MACON, France — For the second time in her career, Campbellsville's Kayla Miracle is a Junior World Championship medalist.
 
Miracle, wrestling for Sunkist Kids, won the 2016 bronze medal for Team USA as the first day of the women's freestyle competition came to a close on Thursday afternoon at the 2016 Junior World Championships.
 
In addition to Miracle, the U.S. picked up another bronze medal from Alexis Porter. The American duo proved resilient coming off emotional semifinal losses from earlier in the day to push the U.S. medal count up to four after three days of wrestling in France.
 
Miracle advanced to the semifinal round with two strong wins to open the competition. She scored a 10-0 tech fall and a pin to qualify for the 59 kg/130 lbs. semis.
 
In that semifinal bout, though, Miracle dropped a back-and-fourth affair to 2015 Cadet World champion Anhelina Lysak of Ukraine. After trailing 1-0 at the end of the first period, Miracle rallied in the second with two takedowns to take a 4-1 lead. But after a late four-point throw by Lysak, Miracle ultimately fell, 6-5.
 
Now moving into the consolation bracket, Miracle secured her second Junior World bronze with a controlled 2-0 win over 2016 Junior Asian bronze medalist Nabira Esenbaeva of Uzbekistan at 59 kg/130 lbs. Both of Miracle's points came off shot clock penalties against Esenbaeva.
 
"I didn't get the gold like I wanted. I know I could be up there right now," said Miracle. "They're wrestling the gold medal match and that could be me. I've made so many strides this summer and the last few years that I'm the best wrestler I've been to this day. That's alright, and if I keep improving like this, a Junior World medal isn't anything compared, you know, to a potential Olympic gold."
 
Miracle will return to the U.S. and prepare for the college season with aspirations of winning her third WCWA national title as a junior for CU. She was the 58 kg fourth-place finisher at the U.S Olympic Team Trials in April.
 
59 kg/130 lbs.
Gold – Yuzuru Kumano (Japan)
Silver – Anhelina Lysak (Ukraine)
Bronze – Xingru Pei (China)
Bronze – Kayla Miracle (United States)
5th – Madina Bakbergenova (Kazakhstan)
5th – Nabira Esenbaeva (Uzbekistan)
7th – Veranika Ivanova (Belarus)
8th – Derya Bayhan (Turkey)
9th – Emma Johansson (Sweden)
10th – Maria Kotsareva (Russia)
 
Gold – Yuzuru Kumano (Japan) fall Anhelina Lysak (Ukraine)
Bronze – Xingru Pei (China) fall Madina Bakbergenova (Kazakhstan)
Bronze – Kayla Miracle (United States) dec. Nabira Esenbaeva (Uzbekistan), 2-0


Information from this story was provided by USA Wrestling's Richard Immell. 
Photo Credit: Justin Hoch