U.S. women go five-for-five in medal matches to win Pan Am team title

LIMA – The U.S. women’s freestyle team ran away with the Pan American Championships team, thanks to the help of five medalists on Saturday night in Lima, Peru.

Going five-for-five in its medal matches in the final day of women’s competition, USA scored 198 points, which was 43 points ahead of runner-up Canada, who had the lead in the team race after day one.  Rounding out the top five was Cuba with 106 points, Brazil with 72 points and Ecuador with 70 points.

Leading the way for the Red, White and Blue on Saturday were gold medalists Whitney Conder, Sarah Hildebrandt and Adeline Gray.

On the eve of her 30th birthday, Conder, a two-time World Team member, won her first Pan Am Championships, powering through the 50 kg finals. For gold, Conder, who won the 2015 Pan Am Games, dominated two-time Olympian Carolina Castillo Hidalgo of Colombia, shutting her out 9-0.

Hildebrandt claimed her third Pan Am title on Saturday night with an easy 10-0 technical fall over Luisa Valverde of Ecuador. A 2016 World Team member, Hildebrandt wraps up an awesome showing in Peru, highlighted by three falls and one tech fall. Because of her performance, Hildebrandt was named the tournament's Outstanding Wrestler. It is her second Outstanding Wrestler honor within the last week as she was recognized for her efforts at the U.S. Open.

"I'm feeling really good [about my wrestling]," Hildebrandt said. "I love competing and I've been competing a lot. I'm used to going to back-to-back tournaments. I think all this wrestling is really playing into my game plan of becoming a better wrestler. With that said, I'm looking forward to taking a few days off and really soak in these last couple of weeks because they have been exciting."

Three-time World champion Gray was dominant as always in the 76 kg finals, collecting her third fall of the day over Andrea Olaya Gutierrez of Colombia, who has two fifth-place finishes at the World Championships. Gray led Olaya, 10-1, at the time of the fall, grabbing a takedown and tilt in the moments before the pin.

In bronze-medal matches, Michaela Beck and Kayla Miracle were both victorious at 57 kg and 62 kg, respectively.

Beck won by forfeit to pick up her first Senior Pan Am medal, while Miracle put up a solid second-period performance against 2016 World bronze medalist Linda Morais of Canada for a 6-1 win and her second-consecutive Pan Am bronze prize.

Miracle and Beck each had to wrestle a true-third match in order to qualify the U.S. for the 2019 Pan Am Games at those respective weights.

To qualify USA at 62 kg, Miracle had to go through two-time Olympic bronze medalist Jackie Renteria of Colombia. With the two tied at the break, Miracle pulled away in the second period for an eventual impressive 13-5 win. 

Beck lost her bout in a 10-0 tech to Alexandria Town of Canada. 

Pan American competition continues with the remaining men’s freestyle weights (57, 61, 65, 70, 74, 86, 97 and 125). Action begins at 10 a.m. ET live on Trackwrestling.com.

SENIOR PAN-AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Lima, Peru, May 3-6 

Team standings (top five)
1. USA - 198
2. Canada - 155
3. Cuba - 106
4. Brazil – 72
5. Ecuador – 70

Women’s freestyle results

50 kg
GOLD - Whitney CONDER (USA) df. Carolina CASTILLO HIDALGO (COL), 9-0
BRONZE - Mariana DIAZ MUNOZ (MEX) df. Jacqueline Del Rocio MOLLOCANA ELENO (ECU), 3-2
BRONZE - Jade Marie DUFOUR (CAN) df. Evelin del Carmen SOSA (ARG), 14-2

53 kg
GOLD - Sarah Ann HILDEBRANDT (USA) df. Luisa Elizabeth VALVERDE MELENDRES (ECU), 10-0
BRONZE - Betzabeth Angelica ARGUELLO VILLEGAS (VEN) df. Kristina Katelyn MCLAREN (CAN), 4-3
BRONZE - Lilianet DUANES ANDRES (CUB) df. Dannia Stefanny FIGUEROA DUQUE (COL), 4-3

55 kg
GOLD – Becka LEATHERS (GOLD)
SILVER – Cara Gail NANIA (CAN)
BRONZE - Lady Raysa MORAN VALENZUELA (ECU)

57 kg
GOLD - Alejandra ROMERO BONILLA (MEX) dec. Lianna de la Caridad MONTERO HERRERA (CUB), 2-2
BRONZE - Alexandria Rebekkah TOWN (CAN) df. Yessica Coraima OVIEDO PEREZ (DOM), 10-0
BRONZE - Michaela Hope BECK (USA) win by forfeit Nes Marie RODRIGUEZ TIRADO (PUR)

59 kg
GOLD - Andribeth RIVERA BELLIARD (PUR)
SILVER - Laurence BEAUREGARD (CAN)
BRONZE - Kelsey Rene CAMPBELL (USA)

62 kg
GOLD - Yaquelin ESTORNELL ELIZASTIGUE (CUB) df. Lais NUNES DE OLIVEIRA (BRA), 5-4
BRONZE - Kayla Colleen Kiyoko MIRACLE (USA) df. Linda MORAIS (CAN), 6-1
BRONZE - Jackeline RENTERIA CASTILLO (COL) df. Karla Johanna CAMPOS GONZALEZ (ECU), 12-1

65 kg
GOLD - Forrest Ann MOLINARI (USA)
SILVER - Breanne Leigh GRAHAM (CAN)

68 kg
GOLD - Yudari SANCHEZ RODRIGUEZ (CUB) df. Soleymi Antonieta CARABALLO HERNANDEZ (VEN), 14-8
BRONZE - Yanet Ursula SOVERO NINO (PER) df. Temitope Lydia OGUNJIMI (CAN), 7-4
BRONZE - Leonela Aleyda AYOVI PARRAGA (ECU) df. Diana Paulina MIRANDA GONZALES (MEX), 3-1

72 kg
GOLD - Veronica Helen Frances KEEFE (CAN)
SILVER - Diana Luisa Victoria CRUZ ARROYO (PER)
BRONZE - Hannah La Shae GLADDEN (USA)

76 kg
GOLD - Adeline Maria GRAY (USA) df. Andrea Carolina OLAYA GUTIERREZ (COL), fall 4:49
BRONZE - Andrimar Daniela LAZARO DIAZ (VEN) df. Gracelynn DOOGAN (CAN), 8-2
BRONZE - Mabelkis CAPOTE PEREZ (CUB) win by injury default Aline DA SILVA FERREIRA (BRA)

U.S. women’s freestyle results

50 kg/110 lbs. – Whitney Conder (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP) - GOLD
WIN Evelin Sosa (Argentina), 12-6
WIN Jade Dufour (Canada), 14-1
WIN Carolina Castillo Hidalgo (Colombia), 9-0

53 kg/117 lbs. – Sarah Hildebrandt (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) - GOLD
WIN Kristina McLaren (Canada), fall 2:40
WIN Helena Leite (Brazil), fall 2:07
WIN Betzabeth Arguello Villegas (Venezuela), fall 2:07
WIN Luisa Valverde (Ecuador), 10-0

55 kg/121 lbs. – Becka Leathers (Choctaw, Okla./Titan Mercury WC) - GOLD
WIN Lady Valenzuela (Ecuador), fall 0:40
WIN Cara Nania (Canada), 4-2

57 kg/125 lbs. – Michaela Beck (New York, N.Y./New York AC) - BRONZE
WIN Janette Mallqui Peche (Peru), 10-0
LOSS Lianna Montero Herrera (Cuba), 10-0
WIN Nes Rodriguez Tirado (Puerto Rico), forfeit

59 kg/130 lbs. – Kelsey Campbell (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) - BRONZE
LOSS Laurence Beauregard (Canada), 3-0
LOSS Andribeth Rivera (Puerto Rico), 10-2
WIN Karoline Silva (Brazil), 10-0

62 kg/136 lbs. – Kayla Miracle (Campbellsville, Ky./Sunkist Kids) - BRONZE
WIN Nathaly Griman Herrera (Venezuela), 14-6
LOSS Yaquelin Estornell (Cuba), 6-2
WIN Isidora Diaz Martinez (Chile), 10-0
WIN Linda Morais (CAN), 6-1

65 kg/143 lbs. – Forrest Molinari, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Titan Mercury) - GOLD
WIN Breanne Graham (Canada), 5-2

68 kg/150 lbs. – Randi Beltz (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP)
LOSS Yanet Sovero Nino (Peru), 13-8

72 kg/158 lbs. – Hannah Gladden (Gadsden, Ala./Lions WC) - BRONZE
LOSS Diana Cruz Arroyo (Peru), 3-1
LOSS Veronica Keefe (Canada), 12-4
WIN Josselyn Portillo Mejia (El Salvador)

76 kg/167 lbs. – Adeline Gray (New York, N.Y./New York AC) - GOLD
WIN Mabelkis Capote Perez (Cuba), fall 2:53
WIN Aline da Silva Ferreira (Brazil), fall 0:35
WIN Andrea Olaya Gutierrez (Colombia), fall 1:11