Bisek, Anderson strike gold as USA wins 4 medals at Pan American Games
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by Craig Sesker USA Wrestling
American Andy Bisek celebrates after winning a Pan American Games gold medal on Wednesday night in Toronto. Tony Rotundo photo.
TORONTO, Canada – Team USA turned in a superb performance with two gold medals, one silver and a bronze as the Pan American Games wrestling competition kicked off at the Hershey Centre.
Andy Bisek and Jon Anderson won gold medals, Bryce Saddoris a silver medal and Spenser Mango a bronze medal in Greco-Roman wrestling on Wednesday night.
The U.S. compiled an impressive 10-2 record on one of the best days in recent American Greco-Roman history.
Bisek, a 2014 World bronze medalist, steamrolled to a 8-0 technical fall over Panama’s Alvis Almendra in the gold-medal match at 75 kg/165 lbs. Bisek hit a gut wrench, a four-point lift and another gut wrench to prevail.
Bisek had beaten Almendra in the 2012 Pan American Championships in Colorado Springs.
“That’s a good mark that I’ve still got a lot of different tricks on top,” Bisek said. “I’m trying to find different lifts and different turns, and push the pace on my feet. I felt really good out there.”
Bisek ran around the mat holding an American flag above his head after earning gold.
“I have never done anything like it,” he said. “It was cool. It was more fun than I thought it would be.”
Anderson, second in the 2015 U.S. World Team Trials, used a relentless, hard-charging attack to beat Venezuela’s Querys Perez by a 9-0 technical fall in the finals at 85 kg/187 lbs.
“It feels amazing,” Anderson said. “It was a lot of hard work, but it felt amazing to hear our National Anthem being played after I won. I’m proud to take home this gold medal for our country. It means a lot.”
Anderson also ran around the mat carrying an American flag after his win.
“That was cool,” Anderson said. “Every since I was a little kid starting to wrestle, I saw videos and pictures of guys doing that. I waited for my day, and today was the first of many.”
Saddoris, a two-time World Team member, fell to Venezuela’s Wuileixis Rivas by a 13-1 technical fall in the finals at 66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Rivas, a 2012 Olympian and 2014 Pan American Championships gold medalist, hit a pair of early four-point moves to take control in the win over Saddoris.
“I just screwed up – I had my head down ,” Saddoris said. “He was able to get a good headlock, and I paid for it with two four-point moves.”
Saddoris went 2-1 on the day.
“It was awesome to be in that finals match,” Saddoris said. “Obviously, I fell short of my goals. I came here to win it and not take second. I just need to keep working harder. It was good to come here and get a medal. Now we’re looking to make some adjustments before the World Championships, and try to take home a medal in September.”
Mango, a two-time Olympian, came out strong in defeating Jansel Ramirez of the Dominican Republic 6-3 in the bronze-medal bout at 59 kg/130 lbs.
“It’s always nice leaving a tournament with a win in your last match,” Mango said. “I really wanted to win a gold medal here. I got the Cuban out of the way in my first match, but I made some mistakes in my next match.”
Mango beat 2014 World fifth-place finisher Ismael Borrero of Cuba 3-3 on criteria in the quarterfinals before falling to eventual champion Andres Montano of Ecuador in the semifinals.
“I was leading 1-0, and I went out for a front headlock and tried to force something I didn’t need at all,” Mango said of the semifinal bout. “I gave up four points. I had to go for broke after that. I tried and it didn’t work out. I need to learn from that.”
Traditional power Cuba, which won six gold medals at the 2011 Pan Am Games, did not advance a wrestler to the finals Wednesday. Cuba came back to win two bronze medals Wednesday night. The last two Greco weights will be contested Thursday.
Day 2 of the four-day tournament is set for Thursday in Toronto. Americans Caylor Williams and Robby Smith are scheduled to compete in Greco with women’s wrestlers Alyssa Lampe and Whitney Conder also taking the mat for Team USA.
Pan American Games, July 15-18
Hershey Centre, Toronto, Canada
Greco-Roman
Medal winners
59 kg/130 lbs.
Gold – Andres Montano (Ecuador)
Silver – Ali Soto (Mexico)
Bronze – Spenser Mango (USA)
Bronze – Cristobal Torres (Chile)
66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Gold – Wuileixis Rivas (Venezuela)
Silver – Bryce Saddoris (USA)
Bronze – Miguel Martinez (Cuba)
Bronze – Mario Molina (Peru)
75 kg/165 lbs.
Gold – Andy Bisek (USA)
Silver – Alvis Almendra (Panama)
Bronze – Carlos Munoz (Colombia)
Bronze – Juan Escobar (Mexico)
85 kg/187 lbs.
Gold – Jon Anderson (USA)
Silver – Querys Perez (Venezuela)
Bronze – Cristian Mosquera (Colombia)
Bronze – Alan Vera (Cuba)
Gold-medal matchups
59 kg/130 lbs.
Andres Montano (Ecuador) won by tech. fall over Ali Soto (Mexico), 11-0
66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Wuileixis Rivas (Venezuala) won by tech. fall over Bryce Saddoris (USA), 13-1
75 kg/165 lbs.
Andy Bisek (USA) won by tech. fall over Alvis Almendra (Panama), 8-0
85 kg/187 lbs.
Jon Anderson (USA) won by tech. fall over Querys Perez (Venezuela), 9-0
U.S. results
59 kg/130 lbs. – Spenser Mango, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) – BRONZE MEDAL
WIN Ismael Borrero (Cuba), 3-3
LOSS Andres Montano (Ecuador), 9-1
WIN Jansel Ramirez (Dominican Republic), 6-3
66 kg/145.5 lbs. – Bryce Saddoris, Sneads Ferry, N.C. (U.S. Marines) – SILVER MEDAL
WIN Mario Molina (Peru), 3-0
WIN Jefrin Mejia (Honduras), tech fall 8-0
LOSS Wuileixis Rivas (Venezuala), tech fall 13-1
75 kg/165 lbs. – Andy Bisek, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Minnesota Storm) – GOLD MEDAL
WIN Luis Avendano (Venezuela), tech fall 8-0
WIN Juan Escobar (Mexico), tech fall 9-0
WIN Alvis Almendra (Panama), 8-0
85 kg/187 lbs. – Jon Anderson, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) – GOLD MEDAL
WIN Oscar Martinez (Honduras), tech fall 8-0
WIN Alan Vera (Cuba), tech fall 8-0
WIN Querys Perez (Venezuela), tech fall 9-0
TORONTO, Canada – Team USA turned in a superb performance with two gold medals, one silver and a bronze as the Pan American Games wrestling competition kicked off at the Hershey Centre.
Andy Bisek and Jon Anderson won gold medals, Bryce Saddoris a silver medal and Spenser Mango a bronze medal in Greco-Roman wrestling on Wednesday night.
The U.S. compiled an impressive 10-2 record on one of the best days in recent American Greco-Roman history.
Bisek, a 2014 World bronze medalist, steamrolled to a 8-0 technical fall over Panama’s Alvis Almendra in the gold-medal match at 75 kg/165 lbs. Bisek hit a gut wrench, a four-point lift and another gut wrench to prevail.
Bisek had beaten Almendra in the 2012 Pan American Championships in Colorado Springs.
“That’s a good mark that I’ve still got a lot of different tricks on top,” Bisek said. “I’m trying to find different lifts and different turns, and push the pace on my feet. I felt really good out there.”
Bisek ran around the mat holding an American flag above his head after earning gold.
“I have never done anything like it,” he said. “It was cool. It was more fun than I thought it would be.”
Anderson, second in the 2015 U.S. World Team Trials, used a relentless, hard-charging attack to beat Venezuela’s Querys Perez by a 9-0 technical fall in the finals at 85 kg/187 lbs.
“It feels amazing,” Anderson said. “It was a lot of hard work, but it felt amazing to hear our National Anthem being played after I won. I’m proud to take home this gold medal for our country. It means a lot.”
Anderson also ran around the mat carrying an American flag after his win.
“That was cool,” Anderson said. “Every since I was a little kid starting to wrestle, I saw videos and pictures of guys doing that. I waited for my day, and today was the first of many.”
Saddoris, a two-time World Team member, fell to Venezuela’s Wuileixis Rivas by a 13-1 technical fall in the finals at 66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Rivas, a 2012 Olympian and 2014 Pan American Championships gold medalist, hit a pair of early four-point moves to take control in the win over Saddoris.
“I just screwed up – I had my head down ,” Saddoris said. “He was able to get a good headlock, and I paid for it with two four-point moves.”
Saddoris went 2-1 on the day.
“It was awesome to be in that finals match,” Saddoris said. “Obviously, I fell short of my goals. I came here to win it and not take second. I just need to keep working harder. It was good to come here and get a medal. Now we’re looking to make some adjustments before the World Championships, and try to take home a medal in September.”
Mango, a two-time Olympian, came out strong in defeating Jansel Ramirez of the Dominican Republic 6-3 in the bronze-medal bout at 59 kg/130 lbs.
“It’s always nice leaving a tournament with a win in your last match,” Mango said. “I really wanted to win a gold medal here. I got the Cuban out of the way in my first match, but I made some mistakes in my next match.”
Mango beat 2014 World fifth-place finisher Ismael Borrero of Cuba 3-3 on criteria in the quarterfinals before falling to eventual champion Andres Montano of Ecuador in the semifinals.
“I was leading 1-0, and I went out for a front headlock and tried to force something I didn’t need at all,” Mango said of the semifinal bout. “I gave up four points. I had to go for broke after that. I tried and it didn’t work out. I need to learn from that.”
Traditional power Cuba, which won six gold medals at the 2011 Pan Am Games, did not advance a wrestler to the finals Wednesday. Cuba came back to win two bronze medals Wednesday night. The last two Greco weights will be contested Thursday.
Day 2 of the four-day tournament is set for Thursday in Toronto. Americans Caylor Williams and Robby Smith are scheduled to compete in Greco with women’s wrestlers Alyssa Lampe and Whitney Conder also taking the mat for Team USA.
Pan American Games, July 15-18
Hershey Centre, Toronto, Canada
Greco-Roman
Medal winners
59 kg/130 lbs.
Gold – Andres Montano (Ecuador)
Silver – Ali Soto (Mexico)
Bronze – Spenser Mango (USA)
Bronze – Cristobal Torres (Chile)
66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Gold – Wuileixis Rivas (Venezuela)
Silver – Bryce Saddoris (USA)
Bronze – Miguel Martinez (Cuba)
Bronze – Mario Molina (Peru)
75 kg/165 lbs.
Gold – Andy Bisek (USA)
Silver – Alvis Almendra (Panama)
Bronze – Carlos Munoz (Colombia)
Bronze – Juan Escobar (Mexico)
85 kg/187 lbs.
Gold – Jon Anderson (USA)
Silver – Querys Perez (Venezuela)
Bronze – Cristian Mosquera (Colombia)
Bronze – Alan Vera (Cuba)
Gold-medal matchups
59 kg/130 lbs.
Andres Montano (Ecuador) won by tech. fall over Ali Soto (Mexico), 11-0
66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Wuileixis Rivas (Venezuala) won by tech. fall over Bryce Saddoris (USA), 13-1
75 kg/165 lbs.
Andy Bisek (USA) won by tech. fall over Alvis Almendra (Panama), 8-0
85 kg/187 lbs.
Jon Anderson (USA) won by tech. fall over Querys Perez (Venezuela), 9-0
U.S. results
59 kg/130 lbs. – Spenser Mango, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) – BRONZE MEDAL
WIN Ismael Borrero (Cuba), 3-3
LOSS Andres Montano (Ecuador), 9-1
WIN Jansel Ramirez (Dominican Republic), 6-3
66 kg/145.5 lbs. – Bryce Saddoris, Sneads Ferry, N.C. (U.S. Marines) – SILVER MEDAL
WIN Mario Molina (Peru), 3-0
WIN Jefrin Mejia (Honduras), tech fall 8-0
LOSS Wuileixis Rivas (Venezuala), tech fall 13-1
75 kg/165 lbs. – Andy Bisek, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Minnesota Storm) – GOLD MEDAL
WIN Luis Avendano (Venezuela), tech fall 8-0
WIN Juan Escobar (Mexico), tech fall 9-0
WIN Alvis Almendra (Panama), 8-0
85 kg/187 lbs. – Jon Anderson, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) – GOLD MEDAL
WIN Oscar Martinez (Honduras), tech fall 8-0
WIN Alan Vera (Cuba), tech fall 8-0
WIN Querys Perez (Venezuela), tech fall 9-0
