MANAGUA, Nicaragua – Toby Erickson (Helena, Montana/Bronco WC) won a gold medal at 120 kg/264.5 lbs., the top U.S. performance at the Pan American Junior Greco-Roman Championships on Friday.

FILA Juniors are athletes who are 17-20 years old. The Pan American Championships includes nations in North, Central and South America.

Erickson, who competes for Boise State, won four matches on the way to the title, including two pins. In the gold-medal match, Erickson pinned Abnel Espinoza of Nicaragua in just 24 seconds.

Erickson was a U.S. FILA Junior World Team Trials runner-up in Greco-Roman this season.

Three Americans won silver medals:Carson Kuhn (Sandy, Utah/Vandit) at 55 kg/121 lbs., Caleb Smith (Patoka, Ind./MO West) at 74 kg/163 lbs. and Ryan Hope (Carol Stream, Ill./USOEC) at 84 kg/185 lbs.

"The foreign competition was impressive with their technical and tactical skills,” said U.S. Coach Chris James. “Coach Chris Ayers and I agree that Team USA battled hard every single match. Toby Erickson was impressive with his perfect day, ending it with a beautiful body lock throw to pin the Nicaraguan in the finals.  Some teams that stood out throughout the day were Honduras, Peru, and the Dominican Republic.  Ecuador was dominant with three champions."

The competition continues on Saturday with women's freestyle, and concludes Sunday with men's freestyle.

PAN AMERICAN JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Managua, Nicaragua, July 9

50 kg/110 lbs.
1 HERMAN MARCILLO (ECUADOR)
2 JEFFERSON DIAZ (COLOMBIA)
3 STEVE MATSON (USA)
3 ALEJANDRO GRILMALDI (MEXICO)
5 EDUARDO PALAS (PERU)
6 JOSÉ CANO (NICARAGUA)

55 kg/121 lbs.
1 CRISTIAN NOVA (DOMINICAN REPUBLIC)
2 CARSON KUHN (USA)
3 JOHATHAN CASTRO (ECUADOR)
3 JORGE MALLQUI (PERU)
5 PEDRO MEJIAS (VENEZUELA)
5 SAMUEL GURRIA (MEXICO)
7 ALBERTO MENDIETA (NICARAGUA)

60 kg/132 lbs.
1 ANDRES MONTAÑO (ECUADOR)
2 DIEGO ROMANELLI (BRAZIL)
3 VICTOR MENDEZ (MEXICO)
3 ANTHONY HEDREYCK (DOMINICAN REPUBLIC)
5 ANDRE QUISPE (CHILE)
5 DMITRY RYABCHINSKIY (USA)
7 RAIBER RODRIGUEZ (VENEZUELA)
8 ABRAHAM LLONTOP (PERU)
9 JOSE RIVERA (NICARAGUA)
10 EDWIN ESTRADA (PUERTO RICO)

66 kg/145.5 lbs.
1 XAVIER SOLIS (ECUADOR)
2 PAUL ROJAS (PERU)
3 JEFRIN MEJIA (HONDURAS)
3 LUIS CENTENO (PUERTO RICO)
5 FERNANDO CARRANZA (ARGENTINA)
5 DESTIN MCCAULEY (USA)
7 AHGELO MOREIRA (BRAZIL)
8 WILLEXIS RIVAS (VENEZUELA)
9 WILMER MARTINEZ (NICARAGUA)

74 kg/163 lbs.
1 LUIYIS PEREZ (VENEZUELA)
2 CALEB SMITH (USA)
3 JOSÉ GONZALEZ (NICARAGUA)
3 BRAYAN SAA (COLOMBIA)
5 VINICIUS MONTEIRO (BRAZIL)
6 JOSE ARANBURO (MEXICO)

84 kg/185 lbs.
1 AMBROCIO GREIRO (PERU)
2 RYAN HOPE (USA)
3 OSCAR MARTINEZ (HONDURAS)
3 WILFREDO COTTO (PUERTO RICO)
5 DOMINGO ESTRADA (NICARAGUA)
6 ANDRES PIÑA (MEXICO)

96 kg/211.5 lbs. 
1 RANDY LAMBERT (HONDURAS)
2 SAUL ALDAMA (VENEZUELA)
3 FELIX TRIJILLO (NICARAGUA)
3 DIEGO CASTAÑEDA (COLOMBIA)
5 ROBERT ISLEY (USA)
6 DIEGO CARDENAS (PERU)

120 kg/264.5 lbs.
1 TOBY ERICKSON (USA)
2 JOSÚE OVANDO (DOMINICAN REPUBLIC)
3 ROBERT MONASTERIO (VENEZUELA)
4 CARLOS ALAS (EL SALVADOR)
5 ABNEL ESPINOZA (NICARAGUA)

U.S. Greco-Roman results

50 kg/110 lbs. – Steve Matson, Prospect, Conn. (Tugman), 3rd
LOSS Jefferson Diaz (Columbia), 0-6, 0-6
Matson 3rd Place

55 kg/121 lbs. – Carson Kuhn, Sandy, Utah (Vandit), 2nd
WIN over Pedro Mejias (Venezuala), 6-0, 0-1, 2-0
WIN Johathan Castro (Ecuador), 3-1, 0-1, 4-1
LOSS Cristian Nova (Dominican Republic), 1-3, 0-4

60 kg/132 lbs. – Dmitry Ryabchinsky, Brooklyn, N.Y. (Brooklyn WC/NYAC)
WIN Raiber Rodriguez (Venezuela) 6-0, 0-2, 6-2
LOSS Diego Romanelli (Brazil), 0-4, 0-4
LOSS Anthony Hedreyck (Dominican Republic), 0-6, 3-0, 0-2

66 kg/145.5 lbs. – Destin McCauley, Burnsville, Minn. (Apple Valley WC)
LOSS Xavier Solis (Ecuador), 5-1, 0-1, pin 1:59

74 kg/163 lbs. – Caleb Smith, Patoka, Ind. (MO West), 2nd
WIN Jose Gonzalez (Nicaragua), 5-2, 1-0
LOSS Luiyis Perez (Venezuala), 0-1, 0-7

84 kg/185 lbs. – Ryan Hope, Carol Stream, Ill. (USOEC), 2nd
WIN Domingo Estrada (Nicaragua), Pin 1:49
WIN Oscar Martinez (Honduras), 1-0, 0-5, 3-0
LOSS Ambrocic Greiro (Peru), 1-0, 0-1, 0-1

96 kg/211.5 lbs. – Robert Isley, Toledo, Ohio
WIN Diego Cardenas (Peru), 1-0, 0-2, 1-0
LOSS Randy Lambert (Honduras), 0-2, 2-3
LOSS Diego Castaneda (Columbia), 0-1, 2-1, 0-2

120 kg/264.5 lbs. – Toby Erickson, Helena, Montana (Bronco WC), 1st
WIN Robert Monasterio (Venezuela), 1-0, 6-0
WIN Carlos Alas (El Salvador), 6-0, 2-0
WIN Josue Ovanado (Dominican Republic), Pin 1:20
WIN Abnel Espinoza (Nicaragua), Pin :24

Greco-Roman Team Standings
1. United States, 63 pts.; 2. Nicaragua, 41 pts.; 2. Peru, 41 pts.; 4. Venezuela, 40 pts.; 5. Ecuador, 38 pts.; 6. Mexico, 32 pts.; 7. Dominican Republic, 27 pts.; 8. Honduras, 26 pts.; 9. Colombia, 25 pts.; 10. Brazil, 19 pts.; 11. El Salvador, 7 pts.; 12. Argentina, 6 pts.; 13. Chile, 6 pts.