McKenna, Rey earn gold medals at Cerro Pelado International in Cuba

Zach Rey (USA) on top of the medal stand in Cuba.

HAVANA, Cuba – 2014 Junior World Silver medalist Joey McKenna and 2014 U.S. World Team Trials runner-up Zach Rey added two more gold medals to the U.S. total at the Cerro Pelado International in Havana, Cuba on Saturday.


McKenna won the four-man round-robin tournament at 61 kg/134 lbs. by defeating Cuban’s Maikel Perez and Dabian Quintana. McKenna did drop one match to 2014 World Bronze medalist Yowlys Bonne of Cuba, 6-18, but his overall record combined with head-to-head wins gave the young American the gold on criteria.


Rey cruised to victory at 125 kg/275 lbs. posting a 3-0 record on the day, including a 6-2 win over 2012 Olympian and three-time European medalist Daniel Ligeti of Hungary in the gold medal match.


Two more Americans, Clayton Foster and Dustin Schlatter, navigated their way to the finals at the Cerro Pelado International, but both would come up just shy of gold.


Entering the finals Foster had won three bouts in the competition, including a 10-0 win over 2013 World Bronze medalist Istvan Vereb of Hungary. His finals foe would come in the form of three-time World medalist Reineris Salas Perez of Cuba. Foster would drop a tightly contested 5-4 bout to the Cuban to finish with the silver medal.


“86 kg was the toughest bracket in the tournament,” U.S. Assistant Coach Brandon Slay said.” The finals was a great match, but Clayton can beat Salas, and Salas knows it.”


Schlatter would also come up one point shy in the finals, losing 5-4 to Magomedmurad Gadzhiev of Poland in the deciding bout at 70 kg/154 lbs. Gadzhiev was a Junior World Champion and European Silver medalist for Russia before changing his citizenship to Poland in 2012.


Joining Schlatter on the medal stand at 70 kg/154 lbs. were Jason Welch and Kevin LeValley, who both earned bronze medals.


All seven members of Team USA who wrestled on Saturday earned a medal. Overall the U.S. won four gold medals and 11 total medals in the men’s freestyle competition at the Cerro Pelado International.

Cerro Pelado International Results

At Havana, Cuba, Feb. 14


Men’s Freestyle Results

61 kg/134 lbs.

Gold – Joey McKenna (USA)

Silver – Maikel Perez (Cuba)

Bronze – Yowlys Bonne (Cuba)

Bronze – Dabian Quintana (Cuba)


70 kg/154 lbs.

Gold – Magomedmurad Gadzhiev (Poland)

Silver – Dustin Schlatter (USA)

Bronze – Jason Welch (USA)

Bronze – Kevin LeValley (USA)


86 kg/189 lbs.

Gold – Reineris Salas Perez (Cuba)

Silver – Clayton Foster (USA)

Bronze – Sebastian Jezierzanski (Poland)

Bronze – Zbigniew Baranowski (Poland)


125 kg/275 lbs.

Gold – Zach Rey (USA)

Silver – Daniel Ligeti (Hungary)

Bronze – Tony Nelson (USA)

Bronze – Kamil Skaskiewicz (Poland)

U.S. Men’s Freestyle Performances

61 kg/134 lbs. – Joey McKenna, Towaco, N.J. (Lehigh Valley AC), Gold

WIN Maikel Perez (Cuba), 9-5

LOSS Yowlys Bonne (Cuba), 6-18

WIN Dabian Quintana (Cuba), 8-5


70 kg/154 lbs. – Jason Welch, Evanston, Ill. (Chicago RTC/Wrestling Prep), Bronze

LOSS Magomedmurad Gadzhiev (Poland), 1-11

WIN Andy Moreno (Cuba), 21-14


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

WIN Yoan Blanco (Ecuador), 10-0

WIN Kevin LeValley (USA), 10-0

WIN Zsombor Gulyas (Hungary), 7-0

LOSS Magomedmurad Gadzhiev (Poland), 4-5


70 kg/154 lbs. – Kevin LeValley, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm), Bronze

WIN Yves Neyer (Switzerland), 10-0

LOSS Dustin Schlatter (USA), 0-10

WIN Yoan Blanco (Ecuador), 10-1

WIN Zsombor Gulyas (Hungary), 4-1


86 kg/189 lbs. – Clayton Foster, Laramie, Wyo. (GRIT Athletics/Cowboy WC), Silver

WIN Yurieski Torreblanca (Cuba), 5-4

WIN Istvan Vereb (Hungary), 10-0

WIN Sebastian Jezierzanski (Poland), 5-0

LOSS Reineris Salas Perez (Cuba), 4-5


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

WIN Eduardo Mesa (Cuba), 4-0

WIN Tony Nelson (USA), 2-1

WIN Daniel Ligeti (Hungary), 6-2


125 kg/275 lbs. – Tony Nelson, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm), Bronze

WIN Hugo Cunha (Brazil), 14-4

LOSS Zach Rey (USA), 1-2

WIN Eduardo Mesa (Cuba), 8-1