Skip to content
USA Wrestling
International
Women
USAW

U.S. gets draws for women’s freestyle at Pan American Championships in Frisco, Texas

Share:

by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling

Olympic medalist and World champion Clarissa Chun, shown at the 2016 Dave Schultz Memorial, is among the star U.S. women competing at the Pan American Championships on Friday. Photo by John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com


FRISCO, Texas – The United States women’s freestyle team weighed in and received their first-round draws for the Pan American Championships, which begins at the Dr. Pepper Arena on Friday.


The Pan American Wrestling Championships is the annual continental championships for nations from North, South and Central America and will feature many top international competitors.


Three members of the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team will be competing on Friday, Olympic bronze medalist Clarissa Chun, Columbia, Mo. (Sunkist Kids) at 48 kg/105.5 lbs., Kelsey Campbell (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) at 58 kg/128 lbs. and Elena Pirozhkova, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC) at 69 kg/152 lbs.


Chun will open against Suzana Paula De Alameida Dos Santos of Brazil, who was fourth in the 2014 World Military Championships. Chun was a 2008 World champion and was also fifth at the 2008 Olympic Games, to go with her 2012 Olympic bronze medal.


Campbell will open against Emily Yulieth Sanchez Ortega of Panama, who was fifth in the 2014 Pan American Cadet Championships.


Pirozhkova has a four-athlete roundrobin. In her first match, she drew Cinthia Morales of Mexico, who was fifth in the 2014 Pan American Championships. Pirozhkova was a 2012 World Champion and has won three World medals in her career.


Two other U.S. wrestlers in the tournament are past World medalists, 2005 World champion Iris Smith (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP) at 75 kg/165 lbs. and 2015 World bronze medalist Leigh Jaynes-Provisor (Colorado Springs, Colo. /U.S. Army WCAP) at 60 kg/132 lbs.


Smith opens with Dayanara Rivera Suarez of Puerto Rico, who was fifth in the 2015 Pan American Games.


Jaynes-Provisor has a four-athlete roundrobin, and will open with an experienced opponent, two-time Olympic bronze medalist Jacqueline Renteria Castillo of Colombia. Also in her draw is 2015 Pan American Games champion Joice Souza Da Silva of Brazil.


The other three U.S. women have been U.S. Open champions and are members of the national team: Michaela Hutchison (Lebanon, Ill./Titan Mercury WC) at 53 kg/116.5 lbs., Sharon Jacobson (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP) at 55 kg/121 lbs. and Amanda Hendey, San Gabriel, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC) at 63 kg/138.75 lbs.


Hutchison competes against the winner of a preliminary bout between 2016 Canadian Olympian Jasmine Mian of Canada and Vicmarie Requena Tirado of Puerto Rico, who was fifth in the 2015 Pan American Championships.


“We have a great opportunity. Having the Pan American Championships in our own country is a good thing for us. For our athletes to represent the USA at home in our country is an exciting thing for them. For many of them, it is the last competition for them before the Olympic Trials. It is an important aspect. You want to go into the Olympic Trials feeling good about how you are wrestling. We also have to set the tone. This week and next week are a very important thing. You don’t get many chances to represent your country at a Continental or World Championships. Next week is our Olympic Qualifying Event. Hopefully we set the stage this week and let the rest of the Pan Am countries know we are here for business,” said National Women’s Coach Terry Steiner.


Tickets are still available for the competition. : Tickets for both Pan American events events can be ordered at the same time. All-Session General Admission prices are $14.50 for a single day pass, $39.50 for a three-day pass and $59.50 for a six-day pass. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster. Please note that the three-day pass will be good for either the three days of the Pan American Championships or for the Pan American Olympic Qualifier, but cannot be used partially for one event and then the rest on the other.

Click here for direct link for tickets through Ticketmaster.
http://www.ticketmaster.com/venue/99156?tm_link=edp_Venue_See_All_Events


The event will also be broadcast live on Trackwrestling.

PAN AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

At Frisco, Texas



U.S. women’s freestyle first round draw for Friday



48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Clarissa Chun, Columbia, Mo. (Sunkist Kids)

Vs. Suzana Paula De Alameida Dos Santos (Brazil), 3rd in 2016 Olympic Test Event, 4th in 2014 World Military Championships


53 kg/116.5 lbs. – Michaela Hutchison, Lebanon, Ill. (Titan Mercury WC)

Vs. Winner of preliminary featuring:

Vicmarie Requena Tirado (Puerto Rico), 5th in 2015 Pan American Championships, 3rd in 2014 Pan American Junior Championships

vs. Jasmine Mian (Canada), 2016 Canadian Olympian, 3rd in 2016 Olympic Test Event, 9th in 2015 World Championships, 2014 University World champion


55 kg/121 lbs. - Sharon Jacobson, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)

Vs. Guilia Rodrigues Penalber de Olivera (Brazil), 7th in 2015 Pan Am Games, 8th in 2014 World Championships, 5th in 2014 Pan Am Championships


58 kg/128 lbs. - Kelsey Campbell, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids)

Vs. Emily Yulieth Sanchez Ortega (Panama), 5th in 2014 Pan American Cadet Championships


60 kg/132 lbs. - Leigh Jaynes-Provisor, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)

Round robin with three other opponents. First match against Jacqueline Renteria Castillo (Colombia), 2008 and 2012 Olympic bronze medalist,


63 kg/138.75 lbs. -Amanda Hendey, San Gabriel, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC)

Vs. Leidy Marcela Izquierdo Mendez (Colombia), 9th in 2014 World Championships, 2014 Pan American Championships champion, 2nd in 2013 Pan American Championships, 8th in 2013 World Championships


69 kg/152 lbs. – Elena Pirozhkova, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC)

Roundrobin with three other athletes. First match against Cinthia Morales (Mexico), 7th in Pan American Games, 5th in 2014 Pan American Championships


75 kg/165 lbs. – Iris Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)

Vs. Dayanara Rivera Suarez (Puerto Rico), 5th in 2015 Pan Am Games, 2010 and 2014 Puerto Rican World Team member, 5th in 2011 Pan American Championships

Read More#