McKenna, Parker, Wick, Hidlay, Rademacher, Hendrickson to go for gold in men’s freestyle at Pan American Championship

MONTERREY, Mexico – The United States continued its dominance in men’s freestyle at the 2025 Senior Pan American Championships, with an impressive Sunday morning sessions. Team USA pushed four wrestlers into gold-medal finals, and two others are undefeated in round robin competition.

Four of the U.S. wrestlers won semifinal matches to advance to the gold-medal bouts: Joey McKenna (65 kg), Ian Parker (70 kg), Justin Rademacher (97 kg) and Wyatt Hendrickson (125 kg). These four athletes won by bonus points in each match, with eight technical falls, a pin and a forfeit.

McKenna opened with an 11-0 victory over U20 World champion Peiman Biabani, then put away Matheus da luz Barreto of Brazil in a 12-1 technical fall. He draws 2020 Olympian Agustin Destribats of Argentina in the finals. McKenna will go for his third Senior Pan American title, after winning golds in 2021 and 2022.

Parker had three straight technical falls, outscoring his opponents 30-0 for the session. Parker wrestled for Iowa State. He will battle Austin Gomez of Mexico, who wrestled for Iowa State, Wisconsin and Michigan in college. Gomez competed for the USA before switching to Mexico, for whom he compete at the 2024 Olympic Games.

Rademacher was also perfect, with two technical falls and a victory by forfeit. Rademacher, a 2024 U20 World bronze medalist, will be tested in the finals by 2023 Pan American Games silver medalist and 2024 Olympian Arturo Silot Torres of Cuba.

Henrickson made fast work of his opponents, pinning Maxwell Lacey of Costa Rica in 58 seconds and getting an 11-0 technical fall over 2016 Olympian Jose Diaz Robertti of Venezuela. Hendrickson, a 2023 U23 World champion, will battle Richard Deschatelets of Canada.

Two U.S. wrestlers went undefeated in their round robin competition, and will get the gold if they win their final match on Sunday night, Evan Wick (79 kg) and Trent Hidlay (92 kg).

Wick won three matches in a row, all by 10-0 technical falls. To get the gold, he needs to beat Victor Hernandez Luna of Mexico in the evening session. Hernandez lost two matches in the first session.

Hidlay was equally dominant, with a pair of technical falls and a forfeit. His final opponent is Miguel Lavielle Ramirez of Mexico, who also has two losses so far today.

The only loss by a U.S. wrestler in the session came at 57 kg, where Roman Bravo Young of Mexico scored a 10-0 technical fall over Liam Cronin of the USA. Bravo Young was a two-time NCAA champion at Penn State and was a 2024 Olympian for Mexico. Cronin, an NCAA All-American for Nebraska, was second at the 2025 U.S. Senior Open.

When Bravo Young won his semifinals match over Pedro Mejias Rodriguez of Venezuela, Cronin was pulled back into the tournament. He will face Mejia in the bronze-medal match this evening.

Both Hidlay and Hendrickson 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 USA has dominated the men’s freestyle so far. On Saturday, the USA swept all three golds in the men’s freestyle weight classes contested, with titles from Jax Forrest (61 kg), Ladarion Lockett (74 kg) and 2023 World bronze medalist Zahid Valencia (86 kg). Forrest and Valencia have also secured their spot in Final X.

The final medal round for the tournament, in the last seven men’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 11

Men’s Freestyle Finals pairings

57 kg - Roman Bravo Young (Mexico) vs. Lucas Rodriguez (Puerto Rico)

65 kg - Joey McKenna (USA) vs. Agustin Destribats (Argentina)

70 kg - Ian Parker (USA) vs. Austin Gomez (Mexico)

97 kg - Justin Rademacher (USA) vs. Arturo Silot Torres (Cuba)

130 kg - Wyatt Hendrickson (USA) vs. Richard Deschatelets (Canada)

Men’s Freestyle Semifinals results

57 kg

Roman Bravo Young (Mexico) dec. Pedro Mejias Rodriguez (Venezuela), 4-0

Lucas Rodriguez (Puerto Rico) tech fall Edwin Segura Guerra (Guatemala), 13-2

65 kg

Joey McKenna (USA) tech fall Matheus da luz Barreto (Brazil), 12-1

Agustin Destribats (Argentina) dec. Wilfredo Rodriguez Bocaney (Venezuela), 4-4

70 kg

Ian Parker (USA) tech fall Royglen Temple Batista (Panama), 10-0

Austin Gomez (Mexico) tech fall Sixto Auccapina Pedragas (Peru), 10-0

97 kg

Justin Rademacher (USA) tech fall Nishan Randhawa (Canada), 10-0

Arturo Silot Torres (Cuba) tech fall Ricardo Baez (Argentina), 10-0

130 kg

Wyatt Hendrickson (USA) tech fall Jose Diaz Robertti (Venezuela), 11-0

Richard Deschatelets (Canada) tech fall Gino Avia Dilbert (Honduras), 14-2

Round robin weight classes

79 kg

Evan Wick (USA) tech fall Shane Jones (Puerto Rico), 10-0

Jasmit Phulka (Canada) dec. Victor Hernandez Luna (Mexico), 3-1

Evan Wick (USA) tech fall Jasmit Phulka (Canada), 10-0

Shane Jones (Puerto Rico) tech fall Jose Ambrocio Greifo (Peru), 10-0

Evan Wick (USA) tech fall Jose Ambrocio Greifo (Peru), 10-0

Shane Jones (Puerto Rico) tech fall Victor Hernandez Luna (Mexico) , 11-0

Victor Hernandez Luna (Mexico) tech fall Jose Ambrocio Greifo (Peru), 10-0

Shane Jones (Puerto Rico) tech fall Jasmit Phulka (Canada), 12-2

Evan Wick (USA) vs. Victor Hernandez Luna (Mexico)

Jasmit Phulka (Canada) vs. Jose Ambrocio Greifo (Peru),

92 kg

Trent Hidlay (USA) tech fall Andrew Johnson (Canada), 11-0

Andrew Johnson (Canada) dec. Edwin Morales (Puerto Rico), 10-2

Trent Hidlay (USA) tech fall Edwin Morales (Puerto Rico), 12-1

Andrew Johnson (Canada) tech fall Miguel Lavielle Ramirez (Mexico), 10-0

Edwin Morales (Puerto Rico) pin Miguel Lavielle Ramirez (Mexico), 0:49

Trent Hidlay (USA) vs. Miguel Lavielle Ramirez (Mexico)

U.S. men’s freestyle performances

57 kg: Liam Cronin, Lincoln, Neb. (Nebraska RTC/Titan Mercury WC), going for bronze medal

WIN Davi Silva Giovannetti (Brazil), tech fall, 11-1

LOSS Roman Bravo Young (Mexico), 10-0

Bronze medal – Vs. Pedro Mejias Rodriguez (Venezuela)

65 kg: Joey McKenna, Stillwater, Okla. (Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC), going for gold medal

WIN Peiman Biabani (Canada), 11-0

WIN Matheus da luz Barreto (Brazil) tech fall, 12-1

Gold medal – Vs. Agustin Destribats (Argentina)

70 kg: Ian Parker, Charlottesville, Va. (Cavalier WC), going for gold medal

WIN Pablo Vera Insfran (Paraguay), tech fall 10-0

WIN Jacob Alexander Torres (Canada), 10-0

WIN Royglen Temple Batista (Panama), tech fall 10-0

Gold medal – Vs. Austin Gomez (Mexico)

79 kg: Evan Wick, San Gabriel, Calif. (SoCal RTC/Titan Mercury WC), going for gold medal

Round robin

WIN Shane Jones (Puerto Rico), tech fall, 10-0

WIN Jasmit Phulka (Canada), tech fall, 10-0

WIN Jose Ambrocio Greifo (Peru), tech fall, 10-0

Vs. Victor Hernandez Luna (Mexico)

92 kg: Trent Hidlay, Raleigh, N.C. (Wolfpack RTC/Titan Mercury WC), going for gold medal

Round robin

WIN Andrew Johnson (Canada), tech fall 11-0

WIN Eduardo Vega Garcia (Panama), forfeit

WIN Edwin Morales (Puerto Rico), tech fall, 12-1

Vs. Miguel Lavielle Ramirez (Mexico)

97 kg: Justin Rademacher, West Linn, Ore. (Beaver Dam RTC), going for gold medal

WIN Ricardo Baez (Argentina), tech fall, 11-0

WIN Juan Iturriza Ruiz (Mexico), forfeit

WIN Nishan Randhawa (Canada), tech fall 10-0

Gold Medal – Vs. Arturo Silot Torres (Cuba)

125 kg: Wyatt Hendrickson, Stillwater, Okla. (Cowboy RTC/Air Force WCAP), going for gold medal

WIN Maxwell Lacey (Costa Rica), pin, 0:58

WIN Jose Diaz Robertti (Venezuela), 11-0

Gold Medal - Vs Richard Deschatelets (Canada)