Entire American team medals at Pan-Am Championships in Guatemala City, Guatemala

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Josi Carlson (USA Wrestling)
05/02/2005


College standouts Ben Askren (Hartland, Wisc./Missouri) and Cole Konrad (Freedom, Wis./Minnesota) took home titles in men's freestyle at the Pan-Am Championships held April 28-30 in Guatemala City, Guatemala.    Askren, a sophomore at Missouri, claimed the top prize in the 74 kg/163 lb. weight class.     Askren placed second at the last two NCAA Championships and placed sixth at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in men's freestyle. He recently placed second at the University National Championships.    Konrad, a sophomore at Minnesota, was the champion at 120 kg/264.5 lb. Konrad placed second at the NCAA Championships this year and fourth in the NCAA in 2004. He also placed sixth at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, but in Greco-Roman.    One of Konrad's victories was over former World Champion Alexis Rodriguez of Cuba.     Rodriguez was the 1998 World Champion, runner-up in 1997 and 2000 and placed third in 2000 and 200. He also finished fifth in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, and was the bronze medalist in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sidney, Australia.     The rest of the American contingency brought home bronze medals from the Championships.     NCAA All-Americans Tom Clum (Arvada, Colo./Wisconsin) at 60 kg/132 lbs. and Matt Pell (Luxemburg, Wis./Missouri) at 74 kg/163 lbs.    Clum, a junior at Wisconsin, was a Big Ten champion in 2004, and placed third at the NCAA Tournament in 2005. He has qualified for the NCAA Tournament three times. He won a silver medal at last year's Pan Am Championships.    Pell, a sophomore at Missouri, placed seventh at the NCAA Tournament this year competing at 184 lbs. He recently won a title at the University National Championships.    Also claiming bronze medals were Ron Tarquinio (McDonald, Pa./Pittsburgh) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. and Daren Burns (Catawba, N.C./North Carolina-Greensboro) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs.    Tarquinio, a junior at Pittsburgh, has qualified for the NCAA Tournament three times.    Burns, a sophomore at North Carolina-Greensboro, is a two-time Southern Conference champion. He was the surprise of this year's NCAA Tournament, making it to the quarterfinal round.    Coaching the squad was Northwestern Univ. head coach Tim Cysewski (Evanston, Ill.) and high school coach Cliff Laughlin (Idaho Falls, Idaho).    The U.S. did not send teams to the Greco-Roman and women's freestyle tournaments at the Pan Am Games.    *Complete results will be released when available*