June 21, 2012
MADISON, Wis. -- The United States had a strong showing in all three styles at the 2012 Pan American Junior Championships, held June 6-9 in Peten, Guatemala, and Wisconsin’s Connor Medbery was a big reason why. Medbery claimed gold at 120 kg/264.5 lbs in freestyle to give USA the edge over Venezuela and the team gold.
In freestyle, the USA won four gold medals and six total medals. The USA tied with Venezuela with 63 points, but won the title with four individual champions.
Medbery won matches over Cuba’s Keldis Roche (4-0, 1-0), Canada’s Jessy Sahota (1-0, 4-2) and defeated the Dominican Republic’s Josue Encarnacion (1-0, pin) in the finals to win gold.
“It was really cool to wrestle people from other countries and see the different styles,” said Medbery. “Having the experience to go to another country and compete, to see the other guys who are your age and what they have to offer, it is great."
Also claiming gold medals in men’s freestyle were:
• Nick Moore, Iowa City, Iowa (Hawkeye WC) at 74 kg/163 lbs.
• Dwight Howes, Denver, Colo. (OTC) at 84 kg/185 lbs.
• Scott Schiller, Fargo, N.D. (Minnesota Storm) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs.
The event featured athletes who are between 17-20 years old from the nations in North America, Central America and South America.
PAN AMERICAN JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Peten, Guatemala, June 6-9
Men’s freestyle results
50 kg/110 lbs.
1 VEN GONZALEZ JACKSON
2 USA MORENO RAMON
3 NCA LOPEZ YASSER
3 DOM GUEVARA OLIVER
5 CAN LAKANI AMEED
5 PER ARRISTINI ELISEO
7 GUA VASQUEZ DARWIN
55 kg/121 lbs.
1 VEN DAVILA ANDRI
2 DOM SERRATA JEFFRY
3 CAN TAKAHASHI STEVEN
3 USA VERONA ISAIAH
5 ESA RODRIGUEZ EDWIN
5 PER SEQUEIRO EDUARDO
7 ARG PAVON LUCAS
8 PUR MORALES WESLEY
9 COL CUERO UBER
10 BRA JUNIOR YURI
60 kg/132 lbs.
1 VEN AGUILAR YBSER
2 COL CASTANEDA ANDRES
3 CAN WILLIAMS DILAN
3 MEX DIAZ BRANDON
5 DOM RAMIREZ ODALY
5 USA BREWER CODY
7 PER DUANAMAS MICHEL
8 PUR TORRES HAROL ADRIAN
9 ECU MINGA JAVIER
10 NCA MENDIETA ALBERTO
66 kg/145.5 lbs.
1 COL GUZMAN HERNAN
2 CUB BARRERO ISMAEL
3 PUR SANTIAGO ANGEL
3 PER GREIFO JOSE
5 CAN BURK SPENSER
5 VEN MELCHOR SARON
7 ARG CARRANZA FERNANDO
8 NCA RIVERA JOSE
9 GUA MIRANDA MARVIN
10 ESA REYES DIEGO
74 kg/163 lbs.
1 USA MOORE NICK
2 VEN GARCIAS ENDER
3 ARG LLANO IVAN
3 CUB MARTINEZ ESTEBAN
5 GUA SOLARES WILVER
5 DOM JEAN BILLY
7 PUR SOLER FRANCISCO
8 BRA ROCHA PEDRO
8 ESA VASQUEZ MILTON
9 CAN LAUREN GRAYSON
10 PER CAMAN CHISTIAN
84 kg/185 lbs.
1 USA HOWES DWIGHT
2 MEX SANCHEZ MIGUEL
3 GUA ORELLANA ERICK
3 CAN MARGO JASON
5 ARG ROMERO SAUL
5 VEN PIÑERO JOSE
7 NCA TRUJILLO FELIX
96 kg/211.5 lbs.
1 USA SCHILLER SCOTT
2 COL CASTANEDA DIEGO
3 CUB RUANO ABRAHAM
3 CAN THOMS ALEX
5 PER ESQUEN RICARDO
5 VEN GUZMAN CARLOS
7 ARG BURTOVOY IVAN
120 kg/264.5 lbs.
1 USA MEDBURY CONNOR
2 DOM ENCARNACION JOSUE
3 CUB ROCHE KELDIS
3 BRA CUNHA HUGO
5 CAN SAHOTA JESSY
5 VEN GARCIAS ENYERBERTH
7 ESA ALAS CARLOS
8 GUA SALGUERO HERLYN
U.S. men’s freestyle performances
50 kg/110 lbs. – Ramon Moreno, Miami Lakes, Fla. (USOEC), 2nd
WIN Yasser Lopez (Nicaragua), 3-2, 0-1, 6-5
WIN Aheed Lakani (Canada), 4-2, 3-1
LOSS Jackson Gonzalez (Venezuela), 0-1, 1-8
55 kg/121 lbs. – Isaiah Verona, Homestead, Fla. (USOEC), 3rd
LOSS Jeffry Serrata (Dominican Republic), 0-1, 1-7
WIN Lucas Pavon (Argentina), pin
WIN Eduardo Sequeiro (Peru), 1-0, 2-1
60 kg/132 lbs. – Cody Brewer, Kansas City, Mo. (Oklahoma Elite), 5th
WIN Rodrigo Falabela (Brazil), 6-0, 6-0
LOSS Andres Castaneda (Colombia), 8-2, 3-4, 0-1
WIN H. Torres (Puerto Rico), 9-1, 6-0
LOSS Brandon Diaz (Mexico), 3-4, 0-7
66 kg/145.5 lbs. – Nick Alvarez, Homestead, Fla. (USOEC), dnp
LOSS Jose Greifo (Peru)
74 kg/163 lbs. – Nick Moore, Iowa City, Iowa (Hawkeye WC), 1st
WIN Guzman Palacios (Honduras), 6-0, 6-0
WIN Billy Jean (Dominican Republic), 6-0, 1-0
WIN Alexis Cuero (Colombia), 2-0, 1-2, 1-0
WIN Ender Garcias (Venezuela), 0-6, 2-1, 1-0
84 kg/185 lbs. – Dwight Howes, Denver, Colo. (OTC), 1st
WIN Jose Pinero (Venezuela), 9-1, 3-0
WIN Jason Margo (Canada), 3-1, 7-0
WIN Miguel Sanchez (Mexico), 6-0, 8-2
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Scott Schiller, Fargo, N.D. (Minnesota Storm), 1st
WIN Ricardo Esquen (Peru), 7-0, 6-2
WIN Abraham Ruano (Cuba), 1-1, 1-0, 2-0
WIN Diego Castaneda (Colombia), 3-0, 6-0
120 kg/264.5 lbs. – Connor Medbury, Loveland, Colo. (Badger WC), 1st
WIN Keldis Roche (Cuba), 4-0, 1-0
WIN Jessy Sahota (Canada), 1-0, 4-2
WIN Josue Encarnacion (Dominican Republic), 1-0, pin
Men’s freestyle standings
1. United States, 63 pts.
2. Venezuela, 63
3. Canada, 52
4. Dominican Republic, 38
5. Cuba, 33
6. Peru, 31
7. Colombia, 30
8. Argentina 26
9. Guatemala, 23
10. Peru, 18
11. Mexico, 17
12. Nicaragua, 16
13. El Salvador, 14
14. Brazil, 9
15. Ecuador, 4
16. Honduras and Costa Rica, 0
