#WrestleAcapulco

Saturday Night's Pan-American Finals Set

By Eric Olanowski

ACAPULCO, Mexico (May 7) --- The third day of action at the Pan-American Championships is underway in Mexico. Today, fans will see wrestling at FS 79kg and 92kg, and WW 50kg, 53kg, 57kg, 62kg, 68kg and 76kg. 

ICYMI:  Day Two photos | Godinez stuns two world champs for Pan-Am title

Saturday's final matchups:

Women's Wrestling 
50kg: Sarah Ann HILDEBRANDT (USA) vs. Madison Bianca PARKS (CAN) 
53kg:  Luisa Elizabeth VALVERDE MELENDRES (ECU) vs. Dominique Olivia PARRISH (USA) 
57kg: Yaynelis SANZ VERDECIA (CUB) vs. Alma Jane VALENCIA ESCOTO (MEX) 
62kg: Kayla Colleen Kiyoko MIRACLE (USA) vs. Ana Paula GODINEZ GONZALEZ (CAN) 
68kg: Hangelen LLANES ECHEVARRIA (CUB) vs. Soleymi Antonieta CARABALLO HERNANDEZ (VEN) 
76kg: Dymond Precious GUILFORD (USA) vs. Genesis Rosangela REASCO VALDEZ (ECU) 

Freestyle
79kg: Nordic-style bracket 
92kg: Nordic-style bracket 

1:45: That'll do it for our morning session coverage. We'll see you back here at 17:00 for the Day Three finals.

1:32: Parrish trailed 4-0 but scored five unanswered points and upset world bronze medalist Stewart, 5-4. She'll wrestle Luisa Elizabeth VALVERDE MELENDRES (ECU) in the 53kg finals. 

1:21: Quick note: Gilberto Segundo AYALA RODRIGUEZ (VEN), who is wrestling on Mat A, is 41-years-old.

1:18: Valencia cruised to an 18-7 win over on Mat A. That'll bring up two-time world champion J'den Cox of the United States. 

1:15:
JB does it again. He quickly finished Rivera, 10-0. His three wins have been 12-1, pin (up 10-0 at the time) and 10-0. 

1:13: I feel like he's wrestled seven times today already, but Burroughs is back on Mat B. He's wrestling Colombia's Juan Sebastian RIVERA GARCIA (COL).

1:09: Alma Jane VALENCIA ESCOTO (MEX), Mexico's first-ever women's wrestling Olympian, is up now on Mat A. She's wrestling Camila Agustina AMARILLA (ARG) for a spot in the 57kg semifinals. 

1:08: U23 world champ Alexandria Rebekkah TOWN (CAN) started her day with an easy 10-0 tech over Tatiana HURTADO LERMA (COL). She scored a takedown and transitioned into a trapped-arm gut wrench.

12:51: With so many stars in action today, I forgot that Kayla MIRACLE (USA) was wrestling. The reigning world silver medalist just demolished Yolanda Mercedes CORDERO VARGAS (CUB), 10-0, in 63 seconds and reached the 62kg semifinals.

12:44: There's the upset of the day! Reasco closed out the match with a third takedown, ending Di Stasio's hopes of becoming a five-time Pan-Am champion. The Ecuadorian won the match, 10-4.

12:32: What an opening two minutes for Genesis Rosangela REASCO VALDEZ (ECU). She's leading Canada's world champion and four-time Pan-Am gold medalist Justina Di Stasio 7-2 heading into the break.

12:15: World bronze medalist Sam Stewart just suffered a cut on her forehead but is continuing to wrestle. They taped her up and she's back in on a single while holding the 5-0 lead. It looks like she'll hang on and will wrestle Parrish for a spot in the 53kg finals. 

12:04: Dom Parrish just said, "Not today, Karla." The Mexican corning won the challenge, making the score 3-1 with seven ticks left. When the action resumed, the American picked up a takedown and stole the match as time expired. She'll await the winner of Sandy Yalixa PARRA PARRA (COL) and Samantha Leigh STEWART (CAN).

11:57: Things are heating up over on Mat B between Karla Abigail ACOSTA MARTINEZ (MEX) and Dominique Olivia PARRISH (USA), The Mexcian wrestler had the 3-1 lead but there's an exposure under review right now which pushed the American in front on criteria.

11:38: No surprise here. Hildebrandt picked up an early takedown and........four laces to win the match, 10-0.

11:35: We'll go from one Olympic bronze medalist to another. The "Lace Queen" Sarah Ann HILDEBRANDT (USA) is wrestling Shammilka Alondra MIRANDA DIAZ (PUR) on Mat A.

11:32: Cox looks like he's in top shape. He scored three takedowns -- two of which were from counter offense -- a pair of exposures and a stepout to win the bout, 11-0.

11:26: You know there's a star coming up when you see all the photographers scramble to one mat. That star is J'den Michael Tbory COX (USA) and he's wrestling Jeremy Adam POIRIER (CAN) on Mat A.

11:16: That was quick. Burroughs blasts through Victor J SANTOS ACOSTA (PUR) 10-0 in 69 seconds. Classic Burroughs with some solid transition offense. He's moving his feet well today and picking his shots with purpose.

11:05: Justina Renay DI STASIO (CAN) kicked off her quest for a fifth Pan-Am title with a quick 12-0 win over Luz Maria HERNANDEZ HERNANDEZ (MEX). She'll wrestle Genesis Rosangela REASCO VALDEZ (ECU) in her next bout.

10:56: In our premier match of the morning, U23 world runner-up Tatiana RENTERIA RENTERIA (COL) edged junior world champion Milaimys de la Caridad MARIN POTRILLE (CUB), 4-3. The Colombian will take on Emelyn Anyelina BAUTISTA CORCINO (DOM) next.

10:42: Yes, Mat B will house a lot of the stars, but I'll show Mat A some love. Here are a few wrestlers to pay attention to that'll wrestle on Mat A:

Bout 144 - J'den COX (USA) - World champion and Rio Olympic bronze medalist
Bout 146 - Sarah Ann HILDEBRANDT (USA) - Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist 

10:36: It seems that Mat B is going to be the mat to watch. Here are the upcoming stars that'll be wrestling on the mat:

Bout 181 - Justina Renay DI STASIO (CAN) - '18 world champion
Bout 182 - Milaimys de la Caridad MARIN POTRILLE (CUB) - '19 junior world champ
Bout 185 - Jordan Ernest BURROUGHS (USA) - World and Olympic champion
Bout 190 - Samantha Leigh STEWART (CAN) - '21 world bronze 
Bout 195 - Kayla Colleen Kiyoko MIRACLE (USA) - '21 world silver 
Bout 197 - Ana Paula GODINEZ GONZALEZ (CAN) - '21 U23 world champ

10:29: I'm back to my perch after shooting some rapid-fire question videos with Zahid VALENCIA (USA) and Forrest MOLINARI (USA), so be on the lookout for those on all of our social media channels! 

10:10: Burroughs picks up a quick 10-1 win over Barmish. The 79kg bracket is a Nordic-style chart, so the American will have next round off but will jump back to action in the third round against Juan Sebastian RIVERA GARCIA (COL).

10:00: World and Olympic champion  Jordan Ernest BURROUGHS (USA) will kick off the day against Samuel Jacob BARMISH (CAN) on Mat A.

 

#WrestleAcapulco

Flawless U.S. sweeps Pan-Am Championships

By Gaurav Bhatt

Team USA capped off their Pan-American Championships campaign flawlessly, winning all seven gold medals on offer on Saturday in Acapulco. 

Spencer LEE (57kg), Nick LEE (65kg), Alec PANTELO (70kg), Alex FACUNDO (79kg), Nate JACKSON (92kg), Kyle SNYDER (97kg), and Mason PARRIS (125kg) finished atop the podium as the US contingent completed a sweep of men's Freestyle titles.

Such was the domination that all but two Americans struck gold without giving up a point.

Snyder asserted his supremacy in the 97kg division, winning his sixth straight and seventh overall gold medal. The Rio Olympic gold medallist and three-time world champion opened his run by pinning Luis PEREZ (DOM) — an opponent Snyder had also beaten in the 2017 and 2021 Pan-Am finals. Synder then carried the momentum into an 11-0 technical fall against Matias URIBE (CHI) before the final clash against familiar foe Arturo SILOT (CUB).

In what was the third straight final between the two, Silot took Snyder to the limit. The 22-year-old, who had previously lost technical falls to the American, came out strong, but couldn't maintain his pace as Snyder completed a hard-fought 10-5 win.

Spencer Lee returned to international action after almost eight years and spent a total of 141 seconds on the mat. Lee began his marauding run with a 10-0 shutout against Oscar TIGREROS (COL) before mirroring the result against Davi SILVA (BRA).

In the final against Pedro MEJIAS (VEN), Lee — a three-time age-level World champion — put on a clinic of two-point moves. And while the five-time medallist Mejias managed a two-point counter, the writing was on the wall for the Venezuelan as Lee rolled him to victory.

Nick Lee soared to the top in the 65kg category with a commanding 10-0 victory over Joshua KRAMER (ECU), before posting another 10-0 tech fall win over Jacob Alexander TORRES (CAN). The 25-year-old's final opponent — three-time medallist Agustin DESTRIBATS (ARG) — forfeited the match.

Jackson was named the Outstanding Wrestler and awarded the Golden Boot at the Pan-Am Championships, and his blink-and-you-miss 92kg routs showed why. 

He stormed out of the blocks, opening his campaign with a massive double-leg takedown into a leg lace roll on Tejvir BOAL (CAN), before securing the fall in under two minutes. Another highlight-reel moment came against Erwin VARGAS (MEX), as Jackson jumped over the Mexican's attack and secured a pin. Jackson — who won the gold medal at the Zagreb Open last month — then shut out Cesar UBICO (GUA) and Jose BETANCOURT (PUR); the four victories coming in a total of 275 seconds.

Alec PANTALEO (USA)Alec PANTALEO (USA), blue, won his second Pan-Am title. (Photo: UWW / William Bain)

Pantaleo clinched his second 70kg title after three years with the routs of Victor SOTO (PUR), Erick BARRON (MEX), and Lovera Mauricio MAURICIO (ARG). The 27-year-old received a walkover win from Peiman BIABANI (CAN).

After winning the 74kg gold at the U20 Pan-Am Championships, Facundo returned to Mexico to win his first international gold. The 22-year-old opened his title run with a 10-0 dismantling of 2019 bronze medallist Jasmit PHULKA (CAN), then secured an injury default win against Dylan PALACIO (URU). Facundo sealed his championship status with a 10-0 drubbing of Jose CANO (MEX).

Mason PARRIS (USA)Mason PARRIS (USA) dominated his way to 125kg gold. (Photo: UWW / William Bain)

World medallist Parris secured the 125 kg gold with a 10-0 victory against Richard DESCHATELETS (CAN), followed by back-to-back injury default wins over Jose DIAZ (VEN) and Donovan SMITH (PUR).

With a perfect campaign, Team USA won the men's freestyle team trophy with 250 points. Canada came second at 98 points, followed by Puerto Rico with 89. 

Earlier, Team USA secured both Greco-Roman and women's freestyle team trophies with 183 and 205 points respectively. The Greco-Roman competitors won 2 gold, 4 silver, and 3 bronze to finish ahead of Mexico (125 points), while American women secured 5 gold, 1 silver, and 4 bronze, with Canada second at 140 points. 

This is the seventh consecutive year that the United States swept all three team trophies.

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RESULTS

57kg
GOLD: Spencer LEE (USA) df. Mejias PEDRO JESUS (VEN), 12-2

BRONZE: Guesseppe REA VILLARROEL (ECU) df. Jaime PEREZ CASTELLANOS (GUA), 11-3
BRONZE: Oscar TIGREROS URBANO (COL) df. Davi SILVA GIOVANNETTI (BRA), 13-2

65kg
GOLD: Nicholas LEE (USA) df. Agustin DESTRIBATS (ARG), via inj. def.

BRONZE: Shannon HANNA (BAH) df. Albaro RUDECINDO CAMACHO (DOM), 11-9
BRONZE: Joshua KRAMER (ECU) df. Jacob ALEXANDER TORRES (CAN), 9-6

70kg
GOLD: Alec PANTALEO (USA) df. Peiman BIABANI (CAN), via inj. def.

BRONZE: Lovera MAURICIO (ARG) df. Victor SOTO RIVERA (PUR), 10-0

79kg
GOLD: Alexander FACUNDO (USA)
SILVER: Jasmit PHULKA (CAN)
BRONZE: Jose CANO LOPEZ (MEX)

92kg
GOLD: Nathan JACKSON (USA)
SILVER: Tejvir BOAL (CAN)
BRONZE: Cesar UBICO (GUA)

97kg
GOLD: Kyle SNYDER (USA) df. Arturo SILOT (CUB), 10-5

BRONZE: Cristian SARCO (VEN) df. Ailton BRITO (BRA), 11-0
BRONZE: Luis PEREZ (DOM) df. Matias URIBE (CHI), 10-0

125kg
GOLD: Mason PARRIS (USA) df. Jonovan SMITH (PUR), via inj. def.

BRONZE: Ibrain TORRES ESPINOSA (CUB) df. Avila GINO (HON), via inj. def.
BRONZE: Diaz JOSE DANIEL (VEN) df. Richard DESCHATELETS (CAN), 6-0