RIONEGRO, COLOMBIA – It was a successful tournament for Canadian wrestlers, June 21-22, at the inaugural U23 Pan-American Championships in Rionegro, Colombia. Canada came away with 13 medals (five silver and eight bronze) along with a second overall in the men’s freestyle team competition.

Men’s results

The men’s side featured four of the five silver medalists including: London, Ontario’s Treye Trotman at 57kg; Surrey, B.C.’s Owen Martin at 79kg; Kitchener, Ontario’s Callum Knox at 97kg; and Abbotsford, B.C.’s Jorawar Dhinsa at 125kg.

In addition, the men took home three bronze medals on the freestyle side by: North York, Ontario’s Gregor McNeil at 70kg; Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta’s Taran Goring at 86kg; and Edmonton’s Aidan Stevenson at 92kg. Gavin Eldridge also earned a bronze in Greco-Roman 67kg.

Pickering, Ontario’s Dechlan Papadopoulos finished fifth at 61kg and Agassiz, B.C.’s Mark Schwichtenberg was ninth at 74kg.

Women’s Results

The women’s team also had a strong showing picking up one silver and four bronze medals. The team was led by the silver-medal performance of St. Catharines, Ontario’s Mia Friesen at 57kg.

Bronze medals went to Calgary’s Gabriela Cross at 59kg; Renfrew, Ontario’s Jolie Brisco at 62kg; Swift Current, Saskatchewan’s Aleah Nickel at 68kg; and Brights Grove, Ontario’s Brianna Fraser at 76kg.

Misson, B.C.’s Victoria Seal was fourth at 55kg; London’s Jonelle Clarke was fourth at 65kg; and Stoney Creek, Ontario’s Serena Di Benedetto was 5^th at 53kg.

For complete tournament information, including results and brackets, visit the tournament site at: https://uww.org/event/u23-pan-american-championships/results

Members of the U23 team will be in action next at the U23 World Championships, October 21-27 in Tirana, Albania.