Schultz wins USA's first Cadet Greco World title since 1997
By Taylor Miller
USA Wrestling
ATHENS, Greece – Cohlton Schultz became the first U.S. Cadet Greco-Roman wrestler since 1997 to win a World Championship on Tuesday at the 2017 Cadet World tournament.
“It’s awesome,” Schultz said. “It just shows that [U.S. Greco] is growing. It’s just going to keep growing and getting better from here.”
Schultz became the first Cadet Greco finalist for the U.S. since 1998 and won U.S. Greco’s first Cadet medal since 2013 when Cade Olivas and Jon Jay Chavez earned bronze.
The American faced Hungary’s Balint Vatzi of Hungary in a rematch of this summer’s Cadet Croatia Open.
Schultz was first on the board, drawing a passivity point to take a 1-0 lead into the break. With less than a minute left, Vatzi went up 1-1 on criteria with a step out. Schultz stayed aggressive and snapped down the Hungarian for a go-behind takedown within the final 15 seconds to win a gold medal.
“I knew what I was looking for,” Schultz said. “I was trying to get those underhooks so I could set up a little more offense. I was just wrestling. I wasn’t really thinking. As soon as I got that takedown, I felt like I sealed it up. I felt good.
To get to the finals, Schultz picked up wins by fall against 2017 Cadet Pan American silver medalist Edson Salazar of Mexico and Kantemir Shibzukhov of Russia, respectively. In the semifinals, he outlasted 2017 Cadet European champion Seyedmojta Hosseini of Iran, 1-0.
A native of Parker, Colo., Schultz spent most of his summer traveling Europe to train with international opponents as well as some of the top Americans in overseas training camps. He also competed up a weight class at the Junior World Championships in Tampere, Finland, last month.
“This summer was rough. It was hard. I had to sacrifice a lot. Having it end like that just feels great. I put a lot into this. I gave up a lot for this and it ended up coming out right for me,” Schultz said.
Overall, four of the first five Greco wrestlers placed in the top 10. In addition to Schultz’s gold medal, Ridge Lovett finished 7th at 54 kg/119 lbs., Lucas Byrd finished 8th at 50 kg/110 lbs. and Mason Phillips finished 10th at 63 kg/139 lbs. Lovett, Byrd and Phillips just completed their first World Championships.
With the first half of Greco action complete, Team USA has 18 team points.
Two other wrestlers, Mason Reiniche and Jake Hendricks, will wrestle in the repechage on Wednesday. Action starts at 10:30 a.m. local time (1:30 a.m. ET) and will be live on Trackwrestling.org.
2017 Cadet World Championships
at Athens, Greece
Finals results
50 kg/110 lbs.
Gold – Ken Matsui (Japan)
Silver – Zaur Aliyev (Azerbaijan)
Bronze – Hayk Asatryan (Armenia)
Bronze – Vladimir Zabeyvorota (Russia)
5th – Niklas Oehlen (Sweden)
5th – Manuel Stoica (Romania)
7th – Antonios Parotsidis (Greece)
8th – Lucas Byrd (USA)
9th – Kamil Czarnecki (Poland)
10th – Eldor Karimov (Uzbekistan)
Gold – Ken Matsui (Japan) dec. Zaur Aliyev (Azerbaijan), 7-6
Bronze – Hayk Asatryan (Armenia) dec. Niklas Oehlen (Sweden), 3-2
Bronze – Vladimir Zabeyvorota (Russia) tech. fall Manuel Stoica (Romania), 8-0
54 kg/119 lbs.
Gold – German Doev (Russia)
Silver – Nursultan Bazarbayev (Kazakhstan)
Bronze – Aliaksandr Pechurenka (Belarus)
Bronze – Beka Guruli (Georgia)
5th – Sunao Shimaya (Japan)
5th – Miguel Ugalde Aguilar (Mexico)
7th – Ridge Lovett (USA)
8th – Asgar Alizada (Azerbaijan)
9th – Mohammad Hosseinvand (Iran)
10th – Bapu Kolekar (India)
Gold – German Doev (Russia) dec. Nursultan Bazarbayev (Kazakhstan), 7-5
Bronze – Aliaksandr Pechurenka (Belarus) dec. Sunao Shimaya (Japan), 3-2
Bronze – Beka Guruli (Georgia) tech. fall Miguel Ugalde Aguilar (Mexico), 8-0
58 kg/128 lbs.
Gold – Mohsen Madhani (Iran)
Silver – Sonu Sonu (India)
Bronze – Serget Chigirev (Russia)
Bronze – Kosei Takeshita (Japan)
5th – Samuel Bellscheidt (Germany)
5th – Ivo Iliev (Bulgaria)
7th – Maxim Canter (Moldova)
8th – Adilet Sissembayev (Kazakhstan)
9th – Giorgi Shotadze (Georgia)
10th – Yahor Khakhlou (Belarus)
Gold – Mohsen Madhani (Iran) tech. fall Sonu Sonu (India), 14-3
Bronze – Kosei Takeshita (Japan) dec. Ivo Iliev (Bulgaria), 8-4
Bronze – Serget Chigirev (Russia) dec. Samuel Bellscheidt (Germany), 2-0
63 kg/139 lbs.
Gold – Dmytro Miroshnyk (Ukraine)
Silver – Mostafa Kayed Khordeh (Iran)
Bronze – Otar Abuladze (Georgia)
Bronze – Artem Erokhin (Russia)
5th – Rakhat Sagymbay (Kazakhstan)
5th – Nikalas Sulev (Bulgaria)
7th – Shant Khachatryan (Armenia)
8th – Dilshod Omongeldiyec (Uzbekistan)
9th – Leonardo Frrokaj (Albania)
10th – Mason Phillips (USA)
Gold – Dmytro Miroshnyk (Ukraine) dec. Mostafa Kayed Khordeh (Iran), 3-1
Bronze – Otar Abuladze (Georgia) tech. fall Rakhat Sagymbay (Kazakhstan), 9-0
Bronze – Artem Erokhin (Russia) dec. Nikalas Sulev (Bulgaria), 6-4
100 kg/220 lbs.
Gold – Cohlton Schultz (USA)
Silver – Balint Vatzi (Hungary)
Bronze – Oleksandr Yevdokimov (Ukraine)
Bronze – Seyedmojtaba Hosseini (Iran)
5th – Ciprian Trufan (Romania)
5th – Kantemir Shibzukhov (Russia)
7th – Mehmet Atci (Turkey)
8th – Aawesh Aawesh (India)
9th – Sarkhan Mammadov (Azerbaijan)
10th – Ignat Milenov (Bulgaria)
Gold – Cohlton Schultz (USA) dec. Balint Vatzi (Hungary), 3-1
Bronze – Oleksandr Yevdokimov (Ukraine) fall Ciprian Trufan (Romania), 3:09
Bronze – Seyedmojtaba Hosseini (Iran) dec. Kantemir Shibzukhov (Russia), 6-4
U.S. Greco-Roman results
50 kg/110 lbs. – Lucas Byrd, Cincinatti, Ohio (Team Ohio), 8th
WIN Yordan Ruzhdi Nedzhat (Bulgaria), fall 3:54
WIN Din Koshkar (Kazakhstan), 10-6
LOSS Vladimir Zabeyvorota (Russia), 6-4
54 kg/119 lbs. – Ridge Lovett, Post Falls, Idaho (Team Real Life), 7th
WIN Muhammed Acar (Turkey), fall 1:03
WIN Mohammed Hosseinvand (Iran), fall 1:21
58 kg/128 lbs. – Malik Johnson, Florissant, Mo. (Team Punishment), 15th
LOSS Mustafa Safa Yildirim (Turkey), 3-3
63 kg/139 lbs. – Mason Phillips, Stanwood, Wash. (Top Notch Training Center), 10th
WIN Shintaro Yoshinaga (Japan), 12-4
LOSS Shant Khachatryan (Armenia), 12-4
100 kg/220 lbs. – Cohlton Schultz, Parker, Colo. (New York AC), GOLD
WIN Edson Acuna Salazar (Mexico), fall 2:43
WIN Kantemir Shibzukhov (Russia), fall 3:40
WIN Seyedmojtaba Hosseini (Iran), 1-0
WIN Balint Vatzi (Hungary)
USA Wrestling
ATHENS, Greece – Cohlton Schultz became the first U.S. Cadet Greco-Roman wrestler since 1997 to win a World Championship on Tuesday at the 2017 Cadet World tournament.
“It’s awesome,” Schultz said. “It just shows that [U.S. Greco] is growing. It’s just going to keep growing and getting better from here.”
Schultz became the first Cadet Greco finalist for the U.S. since 1998 and won U.S. Greco’s first Cadet medal since 2013 when Cade Olivas and Jon Jay Chavez earned bronze.
The American faced Hungary’s Balint Vatzi of Hungary in a rematch of this summer’s Cadet Croatia Open.
Schultz was first on the board, drawing a passivity point to take a 1-0 lead into the break. With less than a minute left, Vatzi went up 1-1 on criteria with a step out. Schultz stayed aggressive and snapped down the Hungarian for a go-behind takedown within the final 15 seconds to win a gold medal.
“I knew what I was looking for,” Schultz said. “I was trying to get those underhooks so I could set up a little more offense. I was just wrestling. I wasn’t really thinking. As soon as I got that takedown, I felt like I sealed it up. I felt good.
To get to the finals, Schultz picked up wins by fall against 2017 Cadet Pan American silver medalist Edson Salazar of Mexico and Kantemir Shibzukhov of Russia, respectively. In the semifinals, he outlasted 2017 Cadet European champion Seyedmojta Hosseini of Iran, 1-0.
A native of Parker, Colo., Schultz spent most of his summer traveling Europe to train with international opponents as well as some of the top Americans in overseas training camps. He also competed up a weight class at the Junior World Championships in Tampere, Finland, last month.
“This summer was rough. It was hard. I had to sacrifice a lot. Having it end like that just feels great. I put a lot into this. I gave up a lot for this and it ended up coming out right for me,” Schultz said.
Overall, four of the first five Greco wrestlers placed in the top 10. In addition to Schultz’s gold medal, Ridge Lovett finished 7th at 54 kg/119 lbs., Lucas Byrd finished 8th at 50 kg/110 lbs. and Mason Phillips finished 10th at 63 kg/139 lbs. Lovett, Byrd and Phillips just completed their first World Championships.
With the first half of Greco action complete, Team USA has 18 team points.
Two other wrestlers, Mason Reiniche and Jake Hendricks, will wrestle in the repechage on Wednesday. Action starts at 10:30 a.m. local time (1:30 a.m. ET) and will be live on Trackwrestling.org.
2017 Cadet World Championships
at Athens, Greece
Finals results
50 kg/110 lbs.
Gold – Ken Matsui (Japan)
Silver – Zaur Aliyev (Azerbaijan)
Bronze – Hayk Asatryan (Armenia)
Bronze – Vladimir Zabeyvorota (Russia)
5th – Niklas Oehlen (Sweden)
5th – Manuel Stoica (Romania)
7th – Antonios Parotsidis (Greece)
8th – Lucas Byrd (USA)
9th – Kamil Czarnecki (Poland)
10th – Eldor Karimov (Uzbekistan)
Gold – Ken Matsui (Japan) dec. Zaur Aliyev (Azerbaijan), 7-6
Bronze – Hayk Asatryan (Armenia) dec. Niklas Oehlen (Sweden), 3-2
Bronze – Vladimir Zabeyvorota (Russia) tech. fall Manuel Stoica (Romania), 8-0
54 kg/119 lbs.
Gold – German Doev (Russia)
Silver – Nursultan Bazarbayev (Kazakhstan)
Bronze – Aliaksandr Pechurenka (Belarus)
Bronze – Beka Guruli (Georgia)
5th – Sunao Shimaya (Japan)
5th – Miguel Ugalde Aguilar (Mexico)
7th – Ridge Lovett (USA)
8th – Asgar Alizada (Azerbaijan)
9th – Mohammad Hosseinvand (Iran)
10th – Bapu Kolekar (India)
Gold – German Doev (Russia) dec. Nursultan Bazarbayev (Kazakhstan), 7-5
Bronze – Aliaksandr Pechurenka (Belarus) dec. Sunao Shimaya (Japan), 3-2
Bronze – Beka Guruli (Georgia) tech. fall Miguel Ugalde Aguilar (Mexico), 8-0
58 kg/128 lbs.
Gold – Mohsen Madhani (Iran)
Silver – Sonu Sonu (India)
Bronze – Serget Chigirev (Russia)
Bronze – Kosei Takeshita (Japan)
5th – Samuel Bellscheidt (Germany)
5th – Ivo Iliev (Bulgaria)
7th – Maxim Canter (Moldova)
8th – Adilet Sissembayev (Kazakhstan)
9th – Giorgi Shotadze (Georgia)
10th – Yahor Khakhlou (Belarus)
Gold – Mohsen Madhani (Iran) tech. fall Sonu Sonu (India), 14-3
Bronze – Kosei Takeshita (Japan) dec. Ivo Iliev (Bulgaria), 8-4
Bronze – Serget Chigirev (Russia) dec. Samuel Bellscheidt (Germany), 2-0
63 kg/139 lbs.
Gold – Dmytro Miroshnyk (Ukraine)
Silver – Mostafa Kayed Khordeh (Iran)
Bronze – Otar Abuladze (Georgia)
Bronze – Artem Erokhin (Russia)
5th – Rakhat Sagymbay (Kazakhstan)
5th – Nikalas Sulev (Bulgaria)
7th – Shant Khachatryan (Armenia)
8th – Dilshod Omongeldiyec (Uzbekistan)
9th – Leonardo Frrokaj (Albania)
10th – Mason Phillips (USA)
Gold – Dmytro Miroshnyk (Ukraine) dec. Mostafa Kayed Khordeh (Iran), 3-1
Bronze – Otar Abuladze (Georgia) tech. fall Rakhat Sagymbay (Kazakhstan), 9-0
Bronze – Artem Erokhin (Russia) dec. Nikalas Sulev (Bulgaria), 6-4
100 kg/220 lbs.
Gold – Cohlton Schultz (USA)
Silver – Balint Vatzi (Hungary)
Bronze – Oleksandr Yevdokimov (Ukraine)
Bronze – Seyedmojtaba Hosseini (Iran)
5th – Ciprian Trufan (Romania)
5th – Kantemir Shibzukhov (Russia)
7th – Mehmet Atci (Turkey)
8th – Aawesh Aawesh (India)
9th – Sarkhan Mammadov (Azerbaijan)
10th – Ignat Milenov (Bulgaria)
Gold – Cohlton Schultz (USA) dec. Balint Vatzi (Hungary), 3-1
Bronze – Oleksandr Yevdokimov (Ukraine) fall Ciprian Trufan (Romania), 3:09
Bronze – Seyedmojtaba Hosseini (Iran) dec. Kantemir Shibzukhov (Russia), 6-4
U.S. Greco-Roman results
50 kg/110 lbs. – Lucas Byrd, Cincinatti, Ohio (Team Ohio), 8th
WIN Yordan Ruzhdi Nedzhat (Bulgaria), fall 3:54
WIN Din Koshkar (Kazakhstan), 10-6
LOSS Vladimir Zabeyvorota (Russia), 6-4
54 kg/119 lbs. – Ridge Lovett, Post Falls, Idaho (Team Real Life), 7th
WIN Muhammed Acar (Turkey), fall 1:03
WIN Mohammed Hosseinvand (Iran), fall 1:21
58 kg/128 lbs. – Malik Johnson, Florissant, Mo. (Team Punishment), 15th
LOSS Mustafa Safa Yildirim (Turkey), 3-3
63 kg/139 lbs. – Mason Phillips, Stanwood, Wash. (Top Notch Training Center), 10th
WIN Shintaro Yoshinaga (Japan), 12-4
LOSS Shant Khachatryan (Armenia), 12-4
100 kg/220 lbs. – Cohlton Schultz, Parker, Colo. (New York AC), GOLD
WIN Edson Acuna Salazar (Mexico), fall 2:43
WIN Kantemir Shibzukhov (Russia), fall 3:40
WIN Seyedmojtaba Hosseini (Iran), 1-0
WIN Balint Vatzi (Hungary)
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