Brooklyn Hays pictured at the 2025 USMC Women’s Nationals in Spokane, Washington.
U.S. wins four women’s freestyle golds, nine medals at U23 Pan American Championships
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by Richard Immel, USA Wrestling
QUERETARO, Mexico – Team USA flexed its muscle for the second-straight day at the U23 Pan American Championships at Auditorio General José María Arteaga in Queretaro, Mexico, claiming four gold medals in women’s freestyle, with nine-of-10 entrants finding a spot on the podium.
2024 U23 World Team member Brooklyn Hays led the way for Team USA with a masterful effort on her way to the 68 kg gold medal. Hays capped a 3-0 outing with a 10-0 technical fall in the gold medal match. Her underhook attacks and counter-offense made all the difference against Cuba’s Brenda Sterling Martinez.
Three more U.S. women scored gold medals by going undefeated in round-robin brackets—Montana Delawder at 55 kg, Bella Williams at 59 kg and Nina Makem at 65 kg. The trio dominated with four pins, two technical falls, and an 8-0 decision across seven combined matches wrestled.
Finishing one step shy of gold were silver medalists Katerina Lange at 62 kg, Elleni Johnson at 72 kg and Kalila Shrive at 76 kg. A desperation headlock nearly converted for a Lange pin late in the finals, but she wound up dropping a 7-5 decision to Astrid Montero Chirinos of Venezuela. Johnson went 2-1 in a round robin bracket. Shrive pushed herself to the finals but forfeited in her final match.
Bronze medals were awarded to Ava Bayless at 50 kg and Sydney Petzinger at 53 kg. Both Bayless and Petzinger are NCWWC champions, Bayless at Iowa, Petzinger at North Central College.
Youngster Cecilia Williams wound up in 10th place at 57 kg after going 0-1 with no repechage opportunity. She dropped her opener to eventual bronze medalist Bertha Rojas Chavez of Mexico, 7-0.
Hays and Williams were champions at the USMC U23 Women’s Nationals held last weekend in Spokane, Washington. Bayless, Petzinger, Williams, Lange, Makem, Johnson and Shrive were runners-up.
All told, the U.S. women gathered a 22-6 combined record with eight victories by pin and 10 by technical fall.
Team USA outpaced the field in the team standings at 192 points. Canada finished in second place with 161 points. Mexico rounded out the top three with 137 points.
The tournament continues tomorrow with the men’s freestyle competition. Action begins at 12 p.m. (ET), with the finals set for 7 p.m. (ET).
Brackets for each style and match-by-match results are available on UWW Arena. A live stream of the event can be found at FloWrestling.com.
2025 U23 Pan American Championships #
April 11, Queretaro, Mexico #
Women’s Freestyle Results #
Team Standings #
1. United States, 192
2. Canada, 161
3. Mexico, 137
4. Cuba, 84
5. Venezuela, 82
6. Puerto Rico, 71
7. Brazil, 51
8. Ecuador, 42
9. Colombia, 35
10. Peru, 31
50 kg #
Gold – Greili Bencosme Carvajal (Cuba)
Silver – Nohalis Loyo Jimenez (Venezuela)
Bronze – Ava Bayless (United States)
Bronze – Antuaneth Casusol Casas (Peru)
5th – Ana Sales Lima (Brazil)
5th – Vicky Leon Gomez (Ecuador)
7th – Kelyn Young (Canada)
8th – Linda Castaneda Gaona (Mexico)
9th – Leeana Mercado (Puerto Rico)
10th – Yorlenis Moran Sanchez (Panama)
Gold – Greili Bencosme Carvajal (Cuba) dec. Nohalis Loyo Jimenez (Venezuela), 8-6
Bronze – Ava Bayless (United States) tech. fall Ana Sales Lima (Brazil), 12-2
Bronze – Antuaneth Casusol Casas (Peru) fall Vicky Leon Gomez (Ecuador), 1:56
53 kg #
Gold – Shammilka Miranda Diaz (Puerto Rico)
Silver – Serena Di Benedetto (Canada)
Bronze – Sydney Petzinger (United States)
Bronze – Mariana Rojas Diaz (Venezuela)
5th – Kailane Araujo De Sousa (Brazil)
5th – Yusmy Chaparro Urrego (Colombia)
7th – Yusneiry Agrazal West (Panama)
8th – Jelissa Hernandez Gomez (Mexico)
9th – Leysi Guerrero Tauriado (Cuba)
10th – Nathaly Herrera Huacre (Peru)
Gold – Shammilka Miranda Diaz (Puerto Rico) fall Serena Di Benedetto (Canada), 1:58
Bronze – Sydney Petzinger (United States) tech. fall Kailane Araujo De Sousa (Brazil), 10-0
Bronze – Mariana Rojas Diaz (Venezuela) tech. fall Yusmy Chaparro Urrego (Colombia), 10-0
55 kg #
Gold – Montana Delawder (United States)
Silver – Josefina Ramirez Duarte (Mexico)
Bronze – Sophia Bechard (Canada)
4th – Lilia Gutama Chunir (Ecuador)
Round robin bracket records: Delawder (3-0), Ramirez Duarte (2-1), Bechard (1-2), Gutama Chunir (0-3)
57 kg #
Gold – Yaynelis Sanz Verdecia (Cuba)
Silver – Gabriela Cross (Canada)
Bronze – Camila Amarilla (Argentina)
Bronze – Bertha Rojas Chavez (Mexico)
5th – Eliana White Vega (Puerto Rico)
5th – Jeanice Mejia Hawes (Panama)
7th – Allison Valdez Obando (Guatemala)
8th – Alexa Alvarez Valenzuela (Venezuela)
9th – Thaina Anibal Ribeiro (Brazil)
10th – Cecilia Williams (United States)
Gold – Yaynelis Sanz Verdecia (Cuba) fall Gabriela Cross (Canada), 2:20
Bronze – Camila Amarilla (Argentina) tech. fall Eliana White Vega (Puerto Rico), 11-0
Bronze – Bertha Rojas Chavez (Mexico) fall Jeanice Mejia Hawes (Panama), 1:11
59 kg #
Gold – Bella Williams (United States)
Silver – Olivia Lichti (Canada)
Bronze – Karla Ramos Espinosa (Mexico)
4th – Camila Roa Ortega (Peru)
Round robin bracket records: Williams (3-0), Lichti (2-1), Ramos Espinosa (1-2), Roa Ortega (0-3)
62 kg #
Gold – Astrid Montero Chirinos (Venezuela)
Silver – Katerina Lange (United States)
Bronze – Melanie Jimenez Villalba (Mexico)
Bronze – Carina Giangeruso (Puerto Rico)
5th – Maria Santana Garcia (Cuba)
5th – Leiddy Acuna Penaranda (Ecuador)
7th – Michaela Rankin (Canada)
8th – Mayara Ramos Pereira (Brazil)
9th – Clarissa Zayas Villalba (Paraguay)
10th – Sheyla Pedragas Moreno (Peru)
Gold – Astrid Montero Chirinos (Venezuela) dec. Katerina Lange (United States), 7-5
Bronze – Melanie Jimenez Villalba (Mexico) tech. fall Maria Santana Garcia (Cuba), 10-0
Bronze – Carina Giangeruso (Puerto Rico) fall Leiddy Acuna Penaranda (Ecuador), 4:08
65 kg #
Gold – Nina Makem (United States)
Silver – Angelina Ellis Toddington (Canada)
Bronze – Elide Castanon Buendia (Mexico)
Round robin bracket records: Makem (2-0), Ellis Toddington (1-1), Castanon Buendia (0-2)
68 kg #
Gold – Brooklyn Hays (United States)
Silver – Brenda Sterling Martinez (Cuba)
Bronze – Debanhi Tapia Garcia (Mexico)
Bronze – Thais Tertuliano Sales (Brazil)
5th – Leonela Gruezo Ortiz (Ecuador)
5th – Nyla Burgess (Canada)
7th – Leilani Hernandez (Puerto Rico)
8th – Maria Laguna Hernadez (Venezuela)
9th – Martina Meza Estigarribia (Paraguay)
Gold – Brooklyn Hays (United States) tech. fall Brenda Sterling Martinez (Cuba), 10-0
Bronze – Debanhi Tapia Garcia (Mexico) tech. fall Leonela Gruezo Ortiz (Ecuador), 14-3
Bronze – Thais Tertuliano Sales (Brazil) fall Nyla Burgess (Canada), 3:43
72 kg #
Gold – Lene McCrackin (Canada)
Silver – Elleni Johnson (United States)
Bronze – Michelle Olea Ruiz (Mexico)
4th – Jaeell Llontop Vasquez (Chile)
Round robin bracket records: McCrackin (2-1), Johnson (2-1), Olea Ruiz (2-1), Llontop Vasquez (0-3)
76 kg #
Gold – Maria Ceballos Cuenu (Colombia)
Silver – Kalila Shrive (United States)
Bronze – Edna Jimenez Villalba (Mexico)
Bronze – Vianne Rouleau (Canada)
5th – Victoria Esparragoza Ramos (Venezuela)
6th – Paola Rodriguez Guzman (Puerto Rico)
7th – Melanie Sanchez Morales (Chile)
8th – Ilorrany Prado Batista (Brazil)
9th – Genifer Casco Gonzalez (Paraguay)
Gold – Maria Ceballos Cuenu (Colombia) forfeit Kalila Shrive (United States)
Bronze – Edna Jimenez Villalba (Mexico) forfeit Dailianis Canales Cosme (Cuba)
Bronze – Vianne Rouleau (Canada) tech. fall Victoria Esparragoza Ramos (Venezuela), 10-0
U.S. Women’s Freestyle Results #
50 kg – Ava Bayless (Greenville, Pa./Iowa Women’s WC), bronze medal
LOSS Greili Bencosme Carvajal (Cuba), tech. fall, 11-0
WIN Yorlenis Moran Sanchez, fall, 5:41
WIN Ana Sales Lima (Brazil), tech. fall, 12-2
53 kg – Sydney Petzinger (Parsippany, N.J./Cardinal WC), bronze medal
WIN Yusneiry Agrazal West (Panama), tech. fall, 12-2
WIN Ingrid Rodriguez (Paraguay), fall, 1:17
LOSS Shammilka Miranda Diaz, 8-6
WIN Kailane Araujo De Sousa (Brazil), tech. fall, 10-0
55 kg – Montana Delawder (Gettysburg, Pa./Team Tornado WC), gold medal
WIN Josefina Ramirez Duarte (Mexico), fall, 1:03
WIN Lilia Gutama Chunir (Ecuador), forfeit
WIN Sophia Bechard (Canada), 8-0
57 kg – Cecilia Williams (Lansing, Mich./Michigan Revolution WC), 10th place
LOSS Bertha Rojas Chavez (Mexico), 7-0
59 kg – Bella Williams (Edmond, Okla./USOPTC), gold medal
WIN Karla Ramos Espinosa (Mexico), fall, 2:51
WIN Olivia Lichti (Canada), fall, 2:37
WIN Camila Roa Ortega (Peru), tech. fall, 10-0
62 kg – Katerina Lange (Sherburn, Minn./NYAC), silver medal
WIN Leiddy Acuna Penaranda (Ecuador), 8-2
WIN Carina Giangeruso (Puerto Rico), tech. fall, 11-0
LOSS Astrid Montero Chirinos (Venezuela), 7-5
65 kg – Nina Makem (Shakopee, Minn./Minnesota Storm), gold medal
WIN Elide Castanon Buendia (Mexico), fall, 2:16
WIN Angelina Ellis Toddington (Canada), tech. fall, 14-1
68 kg – Brooklyn Hays (Colorado Springs, Colo./Titan Mercury WC), gold medal
WIN Leonela Gruezo Ortiz (Ecuador), tech. fall, 10-0
WIN Debanhi Tapia Garcia (Mexico), fall, 4:36
WIN Brenda Sterling Martinez (Cuba), tech. fall, 10-0
72 kg – Elleni Johnson (West Jordan, Utah/Laker WC), silver medal
LOSS Lene McCrackin (Canada), fall, 3:47
WIN Jaeell Llontop Vasquez (Chile), fall, 1:23
WIN Michelle Olea Ruiz (Mexico), tech. fall, 10-0
76 kg – Kalila Shrive (Tracy, Calif./Menlo WC), silver medal
WIN Victoria Esparragoza Ramos (Venezuela), tech. fall, 10-0
WIN Vianne Rouleau (Canada), 12-5
LOSS Maria Ceballos Cuenu (Colombia), forfeit
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