Jimenez Wins Silver To Lead Lehigh Contingent At U20 World Championships

SAMAKOV, Bulgaria – Four members of the Lehigh women's wrestling team competed at the UWW U20 World Championships this week, with competition for the Mountain Hawks contingent wrapping up Friday. Audrey Jimenez won her fifth career world medal, earning silver at 50 kg. Incoming first-years Aubre Krazer (59 kg) and Abbi Cooper (53 kg) finished fifth in their respective weight classes. First-year Mary Manis competed for Greece, going 0-1 at 62 kg.

Jimenez rolled into the gold medal match behind three technical superiority victories on Thursday. She needed just 16 seconds to defeat Adriana Daniseviciute of Lithuania 10-0 and then defeated Na Hu of China by the same 10-0 score. In the semifinals, Jimenez fell behind Ukraine's Diana Rysova 1-0 before a takedown and four leg laces gave Jimenez a 10-1 advantage. Rysova cut the deficit to 10-3 before a takedown and turn secured a 14-3 victory and a spot in the finals.

In Friday's gold medal match, Jimenez opened the scoring with a takedown only to see Japan's Rinka Ogawa answer with a takedown and two-point exposure to take a 4-2 lead. Jimenez spent most of the first period fighting to avoid giving up the fall and trailed by just two at the break. Ogawa scored four more points in the second period, with Jimenez credited with a late reversal. A failed USA challenge made the final score 9-3 for Ogawa, as Jimenez settled for a silver medal.

Both Krazer and Cooper reached the semifinal arounds before running into tough opponents from Japan. Krazer kicked off the tournament for the Lehigh women Tuesday posting an 11-1 technical fall and then 10-3 and 9-1 decisions to reach the semifinals. In the semis, Krazer faced two-time age group world champion Sakura Onishi, who scored three takedowns and added two leg laces for a 10-0 victory.

In the bronze medal match, Krazer faced China's Yifan Zhu, who scored the first takedown. Krazer got on the board with a step out but Zhu added two point exposure to go up 4-1. A Krazer takedown brought her within 4-3, with a failed challenge making the final score 5-3 for Zhu, with Krazer claiming fifth place.

Cooper wrestled her qualification matches on Thursday posting a pair of 10-0 technical superiority wins to reach the semifinals. She faced Japan's Natsumi Masuda in the semis, with Matsuda going up 5-0 before securing the fall at the 2:30 mark.

The wrestlers from Japan who beat Jimenez, Krazer and Cooper all went on to win gold medals.

Cooper faced Kseniya Kostsenich, a Russian competing under the United World Wrestling banner, in the bronze medal bout. Things started well for Cooper, scored two takedowns and an exposure to go up 6-0. An exchange of scoring had Cooper up 10-2 at the break. In the second period Kostsenich came back with a pair of four-point moves sandwiched around a step out, as she rallied to top Cooper 11-10, with Cooper settling for fifth place.

Manis wrestled her only bout Wednesday morning, losing by fall to Annika Fines from Canada. When Fines lost her next match. Manis was eliminated from the competition.

Jimenez will be back on the mats next month, when she represents the United States at the Senior World Championships, Sept. 13-21 in Zagreb, Croatia.

Lehigh University Athletics

Jimenez Wins Silver To Lead Lehigh Contingent At U20 World Championships

Players Mentioned

Abbi Cooper

Audrey Jimenez

Aubre Krazer

Mary Manis

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