Now this is dominance. After impressively taking the team titles in the Greco-Roman and women’s Freestyle divisions, the USA Wrestling men’s Freestyle team made history by winning all 10 weight classes at the Pan American Championships in Buenos Aires (ARG).
The U.S. grabbed the men’s Freestyle title with a perfect score of 250, ahead of Canada (129) and Cuba (115). The American squad was 34-0 in the men’s Freestyle tournament, and Jordan Burroughs won his third Pan Am title and David Taylor, Kyle Snyder and Nick Gwiazdowski won their second.
Four U.S. performances were exceptionally impressive. Taylor, wrestling at 86 kg, won his four matches by pin, pin, 10-0 and 10-0, not surrendering a single point during the tournament. J’den Cox (92 kg) did the same, but with only two matches: an 8-0 win and a pinfall.
Snyder win by injury default in his final at 97 kg, but had wins by 11-1 and 10-0 going in, so he gave up only a single point; same for Gwiazdowski, who won by 10-0, 10-0, 11-1 and 10-0.
Just as stunning was Joe Colon’s opening-match win at 61 kg, defeating reigning World Champion Yowlys Bonne of Cuba by 9-3, and then winning his remaining two matches by consecutive 10-0 technical falls.
Wow!
The U.S. qualified wrestlers in every weight class for the Pan American Games in July, an important step toward Olympic qualification for Tokyo 2020.
To show how good the U.S. was all across the tournament, American Casey Goessel was named the “Outstanding Referee”! Summaries:
Pan American Championships
Buenos Aires (ARG) ~ 18-21 April 2019
(Full results here)
Men’s Freestyle
57 kg: 1. Josh Rodriguez (USA); 2. Oscar Tigreros (COL); 3. Pedro Mejias (VEN) and Daniel Alves do Nascimento (BRA). Final: Rodriguez tech fall Tigreros, 11-0.
61 kg: 1. Joe Colon (USA); 2. Yowlys Bonne (CUB); 3. Scott Schiller (CAN) and Juan Rodriguez (ESA). (Round-robin; no final.)
65 kg: 1. Colton McCrystal (USA); 2. Damian Solenzal (CUB); 3. Mauricio Sanchez (ECU) and Agustin Destribats (ARG). Final: McCrystal tech. fall Solenzal, 12-1.
70 kg: 1. Anthony Ashnault (USA); 2. Nick Rowe (CAN); 3. Mitchel Taipe (PER). (Round-robin; no final.)
74 kg: 1. Jordan Burroughs (USA); 2. Jevon Balfour (CAN); 3. Franklin Gomez (PUR) and Julio Rodriguez (DOM). Final: Burroughs d. Balfour, 7-0.
79 kg: 1. Chandler Rogers (USA); 2. . Santiago Martinez Restrepo (COL); 3. Jasingh Phulka (CAN). (Round-robin; no final.)
86 kg: 1. David Taylor (USA); 2. Pedro Ceballos (VEN); 3. Lazaro Hernandez (CUB) and Alexander Moore (CAN). Final: Taylor tech. fall Ceballos, 10-0.
92 kg: 1. J’den Cox (USA); 2. Jaime Espinal (PUR); 3. Diego Ramirez (PAR). (Round-robin; no final.)
97 kg: 1. Kyle Snyder (USA); 2. Reineris Salas (CUB); 3. Jose Diaz (VEN) and Evan Ramos (PUR). Final: Snyder d. Salas, forfeit (injury).
125 kg: 1. Nick Gwiazdowski (USA); 2. Korey Jarvis (CAN); 3. Oscar Pino Hinds (CUB) and Antoine Braga Abou Jaoude (BRA). Final: Gwiazdowski tech. fall Jarvis, 10-0.
Team Scores: 1. United States, 250; 2. Canada, 129; 3. Cuba, 115; 4. Puerto Rico, 72; 5. Venezuela, 68.
Greco-Roman
55 kg: 1. Max Nowry (USA); 2. Sargis Khacatryan (BRA); 3. Joshua Medina (PUR). (Round-robin; no final.)
60 kg: 1. Luis Orta Sanchez (CUB); 2. Samuel Gurria Vigueras (MEX); 3. Dicther Toro (COL) and Anthony Palencia (VEN). Final: Ortz d. Gurria, 9-0.
63 kg: 1. Andres Montano (ECU); 2. Ryan Mango (USA); 3. Jose Davila (PER). (Round-robin; no final.)
67 kg: 1. Ismael Borrero (CUB); 2. Ellis Coleman (USA); 3. Shalom Villegas (VEN) and Joilson De Brito Ramos Jr. (BRA). Final: Borrero d. Coleman, 11-1.
72 kg: 1. RaVaughn Perkins (USA); 2. Kenedy Moreia Pedrosa (BRA); 3. Francisco Barrio (ARG). (Round-robin; no final.)
77 kg: 1. Yosvanys Pena (CUB); 2. Kamal Bey (USA); 3. Juan Escobar (MEX) and Jair Cuero (COL). Final: Pena d. Bey, 3-1.
82 kg: 1. Cheney Haight (USA); 2. Carlos Espinoza (PER); 3. Adil Machado (BRA). (Round-robin; no final).
87 kg: 1. Luis Avendano (VEN); 2. Antonio Duran (CUB); 3. Alfonso Leyva (MEX) and Patrick Martinez (USA). Final: Avendano d. Duran, 802.
97 kg: 1. Gabriel Rosillo Kindelan (CUB); 2. G’Angelo Hancock (USA); 3. Kevin Mejia (HON) and Luillys Perez (VEN). Final: Rosillo d.. Hancock, 10-2.
130 kg: 1. Adam Coon (USA); 2. Luciano del Rio (ARG); 3. Angel Pacheco (CUB) and Edgardo Lopez (PUR). Final: Coon pinned del Rio.
Team Scores: 1. United States, 205; 2. Cuba, 135; 3. Brazil, 98; 4. Venezuela, 84; 5. Mexico, 64.
Women’s Freestyle
50 kg: 1. Yusneyslys Guzman (CUB); 2. Erin Golston (USA); 3. Thalia Mallqi (PER) and Patricia Bermudez (ARG). Final: Guzman d. Golston, 3-0.
53 kg: 1. Sarah Hildebrandt (USA); 2. Luisa Valverde (ECU); 3. Diana Weicker (CAN) and Lilianet Duanes (CUB). Final: Hildebrandt d. Valverde, 11-0.
55 kg: 1. Alex Hedrick (USA); 2. Jayd Davis (CAN); 3. Elis Azerrad (ARG). (Round-robin; no final).
57 kg: 1. Lissette Antes Castillo (ECU); 2. Hannah Taylor (CAN); 3. Jacarra Winchester (USA) and Betzabeth Sarco (VEN). Final: Antes Castillo d. Taylor, 3-3 (criteria).
59 kg: 1. Laurence Beauregard (CAN); 2. Andribeth Rivera Belliard (PUR); 3. Karoline Silva de Santana (BRA). Also: 4. Kelsey Campbell (USA). (Round-robin; no final.)
62 kg: 1. Lais Nunes de Oliveira (BRA); 2. Mallory Velte (USA); 3. Nathaly Griman (VEN) and Abnelis Yambo (PUR). Final: Nunes de Oliveira d. Velte, 6-1.
65 kg: 1. Julia Salata (USA); 2. Jessica Brouillette (CAN); 3. Grabriela Pedro da Rocha (BRA). (Round-robin; no final.)
68 kg: 1. Tamyra Mensah-Stock (USA); 2. Yudari Sanchez (CUB); 3. Olivia de Bacco (CAN) and Ambar Garnica (MEX). Final: Mensah-Stock pinned Sanchez.
72 kg: 1. Dejah Slater (CAN); 2. Rachel Watters (USA); 3. Linda Machuca (ARG). (Round-robin; no final.)
76 kg: 1. Adeline Gray (USA); 2. Genesis Reasco (VEN); 3. Erica Weibe (CAN) and Diana Cruz (PER). Final: Gray pinned Reasco.
Team Scores: 1. United States, 200; 2. Canada, 167; 3. Ecuador, 89; 4. Brazil, 89; 5. Cuba, 86.
