Pan-Am preview: USA chasing dominance with star-studded line-up

Saturday, April 30, 2022 - 13:15 By Vinay Siwach

ACAPULCO, Mexico (April 30) -- Kyle DAKE (USA) will be in a new territory next week. The three-time world champion will be defending his Pan-Am title for the first time in his career.

Dake, an Olympic bronze medalist, won the gold in '21 in his first Pan-Am championships and in five days, he will be entering his second, unusual for the Cornell University graduate. He will be leading a solid USA team to Acapulco which will be looking to repeat an unprecedented performance of defending all 10 golds from last year.

In Guatemala City, the USA captured all 10 freestyle gold medals to win the team title with ease. While Olympic champions David TAYLOR (USA) and Gable STEVESON (USA) are not entered, five-time world champion Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) is returning to the competition after two years.

But for Dake, wrestling for the first time since winning his first world title down at 74kg, it will be another chance to cement his authority at the weight as he chases the Paris Olympics gold in 2024.

In Tokyo, Dake was stunned by a quarterfinals loss by Magomed KADZHIMURADEAU (BWF) using some two big four-point throws, the way Dake is popular to finish his bouts.

But putting a rare day behind, he went on to win the bronze over Frank CHAMIZO (ITA) and two months later won the gold in Oslo over two-time European champion Tajmuraz SALKAZANOV (SVK).

The 30-year-old will start as the favorite in Mexico in a bracket which has familiar names in Jasmit PHULKA (CAN), Franklin CASTILLO (CUB) and Franklin GOMEZ (PUR).

On paper, Dake should not have any trouble claiming the gold but with some experience in Phulka and Gomez, he will be put to test. Castillo can be the dark horse in the competition if Dake slips up.

Another world champion who will be defending his title will be Kyle SNYDER (USA). The two-time world champion and Tokyo silver medalist has been a constant in the USA team since the 2015 World Championships and will now be looking to add another Pan-Am title at 97kg.

Oslo world champion Thomas GILMAN (USA) will be looking to win the title at 57kg while silver medalist from Oslo Daton FIX (USA) is entered at 61kg. J'den COX (USA) is entered at 92kg.

Apart from the world medalists, defending champion Joseph McKENNA (USA), Zain Retherford (USA), Zahid VALENCIA (USA) and Nicholas GWIAZDOWSKI (USA) complete the line-up for the country.

It can be called the warm-up for the USA World Team Trials in first week of June but over the years, the country has sent their best wrestlers to the Pan-Am Championships and perhaps continuing the same trend this year.

The last time the USA returned without a gold medal was in 2001 when Cuba won the majority of the gold. But for the last 20 years, the USA has won at least a gold medal at the tournament and once again they will be looking for a dominant performance with a star-studded team.

All USA wrestlers will start as the favorites in their weight classes but a few challengers can stop them from maintaining a perfect record.

At 65kg, McKenna will have Argentina Olympian Agustin DESTRIBATS (ARG) and fellow NCAA wrestler Sebastian RIVERA (PUR) in the draw which can prove to be a test for the defending champion.

For Valencia, a flamboyant 86-kilogramer, Ethan RAMOS (PUR) could prove to be a problem. Ramos would fancy himself beating Valencia if the two clash in the tournament.

At 125kg, Gwiazdowski is returning to the team after Steveson's move to be away from amateur wrestling. The two-time world bronze medalist will be under pressure to perform after missing out on a medal in Oslo.

Yezep Lucia YEPEZ (ECU) will be looking for her first senior Pan-Am title. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan)

The women's wrestling brackets will be much closer than freestyle. The USA will still be favorites to defend their team title from last year.

At 50kg, Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA) is the favorite to win the title but Kamila BARBOSA (BRA) and Yoannia PEREZ (CUB) can trouble her. The top-seeded wrestler will be wrestling for the first time since winning the silver medal in Oslo.

Former world champion Jacarra WINCHESTER (USA) is entered at 55kg and it all may come down to a battle against Lucia YEPEZ GUZMAN (ECU). Winchester had a stunning run at the Ranking Series event in Istanbul, winning the gold and she would like to maintain the perfect start she has had to the year.

But U23 world champion Yepez is debuting at her senior Pan-Am and can challenge Winchester. She qualified for the Tokyo Olympics at 50kg before moving up to 53kg to win the world title in Belgrade. The history creator now has a chance to win her first continental title if she can repeat the performance from Serbia.

Forrest MOLINARI (USA) will be the favorites to win 65kg.

Molinari rebounded from her loss to Emma BRUNTIL at the Ivan Yariguin Grand Prix to beat her in Istanbul and claim the bragging right at 65kg for the USA. She will now be looking to win the gold in Mexico.

At 53kg, while Dominique PARRISH (USA) remains in the fray, the battle for gold may well come down to World bronze medalist Samantha STEWART (CAN) and Ecuador veteran Luisa VALVERDE (ECU). Stewart is returning to the continental championships after six years. She won the gold medal at 55kg in 2016.

Ideally for Ecuador, young star Yepez should have been at 53kg but veteran Valverde has been the mainstay at this weight. The 31-year-old has impressive seven Pan-Am medals including gold in 2020. While Stewart claimed the bronze in Oslo, Valverde fell short as she lost her bronze-medal bout.

The two have met before with Valverde leading the head-to-head 2-1 in the last two years. She has wins over Stewart from the 2020 Matteo Pellicone and Pan-Am Olympic Games Qualifier.

A three-way battle can ensue at 62kg and 76kg. The two Olympic weight classes will have young stars pitted against some veterans.

At 62kg, U23 world champion Ana GONZALEZ (CAN) and world silver medalist Kayla MIRACLE (USA) pitted against each other. The two have met twice before with the USA wrestler winning both times. But Gonzalez has reduced the deficit.

After her first 8-0 loss, Gonzalez was closer to Miracle, suffering a 6-5 loss but the battle in Mexico can well see her win her first over the Tokyo Olympian.

But Lais NUNES DE OLIVEIRA (BRA) can spoil their party. In a stunning start to the year, she defeated two-time world champion Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ) at the Yasar Dogu. She will be backing herself to win the title in Mexico.

At 76kg, in a rare occurrence, none of Adeline GRAY (USA) or Erica WIEBE (CAN) are entered for the tournament.

For Canada, that means '18 72kg world champion Justina DI STASIO (CAN) is the favorite. A four-time Pan-Am champion, she will be eyeing a start that can get her going for the Paris Olympic cycle if Wiebe decides to sit out. Di Stasio has been a formidable force at the heavyweight and Mexico can be an opportunity to fulfill the dream of an Olympic medal.

But challenging her are two young stars -- Tatiana RENTERIA (COL) and Milaimys POTRILLE (CUB). The two have had decent success at the age-group level. Renteria won a junior Pan-Am title and picked up a silver medal at the U23 Worlds in Belgrade in 2021.

While she has been away from the mat for some time, Potrille will be looking for a big win at the senior level. Since debuting internationally in 2018, where she picked up a Cadet Pan-Am title and a Youth Olympic Games gold medal. A year later, she picked up junior and U23 world titles at the age of 18.

Despite the three top wrestlers, others in the field cannot be left out. Ecuador’s Genesis VALDEZ (ECU), who took silver at this event last year with an 11-0 victory over 2014 world silver medalist Aline SILVA (BRA). Also in attendance are Youth Olympic Games silver medallist Linda MACHUCA (ARG) and Junior Pan-Am silver medallist Diamond GUILFORD (USA).

Oscar PINO HINDS (CUB) will be wrestling at 130kg. (Photo: UWW / Max Rose-Fyne)

The return of Rio Olympic champion Ismael BORRERO (CUB) headlines the Greco-Roman field at the competition. The Cuban star was expected to win the gold in Tokyo but lost his second bout and had to bow at the tournament.

Borrero, the two-time world champion and Rio Olympic gold medalist, will be lacing his boots up for the first time since the Tokyo Olympic Games. After dominating his way to gold at the 2019 World Championships, he battled COVID twice.

His opponents may fancy beating the star who is returning for the first time since the Tokyo Games.

Another Cuban star Oscar PINO HINDS (CUB) will be in action in Mexico. He is back on the team after Mijain LOPEZ (CUB) won the gold in Tokyo.

Three defending champions in Benjamin PROVISOR (USA), Kevin CASTILLO (HON) and Leo HEREDIA (DOM) are returning to win a second straight.

#WrestleAcapulco

Dominant Hildebrandt leads USA to Pan-Am team title

Sunday, May 8, 2022 - 03:28 By Vinay Siwach

ACAPULCO, Mexico (May 7) -- For three years now, no wrestler has been able to score on Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA) at a Pan-American Championships. Such has been her domination on the mat that she is yet to lose a bout at the tournament dating back to 2013, the year she won her first Pan-Am title at 55kg.

She extended her unbeaten record Saturday by winning her seventh Pan-Am title in Acapulco, Mexico and leading team USA to the women's team title on the third day of the tournament. The Tokyo bronze medalist spent only three minutes and 24 seconds on the mat over three bouts, winning all of them by technical superiority.

Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA) won her seventh Pan-Am title. (Photos: UWW / Osvaldo Aguilar)

Hildebrandt faced Madison PARKS (CAN) in the 50kg final and finished the bout in less than a minute and celebrated the win by holding up seven fingers, symbolizing the seven titles she has won.

"That was my seventh Pan-Am championships or Games title," Hildebrandt said referring to her one Pan-Am Games gold which she won in 2019. "It's up there. This is exposing my age."

Despite being nine years older since she won her first title in 2013, she has only become more dominant on the mat. In Acapulco, she used her preferred leg lace to win the final against Banks, her opponent in the semifinal from a year ago.

"I love my sweep single which gets me close to my lace," she said. "So I am always out for that. I have a par terre idea these days. I feel I can attack from anywhere and I am comfortable from where the match goes."

In the semifinal against Patricia BERMUDEZ (ARG), she switched to a gut-wrench to get the win and it only shows Hildebrandt's creativity on the mat.

After a near-perfect outing in the tournament, Hildebrant is already thinking about the areas in which she would like to improve going into a busy season ahead.

"There are always things in preparation like nerves, mental games, sleep before," she said. "I am always refining outside wrestling and obviously there's a lot in wrestling too.

"Just today in general I felt a little sluggish on my feet. Things could have been better there. Maybe a little hesitant at times. So I am going to go back, watch the film, I always find stuff to pick apart."

The win Saturday will also serve as a big confidence booster for her before she wrestles in the USA for a spot on the World Championships team.

As a '21 silver medalist, she sits in the final of the tournament and will wait for the winner of a trial to wrestle her in a best-of-three series to determine the spot for Belgrade.

Hildebrant said that it's tricky to prepare for such a weight class and tournament which has a number of talented wrestlers entered but she has picked a few names she will keep her eyes on.

"Next step is solidifying a spot on this team and it's a tricky spot," she said. "I am waiting in the final and have to see at the end of this month who makes it out of the position of the trial to wrestle me off.

"It's exciting but tricky too, preparing for multiple, very talented women. I have my eyes on a few people, start zeroing in on that."

Parrish Dominique PARRISH (USA) celebrates after beating World bronze medalist Samantha STEWART (CAN). (Photo: UWW / Osvaldo Aguilar)

Hildebrandt defending her gold from 2021 was the first of the three the USA won Saturday as Dominique PARRISH (USA) rose above expectations to win the 53kg title while Dymond GUILFORD (USA) came out of an incredibly tough 76kg bracket to win the gold.

Canada added one more gold to the two it had Friday while Cuba and Venezuela crowned a champion each as women's wrestling drew to its close.

The USA won the team title with 190 points, with Canada claiming the second spot with 165 points and host Mexico finishing third with 120 points.

Parrish announced herself to her opponents at team trials by winning the gold at 53kg with a clutch performance. Out of her three bouts, she came from behind in two of them before an asserting win in the final.

"It felt pretty good," Parrish said of her wins. "I don't know if you saw my earlier bouts but they were pretty crazy so it's nice to end that definitively [in the final]."

In her first bout, Parrish was trailing Karla ACOSTA MARTINEZ (MEX) 3-1 but score a buzzer-beating takedown to win. Mexico challenged the takedown call but lost to give a 4-3 win to Parrish.

The semifinal against World bronze medalist Samantha STEWART (CAN) was less dramatic but she still had to mount a comeback after trailing 4-0 at the break.

She first scored a takedown before adding a stepout with over a minute remaining. She utilized that and with 39 seconds still on the clock, she got her decisive two points to win 5-4.

"That was big considering that I started off the first period on my back," she said. "I was thinking about it later that she was a World bronze medalist. It's nice to wrestle everybody as if they are the same level as me and not pay attention to their accolades."

The final against '20 Pan-Am champ Luisa VALVERDE (ECU) was much controlled as she pancaked the Ecuadorian to secure the fall at 1:29 on the clock.

Parrish did find a positive and some areas to improve from the tournament before she wrestles for a spot on the USA world team.

"If I am fighting from behind, I at least know I can score," she said. "[I can] get my hand-fight off to make sure I am moving them and they are not moving me."

Dymond GUILFORD (USA) won the 76kg final 1-1 against Genesis REASCO VALDEZ (ECU). (Photo: UWW / Osvaldo Aguilar)

At 76kg, Guilford won the gold medal by beating surprise finalist Genesis REASCO VALDEZ (ECU) 1-1 as the two exchanged activity clock points the USA wrestler got the criteria.

Reasco had stunned world champ and four-time Pan-Am champ Justina DI STASIO (CAN), 10-4, in the quarterfinals before pulling off a nerve-wracking 4-4 win over U23 world silver medalist Tatiana RENTERIA (COL) in the semifinals.

Guilford began the day with a fall over Ruthy PINHAL DOS SANTOS (BRA) before a 10-0 win over Maria ACOSTA (VEN). In the semifinal, she faced Linda MACHUCA (ARG) and secured a 12-2 win.

For the final, she had a clear game plan in her mind and executed it to perfection to win her first Pan-Am title.

"I watched her other matches and knew all she had was doubles," she said. "When she started, I thought I can do this. I thought she has nothing."

That helped Guilford defend all attacks from Reasco including a double-leg blast when she had only three seconds left on the activity clock.

Ana GODINEZ GONZALEZ (CAN) won the 62kg gold at Pan-Am Championships. (Photo: UWW / Osvaldo Aguilar)

USA had a silver medalist as well as defending champion Kayla MIRACLE (USA) injury defaulted against U23 world champion Ana GODINEZ GONZALEZ (CAN) at 62kg.

Godinez's gold makes it two-in-two for the family as her elder sister Kalra had won the 55kg gold Friday.

Despite the gold, the Canadian wrestler did rue the fact that she could not wrestle enough matches in the competition.

"I wish I had more matches but it happens," Godinez said. "Miracle and I are friends. I go to Pheonix to train quite a bit. It sucks because I did want that final match. I only got two matches but I wanted at least three if not four but it's okay. I just felt bad that she got hurt and I hope she feels better."

Godinez did have a testing semifinal against Lais NUNES DE OLIVEIRA (BRA) and had to remove a deficit to win it 7-5. She was trailing 4-1 at the break but scored three takedowns in the second period.

The win marks another pit spot in the Godinez sisters' journey to the Paris Olympics as Canada builds a newer crop of wrestlers.

"I definitely did want to go to the Olympics in 2020 but I couldn't. I couldn't make it. But here's the time to do it. I trained with Danielle [Lappage] and Erica [Wiebe] before Tokyo.

"Karla has been working really hard and has had some injuries and hard times with wrestling. She has not been able to show how good she is. Karla can finally show how good she really is. She is up there right. She can be the best in the world as well."

But Godinez knows that it will require more than just performance on the mat to make it to the Games and win a medal as she becomes a more experienced wrestler.

"It (growth) came with experience," she said. "I needed to feel the Europeans and South Americans to know the difference in how I can wrestle to be the best version of myself and my wrestling. I have moved to having one coach for me, working on myself and not to do anything with anyone else. Now, I have a more solid plan coming in and I know what I want. I am in the matches I am more composed rather than before I was more random and I was still trying to figure out my style and I needed more experience and I got that."

Yaynelis SANZ VERDECIA (CUB) added a 57kg senior Pan-Am title to her resume. (Photo: UWW / Osvaldo Aguilar)

At 57kg, Yaynelis SANZ VERDECIA (CUB) claimed her first senior Pan-Am title by beating Alma VALENCIA ESCOTO (MEX) 5-1 in the final.

But it was not smooth sailing for her before the final as she barely won her quarterfinal against Giullia PENALBER DE OLIVEIRA (BRA) 12-10 using a big four in the final minute of the bout. It was a similar story in the semifinal as she sneaked past Cameron GUERIN (USA) 12-7.

Hangelen LLANES ECHEVARRIA (CUB) could not join her teammate Sanz as a Pan-Am champ as Soleymi CARABALLO HERNANDEZ (VEN) won the 68kg title by winning the final 12-2. This was her first gold medal at the tournament after finishing with a silver in 2018.

Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) is now a five-time Pan-Am champion. (Photo: UWW / Osvaldo Aguilar)

Burrough, Cox win

Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) and J'den COX (USA) got their country's team title defense off to a great start by winning the 79kg and 92kg gold in dominant fashion.

Burroughs outscored his opponents 40-1 in his four bouts in the Nordic-style draw to win his fifth Pan-Am title. He also has three Pan-Am Games titles.

Cox had three bouts in the day and like Burroughs, destroyed his competition with ease. He won the title outscoring 31-0.

Cox J'den COX (USA) won the 92kg gold medal. (Photo: UWW / Osvaldo Aguilar)

RESULTS

Women's wrestling

50kg
GOLD: Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA) df. Madison PARKS (CAN), 10-0

BRONZE: Jacqueline MOLLOCANA ELENO (ECU) df. Yoannia PEREZ NUNEZ (CUB), 12-2
BRONZE: Patricia BERMUDEZ (ARG) df. Shammilka MIRANDA DIAZ (PUR), 10-0

53kg
GOLD: Dominique PARRISH (USA) df. Luisa VALVERDE (ECU), via fall

BRONZE: Betzabeth ARGUELLO VILLEGAS (VEN) df. Anny RAMIREZ PEREZ (DOM), via fall
BRONZE: Karla ACOSTA MARTINEZ (MEX) df. Samantha STEWART (CAN), 10-0

57kg
GOLD: Yaynelis SANZ VERDECIA (CUB) df. Alma VALENCIA ESCOTO (MEX), 5-1

BRONZE: Alexandria TOWN (CAN) df. Camila AMARILLA (ARG), 10-0
BRONZE: Giullia RODRIGUES PENALBER DE OLIVEIRA (BRA) df. Cameron GUERIN (USA), 7-7

62kg
GOLD: Ana GODINEZ GONZALEZ (CAN) df. Kayla MIRACLE (USA), via injury default

BRONZE: Lais NUNES DE OLIVEIRA (BRA) df. Andrea GONZALEZ GONGORA (COL), 7-0
BRONZE: Alejandra ROMERO BONILLA (MEX) df. Yolanda CORDERO VARGAS (CUB), 5-2

68kg
GOLD: Soleymi CARABALLO HERNANDEZ (VEN) df. Hangelen LLANES ECHEVARRIA (CUB), 12-2

BRONZE: Yessica OVIEDO PEREZ (DOM) df. Yanet SOVERO NINO (PER), 10-2
BRONZE: Grabriela PEDRO DA ROCHA (BRA) df. Kayla BRODNER (CAN), 6-1

76kg
GOLD: Dymond GUILFORD (USA) df. Genesis REASCO VALDEZ (ECU), 1-1

BRONZE: Maria ACOSTA (VEN) df. Linda MACHUCA (ARG), 13-11
BRONZE: Justina DI STASIO (CAN) df. Tatiana RENTERIA (COL), 3-2

Freestyle

79kg
GOLD: Jordan BURROUGHS (USA)
SILVER: Samuel BARMISH (CAN)
BRONZE: Victor J SANTOS ACOSTA (PUR)

92kg
GOLD: J'den COX (USA)
SILVER: Jeremy POIRIER (CAN)
BRONZE: Cristian SANCHEZ (MEX)

Pan-Am preview: USA chasing dominance with star-studded line-up

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Dominant Hildebrandt leads USA to Pan-Am team title