University of Minnesota Athletics
Ortiz Makes International Debut
7/20/2010 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
BUDAPEST, Hungary - Minnesota redshirt freshman Alec Ortiz made his international Greco-Roman wrestling debut at the FILA Junior World Championships in Budapest, Hungary on Tuesday in a tough opening round loss to an experienced European grappler.
Competing at 74 kilograms/163 lbs., Ortiz (Grand Ronde, Ore.) dropped his opener to Toghrul Yunuslu of Azerbaijan, 0-1, 3-0, 0-2. Yunuslu, who posted consecutive fifth-place finishes at the Junior World Championships in 2008-09, won the first period on a takedown before Ortiz came back to win the second period with a three-point front headlock roll. However, Yunuslu won the third period by scoring two takedowns while defending offensive attempts by Ortiz. Ortiz was eliminated from the competition when Yunuslu lost his next match to Japan's Tsubasa Fukuda.
Ortiz qualified for his first-ever international event by winning the FILA Junior Greco-Roman National Championships last May - an event that he had previously recorded three-consecutive second-place finishes at before capturing the 74-kilogram national championship this year.
The four-time Oregon state champion posted a 15-6 mark last year in open meets while redshirting for Minnesota.
