U.S. to send strong team to U17 Pan American Championships in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, June 19-22

USA Wrestling will be represented by a strong group of 20 athletes competing at the U17 Pan American Championships, held at the Centro de Entrenamiento de Niterói in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, June 19-22.

Ten athletes will be competing in both Greco-Roman and men’s freestyle in Brazil. Isai Fernandez, competing at 80 kg, has international experience as a 2023 U15 Pan American champion in both styles. Fernandez won a title in Greco-Roman at the U.S. Open in April, placing third in freestyle.

Fernandez was one of six athletes competing next week to earn a title in Greco-Roman at the U.S. Open. Thales Silva (45 kg), Ariah Mills (48 kg), Carter Shin (51 kg), Arseni Kikiniou (65 kg), and Alex Taylor (110 kg) finished atop the podium in Las Vegas in April.

Mills, Kikiniou and Taylor won titles in both styles at the U.S. Open, securing top finishes at the U17 World Team Trials. Jayden James, competing next week at 71 kg, also won a title in men’s freestyle at the U.S. Open. James was the runner-up at 74 kg at the U20 World Team Trials in Geneva, Ohio, in early June.

Also competing in both styles is Tommy Wurster at 55 kg, Nicholas Sorrow at 60 kg and JT Smith at 92 kg. Wurster placed eighth in freestyle and fifth in Greco-Roman at the U.S. Open, Sorrow placed fourth in freestyle and third in Greco-Roman, and Smith placed sixth in freestyle and third in Greco-Roman.

Two U17 World Champions lead the charge in women’s freestyle, Morgan Turner at 49 kg and Taina Fernandez at 61 kg. Turner is a two-time U17 Pan American Champion, a 2023 U17 World Champion and 2024 U17 World bronze medalist.

Fernandez won a World title in 2024 at the U17 World Championships in Amman, Jordan. She is a four-time U15 Pan American champion, and will also be competing in the beach wrestling tournament on June 22. Both Fernandez and Turner secured a spot on this year’s U17 World Team by winning their brackets at the USMC Women’s Nationals in April.

Jaclyn Bouzakis, set to compete at 46 kg, is also a U17 World medalist. Bouzakis earned bronze in 2023, and is a 2022 U15 Pan American champion.

Three athletes enter with age-group experience at a Pan American Championships, including Maisie Elliottt at 40 kg, Emma Bacon at 57 kg and Violette Lasure at 65 kg. Elliot and Lasure won gold at the 2023 U15 Pan American Championships, while Bacon is a 2021 U17 Pan American Champion.

There are four athletes that will be making their international debut in Rio de Janeiro. Natalie Radecki at 43 kg, Stevie Martin at 53 kg, Cassandra Gonzales at 69 kg and Ella Poalillo at 73 kg are slated to compete in their first Pan American Championship tournament. Gonzales and Poalillo secured spots on the 2025 U17 World Team, while Radecki and Martin earned runner-up finishes at the U17 World Team Trials in April.

Along with Fernandez, Ben Graham is set to compete in the beach tournament on June 22. Graham is a two-time U17 national champion in beach wrestling, with titles at the 2024 and 2025 USA Wrestling Beach Nationals in Carolina Beach, N.C.

The U17 Pan American Championships begin on June 19 with Greco-Roman. Women’s freestyle action is slated for day two on June 20, followed by men’s freestyle on Saturday, June 21. The event concludes on Sunday, June 22, with beach wrestling.

All of the action will be broadcast live on FloWrestling. Results will be available on UWW Arena.

At Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, June 19-22

U.S. Men’s Freestyle & Greco-Roman roster

45 kg – Thales Silva (Clovis, Calif./SilvaBack Training Center)

48 kg – Ariah Mills (Atlanta, Ga./Roundtree Wrestling Academy)

51 kg – Carter Shin (Fairfax, Va./Palm Wrestling Academy)

55 kg – Tommy Wurster (Dublin, Ohio/Beast Mode Wrestling)

60 kg – Nicholas Sorrow (Jackson, Mich./Simmons Academy of Wrestling)

65 kg – Arseni Kikiniou (Escondido, Calif./Poway Wrestling)

71 kg – Jayden James (Westwood, N.J./KD Training Center)

80 kg – Isai Fernandez (Sylmar, Calif./Titan Mercury WC)

92 kg – JT Smith (Omaha, Neb./MWC Wrestling Academy)

110 kg – Alex Taylor (Howard, Ohio/Beast Mode Wrestling)

Coach – Cornell Robinson (Kingston, Pa.)

Coach – Shawn Sheldon (West Palm Beach, Fla.)

Personal Coach – Israel Silva (Fresno, Calif.)

Personal Coach – Chip Ness (Atlanta, Ga.)

Personal Coach – Jihoon Shin (Fairfax, Va.)

Personal Coach – Michael Wurster (Dublin, Ohio)

Personal Coach – Nick Simmons (Haslett, Mich.)

Personal Coach – Khaled Dassan (Yonkers, N.Y.)

Personal Coach – Zack Wilcox (Springfield, Neb.)

Personal Coach – Jordin Humphrey (Crestline, Calif.)

Women’s Freestyle

40 kg – Maisie Ellliott (Puyallup, Wash./Mat Demon WC)

43 kg – Natalie Radecki (Newark, Del./Stellar Trained Wrestling)

46 kg – Jaclyn Bouzakis (Shavertown, Pa./Wyoming Seminary)

49 kg – Morgan Turner (Lockport, Ill./Sunkist Kids)

53 kg – Stevie Martin (Castro Valley, Calif./ZM Grappling Academy)

57 kg – Emma Bacon (Dallas, Pa./Wyoming Seminary WC)

61 kg – Taina Fernandez (Bowie, Md./Cavalier WC)

65 kg – Violette Lasure (New Paris, Pa./Team Pennsylvania)

69 kg – Cassandra Gonzales (Apple Valley, Minn./MN Elite WC)

73 kg – Ella Poalillo (Wantage, N.J./Iron Horse WC)

Coach – Whitney Cox (Colorado Springs, Colo.)

Coach – Samantha Barrientos (Oak Park, Ill.)

Personal Coach – Kirk Elliott (Puyallup, Wash.)

Personal Coach – Troy Bouzakis (Shavertown, Pa.)

Personal Coach – Nikki Thompson (Lockport, Ill.)

Personal Coach – Steven Martin (Castro Valley, Calif.)

Personal Coach – Bret Fry (Tunkhannock, Pa.)

Personal Coach – Kareem Fernandez (Bowie, Md.)

Personal Coach – Bethany Alt (New Paris, Pa.)

Personal Coach – Joe Poalillo (Wantage, N.J.)

Medical ATC – Jon Duplessis (Wilmington, N.C.)

Official – Josh Kuisle (Stewartville, Minn.)

Official – Kenny Cook (Braselton, Ga.)

Team Leader – Elison Dantas (Norman, Okla.)

Women’s Beach roster

65 kg – Taina Fernandez (Bowie, Md./Cavalier WC)

Men’s Beach roster

70 kg – Ben Graham (New Lennox, Ill.)

Coach – Kareem Fernandez (Bowie, Md.)

Coach – J. Christopher Graham (New Lennox, Ill.)

Official – Rick Schwab (Lawson, Mo.)

*all times listed local to Rio de Janeiro, one hour ahead of U.S. Eastern (GMT-3)

Thursday, June 19

10 a.m. – Qualification Rounds and Repechage (GR all weights)

5 p.m. – Finals and medal matches (GR all weights)

Friday, June 20

10 a.m. – Qualification Rounds and Repechage (WFS all weights)

5 p.m. – Finals and medal matches (WFS all weights)

Saturday, June 21

10 a.m. – Qualification Rounds and Repechage (MFS all weights)

5 p.m. – Finals and medal matches (MFS all weights)

Sunday, June 22

1 p.m. – Qualification rounds, repechages and finals (BW all weights)