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1st Pan American Grappling Championships with two other Grappling events set for Norwalk, Calif., October 23

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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling

The first Pan American Grappling Championships will be hosted at Cerritos College in Norwalk, Calif. on Sunday, October 23, alongside two other Grappling competitions.


USA Wrestling and California USA Wrestling are hosting the Pan American event, in conjunction with the Submission Showdown and the Grappling/USA Wrestling's California State Grappling Championships.


The tournaments will be held in No-Gi Grappling, and provide opportunities for both men and women athletes of many ages to test themselves in one of the fastest growing forms of sport.


The Pan American Grappling Championships is being organized by Richard Tado, an American Grappling leader who currently represents the Pan American nations on the United World Wrestling Grappling Committee and serves as UWW’s head referee. Tado, who hails from the Chicago area, still competes in Grappling with Old School Wrestling.


The Pan American Championships is a Senior-level invitation-only event, with up to two competitors in each weight class per Pan American nation. Tado is putting together the USA team for the competition, which will feature numerous members of the 2016 U.S. Grappling World Team which competed recently at the Grappling World Championships in Belarus. Other Pan American nations have also been invited to compete.


Among the World Team members who have committed to the USA Pan Am team are 2016 World medalists Lisa Ward, Jessica Phillipus and Laree Callihan, plus seven-time World medalist Mike Kelly. Ward has won eight World medals in Grappling for Team USA.


Others who competed in Belarus for the USA who are expected to enter the Pan Am event are Aaron Johnson, Jason Cumiford, Carlos Soto and Gabe Beauperthuy. In the Veterans division at the UWW World Grappling Championships, Beauperthuy won a pair of gold medals and Cumiford added two bronze medals


Senior athletes who are active with USA Wrestling’s Grappling program and are current USA Wrestling members who would like to fill an open spot on the Pan American team should contact Richard Tado at tado1111@gmail.com or via cell phone at 847-456-2225. The USA can have two athletes per weight class at the Pan Am Championships.


The Submission Showdown and Grappling/USA Wrestling's California State Grappling Championships are being organized by Blair Green, who serves as the Grappling Director for California USA Wrestling.


The Submission Showdown division are NOGI, 10 Minute Sub Only Rounds with EBI Overtime. The Absolute Grappling State divisions follow United World Wrestling’s Grappling Guidelines.


For more information on the Submission Showdown and California State Grappling Championships:

visit www.facebook.com/GrapplingUSAWrestling

Join the newsletter at www.usgrapplingassociation.com

Or send an email to info@usgrapplingassociation.com

TENTATIVE U.S. PAN AMERICAN NO-GI GRAPPLING ROSTER

(as of October 11)



Men’s No-Gi competitors


66 kg - Aaron Johnson

71 kg - Jason Cumiford

77 kg: Michael Kelly and Bobby McIntyre

84 kg: Eddy Ellis

92 kg: Brent Ockerman

100 kg: Carlos Soto

+100kg: Gabe Beauperthuy
Currently unfilled: 62 kg

Women’s No-Gi competitors

53 kg - Lisa Ward and Jessica Philippus

71 kg - Ashley Nash

+71kg - Laree Callihan
Currently unfilled: 58 kg, 64 kg

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