Raney, Black, Bey and Jacobson join Melelashvili as Senior Pan American Greco-Roman champions

The United States finished a strong first day at the 2025 Senior Pan American Championships on Thursday, winning five gold medals and two silver medals in the eight Greco-Roman weight classes contested.

Claiming gold medals with victories on Thursday night were Jayden Raney (55 kg), Max Black (60 kg), Kamal Bey (77 kg) and Payton Jacobson (87 kg). They joined Beka Melelashvili (82 kg), who clinched a gold medal on Thursday morning

Raney kept up a fast pace on his way to an 11-1 technical fall over 2025 Pan American U23 champion Isaac Marin Mata of Mexico. With Raney getting the early 5-1 lead on two takedowns and two step outs, Mata tried to push the action, and Raney took advantage with additional scoring moves until he ended the bout.

Black was explosive in his 9-0 first period technical fall over Alexis Rodriguez Hernandez of Mexico in the finals. After Rodriguez went down with a passivity call, Black scored a pair of gut wrenches then a four-point throw to end the match in 1:47.

Bey was featured in the last match of the night against past World champion and Olympic medalist Arsen Julfalakyan of Argentina. The match lived up to its billing, as Bey came through with an exciting 11-7 victory. Bey jumped to a 7-0 lead, with a takedown, a four-point lift and a point on a challenge. Jufalakyan rallied with a takedown and turn to make it 7-4 at the break. In the second period, Jufalakyan continued his momentum, tying it at 7-7, with Bey having criteria. Bey closed it out with a spin takedown and a counter takedown for the win.

Jacobson was able to avenge a loss in his first match to 2019 Pan American Games champion Luis Avendano Rojas, 7-5, by earning a spot in the finals and controlling Avendano, 6-0 in the finals. Jacobson had a strong first period, getting a passivity and two two-point turns to lead 5-0, then added a second period step out.

Earlier in the day, Melelashvili won two matches in a three-athlete round robin. He opened with a 6-1 decision over Diego Macias Torres of Mexico, then opened it up in an 8-0 technical fall over David Choc Huoc of Guatemala.

Claiming silver medals for Team USA were Ellis Coleman (63 kg) and Cohlton Schultz (130 kg).

Coleman fell in the finals to Jeremy Peralta Gonzalez of Ecuador in a 12-4 technical fall. Coleman scored a four-point bodylock to lead 4-3 at the break. In the second period, Coleman was put down for passivity to make it 4-4, and Peralta hit a pair of big lifts for four points each to end the match.

Schultz was edged 3-1 in the finals by four-time Senior World medalist Oscar Pino Hinds of Cuba. Schultz led 1-0 at the break after a passivity call against Hinds. In the second period, Schultz was hit with passivity, and Hinds scored the only offensive points of the match with a turn. It was a very competitive match, as Schultz has closed the gap with Hinds from previous matches.

The USA took a commanding lead after eight weights, with 169 points, followed by host Mexico with 116 points and Venezuela in third with 80 points.

The final two Greco-Roman weight classes will be contested on Friday, with Olympian Alejandro Sancho at 72 kg and Michial Foy at 97 kg. It also is the start of the women’s freestyle tournament with five women’s freestyle weights (50 kg -55 kg -57 kg -62 kg -68 kg -72 kg).

All of the action will be broadcast live on FloWrestling. https://flosports.link/4fv90qt

SENIOR PAN AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

At Monterrey, Mexico, May 8-11

Greco-Roman results

55 kg

Gold - Jayden Raney (USA) tech fall Isaac Marin Mata (Mexico), 11-1

60 kg

Gold - Max Black (USA)

Silver - Alexis Rodriguez Hernandez (Mexico)

Bronze - Yonaiker Martinez Cravo (Venezuela)

4^th - Pedro De Souza Rodrigues (Brazil)

5^th - Andres Gonzalez Andrade (Panama)

6^th - Patrick Rodriguez Quinto (Ecuador)

Gold - Max Black (USA) tech fall Alexis Rodriguez Hernandez (Mexico), 9-0

Bronze - Yonaiker Martinez Cravo (Venezuela) dec. Pedro De Souza Rodrigues (Brazil), 5-1

63 kg

Gold - Jeremy Peralta Gonzalez (Ecuador)

Silver - Ellis Coleman (USA)

Bronze - Hector Sanchez Zapata (Mexico)

4^th - Matias Munoz Ramirez (Chile)

5^th - Emerson Felipe Ordonez (Guatemala)

Gold - Jeremy Peralta Gonzalez (Ecuador) tech fall Ellis Coleman (USA), 12-4

Bronze - Hector Sanchez Zapata (Mexico) dec. Matias Munoz Ramirez (Chile), 2-0

67 kg

Gold - Luis Orta Sanchez (Cuba)

Silver - Nestor Almanza Truyo (Chile)

Bronze - Marco Fernandez Cuba (Peru)

Bronze - Neiser Marimon Hidlago (Venezuela)

5^th - Osvaldo Yanez Silva (Mexico)

5^th - Andres Montano Arroyo (Ecuador)

7^th - Joao De Jesus Silva (Brazil)

8^th - Royglen Temple Batista (Panama)

9^th - Alston Nutter (USA)

Gold - Luis Orta Sanchez (Cuba) tech fall Nestor Almanza Truyo (Chile), 8-0

Bronze - Marco Fernandez Cuba (Peru) dec. Osvaldo Yanez Silva (Mexico), 7-1

Bronze - Neiser Marimon Hidlago (Venezuela) dec. Andres Montano Arroyo (Ecuador), 3-0

77 kg

Gold - Kamal Bey (USA)

Silver - Arsen Julfalakyan (Argentina)

Bronze - Calebe Correa Ferreira (Brazil)

Bronze - Leomar Cordero DePool (Venezuela)

5^th - Ryan Cubas Castillo (Peru)

5^th - Oscar Barrios Rochez (Honduras)

7^th - Emmanuel Benitez Castro (Mexico)

8^th Eduardo Bernal Molina (Chile)

Gold - Kamal Bey (USA) dec. Arsen Julfalakyan (Argentina), 11-7

Bronze - Calebe Correa Ferreira (Brazil) tech fall Ryan Cubas Castillo (Peru), 11-3

Bronze - Leomar Cordero DePool (Venezuela) dec. Oscar Barrios Rochez (Honduras), 2-0

82 kg

Gold - Beka Melelashvili (USA)

Silver – Diego Macias Torres (Mexico)

Bronze – David Choc Huoc (Guatemala)

Beka Melelashvili (USA) dec. Diego Macias Torres (Mexico), 6-1

Beka Melelashvili (USA) tech fall David Choc Huoc (Guatemala), 8-0

Diego Macias Torres (Mexico) dec. David Choc Huoc (Guatemala), 4-3

87 kg

Gold - Payton Jacobson (USA)

Silver - Luis Avendano Rojas (Venezuela)

Bronze - Jose Vargas Rueda (Mexico)

4^th - Ariel Alfonso Rodriguez (Honduras)

5^th - Sosruko Kodzokov (Brazil)

6^th - Carlos Espinoza Castro (Peru)

7^th - Eduardo Vega Garcia (Panama)

Gold - Payton Jacobson (USA) dec. Luis Avendano Rojas (Venezuela), 6-0

Bronze - Jose Vargas Rueda (Mexico) dec. Ariel Alfonso Rodriguez (Honduras), 2-1

130 kg

Gold - Oscar Pino Hinds (Cuba)

Silver - Cohlton Schultz (USA)

Bronze - Moises Perez Hellberg (Venezuela)

Bronze - Gino Avila Dilbert (Honduras)

5^th - Eduard Soghomonyan (Brazil)

5^th - Leonidas Manzaba Quinonez (Ecuador)

7^th - Paul Morales Bojorquez (Mexico)

8^th -  Diego Almendras Rodriguez (Chile)

Gold - Oscar Pino Hinds (Cuba) dec. Cohlton Schultz (USA), 3-0

Bronze - Moises Perez Hellberg (Venezuela) dec. Eduard Soghomonyan (Brazil), 6-0

Bronze - Gino Avila Dilbert (Honduras) tech fall Leonidas Manzaba Quinonez (Ecuador), 9-0

U.S. Greco-Roman performances

55 kg: Jayden Raney, Sturgis, Kentucky (New York AC), gold medal

WIN Isaac Marin Mata (Mexico), tech fall, 11-1

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

WIN Pedro DeSouza Rodrigues (Brazil), tech fall 8-0

WIN Andres Gonzalez Andrade (Panama), tech fall 15-4

WIN Yonaiker Martinez Cravo (Venezuela), 3-1

WIN Alexis Rodriguez Hernandez (Mexico), tech fall, 9-0

63 kg: Ellis Coleman, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army WCAP), silver medal

WIN Hector Sanchez Zapata (Mexico), 7-1

WIN Lisandro Cabrera Ortiz (Paraguay), forfeit

WIN Matias Munoz Ramirez (Chile), pin 2:57

LOSS Jeremy Peralta Gonzalez (Ecuador), tech fall, 12-4

67 kg: Alston Nutter, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army WCAP), 9^th place

LOSS Andres Montano Arroyo (Ecuador), 6-1

77 kg: Kamal Bey, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army WCAP), gold medal

WIN Ryan Cubas Castillo (Peru), tech fall 9-0

WIN Calebe Correa Ferreira (Brazil), tech fall 11-2

WIN Arsen Julfalakyan (Argentina), 11-7

82 kg: Beka Melelashvili, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC), gold medal

WIN Diego Macias Torres (Mexico), 6-1

WIN David Choc Huoc (Guatemala), tech fall, 8-0

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

LOSS Luis Avendano Rojas (Venezuela), 7-5

WIN Carlos Espinoza Castro (Peru), tech fall, 8-0

WIN Sosruko Kodzokov (Brazil), 5-3

WIN Ariel Alfonso Rodriguez (Honduras), tech fall 8-0

WIN Luis Avendano Rojas (Venezuela), 6-0

130 kg: Cohlton Schultz, Tempe, Ariz. (Atreus WC), silver medal

WIN Leonidas Manzaba Quinonez (Eduador), pin 1:45

WIN Gino Avila Dilbert (Honduras), pin 1:19

LOSS Oscar Pino Hinds (Cuba), 3-1

Team Standings

1. United States, 169

2. Mexico, 116

3. Venezuela, 80

4. Brazil, 55

5. Ecuador, 54

6. Cuba, 50

(of 13 nations)

Remaining Event Schedule

(Monterrey is the same as U.S. Mountain Time Zone)

Friday, May 9

(Greco-Roman 72 kg -97 kg Women’s Freestyle 50 kg -55 kg -57 kg -62 kg -68 kg -72 kg)

10:00 a.m. – Preliminaries

1:00 p.m. – Semifinals

2:00 p.m. – Repechage

5:00 p.m. – Medal Match finals

Saturday, May 10

(Women’s Freestyle 53 kg -59 kg - 65 kg -76 kg, Men’s Freestyle 61 kg -74 kg -86 kg)

10:00 a.m. – Preliminaries

1:00 p.m. – Semifinals

2:00 p.m. – Repechage

5:00 p.m. – Medal Match finals

Sunday, May 11

(Men’s Freestyle 57 kg -65 kg -70 kg -79 kg -92 kg -97 kg -125 kg)

10:00 a.m. – Preliminaries

1:00 p.m. – Semifinals

2:00 p.m. – Repechage

5:00 p.m. – Medal Match finals