2025 Pan-Am Championships Preview
2025 Pan-Am Championships Preview
What to expect in Monterrey, Mexico from May 8-11 at the 2025 UWW Pan-American Championships!
The annual Championship of the Western Hemisphere is taking place in less than a week in Monterrey, Mexico. Wrestlers from the north and the south will converge at the 2025 UWW Senior Pan-American Championships!
Team USA will be represented at all ten weights in each of the three styles. Here’s what to expect at the 2025 Pan-Am Championships.
Team Rosters
Men’s Freestyle
57kg: Liam Cronin
61kg: Jax Forrest
65kg: Joey McKenna
70kg: Ian Parker
74kg: Ladarion Lockett
79kg: Evan Wick
86kg: Zahid Valencia
92kg: Trent Hidlay
97kg: Justin Rademacher
125kg: Wyatt Hendrickson
Women’s Freestyle
50 kg: Audrey Jimenez
53 kg: Jaslynn Gallegos
55 kg: Louisa Schwab
57 kg: Amanda Martinez
59 kg: Abigail Nette
62 kg: SaVannah Cosme
65 kg: Macey Kilty
68 kg: Kennedy Blades
72 kg: Tiffani Baublitz
76 kg: Kylie Welker
Greco-Roman
55kg: Jayden Raney
60kg: Max Black
63kg: Ellis Coleman
67kg: Alston Nutter
72kg: Alejandro Sancho
77kg: Kamal Bey
82kg: Beka Melelashvili
87kg: Payton Jacobson
97kg: Michial Foy
130kg: Cohlton Schultz
2025 US Open Results: Senior Greeco-Roman + Men's & Women's Freestyle | U20 Men's Freestyle
Men’s Freestyle Weight Class Breakdown
57 Kilograms
Liam Cronin’s biggest threat will come from Roman Bravo-Young, who transferred to Mexico after winning a 2019 Pan-AM U20 gold for team USA. RBY doesn’t have an extensive freestyle resume but he qualified for the Paris Olympics and recently competed at the 2025 Zagreb Open Ranking Series, where he lost 8-3 to Spencer Lee.
Cronin, who recently finished as a runner-up at the 2025 US Open, may also be challenged by Canada’s Treye Trotman and Venezuela’s Pedro Mejias, who have both been active on the freestyle circuit, though Trotman recently lost to Luke Lilledahl at the 2025 U23 Pan-Am Championships, while Mejias was bested by Spencer Lee in the 2024 Senior Pam-Am finals.
61 Kilograms
High school junior Jax Forrest should triumph in Monterrey similarly to how he found his way to the top of the podium at the US Open last week, though his path will not be totally without obstacles. Chief among them would be Joey Silva who recently won the 2024 Grand Prix of Spain and was runner-up to Nick Suriano at last year’s Pan-Ams. Silva wrestles for Puerto Rico
Watch Jax win a US Open title:
Former Arizona State Sun Devil Josh Kramer, who represents Ecuador, is also expected to wrestle in the tournament, as well as Mexican veteran Enrique Olvera, who was runner-up to Carter Young at the 2021 U20 Pan-Ams.
65 Kilograms
Recently minted US Open champ and two-time Zagreb Open ranking series medalist Joey McKenna will be the favorite to win the 65kg bracket next weekend.
The next most credentialed challenger in the field is likely Agustin Destribats of Argentina. Destribats will be familiar to American wrestling fans for his lamentable win over Zain Retherford at the 2020 Pan-Am Olympic Qualifier, which, among other things, prevented the United States from qualifying 65kg for the Tokyo Games. Nick Lee salvaged a modicum of revenge when he defeated Destribats in the finals of the 2024 Pan-Am Championships.
Another name to watch is Iranian transfer Peiman Biabani, who represents Canada. Biabani has a decent collection of international medals, although Aden Valencia notched a victory over him at the 2024 Henri Deglane, and Alec Pantaleo defeated him at the 2024 Pan-Am Championships up at 70kg.
70 Kilograms
Ian Parker won’t need a gold medal to qualify for the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament, as he placed third at the US Open last week, although I’m quite certain that will be his goal in Mexico regardless.
Parker’s toughest competition will likely come from Austin Gomez, the two-time All-American and 2024 NCAA finalist who represents Mexico. Gomez defeated Nick Lee and Lachlan McNeil to qualify for the Paris Olympics at 65kg.
Notably absent from the list of registered competitors at this weight is two-time world bronze medal winner Alejandro Valdes of Cuba.
74 Kilograms
Incoming Oklahoma State Cowboy Ladarion Lockett will be the United States’ rep at 74kg, a weight class where America has been historically successful. Lockett recently won the 74kg crown at the US Open in the U20 division and has a 2024 U20 world silver and a 2023 U17 world gold to his name. This will be his senior level debut at an international tournament.
Watch Lockett win a U20 US Open title:
Cuba currently only has two wrestlers registered for men’s freestyle, and one of them is Geannis Garzon, who recently won the 2025 U23 Pan-Am Championships at 86kg. Geannis is not to be confused with Geandry Garzon, a two-time Olympian with a much more extensive resume. It's unknown if they two are related but I wouldn't be surprised if they were!
Veterans Adam Thomson of Canada and Anthony Montero of Venezuela may also pose challenges to Lockett, although Thomson recently lost to Elroy Perkin at the 2024 Bill Farrell.
79 Kilograms
The list of registered competitors at 79kg is relatively skimpy, so USA rep and 2024 Bill Farrell champ Evan Wick may find himself in a round robin rather than a traditionally bracketed tournament.
Jasmit Phulka of Canada, Victor Hernandez of Mexico and Joe Ambrocio of Peru are all veterans with extensive experience, but none have the accolades to suggest they’ll defeat Wick.
86 Kilograms
2023 world bronze medalist Zahid Valencia will be the most credentialed athlete in the 86kg bracket. The 2025 US Open champ has been regularly competing at international events, most recently winning the 2025 Zagreb Open Ranking Series.
The field will be relatively light in world medals in comparison to Zahid. Jore Llano of Argentina has also been a regular competitor on the international circuit but has yet to reach the heights that Valencia accomplished.
Another name to watch for is four-time national qualifier and 2015 NCAA All-American Ethan Ramos, who wrestled at North Carolina and represents Puerto Rico internationally.
92 Kilograms
Trent Hidlay will have a sparsely populated division in Mexico, as only four other wrestlers are registered. The four-time NCAA All-American at NC State also has the most international credentials, having won gold at the 2023 Bill Farrell as well as bronze at the 2025 Zagreb Open Ranking Series.
Watch Trent win bronze at the 2025 Zagreb Open:
The next most experienced freestyler would be Andrew Johnson, who repped Canada at 92kg at the 2024 World Championships, although Johnson failed to podium in that bracket.
97 Kilograms
2025 US Open U20 champ and Oregon State Beaver Justin Rademacher will be making his international senior level debut in Monterrey. Rademacher also has a bronze from the 2024 U20 World Championships.
It will likely be a relief to some of the other entrants in this weight class that Team USA is not sending Kyle Snyder, as Cuba’s Arturo Silot (who is registered) lost to Captain America at the 2024 Pan-Am Championshops, the 2023 Pan-Am Games, the 2023 Pan-Am Championships, and the 2022 Pan-Am Cahmpionships.
Canadian Nishan Randhawa has also known defeat at the hands of Snyder, as Randhawa was bested by Kyle at the 2019 Beat the Streets event.
Argentina’s Ricardo Baez has a lot of experience on the senior level and could pose challenges to the young American rep. If Rademacher can navigate his way to the top of the podium against a field this experienced, he will have earned his gold medal.
125 Kilograms
Wyatt Hendrickson’s freestyle trajectory has been apt for an Air Force officer. In 2021, Hendrickson had to settle for fifth place at the U20 World Championships. In 2023, Hendrickson won world gold in the U23 division. Now the 2025 NCAA and US Open champ will be gunning for Pan-Am gold.
He’ll be joined in the field by a couple of wrestlers that also have folkstyle roots. Maxwell Lacey will rep Costa Rica and is a graduate of Wheeling University and a 2023 Pan-Am bronze medalist at 97kg. Jonavan Smith is a Cerritos College alum and the 2024 Pellicone champ who wrestles for Puerto Rico.
Jose Diaz of Venezuela and Gabriel De Sousa are two more veterans who will bring a lot of experience to the heavyweight division in Monterrey.
Women’s Overview
The American women’s 2025 Pan-Am team includes a mix of credentialed veterans as well as relative newcomers. But even the vets like two-time world medalist Macey Kilty (24) and Olympic silver medalist Kennedy Blades (21) are still in the beginning stages of their career, making this one of the more youthful senior level teams in recent memory.
Kilty and Blades will be favored to go back-to-back as champs at 65 & 68kg.
Kylie Welker, a 2204 U23 gold and senior level bronze medal winner at 72kg, may have a more difficult time reaching the top of the podium, as 2024 Olympic bronze medalist Milaimys Marin will be in her bracket, which will make this an excellent test for Welker in her new weight class.
Watch Kilty win a bronze at the 2024 World Championships:
Like Welker, Audrey Jimenez has multiple age level world medals (four to be precise), and has been to multiple senior level international tournaments, however, Jimenez will also have a tough bracket to navigate. Cuba’s rep is Yusneylis Guzman, who recently came back from the Paris Games with a silver medal. Ecuador will also send Jacqueline Mollocana, who defeated Jimenez at the 2024 Pan-Ams.
Amanda Martinez and Abby Nette will bring experience and accolades to the table at 57 and 59kg. Nette made the 2022 world team while Martinez has a handful of medals from Rankings Series tournaments.
Jaslynn Gallegos, Louisa Schwab and Tiffani Baublitz (our 53, 55 & 72kg reps) have little experience on the international circuit but can make a name for themselves at their first Pan-Am Championship.
Other notable registrants in the women’s brackets include Lucia Yepez at 53kg, who earned a silver medal at the Paris Games, as well as the Godinez sisters from Canada, who are registered for Pan-Ams at 55kg (Karla) and 62kg (Ana).
Greco-Roman Overview
Team USA’s 2025 Greco-Roman Pan-Am squad truly is a mix of established veterans and rookies. Ellis Coleman, Alejandro Sancho, Kamal Bey and Payton Jacobson all have Olympic experience, with Coleman’s trip to the Summer Games occurring in 2012. Cohlton Schultz won the last four world or Olympic team trials, and repped the USA at heavyweight for the entire 2021-2024 quad. Schultz also made seven age-level world teams, capturing medals at the 2017 U17 Worlds, and the 2018 and 2019 U20 Worlds.
Bey has been a fixture on the American Greco-Roman scene since 2016, when he wrestled in his first senior level tournament at the Dave Schultz Memorial in January of that year. He later won gold at the 2016 Bill Farrell and has been competing regularly ever since, usually at the senior level despite being young enough to win a U20 gold in 2017 (which he did).
Coleman won his first Pan-Am senior level medal in 2010, when he took bronze at 66kg, not long before he invented the Flying Squirrel.
Sancho wrestled in his first senior level event in 2014 when he won the Bill Farrell. Sancho also made two age-level world teams, two senior level world teams, and the aforementioned Olympic team in 2020.
Payton Jacobson wrestled in the 2024 Olympics along with Kamal Bey. Jacobson also made a U20 and two U23 world teams, but never a senior world team. This is also his first senior level Pan-Am Championship.
Jayden Raney, meanwhile, is the youngest wrestler on the team, having won a U17 world gold just last year. A blue-chip recruit from Kentucky, Raney will be making his senior level debut in Monterrey.
Watch Raney make the 2025 World Team Trials finals at the US Open:
Alston Nutter also has an age-level world medal, having eared a U20 bronze in 2019. Alston also made the 2018 U20 and 2021 U23 world teams. Max Black has made two U20 world teams and a U23 world team but has yet to acquire any age-level world hardware. He does, however, have a bronze from the 2022 U20 Pan-Am Championships.
Michial Foy made the 2022 U23 world team, his only international tournament he participated in leading up to this Pan-Am Championship, though his father, also named Michial Foy, has a senior level world silver from 1989.
Rounding out Team USA’s Greco team is Beka Melelashvili, a transfer from Georgia (the country, not the state), who earned Team USA’s first U23 world medal last October when he came home with a silver. Melelashvili finished one win away from a medal in 2022 when he also made the U23 World Team for the USA.
Notable non-Americans in the entries include Luis Orta of Cuba at 67kg. Orta won a gold medal at the Tokyo Games and followed that up with a 2023 world gold and a bronze at the 2024 Olympics. Orta’s teammate and fellow Paris bronze medal winner Gabriel Rosillo will also be in Monterrey. Rosillo is registered for his customary weight class of 97kg. Cuban Oscar Pino, a six-time Pan-Am champ four-time world medalist, is also registered at heavyweight.
Schedule
All times Central
Thursday, May 8
10:00 AM: Greco-Roman 55, 60, 63, 67, 77, 82 & 130 Prelims
1:00 PM: Greco-Roman 55, 60, 63, 67, 77, 82 & 130 Semifinals & repechage
5:00 PM: Greco-Roman 55, 60, 63, 67, 77, 82 & 130 Finals and award ceremonies
Friday, May 9
10:00 AM: Greco-Roman 72 & 92 + Women's 50, 55, 57, 62, 68 & 72 Prelims
1:00 PM: Greco-Roman 72 & 92 + Women's 50, 55, 57, 62, 68 & 72 Semifinals & repechage
5:00 PM: Greco-Roman 72 & 92 + Women's 50, 55, 57, 62, 68 & 72 Finals and award ceremonies
Saturday, May 10
10:00 AM: Women's 53, 59, 65 & 76 + Men's Freestyle 61, 74 & 86 Prelims
1:00 PM: Women's 53, 59, 65 & 76 + Men's Freestyle 61, 74 & 86 Semifinals & repechage
5:00 PM: Women's 53, 59, 65 & 76 + Men's Freestyle 61, 74 & 86 Finals and award ceremonies
Sunday, May 11
10:00 AM: Men's Freestyle 57, 65, 70, 79, 92, 97 & 125 Prelims
1:00 PM: Men's Freestyle 57, 65, 70, 79, 92, 97 & 125 Semifinals & repechage
5:00 PM: Men's Freestyle 57, 65, 70, 79, 92, 97 & 125 Finals and award ceremonies