Forrest, Lockett, Valencia to go for gold in men’s freestyle at Pan American Championships

MONTERREY, Mexico – The United States got off to a great start in men’s freestyle at the 2025 Senior Pan American Championships, as all three of the U.S. athletes competing on Saturday morning have qualified for the gold-medal finals.

The U.S. athletes going for the gold medal on Saturday night are high school stars Jax Forrest (61 kg) and Ladarion Lockett (74 kg), plus 2023 World bronze medalist Zahid Valencia (86 kg). These three wrestlers all won their matches this morning by technical fall, except for a wild semifinal match for Lockett, which ended in disqualification.

Lockett, a two-time age-group World finalist, battled Geannis Garzon Tamayo of Cuba. Garzon scored a first-period takedown to lead 2-0 at the break. Lockett added a shot clock point early in the second period to close it to 2-1. Lockett got behind Garzon and had difficulty getting Garzon to break down from the quad pod position. When Lockett tried to pull Garzon back towards the edge, Garzon violently countered and Lockett was injured.

Officials initially gave Lockett a point to tie it at 1-1. When the three referees discussed the action, they disqualified Garzon for brutality. Cuba immediately challenged and the crowd loudly supported Garzon. Upon looking at the video, which was visible to the fans, the jury ruled that Garzon had spiked Lockett and agreed with the disqualification decision.

Lockett, a 2023 U17 World champion, will face Anthony Montero Chirinos of Venezuela in the finals.

Forrest won a pair of 10-0 technical falls, stopping both Esteban Perez Castellanos of Guatemala and Joshua Kramer of Ecuador. Kramer competed in college for Arizona State. In the finals, Forrest will battle Joseph Silva of Puerto Rico, who wrestled for Michigan in college and Lake Highland Prep in Florida in high school.

Valencia was powerful in his two technical fall victories, stopping Steven Rodriguez Torreyes of Venezuela, 11-0 and Taran Goring of Canada, 10-0. He will battle Jorge Llano of Argentina in the championship finals.

Forrest and Valencia were 2025 U.S. Senior Open champions, and will be competing for a spot on the Senior World Team at Final X at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. on June 14.

The medal round featuring the three men’s freestyle weight classes, and four women’s freestyle weight classes, resumes at 5:00 p.m. Mountain Time,

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

SENIOR PAN AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

At Monterrey, Mexico, May 10

Men’s freestyle finals pairings

61 kg - Jax Forrest (USA) vs. Joseph Silva (Puerto Rico)

74 kg - Ladarion Lockett (USA) vs. Anthony Montero Chirinos (Venezuela)

86 kg - Zahid Valencia (USA) vs. Jorge Llano (Argentina)

Men’s freestyle semifinal results

61 kg

Jax Forrest (USA) tech fall Joshua Kramer (Ecuador), 10-0

Joseph Silva (Puerto Rico) tech fall Peter Hammer Cude (Costa Rica), 11-0

74 kg

Ladarion Lockett (USA) disq. Geannis Garzon Tamayo (Cuba), 4:34

Anthony Montero Chirinos (Venezuela) dec. Cristian Santiago Perez (Mexico), 8-5

86 kg

Zahid Valencia (USA) tech fall Taran Goring (Canada), 10-0

Jorge Llano (Argentina) dec. Cesar Ubico Estrada (Guatemala), 4-3

U.S. men’s freestyle results

61 kg: Jax Forrest, Johnstown, Pa. (Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC), in gold-medal match

WIN Esteban Perez Castellanos (Guatemala), tech fall 10-0

WIN Joshua Kramer (Ecuador), tech fall, 10-0

Gold Medal – Vs. Joseph Silva (Puerto Rico)

74 kg: Ladarion Lockett, Stillwater, Okla. (Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC), in gold medal match

WIN Adam Thomson (Canada), tech fall 11-0

WIN Geannis Garzon Tamayo (Cuba), disqualification 4:34

Gold medal - Anthony Montero Chirinos (Venezuela)

86 kg: Zahid Valencia, Stillwater, Okla. (Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC), in gold-medal match

WIN Steven Rodriguez Torreyes (Venezuela), 11-0

WIN Taran Goring (Canada), tech fall 10-0

Gold medal - Jorge Llano (Argentina)