OTTAWA — Wrestling Canada Lutte (WCL) is proud to announce the 20 athletes, along with coaches, support staff and officials, that will represent Canada at the 2026 U17 Pan-American (Pan-Am) Championships, April 2-4 in Panama City, Panama.

“Wrestling Canada Lutte is proud to see this talented group of young athletes represent Canada on the international stage,” said WCL CEO Tamara Medwidsky. “The U17 Pan-American Championships are always an exciting moment in the season. This year they mark the first continental championship of the year and give our developing athletes an opportunity to test themselves against the best in the Americas. This team reflects the bright future of wrestling in Canada, and it’s great to see five returning team members bringing valuable experience to the group. We wish them the very best as they step onto the mat and represent our country with pride.”

On the women’s side, there will be a pair of returning athletes – Surrey, British Columbia’s Kushleen Jhalli and Williams Lake, British Columbia’s Kai Pare. For Jhalli, this will be her third Pan-Am Championships, having earned a silver in 2024 and a fourth-place finish in 2025. Jhalli, also won a silver medal at this past summer’s Canada Games. As for Pare, this will be her second Pan-Ams, having finished 6^th at 57kg in 2025. Pare also found success at the 2025 Canada Games earning a gold medal. Both women will be looking to use their experience and recent success to propel them in Panama.

As for the men, there will be three returning members of the 2025 team – Calgary’s Jack Aucoin, Toronto’s Jonrex Casa and Surrey’s Uday Billen. Both Casa and Billen came home with silver medals in 2025, while Aucoin finished fifth. Aucoin did capture bronze at this summer’s Canada Games.

2025 U17 Pan-Am Team

Accompanying the team are the coaching staff and team officials. The group includes U17 lead coach Frank Mensah and assistant coach Vanessa Brown; personal coaches Dave Spinney, Marcus Nieman, Rob Moore, Aman Dhillon, Dave Narwal and Harjit Billen; team leader Tamara Medwidsky; and physiotherapist Teresa Budwal. Stephanie, Roberton-Owen will represent Canada as an official.

For live updates, schedules, and results, visit the official tournament page: UWW Event Hub. The event will be streamed on UWW+.