U23 Worlds Recap: Cassioppi and Shilson claimed gold in Serbia

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Updated: November 10, 2021

Photos: Both Tony Cassioppi (left) and Emily Shilson won all four of their men’s and women’s freestyle bouts in Belgrade, Serbia, the first week of November to claim UWW U23 World Championships. (USA Wrestling photos)

Iowa All-American heavyweight Tony Cassioppi and Minnesota native Emily Shilson each won gold medals in men’s and women’s freestyle tournaments to highlight three American teams that competed at the UWW U23 World Championships that were held in Nov. 1-7 in Belgrade, Serbia.

WIN Magazine will provide a more in-depth and comprehensive coverage of the U23 Worlds in the next issue, which will be printed Nov. 18. Click here or call 888-305-0606 to subscribe to WIN Magazine.

Cassioppi, a native of Roscoe, Ill., won all four of his matches in men’s freestyle to claim the 125-kilogram weight class. Two of those victories came by fall, including a 2:44 flattening of Greece’s Azamat Khosonov in the gold medal bout.  A former two-time Junior Triple Crown winner in freestyle and Greco in 2017 and ’18, Cassioppi is also coming off a third-place finish in last year’s NCAA Championships last March.

Overall, the United States finished seventh in the men’s freestyle tournament. That included an overall 13-11 record by 10 wrestlers, and a bronze medal finish by Jay Aiello at 97 kilograms. Aiello, a native of Chantilly, Va., is a graduate student who will wrestled at 197 pounds this winter. He is a three-time NCAA qualifier.

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Shilson, a native of Maple Grove, Minn., has now won three age-group World championships in women’s freestyle. That included a 2018 Cadet World title and a Junior World championship this past summer before she also won all four bouts at the 2021 U23 Worlds at 50 kilograms. The current junior at Augsburg College (where she won a WCWA championship) scored bonus points in all four bouts at the U23 Worlds. That included two falls, including a 1:38 pin against India’s Shivani Pawar in the gold medal match.

Shilson led the American women to a third-place team finish as 10 women compiled a 16-11 overall record. That included a bronze medal by 2021 Junior World champ Kylie Welker, a native of Franksville, Wisc., who also scored two falls at the U23 Worlds, including a pin against Ecuador’s Genesis Reasco in the bronze medal bout.

Meanwhile, the 10-member Greco-Roman squad compiled a 5-13 record and left Serbia without a medal. Taylor Lamont, a native of Mapleton, Utah, and an All-American on the Utah Valley college team, did reach the semifinals before he eventually lost a bronze medal match.

The following is a breakdown of all 30 American wrestlers who competed in the U23 World Championships:

U.S. Men’s Freestyle Results: Overall Record – 13-11, one gold, one bronze medal

57 kg/125.5 lb: Pat Glory (Randolph, N.J./New Jersey RTC), dnp
R16 – lost to Ahmad Mohammadnezhadjavan (Iran), 11-11; (Glory eliminated when Mohammadnezhadjavan lost in quarters)

Gold – Aliabbas Rzazade (Azerbaijan) dec. Bekbolot Uulu (Kgz), 7-6; Bronze – Ahmad Mohammadnezhadjavan (Iran) dec. Dzmitry Shamela (Belarus), 3-2; Manvel Khndzrtsyan (Armenia) won by TF over Saurabh Igave (India), 10-0 1:20

61 kg/132 lb: Chris Cannon (Oceanport, N.J./Wildcat WC), 5th place
Prelim – won by TF over Suraj Kokate (India), 10-0; R16 – dec. Taiyrbek Zhumashbek Uulu (Kyrgyzstan), 9-5; Quarters – lost to Artur Chebodaev (Russia), 7-0; Repechage – dec. Nino Leutert (Switzerland), 11-8l Bronze – lost by TF to Narankhuu Narmandakh (Mongolia), 10-0

Gold –  Arsen Harutyunyan (Armenia) dec. Artur Chebodaev (Russia), 11-7; Bronze – Assyl Aitakyn (Kazakhstan) dec. Gamzatgadzhi Khalidov (Hungary), 3-3

65 kg/143.5 lb: Dom Demas (Columbus, Ohio/Oklahoma RTC), dnp
Prelim – won by forfeit over Abdelwahad Badri (Morocco); R16 – lost to Ziraddin Bayramov (Azerbaijan), 6-3; (Demas eliminated when Bayramov lost in quarters)

Gold –  Georgios Pilidis (Greece) dec.  Ibragim Abdurakhmanov (Russia), 4-3; Bronze –  Ziraddin Bayramov (Azerbaijan) won by TF over Stilyan  Iliev (Bulgaria), 10-0 1:42; Cavit Acar (Turkey) dec. Hrachya Margaryan (Armenia), 4-2

70 kg/154 lb: Brock Mauller (Columbia, Mo./Tiger Style WC), dnp
Prelim – lost to Cuneyt Budak (Turkey), 10-4; (Mauller eliminated when Budak lost in quarters)

Gold – Ernazar Akmataliev (Kgz) dec. Vazgen Tevanyan (Armenia), 10-2; Bronze – Nicolai Grahmez (Moldova) dec. Cuneyt Budak (Turkey), 5-2; Aliakbar Fazlikhalili (Iran) dec. Murad Evloev (Azerbaijan), 5-4

74 kg/163 lb: Peyton Robb (Owatonna, Minn./Nebraska WTC), dnp 
Prelim – won by TF over Hassan Alharthi (Saudi Arabia), 10-0; R16 – lost to Vasile Diacon (MDA), 6-4; (Robb eliminated when Diacon lost in quarters)

Gold –  Chermen Valiev (Russia) dec. Mohmmadsadegh Firouzpourbandpei (Iran), 7-6; Bronze – Temuri Beruashvili (Georgia) dec. Vasile Diacon (Moldova), 3-3; Hrayr Alikhanyan (Armenia) won by TF over Simon Marchl (Austria), 10-0 4:28

79 kg/174 lb: Jake Marsh (New Jersey RTC), dnp

R16 – lost by TF to Ramazan Sari (Turkey), 10-0; Repechage – lost to Goga Mamiauri (Georgia), 8-4

Gold – Magomed Magomaev (Russia) dec. Ramazan Sari (Tur), 4-4; Bronze – Ali Savadkouhi (Iran) dec. Ashraf Ashirov (Azerbaijan), 8-2; Arman Avagyan (Armenia) dec. Goga Mamiauri (Georgia), 4-4

86 kg/189 lb: Myles Wilson (Junction, Colo./Hawkeye WC), dnp 
Prelim – dec. Cezary Sadowski (Poland), 7-0; R16 – lost to Mher Markosyan (Armenia), 7-4; (Wilson eliminated when Markosyan lost in quarters)

Gold – Mukhammed Aliiev (Ukraine) dec. Sajjad Gholami (Iran), 11-4; Bronze – Lars Schaefle (Germany) dec. Zagid Karimov (Russia), 3-0; Ivars Samusonoks (Lativa) dec. Emre Ciftci (Turkey), 5-2

92 kg/202 lb: Nino Bonaccorsi (Bethel Park, Pa./Pittsburgh WC), dnp
R16 – lost to Erhan Yaylaci (Turkey), 12-6; (Bonaccorsi eliminated when Yaylaci lost in semis)

Gold – Osman Nurmagomedov (Azerbaijan) dec. Azamat Zakuev (Russia), 4-2; Bronze – Amirhossein Firouzpourbandpei (Iran) won by TF overe Johannes Mayer (Germany), 10-0 5:39; Erhan Yaylaci (Turkey) won by TF over Rustam Shodiev (Uzbekistan), 13-2 3:48

97 kg/213 lb: Jay Aiello (Chantilly, Va./Cavalier WC), bronze medalist
R16 – dec. Feyzullah Akturk (Turkey), 5-3; Quarters – dec. Shamil Ghadzhialiev (Russia), 3-3; Semis – lost to Amirali Azarpira (Iran), 9-0; Bronze – won by TF over Vasil Pauliuchenka (Belarus), 13-2

Gold – Amirali hamid Azarpira (Iran) dec. Radu Lefter (Moldova), 7-3; Bronze – Danylo Stasiuk (Ukraine) dec. Milan andras Korcsog (Hungary), 4-2

125 kg/275 lb: Anthony Cassioppi (Roscoe, Ill./Hawkeye WC), gold medalist
R16 – pinned Martin Simonyan (Armenia), fall 5:55; Quarters – dec. Paris Karepri (Albania), 7-0; Semis – dec. Saipudin Magomedov (Russia), 5-0; Gold – pinned Azamat Khosonov (Greece), 2:44

Bronze – Saipudin Magomedov (Russia) won by TF over Martin Simonyan (Armenia), 10-0 0:44; Seyedmehdi Hashemijouybari (Iran) dec. Mohit Mohit (Ind), 6-3

Final Men’s Freestyle Team Standings

 

Pl. Country G/S/B Pts
1. Russia 2/3/1 145
2. Iran 1/2/5 140
3. Armenia 1/1/3 114
4. Azerbaijan 2/0/1 93
5. Turkey 0/1/2 72
6. Ukraine 1/0/1 56
7. United States 1/0/1 54

 

U.S. women’s freestyle Results (Combined Record: 16-11, one gold, one bronze)

50 kg: Emily Shilson (Maple Grove, Minn./TMWC/Twin Cities RTC), gold medal
R16 – won by TF over Lisa Ersel (Germany), 10-0; Quarters – pinned Stefania Priceputu (Romania), 0:49; Semis – won by forfeit over Sarra Hamdi (Tunisia); Gold – pinned Shivani Pawar (India), 1:38

Bronze – Mariia Tiumenkova (Russia) won by TF over Anastasiya Yanotava (Belarus), 10-0 1:15; Stefania Priceputu (Romania) dec. Sarra Hamdi (Tunesia), 2-1

53 kg: Ronna Heaton (Brookings, S.Dak./Wisconsin RTC/Sunkist Kids WC), dnp
R16 – pinned Ellada Makhyaddinova (Kazakhstan), fall 4:20; Quarters – lost to Mariia Vynnyk (Ukraine), 6-1; (Heaton eliminated when Vynnyk lost in semis)

Gold – Lucia Guzman (Ecuador) pinned Ekaterina Verbina (Russia), 4-0 1:10; Bronze – Zeynep Yetgil (Turkey) dec. Munkhgerel Munkhbat (Mongolia), 8-3; Mariia Vynnyk (Ukraine) dec. Mariana Dragutan (Moldova), 9-6

55 kg: Alex Hedrick (Fair Oaks, Calif./Titan Mercury WC), dnp
R16 – won by forfeit over Zainab Barrie (Sierra Leone); Quarters – lost to Anju (India), 11-8; (Hedrick eliminated when Anju lost in semis)

Gold – Andreea Ana (Romania) dec. Viktoriia Vaulina (Russia), 2-2; Bronze – Anju Anju (Ind) won by TF over Virginie Gascon (Canada), 17-6 5:59; Eda Tekin (Turkey) dec. Ainur Ashimova (Kazakhstan), 6-5

57 kg: Amanda Martinez (Riverside, Ill./Cardinal WC), dnp
R16 – won by TF over Zeinep Bayanova (Kazakhstan), 10-0; Quarters – lost by TF to Esther Kolawole (Nigeria), 11-0; (Martinez eliminated when Kolawole lost in semis)

Gold – Alina Akobiia (Ukraine) dec. Kristina Mikhneva (Russia), 5-1; Bronze – Hannah Taylor (Canada) dec. Othelie Hoeie (Norway), 12-8; Esther Kolawole (Nigeria) dec. Patrycja Gil (Poland), 9-8

59 kg: Michaela Beck (New York, N.Y./Wisconsin RTC/Sunkist Kids WC), dnp
R16 – lost to Krystsina Sazykina (Belarus), 6-1; (Beck eliminated when Sazykina lost in quarters)

Gold – Anhelina Lysak (Poland) dec. Solomiia Vynnyk (Ukraine), 7-2; Bronze – Anna Szel (Hungary) dec. Anastasiia Sidelnikova (Russia), 3-3; Krystsina Sazykina (Belarus) won by TF over Ramina Mamedova (Lativa), 10-0 2:19

62 kg: Emma Bruntil (Acme, Wash./Titan Mercury WC/McKendree Bearcat WC), dnp
R16 – dec. Yagmur Cakmak (Turkey), 8-3; Quarters – lost by TF to Aurora Campagna (Italy), 11-0; (Bruntil eliminated when Campagna lost in semis)

Gold –  Ana Godinez (Canada) dec. Kateryna Zelenykh (Ukraine), 10-7; Bronze – Anastasiia Parokhina (Russia) dec. Anna Fabian (Serbia), 8-1; Radhika Radhika (India) dec. Aurora Campagna (Italy), 6-4

65 kg: Ashlynn Ortega (Pueblo, Colo./New York AC), dnp
Prelim – won by forfeit over Winrose Alivisa (Kenya); R16 – dec. Khadija Jlassi (Tunisia), 4-2; Quarters – lost by fall to Nisha (India); (Ortega eliminated when Nisha lost in semis)

Gold – Anastasiia Lavrenchuk (Ukraine) pinned Dinara Kudaeva (Rus), 4-0 1:29; Bronze – Nisha Nisha (Ind) won by TF over Elma Zeidlere (Lativa), 10-0 2:58; Asli Demir (Turkey)  dec. Elena Esposito (Italy), 3-2

68 kg: Alyvia Fiske (Napa, Calif./Titan Mercury WC), fifth place
R16 – pinned Nesrin Bas (Turkey), fall 5:58; Quarters – lost by TF to Koumba Larroque (France), 12-0; Repechage – dec. Monika (India), 5-4; Bronze – lost to Oksana Chudyk (Ukraine), 3-3

Gold – Koumba Larroque (France) dec. Vusala Parfianovich (Russia), 3-0; Bronze – Delgermaa Enkhsaikhan (Mongolia) pinned Sophia Schaefle (Germany), 13-0 5:16

72 kg: Kayla Marano (Jefferson, Ga./McKendree Bearcat WC), fifth place
Quarters – won by TF over Maria Nitu (Romania), 11-0; Semis – lost by fall to Anastasiya Alpyeyeva (Ukraine), 1:08; Bronze – lost by fall to  Divya Kakran (India), 3:18

Gold – Anastasiya Alpyeyeva (Ukraine) dec. Kendra Dacher (France), 4-1; Bronze – Eleni Pjollaj (Italy) pinned Anastasiya Zimiankova (Belarus), 11-0 2:07

76 kg: Kylie Welker (Franksville, Wisc./Titan Mercury WC), bronze medalist
R16 – dec. Evgeniia Zakharchenko (Russia), 6-5; Quarters – pinned Kamile Gaucite (Lithuania), 1:33; Semis – lost to Aiperi Medet Kyzy (Kyrgystan), 8-0
Bronze – pinned Genesis Reasco Valdez (Ecuador), 2:14

Gold – Aiperi Medet (Kyrgyzstan) dec. Tatiana Renteria  (Colombia), 3-1; Bronze – Enrica Rinaldi (Italy) pinned Dilnaz Mulkinova (Kazakhstan), 3-0 1:16

Women’s Freestyle Team Standings

Rk Country G/S/B Pts
1. Ukraine 3/2/2 162
2. Russia 0/5/3 142
3. United States 1/0/1 102
4. India 0/1/4 100
5. Turkey 0/0/3 59

 

U.S. Greco-Roman Results: Combined Record – 5-13, no medals

55kg/121 lb: Taylor Lamont (Mapleton, Utah/Sunkist Kids WC), fifth place

R16 – dec. Aritom Deleanu (Moldova), 2-1; Quarters – dec. Giorgi Tokhadze (Georgia), 6-3; Semis – lost to Poya Dad Marz (Iran), 5-1; Bronze – lost by TF to Nihad Guluzade (Azerbaijan), 9-0

Gold – Mavlud Rizmanov (Russia) dec. Poya Dad (Iran), 3-1; Bronze – Adem Uzun (Turkey) pinned Arslan Abdurakhmanov (Kazahkstan), 4-0 1:17

60kg/132 lb: Dylan Gregerson (Bluffdale, Utah/Brunson UVRTC), dnp

R16 – lost by TF to Mehdi Mohsen Nejad (Iran), 8-0; Repechage – lost by fall to Mukhammadkodir Yusupov (Uzbekistan)

Gold – Anvar Allakhiarov (Russia) dec. Mehdi Mohsen (Iran), 7-1; Bronze –  Kerem Kamal (Turkey) dec. Ihor Kurochkin (Ukr), 6-5; Pridon Abuladze (Georgia) dec. Mukhammadkodir Yusupov (Uzbekistan), 3-3

63kg/138.5 lb: David Stepanian (Macomb, Mich./New York AC), dnp

R16 – won by forfeit over Zolt Zonai (Serbia); Quarters – lost to Corneliu Resu (Moldova), 2-0; (Stepanian eliminated when Resu lost in semis)

Gold –  Leri Abuladze (Georgia) dec. Ahmet Uyar (Turkey), 3-1; Bronze – Hrachya Poghosyan (Armenia) won by TF over Corneliu Rusu (Moldova), 9-0 0:55; Ali Nejati (Iran) won by TF over Georgii Tibilov (Russia), 8-0 4:21

67kg/147.5 lb: Alston Nutter (Fennimore, Wisc./Sunkist Kids WC), dnp

Prelim – lost by TF to Joni Khetsuriani (Georgia), 9-0; (Nutter eliminated when Khetsuriani lost in semis)

Gold – Hasrat Jafarov (Azerbaijan) dec. Mohammad Rezaei (Iran), 3-2′ Bronze – Kadir Kamal (Turkey) dec. Sultan Assetuly (Kazakhstan), 5-1; Miakhdi Iakhiaev (Russia) dec. Joni Khetsuriani (Georgia), 5-1

72kg/158.5 lb: Nate Moore (Buckley, Wash./Northern Colorado WC), dnp

R16 – won by forfeit over Sheku Kassegbama (Sierra Leone), forfeit; Quarters – lost by TF to Idris Ibaev (Germany), 12-2; Repechage – lost by TF to Erik Persson (Sweden), 11-1

Gold – Idris Ibaev (Germany) dec. Sergei Kutuzov (Russia), 3-1; Bronze – Ulvi Ganizade (Azerbaijan) dec. Amir Abdi (Iran), 12-7; Shant Khachatryan (Armenia) pinned Erik Persson (Sweden), 6-2 4:01

77kg/169.5 lb: Britton Holmes (Peyton, Colo./Army WCAP), dnp

Prelim – lost to Dilshod Omongeldiyev (Uzbekistan), 5-1

(Holmes eliminated when Omongeldiyev lost in R16)

Gold –  Tamas Levai (Hungary) dec. Amin Kaviyaninejad (Iran), 5-1

Bronze –  Per Olofsson (Sweden) dec. Dmytro Vasetskyi (Ukraine), 2-1; Sergei Stepanov (Russia) won by TF over Nikoloz Tchikaidze (Georgia), 10-0 3:12

82kg/180.5 lb: Tommy Brackett (Eads, Tenn./Gator Wrestling Club), dnp

R16 – lost to Mukhammadkodir Rasulov (Uzbekistan), 8-3; (Bracket eliminated when Rasulov lost in quarters)

Gold – Aivengo Rikadze (Georgia) dec. Ramon Betschart (Switzerland), 5-1; Bronze – Branko Kovacevic (Serbia) won by TF over Moric Kismoni (Hungary), 9-1 4:14; Shamil Ozhaev (Russia) won by TF over Mohammad Naghousi (Iran), 8-0 1:35

87kg/191.5 lb: Spencer Woods (Shungnak, Alaska/Army WCAP), dnp

R16 – lost by fall to Szymon Szymonowicz (Poland),  0:46; (Woods eliminated when Szymonowicz lost in semis)

Gold – Aleksandr Komarov (Russia) won by TF over David Losonczi (Hungary), 9-0 3:46; Bronze – Naser Alizadeh (Iran) won by TF over Temuri Tchkuaselidze (Georgia), 15-7 5:09; Szymon Szymonowicz (Poland) won by injury default over Markus Sihtola (Finland), 5-2 2:18

97kg/213.5 lb: Nicholas Boykin (Murrfreesboro, Tenn./Sunkist Kids), dnp

Prelim – dec. Gerard Kurniczak (Poland), 8-3; R16 – lost by TF to Artur Sargsian (Russia), 11-0; Repechage – lost to Ondrej Dadak (Czech Republic), 4-3

Gold – Artur Sargsian (Russia) won by TF over Pavel Hlinchuk (Belarus), 9-0 2:07. Bronze – Markus Ragginger (Austria) dec. Ondrej Dadak (Czech Rep), 5-0; Arvi Savolainen (Finland) dec. Robert Ersek (Hungary), 5-1

130kg/286 lb: Brandon Metz (West Fargo, N.D./Bison WC), dnp

R16 – lost to Vladyslav Kovalenko (Ukraine), 2-1; (Metz eliminated when Kovalenko lost in quarters)

Gold – Amin Mirzazadeh (Iran) dec. David Ovasapyan (Armenia), 3-1; Bronze – Dariusz Vitek (Hun) VPO1 Delian Alishahi (Sui), 3-1; Mikhail Laptev (Russia) dec. Fatih Bozkurt (Turkey), 6-0

Greco-Roman Final Standings

Rk. Country G/S/B Pts
1. Russia 4/1/4 190
2. Iran 1/4/2 155
3. Georgia 2/0/1 105
4. Turkey 0/1/3 91
5. Hungary 1/1/1 86
16. United States 0/0/0 18