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Mortimer, Petzinger among seven U.S. champions in women’s freestyle at 2026 U23 Pan American championships

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by Richard Immel, USA Wrestling

50 kg SF – Sage Mortimer (United States) fall Yorlenis Moran Sanchez (Panama), 3:34 from the 2026 U23 Pan American Championships at the La Videna Velodrome in Lima, Peru on Friday, June 12, 2026. Photo by © 2026 Richard Immel / USA Wrestling. All Rights Reserved.

50 kg SF – Sage Mortimer (United States) fall Yorlenis Moran Sanchez (Panama), 3:34 from the 2026 U23 Pan American Championships at the La Videna Velodrome in Lima, Peru on Friday, June 12, 2026. Photo by © 2026 Richard Immel / USA Wrestling. All Rights Reserved.

LIMA, Peru – Team USA continued its hot streak on Friday at the 2026 U23 Pan American Championships with seven champions and 10 total medalists in women’s freestyle.


2024 U23 World champion Sage Mortimer was as advertised. She posted three technical falls and a pin on her way to the 50 kg gold medal. An 11-0 win against Genesis Ramirez Sanabria of Puerto Rico in the gold medal match gave Mortimer her third age-group Pan American title.


2025 Senior National Team member Sydney Petzinger exacted revenge on Puerto Rico’s Shammilka Miranda Diaz, the returning champion, with a 6-1 win in the 53 kg gold medal match. The win reversed a semifinal loss to Miranda Diaz at last year’s U23 Pan American Championships. Petzinger earned two technical falls in the preliminary rounds.


Two other athletes joined Mortimer as champions to bonus through their bracket—Nina Makem at 65 kg and Taylor Graveman at 72 kg. Makem went unscored upon, opening the tournament with a 22-second pin over eventual silver medalist Heaven Emond of Canada, and finishing with three-straight 10-0 technical falls. Graveman earned two pins and two technical falls in a five-woman round-robin bracket.


Also earning gold medals for Team USA at La Videna Velodrome were Karissa Turnwall at 55 kg, Noelle Gaffney at 68 kg and Alexandria Alli at 76 kg. The U.S. medal count was rounded out by silver medalists Sara Sterner at 57 kg, Alexandra Szkotnicki at 59 kg and Claire DiCugno at 62 kg.


All told, the U.S. women tallied up a 36-3 combined record with six pins and 19 technical falls.


Team USA dominated the team race with 235 points. Puerto Rico finished in second place with 126 points. Mexico wound up in third place with 124 points.


Mexico’s Melanie Jimenez Villalba, the 62 kg champion, was presented the Golden Boot award as the outstanding wrestler of the tournament.


Wrestling continues at 10 a.m. local time on Saturday with the Greco-Roman competition. Lima, Peru, is one hour behind U.S. Eastern Time.


A live stream and archived matches of the event are available to the U.S. audience through FloWrestling. Brackets and updated results are hosted on UWW Arena.

2026 U23 Pan American Championships 

At Lima, Peru, June 12 



Women’s Freestyle Results 

Team Rankings 

1. United States, 235

2. Puerto Rico, 126

3. Mexico, 124

4. Canada, 114

5. Colombia, 97

6. Peru, 74

7. Ecuador, 36

8. Guatemala, 36

9. Brazil, 34

10. Argentina, 25


Weight Class Rankings 
50 kg 

Gold – Sage Mortimer (United States)

Silver – Genesis Ramirez Sanabria (Puerto Rico)

Bronze – Yorlenis Moran Sanchez (Panama)

Bronze – Ivy Threatful (Canada)

5th – Ana Santos Do Prado Silva (Brazil)

5th – Vicky Leon Gomez (Ecuador)

7th – Amy Ramirez Morales (Mexico)

8th – Mayllin Escobar Marroquin (Guatemala)

9th – Anett Huaman Mallqui (Peru)

10th – Natalia Perdomo Culma (Colombia)


Gold – Sage Mortimer (United States) tech. fall Genesis Ramirez Sanabria (Puerto Rico), 11-0 

Bronze – Yorlenis Moran Sanchez (Panama) fall Ana Santos Do Prado Silva (Brazil), 0:32

Bronze – Ivy Threatful (Canada) tech. fall Vicky Leon Gomez (Ecuador), 18-7


53 kg 

Gold – Sydney Petzinger (United States)

Silver – Shammilka Miranda Diaz (Puerto Rico)

Bronze – Maria Ramirez Romero (Colombia)

4th – Angie Zea Alvarado (Peru)

5th – Sierra Mullin (Canada)


Gold – Sydney Petzinger (United States) dec. Shammilka Miranda Diaz (Puerto Rico), 6-1

Bronze – Maria Ramirez Romero (Colombia) dec. Angie Zea Alvarado (Peru), 3-0 


55 kg 

Gold – Karissa Turnwall (United States)

Silver – Yusmy Chaparro Urrego (Colombia)

Bronze – Josefina Ramirez Duarte (Mexico)

4th – Abby Wolff (Canada)

5th – Siria Gamboa Rodriguez (Guatemala)

6th – Antuaneth Casusol Casas (Peru)

7th – Ashley Diaz (Puerto Rico)


Gold – Karissa Turnwall (United States) dec. Yusmy Chaparro Urrego (Colombia), 5-3 

Bronze – Josefina Ramirez Duarte (Mexico) tech. fall Abby Wolff (Canada), 11-0 


57 kg 

Gold – Gabriela Cross (Canada)

Silver – Sara Sterner (United States)

Bronze – Thaina Anibal Ribeiro (Brazil)

4th – Isabel Alvarez (Puerto Rico)

5th – Ariana Saenz Abanto (Peru)


Round-robin bracket records: Cross (4-0), Sterner (3-1), Anibal Ribeiro (2-2), Alvarez (1-3), Saenz Abanto (0-4)


59 kg 

Gold – Camila Amarilla (Argentina)

Silver – Alexandra Szkotnicki (United States)

Bronze – Tatiana Hurtado Lerma (Colombia)

Bronze – Jania Dunigan (Puerto Rico)

5th – Cindell Casusol Casas (Peru)

5th – Meissy Valdez Obando (Guatemala)

7th – Olivia Lichti (Canada)

8th – Paula Leon Adriano (Mexico)

9th – Josselyn Guallpa Naranjo (Ecuador)


Gold – Camila Amarilla (Argentina) dec. Alexandra Szkotnicki (United States), 13-12 

Bronze – Tatiana Hurtado Lerma (Colombia) tech. fall Cindell Casusol Casas (Peru), 10-0 

Bronze – Jania Dunigan (Puerto Rico) fall Meissy Valdez Obando (Guatemala), 5:31


62 kg 

Gold – Melanie Jimenez Villalba (Mexico)

Silver – Claire DiCugno (United States)

Bronze – Alexa Cuero Cuadrado (Colombia)

4th – Ruth Jimenez Batista (Puerto Rico)

5th – Allison Valdez Obando (Guatemala)


Round-robin bracket records: Jimenez Villalba (4-0), DiCugno (3-1), Cuero Cuadrado (2-2), Jimenez Batista (1-3), Valdez Obando (0-4)


65 kg 

Gold – Nina Makem (United States)

Silver – Heaven Emond (Canada)

Bronze – Emilia Anaya Raya (Mexico)

4th – Jeimy Delgado Sandoval (Ecuador)

5th – Romina Garro Villanera (Peru)

6th – Elizabeth Watts (Puerto Rico)


Gold – Nina Makem (United States) tech. fall Heaven Emond (Canada), 10-0 

Bronze – Emilia Anaya Raya (Mexico) fall Jeimy Delgado Sandoval (Ecuador), 1:30


68 kg 

Gold – Noelle Gaffney (United States)

Silver – Nicoll Parrado Osorio (Colombia)

Bronze – Debanhi Tapia Garcia (Mexico)

4th – Vanessa Keefe (Canada)

5th – Damarys Sanchez Mora (Ecuador)

6th – Leyla Mallqui Hinostroza (Peru)


Gold – Noelle Gaffney (United States) dec. Nicoll Parrado Osorio (Colombia), 4-1 

Bronze – Debanhi Tapia Garcia (Mexico) dec. Vanessa Keefe (Canada), 6-0 


72 kg 

Gold – Taylor Graveman (United States)

Silver – Linda Martinez Armenta (Mexico)

Bronze – Gabriella Reid (Puerto Rico)

4th – Taebyn Tulp (Canada)

5th – Nicole Quinonez Zarate (Colombia)


Round-robin bracket records: Graveman (4-0), Martinez Armenta (3-1), Reid (1-3), Tulp (1-3), Quinonez Zarate (1-3)


76 kg 

Gold – Alexandria Alli (United States)

Silver – Edna Jimenez Villalba (Mexico)

Bronze – Paola Rodriguez Guzman (Puerto Rico)

4th – Melanie Sanchez Morales (Chile)

5th – Aomi Riques Morales (Peru)

6th – Francisca Araujo De Andrade (Brazil)


Gold – Alexandria Alli (United States) dec. Edna Jimenez Villalba (Mexico), 3-3 

Bronze – Paola Rodriguez Guzman (Puerto Rico) fall Melanie Sanchez Morales (Chile), 5:14

U.S. Women’s Freestyle Results 

50 kg – Sage Mortimer (Springville, Utah/Titan Mercury WC), gold medal 

WIN Ana Santos Do Prado Silva (Brazil), tech. fall, 14-3

WIN Amy Ramirez Morales (Mexico), tech. fall, 10-0

WIN Yorlenis Moran Sanchez (Panama), fall, 3:34

WIN Genesis Ramirez Sanabria (Puerto Rico), tech. fall, 11-0


53 kg – Sydney Petzinger (Kingston, Pa./Lehigh Valley Wrestling RTC/New York AC), gold medal 

WIN Angie Zea Alvarado (Peru), tech. fall, 10-0

WIN Andrea Avelino Barrientos (Mexico), forfeit

WIN Maria Ramirez Romero (Colombia), tech. fall, 12-1

WIN Shammilka Miranda Diaz (Puerto Rico), 6-1


55 kg – Karissa Turnwall (Murrieta, Calif./Emmanuel Training Center), gold medal 

WIN Yusmy Chaparro Urrego (Colombia), 5-3

WIN Antuaneth Casusol Casas (Peru), tech. fall, 10-0

WIN Siria Gamboa Rodriguez (Guatemala), tech. fall, 11-1

WIN Abby Wolff (Canada), tech. fall, 10-0

WIN Yusmy Chaparro Urrego (Colombia), 5-3


57 kg – Sara Sterner (Morro Bay, Calif./Cardinal WC), silver medal 

WIN Thaina Anibal Ribeiro (Brazil), tech. fall, 14-4

LOSS Gabriela Cross (Canada), 7-2

WIN Ariana Saenz Abanto (Peru), fall, 0:20

WIN Isabel Alvarez (Puerto Rico), tech. fall, 13-0


59 kg – Alexandra Szkotnicki (Riva, Md./Bearcat WC), silver medal 

WIN Cindell Casusol Casas (Peru), tech. fall, 10-0

WIN Tatiana Hurtado Lerma (Colombia), fall, 4:20

LOSS Camila Amarilla (Argentina), 13-12


62 kg – Claire DiCugno (Lake Tapps, Wash./Cardinal WC/New York AC), silver medal 

WIN Alexa Cuero Cuadrado (Colombia), tech. fall, 13-3

LOSS Melanie Jimenez Villalba (Mexico), fall, 4:50

WIN Allison Valdez Obando (Guatemala), tech. fall, 10-0

WIN Ruth Jimenez Batista (Puerto Rico), 8-6


65 kg – Nina Makem (Shakopee, Minn./Minnesota Storm/New York AC), gold medal 

WIN Heaven Emond (Canada), fall, 0:22

WIN Romina Garro Villanera (Peru), tech. fall, 10-0

WIN Emilia Anaya Raya (Mexico), tech. fall, 10-0

WIN Heaven Emond (Canada), tech. fall, 10-0


68 kg – Noelle Gaffney (Lafayette, N.J./Laker WC), gold medal 

WIN Leyla Mallqui Hinostroza (Peru), 8-0

LOSS Vanessa Keefe (Canada), 8-3

WIN Debanhi Tapia Garcia (Mexico), 7-0

WIN Nicoll Parrado Osorio (Colombia), 4-1


72 kg – Taylor Graveman (Spearfish, S.D./Cardinal WC), gold medal 

WIN Linda Martinez Armenta (Mexico), tech. fall, 16-6

WIN Gabriella Reid (Puerto Rico), fall, 1:31

WIN Nicole Quinonez Zarate (Colombia), fall, 0:47

WIN Taebyn Tulp (Canada), tech. fall, 10-0


76 kg – Alexandria Alli (Ashley, Ohio/USOPTC), gold medal 

WIN Melanie Sanchez Morales (Chile), tech. fall, 10-0

WIN Francisca Araujo De Andrade (Brazil), tech. fall, 11-0

WIN Paola Rodriguez Guzman (Puerto Rico), tech. fall, 10-0

WIN Edna Jimenez Villalba (Mexico), 3-3