Team USA sends Schoolboy/Girl athletes to Pan-American Championships in Colombia on Oct. 7-9

Tyler Hannah of Wisconsin is a 2016 Triple Crown Winner Hannah photo: Vernon County Broadcaster

The United States is sending 17 young wrestlers to the UWW Schoolboy/Girl Pan-American Championships in Medellin, Colombia, on Oct. 7-9.


Men’s freestyle will be competed on Oct. 7, followed by women’s freestyle on Oct. 8 and Greco-Roman on Oct. 9.


The U.S. men’s freestyle and Greco-Roman teams consist of the same 10 wrestlers, competing in both styles.


Wisconsin’s Tyler Hannah, a 2016 USA Wrestling Triple Crown winner, leads the squad and will compete at 85 kg/187 lbs. In addition to his Triple Crown accomplishment, Hannah also won the 2016 Southern Plains Regional in freestyle and Greco.


Another Southern Plains double champion competing at Pan-Ams is Dominick Serrano of Colorado. Serrano also took first at the ASICS Kids Freestyle and Greco-Roman national tournaments in early July.


Colorado teammate Aaden Valdez will compete at 53 kg/116.5 lbs. Valdez was a runner-up in both styles at freestyle and Greco nationals as well as the Southern Plains Regional.


Team Oklahoma takes three wrestlers to Medellin in Christian Forbes (35 kg/77 lbs.), Carter Young (38 kg/83.5 lbs.) and Cougar Andersen (66 kg/145.2 lbs.).


Keegan Slyter of Kansas, a freestyle national champion and Greco-Roman runner-up, will compete at 47 kg/103.5 lbs. He also took home freestyle and Greco titles at the Southern Plains Regional.


Similar to Slyter, Brooks Empey of Wisconsin was a freestyle national champ and finished second in Greco in 2016. He is set to wrestle at 73 kg/160.5 lbs.


Also competing for the U.S. in men’s freestyle and Greco is Jesse Mendez of Indiana and Brandon O’Brien of Iowa.


Every member of the women’s freestyle team owns at least one title from the Body Bar Women’s Nationals.


Tristan Kelly of Colorado is a two-time Body Bar champion, going back-to-back in 2015 and 2016. Additionally, she won the USA Wrestling Girls Folkstyle National championship this year.


Wisconsin’s Kylie Welker also picked up Body Bar and Folkstyle national titles this year and is set to compete at 44 kg/96.8 lbs.


Camille Fournier of Texas (48 kg/105.5 lbs.) and Tiffani McNelis of Pennsylvania (57 kg/125.5 lbs.) each won Body Bar championships this year and produced runner-up finishes at the Girls Folkstyle National championship.


Sterling Dias of Nevada earned her Body Bar title in 2015. She will wrestle at 37 kg/81.5 lbs.


Rounding out the women’s team is Sage Mortimer of Utah, who will compete at 40 kg/88 lbs. and Zoe Gress of New York who will see competition at 52 kg/114.5 lbs.


Follow the action daily on TheMat.com and through USA Wrestling’s social media outlets.

UWW Schoolboy/Girl Pan-American Championships

At Medellin, Colombia, Oct. 7-9


U.S. freestyle and Greco-Roman roster

32 kg/70.5 lbs. – Brandon O’Brien, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

35 kg/77 lbs. – Christian Forbes, Tulsa, Oklahoma

38 kg/83.5 lbs. – Carter Young, Bixby, Oklahoma

42 kg/92.5 lbs. – Jesse Mendez, Crown Point, Indiana

47 kg/103.5 lbs. – Keegan Slyter, Paola, Kansas

53 kg/116.5 lbs. – Aaden Valdez, Pueblo, Colorado

59 kg/129.8 lbs. – Dominick Serrano, Greeley, Colorado

66 kg/145.2 lbs. – Cougar Andersen, Skiatook, Oklahoma

73 kg/160.5 lbs. – Brooks Empey, Stoughton, Wisconsin

85 kg/187 lbs. – Tyler Hannah, Genoa, Wisconsin

Coach: Bob Empey, Stoughton, Wisconsin

Coach: Tyler Caldwell, Stillwater, Oklahoma

Coach: Chris Young, Bixby, Oklahoma

U.S. women’s freestyle roster
37 kg/81.5 lbs. – Sterling Dias, Las Vegas, Nevada

40 kg/88 lbs. – Sage Mortimer, Mapleton, Utah

44 kg/96.8 lbs. – Kylie Welker, Franksville, Wisconsin

48 kg/105.5 lbs. – Camille Fournier, Weatherford, Texas

52 kg/114.5 lbs. – Zoe Gress, Petersburg, New York

57 kg/125.5 lbs. – Tiffani McNelis, Stewartstown, Pennsylvania

62 kg/136.5 lbs. – Tristan Kelly, Colorado Springs, Colorado

Coach: Andrea Yamamoto, Richland, Washington

Coach: Katherine Fulp-Allen, Denver, Colorado

Coach: Craig LaMont, Mapleton, Utah

Event Schedule
Friday, Oct. 7
Men’s freestyle

Saturday, Oct. 8
Women’s freestyle

Sunday, Oct. 9
Greco-Roman