USA strikes gold with nine Junior Pan Am champions and the team title

FORTALEZA, Brazil – The U.S. men’s freestyle team won nine gold medals on Sunday night at the 2018 Junior Pan American Championships in Fortaleza, Brazil, leading the squad to a team title with 240 points.

The team title was USA’s third of the weekend as the Greco-Roman and women’s freestyle teams also earned spots atop the podium.

Taking second in the team race was Canada with 147 points, followed by Mexico.

Four U.S. athletes doubled up on Junior Pan American gold medals after winning Greco-Roman titles earlier this week.

Dylan Gregerson dominated his championship bout at 61 kg, defeating Marco Palmero of Canada, 10-0, in 2:41. It was his second tech fall of the day.

At 97 kg, Austin Harris fell behind 4-0 to Emiliano Prado Guzman of Mexico before he locked up a cradle and pinned his opponent in 1:42 to win his second gold medal of the tournament.

Anthony Cassioppi and Cameron Caffey joined Gregerson and Harris as 2018 Junior Pan Am double champions as they had already sealed Junior Pan Am freestyle titles at 125 kg and 92 kg, respectively, producing outstanding morning-session performances that saw them both go 4-0.

Also doubling up on medals this week was Greco-Roman bronze medalist Anthony Mantanona, who sailed through the 79 kg bracket, tallying two tech falls and two pins, all of which ended in the first period.

In the final, Mantanona took down Miguel Ornelas Reynoso of Mexico and put him on his back to get the fall in 21 seconds.

At 65 kg, Andrew Alirez outscored his opponents, 30-0, in his international debut to win the Junior Pan Am title. In the finals, he defeated 2015 Cadet Pan American freestyle champion Cristian Santiago Perez of Mexico, 10-0, to close out his day.

Rallying after a first-round loss in pool play was Austin O’Connor, who won the 70 kg gold after a 14-4 performance in the final against Jose Valera Garcia of Guatemala.

Jeremiah Moody outlasted Canada’s Ty Bridgewater in an exciting 74 kg final. Down 8-3 at the break, Moody scored seven points in the final minute to take the crown with a 12-10 decision.

The 86 kg crown went to Arizona State’s Kordell Norfleet, who was only on the mat for a total of 5:28 today, teching his way to gold without surrendering a point.

In his final match of the tournament, Norfleet, an international newcomer, put up a 10-0 performance over Connor Pattison of Canada in just over a minute.

Brandon Courtney eased his way to 57 kg bronze, winning a 10-0 technical fall against Luis Morales Mayancha of Ecuador in his final match of the night.

2018 JUNIOR PAN AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

at Fortaleza, Brazil

Team scores (top five)
1. USA – 240
2. Canada – 147
3. Mexico – 100
4. Brazil – 96
5. Colombia - 75

Final results

57 kg
GOLD - Jonathan PRATA ALAS (ARG)
SILVER - Kevin CHAVEZ BETANCUR (COL)
BRONZE- Brandon COURTNEY (USA)

61 kg
GOLD - Dylan GREGERSON (USA)
SILVER - Marco PALMERO (CAN)
BRONZE - Angel TINOCO TORRES (PER)
BRONZE - Oscar CALVOPINA CANCIO (ECU)

65 kg
GOLD - Andrew ALIREZ (USA)
SILVER - Cristian SANTIAGO PEREZ (MEX)
BRONZE - Connor MCNEICE (CAN)
BRONZE - Enrique PEREZ CASTELLANOS (GUA)

70 kg
GOLD - Austin O'CONNOR (USA)
SILVER - Jose VARELA GARCIA (GUA)
BRONZE - Gunnar SALES (CAN)

74 kg
GOLD - Jeremiah MOODY (USA)
SILVER - Ty BRIDGEWATER (CAN)
BRONZE - Marcos QUESADA MARTINEZ (PER)

79 kg
GOLD - Anthony MANTANONA (USA)
SILVER - Phelipe DOS SANTOS RIBEIRO (BRA)
BRONZE - Miguel ORNELAS REYNOSO (MEX)

86 kg
GOLD - Kordell NORFLEET (USA)
SILVER - Nicolas BAEZ (ARG)
BRONZE - Jhon CARMONA ALCANTARA (COL)

92 kg
GOLD - Cameron CAFFEY (USA)
SILVER - Hunter LEE (CAN)
BRONZE - Pedro GARAY LOPEZ (MEX)

97 kg
GOLD - Austin HARRIS (USA)
SILVER - Guilherme PRADELLA LIMA (BRA)
BRONZE - Richard DESCHATELETS (CAN)

125 kg
GOLD - Anthony CASSIOPPI (USA)
SILVER - Aly BARGHOUT (CAN)
BRONZE - Andrew GUNNING (PER)

U.S. men’s freestyle results

57 kg: Brandon Courtney (Goodyear, Ariz./Arizona State) - BRONZE
WIN Kevin CHAVEZ BETANCUR (COL), 10-0
WIN Edwin SEGURA GUERRA (GUA), 12-2
LOSS Jonathan PRATA ALAS (ARG), fall 0:54
WIN Luis MORALES MAYANCHA (ECU), 10-0

61 kg: Dylan Gregerson (Riverton, Utah/Utah Valley RTC) - GOLD
WIN Oscar CALVOPINA CANCIO (ECU), 11-5
WIN Esteban PEREZ CASTELLANOS (GUA), 10-0
WIN Marco PALERMO (CAN), 10-0

65 kg: Andrew Alirez (Greeley, Colo./Northern Colorado WC) - GOLD
WIN Ivan KLECKER (ARG), 10-0
WIN Enrique PEREZ CASTELLANOS (GUA), 10-0
WIN Cristian SANTIAGO PEREZ (MEX), 10-0

70 kg: Austin O’Connor (Lockport, Ill./Tar Heel WC) - GOLD
LOSS Sergio GODOY VITE (ECU), 9-6
WIN Aaron GUAJARDO GARCIA (MEX), 2-1
WIN Gunnar SALES (CAN), 5-0
WIN Jose VARELA GARCIA (GUA), 14-4

74 kg: Jeremiah Moody (Cambridge, Wisc./Hawkeye WC) – GOLD
WIN Juan PALMA FRANCIS (ECU), 10-0
WIN Marcos QUESADA MARTINEZ (PER), fall 1:15
WIN Ty BRIDGWATER (CAN), 12-10

79 kg: Anthony Mantanona (Indio, Calif./Oklahoma RTC) - GOLD
WIN Eli GOMEZ TEJEDA (ECU), fall 0:31
WIN Phelipe DOS SANTOS (BRA), 11-0
WIN Antony IPARRAGUIRRE PEREYRA (PER), 10-0
WIN Miguel ORNELAS REYNOSO (MEX), fall 0:21

86 kg: Kordell Norfleet (Chicago, Ill./Sunkist Kids) - GOLD
WIN Nicolas BAEZ (ARG), 11-0
WIN Jhon CARMONA (COL), 12-0
WIN Jose PALMERO MARQUEZ (MEX), 10-0
WIN Connor PATTISON (CAN), 10-0

92 kg: Cameron Caffey (Carbondale, Ill./Michigan State) - GOLD
WIN Hunter LEE (CAN), 20-12
WIN Pedro GARAY LOPEZ (MEX), 7-5
WIN Miguel FAUNDEZ ZAPATA (CHI), 10-0
WIN Fabio CONCEICAO (BRA), 12-2

97 kg: Austin Harris (Stillwater, Okla./Titan Mercury/Cowboy WC) - GOLD
WIN Richard DESCHATELETS (CAN), 10-0
WIN Guilherme PRADELLA LIMA (BRA), 10-0
WIN Emiliano PRADO GUZMAN (MEX), fall 1:42

125 kg: Anthony Cassioppi (Roscoe, Ill./ISI) - GOLD
WIN Aly BARGHOUT (CAN), 7-4
WIN Andrew GUNNING (USA), 3-1
WIN Jose DIAZ PONCIANO (GUA), 10-0
WIN Marcos CARROZZINO (BRA), 10-0