U.S. to send talented team to 2025 Junior Pan American Games in Asunción, Paraguay, August 20-22

The United States will send a team of talented rising stars to compete at the Junior Pan American Games, which is set for the Olympic Training Center of the Paraguayan Olympic Park in Asunción, Paraguay, August 20-22.

The Junior Pan American Games is a major multi-sport competition featuring athletes from North, Central and South America, the nations within the Pan American nations. For this event, there are expected to be more than 4,000 athletes from 41 countries, who will compete in 28 sports and 42 disciplines. This is the second Junior Pan American Games in history, with the first held in Cali, Colombia in 2021.

The competition will feature the six Olympic weight classes in each of the three wrestling disciplines: men’s freestyle, women’s freestyle and Greco-Roman. In total, there will be 18 weight classes contested.

The qualifying event in wrestling for the Junior Pan American Championships was the 2025 Pan American U23 Championships held in Queretaro, México, April 3-6. The United States qualified in 17 weight classes for Ascuncion, including six in Greco-Roman, six in men’s freestyle and five in women’s freestyle.

The competition begins on Wednesday, August 20, with Greco-Roman. The United States team is led by 2024 Olympian and 2025 Senior World Team member Payton Jacobson (87 kg).  Jacobson was a 2025 Senior Pan American Championships champion and has competed on three U.S. age-group World Teams.  Another 2025 Senior World Team member, Max Black (60 kg), will compete. Black was a 2025 Senior Pan American champion and has competed on three U.S. age-group World Teams.

Two-time U20 World bronze medalist Aden Attao (130 kg) will also compete. Attao has placed as high as third at the U.S. Senior Open and is a two-time U20 Pan American champion. The other three Greco-Roman team members were champions at the 2025 U23 World Team Trials, Brennan Van Hoecke (67 kg), Aydin Rix McElhinney (77 kg) and Keenan Wyatt (97 kg). Van Hoecke was a 2024 U20 Pan American Champion. Rix McElhinney also won the 2024 U20 Pan American Championships, and was fifth at the 2025 U.S. Senior Open. Wyatt was second in the 2023 U23 World Team Trials.

The women’s freestyle competition is set for Thursday, August 21. The U.S. team is led by Brianna Gonzalez (53 kg), who was second in Final X, was the 2025 U.S. Senior Open champion and is No. 2 on the Senior National Team. She is joined on the team by her University of Iowa teammate, her sister Emilie Gonzalez (50 kg), a 2024 NCWWC national champion for Iowa and a 2021 U17 Pan American champion.

Brooklyn Hays (68 kg), who was second in 2025 Final X and is No. 2 on the Senior National Team, will also compete. Hays was a 2024 Senior Pan American Championships champion and won the 2025 U23 Pan American Championships. Another 2025 NCWWC champion on the team is Tristan Kelly of McKendree (76 kg). Kelly, who is with the U.S. Army WCAP program, was a 2022 U20 World bronze medalist. Team member SaVannah Cosme (62 kg) was third at the 2025 Senior U.S. Open, and was a member of two U.S. age-group World Teams.

The tournament concludes on Friday, August 22 with men’s freestyle. Looking to win a second career Junior Pan American Games gold medal is Rocco Welsh (86 kg), who won his 2021 Junior Pan American Games gold medal down at 74 kg. Welsh, who was a 2024 NCAA runner-up for Ohio State, has transferred to Penn State.

Mitchell Mesenbrink (74 kg), a 2025 NCAA champion for Penn State, will also compete. Mesenbrink was second in 2025 Final X and was a 2025 U.S. Senior Nationals champion. Mesenbrink was a 2023 U20 World champion, a 2022 U20 World silver medalist and a 2024 U23 World bronze medalist. 2021 U17 World champion Bo Bassett (65 kg) will also wrestle. Bassett was a 2024 U20 Pan American Champion and 2024 U20 World bronze medalist.

Also competing in men’s freestyle are Charlie Farmer (57 kg), Tommy Dineen (97 kg) and Lucas Stoddard (125 kg). Farmer and Stoddard compete in college for Army West Point. Farmer was a 2024 U23 Pan American champion. Stoddard won the U23 Pan American Championships in both 2024 and 2025, and was seventh in the 2025 U.S. Senior Open. Dineen was second in the 2025 U23 World Team Trials.

Competition begins each day at 10:00 a.m. local time, with the qualification rounds, followed by the championship finals at 6:00 p.m. Ascuncion is one hour ahead of U.S. Eastern time zone.

At the 2021 Junior Pan American Games in Cali, Colombia, the United States won 12 medals, six in men’s freestyle, four in Greco-Roman and two in women’s freestyle. The three U.S. gold medalists were in men’s freestyle, Lucas Chittum (65 kg), Rocco Welsh (74 kg) and Sam Wolf (86 kg).

JUNIOR PAN AMERICAN GAMES

At Asunción, Paraguay, August 20-22

U.S. Greco-Roman roster

60 kg: Max Black, Castle Rock, Colo. (New York AC/NMU-NTS)

67 kg: Brennan Van Hoecke, Fort Myers, Fla. (Arkansas RTC)

77 kg: Aydin Rix McElhinney, South Berwick, Maine (Northern Colorado WC)

87 kg: Payton Jacobson, Elkhorn, Wis. (New York AC/NMU-NTS)

97 kg: Keenan Wyatt, Gardendale, Ala. (Knights RTC)

130 kg: Aden Attao, Boise, Idaho (Beaver Dam RTC) 

National Greco-Roman Coach: Herb House, Castle Rock, Colo.

Coach: Cody Bickley, Colorado Springs, Colo.

U.S. Women’s Freestyle roster

50 kg: Emilie Gonzalez, El Monte, Calif. (Iowa Women’s WC/TMWC)

53 kg: Brianna Gonzalez, El Monte, Calif. (Iowa Women’s WC/TMWC)

62 kg: SaVannah Cosme, Denver, Colo. (Atreus WC)

68 kg: Brooklyn Hays, Colorado Springs, Colo. (USOPTC/TMWC)

76 kg: Tristan Kelly, Erie, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)

Coach: Katie Kriebel, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Coach: Sara McMann, Antelope, Calif.  

U.S. Men’s Freestyle roster

57 kg: Charlie Farmer, Coal Valley, Ill. (West Point WC)

65 kg: Bo Bassett, Windber, Pa. (Titan Mercury WC)

74 kg: Mitchell Mesenbrink, Hartland, Wis. (Nittany Lion WC/TMWC)

86 kg: Rocco Welsh, Fredericktown, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC/TMWC)

97 kg: Tommy Dineen, Hancock, Minn. (Jackrabbit WC)

125 kg: Lucas Stoddard, Chardon, Ohio (West Point WC)

Manager of Freestyle Programs: Joe Russell, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Coach: Damion Logan, Pompton Lakes, Minn.

Medical ATC: Carrie Moore, Wentzville, Mo.

Medical MD: Daniel Clearfield, North Richland Hills, Texas

Team Leader: Megan Ball, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Executive Director - Rich Bender, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Event Schedule

(Ascuncion is one hour ahead of U.S. Eastern time zone)

Wednesday, August 20

10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. – Greco-Roman Qualification Rounds

6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. – Greco-Roman Finals

Thursday, August 21

10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. – Women’s Freestyle Qualification Rounds

6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. – Women’s Freestyle Finals

Friday, August 22

10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. – Men’s Freestyle Qualification Rounds

6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. – Men’s Freestyle Finals

2021 JUNIOR PAN AMERICAN GAMES

At Cali, Colombia

U.S. wrestling medalists

Men’s Freestyle; Lucas Chittum (gold 65 kg), Rocco Welsh (gold 74 kg), Sam Wolf (gold 86 kg), Mattew Cover (gold 125 kg), Peter Casale, Jr. (silver 97 kg), Richard Figueroa (bronze, 57 kg)

Greco-Roman: Kodiak Stephens (silver 87 kg), Phillip Moomey (bronze 60 kg), Dominic Damon (bronze 67 kg), Eli Pannell (bronze 130 kg)

Women’s Freestyle: Aliyah Yates (bronze 62 kg), Kylie Welker (bronze 76 kg)