Photo of National Team Coach Jess Medina standing on top of the podium courtesy of Martin Gabor/United World Wrestling.
Official release courtesy of Mike Willis/USA Wrestling.
Budapest, Hungary – The women’s freestyle Cadet World Team achieved history this evening, bringing home their first team title. Team USA finished with 149 points, ten points ahead of second place India with 139. Russia finished in third with 134 points.
The team went four for four in tonight’s medal round to clinch the title. Erica Pastoriza set the tone for the session in the 40 kg finals, pinning her opponent, Romania’s Alexandra Voiculescu with an arm bar in 1:34. Pastoriza went unscored upon this tournament.
Ava Ward was next up in the 46 kg bronze medal bout. Ward, who advanced through repechage earlier today, earned an 8-1 decision over Belarus’s Svetlana Katenka. Ward controlled the match and never seemed to be in any jeopardy.
At 53 kg, Katie Gomez became Team USA’s second World champion. She cruised through her match with Russia’s Natalya Khramenkova, who had no answer for her varied leg attacks. Gomez claimed the title with a 10-0 technical fall, scoring all of her points via takedown.
Amit Elor closed out the night with a pin over Ukraine’s Yevheniia Siedykh in the 69 kg finals. At the time of the fall, Elor, a 2019 Cadet World bronze medalist, was already leading 10-0. She is another wrestler who went unscored upon this tournament, earning two pins and a 10-0 technical fall.
The team finished with seven total medals, three gold and four bronze. Every wrestler that made a medal match won their final bout and brought home hardware.
Greco-Roman wrestling resumes tomorrow morning at 5:30 a.m. EST and streams live on FloWrestling.
2021 Cadet World Championships
at Budapest, Hungary, July 19-25
Women’s Freestyle Results
40 kg: Erica Pastoriza (Phoenix, Ariz.) – GOLD
WIN Aizhan Muratbay (Kazakhstan), 10-0
WIN Anastasiia Polska (Ukraine), 4-0
WIN Alexandra Voiculescu (Romania), FALL 1:34
43 kg: Angie Dill (Eagle Bridge, N.Y.) – BRONZE
WIN Julia Dolna (Poland), FALL :49
LOSS Tannu Tannu (India), 13-0
WIN Yelyzaveta Kulvakivska (Ukraine), 14-5
WIN Aida Alzhanova (Kazakhstan), FALL, :32
46 kg: Ava Ward (Centralia, Mo.) – BRONZE
WIN Yana Dimitrova (Bulgaria), FALL 2:22
LOSS Komal Komal (India) FALL, 3:36.
WIN Anastasiia Zadvorna (Ukraine), FALL 2:55
WIN Svetlana Katenka (Belarus), 8-1
49 kg: Audrey Jimenez (Tucson, Ariz.) – BRONZE
WIN Neha Chougale (India), 10-0
WIN Laura Ganikyzy (Kazakhstan), 10-0
WIN Sarah Lins (Austria), 10-0
LOSS Svenja Jungo (Switzerland), 8-6
WIN Delia Voiculescu (Romania), 10-0
53 kg: Katie Gomez (Van Nuys, Calif.) – Gold
WIN Gerda Terek (Hungary), 8-1
WIN Antim Antim (India), 5-4
WIN Tuba Demir (Turkey), 9-1
WIN Natalya Khramenkova (Russia), 10-0
57 kg: Savannah Cosme (Denver, Colo.)
LOSS Selvi Ilyasoglu (Turkey), 6-0
LOSS Khaliun Byambasuren (Mongolia), Fall, 1:08
61 kg: Korina Blades (Broadview, Ill.)
WIN Emilia Hartmann (Austria), 10-0
WIN Nicola Wasilewska (Poland), 11-0
LOSS Nikita Nikita (India), 6-0
65 kg: Grace Stem (Snow Shoe, Pa.)
LOSS Duygu Gen (Turkey), 6-6
69 kg: Amit Elor (Walnut Creek, Calif.) – Gold
WIN Barbara Sere (Romania), 10-0
WIN Viktoryia Radzkova (Belarus), FALL :50
WIN Yevheniia Siedykh (Ukraine), FALL 1:55
73 kg: Lillian Freitas (Modesto, Calif.) – BRONZE
WIN Patrycja Cuber (Poland), FALL :33
WIN Valentina Toreniyazova (Uzbekistan), 10-0
LOSS Kseniya Patapovich (Belarus), 3-1
WIN Bukrenaz Sert (Turkey), 4-0
Final team scores and medal match results to follow. Visit United World Wrestling for the individual brackets.
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