U.S. women weigh-in and receive draws for Pan American Championships in Brazil
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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
Alli Ragan, shown competing at the 2016 World Championships, leads the U.S. women's team at the Pan American Championships in Brazil. Photo by Kadir Caliskan.
SALVADOR DE BAHIA, Columbia – The U.S. women’s freestyle team has weighed in and received their first-round draws for the Pan American Senior Championships. The women’s freestyle competition will be held on Saturday, May 6.
Seven of the eight-member U.S. team will consist of athletes who qualified for the 2017 U.S. World Team, after winning the U.S. World Team Trials in Las Vegas last weekend.
2016 World silver medalist Alli Ragan (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) is in a four-athlete round robin at 60 kg/132 lbs. Ragan opens against Laurence Beauregard of Canada. She will then face Andria Pimentel de Souza of Brazil, then Nesmarie Rodriguez Tirado of Puerto Rico, who was 5th in 2011 and 2014 Pan American Championships,
At 53 kg/116.5 lbs., 2016 Olympian Haley Augello (Lockport, Ill./New York AC) opens against Laura Peredo Torres of Mexico, who was third in the 2013 and 2016 Pan American Championships. Augello was a 2011 Cadet World champion.
2013 U.S. World Team member Victoria Anthony (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) draws Caroline Soares Melo of Brazil, a 2016 Brazil Cup champion, in her first match at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. Anthony was fifth in the 2013 World Championships and is a two-time Junior World champion.
Three of the U.S. Pan American Championships team members are also past Junior World medalists, Becka Leathers (Choctaw, Okla./Titan Mercury WC) at 55 kg/121 lbs., Kayla Miracle (Campbellsville, Ky./Sunkist Kids) at 58 kg/128 lbs. and Victoria Francis, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC) at 75 kg/165 lbs. All are on their first U.S. Senior World Team this summer.
Leathers has a five-athlete roundrobin, and opens against 2016 Pan American Cadet champion Andribeth Rivera Belliard. Her fifth match is slated to be Brianne Barry of Canada, the 2017 Bill Farrell International champion who was fifth in the 2014 and 2016 University World Championships. Leathers won her Junior World bronze medal in 2015.
Miracle opens against Brenda Oliveria Palheta of Brazil), who was second in the 2016 South American Championships. Miracle won Junior World bronze medals in both 2014 and 2016.
Francis is part of a five-athlete round-robin, opening against veteran Andrea Olaya Gutierrez of Colombia, who was fifth in 2014 and 2015 World Championships. Her weight class is stacked, also including 2016 Pan American champion Justina Distasio of Canada, along with 2014 World silver medalist Aline da Silva Ferreira of Brazil.
At 63 kg/152 lbs., 2017 World Team member Mallory Velte (Sacramento, Calif./Titan Mercury WC) has a difficult first-round draw, facing 2008 and 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Jacqueline Renteria Castillo of Colombia.
Also competing in King University star Forrest Molinari (Benicia, Calif./Titan Mercury WC), who opens her competition at 69 kg/152 lbs. against Virginia Fernandez Salazar of Mexico, who competed at the 2015 World Championships in Las Vegas.
Due to the venue fire on Friday which postponed the Greco-Roman competition, the women’s freestyle tournament has been pushed back to start on Saturday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. local time in Salvador, Brazil. This is one hour ahead of U.S. Eastern time. The competition will be streamed live by TrackWrestling.com.
The U.S. women’s team is coached by National Women’s Coach Terry Steiner of Colorado Springs, Colo., along with Israel Silva of Fresno, Calif.
PAN AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Salvador de Bahia, Brazil
U.S. Women’s Freestyle draw
48 kg/105.5 lbs. – Victoria Anthony, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids)
Vs. Caroline Soares Melo (Brazil), 2016 Brazil Cup champion, Third in 2012 Pan American Junior Championships
53 kg/116.5 lbs. – Haley Augello, Lockport, Ill. (New York AC)
Vs. Laura Peredo Torres (Mexico), 3rd in 2013 and 2016 Pan American Championships, 5th in 2014 Pan American Championships, 3rd in 2015 Cerro Pelado (Cuba)
55 kg/121 lbs. – Becka Leathers, Choctaw, Okla. (Titan Mercury WC)
Five-athlete roundrobin
Vs. Andribeth Rivera Belliard (Puerto Rico), 2nd in 2017 Cerro Pelado (Cuba), 2016 Pan American Cadet champion, fifth in 2016 Cadet World Championships
Vs. Brenda Fernandez Salazar (Mexico), 2017 Cerro Pelado champion (Cuba), 3rd in 2013 Pan American Cadets
Vs. Mayara Amalia Graciano (Brazil), 2016 Brazil Cup champion, 4th in 2016 World Military Championships
Vs. Brianne Barry (Canada), 5th in 2014 and 2016 University Worlds, 2017 Bill Farrell champion (USA), 5th in 2010 Junior World Championships
58 kg/128 lbs. – Kayla Miracle, Campbellsville, Ky. (Sunkist Kids)
Vs. Brenda Oliveria Palheta (Brazil), 2nd in 2016 South American Championships
60 kg/132 lbs. – Alli Ragan, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
Four-athlete roundrobin
Vs. Laurence Beauregard (Canada), no information
Vs. Andria Pimentel de Souza (Brazil), 5th in 2016 Pan American Juniors, 5th in 2013 Pan American Cadets
Vs. Nesmarie Rodriguez Tirado (Puerto Rico), 5th in 2011 and 2014 Pan American Championships, 2007 Pan American Cadet champion
63 kg/152 lbs. – Mallory Velte, Sacramento, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC)
Vs. Jacqueline Renteria Castillo (Colombia), 2008 and 2012 Olympic bronze medalist, 5th in 2013 World Championships, 2014 and 2016 Pan American Champion.
69 kg/152 lbs. – Forrest Molinari, Benicia, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC)
Vs. Virginia Fernandez Salazar (Mexico), 2015 Mexican Senior World Team member
75 kg/165 lbs. – Victoria Francis, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC)
Five-athlete roundrobin
Vs. Andrea Olaya Gutierrez (Colombia), 5th in 2014 and 2015 World Championships, 2016 Olympian, Second in 2014 and 2016 Pan American Championships
Vs. Soleymi Caraballo Hernandez (Venezuela), 2nd in 2014 Central American and Caribbean Games, 3rd in 2014 South American Games
Vs. Justina DiStasio (Canada), 2nd in 2015 Pan Am Games, 2016 Pan American champion, 5th in 2012 Junior Worlds
Vs. Aline da Silva Ferreira (Brazil), 2nd in 2014 World Championships, 3rd in 2015 Pan Am Games
SALVADOR DE BAHIA, Columbia – The U.S. women’s freestyle team has weighed in and received their first-round draws for the Pan American Senior Championships. The women’s freestyle competition will be held on Saturday, May 6.
Seven of the eight-member U.S. team will consist of athletes who qualified for the 2017 U.S. World Team, after winning the U.S. World Team Trials in Las Vegas last weekend.
2016 World silver medalist Alli Ragan (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) is in a four-athlete round robin at 60 kg/132 lbs. Ragan opens against Laurence Beauregard of Canada. She will then face Andria Pimentel de Souza of Brazil, then Nesmarie Rodriguez Tirado of Puerto Rico, who was 5th in 2011 and 2014 Pan American Championships,
At 53 kg/116.5 lbs., 2016 Olympian Haley Augello (Lockport, Ill./New York AC) opens against Laura Peredo Torres of Mexico, who was third in the 2013 and 2016 Pan American Championships. Augello was a 2011 Cadet World champion.
2013 U.S. World Team member Victoria Anthony (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) draws Caroline Soares Melo of Brazil, a 2016 Brazil Cup champion, in her first match at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. Anthony was fifth in the 2013 World Championships and is a two-time Junior World champion.
Three of the U.S. Pan American Championships team members are also past Junior World medalists, Becka Leathers (Choctaw, Okla./Titan Mercury WC) at 55 kg/121 lbs., Kayla Miracle (Campbellsville, Ky./Sunkist Kids) at 58 kg/128 lbs. and Victoria Francis, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC) at 75 kg/165 lbs. All are on their first U.S. Senior World Team this summer.
Leathers has a five-athlete roundrobin, and opens against 2016 Pan American Cadet champion Andribeth Rivera Belliard. Her fifth match is slated to be Brianne Barry of Canada, the 2017 Bill Farrell International champion who was fifth in the 2014 and 2016 University World Championships. Leathers won her Junior World bronze medal in 2015.
Miracle opens against Brenda Oliveria Palheta of Brazil), who was second in the 2016 South American Championships. Miracle won Junior World bronze medals in both 2014 and 2016.
Francis is part of a five-athlete round-robin, opening against veteran Andrea Olaya Gutierrez of Colombia, who was fifth in 2014 and 2015 World Championships. Her weight class is stacked, also including 2016 Pan American champion Justina Distasio of Canada, along with 2014 World silver medalist Aline da Silva Ferreira of Brazil.
At 63 kg/152 lbs., 2017 World Team member Mallory Velte (Sacramento, Calif./Titan Mercury WC) has a difficult first-round draw, facing 2008 and 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Jacqueline Renteria Castillo of Colombia.
Also competing in King University star Forrest Molinari (Benicia, Calif./Titan Mercury WC), who opens her competition at 69 kg/152 lbs. against Virginia Fernandez Salazar of Mexico, who competed at the 2015 World Championships in Las Vegas.
Due to the venue fire on Friday which postponed the Greco-Roman competition, the women’s freestyle tournament has been pushed back to start on Saturday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. local time in Salvador, Brazil. This is one hour ahead of U.S. Eastern time. The competition will be streamed live by TrackWrestling.com.
The U.S. women’s team is coached by National Women’s Coach Terry Steiner of Colorado Springs, Colo., along with Israel Silva of Fresno, Calif.
PAN AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Salvador de Bahia, Brazil
U.S. Women’s Freestyle draw
48 kg/105.5 lbs. – Victoria Anthony, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids)
Vs. Caroline Soares Melo (Brazil), 2016 Brazil Cup champion, Third in 2012 Pan American Junior Championships
53 kg/116.5 lbs. – Haley Augello, Lockport, Ill. (New York AC)
Vs. Laura Peredo Torres (Mexico), 3rd in 2013 and 2016 Pan American Championships, 5th in 2014 Pan American Championships, 3rd in 2015 Cerro Pelado (Cuba)
55 kg/121 lbs. – Becka Leathers, Choctaw, Okla. (Titan Mercury WC)
Five-athlete roundrobin
Vs. Andribeth Rivera Belliard (Puerto Rico), 2nd in 2017 Cerro Pelado (Cuba), 2016 Pan American Cadet champion, fifth in 2016 Cadet World Championships
Vs. Brenda Fernandez Salazar (Mexico), 2017 Cerro Pelado champion (Cuba), 3rd in 2013 Pan American Cadets
Vs. Mayara Amalia Graciano (Brazil), 2016 Brazil Cup champion, 4th in 2016 World Military Championships
Vs. Brianne Barry (Canada), 5th in 2014 and 2016 University Worlds, 2017 Bill Farrell champion (USA), 5th in 2010 Junior World Championships
58 kg/128 lbs. – Kayla Miracle, Campbellsville, Ky. (Sunkist Kids)
Vs. Brenda Oliveria Palheta (Brazil), 2nd in 2016 South American Championships
60 kg/132 lbs. – Alli Ragan, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
Four-athlete roundrobin
Vs. Laurence Beauregard (Canada), no information
Vs. Andria Pimentel de Souza (Brazil), 5th in 2016 Pan American Juniors, 5th in 2013 Pan American Cadets
Vs. Nesmarie Rodriguez Tirado (Puerto Rico), 5th in 2011 and 2014 Pan American Championships, 2007 Pan American Cadet champion
63 kg/152 lbs. – Mallory Velte, Sacramento, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC)
Vs. Jacqueline Renteria Castillo (Colombia), 2008 and 2012 Olympic bronze medalist, 5th in 2013 World Championships, 2014 and 2016 Pan American Champion.
69 kg/152 lbs. – Forrest Molinari, Benicia, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC)
Vs. Virginia Fernandez Salazar (Mexico), 2015 Mexican Senior World Team member
75 kg/165 lbs. – Victoria Francis, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC)
Five-athlete roundrobin
Vs. Andrea Olaya Gutierrez (Colombia), 5th in 2014 and 2015 World Championships, 2016 Olympian, Second in 2014 and 2016 Pan American Championships
Vs. Soleymi Caraballo Hernandez (Venezuela), 2nd in 2014 Central American and Caribbean Games, 3rd in 2014 South American Games
Vs. Justina DiStasio (Canada), 2nd in 2015 Pan Am Games, 2016 Pan American champion, 5th in 2012 Junior Worlds
Vs. Aline da Silva Ferreira (Brazil), 2nd in 2014 World Championships, 3rd in 2015 Pan Am Games
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