U.S. men’s freestyle receives draws for 2017 Pan American Championships

SALVADOR DE BAHIA, Brazil – The U.S. men’s freestyle team weighed in and received its draws for tomorrow’s Senior freestyle Pan American Championships in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil.

Leading the U.S. team is 2016 Olympic champion and 2015 World champion Kyle Snyder (Woodbine, Md./Titan Mercury/Ohio RTC) and 2016 World champion Logan Stieber (Columbus, Ohio/Titan Mercury/Ohio RTC).

Snyder drew Brazil’s Felipe Cesar Camilo de Oliveira in the first round at 97 kg/213 lbs. A win for Snyder would pit him against the winner of the Nishan Randhawa/Lester Enriquez quarterfinal. Randhawa of Canada is 2016 Junior Pan Am champion and 2015 Junior World bronze medalist. Enriquez, competing for Guatemala, finished third at the 2014 Junior Pan Ams.

At 61 kg/134 lbs., Stieber will look to knock off two-time South American champion Augustin Destribats of Argentina in the first round. Last year, Destribats also won the 2016 Junior Pan American Championships.

2015 World bronze medalist James Green (Lincoln, Neb./Titan Mercury) will go head-to-head with 2015 South American champion Mauricio Sanchez Saltos of Ecuador at 70 kg/154 lbs. Sanchez Saltos finished third at last year’s Pan American Championships at 70 kg, while Green won a silver medal at 65 kg.

At 86 kg/189 lbs., Junior World bronze medalist Gabe Dean (Ithaca, N.Y./Titan Mercury/Finger Lakes WC) will make his second appearance at the Pan American Championships, after winning silver in 2015. He’ll open his tournament with Carlos Izquierdo Mendez, a 2016 Olympian from Colombia and 2014 Pan American champion.

Tyler Graff (New Brunswick, N.J./Titan Mercury WC) will represent USA at 57 kg/125 lbs. Fresh off a championship performance at the Dave Schultz Memorial International, Graff will open against Guatemala’s Cristian Arias Mox, who took second in 2013 Central American and Caribbean Championships.

At 65 kg/143 lbs., 2015 U.S. Open champion Kellen Russell (Ann Arbor, Mich./New York AC/Cliff Keen WC) will face two-time Cerro Pelado champ Franklin Maren Castillo from Cuba, who also won the 2013 Pan American Championships and took second at the 2015 Pan Am Games.

Competing at 125 kg/275 lbs., Dom Bradley (Ames, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) will take on Argentina’s Catriel Muriel, who won the 2015 South American Championship and took second in 2016.

Kyle Ruschell (Madison, Wisc./New York AC/Badger WC) receives a first-round bye at 74 kg/163 lbs. In the quarterfinals, he’ll face Peru’s Jose Ambrocio Greifo, the 2016 Pan Am Championships runner-up. Most recently, Ambrocio Greifo won bronze at the 2017 Cerro Pelado.

Sunday’s tournament is set to begin at 9 a.m. ET with the finals scheduled for 4 p.m. All the action will be streamed live on Trackwrestling with live updates throughout the day from USA Wrestling on Twitter @usawrestling.

PAN AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Salvador de Bahia, Brazil

U.S. men’s freestyle draw

57 kg/125 lbs. – Tyler Graff, New Brunswick, N.J. (Titan Mercury WC)
vs. Cristian Arias Mox (Guatemala), Second in 2013 Central American and Caribbean Championships, Fourth in 2009 and 2011 Junior Pan American Championships

61 kg/134 lbs. – Logan Stieber, Columbus, Ohio (Titan Mercury/Ohio RTC)
vs. Augustin Destribats (Argentina), 2015 and 2016 South American champion, 2016 Junior Pan American champion

65 kg/143 lbs. – Kellen Russell, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC/Cliff Keen WC)
vs. Franklin Maren Castillo (Cuba), 2016 and 2017 Cerro Pelado champion, Second in 2015 Pan American Games, 2013 Pan American champion

70 kg/154 lbs. – James Green, Lincoln, Neb. (Titan Mercury)
vs. Mauricio Sanchez Saltos (Ecuador), 2015 South American champion, Third in 2016 Pan American Championships, Third in 2014 South American Games

74 kg/163 lbs. – Kyle Ruschell, Madison, Wisc. (New York AC/Badger WC)
vs. Jose Ambrocio Greifo (Peru), Third in 2017 Cerro Pelado International, Second in 2016 South American Championship, Fifth in Pan American Games

86 kg/189 lbs. – Gabe Dean, Ithaca, N.Y. (Titan Mercury/Finger Lakes WC)
vs. Carlos Izquierdo Mendez (Colombia), 2016 Olympian, Second in 2016 Pan American Championships, 2014 Pan American Champion

97 kg/213 lbs. – Kyle Snyder, Woodbine, Md. (Titan Mercury/Ohio RTC)
vs. Felipe Cesar Camilo (Brazil), No information

125 kg/275 lbs. – Dom Bradley, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids)
vs. Catriel Muriel (Argentina), Second in 2016 South American Championship, 2015 South American champion