United States earns 5 gold medals and team title at Pan American Championships

MEXICO CITY – Jordan Burroughs is regarded by many as the best pound-for-pound wrestler on the planet.

Cuba’s Livan Lopez is probably convinced of that now.

Burroughs came on strong late in the first period and carried it over into the second in crushing Lopez 13-2 in the finals of the Pan American Championships on Thursday night.

Burroughs put his immense skills on display in the much-anticipated freestyle finals bout at 74 kg/163 lbs. But Burroughs, an Olympic gold medalist and two-time World champion, was too strong for Lopez, a 2013 World silver medalist and 2012 Olympic bronze medalist at 66 kg/145.5 lbs.

Burroughs was named Outstanding Wrestler.

Burroughs, now an amazing 88-1 in his career, will seek his third straight World title in September in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. He is still unbeaten against foreign competition in his international career.

Burroughs was one of five Americans who earned titles on Thursday.

Zach Sanders (57 kg/125.5 lbs.), Andrew Hochstrasser (61 kg/134 lbs.), Hunter Stieber (70 kg/154 lbs.) and Zach Rey (125 kg/275 lbs.) also won titles for the U.S.

The U.S. rolled to the team title with 74 points. Canada was second with 50 points and Cuba third with 49 points. American wrestlers went a perfect 8-0 in the medal round.

"We wrestled extremely well," U.S. coach Joel Greenlee said. "We came here to win medals and we're going home with eight. Jordan Burroughs winning the OW by beating an Olympic bronze medalist and World silver medalist was a great way to end a good day for team USA."

Sanders rallied from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Cuba’s Alfredo Cisnero 3-2 in the finals. Sanders trailed 2-1 before scoring the eventual winning takedown in the second period.

Hochstrasser followed by cradling and pinning Canada’s Michael Asseltine early in the second period to win gold.

Stieber scored takedowns in each period to down Puerto Rico’s Pedro Soto 4-1 in the finals.

Rey cruised past Jose Malaquia Encarnacion of the Dominican Republic by a 10-0 technical fall in the heavyweight finals.

Three American wrestlers captured bronze medals.

Frank Molinaro (65 kg/143 lbs.), Clayton Foster (86 kg/187 lbs.) and Deron Winn (97 kg/213 lbs.) earned bronze medals for the U.S.

Molinaro built an 8-0 lead before turning and pinning Abel Gerald Herrera of Peru in the bronze-medal match.

Foster earned a quick 10-0 technical fall over Adrian Antoine Jaoude of Brazil to earn a bronze medal.

Winn came back from a 4-2 deficit to defeat Ali Al-Rekabi of Canada 8-5 to win a bronze medal. Winn scored four points on a powerful double-leg attack with exposure to break a 4-4 tie early in the second period.

U.S. freestyle wrestlers went a combined 25-3 in the tournament.

PAN AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Mexico City, Mexico, July 17

57 kg/125.5 lbs.
Gold – Zach Sanders (USA)
Silver – Alfredo Cisnero (Cuba)
Bronze – Steven Takahashi (Canada)
Bronze – Andry Davila (Venezuela)

61 kg/134 lbs.
Gold – Andrew Hochstrasser (USA)
Silver – Michael Asseltine (Canada)
Bronze – Jefferson Mayea (Ecuador)
Bronze – Wilfredo Rodriguez (Venezuela)

65 kg/143 lbs.
Gold – Alejandro Enrique Valdes (Cuba)
Silver – Brandon Diaz (Mexico)
Bronze – Frank Molinaro (USA)
Bronze – Jeffry Manuel Avila (Dominican Republic)

70 kg/154 lbs.
Gold – Hunter Stieber (USA)
Silver – Pedro Soto (Puerto Rico)
Bronze – Yoan Blanco (Ecuador)
Bronze – Cesar Roberty (Venezuela)

74 kg/163 lbs.
Gold – Jordan Burroughs (USA)
Silver – Livan Lopez (Cuba)
Bronze – Edison Hurtado (Colombia)
Bronze – Adonis Arroyo (Venezuela)

86 kg/187 lbs.
Gold – Reineris Salas (Cuba)
Silver – Jose Diaz (Venezuela)
Bronze – Clayton Foster (USA)
Bronze – Edinson Ambrocio (Peru)

97 kg/213 lbs.
Gold – Javier Cortina (Cuba)
Silver – Jarlys Mosquera (Colombia)
Bronze – Deron Winn (USA)
Bronze – Marco Santos (Puerto Rico)

125 kg/275 lbs.
Gold – Zach Rey (USA)
Silver – Jose Malaquia Encarnacion (Dominican Republic)
Bronze – Korey Jarvis (Canada)
Bronze – Victor Alfonso Asprilla (Colombia)

U.S. freestyle performances

57 kg/125.5 lbs. – Zach Sanders, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm), 1st
WIN Uziel Correia (Brazil), tech fall 10-0
WIN Hecjomar Cruz (Puerto Rico), tech fall 10-0
WIN Steven Takahashi (Canada), 11-6
WIN Alfredo Cisnero (Cuba), 3-2

61 kg/134 lbs. – Andrew Hochstrasser, Boise, Idaho (Titan Mercury WC), 1st
WIN Sixto Miguel Auccapina (Peru), tech fall 10-0
WIN Wilfredo Rodriguez (Venezuela), 21-11
WIN Michael Asseltine (Canada), fall 3:37

65 kg/143 lbs. – Frank Molinaro, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC), 3rd
WIN Hernan Dano Guzman (Colombia), 11-5
LOSS Alejandro Enrique Valdes (Cuba), tech fall 10-0
WIN William Elassy (Brazil), tech fall 10-0
WIN Abel Gerald Herrera (Peru), fall 2:23

70 kg/154 lbs. – Hunter Stieber, Norwalk, Ohio (New York AC/Ohio RTC), 1st
WIN Tasso Rocha (Brazil), tech fall 10-0
WIN Yoan Blanco (Ecuador), 9-2
WIN Pedro Soto (Puerto Rico), 4-1

74 kg/163 lbs. – Jordan Burroughs, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids), 1st
WIN Elio Zenteno (Bolivia), tech fall 10-0
WIN Jose Santos Ambrocio (Peru), tech fall 10-0
WIN Adonis Arroyo (Venezuela), tech fall 10-0
WIN Livan Lopez (Cuba), tech fall 13-2

86 kg/189 lbs. – Clayton Foster, Laramie, Wyo. (GRIT Athletics/Cowboy WC), 3rd
WIN Jose Mercado (Ecuador), fall
WIN Ricardo Baez (Argentina), tech fall 10-0
LOSS Jose Diaz (Venezuela), 8-6
WIN Adrian Antoine Jaoude (Brazil), tech fall 10-0

97 kg/213 lbs. – Deron Winn, Ames, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC), 3rd
LOSS Javier Cortina (Cuba), tech fall 11-0
WIN Ali Al-Rekabi (Canada), 8-5

125 kg/275 lbs. – Zack Rey, Bethlehem, Pa. (Lehigh Valley AC), 1st
WIN Rene Silva (Nicaragua), tech fall 10-0
WIN Korey Jarvis (Canada), 5-1
WIN Eduardo Lopez (Puerto Rico), tech fall 10-0
WIN Jose Malaquia Encarnacion (Dominican Republic), tech fall 10-0