Tervel Dlagnev, shown at the 2009 World Team Trials, won a Pan American Championships gold medal on Sunday. Larry Slater photo MONTERREY, Mexico – Tervel Dlagnev (Columbus, Ohio/Sunkist Kids) captured a gold medal at 120 kg/264.5 lbs., the top U.S. performance at the Pan American Freestyle Championships on Sunday. Dlagnev, a 2009 World bronze medalist, won both of his matches, and did not allow a single point. In the gold-medal finals, he handily defeated Jesse Ruiz of Mexico, 7-0, 5-0. “Tervel looked awesome today,†said U.S. coach Chris Bono. “He was disappointed the Cuban was not here, but he took care of business. He looked in World Championship form.†The USA placed third in the team race with 50 points. Cuba, led by six individual champions, finished with 60 points. Canada was second with 57 points, and although they had no champions, finished with a medalist in all seven weight classes. “Overall as a team, we looked a bit sluggish,†said Bono. “A lot of that is because of coming off the U.S. Open from last week, and competing back-to-back. They fought hard. The guys did a great job coming off the U.S. Open and having little rest. The Cuban team was very talented here.†The United States won the overall team title, combining the three Olympic styles. Cuba was second and Mexico was third. The USA won team titles in Greco-Roman and women’s freestyle earlier in the weekend. Obe Blanc (Stillwater, Okla./Gator WC) won a silver medal at 55 kg/121 lbs. He won his first two matches to qualify for the finals, where he was defeated by Frank Chamizo of Cuba, 2-0, 1-2, 0-3. Blanc won his first U.S. Open national title last weekend in Cleveland. “Obe could have won. He put himself in a position to win the finals, but didn’t finish the match,†said Bono. Winning bronze medals were Coleman Scott (Stillwater, Okla./Gator WC) at 60 kg/132 lbs., Trent Paulson (Ames, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) at 74 kg/163 lbs. and J.D. Bergman (Columbus, Ohio/New York AC) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. All three lost their matches against Cuban opponents. Scott pinned Luis Portillo of El Salvador in his final match, and Bergman stopped Marcos Santos of Puerto Rico to earn his bronze medal. Paulson did not have an opponent in the bronze medal round, after dropping his semifinal to veteran Ivan Fundora of Cuba. The Pan American Championships have concluded. Starting on Monday is the Pan American Youth Olympic Games qualifier, also in Monterrey. PAN AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS At Monterrey, Mexico, May 2 55 kg/121 lbs. Gold - Frank Chamiso (Cuba) Silver - Obe Blanc (USA) Bronze - Aso Palani (Canada) Bronze - Arturo de Jesus Chavez (Mexico) 60 kg/132 lbs. Gold - Alejandro Valdez (Cuba) Silver - James Mancini (Canada) Bronze - Coleman Scott (USA) Bronze - Gabriel Arturo Garcia (Dominican Republic) 66 kg/145.5 lbs. Gold - Geandry Garzon (Cuba) Silver - Pedro Soto (Puerto Rico) Bronze - Haislan Garcia (Canada) Bronze - Manuel Rivera (Mexico) 74 kg/163 lbs. Gold - Ivan Fundora (Cuba) Silver - Ricardo Robertty (Venezuela) Bronze - Trent Paulson (USA) Bronze - Cleopas Ncube (Canada) 84 kg/185 lbs. Gold - Reineris Salas (Cuba) Silver - Jaime Espinal (Puerto Rico) Bronze - Jose Daniel Diaz (Venezuela) Bronze - Donald Brown (Canada) 96 kg/211.5 lbs. Gold - Michel Batista (Cuba) Silver - Luis Felipe Vivenes (Venezuela) Bronze - J.D. Bergman (USA) Bronze - Khetag Pliev (Canada) 120 kg/164.5 lbs. Gold - Tervel Dlagnev (USA) Silver - Jesse Ruiz (Mexico) Bronze - Antoine Braga Abou Jaoude (Brazil) Bronze - Steve Snaider (Canada) U.S. men’s freestyle team performances 55 kg/121 lbs. – Obe Blanc, Stillwater, Okla. (Gator WC), 2nd WIN Arturo Chavez (Mexico), 3-2, 6-0 WIN Juan Ramirez (Dominican Republic), 4-0, 3-0 LOSS Frank Chamizo (Cuba), 2-0, 1-2, 0-3 60 kg/132 lbs. – Coleman Scott, Stillwater, Okla. (Gator WC), 3rd WIN Luis Portillo (El Salvador) LOSS Alejandro Valdes (Cuba), 0-1, 0-2 WIN Alan Olvera (Mexico), pin 66 kg/145.5 lbs. – Tyler Nauman, Middletown, Pa. (Pittsburgh WC), 8th LOSS Haislan Garcia (Canada) 74 kg/163 lbs. – Trent Paulson, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids), 3rd WIN Franklin Lantigua (Puerto Rico), 1-3, 5-0, 6-0 LOSS Ivan Fundora (Cuba), 1-2, 0-2 84 kg/185 lbs. – David Bertolino, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids), 7th LOSS Joes Diaz (Venezuela), 0-1, 0-1 96 kg/211.5 lbs. – J.D. Bergman, Columbus, Ohio (New York AC), 3rd LOSS Michel Batista (Cuba), 2-0, 2-4, 0-1 WIN Marcos Santos (Puerto Rico), 6-3, 5-0 120 kg/264.5 lbs. – Tervel Dlagnev, Columbus, Ohio (Sunkist Kids). 1st WIN Antoine Abou Jaoude (Brazil), 1-0, 6-0 WIN Jesse Ruiz (Mexico), 7-0, 5-0 Freestyle Team Standings 1 CUBA (CUB), 60 2 CANADA (CAN), 57 3 UNITED STATES (USA), 50 4 MEXICO (MEX), 46 5 PUERTO RICO (PUR), 36 6 VENEZUELA (VEN), 26 7 DOMINICAN REPUBLIC (DOM), 20 8 BRAZIL (BRA), 17 9 PERU (PER), 12 10 ARGENTINA (ARG), 10 11 EL SALVADOR (ESA), 8 12 NICARAGUA (NCA), 5 13 GUATEMALA (GUA), 4