Team USA women win three golds on Saturday for Pan Am team title

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – The USA netted five gold medals, including three in women’s freestyle and two in men’s freestyle, on Saturday evening at the 2019 Senior Pan American Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Winning the first gold of the night for the U.S. in women’s freestyle was 2018 World silver medalist Sarah Hildebrandt at 53 kg.

For the top spot on the podium, Hildebrandt defeated 2011 Junior World bronze medalist Luisa Valverde Melendres from Ecuador. Leading 3-0 at the break, Hildebrandt kicked it up a notch in the second period, scoring two takedowns and finishing the match with two leg laces for an 11-0 tech fall.

It is Hildebrandt’s second-straight Pan Am title and fourth overall.

2018 World bronze medalist Tamyra Mensah-Stock finished her tournament with a bang, scoring a first-period pin over 2018 U23 World champion and 2017 Junior World silver medalist Yudari Sanchez Rodriguez of Cuba in 1:33.

Mensah-Stock scored on a single leg and added a tilt for exposure before getting the fall.

Similarly, Adeline Gray won her second-consecutive Pan Am title with a pin in the 76 kg finals.

Taking on 2016 Junior Pan American champion Genesis Reasco Valdez from Ecuador, Gray scored a takedown quickly and went on to get the pin at the 1:20-mark.

Because of her performance, Gray was named the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler, producing two tech falls and two pins on Saturday.

In men’s freestyle, Chandler Rogers and J’den Cox completed perfect days in round-robin action, both winning their evening session matches with a fall.

At 79 kg, Rogers began his match with a four-point throw over Francisco Guzman Velasquez of Puerto Rico, and quickly finished it off with a fall in 20 seconds.

It was Rogers’ first Senior-level tournament.

2018 World champion and two-time World and Olympic bronze medalist Cox won the crown at 97 kg with a 13-second pin over Diego Ramirez Florentin from Paraguay. It is his first Pan Am title (as well as his first attempt).

At 50 kg, Erin Golston claimed a silver medal, falling short to 2016 Junior Pan American champion Yusneylys Guzman Lopez from Cuba. Guzman scored a takedown and a step out in the first period to get the win.

2018 World bronze medalist Mallory Velte collected silver at 62 kg, losing a battle to Lais Nunes de Oliveira of Brazil, who was fifth at the 2018 Worlds. Despite a 6-1 score, the match was tightly contested throughout the full six minutes.

Jacarra Winchester produced a bronze-medal finish on Saturday at 57 kg.

Winchester was in a hard-fought match with Yessica Oveido Perez from Dominican Republic for almost the full six minutes of the match. In the final seconds with Winchester leading by one, Oviedo went for a throw but Winchester capitalized, landing on top and getting the pin in 5:54.

In order to qualify the weight for the Pan Am Games, Winchester had to wrestle a true-third bout against Betzabeth Sarco Colmenarez from Venezuela. Falling to a 6-0 deficit quickly, Winchester scored seven points in the second period, including a takedown and exposure in the last 15 seconds for a 7-6 win.

The USA has now qualified all 18 Olympic weight across the three styles for the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, in August.

Overall, the U.S. women won nine medals, including five gold, three silver and one bronze, en route to the Pan American women’s freestyle team title, scoring 200 team points.

In second place was Canada with a 167 points, followed by Ecuador and Brazil with 89 points.

Competition will wrap up tomorrow with eight men’s freestyle weights. Action will begin at 10 a.m. local time (9 a.m. EST) live on Trackwrestling.com.

2019 SENIOR PAN AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

at Buenos Aires, Argentina, April 18-21

Final women’s freestyle team standings
1. USA – 200
2. Canada – 167
3. Ecuador – 89
4. Brazil – 89
5. Cuba – 86
6. Peru – 54
7. Venezuela – 52
8. Argentina – 47
9. Puerto Rico – 45
10. Mexico – 45

Final women’s freestyle results

50 kg
GOLD - Yusneylys GUZMAN LOPEZ (CUB) dec. Erin GOLSTON (USA), 3-0
BRONZE - Thalia MALLQUI PECHE (PER) dec. Jacqueline MOLLOCANA ELENO (ECU), 10-7
BRONZE - Patricia BERMUDEZ (ARG) df. Mariana DIAZ MUNOZ (MEX), fall

53 kg
GOLD - Sarah HILDEBRANDT (USA) TF Luisa VALVERDE MELENDRES (ECU), 10-0
BRONZE - Diana WEICKER (CAN) dec. Carolina CASTILLO HIDALGO (COL), 6-3
BRONZE - Lilianet DUANES ANDRES (CUB) TF Justina BENITES VASQUEZ (PER), 10-0

55 kg
GOLD - Alex HEDRICK (USA)
SILVER - Jayd DAVIS (USA)
BRONZE - Elis AZERRAD PARODI (ARG)

57 kg
GOLD - Lissette ANTES CASTILLO (ECU) df. Hannah TAYLOR (CAN), fall 1:32
BRONZE - Jacarra WINCHESTER (USA) df. Yessica OVIEDO PEREZ (DOM), fall 5:54
BRONZE - Betzabeth SARCO COLMENAREZ (VEN) dec. Nes RODRIGUEZ TIRADO (PUR), 5-4

59 kg
GOLD - Laurence BEAUREGARD (CAN)
SILVER - Andribeth RIVERA BELLIARD (PUR)
BRONZE - Karoline SILVA DE SANTANA (BRA)

62 kg
GOLD - Lais NUNES DE OLIVEIRA (BRA) dec. Mallory VELTE (USA), 6-1
BRONZE - Nathaly GRIMAN HERRERA (VEN) df. Yaquelin ESTORNELL ELIZASTIGUE (CUB), 1:05
BRONZE - Abnelis YAMBO MIRANDA (PUR) dec. Mayra ANTES CASTILLO (ECU), 11-7

65 kg
GOLD - Julia SALATA (USA)
SILVER - Jessica BROUILLETTE (CAN)
BRONZE - Grabriela PEDRO DA ROCHA (BRA)

68 kg
GOLD - Tamyra MENSAH (USA) df. Yudari SANCHEZ RODRIGUEZ (CUB), fall 1:33
BRONZE - Olivia DI BACCO (CAN) df. Yanet SOVERO NINO (PER), injury default
BRONZE - Ambar GARNICA FLORES (MEX) dec. Andrimar LAZARO DIAZ (VEN), 8-4

72 kg
GOLD - Dejah SLATER (CAN)
SILVER - Rachel WATTERS (USA)
BRONZE - Linda MACHUCA (ARG)

76 kg
GOLD - Adeline GRAY (USA) df. Genesis REASCO VALDEZ (ECU), fall 1:20
BRONZE - Erica WIEBE (CAN) dec. Mabelkis CAPOTE PEREZ (CUB), 6-0
BRONZE - Diana CRUZ ARROYO (PER) df. Gabriela CANALES HERRERA (MEX), fall

U.S. women’s freestyle results
50 kg: Erin Golston (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) - SILVER
WIN Jessica MacDonald (Canada), injury default
WIN Jacqueline Mollocano Eleno (Ecuador), 4-3
WIN Thalia Mallqui Peche (Peru), 10-0
LOSS Yusneylys Guzman Lopez (Cuba), 3-0

53 kg: Sarah Hildebrandt (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) - GOLD
WIN Carolina Castillo Hidalgo (Colombia), 7-0
WIN Diana Weicker (Canada), 10-2
WIN Luisa Valverde Melendres (Ecuador), 11-0

55 kg: Alex Hedrick (Fair Oaks, Calif./Titan Mercury WC) – GOLD
WIN Elis Azerrad Parodi (Argentina), fall
WIN Jayd Davis (Canada), 6-4

57 kg: Jacarra Winchester (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) - BRONZE
WIN Lianna Montero Herrera (Cuba), 9-5
LOSS Lissette Antes Castillo (Ecuador), 9-0
WIN Martha Olivares Bendezu (Peru), 10-0
WIN Yessica Oviedo Perez (Dominican Republic), fall 5:54
True third match (to qualify for Pan Am Games):
WIN Betzabeth Sarco Colemanarez (Venezuela), 7-6

59 kg: Kelsey Campbell (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) - FOURTH
LOSS Laurence Beauregard (Canada), forfeit
LOSS Karoline Silva da Santana (Brazil), forfeit

62 kg: Mallory Velte (Sacramento, Calif./Titan Mercury WC) - SILVER
WIN Abnelis Yambo Miranda (Puerto Rico), 10-0
WIN Mayra Antes Castillo (Ecuador), 10-0
LOSS Lais Nunes De Oliveira (Brazil), 6-1

65 kg: Julia Salata (Bristol, Tenn./Sunkist Kids) – GOLD
WIN Jessica Brouillette (CAN), 11-0
WIN Grabriela Pedro da Rocha (Brazil), 10-0

68 kg: Tamyra Mensah-Stock (Colorado Springs, Colo./Titan Mercury WC) - GOLD
WIN Andrimar Lazaro Diaz (Venezuela), fall 1:02
WIN Ambar GARNICA FLORES (Mexico), fall 5:24
WIN Yudari Sanchez Rodriguez (Cuba), 1:33

72 kg: Rachel Watters (Ankeny, Iowa/New York AC/Aries WC) - SILVER
WIN Linda Machuca (Argentina), 13-3
LOSS Dejah Slater (Canada), 12-1

76 kg: Adeline Gray (Denver, Colo./New York AC)
WIN Andrea Olaya Gutierrez (Colombia), 10-0
WIN Erica Weibe (Canada), 10-0
WIN Mabelkis Capote Perez (Cuba), fall 5:20
WIN Genesis Reasco Valdez (Ecuador), fall 1:20

Men’s freestyle final results

79 kg
GOLD - Chandler ROGERS (USA)
SILVER - Santiago MARTINEZ RESTREPO (COL)
BRONZE - Jasmit PHULKA (CAN)

92 kg
GOLD - J'den COX (USA)
SILVER - Jaime ESPINAL (PUR)
BRONZE - Diego RAMIREZ FLORENTIN (PAR)

U.S. men’s freestyle results                                                                  
79 kg: Chandler Rogers (Stillwater, Okla./Titan Mercury WC/Cowboy RTC) - GOLD
WIN Jasmit Phulka (Canada), 10-0
WIN Santiago Martinez Restrepo (Colombia), 8-6
WIN Francisco Guzman Velasquez (Puerto Rico), fall 0:20

92 kg: J’den Cox (Colorado Springs, Colo./Titan Mercury WC/USOTC) - GOLD
WIN Jamie Espinal (Puerto Rico), 8-0
WIN Diego Ramirez Florentin (Paraguay), fall 0:13