Five U.S. Greco wrestlers advance to Pan Am Championship finals in Canada

Photo of Leslie Fuenffinger (60 kg) by Tony Rotundo, WrestlerAreWarriors.com.

OTTAWA, Canada – Five American Greco-Roman wrestlers advanced to their respective gold-medal bouts of the Pan American Championships in Ottawa, Canada, on Friday. One other athlete will compete for bronze.

Seeking gold tonight is Max Nowry at 55 kg, Leslie Fuenffinger at 60 kg, Raymond Bunker at 72 kg, G’Angelo Hancock at 97 kg and Adam Coon at 130 kg.

Nowry and Coon each seek their second-consecutive Pan Am gold medals.

Coon, a 2018 World silver medalist, picked up his first win by injury default over 2017 World bronze medalist Yasmani Acosta Fernandez of Chile. In the semifinals, Coon went up big over 2019 Pan Am Games silver medalist Moises Perez Hellburg of Venezuela and secured a pin in 4:30.

For gold, Coon will take on 2019 Pan Am bronze medalist Angel Pacheco Romero of Cuba.

In a three-man round-robin, Nowry won his first bout by forfeit over 2018 Pan Am champion Sargis Khachatryan of Brazil. For the gold medal, Nowry will battle Kieran Akhtar from Canada.

Despite a loss in pool action, 2016 Junior World bronze medalist Hancock moved onto the gold-medal finals at 97 kg. He recorded a win over Edson Acuna Salazar of Mexico. In his second round of pool play, Hancock lost to 2019 Junior World champion and reigning Pan Am champion Gabriel Rosillo Kindelan of Cuba.

Because Hancock and Rosillo were the top two athletes in their pool, they were sent to the semifinals against athletes from the other pool. There, the American downed 2018 Pan Am champion Luillys Perez Mora of Venezuela with a 3-0 decision.

For gold, Hancock vs. Rosillo part 2 will go down.

At 60 kg, Fuenffinger aims for his first Pan Am medal.

He opened his tournament with a lightning-quick 11-0 technical fall against 2018 Cadet Pan Am champion Miguel Ugalde Aguilar from Mexico. In the semifinals, Fuenffinger won by fall against two-time Pan Am silver medalist Jancel Pimentel Gonzalez from Dominican Republic.

In the finals, Fuenffinger will take on 2019 Pan Am Games runner-up Ditcher Toro Castaneda from Colombia.

Because there are only two wrestlers entered in the non-Olympic 72 kg weight class, Raymond Bunker will not wrestle until the evening session, where he will face 2019 Senior Pan Am Championships bronze medalist Joilson de Brito Ramos Junior of Brazil for the gold medal.

Wrestling for bronze tonight is Alejandro Sancho at 67 kg.

A 2016 Pan American champion, Sancho looked solid in his first two matches, recording a quick 8-0 technical fall over Joseph Dashou of Canada before mounting a big comeback over German Diaz Maldonado of Puerto Rico for an 11-8 decision.

In the semifinals, Sancho fell to 2016 Olympic champion and two-time World champion Ismael Borrero Molina of Cuba, 9-0, sending the American to the bronze-medal match. There, he will face four-time Junior Pan American medalist Julian Horta Acevedo of Colombia.

The medal matches are set for Friday at 5 p.m. ET on Trackwrestling.

2020 PAN AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

at Ottawa, Canada (March 6-9)

Greco-Roman draws
55 kg: Max Nowry (Army WCAP)
WIN Sargis Khachatryan (Brazil), injury default
GOLD vs. Kieran Akhtar (Canada)

60 kg: Leslie Fuenffinger (Army WCAP)
WIN Miguel Ugalde Aguilar (Mexico), 11-0
WIN Jancel Pimentel Gonzalez (Dominican Republic), fall
GOLD vs. Ditcher Toro Castaneda (Colombia)

67 kg: Alejandro Sancho (Army WCAP)
WIN Joseph Dashou (Canada), 8-0
WIN German Diaz Maldonado (Puerto Rico), 11-8
LOSS Ismael Borrero Molina (Cuba), 9-0
BRONZE vs. Julian Horta Acevedo (Colombia)

72 kg: Raymond Bunker (Marines)
GOLD vs. Joilson de Brito Ramos Junior (Brazil)

97 kg: G’Angelo Hancock (Sunkist Kids/USOPTC)
WIN Edson Acuna Salazar (Mexico), 9-0
LOSS Gabriel Rosillo Kindelan (Cuba), fall
WIN Luillys Perez Mora (Venezuela), 3-0
GOLD vs. Gabriel Rosillo Kindelan (Cuba)

130 kg: Adam Coon (New York AC/Cliff Keen WC)
WIN Yasmani Acosta Fernandez (Chile), injury default
WIN Moises Perez Hellburg (Venezuela), fall
GOLD vs. Angel Pacheco Romero (Cuba)