The following is a press release courtesy of Iowa State athletics communications.
TALLINN, Estonia – Iowa State freshman David Carr can add Junior World Champion to his already long list of accolades. Carr took out Japan’s Jintaro Motoyama, 5-4, to become Iowa State’s first-ever Junior World Champion.
74 kg Finals
To reach the top of the podium, Carr would face Japan’s Motoyama, who is an U23 World Bronze Medalist. Motoyama jumped out to a 1-0 lead on an early push-out, but Carr notched a takedown to hold a 2-1 advantage at the break.
Carr was put on the shot clock midway through the second, but scored another takedown to extend his lead to 4-1. With under a minute to go in the match, Motoyama scored on two push outs, bringing the match score to 4-4. After a failed Japan challenge, Carr was crowned Junior World Champion at 74 kilograms behind a 5-4 victory over Motoyama.
Day One
In the semifinals, Carr was pitted against 2018 Junior World Champion (70kg) Khadzhimurad Gadzhiyev of Azerbaijan. Arguably Carr’s toughest opponent of the day proved to be light work for the Canton, Ohio, native. Carr struck first on a low single and laced up Gadzhiyev, putting the Azerbaijan wrestler through a series of turns to win the match 10-0 in a mere 0:43.
In Carr’s second match of the tournament, he rolled past Iran’s Mohammad Nokhodilarimi 16-7. He trailed initially, giving up the first takedown of the match, but Carr came roaring back, scoring a takedown and a series of turns to take a 10-2 advantage. Nokhodilarimi did not go quietly, cutting the match score to 12-7 with under a minute to go. Carr iced away the Iranian with a pair of late takedowns and pressed on to the semifinals.
Carr’s first test of Junior Worlds was in his very first match, taking on Russia’s 2018 Junior World Bronze Medalist, Devid Betanov. Carr was solid in defending Betanov’s attack and using it to create his own offense. He advanced to the quarterfinals with a 4-0 victory over the Russian.
History Made
-With his first-place finish at the Junior Worlds, Carr becomes the the first Cyclone to earn a Gold Medal at the Junior World Championships. He joins Zach Thompson (Silver, 1998 – 90kg) as the only other Cardinal and Gold grappler to earn a Junior World Medal.
-2019 marks the fourth straight year that the United States has had a wrestler win the 74 kg Junior Freestyle title (Mark Hall, 2016-17 and Makhi Lewis, 2018). Both Hall and Lewis went on to win national titles during their redshirt freshman campaigns.
-Carr becomes the 17th Junior Freestyle World Gold Medalist in USA Wrestling history.
– Since 2009, seven wrestlers have won Junior World Gold Medals (Dom Bradley, Dayton Fix, Mark Hall, Spencer Lee, Makhi Lewis, Kyle Snyder and Gable Steveson). Those seven have combined for 14 All-America honors and nine individual national titles.
