By Gary Abbott
USA Wrestling
BUDAPEST, Hungary - With two more women’s freestyle medals on Oct. 25 and a Greco-Roman medal on Oct. 28 in Budapest, Hungary, USA Wrestling set a record for the most Senior-level World medals in a single year with 12 medals at the 2018 World Championships.

USA Wrestling ends its run in Budapest with four gold medals, three silver medals and five bronze medals.

Sarah Hildebrandt won a silver medal at 53 kg and Mallory Velte won a bronze medal at 62 kg, giving the USA four medals in the women’s freestyle competition.

Of those 12 medals, four were gold medals, won by Adeline Gray in women’s wrestling at 76 kg (her fourth career World title), plus three World gold medals in men’s freestyle by athletes who won their first career World titles, Kyle Dake at 79 kg, David Taylor, who was the Ohio and National winner of the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award in 2009, at 86 kg and J’den Cox, who was the Missouri and Central Region winner of the DSHSEA in 2013, at 92 kg. Adam Coon, who was the Michigan winner of the DSHSEA in 2013, won a silver medal in Greco-Roman and became the first World finalist for the U.S. since 2009, when Dremiel Byers took silver.

The previous record was 10 medals, which was shared with the U.S. World Teams in 1997, 1989 and 1991.

The 1979 World Championships were held in San Diego, California, and the USA won seven medals in men’s freestyle and three medals in Greco-Roman. Lee Kemp (men’s freestyle 74 kg), a Distinguished Member inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1990, was a World Champion in San Diego. The USA had five silver medals and four bronze medals.

The 1989 World Championships were held in Martingy, Switzerland in all three styles. Team USA won six men’s freestyle medals, one Greco-Roman medal and three women’s freestyle medals. Gold medals went to John Smith (62 kg freestyle), a Distinguished Member inducted in 1997, and Kenny Monday (74 kg freestyle), a Distinguished Member inducted in 2001. Overall, the team also had seven silver medals and one bronze medal.

The 1991 World Championships were held in Varna, Bulgaria for men’s freestyle and Greco-Roman, and in Tokyo, Japan in women’s freestyle. The USA had six men’s freestyle medals, two Greco-Roman medals and two women’s freestyle medals. Zeke Jones (52 kg freestyle), a Distinguished Member inducted in 2005; John Smith (62 kg freestyle) and Kevin Jackson (82 kg freestyle), a Distinguished Member inducted in 2003, won golds. In addition, the USA had seven silver medals.

The 2018 World Championships in Budapest has three more days of Greco-Roman action, with the possibility of the USA adding to its medal haul.

2018 – 11 medals
Freestyle - Joe Colon (bronze, 61 kg), Jordan Burroughs (bronze, 74 kg), Kyle Dake (gold, 79 kg), David Taylor (gold, 86 kg), J’den Cox (gold, 92 kg), Kyle Snyder (silver, 97 kg), Nick Gwiazdowski (bronze, 125 kg)
Greco-Roman – not yet completed
Women – Adeline Gray (gold, 76 kg), Sarah Hildebrandt (silver, 53 kg), Tamyra Mensah-Stock (bronze, 68 kg), Mallory Velte (bronze, 62 kg

1991- 10 medals
Freestyle – Zeke Jones (gold, 52 kg), Brad Penrith (silver, 57 kg), John Smith (gold, 62 kg), Kenny Monday (silver, 74 kg), Kevin Jackson (gold, 82 kg), Mark Coleman (silver, 100 kg)
Greco-Roman – Shawn Sheldon (silver, 52 kg), Matt Ghaffari (silver, 130 kg)
Women – Marie Prado (silver, 44 kg), Shannon Williams (silver, 50 kg),

1989 – 10 medals
Freestyle – John Smith (gold, 62 kg), Kenny Monday (gold, 74 kg), Melvin Douglas (silver, 82 kg), Jim Scherr (silver, 90 kg), Bill Scherr (silver, 100 kg), Bruce Baumgartner (silver, 130 kg)
Greco-Roman – Michial Foy (silver, 90 kg)
Women – Afsoon Roshanzamir (bronze, 47 kg), Asia DeWeese (silver, 50 kg), Leia Kawaii (silver, 70 kg)

1979 – 10 medals
Freestyle - Bobby Weaver (silver, 48 kg), Jimmy Haines (silver, 52 kg), Joe Corso (bronze, 57 kg), Andre Metzger (bronze, 62 kg), Lee Kemp (gold,74 kg), John Peterson (silver, 82 kg), Russ Hellickson (silver, 100 kg)
Greco-Roman – Abdurahim Kuzu (silver, 62 kg), Brad Rheingans (bronze, 100 kg), Bob Walker (bronze, UNL)