Sieracki wins Greco gold medal at Pan American Championships in Venezuela
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by Gary Abbott
MARACAIBO, Venezuela - Aaron Sieracki (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) won a gold medal at 84 kg/185 lbs., the top U.S. performance in Greco-Roman wrestling at the Pan American Championships on Thursday, April 23.
Sieracki won three matches in the tournament, including a 2-0, 1-0 victory in the finals over Christian Mosquera of Columbia. It was his first career Pan American Championships title.
Cuba won the other six gold medals to win the team title with 66 points, ahead of the United States in second with 58 points. Venezuela was third with 53 points, followed by Colombia in fourth with 36 points and the Dominican Republic in fifth with 35 points.
Three U.S. wrestlers won silver medals: Spenser Mango (St. Louis, Mo./New York AC) at 60 kg/132 lbs., Brad Ahearn (Colorado Springs, Colo,/U.S. Army) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. and Brandon Rupp (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. All three lost matches to Cuban opponents.
Mango, a 2008 U.S. Olympian, was competing up one weight class from where he wrestled last year. He fell in the finals to Hanzel Meoque Lugonez, 2-0, 2-0.
Ahearn and Rupp both went 2-1 in four-athlete roundrobins. Ahearn lost to Cuba's Yasmani Jugo, and Rupp lost to Cuba's Olympic champion Mijian Lopez.
Bronze medalists for the USA were Faruk Sahin, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. and Jess Hargrave, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) at 74 kg/163 lbs.
Coaching the U.S. team were Jay Antonelli of Chesapeake, Va. and Rob Hermann of Pensacola, Fla.
The Pan American Championships continue on Friday with the women's freestyle competition, and concludes on Saturday with the men's freestyle event.
PAN AMERICAN GRECO-ROMAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
at Maracaibo, Venezuela, April 23
55 kg/121 lbs.
Gold - Gustavo Balart Marin (Cuba)
Silver - Jorge Cardoza (Venezuela)
Bronze - Jose Magallanes (Peru)
Bronze - Francisco Encarnacion (Dominican Republic)
5th - Ildefonso Arangure Bosquez (Mexico)
6th - Nate Engel (USA)
60 kg/132 lbs.
Gold - Hanzel Meoque Lugonez (Cuba)
Silver - Spenser Mango (USA)
Bronze - Jansel Ramirez (Dominican Republic)
Bronze - Wuileixis de Jesus Rivas Espinoza (Venezuela)
5th - Manuel Alejandro Lopez Salcedo (Mexico)
5th - Ivan de Jesus Duque Arango (Colombia)
7th - Paul Antonio Sobrado Nunta (Peru)
66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Gold - Pedro Isaac Mulen (Cuba)
Silver - Angelo Mota Brea (Dominican Republic)
Bronze - Faruk Sahin (USA)
Bronze - Alvis Albino Almedra Jimenez (Panama)
5th - Yanh Franco Rojas Quispe (Peru)
5th - Yesid Meneses (Colombia)
7th - Rodrigo Vandre (Brazil)
8th - Carlos Ramos (Venezuela)
74 kg/163 lbs.
Gold - Jorgisbel Alvarez Hernandez (Cuba)
Silver - Alexander Brazon (Venezuela)
Bronze - Jess Hargrave (USA)
Bronze - Jose Uber Escobar (Colombia)
5th - Sixto César Barrera Ochoa (Peru)
5th - Felipe Macedo (Brazil)
7th - Marcelo Mina Zuniga (Ecuador)
8th - Francisco Albano Barrio (Argentina)
9th - Hansel Joel Mercedes Martinez (Dominican Republic)
10th - Juan Angel Escobar (Mexico)
84 kg/185 lbs.
Gold - Aaron Sieracki (USA)
Silver - Christian Mosquera (Colombia)
Bronze - José Antonio Arias Paredes (Dominican Republic)
Bronze - Edy Bartolozzy (Venezuela)
5th - Jose Antonio Mendoza Villalpando (Mexico)
5th - Ivan Fundora (Cuba)
7th - Marcelo Gomes (Brazil)
96 kg/211.5 lbs.
Gold - Yasmani Lugo (Cuba)
Silver - Brad Ahearn (USA)
Bronze - Erwin Caraballo (Ecuador)
4th - Jorge Mazo (Colombia)
120 kg/264.5 lbs.
Gold - Mijain Lopez (Cuba)
Silver - Brandon Rupp (USA)
Bronze - Rafael Barreno (Venezuela)
4th - Rodrigo Artilheiro (Brazil)
Team Standings
1 CUBA, 66
2 UNITED STATES, 58
3 VENEZUELA, 53
4 COLOMBIA, 36
5 DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, 35
6 PERU, 24
7 BRAZIL, 21
8 MEXIcO, 19
9 PANAMA, 8
10 ECUADOR, 4
11 ARGENTINA, 3
12 PUERTO RICO, 0
U.S. performances
55 kg/121 lbs. - Nate Engel, St. Helena, Calif. (Sunkist Kids), 6th
LOSS Francisco Encarnacion (Dominican Republic), 0-1, 0-4
60 kg/132 lbs. - Spenser Mango, St. Louis, Mo. (New York AC), 2nd
WIN Manuel Alejandro Lopez Salcedo (Mexico), 1-0, 3-0
WIN Jansel Ramirez (Dominican Republic), 0-3, 2-0, 1-0
LOSS Hanzel Meoque Lugonez (Cuba), 0-2, 0-2
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Faruk Sahin, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army), 3rd
WIN Carlos Ramos (Venezuela), 1-0, 2-0
LOSS Angelo Mota Brea (Dominican Republic), 4-1, 0-1, 0-4
WIN Yanh Franco Rojas Quispe (Peru), 1-0, 6-0
74 kg/163 lbs. - Jess Hargrave, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army), 3rd
LOSS Jorgisbel Alvarez Hernandez (Cuba), 0-1, 2-0, 0-3
WIN Sixto Berrera Ochoa (Peru), inj. dft.
84 kg/185 lbs. - Aaron Sieracki, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army), 1st
WIN Jose Antonio Arias Paredes (Dominican Republic), 1-0, 1-0
WIN Jose Antonio Mendoza Villalpando (Mexico), 4-0, 2-0
WIN Christian Mosquera (Columbia), 2-0, 1-0
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Brad Ahearn, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army), 2nd
WIN Erwin Caraballo (Ecuador), 1-0, 4-0
WIN Jorge Mazo (Columbia), 3-0, 5-0
LOSS Yasmani Jugo (Cuba), 1-5, 1-0, 0-1
120 kg/264.5 lbs.- Brandon Rupp, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC), 2nd
LOSS Mijian Lopez (Cuba), 7-0, 8-0
WIN Rafael Barreno (Venezuela), pin
WIN Rodrigo Artilheiro (Brazil), 2-0, 3-0
Sieracki won three matches in the tournament, including a 2-0, 1-0 victory in the finals over Christian Mosquera of Columbia. It was his first career Pan American Championships title.
Cuba won the other six gold medals to win the team title with 66 points, ahead of the United States in second with 58 points. Venezuela was third with 53 points, followed by Colombia in fourth with 36 points and the Dominican Republic in fifth with 35 points.
Three U.S. wrestlers won silver medals: Spenser Mango (St. Louis, Mo./New York AC) at 60 kg/132 lbs., Brad Ahearn (Colorado Springs, Colo,/U.S. Army) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. and Brandon Rupp (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. All three lost matches to Cuban opponents.
Mango, a 2008 U.S. Olympian, was competing up one weight class from where he wrestled last year. He fell in the finals to Hanzel Meoque Lugonez, 2-0, 2-0.
Ahearn and Rupp both went 2-1 in four-athlete roundrobins. Ahearn lost to Cuba's Yasmani Jugo, and Rupp lost to Cuba's Olympic champion Mijian Lopez.
Bronze medalists for the USA were Faruk Sahin, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. and Jess Hargrave, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) at 74 kg/163 lbs.
Coaching the U.S. team were Jay Antonelli of Chesapeake, Va. and Rob Hermann of Pensacola, Fla.
The Pan American Championships continue on Friday with the women's freestyle competition, and concludes on Saturday with the men's freestyle event.
PAN AMERICAN GRECO-ROMAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
at Maracaibo, Venezuela, April 23
55 kg/121 lbs.
Gold - Gustavo Balart Marin (Cuba)
Silver - Jorge Cardoza (Venezuela)
Bronze - Jose Magallanes (Peru)
Bronze - Francisco Encarnacion (Dominican Republic)
5th - Ildefonso Arangure Bosquez (Mexico)
6th - Nate Engel (USA)
60 kg/132 lbs.
Gold - Hanzel Meoque Lugonez (Cuba)
Silver - Spenser Mango (USA)
Bronze - Jansel Ramirez (Dominican Republic)
Bronze - Wuileixis de Jesus Rivas Espinoza (Venezuela)
5th - Manuel Alejandro Lopez Salcedo (Mexico)
5th - Ivan de Jesus Duque Arango (Colombia)
7th - Paul Antonio Sobrado Nunta (Peru)
66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Gold - Pedro Isaac Mulen (Cuba)
Silver - Angelo Mota Brea (Dominican Republic)
Bronze - Faruk Sahin (USA)
Bronze - Alvis Albino Almedra Jimenez (Panama)
5th - Yanh Franco Rojas Quispe (Peru)
5th - Yesid Meneses (Colombia)
7th - Rodrigo Vandre (Brazil)
8th - Carlos Ramos (Venezuela)
74 kg/163 lbs.
Gold - Jorgisbel Alvarez Hernandez (Cuba)
Silver - Alexander Brazon (Venezuela)
Bronze - Jess Hargrave (USA)
Bronze - Jose Uber Escobar (Colombia)
5th - Sixto César Barrera Ochoa (Peru)
5th - Felipe Macedo (Brazil)
7th - Marcelo Mina Zuniga (Ecuador)
8th - Francisco Albano Barrio (Argentina)
9th - Hansel Joel Mercedes Martinez (Dominican Republic)
10th - Juan Angel Escobar (Mexico)
84 kg/185 lbs.
Gold - Aaron Sieracki (USA)
Silver - Christian Mosquera (Colombia)
Bronze - José Antonio Arias Paredes (Dominican Republic)
Bronze - Edy Bartolozzy (Venezuela)
5th - Jose Antonio Mendoza Villalpando (Mexico)
5th - Ivan Fundora (Cuba)
7th - Marcelo Gomes (Brazil)
96 kg/211.5 lbs.
Gold - Yasmani Lugo (Cuba)
Silver - Brad Ahearn (USA)
Bronze - Erwin Caraballo (Ecuador)
4th - Jorge Mazo (Colombia)
120 kg/264.5 lbs.
Gold - Mijain Lopez (Cuba)
Silver - Brandon Rupp (USA)
Bronze - Rafael Barreno (Venezuela)
4th - Rodrigo Artilheiro (Brazil)
Team Standings
1 CUBA, 66
2 UNITED STATES, 58
3 VENEZUELA, 53
4 COLOMBIA, 36
5 DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, 35
6 PERU, 24
7 BRAZIL, 21
8 MEXIcO, 19
9 PANAMA, 8
10 ECUADOR, 4
11 ARGENTINA, 3
12 PUERTO RICO, 0
U.S. performances
55 kg/121 lbs. - Nate Engel, St. Helena, Calif. (Sunkist Kids), 6th
LOSS Francisco Encarnacion (Dominican Republic), 0-1, 0-4
60 kg/132 lbs. - Spenser Mango, St. Louis, Mo. (New York AC), 2nd
WIN Manuel Alejandro Lopez Salcedo (Mexico), 1-0, 3-0
WIN Jansel Ramirez (Dominican Republic), 0-3, 2-0, 1-0
LOSS Hanzel Meoque Lugonez (Cuba), 0-2, 0-2
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Faruk Sahin, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army), 3rd
WIN Carlos Ramos (Venezuela), 1-0, 2-0
LOSS Angelo Mota Brea (Dominican Republic), 4-1, 0-1, 0-4
WIN Yanh Franco Rojas Quispe (Peru), 1-0, 6-0
74 kg/163 lbs. - Jess Hargrave, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army), 3rd
LOSS Jorgisbel Alvarez Hernandez (Cuba), 0-1, 2-0, 0-3
WIN Sixto Berrera Ochoa (Peru), inj. dft.
84 kg/185 lbs. - Aaron Sieracki, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army), 1st
WIN Jose Antonio Arias Paredes (Dominican Republic), 1-0, 1-0
WIN Jose Antonio Mendoza Villalpando (Mexico), 4-0, 2-0
WIN Christian Mosquera (Columbia), 2-0, 1-0
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Brad Ahearn, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army), 2nd
WIN Erwin Caraballo (Ecuador), 1-0, 4-0
WIN Jorge Mazo (Columbia), 3-0, 5-0
LOSS Yasmani Jugo (Cuba), 1-5, 1-0, 0-1
120 kg/264.5 lbs.- Brandon Rupp, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC), 2nd
LOSS Mijian Lopez (Cuba), 7-0, 8-0
WIN Rafael Barreno (Venezuela), pin
WIN Rodrigo Artilheiro (Brazil), 2-0, 3-0
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