USA sends three Greco-Roman wrestlers into finals as Pan American Games kick off
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by Craig Sesker USA Wrestling
Jon Anderson (in red) powered into the Pan American Games Greco-Roman finals on Wednesday in Toronto. Robbert Wijtman photo.
TORONTO, Canada – The U.S. came within an eyelash of a perfect first session at the Pan American Games.
Americans Bryce Saddoris, Andy Bisek and Jon Anderson came out strong and stormed into the Pan Am Games finals on Wednesday afternoon at the Hershey Centre
Teammate Spenser Mango will wrestle for a bronze medal. The medal matches are set for 8 p.m. Eastern Time in Toronto. The matches will be webcast live on ESPN3.
The U.S. went a combined 7-1 in the first session.
Saddoris, a two-time World Team member, won a pair of matches to reach the finals at 66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Saddoris opened with a 3-0 victory over Peru’s Mario Molina in the quarterfinals before rolling to an 8-0 technical fall over Jefrin Mejia of Honduras.
Saddoris will face Venezuela’s Wuileixis Rivas in the finals.
“Sometimes that first match is the most important of the tournament and I was able to squeeze through it,” Saddoris said. “I felt 10 times better in my second match. I’m excited to be in the finals. You’ve got to put every match together and I felt like my conditioning paid off.
“I just need to keep following my game plan in the finals. It’s awesome to represent the best country in the world. I’m honored to wrestle alongside the guys on our team. It’s a privilege to be here. That’s what all this hard work is for – to win medals and put us on the map.”
Bisek, a 2014 World bronze medalist, powered into the finals at 75 kg/165 lbs.
Bisek started by defeating Venezuela’s Luis Avendano by an 8-0 technical fall the quarterfinals. He then rolled past
Mexico’s Juan Escobar by a 9-0 technical fall in the semis. Escobar was eighth at the 2014 Worlds.
Bisek will battle Panama’s Alvis Almendra in the finals.
“It pumps you up even more and gets you excited when your teammates are doing well,” Bisek said. “I felt good out there. I’m starting to wrestle like I did last year at Worlds. I feel like I’m getting back to where I was and I’m pushing the pace like I need to.”
Anderson, second in the 2015 U.S. World Team Trials, looked strong in punching his ticket to the finals at 85 kg/187 lbs.
Anderson opened with a quick 8-0 technical fall over Oscar Martinez of Honduras in the quarterfinals. He followed with an impressive 8-0 win over Cuba’s Alan Vera.
Anderson will meet Venezuela’s Querys Perez in the finals.
“It was my first time ever wrestling a Cuban,” Anderson said. “They’re all great wrestlers. I had a good game plan and I executed it. I felt the energy from my teammates and we kept it rolling.”
Mango, a two-time Olympian, pulled out a last-second win over Cuba’s Ismael Borrero in the quarterfinal round at 59 kg/130 lbs. Mango scored on a pushout with two seconds left to win 3-3 on criteria. Mango and Borrero both placed fifth at the 2014 Worlds.
Mango led 1-0 with under a minute to go against Ecuador’s Andres Montano before being thrown to his back for four points. He was unable to recover in a 9-1 semifinal loss.
Mango will face Jansel Ramirez of the Dominican Republic in the bronze-medal match.
Traditional power Cuba, which won six gold medals at the 2011 Pan Am Games, did not advance a wrestler to the finals Wednesday. The last two Greco weights will be contested Thursday.
Pan American Games, July 15-18
Hershey Centre, Toronto, Canada
Greco-Roman
Gold-medal matchups
59 kg/130 lbs.
Andres Montano (Ecuador) vs. Ali Soto (Mexico)
66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Bryce Saddoris (USA) vs. Wuileixis Rivas (Venezuala)
75 kg/165 lbs.
Andy Bisek (USA) vs. Alvis Almendra (Panama)
85 kg/187 lbs.
Jon Anderson (USA) vs. Querys Perez (Venezuela)
U.S. results
59 kg/130 lbs. – Spenser Mango, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
WIN Ismael Borrero (Cuba), 3-3
LOSS Andres Montano (Ecuador), 9-1
vs. Jansel Ramirez (Dominican Republic) in bronze-medal match
66 kg/145.5 lbs. – Bryce Saddoris, Sneads Ferry, N.C. (U.S. Marines)
WIN Mario Molina (Peru), 3-0
WIN Jefrin Mejia (Honduras), tech fall 8-0
vs. Wuileixis Rivas (Venezuala) in gold-medal match
75 kg/165 lbs. – Andy Bisek, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Minnesota Storm)
WIN Luis Avendano (Venezuela), tech fall 8-0
WIN Juan Escobar (Mexico), tech fall 9-0
vs. Alvis Almendra (Panama) in gold-medal match
85 kg/187 lbs. – Jon Anderson, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
WIN Oscar Martinez (Honduras), tech fall 8-0
WIN Alan Vera (Cuba), 8-0
vs. Querys Perez (Venezuela) in gold-medal match
TORONTO, Canada – The U.S. came within an eyelash of a perfect first session at the Pan American Games.
Americans Bryce Saddoris, Andy Bisek and Jon Anderson came out strong and stormed into the Pan Am Games finals on Wednesday afternoon at the Hershey Centre
Teammate Spenser Mango will wrestle for a bronze medal. The medal matches are set for 8 p.m. Eastern Time in Toronto. The matches will be webcast live on ESPN3.
The U.S. went a combined 7-1 in the first session.
Saddoris, a two-time World Team member, won a pair of matches to reach the finals at 66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Saddoris opened with a 3-0 victory over Peru’s Mario Molina in the quarterfinals before rolling to an 8-0 technical fall over Jefrin Mejia of Honduras.
Saddoris will face Venezuela’s Wuileixis Rivas in the finals.
“Sometimes that first match is the most important of the tournament and I was able to squeeze through it,” Saddoris said. “I felt 10 times better in my second match. I’m excited to be in the finals. You’ve got to put every match together and I felt like my conditioning paid off.
“I just need to keep following my game plan in the finals. It’s awesome to represent the best country in the world. I’m honored to wrestle alongside the guys on our team. It’s a privilege to be here. That’s what all this hard work is for – to win medals and put us on the map.”
Bisek, a 2014 World bronze medalist, powered into the finals at 75 kg/165 lbs.
Bisek started by defeating Venezuela’s Luis Avendano by an 8-0 technical fall the quarterfinals. He then rolled past
Mexico’s Juan Escobar by a 9-0 technical fall in the semis. Escobar was eighth at the 2014 Worlds.
Bisek will battle Panama’s Alvis Almendra in the finals.
“It pumps you up even more and gets you excited when your teammates are doing well,” Bisek said. “I felt good out there. I’m starting to wrestle like I did last year at Worlds. I feel like I’m getting back to where I was and I’m pushing the pace like I need to.”
Anderson, second in the 2015 U.S. World Team Trials, looked strong in punching his ticket to the finals at 85 kg/187 lbs.
Anderson opened with a quick 8-0 technical fall over Oscar Martinez of Honduras in the quarterfinals. He followed with an impressive 8-0 win over Cuba’s Alan Vera.
Anderson will meet Venezuela’s Querys Perez in the finals.
“It was my first time ever wrestling a Cuban,” Anderson said. “They’re all great wrestlers. I had a good game plan and I executed it. I felt the energy from my teammates and we kept it rolling.”
Mango, a two-time Olympian, pulled out a last-second win over Cuba’s Ismael Borrero in the quarterfinal round at 59 kg/130 lbs. Mango scored on a pushout with two seconds left to win 3-3 on criteria. Mango and Borrero both placed fifth at the 2014 Worlds.
Mango led 1-0 with under a minute to go against Ecuador’s Andres Montano before being thrown to his back for four points. He was unable to recover in a 9-1 semifinal loss.
Mango will face Jansel Ramirez of the Dominican Republic in the bronze-medal match.
Traditional power Cuba, which won six gold medals at the 2011 Pan Am Games, did not advance a wrestler to the finals Wednesday. The last two Greco weights will be contested Thursday.
Pan American Games, July 15-18
Hershey Centre, Toronto, Canada
Greco-Roman
Gold-medal matchups
59 kg/130 lbs.
Andres Montano (Ecuador) vs. Ali Soto (Mexico)
66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Bryce Saddoris (USA) vs. Wuileixis Rivas (Venezuala)
75 kg/165 lbs.
Andy Bisek (USA) vs. Alvis Almendra (Panama)
85 kg/187 lbs.
Jon Anderson (USA) vs. Querys Perez (Venezuela)
U.S. results
59 kg/130 lbs. – Spenser Mango, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
WIN Ismael Borrero (Cuba), 3-3
LOSS Andres Montano (Ecuador), 9-1
vs. Jansel Ramirez (Dominican Republic) in bronze-medal match
66 kg/145.5 lbs. – Bryce Saddoris, Sneads Ferry, N.C. (U.S. Marines)
WIN Mario Molina (Peru), 3-0
WIN Jefrin Mejia (Honduras), tech fall 8-0
vs. Wuileixis Rivas (Venezuala) in gold-medal match
75 kg/165 lbs. – Andy Bisek, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Minnesota Storm)
WIN Luis Avendano (Venezuela), tech fall 8-0
WIN Juan Escobar (Mexico), tech fall 9-0
vs. Alvis Almendra (Panama) in gold-medal match
85 kg/187 lbs. – Jon Anderson, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
WIN Oscar Martinez (Honduras), tech fall 8-0
WIN Alan Vera (Cuba), 8-0
vs. Querys Perez (Venezuela) in gold-medal match
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