Fernandez, Graham to compete at Pan American U17 Beach Championships in Brazil on Sunday

Two U.S. wrestlers will compete at the 2025 Pan American U17 Beach Championships, which will be held on Sunday, June 22 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Beach event will follow the Pan American U17 Championships in the Olympic disciplines, which will also be held in Rio de Janeiro, June 19-21.

2024 U17 World women’s freestyle champion Taina Fernandez of Maryland will compete in the Beach competition this year. She is also on the U.S. U17 Pan American women’s freestyle team, which will compete on Friday in Rio de Janeiro.

In 2024, Fernandez won the Pan American U15 Beach Championships in San Salvador, El Salvador. She was the only U.S. entry in that event. Earlier that week, she also won the 2024 U15 Pan American Championships in women’s freestyle at

Ben Graham will compete in the men’s division at the 2025 Pan American U17 Championships. Earlier this year, he won the U17 National title at 70 kg at the 2025 USA Wrestling Beach Nationals in Carolina Beach, N.C.

The competition will begin at 1:00 p.m. local time, which is one hour ahead of U.S. Eastern time zone.

PAN AMERICAN U17 BEACH CHAMPIONSHIPS

At Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, June 22

U.S. Beach Women's roster 

65 kg: Taina Fernandez, Bowie, Md.

U.S. Beach Men's roster

70 kg: Ben Graham, New Lenox, Ill.

Coach - Kareem Fernandez, Bowie, Md.

Coach – Joseph Christopher Graham, New Lenox, Ill.  

Referee: Rick Schwab, Lawson, Mo.

Event Schedule

(Rio de Janeiro is one hour ahead of U.S. Eastern time zone)

Sunday, June 22

1 p.m. – conclusion – Qualifications, repechage and finals.