Mark Hall and Gable Steveson of Apple Valley won gold medals at wrestling's junior world championships in Tampere, Finland, while Mitch McKee of St. Michael finished with a silver medal.

Hall, who won an NCAA title last spring as a Penn State freshman, won his second consecutive world championship by pinning Isa Shapiev of Uzbekistan in 43 seconds in the 163-pound freestyle class. Steveson, a three-time state high school champion who will be a senior at Apple Valley this fall, beat Iran's Naeiim Hassanzadeh 5-1 at 264 pounds. McKee, who wrestles for the Gophers, was second in the 132-pound class.

Steveson's victory pushed the U.S. past Russia 68-67 for its first team title in junior men's freestyle since 1984.

RACHEL BLOUNT