USA women’s freestyle produces duo of champions at Pan Am Games in Peru
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by Taylor Miller, USA Wrestling
LIMA, Peru – USA women’s freestyle won two of its three gold-medal matches on Thursday at the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, producing titles from Whitney Conder and Sarah Hildebrandt and a silver medal from Jenna Burkert.
Conder won her second-consecutive Pan Am Games gold with a dominant 10-2 victory over 2019 Pan Am Championships winner Yusneylis Guzman Lopez of Cuba in the 50 kg finals.
A five-time World Team member, Conder’s experience gave her the edge over Guzman, as she was able to counter several of the Cuban’s shots for the win.
On the day, Conder outscored her opponents 30-2 in her three wins. Earlier, she recorded 10-0 technical falls over two-time Pan Am Games bronze medalist Carolina Castillo Hidalgo of Colombia and Kamila Barbosa from Brazil.
2018 World silver medalist Hildebrandt won the Pan Am Games title at 53 kg, wrapping up her gold-medal match with a first-period technical fall against 2015 Pan Am Games bronze winner Betzabeth Arguello Villegas from Venezuela.
Hildebrandt scored a takedown from a throw-by and transitioned quickly into a leg lace, where she executed four turns for a 10-0 win.
Also a 2019 Pan American Championships winner, Hildebrandt now owns five Pan Am event gold medals.
Three-time World Teamer Burkert lost a 2-1 war to 2019 Pan Am champion and 2015 Pan Am Games bronze medalist Lissette Antes Castillo of Ecuador in the 57 kg finals.
With no takedowns scored in the match, Burkert was on the board first, drawing a passivity. Antes scored on a pair of stepouts in the second period to win the bout.
Burkert walks away with a silver medal in her Pan Am debut.
The 2019 Pan Am Games continue tomorrow with Kayla Miracle, Tamyra Mensah-Stock and Adeline Gray in women’s freestyle and Daton Fix and Jaydin Eierman in men’s freestyle.
2019 PAN AMERICAN GAMES
at Lima, Peru, Aug. 7-10
U.S. women’s freestyle results
50 kg: Whitney Conder (Colorado Springs, Colo./Army WCAP) - GOLD
WIN Carolina Castillo Hidalgo (Colombia), 10-0
WIN Kamila Barbosa (Brazil), 10-0
WIN Yusneylis Guzman Lopez (Cuba), 10-2
53 kg: Sarah Hildebrandt (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) - GOLD
WIN Luisa Valverde Melendres (Ecuador), 8-0
WIN Jade Parsons (Canada), 10-0
WIN Betzabeth Arguello Villegas (Venezuela), 10-0
57 kg: Jenna Burkert (Colorado Springs, Colo./Army WCAP) – SILVER
WIN Paula Ramirez (Nicaragua), 10-0
WIN Giullia Rodrigues Penalber de Oliveira (Brazil), 11-0
LOSS Lissette Antes Castillo (Ecuador), 2-1
