U.S. scores five golds plus Greco-Roman team title on second day of Pan-American Championships

Photo: Kamal Bey celebrates his gold medal win in the 77 kg Greco-Roman bracket at the 2023 Pan-American Championships. (Kadir Caliskan/United World Wrestling)

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – All seven U.S. athletes in action on day two of the 2023 Pan-American Championships found a place on the medal stand, five of whom were adorned with gold.

2023 U.S. Open champions and Final X qualifiers Kamal Bey, Spencer Woods and Xochitl Mota-Pettis earned gold medals during the Thursday evening session at Tecnopolis in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

It was a gritty contest for Bey, who won a battle of endurance against Cuba’s three-time Pan-American champion and Olympian Yosvanys Pena Flores in the Greco-Roman 77 kg final, 2-1. No offensive points were scored during the bout. Each man earned a passivity point and attempt from the top position. The deciding factor was a lost second-period challenge from the Cuba corner that gave Bey the match deciding point.

Woods, a 2022 U.S. World Team member in Greco-Roman, received a forfeit from Javier Alfredo Gomez Silva of Mexico in his final round robin bout at 82 kg. The win propelled Woods to his first Senior Pan-American gold medal.

Mota-Pettis improved upon her bronze medal performance at last year’s Pan-Am’s with two blistering 10-0 technical falls on the day at 59 kg in women’s freestyle. She ended her final match against Jessica Derrel of Barbados in 35 seconds flat.

2022 World champion Amit Elor (72 kg) and two-time World bronze medalist Mallory Velte (65 kg) clinched gold medals on the women’s freestyle side during the morning session by winning all their matches in a round robin format.

55 kg women’s freestyle representative Alisha Howk posted a 1-1 record in a three-person round robin bracket, winding up with the silver medal at days end. Howk won a U23 World bronze medal last year and has advanced to the upcoming Final X with her recent victory at the U.S. Open.

The most critical performance of the day came on the Greco-Roman side from 87 kg stalwart Alan Vera. The mission for the two-time U.S. World Team member was to qualify the weight class for the U.S. to compete at the 2023 Pan-American Games in Santiago, Chile. He did just that by scoring a bronze medal.

In his bronze medal bout, Vera picked up a key step out and par terre gutwrench in the first period against Ronisson Brando Santiago of Brazil, then coasted to a 4-1 finish with solid positioning and center mat control.

The U.S. topped the Greco-Roman team rankings by earning nine medals, six of which were gold, and 175 team points. Cuba came in second place with five medals and 114 team points. Rounding out the top three is Mexico, who grabbed one medal and 78 team points.

The competition in Buenos Aires will continue at 9 a.m. (ET) tomorrow with the remaining women’s freestyle weight classes plus the start of men’s freestyle. The event is being broadcast live on FloWrestling.com.

PAN AMERICAN SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Buenos Aires, Argentina, May 4

Greco-Roman Results
Team Standings
1. United States, 175
2. Cuba, 114
3. Mexico,78
4. Colombia,77
5. Venezuela, 72
6. Brazil, 68
7. Honduras, 50
8. Dominican Republic, 47
9. Argentina, 40
10. Chile, 39

77 kg
Gold – Kamal Bey (United States)
Silver – Yosvanys Pena Flores (Cuba)
Bronze – Jair Cuero Munoz (Colombia)
Bronze – Wuileixis Rivas Espinoza (Venezuela)
5th – Emmanuel Benitez Castro (Mexico)
5th – Luis Centeno Rodriguez (Puerto Rico)
7th – David Choc Huoc (Guatemala)
8th – Luis De Leon (Dominican Republic)
9th – Joilson De Brito Ramos Junior (Brazil)
10th – Eduardo Bernal Molina (Chile)

Gold – Kamal Bey (United States) dec. Yosvanys Pena Flores (Cuba), 2-1
Bronze – Jair Cuero Munoz (Colombia) dec. Emmanuel Benitez Castro (Mexico), 6-3
Bronze – Wuileixis Rivas Espinoza (Venezuela) inj. def. Luis Centeno Rodriguez (Puerto Rico)

82 kg
Gold – Spencer Woods (United States)
Silver – Jose Mosquera Murillo (Colombia)
Bronze – John Yeats (Canada)
4th – Javier Alfredo Gomez Silva (Mexico)

Round 1 – Spencer Woods (United States) tech. fall John Yeats (Canada), 11-0
Round 1 – Jose Mosquera Murillo (Colombia) tech. fall John Yeats (Canada), 8-0
Round 2 – Spencer Woods (United States) tech. fall Jose Mosquera Murillo (Colombia), 9-0
Round 2 – John Yeats (Canada) tech. fall Javier Alfredo Gomez Silva (Mexico), 8-0
Round 3 – Jose Mosquera Murillo (Colombia) tech. fall John Yeats (Canada), 11-0
Round 3 – Spencer Woods (United States) inj. def. Javier Alfredo Gomez Silva (Mexico)

87 kg
Gold – Daniel Gregorich Hechavarria (Cuba)
Silver – Luis Avenado Rojas (Venezuela)
Bronze – Alan Vera (United States)
Bronze – Carlos Munoz Jaramillo (Colombia)
5th – Ronisson Brando Santiago (Brazil)
5th – Ariel Alfonso Rodriguez (Honduras)
7th – Daniel Vicente Gomez (Mexico)
8th – Pool Ambrocio Greifo (Peru)
9th – Johan Batista (Dominican Republic)
10th – Guillermo Gonzalez Sepulveda (Chile)

Gold – Daniel Gregorich Hechavarria (Cuba) inj. def. Luis Avenado Rojas (Venezuela)
Bronze – Alan Vera (United States) dec. Ronisson Brando Santiago (Brazil), 4-1
Bronze – Carlos Munoz Jaramillo (Colombia) tech. fall Ariel Alfonso Rodriguez (Honduras), 9-0

U.S. Greco-Roman Results
77 kg – Kamal Bey (Army WCAP), Gold
WIN Jair Cuero Munoz (Colombia), 4-2
WIN David Choc Huoc (Guatemala), 12-3
WIN Emmanuel Benitez Castro (Mexico), 5-1
WIN Yosvanys Pena Flores (Cuba), 2-1

82 kg – Spencer Woods (Army WCAP), Gold
WIN John Yeats (Canada), tech fall, 11-0
WIN Jose Mosquera Murillo (Colombia), tech fall 9-0
WIN Javier Alfredo Gomez Silva (Mexico), inj. def.

87 kg – Alan Vera (New York AC), Bronze
WIN Daniel Vicente Gomez (Mexico), 5-1
LOSS Daniel Gregorich Hechevarria (Cuba), tech fall 10-1
WIN Ronisson Brandao Santiago (Brazil), 4-1

Women’s Freestyle Results
55 kg
Gold – Diana Weicker (Canada)
Silver – Alisha Howk (United States)
Bronze – Adrianny Castillo (Argentina)

Round 1 – Diana Weicker (Canada) dec. Alisha Howk (United States), 5-0
Round 2 – Alisha Howk (United States) dec. Adrianny Castillo (Argentina), 2-1
Round 3 – Diana Weicker (Canada) tech. fall Adrianny Castillo (Argentina), 12-2

59 kg
Gold – Xochitl Mota-Pettis (United States)
Silver – Alexandria Town (Canada)
Bronze – Jessica Derrel (Barbados)

Round 1 – Alexandria Town (Canada) fall Jessica Derrel (Barbados), 0:43
Round 2 – Xochitl Mota-Pettis (United States) tech. fall Alexandria Town (Canada), 10-0
Round 3 – Xochitl Mota-Pettis (United States) tech. fall Jessica Derrel (Barbados), 10-0

65 kg
Gold – Mallory Velte (United States)
Silver – Paula Montoya Garcia (Colombia)
Bronze – Aleah Nickel (Canada)

Round 1 – Mallory Velte (United States) tech. fall Aleah Nickel (Canada), 10-0
Round 2 – Mallory Velte (United States) tech. fall Paula Montoya Garcia (Colombia), 12-2
Round 3 – Paula Montoya Garcia (Colombia) fall Aleah Nickel (Canada), 1:31

72 kg
Gold – Amit Elor (United States)
Silver – Luisa Mosquera Parra (Colombia)
Bronze – Katie Mulkay (Canada)
4th – Meiriele Charamba Santos Hora (Brazil)
5th – Isidora Diaz Martinez (Chile)

Round 1 – Amit Elor (United States) fall Katie Mulkay (Canada), 1:49
Round 1 – Luisa Mosquera Parra (Colombia) dec. Isidora Diaz Martinez (Chile), 6-0
Round 2 – Amit Elor (United States) tech. fall le Charamba Santos Hora (Brazil), 10-0
Round 2 – Katie Mulkay (Canada) dec. Isidora Diaz Martinez (Chile), 4-0
Round 3 – Amit Elor (United States) tech. fall Luisa Mosquera Parra (Colombia), 10-0
Round 3 – Katie Mulkay (Canada) dec. Meiriele Charamba Santos Hora (Brazil), 6-4
Round 4 – Amit Elor (United States) tech. fall Isidora Diaz Martinez (Chile), 10-0
Round 4 – Luisa Mosquera Parra (Colombia) dec. Meiriele Charamba Santos Hora (Brazil), 3-2
Round 5 – Meiriele Charamba Santos Hora (Brazil) tech. fall Isidora Diaz Martinez (Chile), 10-0
Round 5 – Luisa Mosquera Parra (Colombia) dec. Katie Mulkay (Canada), 7-5

U.S. Women’s Freestyle Results
55 kg – Alisha Howk (Sunkist Kids), Silver
LOSS Diana Weicker (Canada), 5-0
WIN Adrianny Castillo (Argentina), 2-1

59 kg – Xochitl Mota-Pettis (Rise RTC), Gold
WIN Alexandria Town (Canada), tech. fall, 10-0
WIN Jessica Derrell (Barbados), tech. fall, 10-0

65 kg – Mallory Velte (Titan Mercury WC/Beaver Dam WC), Gold
WIN Aleah Nickel (Canada), tech. fall, 10-0
WIN Paula Montoya Garcia (Colombia), tech. fall 12-2

72 kg – Amit Elor (Titan Mercury WC/NYC RTC), Gold
WIN Katie Mulkay (Canada), fall 1:49
WIN Meiriele Charamba Santos Hora (Brazil), tech. fall, 10-0
WIN Luisa Mosquera Parra (Colombia), tech. fall 10-0
WIN Isidora Diaz Martinez (Chile), tech. fall 10-0