Jenkins qualifies for gold-medal finals at Junior Freestyle Worlds in China

ba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va./Penn State WC) won three matches and has qualified for the gold-medal finals at the Junior World Championships in freestyle wrestling at the China Agricultural University Gymnasium on Sunday morning.

Jenkins, a Penn State student, competes at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. Jenkins won his opening match with a first-period period pin of Samvel Adyan of Armeinia in 1:19. Jenkins hit a hip toss and adjusted from the top to secure the pin.

In the quarterfinals, Jenkins defeated Nurlan Bekhanov of Kazakhstan, 0-1, 4-0, 4-2. Jenkins lost the first period on a stepout, but came back with a three-point front headlock to capture the second period. The match was tied at 2-2 in the third period when Jenkins scored a two-point exposure on a scramble for the winning points.

Jenkins had a very strong effort in the semifinals, defeating 2007 Asian Junior champion Saied Dadashpour of Iran, 2-0, 6-0. With the first period scoreless most of the way, Jenkins scored two points on a counter with 20 seconds left to take the period. In the second period, Jenkins turned Dadashpour for two points and got an additional back point for holding him down, then scored three more takedown points to win the second period by technical fall.

Jenkins will face 2007 European Junior champion Okay Koksal of Turkey in the championship finals.

One other U.S.wrestler will be competing in the wrestleback rounds on Sunday night, Louis Caputo (Blue Springs, Mo./Harvard WC) at 84 kg/185 lbs. Caputo, a student at Harvard, had a 1-1 record in the morning session.

Caputo opened the action with a 3-1, 4-0 win over Colten Woznow of Canada. Caputo trailed 1-0 in the first period on a step-out, but tied the score when Woznow was hit with a caution and one point penalty for fleeing. Caputo added a stepout and a takedown to win the first period. In the second, Caputo controlled the action, scoring the only points.

In the second round, Caputo was beaten by Anzor Urishev of Russia, 0-6, 0-5. Urishev scored two takedowns and two gut wrenches in the first period. In the second period, Urishev had two more takedowns and an exposure with an additional hold point.

Caputo will face B. Huwatibeke of China in the first wrestleback match on Sunday evening.

Two other U.S. wrestlers were defeated and eliminated from the wrestlebacks, Tyler Graff (Loveland, Colo./Loveland Wrestling Academy) at 55 kg/121 lbs. and Stefan Tighe (Erie, Pa./Penn State WC) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs.

Graff, a high school star from Colorado, lost his opening match to Vladislav Andreev of Belarus, 0-2, 3-0, 1-3. After losing the first period, Graff rallied to score two takedowns and a one-point turn to claim the second period. In the deciding third period, Andreev scored two key points on ankle lace turns to take the period.

Tighe, a teammate with Jenkins at Penn State, lost to Zhiewi Deng of host China, 1-4, 0-4. Deng had three-point takedowns in both periods to hold the edge on Tighe.

When their opponents failed to reach the gold-medal finals, both Graff and Tighe were eliminated and not eligible for the wrestleback rounds.

JUNIOR WORLD FREESTYLE CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Beijing, China, August 26

U.S. performances on Sunday morning

55 kg/121 lbs. – Tyler Graff, Loveland, Colo. (Loveland Wrestling Academy)
LOSS Vladislav Andreev (Belarus), 0-2, 3-0, 1-3

66 kg/145.5 lbs. – Bubba Jenkins, Virginia Beach, Va. (Penn State WC)
WIN Samvel Adyan (Armenia), pin 1:19
WIN Nurlan Bekhanov (Kazakhstan), 0-1, 4-0, 4-2
WIN Saied Dadashpour (Iran), 2-0, 6-0

84 kg/185 lbs. – Louis Caputo, Blue Springs, Mo. (Harvard WC)
WIN Colten Woznow (Canada), 3-1, 4-0
LOSS Anzor Urishev (Russia), 0-6, 0-5

120 kg/264.5 lbs. – Stefan Tighe, Erie, Pa. (Penn State WC)
LOSS Zhiewi Deng (Ch

ba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va./Penn State WC) won three matches and has qualified for the gold-medal finals at the Junior World Championships in freestyle wrestling at the China Agricultural University Gymnasium on Sunday morning.

Jenkins, a Penn State student, competes at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. Jenkins won his opening match with a first-period period pin of Samvel Adyan of Armeinia in 1:19. Jenkins hit a hip toss and adjusted from the top to secure the pin.

In the quarterfinals, Jenkins defeated Nurlan Bekhanov of Kazakhstan, 0-1, 4-0, 4-2. Jenkins lost the first period on a stepout, but came back with a three-point front headlock to capture the second period. The match was tied at 2-2 in the third period when Jenkins scored a two-point exposure on a scramble for the winning points.

Jenkins had a very strong effort in the semifinals, defeating 2007 Asian Junior champion Saied Dadashpour of Iran, 2-0, 6-0. With the first period scoreless most of the way, Jenkins scored two points on a counter with 20 seconds left to take the period. In the second period, Jenkins turned Dadashpour for two points and got an additional back point for holding him down, then scored three more takedown points to win the second period by technical fall.

Jenkins will face 2007 European Junior champion Okay Koksal of Turkey in the championship finals.

One other U.S.wrestler will be competing in the wrestleback rounds on Sunday night, Louis Caputo (Blue Springs, Mo./Harvard WC) at 84 kg/185 lbs. Caputo, a student at Harvard, had a 1-1 record in the morning session.

Caputo opened the action with a 3-1, 4-0 win over Colten Woznow of Canada. Caputo trailed 1-0 in the first period on a step-out, but tied the score when Woznow was hit with a caution and one point penalty for fleeing. Caputo added a stepout and a takedown to win the first period. In the second, Caputo controlled the action, scoring the only points.

In the second round, Caputo was beaten by Anzor Urishev of Russia, 0-6, 0-5. Urishev scored two takedowns and two gut wrenches in the first period. In the second period, Urishev had two more takedowns and an exposure with an additional hold point.

Caputo will face B. Huwatibeke of China in the first wrestleback match on Sunday evening.

Two other U.S. wrestlers were defeated and eliminated from the wrestlebacks, Tyler Graff (Loveland, Colo./Loveland Wrestling Academy) at 55 kg/121 lbs. and Stefan Tighe (Erie, Pa./Penn State WC) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs.

Graff, a high school star from Colorado, lost his opening match to Vladislav Andreev of Belarus, 0-2, 3-0, 1-3. After losing the first period, Graff rallied to score two takedowns and a one-point turn to claim the second period. In the deciding third period, Andreev scored two key points on ankle lace turns to take the period.

Tighe, a teammate with Jenkins at Penn State, lost to Zhiewi Deng of host China, 1-4, 0-4. Deng had three-point takedowns in both periods to hold the edge on Tighe.

When their opponents failed to reach the gold-medal finals, both Graff and Tighe were eliminated and not eligible for the wrestleback rounds.

JUNIOR WORLD FREESTYLE CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Beijing, China, August 26

U.S. performances on Sunday morning

55 kg/121 lbs. – Tyler Graff, Loveland, Colo. (Loveland Wrestling Academy)
LOSS Vladislav Andreev (Belarus), 0-2, 3-0, 1-3

66 kg/145.5 lbs. – Bubba Jenkins, Virginia Beach, Va. (Penn State WC)
WIN Samvel Adyan (Armenia), pin 1:19
WIN Nurlan Bekhanov (Kazakhstan), 0-1, 4-0, 4-2
WIN Saied Dadashpour (Iran), 2-0, 6-0

84 kg/185 lbs. – Louis Caputo, Blue Springs, Mo. (Harvard WC)
WIN Colten Woznow (Canada), 3-1, 4-0
LOSS Anzor Urishev (Russia), 0-6, 0-5

120 kg/264.5 lbs. – Stefan Tighe, Erie, Pa. (Penn State WC)
LOSS Zhiewi Deng (Ch