Olympic champion Snyder dominates, USA wins five freestyle golds at Pan American C'ships

SALVADOR DA BAHIA, Brazil (May 7) – Olympic champion Kyle SNYDER (USA) won his second Pan American gold medal on Sunday to cap off a quality effort from the United States men’s freestyle team at the Pan American Championships.

World No. 1 at 97 kg, Snyder won all three of his bouts by 10-0 technical fall. He was relentless in the 97 kg final against two-time South American silver medalist Luis Miguel PEREZ SOSA (DOM).

“It was a pretty good day. I was excited to compete and wrestle here,” Snyder said following his gold-medal win. “It was real hot in the arena, so it’s good to wrestle in those types of atmospheres where you don’t usually get to compete under these circumstances.”

World No. 4 James GREEN (USA) matched Snyder’s domination on the mat, scoring four 10-0 technical fall victories on his way to the 70 kg gold medal. Green, a 2015 World bronze medalist, finished off his day with a quick 10-0 victory over three-time Pan American Championships medalist Luis Isaias PORTILLO MEJIA (ESA).

Winning the Golden Boot as the outstanding wrestler of the competition was 57 kg champion Tyler GRAFF (USA) who is ranked No. 17 in the World. The American defeated two-time Pan American bronze medalist Aso PALANI (CAN) in the championship match. Overall, Graff posted three 10-0 technical falls and one pin to win his third international gold medal of 2017.

Kyle RUSCHELL (USA) and Dominique BRADLEY (USA) pushed the American gold-medal haul to five with victories at 74 kg and 125 kg.

Ruschell did not surrender a single point throughout three his three matches, including an 11-0 win over Nestor Joaquin TAFUR BARRIOS (COL) in the 74 kg finals. Today marks Ruschell’s first international tournament since the 2014 Copa Brasil, where he also won gold.

Now a two-time Pan American champion, World No. 18 Bradley avenged a recent loss to Yudenny ALPAJON ESTEVEZ (CUB) in the 125 kg gold-medal match. Trailing by a point late in the second period, the American secured a body lock takedown in the final seconds to pull out the win, 3-2.

In total, seven of the eight Americans competing on Sunday earned a medal. Reigning 61 kg World champion Logan STIEBER (USA) and Gabriel DEAN (USA) picked up bronze medals for the U.S. team. 

The remaining three gold medals all went to athletes from Cuba. Dabian QUINTANA JAIME (CUB), Franklin MAREN CASTILLO (CUB) and Yurieski TORREBLANCA QUERALTA (CUB) were named champions after impressive runs in Brazil.

Quintana Jaime won the 61 kg bracket with a 10-0 technical fall over David Washington DOS SANTOS MOREIRA (BRA) in the championship match. The match of the tournament came the semifinals, with Quintana Jaime upending World No. 1 Stieber, 13-12.

Maren Castillo won his second Pan American gold medal after World No. 14 Franklin GOMEZ MATOS (PUR) injury defaulted out of the 65 kg finals.       

Defending Pan American champion Yurieski TORREBLANCA QUERALTA (CUB) won his second-straight gold medal with a 12-6 victory over Pedro Francisco CEBALLOS FUENTES (VEN) in the 86 kg championship match. 

Men’s Freestyle Results

57 kg (13 entries)

Gold – Tyler Lee GRAFF (USA) df. Aso PALANI (CAN) by TF, 10-0

Bronze – Reineri ANDREU ORTEGA (CUB) df. Victor Manuel BARRON CARDENAS (MEX) by TF, 10-0

Bronze – Wber Euclides CUERO MUNOZ (COL) df. Brandon Jesus ESCOBAR AMADOR (HON) by Injury Default, 0-0

Semifinal – Tyler Lee GRAFF (USA) df. Wber Euclides CUERO MUNOZ (COL) by TF, 10-0

Semifinal – Aso PALANI (CAN) df. Victor Manuel BARRON CARDENAS (MEX), 9-7

61 kg (7 entries)

Gold – Dabian QUINTANA JAIME (CUB) df. David Washington DOS SANTOS MOREIRA (BRA) by TF, 10-0

Bronze – Tommy Jesus GARCIA SANCHEZ (DOM) df. Yerson David HENAO BUITRAGO (CHI) by FALL, 8-2

Bronze – Logan Jeffery STIEBER (USA)

Semifinal – Dabian QUINTANA JAIME (CUB) df. Logan Jeffery STIEBER (USA), 13-12

Semifinal – David Washington DOS SANTOS MOREIRA (BRA) df. Tommy Jesus GARCIA SANCHEZ (DOM), 19-15

65 kg (10 entries)

Gold – Franklin MAREN CASTILLO (CUB) df. Franklin GOMEZ MATOS (PUR) by Injury Default, 0-0

Bronze – Dillon Emmanuel WILLIAMS (CAN) df. Sixto Miguel AUCCAPINA PEDRAGAS (PER), 10-8

Bronze – Wilfredo Aogusto RODRIGUEZ BOCANEY (VEN) df. Andres Mauricio CASTANEDA ORTEGA (COL), 14-7

Semifinal – Franklin GOMEZ MATOS (PUR) df. Andres Mauricio CASTANEDA ORTEGA (COL), 8-5

Semifinal – Franklin MAREN CASTILLO (CUB) df. Dillon Emmanuel WILLIAMS (CAN), 6-3

70 kg (10 entries)

Gold – James Malcolm GREEN (USA) df. Luis Isaias PORTILLO MEJIA (ESA) by TF, 10-0

Bronze – Mauricio Javier SANCHEZ SALTOS (ECU) df. Lincoln MESSIAS MOREIRA DOS SANTOS (BRA) by TF, 14-3

Bronze – Carlos Eduardo ROMERO MILLAQUEO (CHI) df. Luis Isabel BARRIOS ROCHEZ (HON) by FALL, 4-2

Semifinal – Luis Isaias PORTILLO MEJIA (ESA) df. Luis Isabel BARRIOS ROCHEZ (HON), 8-4

Semifinal – James Malcolm GREEN (USA) df. Lincoln MESSIAS MOREIRA DOS SANTOS (BRA) by TF, 10-0 

74 kg (13 entries)

Gold – Kyle Matthew RUSCHELL (USA) df. Nestor Joaquin TAFUR BARRIOS (COL) by TF, 11-0

Bronze – Luis Esteban QUINTANA MARTINEZ (CUB) df. Cristian Jose SARCO COLMENAREZ (VEN), 8-1

Bronze –  Pedro SOTO CORDERO (PUR) df. Jose Santos AMBROCIO GREIFO (PER), 9-1

Semifinal – Kyle Matthew RUSCHELL (USA) df. Pedro SOTO CORDERO (PUR) by TF, 10-0

Semifinal – Nestor Joaquin TAFUR BARRIOS (COL) df. Luis Esteban QUINTANA MARTINEZ (CUB) by FALL, 14-6

86 kg (10 entries)

Gold – Yurieski TORREBLANCA QUERALTA (CUB) df. Pedro Francisco CEBALLOS FUENTES (VEN), 12-6

Bronze – Gabriel Curtis DEAN (USA) df. Pool Edinson AMBROCIO GREIFO (PER) by TF, 12-2

Bronze – Jordan STEEN (CAN) df. Ricardo Adrian BAEZ (ARG) by TF, 11-0

Semifinal – Pedro Francisco CEBALLOS FUENTES (VEN) df. Jordan STEEN (CAN), 4-0

Semifinal – Yurieski TORREBLANCA QUERALTA (CUB) df. Gabriel Curtis DEAN (USA), 6-4

97 kg (8 entries)

Gold – Kyle Frederick SNYDER (USA) df. Luis Miguel PEREZ SOSA (DOM) by TF, 10-0

Bronze – Nishan Preet Singh RANDHAWA (CAN) df. Felipe CESAR CAMILO DE OLIVEIRA (BRA) by TF, 10-0

Bronze – Andres RAMOS DINZA (CUB) df. Victor Julian SAA SAA (COL), 7-0

Semifinal – Luis Miguel PEREZ SOSA (DOM) df. Andres RAMOS DINZA (CUB), 6-4

Semifinal – Kyle Frederick SNYDER (USA) df. Nishan Preet Singh RANDHAWA (CAN) by TF, 10-0

125 kg (8 entries)

Gold – Dominique Deshon BRADLEY (USA) df. Yudenny ALPAJON ESTEVEZ (CUB), 3-2

Bronze – Korey JARVIS (CAN) df. Catriel Pehuen MURIEL (ARG) by TF, 11-0

Bronze – Luis Antonio OLIVARES DIAZ (VEN) df. Jesse Prudente RUIZ FLORES (MEX) by TF, 10-0

Semifinal – Yudenny ALPAJON ESTEVEZ (CUB) df. Jesse Prudente RUIZ FLORES (MEX) by TF, 10-0

Semifinal – Dominique Deshon BRADLEY (USA) df. Korey JARVIS (CAN), 9-0