These are the 2022 UWW Men’s and Women’s Freestyle Wrestling World Cup medal matches from Coralville, Iowa. Team USA has a women’s match against Mongolia for bronze at 12pm ET, and a men’s match against Iran for gold at 7pm.
It’s great and I’m going to blog it all. Yes, this is indeed a great time to be an American Wrestling fan.
December 10-11 · Resumes today at 5:00 UTC.
The full schedule can be found here. Here is the list of rosters. All archives can be found here (search for a wrestler or team you’re looking for to pull up a specific match). Box scores will be at the top of the article, followed by a live blog.
Yesterday’s live blog and box score can be found here.
Women’s third-place match: USA vs. Mongolia
The first match of the day is the third place matchup between the USA and Mongolia. Team USA was defeated by China 8-2 in their first dual in pool play but came roaring back to beat the All World team to secure their spot in the dual. Mongolia lost to Ukraine but defeated the Japanese women in their pool.
50 kg: Erin Golston (USA) vs. Otgonjargal Dolgorjav (MGL)
1st Period: Good flurry in the first, Dolgorjav takes a step out. Next sequence, close to a go-ahead but Golston fumbles and doesn’t allow it. 1-0 in a minute. Mongolia working on their snaps and short offense but more scores, now 2 minutes in. More cunning defense for Erin but she will run on the activity clock. The clock expires so it’s 2-0 Mongolia, and we’ll get to the halfway point.
Second round. Golston gets her offense going but Dolgorjav gets the better of the next flurry and secures the takedown for a 4-0 lead. Dolgorjac runs an armbar and Golston is in trouble. 2 more to exhibit. Dolgorjav adjusted, and there is a fall. Mongolia won the first match by pinfall.
MGL 1, USA 0
53 kg: Felicity Taylor (USA) vs. Otgunjargal Gunbatar (MGL)
First period: Iowa’s own Felicity Taylor back on the mat. Gunbatter quick on one but Taylor defends. Still no score in two minutes. Gunbatar goes to the clock. Taylor can score before the clock expires and the clock is ticking. Closer to going after Taylor. He will get a shot clock point. Clever counter Ganbaatar though just when it looked like a takedown for Taylor was imminent. A foot-to-back whipover just before the end of the period put Mongolia 4-1 up at the break.
Second round: Both wrestlers trade shots but no score, now only 90 seconds left in the contest. Again, Taylor is close to going backwards but Gunbatter counters and puts Taylor in danger. She then moves to the laces and gets another turn so 2 + 2 would make it 8-1 as Taylor runs out of time. Gunbatar shoots in just 10 seconds.
MGL 2, US 0
55 kg: Jenna Burkert (USA) vs. Bolvertoya Batucher (MGL)
Round 1: World medalist Gina Burkert will take on Olympic medalist Mongolia. Burkert started well with a step out and an early 1-0 lead. Batucher responded with a slick armdrag for a takedown, then a legless to add 2 more and a 4-1 advantage. 90 seconds have passed since the match. Priod ended, still 4-1 Mongolia.
2nd Period: A slow start to the second period but the action picks up about halfway through. A very physical scramble ends in a stalemate, still 4-1, with about a minute left now. Burkert closes the upper body. Growing up, Butcher avoids trailing a foot but will give up takedowns. Back to her feet, 30 seconds to go, Gina trails 4-3. Removal will do this. Burkert in the deep! But Butcher countered with a crotch lock and display to make it 6-3 and potentially put the match out of reach. Burkert gets a reversal as time expires and the match ends 6-4. America challenges though. And they reward Burkert with a takedown on the initial attack, but it’s not enough as Butcher is still getting the exposure. So the sequence starts with a 4-3 MGL, then Jenna gets a takedown and a 5-4 lead, then MLG counters, 6-5 MLG, then Jenna reverses for a 6-6 score, but Mongolia is the standard, so they say the challenge is lost and add a point to Batucher’s total (I’m not sure why) but this is controversial because Burkert would have lost without it. 7-6 is the official final. Maybe I’m missing something but anyway, the USA dropped their third straight.
MGL 3, USA 0
57 kg: Alex Hedrick (USA) vs. Erdancio Biterdin (MGL)
First Period: A physical start to the contest with some good exchanges. Baterdene then gets into a standing position and puts Hedrick on his back for a four-point move and a 4-0 lead. Hedrick responds with a leg attack but can’t finish and the action is stalemated. The physicality of the contest continued but no further scores were scored and Mongolia led 4-0 at the break.
Second period: Hedrick on the offensive. Now it’s time to stand back. Hedrick fights through the quad pod defense for her first points and cuts the lead in half. 4-2 in neutral, 90 seconds left. Shot by Mongolia is stuffed. Another shot by Baterdene, once again stuffed, Hedrick reattacks and gets behind one to go. 4-4 but Mongolia is standard. 31 seconds on restart. Hedrick digs a double down and starts to walk Baterdene to the boundary. He only needs one. Time is running out, the referee said step out! With time running out is the point. Mongolia challenge (naturally) but they lose the review. Hedrick earns Team USA their first win of the day!
MGL 3, US 1
59 kg: Lexie Basham (USA) vs. Davachemig Erkhymbiar (MGL)
Round 1: Basham will look to keep the American momentum going. Team USA has little room for error from this point on. They lock horns in collar ties and brawl around the mat but there is no score. Basham clocked first. Mongolia scored the first point after the clock. No further scores in a physical but cautious first period, Erkhymbiaar took a 1-0 lead.
Second Round: More tactical wrestling and Basham goes on the clock again. She gives up a point and just after the activity clock expires, Mongolia rips off a headlock and scores four more to make it 6-0. Basham made it a two count, but then Mongolia got back on top for a reversal and it was 7-2 just under a minute into the bout. Basham is pressing on the restart and Arcambiar goes up/down and whips Basham on his back for another four-point move. It’s 11-2 with 12 seconds left. A takedown by Mongolia after a desperation shot makes it an official 13-2 tech fall.
MGL 4, US 1
62 kg: Kayla Merkel (USA) vs. Tserenchimed Sukhee (MGL)
First round: The USA’s two-time world medalist takes the stage in a must-win match for the Americans. Miracle gets things going with a single leg that she lifts and uses to run Sukhi off the mat for a point. Sukhi counters by ducking for two but Miracle turns her head and comes in for a reversal. It’s 2-2 but Mongolia has quality. Miracle locks the legs and gets a turn, then Sukhi gets punished for negative wrestling and they start again. Miracle can’t get another turn but it’s 5-2 thanks to the reversal, turn and penalty point Miracle gets in that order. Sukhi grabs a leg and swaps for two just before time runs out and we go to the break, Miracle leading 5-4.
2nd round: Sukhi gets attacked, she risks Miracle during a flurry, then does some kind of weird head lever/armbar thing and gets another turn. Sikhs now lead 8-5. 90 seconds left in the contest. Shot by Miracle is deadlocked. 60 seconds left. Miracle Another attack but it’s full. Fireman for Sukhi who lands a takedown, into the laces for two more and it’s 12-5. Sukhe gets two more turns just before time runs out and will win 16-5. Tough for Miracle and Team USA’s hopes of a win.
MGL 5, US 1
65 kg: Mallory Welte (USA) vs. Orkhon Puryodorge (MGL)
First Period: Team USA needs to win and pin at least two opponents to win the dual. Velte is a two-time world medalist. Purevdroj is a world gold medalist. Purevdorj takes a knee and gets two points in the first 10 seconds. Velte answers with a knee bridge single for two. Then another with 30 seconds left in the period for a 4-2 lead. Almost another takedown but the sequence is called a slip for Mongolia. We break it to 4-2 Mal Paul.
2nd period: Welte hits a deep shot but it’s deadlocked. Win on a canal shot but Purevdorj crotch lifts for exposure and a 4-4 lead by standard. Welte responded with a throw on the boundary. 6-4 lead. This match is heating up! Now a shot and a sucking drag put Mongolia back to standard at 6-6. 54 seconds left. Take a shot, Purevdorj spreads, time passes. With Purevdroj standing back, Velte returns to Mongolia who falls on his back. Four points for Velte say the official? no. But America challenges. A 2-point elimination was confirmed on review, Welte dropped the heartbreaker 9-6 and Mongolia took third place.
MGL 6, US 1
68 kg: Solan Pearcy (USA) vs. Purevsuren Ulziisaikhan (MGL)
1st Period: For Pearcy only one activity clock point results in a procedural speed first period and no more. We’re up 1-0 at Break USA.
Second Period: A few good exchanges but no score after 90 seconds in the second. Al-Zi Sekhan goes on the clock once again. 30 seconds later, Pearcy collected his second point. Mongolia attack but Pearcy stands her ground and will win the match 2-0!
MGL 6, US 2
72 kg: Skyler Grote (USA) vs. Davanason Enkhmar (MGL)
1st Period: Groot fires from the opening shot. Enkamar spreads and the process stalls. Groot has been an aggressive wrestler and has been rewarded by Enkhmar on Activity Watch. After 30 seconds, Groot scored the first point of the bout. After about a minute, the period ends.
Second Period: 30 seconds into the period we get an upper body tie, double over for Grote, but Mongolia is forced to step out. Groot shoots in but Enkhmaar counters and then pancakes Groot as he sits and holds him on his back. Groot fought bravely off his back to avoid the fall but 3-1 for Mongolia. With one minute left in the bout, Grote is still in the match. Another shot from Groot, a down block, put it past him to make it 5-1. Start again with 30 seconds. Grote has no space and continues to find the back foot. Enkhamar fought off a last second attack to make it a 7-1 official final.
MGL 7, US 2
76 kg: Diamond Guilford (USA) vs. B. Ochirbat (MGL)
1st Period: Upper body exchange at the final whistle of the dual. Guilford gets the better of the layup and takes a 2-0 lead. A straight-up double by Guilford made it 4-0. Guilford closed a lace. Three turns later and that was all he wrote. 10-0 tech fall for Diamond Guilford!
USA drops the double but ends on a high note.
MGL 7, USA 3
