Photo: USA men's freestyle team won the Pan Am team title. Photo by Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com.

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala – The U.S. men’s freestyle team turned in a perfect day at the 2021 Pan American Championships, registering eight gold-medal performances and securing the team title in the final day of competition in Guatemala City.

Winning titles on Sunday to close out the tournament was Vito Arujau (57 kg), Shelton Mack (61 kg), Joey McKenna (65 kg), Alec Pantaleo (70 kg), Kyle Dake (74 kg), David Taylor (86 kg), Kyle Snyder (97 kg) and Gable Steveson (125 kg).

The United States also earned gold medals from Tommy Gantt (79 kg) and Nate Jackson (92 kg) on Saturday.

Snyder won his sixth Pan American gold medal, while Taylor claimed his fourth. The rest of the U.S. squad competed in the Senior Pan American Championships for the first time.

Competing at 97 kg, Snyder, a 2016 Olympic champion and two-time World champion, scored the most points for the USA today with 53 with each of his five wins coming by technical fall. In the final, Snyder overpowered five-time Pan Am medalist Luis Perez Sosa (Dominican Republic), 11-0, which was capped off with a gut wrench.

For his fourth Pan Am title, 2018 World champion Taylor went 3-0 at 86 kg. Winning back-to-back 10-0 tech falls in the morning session, Taylor continued his dominant performance with a 10-0 win in just 24 seconds against 2020 Pan American bronze medalist Clayton Pye from Canada.

Two-time World champion Dake eased his way to the 74 kg title on Sunday, winning each of his bouts by technical fall, including a 10-0 victory against 2020 Pan Am bronze winner Victor Hernandez Luna of Mexico. The win marks Dake’s seventh-consecutive international gold medal.

In an attempt to spend the least amount of time on the mat as possible, Steveson, a 2017 Junior World champion, won five matches in just 4:21. For his first Pan Am title, Steveson dominated 2018 Junior World silver medalist Aly Barghout of Canada for the second time today, 10-0. The two met earlier in pool action with Steveson winning the first matchup in the same fashion.

McKenna, a 2017 U23 World bronze medalist and 2014 Junior World silver medalist, won the 65 kg bracket to scoop his first Senior international gold medal. In the finals, McKenna breezed past Brazil’s Marcos De Brito Siqueira, 10-0, scoring a quick takedown into a gut for four turns.

2019 Junior World silver medalist and 2016 Cadet World silver medalist Arujau had a successful day at 57 kg, collecting three tech fall wins en route to the gold. In the finals, Arujau blanked 2017 Cadet Pan Am champion Roberto Alejandro Blanco of Mexico, 10-0, thanks to his leg lace.

At 70 kg, 2019 U23 World Teamer Pantaleo finished his day without surrendering a single point. For his third win of the day and the gold medal, Pantaleo took out 2017 Pan Am bronze medalist Carlos Romero Millaqueo of Chile, 12-0. The win marks his second international gold of the year as he also won the Matteo Pellicone in March.

2021 Senior Nationals champion Mack capped off his day with his fourth win of the tournament, taking down 2011 Pan Am Games champion and 2019 Pan Am Games silver medalist Juan Ramirez Beltre of Dominican Republic, 2-0, with a step out and shot clock point while battling a slippery mat.

Throughout the men’s freestyle tournament, the USA outscored its opponents 367-9 en route to winning 10 gold medals. In the team race, the Red, White and Blue scored 250 team points for the title, followed by Canada with 116 points and Mexico with 114 points.

Overall, the United States collected a medal at every weight class for 29 medals, including 24 gold (10 MFS, 9 WFS, 5 GR), four silver (4 GR) and one bronze (WFS).

2021 PAN AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
Guatemala City, Guatemala | May 27-30

U.S. men’s freestyle results
57 kg: Vitali Arujau (Spartan WC/TMWC) – GOLD
WIN Bryan De Oliveira Pereira (Brazil), 10-0
WIN Alexander Fernandez Pena (Dominican Republic), 11-0
WIN Roberto Alejandro Blanco (Mexico), 10-0

61 kg: Shelton Mack (NYC RTC/TMWC) – GOLD
WIN Victor Alfonso Lopez Miranda (El Salvador), 10-0
WIN Jorge Olvera Rodriguez (Mexico), 12-2
WIN Esteban Perez Castellanos (Guatemala), 10-0
WIN Juan Ramirez Beltre (Dominican Republic), 2-0

65 kg: Joey McKenna (Pennsylvania RTC/TMWC) – GOLD
WIN Juan Rodriguez Jovel (El Salvador), 10-0
WIN Albaro Rudecindo Camacho (Dominican Republic), 17-6
WIN Sebastian Rivera (Puerto Rico), 10-0
WIN Marcos De Brito Siqueira (Brazil), 10-0

70 kg: Alec Pantaleo (Cliff Keen WC/TMWC) – GOLD
WIN Joao Victor Dos Santos Silva (Brazil), 10-0
WIN Vincent de Marinis (Canada), 11-0
WIN Carlos Romero Millaqueo (Chile), 12-0

74 kg: Kyle Dake (Spartan Combat WC/TMWC) – GOLD
WIN Julio Rodriguez Romero (Dominican Republic), 10-0
WIN Renato Da Silva (Brazil), 10-0
WIN Jasmit Phulka (Canada), 10-0
WIN Victor Hernandez Luna (Mexico), 10-0

86kg: David Taylor (Nittany Lion WC/TMWC) – GOLD
WIN Noel Torres Chacon (Mexico), 10-0
WIN Juan Rivera Garcia (Colombia), 10-0
WIN Clayton Pye (Canada), 10-0

97 kg: Kyle Snyder (Nittany Lion WC/TMWC) – GOLD
WIN Richard Deschatelets (Canada), 10-0
WIN Kenett Martinez Viloria (Colombia), 12-0
WIN Maxwell Lemar Lacey Garita (Costa Rica), 10-0
WIN Marcos Carrozzino (Brazil), 10-0
WIN Luis Perez Sosa (Dominican Republic), 11-0

125 kg: Gable Steveson (Gopher WC RTC) – GOLD
WIN Christian Chajon Garcia (Guatemala), 10-0
WIN Santiago Restrepo Hernandez (Colombia), 10-0
WIN Aly Barghout (Canada), 10-0
WIN Eduardo Garcia Betanzos (Mexico), 10-0
WIN Aly Barghout (Canada), 10-0

MEN’S FREESTYLE RESULTS
57 kg
GOLD - Vitali ARUJAU (USA) df. Roberto ALEJANDRO BLANCO (MEX), 10-0
BRONZE - Samuel ALVA PEDRAGAS (PER) df. Edwin SEGURA GUERRA (GUA), 5-3
BRONZE – Alexander FERNANDEZ PENA (DOM) df. Bryan DE OLIVEIRA PEREIRA (BRA), 9-1

61 kg
GOLD - Shelton MACK (USA) df. Juan RAMIREZ BELTRE (DOM), 2-0
BRONZE - Jorge OLVERA RODRIGUEZ (MEX) df. Esteban PEREZ CASTELLANOS (GUA), 3-1

65 kg
GOLD - Joseph MCKENNA (USA) df. Marcos DE BRITO SIQUEIRA (BRA), 10-0
BRONZE - Jonnathan PEREZ CASTELLANOS (GUA) df. David PINILLA RODRIGUEZ (PAN), 3-1
BRONZE – Albaro RUDECINDO CAMACHO (DOM) df. Sebastian RIVERA (PUR), 10-0

70 kg
GOLD - Alec PANTALEO (USA) df. Carlos ROMERO MILLAQUEO (CHI), 12-0
BRONZE - Enrique PEREZ CASTELLANOS (GUA) df. Sebastian SOSA SANCHEZ (PAR), 12-0
BRONZE – Vincent DE MARINIS (CAN) df. Joao DOS SANTOS SILVA (BRA), fall 1:10

74 kg
GOLD – Kyle DAKE (USA) df. Victor HERNANDEZ LUNA (MEX), 10-0
BRONZE - Jonathan PARRILLA RAMOS (PUR) df. Leon PERALTA LANAS (CHI), 4-4
BRONZE – Julio RODRIGUEZ ROMERO (DOM) df. Jasmit PHULKA (CAN), 4-0

86 kg
GOLD – David TAYLOR (USA) df. Clayton PYE (CAN), 10-0
BRONZE - Thales REIS ALVES (BRA) df. Emanuel CHAMORRO (ARG), 1:28
BRONZE – Noel TORRES CHACON (MEX) df. Juan RIVERA GARCIA (COL), 10-0

97 kg
GOLD - Kyle SNYDER (USA) df. Luis PEREZ SOSA (DOM), 11-0
BRONZE - Maxwell LACEY GARITA (CRC) df. Marcos CARROZZINO (BRA), fall 4:31

125 kg
GOLD – Gable STEVESON (USA) df. Aly BARGHOUT (CAN), 10-0
BRONZE - Catriel MURIEL (ARG) df. Eduardo GARCIA BETANZOS (MEX), 5-1

USA men’s freestyle completes perfect tournament with 10 champs and Pan Am team title

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