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U.S. gets draws for men’s freestyle at Pan American Championships in Chile

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by Gary Abbott USA Wrestling

Zach Rey, shown at the 2014 World Team Trials, has won two straight Pan American Championships gold medals at 125 kg and goes for three straight. Photo by Tony Rotundo, Wrestlers Are Warriors.


SANTIAGO, Chile – The U.S. men’s freestyle team has weighed in and received their draws for the final day of the Pan American Championships on Sunday.


The U.S. team will be led by two wrestlers who are ranked No. 2 in the nation at their weight classes based upon last year’s World Team Trials, Dustin Kilgore (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 97 kg/213 lbs. and Zach Rey (Bethlehem, Pa./Lehigh Valley AC) at 125 kg/275 lbs. Both are past NCAA champions.


Rey has won the last two Pan American Championships golds (2013 and 2014).


Kilgore opens with Moises Friddrick of Nicaragua who was 10th in Friday’s Pan American Championships in Greco-Roman. Rey has veteran Edgardo Lopez Morell of Puerto Rico in his first match, who was third in the 2012 Pan American Championships.


Two 2014 Pan American champions return for Team USA, Zach Sanders (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm) at 57 kg/125.5 lbs. and Andrew Hochstrasser (Boise, Idaho/Titan Mercury WC) at 61 kg/134 lbs.


Sanders starts with Hecjomar Cruz Encarnacion of Puerto Rico, who was fifth in 2014 Pan Am Championships. Andrew Hochstrasser drew Cesar Osorio of Venezuela.


The U.S. team also features past NCAA champions Dustin Schlatter (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm) at 70 kg/154 lbs. and Chris Perry (Stillwater, Okla./Titan Mercury WC) at 86 kg/189 lbs., plus 2014 University World champion Tyler Caldwell (Stillwater, Okla./Sunkist Kids) at 74 kg/163 lbs.


Cuba is expected to to be the toughest team among the competitors. Only two Americans drew Cubans in their half-brackets, Jason Chamberlain (Lincoln, Neb./Titan Mercury WC) at 65 kg/143 lbs. and Caldwell.


This was the final qualifying event for the 2015 Pan American Games, which will be hosted in Toronto, Canada, July 15-18.


Coming in, the USA has already qualified in three men’s freestyle weight classes (57 kg, 74 kg, and 125 kg). They are still seeking qualification at three more weight classes (65 kg, 86 kg and 97 kg). Only the six Olympic weights are contested at the Pan Am Games. The top five non-qualified nations in each weight class earn a spot in the Pan Am Games from the competition in Santiago.


To check the brackets and for updates, check the United World Wrestling website, at the following Pan Am Championships event page:
https://unitedworldwrestling.org/event/pan-american-championship-senior-3

PAN AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

At Santiago, Chile



U.S. men’s freestyle draws



57 kg/125.5 lbs. – Zach Sanders, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)

Vs. Hecjomar Cruz Encarnacion (Puerto Rico). 5th in 2014 Pan Am Championships, 3rd in 2014 Pan Am Juniors


61 kg/134 lbs. – Andrew Hochstrasser, Boise, Idaho (Titan Mercury WC)

Vs. Cesar Osorio (Venezuela)


65 kg/143 lbs. – Jason Chamberlain, Lincoln, Neb. (Titan Mercury WC)

Vs. Wandeci Silva (Brazil), 3rd in 2006 Pan American Championships, 5th in 2007 Pan Am Games


70 kg/154 lbs. – Dustin Schlatter, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)

Five-athlete roundrobin

Vs. Ahmed Shamiya (Canada)

Vs. Lincoln Messias (Brazil)

Vs. Esteban Sanchez (Colombia)

Ves. Juan Pablo Peralto (Chile)


74 kg/163 lbs. – Tyler Caldwell, Stillwater, Okla. (Sunkist Kids)

Vs. Edison Hurtado (Colombia), Second in 2007 Pan Am Games, 7x Pan American Championships medalist


86 kg/189 lbs. – Chris Perry, Stillwater, Okla. (Titan Mercury WC)

Vs. Jose Mercado Estacio (Ecuador), 2nd in 2014 South American Championships, 5th in 2011 Pan Am Games


97 kg/213 lbs. – Dustin Kilgore, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)

Vs. Moises Friddrick (Nicaragua), 10th in 2015 Pan American Championships in Greco-Roman


125 kg/275 lbs. – Zach Rey, Bethlehem, Pa. (Lehigh Valley AC)

Vs. Edgardo Lopez Morell (Puerto Rico), 5th in 2011 Pan Am Games, 3rd in 2012 Pan American Championships

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