KUORTANE, Finland — Competing in just his second overseas tournament, the Cliff Keen Wrestling Club’s Jimmy Kennedy took seventh place in the 60kg/132-pound freestyle division at the University World Championships on Tuesday (Oct. 2) at the Main Sports Arena.
Kennedy posted a 1-1 record, pinning Canada’s James Mancini in the first round before falling to Moldova’s Andrei Perpelita, 1-0, 0-1, 3-2, in the quarterfinals. He was eliminated from the competition when Perpelita lost in the semifinals to eventual champion Vasyl Shuptar of Ukraine.
Kennedy previously defeated Shaptar during the CKWC’s training trip to Ukraine last February.
The CKWC wrestler cruised past Mancini in his first match, winning 4-0 in the first period before pinning him midway through the second frame. Kennedy boasts a 3-0 freestyle record against the Canadian.
In the quarterfinals, Kennedy lost a first-period clinch on a challenge from the Moldova corner but evened the score with a single-leg takedown in the second. He held an initial lead in the third period after an early pushout but was taken down and leglaced twice in the final 20 seconds to lose the advantage. He scored on a late takedown to narrow the final score.
Kennedy will head to Grozny, Russia, to compete in the Ramzan Kadirov of Adlan Varaev tournament on Saturday, Oct. 13 before returning to the United States.
CKWC RESULTS
Jimmy Kennedy, 60kg/132 pounds
First Round – pinned James Mancini (Canada), 4-0, 1:07
Quarterfinals – dec. by Andrei Perpelita (Moldova), 1-0, 0-1, 3-2
Placed seventh with a 1-1 record
