Cowboy redshirt freshman was Team USA's highest finisher
Chris Perry
July 25, 2010
STILLWATER, Okla. - Oklahoma State redshirt freshman Chris Perry won the bronze medal wrestling at 84 kilograms at the FILA Junior Freestyle World Championships Sunday in Budapest, Hungary. Perry advanced to the championship semifinals before being bumped into the consolation bracket, where he won his only match.
He was the highest finisher for Team USA at the event, lifting the squad to a sixth-place finish in the team standings. Russia claimed the team title, with Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey and Iran rounding out the top five.
A graduate of Stillwater HS, Perry opened competition by pitching a 2-0, 2-0 shutout against Finland's Ville Heino. He followed that up with a 1-0, 0-2, 3-0 second-round beating of Azerbaijan's Ilya Xamikoyev and a 2-0, 1-0 quarterfinal-round triumph over Greece's Grigorios Kriaridis. Perry's lone defeat of the event came in the semifinals, where Turkey's Ibrahim Bolukbasi was a 2-0, 1-0 winner over the Cowboy. Perry bounced back to finish strong with a 1-0, 0-1, 1-0 victory over Hungary's Attila Szmik to finish third.
"I thought I wrestled all right. There is definitely a lot of work I have to improve on," said Perry. "It is a different level here. I started out pretty hot early, wrestling better. In the semis, there was a lot to learn with positions. It will be a good learning experience, again. It's not what I wanted, but I finished it well."
Final Team Standings (Top 10 teams only)
1. Russia - 70 points
2. Azerbaijan - 50 points
3. Georgia - 49 points
4. Turkey - 42 points
5. Iran - 33 points
6. United States - 26 points
7. Japan - 24 points
8. Ukraine - 23 points
9. Hungary - 20 points
10. Uzbekistan - 15 points
Team USA At The 2010 FILA Junior Freestyle World Championships
50 kg - Nick Roberts: fifth place
55 kg - Ryak Finch: did not place
60 kg - Matt McDonough: did not place
66 kg - Jason Chamberlain: fifth place
74 kg - Conrad Polz: did not place
84 kg - Chris Perry: third place
96 kg - Tyler Lehmann: did not place
120 kg - Jeremy Johnson: fifth place
