Tomasello, Pantaleo, Humphrey and Cox to compete for gold at Cerro Pelado in Cuba
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by Taylor Miller, USA Wrestling
HAVANA, Cuba – Four American men’s freestyle wrestlers will compete for gold medals tomorrow at the Cerro Pelado, while 10 others seek spots on the podium at the Cerro Pelado International in Havana, Cuba.
Advancing to the finals of their respective weights is Nathan Tomasello at 57 kg, Alec Pantaleo and Reece Humphrey at 70 kg and J’den Cox at 97 kg.
Tomasello went 2-0 in Saturday’s competition, scoring wins over Hernandez of Cuba, 12-2, to open his day, followed by a 7-0 shutout over Nodiryon Safarov of Uzbekistan. For gold, Tomasello will take on two-time U23 World champion Reineri Andreu Ortega from Cuba.
Pantaleo and Humphrey will meet up tomorrow for the 70 kg gold.
The two Americans met in the first round of pool action with Pantaleo taking the win over Humphrey, 7-2. Both went on to win their next several matches to earn spots in the gold-medal match.
In his first competition at 97 kg since 2015, two-time World champ J’den Cox tried out his new weight for the Olympic year and won his two matches today.
Cox downed three-time Senior World medalist Reineris Salas Perez of Cuba with a 5-3 decision, before defeating USA teammate Jacob Kasper, 4-0, in the semifinals. For gold, Cox will face 2019 Junior World silver medalist and 2019 U23 World bronze medalist Yonger Bastida of Cuba.
Wrestling in bronze matches tomorrow is Sean Russell at 57 kg, Branson Ashworth at 74 kg, Tommy Gantt at 74 kg, Nazar Kulchytskyy at 74 kg, Dan Vallimont at 74 kg, Jacob Kasper at 97 kg and Hayden Zillmer at 97 kg.
Ashworth and Gantt will go head-to-head at 74 kg for bronze, while Kulchytskyy and Vallimont will battle for the other bronze at 74 kg.
Brett Pfarr (86 kg), Christian Brucki (86 kg) and Youssif Hemida (125 kg) will wrap up round-robin action, looking for a top-three spot.
USA Wrestling will report the results as they are made available.
GRANMA CUP and CERRO PELADO
at Havana, Cuba (Feb. 11-12, Feb. 14-15)
Men’s freestyle roster
57 kg: Nathan Tomasello (Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC)
WIN Hernandez (Cuba), 12-2
WIN Nodiryon Safarov (Uzbekistan), 7-0
gold vs. Reineri Andreu Ortega (Cuba)
57 kg: Sean Russell (Minnesota Storm/Gopher RTC)
WIN Alexei Alvarez Blanco (Cuba), fall 4:25
LOSS Reineri Andreu Ortega (Cuba), 11-0
bronze vs. Diversent (Cuba)
57 kg: Daniel Deshazer (Minnesota Storm/Gopher RTC)
LOSS Diversent (Cuba), 3-1
65 kg: Bryce Meredith (NJRTC)
WIN Hernandez (Cuba), 4-0
LOSS Alejandro Valdes Tobier (Cuba), 10-0
LOSS Cristian Solenzal (Cuba), 11-0
70 kg: Alec Pantaleo (Titan Mercury WC/Cliff Keen WC)
WIN Reece Humphrey (USA), 7-2
WIN Cruz (Cuba), 4-2
WIN Rudesin Camacho (Dominican Republic), 4-1
WIN Perdomo (Cuba), 9-1
gold vs. Reece Humphrey (USA)
70 kg: Reece Humphrey (Titan Mercury WC/NJRTC)
LOSS Alec Pantaleo (USA), 7-2
WIN Rudesin Camacho (Domincan Republic), fall 5:56
WIN Cruz (Cuba), 10-4
gold vs. Alec Pantaleo (USA)
70 kg: Antonio Tolbert (Pennsylvania RTC)
LOSS Perdomo (Cuba), 11-0
LOSS Luis Barrios (Honduras), 10-0
74 kg: Branson Ashworth (Wyoming RTC)
WIN Carlos Romero Millaqueo (Chile), 12-0
LOSS Geandry Garzon Caballero (Cuba), 10-0
bronze vs. Tommy Gantt (USA)
74 kg: Tommy Gantt (Titan Mercury WC/Wolfpack RTC)
LOSS Geandry Garzon Garzon (Cuba), 8-4
bronze vs. Branson Ashworth (USA)
74 kg: Nazar Kulchytskyy (Titan Mercury WC/Gopher RTC)
WIN Jorge Despeigne (Cuba), 6-0
LOSS Franklin Maren Castillo (Cuba), 3-2
bronze vs. Dan Vallimont (USA)
74 kg: Dan Vallimont (New York AC/Pennsylvania RTC)
LOSS Franklin Maren Castillo (Cuba), 7-2
bronze vs. Nazar Kulchytskyy (USA)
86 kg: Brett Pfarr (Minnesota Storm/Gopher RTC)
LOSS Hernandez (Cuba), 10-0
WIN Christian Brucki (USA), 16-7
Round 3 vs. Yurieski Torreblanca (Cuba)
86 kg: Christian Brucki (NJRTC)
LOSS Yurieski Torreblanca (Cuba), 10-0
WIN Brett Pfarr (USA), 16-7
Round 3 vs. Hernandez (Cuba)
97 kg: J'den Cox (Titan Mercury WC/USOPTC)
WIN Reineris Salas Perez (Cuba), 5-3
WIN Jacob Kasper (USA), 4-0
gold vs. Yonger Bastida (Cuba)
97 kg: Jacob Kasper (Titan Mercury WC/Wolfpack RTC)
WIN Castaneda (Cuba), 11-1
LOSS J’den Cox (USA), 4-0
bronze vs. Reineris Salas Perez (Cuba)
97 kg: Hayden Zillmer (Minnesota Storm/Gopher RTC)
WIN Matias Uribe (Chile), fall 5:34
LOSS Yonger Bastida (Cuba), 7-4
bronze vs. Sosa (Dominican Republic)
125 kg: Youssif Hemida (New York AC/Cliff Keen WC)
LOSS Ibrahim Torres (Cuba), 15-6
LOSS Oscar Pino Hinds (Cuba), 9-3
Round 3 vs. Lazaro Silva (Cuba)
