Brent Metcalf (Davison, Mich./New York AC) won a first-period clinch from defense, then opened up his offense in the second period to score a technical fall over Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va./Sunkist Kids) in the Main Event of the seven-match card of wrestling bouts during the 2010 Beat the Streets Gala on Thursday, May 13.

The event will be held outdoors on the flight deck on the USS Intrepid, an aircraft carrier which is docked on the west side of Manhattan in New York City. Thousands of wrestling fans packed the area around the mat, with the city skyline in the background.

Each year, the Beat the Streets Gala is held to celebrate wrestling and raise funds for Beat the Streets Wrestling, Inc., the successful program which has provided wrestling opportunities for thousands of middle school and high school students in New York City.

“We have raised over $900,000 tonight,” said Mike Novogratz, organizer of the event and the U.S. Freestyle World Team Leader. “All of the money will go to send kids to camp and to support our coaches.”

Metcalf, from the Univ. of Iowa, met Bubba Jenkins, then at Penn State, four times in college, winning each time. Included was a victory in the 2008 NCAA finals. Metcalf’s college career has ended with two NCAA titles and a runner-up finish. Jenkins will be a senior next year at Arizona State.

It was the first time that Metcalf and Jenkins met in freestyle. Both have great freestyle backgrounds. Metcalf was a 2009 U.S. Open runner-up, and Jenkins was a 2007 Junior World Champion.

The first period was scoreless, and Jenkins won the ball pull and grabbed the leg on the clinch. Jenkins tried to get Metcalf down to the mat, but Metcalf scored a two-point counter crotch lift to win the period, 2-0.

The second period, Metcalf was in control more, scoring a takedown early, earning some exposure points, and winning by a 6-0 technical fall.

It was the final bout of a seven-match card, which included middle school and high school matches featuring New York City youth wrestlers, then also featured all three international styles.

Two members of the 2008 U.S. Olympic freestyle team won matches, Ben Askren (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) at 74 kg/163 lbs. and Andy Hrovat (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs.

Askren defeated Moza Fay (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC), 2-0, 9-2. Askren had some amazing counters to come out with the first-period win, then was able to open up his offense in the second period for a technical fall.

Hrovat needed three periods to defeat Kyle Cerminara (Philadelphia, Pa./New York AC), 0-5, 2-1, 7-1. Cerminara won the upperbody positions to dominate the opening period, but Hrovat edged him in the second period to force a deciding third period. Hrovat was able to score exposure points from the mat to score a technical fall to win the match.

Perhaps the wildest match of the night was in Greco-Roman, when Ellis Coleman (Oak Park, Ill./New York AC) edged 2008 Olympian Spenser Mango (St. Louis, Mo./New York AC) in three periods, 5-3, 1-6, 2-1. Coleman won the first period on a five-point throw. Mango won the second period with two three-point throws. With Mango holding the edge in a 1-1 tie late in the third period, Coleman used a gymnastic twist move to score the winning takedown point to beat Mango. The athletes normally compete at different weight classes, with Coleman at 66 kg and Mango at 55 kg.

The women’s freestyle match ended in an exciting manner, when Leigh Jaynes (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) suddenly pinned Kelsey Campbell (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids). Campbell won the first period 1-0, and was in on a shot in the second period when Jaynes countered for exposure and the fall.

The evening began with a pair of folkstyle matches featuring New York City talent. The Middle School match at 135 pounds went to Will Wilson of the Lions WC of Staten Island, who beat Shateek Palmer of Roosevelt Island Middle School in Manhattan. In the High School bout at 150 pounds, Jorge Jimenez of Herbert Lehman High School in the Bronx defeated Andre Antoine of Sheepshead Bay High School in Brooklyn, N.Y.

This is the seventh Beat the Streets Gala event, which have all been successful fundraisers for New York City wrestling. It was the first time that there was a wrestling card included with the event.

BEAT THE STREETS GALA
Battle on the Intrepid
At New York, N.Y., May 13, 2010

Middle School 135 lbs. –Will Wilson dec. Shateek Palmer
High School 150 lbs. – Jorge Jimenez dec. Andre Antoine
Women’s freestyle 59 kg – Leigh Jaynes pin Kelsey Campbell, 0-1, 0:41
Greco-Roman 66 kg –Ellis Coleman dec. Spenser Mango, 5-3, 1-6, 2-1
Men’s freestyle 74 kg – Ben Askren dec. Moza Fay, 2-0, 9-2
Men’s freestyle 96 kg – Andy Hrovat dec. Kyle Cerminara, 0-5, 2-1, 7-1

MAIN EVENT – Men’s freestyle 66 kg – Brent Metcalf dec. Bubba Jenkins, 2-0, 6-0

By Gary Abbott USA Wrestling 05/13/2010