Pantaleo and Cox win titles, seven others claim medals at Cerro Pelado in Cuba

HAVANA, Cuba – Nine American men’s freestyle wrestlers secured medal finishes—including two gold medals—on the final day of the Cerro Pelado on Sunday in Havana, Cuba.

Alec Pantaleo and J’den Cox won gold medals for the USA at 70 kg and 97 kg, respectively.

Pantaleo, a 2019 U23 World Team member, defeated USA teammate Reece Humphrey for the title and finished the weekend with a 5-0 record.

Two-time World champion and Olympic bronze medalist Cox picked up the gold at anew weight class, beating 2019 Junior World silver medalist and 2019 U23 World bronze medalist Yonger Bastida from Cuba.

In addition to Humphrey, Nathan Tomasello claimed a silver medal, falling to two-time U23 World champion Reineri Andreu Ortega of Cuba in the 57 kg finals.

Putting together bronze-medal performances were Bryce Meredith at 65 kg, Branson Ashworth at 74 kg, Nazar Kulchytskyy at 74 kg, Brett Pfarr at 86 kg and Youssif Hemida at 125 kg.

Ashworth and Kulchytskyy defeated American teammates in their medal matches.

USA Wrestling will update with scores as they become 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) – SILVER
WIN Hernandez (Cuba), 12-2
WIN Nodiryon Safarov (Uzbekistan), 7-0
LOSS Reineri Andreu Ortega (Cuba)

57 kg: Sean Russell (Minnesota Storm/Gopher RTC) - FIFTH
WIN Alexei Alvarez Blanco (Cuba), fall 4:25
LOSS Reineri Andreu Ortega (Cuba), 11-0
LOSS Diversent (Cuba)

57 kg: Daniel Deshazer (Minnesota Storm/Gopher RTC)
LOSS Diversent (Cuba), 3-1

65 kg: Bryce Meredith (NJRTC) - BRONZE
WIN Hernandez (Cuba), 4-0
LOSS Alejandro Valdes Tobier (Cuba), 10-0
LOSS Cristian Solenzal (Cuba), 11-0
WIN bronze match

70 kg: Alec Pantaleo (Titan Mercury WC/Cliff Keen WC) – GOLD
WIN Reece Humphrey (USA), 7-2
WIN Cruz (Cuba), 4-2
WIN Rudesin Camacho (Dominican Republic), 4-1
WIN Perdomo (Cuba), 9-1
WIN Reece Humphrey (USA)

70 kg: Reece Humphrey (Titan Mercury WC/NJRTC) – SILVER
LOSS Alec Pantaleo (USA), 7-2
WIN Rudesin Camacho (Domincan Republic), fall 5:56
WIN Cruz (Cuba), 10-4
LOSS 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) - BRONZE
WIN Carlos Romero Millaqueo (Chile), 12-0
LOSS Geandry Garzon Caballero (Cuba), 10-0
WIN Tommy Gantt (USA)

74 kg: Tommy Gantt (Titan Mercury WC/Wolfpack RTC) - FIFTH
LOSS Geandry Garzon Garzon (Cuba), 8-4
LOSS Branson Ashworth (USA)

74 kg: Nazar Kulchytskyy (Titan Mercury WC/Gopher RTC) - BRONZE
WIN Jorge Despeigne (Cuba), 6-0
LOSS Franklin Maren Castillo (Cuba), 3-2
WIN Dan Vallimont (USA)

74 kg: Dan Vallimont (New York AC/Pennsylvania RTC) – FIFTH
LOSS Franklin Maren Castillo (Cuba), 7-2
LOSS Nazar Kulchytskyy (USA)

86 kg: Brett Pfarr (Minnesota Storm/Gopher RTC) – BRONZE
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) – GOLD
WIN Reineris Salas Perez (Cuba), 5-3
WIN Jacob Kasper (USA), 4-0
WIN Yonger Bastida (Cuba)

97 kg: Jacob Kasper (Titan Mercury WC/Wolfpack RTC) – FIFTH
WIN Castaneda (Cuba), 11-1
LOSS J’den Cox (USA), 4-0
LOSS Reineris Salas Perez (Cuba)

97 kg: Hayden Zillmer (Minnesota Storm/Gopher RTC) – FIFTH
WIN Matias Uribe (Chile), fall 5:34
LOSS Yonger Bastida (Cuba), 7-4
LOSS Sosa (Dominican Republic)

125 kg: Youssif Hemida (New York AC/Cliff Keen WC) - BRONZE
LOSS Ibrahim Torres (Cuba), 15-6
LOSS Oscar Pino Hinds (Cuba), 9-3
WIN Lazaro Silva (Cuba)