USA Men's Freestyle Becomes First Team in History to Win Every Pan Am Weight

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – The United States won all eight available gold medals on Sunday night at the 2019 Pan American Championships. With the U.S. winning the first two men’s freestyle weights yesterday, it becomes the first time in history that a team has won every gold in a specific style at the Pan Am Championships.

In the team scoring, USA collected 250 points, followed by Canada with 129 points and Cuba with 115 points.

The United States won six of its eight finals by tech fall.

Leading the way was 2018 World champion David TAYLOR (USA), who earned the Outstanding Wrestler award after a strong performance at 86 kg.

In the finals, Taylor defeated Pedro CEBALLOS FUENTES (VEN) with a 10-0 shut out to snatch his second-straight Pan Am title.

Also winning his second in a row was two-time World bronze medalist Nick GWIAZDOWSKI (USA) at 125 kg, who scored a 10-0 win against Korey JARVIS (CAN).

Four-time World champion and 2012 Olympic champion Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) won his third-career Pan Am title on Sunday.

In an entertaining battle with 2015 Pan Am silver medalist Jevon BALFOUR (CAN), Burroughs pulled out a 7-0 win for the crown at 74 kg.

Kyle SNYDER (USA), 2016 Olympic champion and two-time World champion, also earned his second Pan Am title, winning by injury default over Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB) at 97 kg.

Others claiming golds for the USA were Josh RODRIGUEZ at 57 kg, Joe COLON at 61 kg, Colton MCCRYSTAL at 65 kg and Anthony ASHNAULT at 70 kg.

Final team standings

1. USA – 250

2. Canada – 129

3. Cuba – 115

4. Puerto Rico – 72

5. Venezuela – 68

6. Argentina – 53

7. Colombia – 48

8. Brazil – 41

9. Dominican Republic – 37

10. Peru – 37

Final results

57 kg

GOLD - Joshua RODRIGUEZ (USA) TF Oscar TIGREROS URBANO (COL), 10-0

BRONZE - Pedro MEJIAS RODRIGUEZ (VEN) TF Daniel ALVES DO NASCIMENTO (BRA), 10-0

BRONZE – Reineri ANDREU ORTEGA (CUB) dec. Darthe CAPELLAN (CAN), 4-0

61 kg

GOLD – Joe COLON (USA)

SILVER – Yowlys BONNE RODRIGUEZ (CUB)

BRONZE – Scott SCHILLER (CAN)

65 kg

GOLD - Colton MCCRYSTAL (USA) TF Damian SOLENZAL LOPEZ (CUB), 12-1

BRONZE - Mauricio SANCHEZ SALTOS (ECU) dec. Daniel BRIOSO (DOM), 9-5

BRONZE – Agustin DESTRIBATS (ARG) TF Sixto AUCCAPINA PEDRAGAS (PER), 16-5

70 kg

GOLD - Anthony ASHNAULT (USA)

SILVER - Nicholas ROWE (CAN)

BRONZE - Mitchel TAIPE DUANAMA (PER)

74 kg

GOLD - Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) dec. Jevon BALFOUR (CAN), 7-0

BRONZE - Franklin GOMEZ MATOS (PUR) TF Adonis ARROYO (VEN), 10-0

BRONZE – Julio RODRIGUEZ ROMERO (DOM) TF Jorge DESPAIGNE LAGAR (CUB), 10-0

86 kg

GOLD - David TAYLOR III (USA) TF Pedro CEBALLOS FUENTES (VEN), 10-0

BRONZE - Lazaro HERNANDEZ LUIS (CUB) TF Meruzhan NIKOYAN (ARG), 10-0

BRONZE – Alexander MOORE (CAN) TF Christian ANGUIANO FLORES (MEX), 11-0

97 kg

GOLD - Kyle SNYDER (USA) df. Reineris SALAS PEREZ (CUB), injury default

BRONZE - Jose DIAZ ROBERTTI (VEN) TF Maxwell LACEY GARITA (CRC), 10-0

BRONZE – Evan RAMOS (PUR) dec. Jordan STEEN (CAN), 8-5

125 kg

GOLD - Nicholas GWIAZDOWSKI (USA) TF Korey JARVIS (CAN), 10-0

BRONZE - Oscar PINO HINDS (CUB) df. Eduardo GARCIA BETANZOS (MEX), fall

BRONZE - Antoine BRAGA ABOU JAOUDE (BRA) TF Jorge MEDINA ARROYO (ECU), 12-1

USA IN WOMEN TOO

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – Lais NUNES DE OLIVEIRA (BRA) won the 62 kg women’s freestyle Pan Am Championships title on Saturday night, avenging a loss from World Championships to Mallory VELTE (USA).

Nunes de Oliveira fell short of a World bronze medal in October, losing to Velte in the bronze-medal match, 2-1. Today, she flipped the result in her favor, claiming a 6-1 decision over the American in the Pan Am finals.

The U.S. did, however, win three individual titles and a team title on Saturday.

At 53 kg, 2018 World silver medalist Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA) defeated 2011 Junior World bronze medalist Luisa VALVERDE MELENDRES (ECU) with a 10-0 tech fall.

Winning the championship at 68 kg was 2018 World bronze medalist Tamyra MENSAH-STOCK (USA), who pinned 2018 U23 World champion Yudari SANCHEZ RODRIGUEZ (CUB) in 1:33.

Just a few matches later, four-time World champion Adeline GRAY (USA) picked up a win by fall also, with a pin over Genesis REASCO VALDEZ (ECU) in 1:20 for the 76 kg gold.

Cuba and Ecuador also earned champions on Saturday night.

At 50 kg, 2016 Junior Pan American champion Yusneylys GUZMAN LOPEZ (CUB) edged out three-time Junior World medalist Erin GOLSTON (USA), scoring a takedown and step out in the first period for a 3-0 win.

Two-time Olympian Lissette ANTES CASTILLO (ECU) won the 57 kg bracket, pinning Hannah TAYLOR (CAN) in 1:32, helping Team Ecuador to a third-place finish.

In men’s freestyle, Chandler ROGERS (USA) and J’den COX (USA) won the two gold medals of the night, both registering pins in their final matches.

Rogers stuck Francisco GUZMAN VELASQUEZ (PUR), while 2018 World champion Cox tallied a 13-second pin over Diego RAMIREZ FLORENTIN (PAR).

Final women’s freestyle team standings

1. USA – 200

2. Canada – 167

3. Ecuador – 89

4. Brazil – 89

5. Cuba – 86

6. Peru – 54

7. Venezuela – 52

8. Argentina – 47

9. Puerto Rico – 45

10. Mexico – 45

Final women’s freestyle results

50 kg

GOLD - Yusneylys GUZMAN LOPEZ (CUB) dec. Erin GOLSTON (USA), 3-0

BRONZE - Thalia MALLQUI PECHE (PER) dec. Jacqueline MOLLOCANA ELENO (ECU), 10-7

BRONZE - Patricia BERMUDEZ (ARG) df. Mariana DIAZ MUNOZ (MEX), fall

53 kg

GOLD - Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA) TF Luisa VALVERDE MELENDRES (ECU), 10-0

BRONZE - Diana WEICKER (CAN) dec. Carolina CASTILLO HIDALGO (COL), 6-3

BRONZE - Lilianet DUANES ANDRES (CUB) TF Justina BENITES VASQUEZ (PER), 10-0

57 kg

GOLD - Lissette ANTES CASTILLO (ECU) df. Hannah TAYLOR (CAN), fall 1:32

BRONZE - Jacarra WINCHESTER (USA) df. Yessica OVIEDO PEREZ (DOM), fall 5:54

BRONZE - Betzabeth SARCO COLMENAREZ (VEN) dec. Nes RODRIGUEZ TIRADO (PUR), 5-4

62 kg

GOLD - Lais NUNES DE OLIVEIRA (BRA) dec. Mallory VELTE (USA), 6-1

BRONZE - Nathaly GRIMAN HERRERA (VEN) df. Yaquelin ESTORNELL ELIZASTIGUE (CUB), 1:05

BRONZE - Abnelis YAMBO MIRANDA (PUR) dec. Mayra ANTES CASTILLO (ECU), 11-7

68 kg

GOLD - Tamyra MENSAH (USA) df. Yudari SANCHEZ RODRIGUEZ (CUB), fall 1:33

BRONZE - Olivia DI BACCO (CAN) df. Yanet SOVERO NINO (PER), injury default

BRONZE - Ambar GARNICA FLORES (MEX) dec. Andrimar LAZARO DIAZ (VEN), 8-4

76 kg

GOLD - Adeline GRAY (USA) df. Genesis REASCO VALDEZ (ECU), fall 1:20

BRONZE - Erica WIEBE (CAN) dec. Mabelkis CAPOTE PEREZ (CUB), 6-0

BRONZE - Diana CRUZ ARROYO (PER) df. Gabriela CANALES HERRERA (MEX), fall

Men’s freestyle final results

79 kg

GOLD - Chandler ROGERS (USA)

SILVER - Santiago MARTINEZ RESTREPO (COL)

BRONZE - Jasmit PHULKA (CAN)

92 kg

GOLD - J'den COX (USA)

SILVER - Jaime ESPINAL (PUR)

BRONZE - Diego RAMIREZ FLORENTIN (PAR)

USA WINS GRECO-ROMAN

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – The Greco-Roman competition of the 2019 Pan American Championships wrapped up on Friday with USA winning the team title after collecting nine medals.

The USA picked up medals in all three weight classes on Friday night with a gold from Cheney HAIGHT, silver form Kamal BEY and bronze from Patrick MARTINEZ.

Haight won his third Pan Am title, besting the competition at 82 kg. In the finals, Haight won a 3-1 bout against 2018 Pan Am bronze medalist Carlos ESPINOZA CASTRO (PER).

Cuba and Venezuela picked up the other gold medals.

Yosvanys PENA FLORES (CUB) outlasted 2017 Junior World champion Bey in a 3-1 war at 77 kg to earn Cuba its fourth gold medal of the tournament.

At 87 kg, Luis AVENDANO ROJAS (VEN) became only the seventh Greco wrestler in Venezuela’s history to win a Pan Am title, defeating Antonio DURAN ROBLES (CUB) in the finals.

Duran scored the first two points, but Avendano put up six unanswered points, two of which came from a caution and two when Duran committed a defensive leg foul in par terre. Shortly after, Duran was penalized for another defensive leg foul, which resulted in a disqualification for the Cuban and a win for Avendano. The Venezuelan led 8-2 at the time of the DQ.

In women’s freestyle, USA and Canada split the gold medals, each winning two.

USA’s Alex HEDRICK and Julia SALATA clinched their gold medals in the morning session, each going 2-0 in their respective round robins at 55 kg and 65 kg.

On Friday night, Canadians Laurence BEAUREGARD and Dejah SLATER came out on top of their round-robins.

Beauregard went 3-0 on the day, ending her tournament with a quick 10-0 tech fall over Karoline SILVA DE SANTANA (BRA) to win the 59 kg bracket.

At 72 kg, Slater topped Rachel WATTERS (USA) in a 12-1 tech fall, thanks to a takedown and six leg laces in the first period.

Greco-Roman final team standings

1. USA – 205

2. Cuba – 135

3. Brazil – 98

4. Venezuela – 84

5. Mexico – 64

6. Peru – 61

7. Colombia – 48

8. Argentina – 47

9. Dominican Republic – 46

10. Ecuador – 43

Final results in Greco-Roman

77 kg

GOLD - Yosvanys PENA FLORES (CUB) dec. Kamal BEY (USA), 3-1

BRONZE - Juan ESCOBAR (MEX) tech fall David CHOC HUOC (GUA), 10-0

BRONZE - Jair CUERO MUNOZ (COL) dec. Johan BATISTA (DOM), 6-5

82 kg

GOLD - Cheney HAIGHT (USA)

SILVER - Carlos ESPINOZA CASTRO (PER)

BRONZE - Adil BARROS MACHADO (BRA)

87 kg

GOLD - Luis AVENDANO ROJAS (VEN) win by disqualification Antonio DURAN ROBLES (CUB)

BRONZE - Alfonso LEYVA YEPEZ (MEX) tech fall Carlos ADAMES PALMER (DOM), 8-0

BRONZE - Patrick MARTINEZ (USA) tech. fall Phillip BARREIRO (CAN), 9-0

55 kg

GOLD - Alex HEDRICK (USA)

SILVER - Jayd DAVIS (USA)

BRONZE - Elis AZERRAD PARODI (ARG)

59 kg

GOLD - Laurence BEAUREGARD (CAN)

SILVER - Andribeth RIVERA BELLIARD (PUR)

BRONZE - Karoline SILVA DE SANTANA (BRA)

65 kg

GOLD - Julia SALATA (USA)

SILVER - Jessica BROUILLETTE (CAN)

BRONZE - Grabriela PEDRO DA ROCHA (BRA)

72 kg

GOLD - Dejah SLATER (CAN)

SILVER - Rachel WATTERS (USA)

BRONZE - Linda MACHUCA (ARG)

Over the weekend, the USA won the team title in all three styles.

Also of note, U.S. referee Casey Goessl was named the 2019 Pan Am Championships Outstanding Referee.

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