Former Benicia High wrestling star Forrest Molinari got a chance to compete against some of the best grapplers in the world last week at the 2015 Junior Wrestling World Championships in Salvador, Brazil.

Molinari – a 2013 BHS graduate who helped King University in Toronto, Canada, repeat as WCWA and NWCA National Dual national champions last season – wrestled in the 67kg/147.5 pound weight class at the Junior World Championships. She opened the tournament with a pin over Canada’s Alison Carrow in the round of eight. Molinari trailed 2-0 after the first period but tied things up with a takedown in the second period and later nailed a counter hiptoss to secure the fall.

In the quarterfinals, Molinari trailed Asli Tugcu of Turkey, 2-1, when there was a scramble on the edge. Officials called it a pushout and gave a point to Tugcu, but the U.S. team protested, and upon review the scoring was changed, giving Molinari a takedown and a 3-2 lead. Tugcu, however, scored a counter takedown with 30 seconds left in the match and won 4-3 to eliminate Molinari.

Sharing is caring!