Stikkelman, Johnson, Quinones, Soto win No-Gi golds at Pan American Grappling Championships

Team USA, which placed second in the No-Gi division at the Pan American Championships, pose together in Argentina. Photo courtesy of Rich Tado.


BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – The United States had four individual champions and nine total medalists in No-Gi Grappling competition on day one of the Pan American Grappling Championships. This allowed the United States to place second in the team standings.


One of the U.S. athletes, Breanna Stikkelman of Simi Valley, Calif., won a pair of gold medal, capturing the title at 58 kg and 64 kg. At 58 kg, she won a three-athlete round-robin, including a decision over runner-up Laura Pasquali of Argentina. At 64 kg, she scored an overtime submission over Marion Peralta of Argentina at 3:05 to secure the gold medal.


Stikkelman was a Gi Grappling World champion in 2017 and a World silver medalist in No-Gi Grappling in 2017.


The other Pan American champions in No-Gi Grappling were Aaron Johnson of Greenwood, Ind. at 62 kg, Luis Quinones of Los Angeles, Calif. at 71 kg and Carlos Soto of West Lafayette, Ind. at 92 kg.


Johnson earned his gold medal with a submission win over Maximilliano Block of Argentina in 2:54. Quinones won two matches by submission to win his gold medal, including stopping eventual silver medalist Gianfranco Matrolorenzo of Argentina in 3:04. Soto stopped Henry Jorge Ottaviano of Argentina, 7-0 to capture his gold medal.


Johnson also entered at 66 kg and won a silver medal. The oher U.S. athlete winning a silver medal was Gabe Beauperthuy of Colorado Springs, Colo. at Over 100 kg, who finished with a 1-1 record for the day.


Bronze medals went to Jon Becerra of Santa Ana, Calif. at 84 kg in the men’s division and Maja Morgan of Huntington Beach, Calif. at 58 kg.


Only host Argentina, which had the largest squad in the tournament, placed ahead of the United States in the team standing in No-Gi. There were six nations entered in the No-Gi division.


A live stream is being provided from the event on the United World Wrestling website at:
https://unitedworldwrestling.org/event/pan-american-championships-18


The competition concludes on Tuesday with the Gi Grappling tournament.

PAN AMERICAN GRAPPLING CHAMPIONSHIPS

At Buenos Aires, Argentina


Men’s No-Gi Medalists


62 kg

Gold – Aaron Johnson (USA)

Silver - Maximiliano Block (Argentina)


66 kg

Gold - Santiago Furlong (Argentina)

Silver - Aaron Johnson (USA)

Bronze - Rodrigo Kuman (Argentina)


71 kg

Gold - Luis Quinones (USA)

Silver - Gianfranco Matrolorenzo (Argentina)

Bronze - Jerome Kamel Hoyte (Barbados)


77 kg

Gold - Matheus Bezerra (Brazil)

Silver - Leandro Garcia Morato (Argentina)

Bronze - Francisco Cuneo (Argentina)


84 kg

Gold - Enrique March (Argentina)

Silver - Ivan Lorenzo Duarte (Argentina)

Bronze - Jonathan Becerra (USA)


92 kg

Gold - Bruno De Paula Pires (Brazil)

Silver - Marcos Jose Ramirez Guinan (Venezuela)

Bronze - Cristian David Dominguez (Argentina)


100 kg

Gold - Carlos Soto (USA)

Silver - Henry Jorge Ottaviano (Argentina)


Over 100 kg

Gold - Francisco Jose Pessoa Fernandes Junior (Brazil)

Silver - Gabe Beauperthuy (USA)

Bronze - Orlando Atilio Baccino (Argentina)

U.S. Men’s No-Gi performances


62 kg - Aaron Johnson, Greenwood, Ind., gold medal

WIN Maximilliano Block (Argentina), submission 2:54


66 kg – Aaron Johnson, Greenwood, Ind., silver medal

LOSS Santiago Pereyra Furlong (Argentina), 3-2

WIN Maximilliano Block (Argentina), submission 0:25

WIN Rodrigo Emanuel Kuman (Argentina), submission, 3:24


71 kg - Luis Quinones, Los Angeles, Calif., gold medal

WIN Gianfranco Matrolorenzo (Argentina), submission 3:04

WIN Jerome Kamel Hoyte (Barbados), submission, 1:53


84 kg - Jon Becerra, Santa Ana, Calif., bronze medal

LOSS Enrique Augusto March (Argentina), submission 1:51

WIN Cristian Alberto Nova Roca (Bolivia), 13-2

LOSS Ivan Lorenzo Duarte (Argentina), 9-1

WIN Anthony Fox (USA), 13-3


84 kg - Anthony Fox, Greenwood, Ind., 4th place

LOSS Ivan Lorenzo Duarte (Argentina), 10-2

WIN Cristian Alberto Nova Roca (Bolivia), submission, 13-2

LOSS Enrique Augusto March (Argentina), submission 4:48

LOSS Jon Becerra (USA), 13-3


92 kg - Carlos Soto, West Lafayette, Ind., gold medal

WIN Henry Jorge Ottaviano (Argentina), 7-0


Over 100 kg - Gabe Beauperthuy, Colorado Springs, Colo., silver medal

LOSS Francisco Jose Pessoa Fernandes Junior (Brazil), 3-1

WIN Orlando Atillo Baccino (Argentina), 4-3

Men’s No-Gi standings

1. Argentina, 160

2. United States, 130

3. Brazil, 75

4. Venezuela, 20

5. Barbados, 15

6. Bolivia, 10

Women No-Gi medalists


58 kg

Gold - Breanna Stikkelman (USA)

Silver - Laura Veronica Pasquali (Argentina)

Bronze - Maja Morgan (USA)


64 kg

Gold - Breanna Stikkelman (USA)

Silver - Marion Peralta (Argentina)


Over 71 kg

Gold - Luzia Carmem Santana Pessoa (Brazil)

Silver - Marion Peralta (Argentina)

U.S. Women’s No-Gi performances


58 kg - Maja Morgan, Huntington Beach, Calif., bronze medal

LOSS Laura Veronica Pasquali (Argentina), 2-1

LOSS Breanna Stikkelman (USA), forfeit


58 kg - Breanna Stikkelman, Simi Valley, Calif., gold medal

WIN Maja Morgan (USA), forfeit

WIN Laura Veronica Pasquali (Argentina), 3-3


64 kg - Breanna Stikkelman, Simi Valley, Calif., gold medal

WIN Marion Peralta (Argentina), submission OT, 3:05

Women’s No-Gi standings

1. Argentina, 60

2. United States, 50

3. Brazil, 25