Gold medalists Fortune and Caldwell lead to team title at World University Championships

By Gary Abbott, TheMat.com

Tyrell Fortune (Portland, Ore./Titan Mercury WC) and Tyler Caldwell, Stillwater, Okla. (Sunkist Kids) each won gold medals and helped the United States collect seven medals overall and win the team championship in men’s freestyle at the University World Championships July 8-9, in Pecs, Hungary.

Fortune, a Div. II national champion for Grand Canyon, scored a 12-1 technical fall over Sakir Bozkurt of Turkey in the championship match at 125 kg/275 pounds. Bozkurt, who was fifth in the 2012 Yasar Dogu International in Turkey, was never in the match, as Fortune scored quickly and often for a first-period stoppage.

Fortune rolled past his first two opponents, pinning Alexandr Romanov of Moldova and beating Richard Csercsics of Hungary, 10-2. He is ranked No. 3 on the U.S. Senior national team at his weight. Fortune won a World medal on the University level for the second straight year, after taking a bronze medal at the 2013 World University Games in Russia.

Also winning a gold medal at 74 kg/163 lbs. was Caldwell, who defeated Shamil-Imam Osmanov of Russia in the gold-medal match, 3-2.

Caldwell, a four-time All-American from Oklahoma State and Oklahoma, won two matches to qualify for the finals, beating Robert Olle of Slovakia, 10-2 and Shawn Daye-Finley of Canada, 7-0.

Four Americans settled for silver medals after suffering losses in the finals: BJ Futrell (Ann Arbor, Mich./Titan Mercury WC/Cliff Keen WC) at 61 kg/134 lbs., James Green (Willingboro, N.J./Titan Mercury WC/Nebraska RTC) at 70 kg/154 lbs. and Chris Perry (Stillwater, Okla./Cowboy WC) at 86 kg/189 pounds, and Dustin Kilgore (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) won a silver medal at 97 kg/213 pounds.

Futrell, a past NCAA All-American for Illinois, lost a wild 12-11 bout against Tuvsingtulga Tumenbileg of Mongolia in the gold-medal bout. Futrell won his first three matches handily, including a pin over Niurgin Skriabin of Russia in the semifinals. In his first two bouts, he beat Masakazu Kamoi of Japan, 8-1 and scored a 12-0 technical fall over Vadim Sacultan of Moldova.

Green, a three-time NCAA All-American for Nebraska, was pinned by Evgheni Nedealco of Moldova in the finals. Nedealco was fifth at the 2008 Junior World Championships. Green won his two early matches, pinning Jere Kunnas of Finland and stopping Russian Shamil Magomedov, 6-4 in the semifinals.

Perry, a two-time NCAA champion for Oklahoma State, lost a close 3-5 match to Piotr Ianulov of Moldova in the finals. Perry had a 3-1 lead in the bout, but Ianulov scored late in the second period for the win. Ianulov was fifth at the 2010 Senior World Championships, and now boasts two University World titles (2010, 2014).

Perry was impressive on the way to the finals, beating Andrei Frant of Romania, 8-0, Namik Korkmaz of Turkey, 4-2, then pinning Sandor Tozser of Hungary in the semifinals. Perry is a past Junior World bronze medalist, and is ranked No. 3 on the U.S. Senior national team at his weight.

Kilgore fell to two-time Junior World bronze medalist Fatih Yasarli of Turkey in the finals, 10-0. Kilgore, an NCAA champion for Kent State, won two matches by technical fall to advance to the gold-medal round, beating Mihaly Szabo of Hungary, 10-0 and Badavi Magomedov of Russia, 11-1.

The final medal winner for the United States was Matt McDonough (Iowa City, Iowa/Titan Mercury WC/Hawkeye WC), who captured a bronze medal bout at 57 kg/125.5 lbs., scoring a 12-2 technical fall over 2014 European Junior bronze medalist Petro Bileichuk of Ukraine in the bronze-medal round.

McDonough, who was a two-time NCAA champion at Iowa, opened with a victory over Ziya Daylak of Turkey by technical fall, 16-6, then lost a wild 10-7 bout to Fumitaka Morishita of Japan in the semifinals.

The USA won the team title, ahead of second-place Turkey and third-place Russia. There were 25 nations entered in the University World Championships. The U.S. team was coached by Dave Bennett, Mike Hagerty and Bryan Snyder.

“Looking at how these athletes handled the training, the travel and adversity that some encountered in competition I feel the future for the USA is bright. This was a special group that are going to continue to leave their mark on the sport in the coming years leading up to the 2016 and 2020 Olympics,” said U.S. Coach Dave Bennett.

Match-by-Match results of Americans at the World University Championships

57 kg/125.5 lbs. – Matt McDonough, Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC/Hawkeye WC), bronze medal
• WIN Ziya Daylak (Turkey), tech. fall, 16-6
• LOSS Fumitaka Morishita (Japan), 7-10
• WIN Petro Bileichuk (Ukraine), tech. fall 12-2

61 kg/134 lbs. – BJ Futrell, Ann Arbor, Mich. (Titan Mercury WC/Cliff Keen WC), silver medal
• WIN Masakazu Kamoi (Japan), 8-1
• WIN Vadim Sacultan (Moldova), tech. fall, 12-0
• WIN Niurgin Skriabin (Russia), pin
• LOSS Tuvsingtulga Tumenbileg (Mongolia), 11-12

65 kg/143 lbs. – Anthony Ashnault, South Plainsfield, N.J. (Scarlet Knight WC), 10th
• LOSS Mihail Sava (Moldova), 2-7

70 kg/154 lbs. – James Green, Willingboro, N.J. (Titan Mercury WC/Nebraska RTC), silver medal
• WIN Jere Kunnas (Finland), pin
• WIN Shamil Magomedov (Russia), 6-4
• LOSS Evgheni Nedealco (Moldova), pin

74 kg/163 lbs. – Tyler Caldwell, Stillwater, Okla. (Sunkist Kids), gold medal
• WIN Robert Olle (Slovakia), 10-2
• WIN Shawn Daye-Finley (Canada), 7-0
• WIN Shamil-Imam Osmanov (Russia), 3-2

86 kg/189 lbs. – Chris Perry, Stillwater, Okla. (Cowboy WC), silver medal
• WIN Andrei Frant (Romania), 8-0
• WIN Namik Korkmaz (Turkey), 4-2
• WIN Sandor Tozser (Hungary), pin
• LOSS Piotr Ianulov (Moldova), 3-5
97 kg/213 lbs. – Dustin Kilgore, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids), silver medal
• WIN Mihaly Szabo (Hungary), tech. fall, 10-0
• WIN Badavi Magomedov (Russia), tech. fall, 11-1
• LOSS Fatih Yasarli (Turkey), tech. fall 0-10

125 kg/275 lbs. – Tyrell Fortune, Portland, Ore. (Titan Mercury WC), gold medal
• WIN Alexandr Romanov (Moldova), pin
• WIN Richard Csercsics (Hungary), 10-2
• WIN Sakir Bozkurt (Turkey), tech. fall 12-1

Freestyle Team Standings
1. United States
2. Turkey
3. Russia
4. Moldova
5. Japan
6. Hungary
7. Mongolia
8. Ukraine
9. Bulgaria
10. Poland