OSLO, Norway - Seven members of Sunkist represented the Valley in the UWW Senior World Championships in Oslo, Norway over the past week. Jordan Burroughs and Helen Maroulis, both Olympians, won gold medals in their respective freestyle competitions, while Kayla Miracle earned silver and Forrest Molinari and G'Angelo Hancock took home the bronze. Maya Nelson was a semifinalist, and current Sun Devil Cohlton Schultz was eliminated in the opening round.
Schultz was the lone competitor for Sunkist and Arizona State, competing in the 130kg Greco-Roman weight class. He came up short in the first round versus Iakobi Kajaia of Georgia, who was a silver medal recipient in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Kajaia would go on to earn bronze.
Burroughs defeated Samuel Barmish of Canada in victory by technical superiority in the qualifying round before defeating Bolat Sakayev of Kazahkstan by forfeit and Radik Valiev of the Russian Wrestling Foundation by points to advance to the semifinals. Burroughs then went on to defeat his next two opponents from Japan and Iran by points to win the gold medal in the 79kg men's freestyle competition. The win was his fifth World Championships crown
Maroulis, who won a bronze medal in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, collected her third consecutive World Championships gold medal after winning by fall versus Jeannie Kessler of Austria. She won back-to-back bouts via victory by points to advance to the finals where she defeated Anshu Anshu from India to win the gold medal in the 57kg weight class for women's freestyle.
Hancock and Molinari finished with bronze medals. Molinari competed in the 65 kg weight class for Women's Freestyle where she won by fall in the qualifying round before she went on a path to the semifinals after winning by technical superiority and points. After losing by points in the semifinals, Molinari bounced back and won the bronze medal by technical superiority against Maryia Mamashuk from Belarus. Hancock competed in the 97kg class for Men's Freestyle where he won by victory of injury and points before advancing to the semifinals where he was defeated by Alex Szoke of Hungary.
Miracle, who was competing in her second World Team, made it to the championship match where she defeated her first two competitors from Mongolia and the RWF by technical superiority. Against her semifinal opponent from Brazil, Miracle won by victory-by-points before being defeated in the championship match by points.
Men's Freestyle
79 kg – Jordan Burroughs (Philadelphia, Pa./Pennsylvania RTC/Sunkist Kids), Gold medalist
Jordan Burroughs (USA) def. Samuel Barmish (Canada), VSU 10-0
Jordan Burroughs (USA) def. Bolat Sakayev (Kazakhstan), VFO 0-0
Jordan Burroughs (USA) def. Radik Valiev (RWF), VPO1 9-4
Jordan Burroughs (USA) def. Ryuki Yoshida (Japan), VPO1 10-1
Jordan Burroughs (USA) def. Mohammad Nokhodilarimi (Iran) VPO1, 5-1
97 kg – G'Angelo Hancock (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids), Bronze medalist
G'Angelo Hancock (USA) def. Gerard Kurniczak (Poland), VIN 2-0
G'Angelo Hancock (USA) def. Kiril Milov (Bulgaria), VPO 6-0
Alex Szoke (Hungary) def. G'Angelo Hancock (USA), VPO1 4-4
Women's Freestyle
57 kg – Helen Maroulis (Rockville, Md./Sunkist Kids), Gold medalist
Helen Maroulis (USA) def. Jeannie Kessler (Austria), VFA 5-0
Helen Maroulis (USA) def. Veronika Chumikova (RWF), VPO1 10-1
Helen Maroulis (USA) def. Sae Nanjo (Japan), VPO1 6-3
Helen Maroulis (USA) def. Anshu Anshu (India), VFA 4-1
59 kg – Maya Nelson (Denver, Colo., Sunkist Kids), Semifinalist
Maya Nelson (USA) def. Ebru Dagbasi (Turkey), VPO 7-0
Maya Nelson (USA) def. Krystsina Sazykina (Belarus), VFA 8-2
Akie Hanai (Japan) def. Maya Nelson (USA), VPO1 4-1
62 kg – Kayla Miracle (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids), Silver medalist
Kayla Miracle (USA) def. Gantuya Enkhbat (Mongolia), VSU1 14-4
Kayla Miracle (USA) def. Alina Kasabieva (RWF), VSU1 13-2
Kayla Miracle (USA) def. Lais Nunes de Oliveira (Brazil), VPO 2-0
Aisuluu Tynybekova (Kyrgyzstan) def. Kayla Miracle, VPO 7-0
65 kg – Forrest Molinari (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids), Bronze medalist
Forrest Molinari def. Enkhjin Tuvshinjargal (Malaysia), VFA 5-0
Forrest Molinari (USA) def. Dinara Kudaeva Salikhova (RWF), VSU 10-0
Forrest Molinari (USA) def. Koumba Larroque (France), VPO1 3-3
Miwa Morikawa (Japan) def. Forrest Molinari (USA), VPO1 6-2
Forrest Molinari def. Maryia Mamashuk (Belarus), VSU1 12-1
Greco-Roman
130kg- Cohlton Schultz (Parker, Colo./Sunkist Kids)
Iakobi Kajaia (Georgia) def. Cohlton Schultz (USA), VPO1 5-3
Schultz was the lone competitor for Sunkist and Arizona State, competing in the 130kg Greco-Roman weight class. He came up short in the first round versus Iakobi Kajaia of Georgia, who was a silver medal recipient in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Kajaia would go on to earn bronze.
Burroughs defeated Samuel Barmish of Canada in victory by technical superiority in the qualifying round before defeating Bolat Sakayev of Kazahkstan by forfeit and Radik Valiev of the Russian Wrestling Foundation by points to advance to the semifinals. Burroughs then went on to defeat his next two opponents from Japan and Iran by points to win the gold medal in the 79kg men's freestyle competition. The win was his fifth World Championships crown
Maroulis, who won a bronze medal in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, collected her third consecutive World Championships gold medal after winning by fall versus Jeannie Kessler of Austria. She won back-to-back bouts via victory by points to advance to the finals where she defeated Anshu Anshu from India to win the gold medal in the 57kg weight class for women's freestyle.
Hancock and Molinari finished with bronze medals. Molinari competed in the 65 kg weight class for Women's Freestyle where she won by fall in the qualifying round before she went on a path to the semifinals after winning by technical superiority and points. After losing by points in the semifinals, Molinari bounced back and won the bronze medal by technical superiority against Maryia Mamashuk from Belarus. Hancock competed in the 97kg class for Men's Freestyle where he won by victory of injury and points before advancing to the semifinals where he was defeated by Alex Szoke of Hungary.
Miracle, who was competing in her second World Team, made it to the championship match where she defeated her first two competitors from Mongolia and the RWF by technical superiority. Against her semifinal opponent from Brazil, Miracle won by victory-by-points before being defeated in the championship match by points.
Men's Freestyle
79 kg – Jordan Burroughs (Philadelphia, Pa./Pennsylvania RTC/Sunkist Kids), Gold medalist
Jordan Burroughs (USA) def. Samuel Barmish (Canada), VSU 10-0
Jordan Burroughs (USA) def. Bolat Sakayev (Kazakhstan), VFO 0-0
Jordan Burroughs (USA) def. Radik Valiev (RWF), VPO1 9-4
Jordan Burroughs (USA) def. Ryuki Yoshida (Japan), VPO1 10-1
Jordan Burroughs (USA) def. Mohammad Nokhodilarimi (Iran) VPO1, 5-1
97 kg – G'Angelo Hancock (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids), Bronze medalist
G'Angelo Hancock (USA) def. Gerard Kurniczak (Poland), VIN 2-0
G'Angelo Hancock (USA) def. Kiril Milov (Bulgaria), VPO 6-0
Alex Szoke (Hungary) def. G'Angelo Hancock (USA), VPO1 4-4
Women's Freestyle
57 kg – Helen Maroulis (Rockville, Md./Sunkist Kids), Gold medalist
Helen Maroulis (USA) def. Jeannie Kessler (Austria), VFA 5-0
Helen Maroulis (USA) def. Veronika Chumikova (RWF), VPO1 10-1
Helen Maroulis (USA) def. Sae Nanjo (Japan), VPO1 6-3
Helen Maroulis (USA) def. Anshu Anshu (India), VFA 4-1
59 kg – Maya Nelson (Denver, Colo., Sunkist Kids), Semifinalist
Maya Nelson (USA) def. Ebru Dagbasi (Turkey), VPO 7-0
Maya Nelson (USA) def. Krystsina Sazykina (Belarus), VFA 8-2
Akie Hanai (Japan) def. Maya Nelson (USA), VPO1 4-1
62 kg – Kayla Miracle (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids), Silver medalist
Kayla Miracle (USA) def. Gantuya Enkhbat (Mongolia), VSU1 14-4
Kayla Miracle (USA) def. Alina Kasabieva (RWF), VSU1 13-2
Kayla Miracle (USA) def. Lais Nunes de Oliveira (Brazil), VPO 2-0
Aisuluu Tynybekova (Kyrgyzstan) def. Kayla Miracle, VPO 7-0
65 kg – Forrest Molinari (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids), Bronze medalist
Forrest Molinari def. Enkhjin Tuvshinjargal (Malaysia), VFA 5-0
Forrest Molinari (USA) def. Dinara Kudaeva Salikhova (RWF), VSU 10-0
Forrest Molinari (USA) def. Koumba Larroque (France), VPO1 3-3
Miwa Morikawa (Japan) def. Forrest Molinari (USA), VPO1 6-2
Forrest Molinari def. Maryia Mamashuk (Belarus), VSU1 12-1
Greco-Roman
130kg- Cohlton Schultz (Parker, Colo./Sunkist Kids)
Iakobi Kajaia (Georgia) def. Cohlton Schultz (USA), VPO1 5-3