Terrell McFarland and Piper Zatechka pose after the U17 Pan American Beach Championships.
McFarland claims gold, Zatechka earns bronze in beach wrestling at U17 Pan American Championships
by Richard Immel, USA Wrestling
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic – Team USA earned two medals in beach wrestling on Sunday at the U17 Pan American Championship held at Coral Costa Caribe Beach Resort in Santo Domingo.
Pennsylvania native Terrell McFarland secured the 80 kg gold medal in men’s beach wrestling. He looked strong in a 5-0 outing, with all five matches ending by technical stoppage. McFarland took out Maycki Flores Ayala of Peru in the gold medal match, 3-1.
McFarland placed in both the U17 and U20 divisions at the 2024 Carolina Beach Nationals at 80 kg, being crowned the U20 champion and bronze medalist at the U17 level. He was a Junior Greco-Roman state champion in Pennsylvania this year.
On the women’s beach wrestling front, Nebraska’s own Piper Zatechka earned a bronze medal at 70 kg with a 1-2 record in round-robin play. She defeated Leyla Mallqui Hinostroza of Peru, 2-0, to finish with bronze.
Zatechka was the U17 and U20 Carolina Beach Nationals champion at 70 kg. She was seventh at the 2024 U17 Women’s Nationals and earned a bronze medal at the USA Wrestling Southern Plains Regional in the Junior division.
Brackets and match-by-match results from the U17 Pan American Beach Championships are available on UWW Arena.
2024 U17 Pan American Beach Championships | June 30, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Men’s Results
Team Standings
1. Ecuador, 78
2. Peru, 61
3. Dominican Republic, 42
4. Guatemala, 40
5. Chile, 37
6. Puerto Rico, 35
7. United States, 25
8. Colombia, 10
T-9. Barbados, 9
T-9. Honduras, 9
50 kg
Gold – Ronald Morales Garcia (Ecuador)
Silver – Andre Huarcaya Lopez (Peru)
Bronze – Wane Galan Perez (Dominican Republic)
60 kg
Gold – Juan Orozco Perez (Ecuador)
Silver – Moises Peralta Gonzalez (Ecuador)
Bronze – Edwin Morales Pacheco (Puerto Rico)
70 kg
Gold – Santiago Valenzuela Mendez (Chile)
Silver – Erick Vera Olave (Ecuador)
Bronze – Joao Montesinos Macedo (Peru)
80 kg
Gold – Terrell McFarland (United States)
Silver – Maycki Flores Ayala (Peru)
Bronze – Luis Figuereo Suero (Dominican Republic)
Women’s Results
Team Standings
1. Puerto Rico, 70
2. Peru, 57
3. Dominican Republic, 56
4. Ecuador, 47
5. Mexico, 30
6. Guatemala, 21
T-7. Colombia, 15
T-7. United States, 15
40 kg
Gold – Corangelys Torres Kuilan (Puerto Rico)
Silver – Indra Trejo Jimenez (Mexico)
Bronze – Yissel Gil Santana (Dominican Republic)
50 kg
Gold – Clara Ramirez Guardia (Peru)
Silver – Aneishka Santos Baez (Puerto Rico)
Bronze – Isabela Garcia Carvajalino (Colombia)
60 kg
Gold – Gabriela Avila Diaz (Puerto Rico)
Silver – Carolina Sulca Godoy (Peru)
Bronze – Luisinna Navia Corozo (Ecuador)
70 kg
Gold – Yolayni Rosado Valerio (Dominican Republic)
Silver – Leiddy Acuna Penaranda (Ecuador)
Bronze – Piper Zatechka (United States)
U.S. Men’s Results
80 kg – Terrell McFarland (Pottsville, Pa.), gold
WIN Kodi Marshall (Barbados), 3-2
WIN Alan Garcia Morales (Puerto Rico), 3-0
WIN Jorge Gonzalez (Argentina), 3-0
WIN Luis Figuereo Suero (Dominican Republic), 3-0
WIN Maycki Flores Ayala (Peru), 3-1
U.S. Women’s Results
70 kg – Piper Zatechka (Omaha, Neb.), bronze
LOSS Leiddy Acuna Penaranda (Ecuador), 3-0
LOSS Yolayni Rosado Valerio (Dominican Republic), 3-1
WIN Leyla Mallqui Hinostroza (Peru), 2-0