:20  66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Doug Schwab (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye Wc), dnp - won by ref. dec. over Alexandr Adreev (Russia), 6-6; lost dec. to leonid Spiridonov (Russia), 4-3  74 kg/163 lbs. - Donny Pritzlaff (Madison, Wis./Dave Schultz WC), dnp - lost dec. to Shamil Sedriev (Russia), 7-3; won dec. over Andrei Skripkin (Russia), 7-1  84 kg/185 lbs. - Lee Fullhart (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye WC), 5th - won tech. fall over Dugar Gungaev (Russia), 10-1, 2:17; won pin over Nauruz Temrezov (Russia), 5:00; lost dec. to Hadzhimurad Gatsalov (Russia), 7-5  96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Chad Lamer (Coralville, Iowa/Hawkeye WC), dnp - lost dec. to Alexandr Shemarov (Belarus), 8-1; loss by tec. fall to Bartolomei Bartnitski (Poland), 14-3, 4:00