Sancho wins gold, Foy gets bronze, and USA wins Pan American Greco-Roman title with nine medals

The United States completed a memorable Greco-Roman performance at the Senior Pan American Championships, adding a gold medal from 2020 Olympian Alejandro Sancho at 72 kg, a bronze medal from Michial Foy at 97 kg and also bringing home the team title all on Friday night.

Sancho finished off a strong tournament with his fourth straight technical fall, stopping Nilton Soto Garcia of Peru, 8-0. It was a rematch of a second-round match, which Sancho also won 8-0. Overall, Sancho outscored his opponents, 31-0. It was his second career Pan American Championships gold, and his fourth career medal at the event.

Foy bounced back from some losses in the first session and finished his tournament with a dominant 9-0 technical fall over Dorian Trejo Olguin of Mexico for the bronze medal. He qualified for the semifinals with a 1-2 record, winning the tie-breaking procedure, then was beaten in the semifinals. Two of his losses were to the finalists. Foy was competing overseas for just the second time in his career, to go along with wrestling at the 2022 U23 Worlds in Spain.

The USA had a tremendous tournament with medals in nine of the 10 weight classes, including six golds, two silvers and one bronze. Claiming gold medals with victories on Thursday night were Jayden Raney (55 kg), Max Black (60 kg), Kamal Bey (77 kg), Beka Melelashvili (82 kg) and Payton Jacobson (87 kg) and two silver medalists, Ellis Coleman (63 kg) and Cohlton Schultz (130 kg).

Team USA won the team title by an impressive 66 points, scoring 209 points over the three days. Host Mexico was the runner-up with 143 points, and Venezuela was third with 90 points.

The Golden Boot, given to the Outstanding Wrestler, went to Gabriel Rosillo Kindelan of Cuba, the champion at 97 kg.

SENIOR PAN AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

At Monterrey, Canada, May 8-9

Friday’s Greco-Roman results

72 kg

Gold - Alejandro Sancho (USA)

Silver - Nilton Soto Garcia (Peru)

Bronze - Irving Salazar Cabrera (Mexico)

4^th - Cristian Mejia Tepen (Guatemala)

5^th – Wilfrido Samaniego Quijada (Panama)

6^th - Luis Guallpa Suquilema (Ecuador)

Gold - Alejandro Sancho (USA) tech fall Nilton Soto Garcia (Peru), 8-0

Bronze - Irving Salazar Cabrera (Mexico) tech fall Cristian Mejia Tepen (Guatemala), 9-0

97 kg

Gold - Gabriel Rosillo Kindelan (Cuba)

Silver - Kevin Mejia Castillo (Honduras)

Bronze - Michial Foy (USA)

4^th - Dorian Trejo Olguin (Mexico)

5^th - Luillys Perez Mora (Venezuela)

6^th - Ricardo Nahuel Gomez (Argentina)

7^th - Gabriel Lee Skinner (Panama)

Gold - Gabriel Rosillo Kindelan (Cuba) dec. Kevin Mejia Castillo (Honduras), 5-1

Bronze - Michial Foy (USA) tech fall Dorian Trejo Olguin (Mexico), 9-0

Friday’s U.S. Greco-Roman performances

72 kg: Alejandro Sancho, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army WCAP), gold medal

WIN Wilfredo Samaniego Quijada (Panama), tech fall 8-0

WIN Nilton Soto Garcia (Peru), tech fall 8-0

WIN Cristian Mejia Tepen (Guatemala), tech fall 9-0

WIN Nilton Soto Garcia (Peru), tech fall 8-0

97 kg: Michial Foy, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army WCAP), bronze medal

LOSS Gabriel Rosillo Kindelan (Cuba), tech fall, 10-0

LOSS Ricardo Gomez (Argentina), 5-1

WIN Luillys Perez Mora (Venezuela), 6-1

LOSS Kevin Mejia Castillo (Honduras), tech fall 8-0

WIN Dorian Trejo Olguin (Mexico), tech fall 9-0

Greco-Roman Final Team Standings

1 United States, 209

2 Mexico, 143

3 Venezuela, 90

4 Cuba, 75

5. Ecuador, 63

6. Honduras, 57

7. Brazil, 55

8. Peru, 54

9. Chile, 44

10. Panama, 42

11. Guatemala, 37

12. Argentina, 29

13. Paraguay, 0