Luke Sheridan of the USA battles Kevin Mejia of Honduras in the 85 kg Greco-Roman finals at the Pan American Youth Olympic Games qualifier

MONTERREY, Mexico – Luke Sheridan of Concord, Calif. won the gold medal at 85 kg/185 lbs. at the Pan American Youth Olympic Games Qualifier in Greco-Roman held on Monday.

Sheridan won three matches by pin, including a fall over Kevin Mejia of Honduras in the championship finals. 

By winning the gold medal, Sheridan has secured a spot in the Youth Olympic Games  (YOG) which will be held in Singapore, August 14-26. In Greco-Roman, only one athlete from each weight class from the Pan American nations will advance to YOG.

“Luke Sheridan did a good job,” said U.S. Greco-Roman Coach Mark Halvorson of Brentwood, Calif. “He had a big, tough kid from Honduras in the finals, who had a Cuban coach. Luke hit him with a headlock and pinned him. It was very exciting.”

Kevin Norstrem of Tampa, Fla. won a silver medal at 58 kg/127.75 lbs. He won his first two bouts, then was defeated in the gold-medal finals by Pedro Ramiro Ramirez (Mexico), 3-6, 0-2.

Two U.S. wrestlers won bronze medals, Colton Howell of Ozark, Mo. at 42 kg/92.5 lbs. and Burke Paddock of Warsaw, N.Y at 69 kg/152 lbs.

“This competition was tough,” said Halvorson. “Every kid could wrestle. I was very surprised. Every competitor in the tournament could wrestle Greco-Roman well.”

No nation may have more than two competitors in the YOG Greco-Roman competition. Cuba won three gold medals, so the Cuban federation will need to select the two athletes who will compete in Singapore.

It is not likely that a second U.S. Greco-Roman wrestler will get to compete in YOG. Norstrem would only attend if his Mexican finals opponent declines his position. The two U.S. bronze medalists would need both opponents ahead of them to decline their opportunity.

The United States placed second in the team standings with 35 points, just one point behind the champions from Venezuela. Mexico and Peru were tied in third with 32 points.

The Pan American Youth Olympic Games Qualifier continues on Tuesday with women’s freestyle and Wednesday with men’s freestyle

PAN AMERICAN YOUTH OLYMPIC GAMES QUALIFIER
At Monterrey, Mexico, May 3

Greco-Roman results

42 kg/92.5 lbs.
Gold - Yosvanni Peña (Cuba)
Silver - Henry Pilay (Ecuador)
Bronze - Eliseo Parimango (Peru)
Bronze - Colton Howell (USA)
5th - Giossel Urbano (Venezuela)
6th - Mario Abisal Villanueva (Mexico)

50 kg/110 lbs.
Gold - Johan Rodriguez (Cuba)
Silver - Cristhian Javier Alvia (Ecuador)
Bronze - Nestor Mendoza (Venezuela)
Bronze - Alfredo Mallqui (Peru)
5th - Angel Odalis Ramirez (Dominican Republic)
6th - Alexis Olvera (Mexico)

58 kg/127.75 lbs.
Gold - Pedro Ramiro Ramirez (Mexico)
Silver - Kevin Norstrem (USA)
Bronze - Anderson Gonzalez (Venezuela)
Bronze - Enyel Manuel Ramirez (Dominican Republic)
5th - Angel Fuentes (Peru)
5th - Cristhian Rivas (Ecuador)
7th - Gorge Nickford Gonzales (Venezuela)
8th - Alberto Ramon Mendieta (Nicaragua)

69 kg/152 lbs.
Gold - Lester Beltran (Cuba)
Silver - Carlos Valor (Colombia)
Bronze - Burke Paddock (USA)
Bronze - Richard Iguaneti (Venezuela)
5th - Elvis Del Orbe (Dominican Republic)
5th - Johnny Javier Pilay (Ecuador)
7th - Daniel Vicente (Mexico)
8th - Luis Rafael Centeno (Puerto Rico)
9th - Mitchel Taype (Peru)
10th - Jose Alejandro Gonzalez (Nicaragua)

85 kg/185 lbs.
Gold - Luke Sheridan (USA)
Silver - Kevin Mejia (Honduras)
Bronze - Daniel Emilio Baldeon (Peru)
Bronze - Alfonso Antonio Leyva (Mexico)
5th - Luis Arias (Venezuela)
6th - Patrick Gaudio (Brazil)

U.S. Greco-Roman performances

42 kg/92.5 lbs. - Colton Howell, Ozark, Mo., 3rd
LOSS Yosvanni Peña (Cuba), 0-1, 0-2
WIN Giossel Urbano (Venezuela), 2-0, 5-1

50 kg/110 lbs. -  No U.S. entry

58 kg/127.75 lbs. - Kevin Norstrem, Tampa, Fla., 2nd
WIN Angel Fuentes (Peru), 9-2, 9-2
WIN Anderson Gonzalez (Venezuela), 3-1, 8-2
LOSS Pedro Ramiro Ramirez (Mexico), 3-6, 0-2

69 kg/152 lbs. - Burke Paddock, Warsaw, N.Y., 3rd
WIN Jose Alejandro Gonzalez (Nicaragua), 7-2, 5-0
LOSS Lester Beltran (Cuba), 2-1, 0-1, 0-7
WIN Elvis Del Orbe (Dominican Republic), 0-3, 7-0, 6-0

85 kg/185 lbs. - Luke Sheridan, Concord, Calif., 1st 
WIN Luis Arias (Venezuela), pin
WIN Alfonso Antonio Leyva (Mexico), pin
WIN Kevin Mejia (Honduras), pin

Team standings
1 VENEZUELA (VEN), 36 
2 UNITED STATES (USA), 35 
3 MEXICO (MEX), 32 
3 PERU (PER), 32 
5 CUBA (CUB), 30 
5 ECUADOR (ECU), 30 
7 DOMINICAN REPUBLIC (DOM), 20 
8 HONDURAS (HON), 13 
9 COLOMBIA (COL), 9 
10 BRAZIL (BRA), 5 
11 NICARAGUA (NCA), 4 
12 PUERTO RICO (PUR),  3 
13 ARGENTINA (ARG), 0