Women's freestyle strikes gold at Cadet Pan Ams with six topping the podium

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala –The USA continued rolling through the competition on the second day of the Cadet Pan American Championships with the women’s freestyle team winning medals in nine of the 10 weights. Among the medalists were six who claimed the top prize.

Gold winners on Saturday included Emily Shilson, Tiare Ikei, Kierstien Bush, Cheyenne Bowman, Ashton Cadman and Kennedy Blades.

2017 Cadet World silver medalist Shilson made her second appearance at the continental championships, sailing to a gold-medal finish at 43 kg with four dominant tech falls. In the finals, Shilson defeated Heloisa Martinez of Brazil with a 10-0 shutout. It was her second Pan Am gold medal, with her first coming in 2016.

Thanks to her impressive performance, Shilson was the 2018 Golden Boot recipient as she was recognized as the tournament's outstanding wrestler.

Hawaii native and two-time Fargo All-American Ikei bulldozed through the 49 kg bracket, tallying two fast pins before earning a 10-0 technical fall in the finals against Maria Mosquera Rojas of Venezuela. Her falls came at 2:25 and 40 seconds, respectively.

At 53 kg, 2018 Cadet World Team Trials runner-up Bush wrestled in a six-woman round-robin, going 3-1. In her first match of pool play, she fell to Zaltzin Hernandez Guerra of Mexico in a tight 8-6 bout, but in the bracket finals, Bush avenged the win over Hernandez with a fall in the first 40 seconds.

Representing the U.S. at 57 kg was Bowman, who is a 2018 Folkstyle National champion. Bowman opened her tournament with two pins before capping off an impressive day with a 10-4 decision over Mayra Parra Alvarez of Venezuela for the gold medal.

Cadman and Blades both won their brackets through round-robin competition at 61 kg and 69 kg, respectively.

2017 Fargo runner-up Cadman won solid decisions over Aleah Nickel of Canada, 6-2, and Alejandra Rivera Arriaga of Mexico, 6-0, while Blades started things off with a 12-2 tech fall against Jamilex Cumbicos Castillo of Ecuador followed by a first-period fall over Vianne Rouleau of Canada.

Earning silvers for the U.S. women were Melissa Lee at 40 kg and Tristan Kelly at 73 kg, while Kiana Pugh took bronze at 65 kg.

Taryn Martin also competed for the U.S. at 46 kg, where she finished fourth.

Shilson, Ikei, Bowman, Kelly and Pugh will represent the U.S. in July at the 2018 Cadet World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia.

The Cadet Pan Am Championships wrap up on Sunday with men’s freestyle action. Live video and brackets are available on Trackwrestling.com.

CADET PAN AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

at Guatemala City, Guatemala, May 25-27

Women’s freestyle final results

40 kg
GOLD - Mayerly IBARRA CAICEDO (ECU)
SILVER - Melissa LEE (USA)
BRONZE – Halle BACHIU (CAN)

43 kg
GOLD - Emily SHILSON (USA) df. Heloisa MARTINEZ (BRA), 10-0
BRONZE - Estefani ESTUPINAN PEREZ (COL) df. Julieta MARTINEZ GONZALEZ (MEX), 10-0
BRONZE - Serena DI BENEDETTO (CAN) df. Sandra CHUMACERO HEREDIA (BOL), 10-0

46 kg
GOLD - Adriana HERNANDEZ SANCHEZ (MEX)
SILVER - Vivica ADDO (CAN)
BRONZE - Amanda PARRALES (NCA)

49 kg
GOLD - Tiare IKEI (USA) df. Maria MOSQUERA ROJAS (VEN), 10-0
BRONZE - Mercedes CASTILLO BERNAL (MEX) df. Leticia CINCINATO PIMENTA (BRA), 11-0
BRONZE - Lucia YEPEZ GUZMAN (ECU) df. Leydi ALMEYDA FONCE (COL), 10-

53 kg
GOLD - Kierstien BUSH (USA) df. Zeltzin HERNANDEZ GUERRA (MEX), fall
BRONZE - Victoria SEAL (CAN) df. Lara VERLATSKY BENITEZ (ARG), 10-0

57 kg
GOLD - Cheyenne BOWMAN (USA) df. Mayra PARRA ALVAREZ (VEN), 10-4
BRONZE - Andrea LOPEZ MARTINEZ (MEX) df. Antonia VALDEZ ARRIAGADA (CHI), 10-0
BRONZE - Isaeileen MIRANDA DIAZ (PUR) df. Tatiana HURTADO LERMA (COL)

61 kg
GOLD - Ashton CADMAN (USA)
SILVER - Aleah NICKEL (CAN)
BRONZE - Alejandra RIVERA ARRIAGA (MEX)

65 kg
GOLD - Yetzis RAMIREZ MARQUEZ (CUB) df. Sandra ESCAMILLA MENCHACA (MEX), 4-0
BRONZE - Thaissa ANIBAL RIBEIRO (BRA) df. Nyla BURGESS (CAN), fall
BRONZE - Kiana PUGH (USA) df. Camila MINUTILLO (ARG), 12-0

69 kg
GOLD - Kennedy BLADES (USA)
SILVER - Jamilex CUMBICOS CASTILLO (ECU)
BRONZE - Vianne ROULEAU (CAN)

73 kg
GOLD - Milaimys MARIN POTRILLE (CUB) df. Tristan KELLY (USA), 4-0
BRONZE - Linda MACHUCA (ARG) df. Gabriela CANALES HERRERA (MEX), fall
BRONZE - Anika WHITE (CAN) df. Luisa MOSQUERA PARRA (COL), fall

U.S. women’s freestyle results

40 kg: Melissa Lee (Sunnyvale, Calif.) – SILVER
WIN Halle Beryl Bachiu (Canada), fall 0:40
LOSS Mayerly Ibarra Caicedo (Ecuador), 6-6

43 kg: Emily Shilson (Osseo, Minn.) – GOLD
WIN Jeyla Herrera Villega (Ecuador), 12-2
WIN Julieta Martinez Gonzalez (Mexico), 11-0
WIN Estefani Estupinan Perez (Colombia), 14-3
WIN Heloisa El Martinez (Brazil), 10-0

46 kg: Taryn Martin (Grove City, Ohio) – FOURTH
LOSS Vivica Addo (Canada), fall
LOSS Adriana Hernandez Sanchez (Mexico), fall

49 kg: Tiare Ikei (Honolulu, Hawaii) – GOLD
WIN Lucia Yepez Guzman (Ecuador), fall 2:25
WIN Leydi Almeyda Fonce (Colombia), fall 0:48
WIN Maria Jose Mosquera Rojas (Panama), 10-0

53 kg: Kierstien Bush (Ogden, Utah) – GOLD
LOSS Zaltzin Hernandez Gu (Mexico), 8-6
WIN Milena Perez Henriquez (El Salvador), fall 0:54
WIN Victoria Seal (Canada), fall 1:48
WIN Zaltzin Hernandez Guerra (Mexico), fall 0:40

57 kg: Cheyenne Bowman (La Habra, Calif.) – GOLD
WIN Isaeileen Miranda Diaz (Puerto Rico), fall 2:37
WIN Tatiana Hurtado Lerma (Colombia), fall 1:06
WIN Mayra Parra Alvarez (Venezuela), 10-4

61 kg: Ashton Cadman (Waterford, Wisc.) – GOLD
WIN Aleah Nickel (Canada), 6-2
WIN Alejandra Rivera Arriaga (Mexico), 6-0

65 kg: Kiana Pugh (Mosinee, Wisc.) – BRONZE
WIN Wendy Caicedo Nazaren (Ecuador), fall 2:26
LOSS Yetzis Ramirez Marquez (Cuba), 6-4
WIN Camila Minutillo (Argentina), 12-0

69 kg: Kennedy Blades (Broadview, Ill.) – GOLD
WIN Jamilex Cumbicos Castillo (Ecuador), 12-2
WIN Vianne Rouleau (Canada), fall 0:33

73 kg: Tristan Kelly (Erie, Colo.) – SILVER
WIN Anika White (Canada), 2-2
WIN Luisa Mosquera Parra (Colombia), fall 1:38
LOSS Milaimys Marin Potrille (Cuba), 4-0