2022 U20 World Championships

UWW U20 World Championships Match Notes - Day 2

UWW U20 World Championships Match Notes - Day 2

Jore Volk won in the gold medal finals at 57 kg while Bennett Berge reached the 86-kg finals.

Aug 16, 2022 by Kyle Klingman
UWW U20 World Championships Match Notes - Day 2

The United States has a big session on the second day of action at the U20 World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria. Three Americans are wrestling for gold and one for bronze. That's in addition to two semifinal matches prior to that. Keep up-to-date with all the action beginning at 9:45 a.m. Eastern.

86 kg: SEMIFINALS: Bennett Berge (USA) over Ismail Kucuksolak (Turkey), 9-7

First period: Berge gets put on the activity clock with 1:40 to go in the period and Kucuksolak scores the first point as time runs out. Kucuksolak goes feet to back to pick up four more points near the end of the period to take a 5-0 lead at the break. 

Second period: Berge pushes the pace and picks up a step-out point with 2:34 to go. Kucuksolak tries to fake an injury but the ref isn't having it. Berge scores another step-out point at 2:08 but this time Kukuksolak pleads his case again and the Turkish corner brings out the cold spray. Berge scores his third step-out at 1:42 followed by his fourth at 1:33. Berge snags a fifth step-out at 1:24 as his Turkish foe walks slowly back to the center. Berge counters a shot for his first takedown and his first lead with 58 seconds to go. Berge shoots a head to the inside single, gets in a scramble, then scores the takedown for a 9-5 lead with 19 seconds remaining. Kuckuksolak scores a late takedown but it's not enough. Berge wins 9-7 over an exhausted Kucuksolak and earns a spot in the gold medal finals. 

125 kg: SEMIFINALS: Amirreza Masoumi Valadi (Iran) over Nick Feldman (USA), 11-1

First period: Valadi drives Feldman out of bounds twice within 38 seconds to take a 2-0 lead. Valadi picks up another step-out point to take a 3-0 lead. Another step-out and a caution and one gives Valadi a 5-0 lead with one minute to go in the period. Another step-out and caution and one makes it 7-0. Feldman falls behind 7-0 at the break.

Second period: Feldman powers through on a shot but it's countered out of bounds by Valadi. Feldman falls behind 9-0 after the takedown. Feldman picks up his first point on a step-out with 2:27 to go. Valadi ends it with a driving single to a double for an 11-1 tech with 2:04 to go. Feldman will wrestle for bronze tomorrow. 

57 kg: GOLD MEDAL MATCH: Jore Volk (USA) over Merey Bazarbayev (Kazakhstan), 3-2

First period: Volk scores on a step-out after hitting a go-behind to take a 1-0 lead 20 seconds into the match. Volk picks up a takedown after a head to the inside shot for a 3-0 lead with a minute to go in the period. Volk leads 3-0 at the break. 

Second period: Volk gets put on the activity clock and gives up his first point with 1:45 to go. A caution and one against Volk gives Bazarbayev his second point. Volk runs around the mat during the final few seconds and picks up a 3-2 win and a U20 World gold medal. 

65 kg: BRONZE MEDAL MATCH: Yoshinosuke Aoyagi (Japan) over Vince Cornella (USA), 6-6 

First period: Cornella picks up the first point with an activity clock violation then scores two exposure points for a 3-0 lead with 26 seconds to go in the period. 

Second period: Aoyagi scores a takedown following a lengthy scramble off of a Cornella shot. It's 3-2 Cornella with 2:05 to go. Aoyagi picks up a second takedown halfway through the period to take a 4-3 lead with 1:12 to go. Cornella scores off of a single with 20 seconds to go for an apparent win but a challenge is requested by Japan. Japan wins the challenge when it's determined that it was two for Cornella, two for Aoyagi, and one for Cornella. Aoyagi wins the bronze medal match 6-6 on criteria. 

70 kg: GOLD MEDAL MATCH: Kanan Heybatov (Azerbaijan) over Mitchell Mesenbrink (USA), 13-7

First period: Mesenbrink in on a head-to-the-inside single right off the whistle but Heybatov counters for four followed by a two-point turn. Messenbrink scores a reversal and falls behind 6-1 within a minute of the match. Mesenbrink scores a step-out on a driving single with 35 seconds left to cut the lead to 6-2. Heybatov scores on step-out never the end of the period and takes a 7-2 lead into the break. 

Second period: Mesenbrink uses a relentless pace to score a step-out at the beginning of the period. Heybatov scores two points on an exposure off or a single and leads 9-3 but Mesenbrink fires back a few seconds later with a takedown to cut the lead to 9-5 with 1:50 to go. Mesenbrink is in all-out attack mode and scores a step-out with 1:31 left to cut the lead to 9-6. Heybatov scores a takedown off or a scramble for an 11-6 lead with 42 seconds left. Mesenbrink firest back with a step-out at 29 seconds to cut the lead to 11-7 but Heybatov comes back with a takedown for a 13-7 win and the gold medal. 

97 kg: GOLD MEDAL MATCH: Ben Kueter (USA) FALL Rifat Gidak (Turkey), 1:40

First period: A head shuck by Gidak gets him on the board first but Kueter strikes back with two on an exposure to take a 2-2 criteria lead. Three straight guts followed by an arm bar ends it 1:40 into the match. Ben Kueter is your U20 World champion by fall.