LIMA, Peru (June 9) – Three American wrestlers emerged with gold medals to headline a gritty day of Greco-Roman competition at the Junior Pan American Championships held at the Villa Deportiva Nacional Videna in Lima, Peru.

A three-pin performance landed 120 kg champion Anthony CASSIOPPI (USA) the Golden Boot as best wrestler of the tournament. Cassioppi dominated his way through the four-athlete round-robin bracket with his closest bout being a 9-0 technical fall over eventual bronze medalist Jose Diaz PONCIANO (GUA).

“I thought I wrestled pretty well,” Cassioppi said following his performance. “I stayed in good position, wrestled smart. I felt pretty explosive on my throws, you know, definitely feeling some improvement. You go into every tournament wanting to be the best. I’m just glad I was able to do that today.”

American Haydn MALEY (USA) displayed similar success to his 120 kg counterpart, earning two pins and one technical fall on his way to the 96 kg gold medal. He quickly defeated German ZUNIGA ORDONEZ (HON) in the championship match, 9-0.

“It’s definitely a whole different world than wrestling Greco in the United States because these guys train Greco year-round. It’s just another step in the road, something I can be proud of, and I can keep moving on and moving forward,” Maley said.

Completing the United States trio of champions was Brandon KAYLOR (USA) at 50 kg. Kaylor posted a 3-1 record in the 50 kg round-robin bracket and was awarded the gold medal based on classification points. Finishing with the silver medal at 50 kg was Ferley Santiago BARRIENTOS CASTANEDA (COL), who also went 3-1 for the tournament, but was defeated by Kaylor, 6-4.

Brazil found itself a repeat champion at 66 kg with Joilson DE BRITO RAMOS JUNIOR (BRA) torching the field. De Brito Ramos Junior won all three of his matches by technical fall, including a 9-0 victory over Efren Jose GUAGUA NAZARENO (ECU) in the gold-medal match.

Two-time South American champion Agustin Alejandro DESTRIBATS (ARG) escaped several close bouts to emerge as the 60 kg champion. After a 4-4 criteria win over Dalton YOUNG (USA) to open his day, Destribats pushed through to the finals where he pinned Samuel Facundo Ugalde AGVILAR (MEX) as time expired in the match.

Maikol JOSEFA (DOM) came out on top in a high-flying 55 kg final against hometown favorite Joao Marco BENAVIDES ROCHABRUN (PER). Josefa trailed early, but the two traded big moves until Josefa gained the ultimate edge, 15-8.

Canadian Junior World Team member John YEATS (CAN) picked up his first Junior Pan American title with a masterful 9-1 victory over William Alberto MORENO CHUC (GUA) in the 74 kg championship match. Yeats was also a Cadet Pan American bronze medalist in 2014.

Carlos Moises ESPINOZA CASTRO (PER) improved upon a bronze-medal performance from last year’s Junior Pan American Championships to grab the 84 kg gold this time around. Espinoza Castro went unblemished in a five-man round-robin bracket. He defeated silver medalist Thomas BRACKETT (USA) 6-2 in the opening round.

The United States was awarded the team championships with six total medalists: three gold, one silver and two bronze. Host-nation Peru finished in second place, seven points behind the Americans. The Dominican Republic navigated to a third-place podium finish.

The Junior Pan American Championships resume on June 10 with the women’s freestyle competition. Qualification rounds will begin at 10 a.m. local time with the medal matches scheduled for 5 p.m.

For complete brackets and match-by-match results from the Junior Pan American Championships visit our dedicated event page on UnitedWorldWrestling.org.

Greco-Roman Results

50 kg (5 entries)

Round 5 – Brandon Chase KAYLOR (USA) df. Edward Fernando CORTEZ ARCELA (PER) by TF, 10-2

Round 5 – Ferley Santiago BARRIENTOS CASTANEDA (COL) df. Erick Omar ZALDUMBIDE TORRES (ECU) by TF, 10-2

Round 4 – Ferley Santiago BARRIENTOS CASTANEDA (COL) df. Alejandro TINEO DEL LEON (DOM), 7-2

Round 4 – Erick Omar ZALDUMBIDE TORRES (ECU) df. Brandon Chase KAYLOR (USA) by TF, 9-1

Round 3 – Brandon Chase KAYLOR (USA) df. Alejandro TINEO DEL LEON (DOM) by TF, 10-0

Round 3 – Edward Fernando CORTEZ ARCELA (PER) df. Erick Omar ZALDUMBIDE TORRES (ECU) by TF, 9-0

Round 2 – Erick Omar ZALDUMBIDE TORRES (ECU) df. Alejandro TINEO DEL LEON (DOM), 8-7

Round 2 – Ferley Santiago BARRIENTOS CASTANEDA (COL) df. Edward Fernando CORTEZ ARCELA (PER), 5-5

Round 1 – Edward Fernando CORTEZ ARCELA (PER) df. Alejandro TINEO DEL LEON (DOM), 7-3

Round 1 – Brandon Chase KAYLOR (USA) df. Ferley Santiago BARRIENTOS CASTANEDA (COL), 6-4

55 kg (7 entries)

Gold – Maikol JOSEFA (DOM) df. Joao Marco BENAVIDES ROCHABRUN (PER), 15-8

Bronze – Andres Felipe CORTES HERRERA (COL) df. Richard Gabriel TOWNSELL (USA), 11-10

Bronze – Erivan CONSTANTINO ROCHA (BRA) df. Jean Carlos Angello PEREZ CAMANO (PAN) by TF, 8-0

Semifinal – Joao Marco BENAVIDES ROCHABRUN (PER) df. Erivan CONSTANTINO ROCHA (BRA) by TF, 8-0

Semifinal – Maikol JOSEFA (DOM) df. Richard Gabriel TOWNSELL (USA), 3-0

60 kg (9 entries)

Gold – Agustin Alejandro DESTRIBATS (ARG) df. Samuel Facundo Ugalde AGVILAR (MEX) by FALL, 8-2

Bronze – Julian Stiven HORTA ACEVEDO (COL) df. Luis Alberto LUASEN (DOM) by FALL, 4-5

Bronze – Dalton Earl YOUNG (USA) df. Gerardo Francisco OLIVA MONTES (PER) by TF, 8-0

Semifinal – Agustin Alejandro DESTRIBATS (ARG) df. Gerardo Francisco OLIVA MONTES (PER) by TF, 14-6

Semifinal – Samuel Facundo Ugalde AGVILAR (MEX) df. Luis Alberto LUASEN (DOM), 3-2

66 kg (8 entries)

Gold – Joilson DE BRITO RAMOS JUNIOR (BRA) df. Efren Jose GUAGUA NAZARENO (ECU) by TF, 9-0

Bronze – Leonard MERKIN (USA) df. Jamir Abdiel NICHOLSON MURILLO (PAN) by TF, 12-1

Bronze – Elias Ismael LUCIO (ARG) df. Harold YEDY READ (DOM) by FALL, 2-6

Semifinal – Joilson DE BRITO RAMOS JUNIOR (BRA) df. Elias Ismael LUCIO (ARG) by TF, 12-4

Semifinal – Athlete GUAGUA NAZARENO Efren Jose (ECU) df. Leonard MERKIN (USA) by TF, 12-4

74 kg (11 entries)

Gold – John YEATS (CAN) df. William Alberto MORENO CHUC (GUA) by TF, 9-1

Bronze – Carlos Manuel JOSE (DOM) df. Nilton Gonzalo Marcos SOTO GARCIA (PER) by Injury Default, 0-0

Bronze – Luis Isabel BARRIOS ROCHEZ (HON) df. Jose Felipe VILA VALLEJOS (ECU) by TF, 10-1

Semifinal – John YEATS (CAN) df. Jose Felipe VILA VALLEJOS (ECU) by TF, 10-2

Semifinal – William Alberto MORENO CHUC (GUA) df. Nilton Gonzalo Marcos SOTO GARCIA (PER) by Injury Default, 3-6

84 kg (5 entries)

Round 5 – Thomas George BRACKETT (USA) df. AVILA DILBERT Gino Tanislado (HON), 9-8

Round 5 – Gregory Previstero REASCO ANGULO (ECU) df. Jhony Mauricio GONZALEZ CHARRY (COL) by TF, 8-0

Round 4 – Carlos Moises ESPINOZA CASTRO (PER) df. Jhony Mauricio GONZALEZ CHARRY (COL) by TF, 11-1

Round 4 – AVILA DILBERT Gino Tanislado (HON) df. Gregory Previstero REASCO ANGULO (ECU), 8-7

Round 3 – Thomas George BRACKETT (USA) df. Gregory Previstero REASCO ANGULO (ECU), 7-6

Round 3 – Carlos Moises ESPINOZA CASTRO (PER) df. AVILA DILBERT Gino Tanislado (HON), 3-0

Round 2 – Carlos Moises ESPINOZA CASTRO (PER) df. Gregory Previstero REASCO ANGULO (ECU) by TF, 12-1

Round 2 – Thomas George BRACKETT (USA) df. Jhony Mauricio GONZALEZ CHARRY (COL) by TF, 8-0

Round 1 – Jhony Mauricio GONZALEZ CHARRY (COL) df. AVILA DILBERT Gino Tanislado (HON) by TF, 11-2

Round 1 – Carlos Moises ESPINOZA CASTRO (PER) df. Thomas George BRACKETT (USA), 6-2

96 kg (6 entries)

Gold – Haydn Loyd MALEY (USA) df. German David ZUNIGA ORDONEZ (HON) by TF, 9-0

Bronze – Douglas ROCHA (BRA) df. Leo Dalis SANTANA HEREDIA (DOM) by TF, 11-2

Semifinal – German David ZUNIGA ORDONEZ (HON) df. Bryan Peter CRUZ PALACIOS (PER) by TF, 14-4

Semifinal – Haydn Loyd MALEY (USA) df. Douglas ROCHA (BRA) by FALL, 7-2

120 kg (5 entries)

Round 5 – Jose Rodrigo DIAZ PONCIANO (GUA) df. Ronny Marsello MEDINA OCON (PER) by FALL, 7-0

Round 5 – Anthony Lawrence CASSIOPPI (USA) df. Diego Jesus ALMENDRAS RODRIQUEZ (CHI) by FALL, 4-0

Round 4 – Jose Rodrigo DIAZ PONCIANO (GUA) df. Diego Jesus ALMENDRAS RODRIQUEZ (CHI) by FALL, 4-0

Round 4 – Rafael Heber CRYSTELLO MADEIRA FILHO (BRA) df. Ronny Marsello MEDINA OCON (PER) by TF, 11-2

Round 3 – Rafael Heber CRYSTELLO MADEIRA FILHO (BRA) df. Diego Jesus ALMENDRAS RODRIQUEZ (CHI) by TF, 11-0

Round 3 – Anthony Lawrence CASSIOPPI (USA) df. Jose Rodrigo DIAZ PONCIANO (GUA) by TF, 9-0

Round 2 – Rafael Heber CRYSTELLO MADEIRA FILHO (BRA) df. Jose Rodrigo DIAZ PONCIANO (GUA) by TF, 8-0

Round 2 – Anthony Lawrence CASSIOPPI (USA) df. Ronny Marsello MEDINA OCON (PER) by FALL, 6-0

Round 1 – Anthony Lawrence CASSIOPPI (USA) df. Rafael Heber CRYSTELLO MADEIRA FILHO (BRA) by FALL, 10-0

Round 1 – Diego Jesus ALMENDRAS RODRIQUEZ (CHI) df. Ronny Marsello MEDINA OCON (PER), 7-1