USA Sweeps Pan Am Gold Medals on Friday with Three in Greco and Four in Women’s Freestyle, Greco Wins Team Title

Photo: The U.S. Greco-Roman Pan Am team won the team title with 205 points. Photo by Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com.

Official release courtesy of Taylor Miller/USA Wrestling. 

The USA swept all seven gold medals at today’s Pan American Championships, winning three in Greco-Roman and four in women’s freestyle on Friday in Guatemala City.

Three Americans secured their titles earlier in the day in round-robin action, and the other four won in the finals session.

GRECO-ROMAN
At 77 kg in Greco-Roman, Olympic Trials runner-up Peyton Walsh came away with a gold medal in his Pan American debut. In the finals, Walsh took out two-time Senior Pan Am finalist Joilson de Brito Ramos Junior of Brazil in a tight bout. Walsh was up 5-0 early with the help of an exciting four-point toss, but in the second period, de Brito Ramos Junior stormed back with a chance on top in par terre but it was not enough. Ultimately, Walsh held on for a 5-5 criteria win as de Brito Ramos Junior was dinged with a caution earlier in the bout.

Senior Nationals champion Ben Provisor went 2-0 in his 82 kg three-man bracket, collecting wins over David Choc Huoc of Guatemala, 9-0, and Alexis Martinez Sanchez of Mexico, 8-0. This is Provisor’s third Pan Am gold and second in Greco-Roman. He competed both styles in 2018, winning the freestyle division.

Competing at 87 kg, Tokyo Olympian John Stefanowicz earned the gold medal, going 3-1 in a Nordic-style bracket. Stefanowicz lost his first bout of the day to Ariel Alfonso Rodriguez of Honduras, but fought his way back to a spot in the finals with back-to-back shutout wins. For gold, it was a rematch against Alfonso. Stefanowicz trailed 1-0 at the break, but early in the second period, the American ran the Honduran out of bounds for a step out, but in a show of poor sportsmanship, Alfonso punched Stefanowicz and was disqualified from the tournament.

Thanks to an outstanding performance, which included six golds and four silvers, the USA won the Greco-Roman team title with 205 points, beating No. 2 Brazil by 95 points.

The other Greco medalists from Thursday were champions Xavier Johnson (67) and Jamel Johnson (72) as well as silver medalists Ildar Hafizov (60), Randon Miranda (63), Braxton Amos (97) and Donny Longendyke (130).

WOMEN’S FREESTYLE
Jacarra Winchester
, the U.S. Tokyo Olympian at 53 kg, moved up a weight to compete in a five-woman round robin bracket at 55 kg. She dominated the competition with three 10-0 technical falls as well as a pin in just over a minute for a perfect 4-0 record. This mark’s Winchester’s first Pan Am gold medal. She also owns a bronze from the 2019 Pan Am Championships.

Wrestling at 59 kg, Maya Nelson, a 2021 Senior Nationals champion, needed two wins to take the crown. She began her day with a huge win, defeating 2019 World champion Linda Morais of Canada with a 5-5 criteria win. In her second match, Nelson was relentless against Karoline Silva de Santana of Brazil with a 12-2 victory.

With a 4-0 performance on the day, Jen Page, competing at 65 kg in a Nordic bracket, won her second Senior Pan American title. Her first came in 2015. In the finals, Page took on Ashley Zarate Campbell of Panama, whom she defeated earlier in the day, 11-1. In their second matchup, Page needed a single takedown before putting Zarate to her back for a pin in 52 seconds.

Making her Pan Am debut at any age-group was Alexandria Glaude, who took the crown at 72 kg. A small round robin bracket, Glaude only needed two wins to secure the gold. To open her tournament, she defeated reigning Pan American champion Yanet Sovero Nino of Peru with a 25-second pin. In her last bout, Glaude overpowered Brenda Aguiar Dos Santos of Brazil with a 10-0 shutout. The win marks Glaude’s first international gold medal.

The competition continues tomorrow with the remaining women’s freestyle weights and the beginning of men’s freestyle. Wrestling begins at 12 p.m. local time. Fans can watch all the action live at FloWrestling.org.

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

U.S. Greco-Roman results
77 kg: Peyton Walsh (U.S. Marines) – GOLD
WIN Ali Marciano (Puerto Rico), 11-0
WIN Enrique Cuero Ortiz (Ecuador), 8-0
WIN Joilson De Brito Ramos Junior (Brazil), 5-5

82 kg: Ben Provisor (NYAC) – GOLD
WIN David Choc Huoc (Guatemala), 9-0
WIN Alexis Martinez Sanchez (Mexico), 8-0

87 kg: John Stefanowicz (U.S. Marines) – GOLD
LOSS Ariel Alfonso Rodriguez (Honduras), 4-3
WIN Jose Mosquera Murillo (Colombia), 8-0
WIN Ronisson Brandao Santiago (Brazil), 6-0
WIN Ariel Alfonso Rodriguez (Honduras), disqualified

U.S. women’s freestyle results
55 kg: Jacarra Winchester (USOPTC/TMWC) – GOLD
WIN Neidy Vasquez Gomez (Guatemala), 10-0
WIN Dafne Palacios Loyola (Chile), 10-0
WIN Virginie Kaze Gascon (Canada), fall 1:06
WIN Anny Ramirez Perez (Dominican Republic), 10-0

59 kg: Maya Nelson (USOPTC/Sunkist Kids) - GOLD
WIN Linda Morais (Canada), 5-5
WIN Karoline Silva De Santana (Brazil), 12-2

65 kg: Jen Page (Nittany Lion WC/TMWC) – GOLD
WIN Ashley Zarate Campbell (Panama), 11-1
WIN Meiriele Santos Hora (Brazil), fall 1:00
WIN Amanda Savard (Canada), 11-0
WIN Ashley Zarate Campbell (Panama), fall 0:52

72 kg: Alexandria Glaude (Beaver Dam RTC/TMWC) – GOLD
WIN Yanet Sovero Nino (Peru), fall 0:25
WIN Brenda Aguiar Dos Santos (Brazil), 10-0

GRECO-ROMAN RESULTS
77 kg
GOLD – Peyton WALSH (USA) df. Joilson DE BRITO RAMOS JUNIOR (BRA), 5-5
BRONZE – Reinier JIMENEZ TERRY (GUA) df. Matias CABEZAS CORNEJO (CHI), 8-0
BRONZE – Marciano ALI (PUR) df. Enrique CUERO ORTIZ (ECU), 13-2

82 kg
GOLD – Ben PROVISOR (USA)
SILVER – David Elias CHOC HUOC (GUA)
BRONZE – Alexis MARTINEZ SANCHEZ (MEX)

87 kg
GOLD – John STEFANOWICZ (USA)
SILVER – Daniel VICENTE GOMEZ (MEX)
BRONZE – Ronisson BRANDAO SANTIAGO (BRA)

WOMEN’S FREESTYLE RESULTS
55 kg
GOLD – Jacarra WINCHESTER (USA)
SILVER – Virginie KAZE GASCON (CAN)
BRONZE – Anny RAMIREZ PEREZ (DOM)

59 kg
GOLD – Maya NELSON (USA)
SILVER – Linda MORAIS (CAN)
BRONZE – Karoline SILVA DE SANTANA (BRA)

65 kg
GOLD – Jennifer ROGERS PAGE (USA) df. Ashley ZARATE CAMPBELL (PAN), fall 0:52
BRONZE – Amanda SAVARD (CAN) df. Diana CRUZ ARROYO (PER), 2-1

72 kg
GOLD – Alexandria GLAUDE (USA)
SILVER – Yanet SOVERO NINO (PER)
BRONZE – Brenda AGUIAR DOS SANTOS (BRA)



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