MINSK, Belarus — The Cliff Keen Wrestling Club’s Jimmy Kennedy completed his three-week overseas tour with a silver-medal performance at the prestigious Alexander Medved International on Friday (March 1) at the Minsk Sports Palace.
Kennedy posted a 4-1 record en route to silver at 60kg/132 pounds, falling to Russia’s Rustam Abdurashidov, 1-0, 0-7, 1-0, in the championship final. Kennedy lost the first and third periods in the clinch. He posted back-to-back pins in the quarterfinals and semifinals — against Slovakia’s Mikola Solodnjuk and Russia’s Nyurtyn Skryadin.
“Jimmy wrestled very well,” said CKWC coach Andy Hrovat. “He is just solid in all his positions. In those matches where he earned pins, he was just too strong for his opponents. I had several Russian coaches coming up to me and telling me how much they like Jimmy’s style and believe that he is really good. But in order to make the U.S. team, he will need to keep sharpening up his skills. He’s right there, and I’m confident that by the U.S. Open, he’ll make that next jump.”
It is Kennedy’s fourth freestyle medal in just a six-month span, adding to bronze the Kadyrov Cup, gold at the NYAC Holiday Open and gold at the Guelph Open.
He was one of seven U.S. medalists at the Medved International. Jordan Burroughs and Tervel Dlagnev captured gold at 74kg/163 pounds and 120kg/264.5 pounds, respectively, while Jon Reader claimed bronze at 84kg/185 pounds, David Zabriskie and Wynn Michalak took silver and bronze at 96kg/211 pounds and Zach Rey claimed bronze at 120.
CKWC’s Kellen Russell posted a 1-1 record in his first overseas competition, defeating Russian Constantin Vlasov in the 66kg/145.5-pound first round before falling to Olympian Khtuyor Nazruzov of Uzbekistan. Nazruzov did not make it to the finals, eliminating Russell from the tournament.
“Kellen also wrestled well,” said Hrovat. “He’s still feeling out some of these funky wrestlers. He’s learning a lot from each of these experiences. I think it’s a big positive that he sees Jimmy having success. That should give him confidence. He’ll be ready for the U.S. Open.”
CKWC RESULTS
Jimmy Kennedy, 60kg/132 pounds
First Round – dec. Dyulsultan Basov (Russia)
Second Round – dec. Nikolai Noev (Tajikistan)
Quarterfinals – pinned Mikola Solodnjuk (Slovakia)
Semifinals – pinned Nyurtyn Skryadin (Russia)
Final – dec. by Rustam Abdurashidov (Russia)
Finished in second place with a 4-1 record
Kellen Russell, 66kg/145.5 pounds
First Round – dec. Constantin Vlasov (Russia)
Second Round – dec. by Khtuyor Nazruzov (Uzbekistan)
Eliminated with a 1-1 record
