UPDATE: U.S. lineups for 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico announced

<< Back to Articles
Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling)
09/27/2011


USA Wrestling has announced its lineups in all three Olympic styles of wrestling for the Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, October 20-24.

The Pan American Games is a major continental sports event which is held every four years. It features the top athletes from North America, Central America and South America in 43 Olympic and Pan American sports programs.

The U.S. will send 15 wrestlers to compete in Guadalajara, with six men’s freestyle athletes, six Greco-Roman athletes and three women’s freestyle athletes. Greco-Roman will be held October 20-21, with women’s freestyle on October 22 and men’s freestyle on October 23-24.

The U.S. men’s freestyle team features four past World medalists, including 2011 World champion Jordan Burroughs (Lincoln, Neb./Sunkist Kids) at 74 kg/163 lbs. 

The other past medalists on the men’s freestyle team are 2009 World silver medalist Jake Herbert (Ann Arbor, Mich./New York AC) at 84 kg/185 lbs., 2011 World bronze medalist Jake Varner (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC) 96 kg/211.5 lbs. and 2009 World bronze medalist Tervel Dlagnev (Columbus, Ohio/Sunkist Kids) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs.

Rounding out the men’s freestyle team are 2011 World Team members Nick Simmons (Corvallis, Ore./Sunkist Kids) at 55 kg/121 lbs. and Teyon Ware (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. Simmons was fifth at the 2011 World Championships.

Coaching the men’s freestyle team are National Freestyle Coach Zeke Jones of Colorado Springs, Colo. plus Pan American Games Coaches Bruce Burnett of Annapolis, Md. and Lou Rosselli of Columbus, Ohio. Burnett, a former National Freestyle Coach, serves as head coach for the U.S. Naval Academy. Rosselli is an assistant coach at Ohio State and coaches athletes at the Ohio Regional Training Center. Jones and Rosselli were Olympians as athletes.

The women’s freestyle team features two past World medalists, 2008 World champion Clarissa Chun (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. and 2010 World silver medalist Elena Pirozhkova (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. Chun placed fifth at the 2008 Olympic Games.

Also competing is three-time Junior World medalist Helen Maroulis (Rockville, Md./New York AC) at 55 kg/121 lbs.

All three women competing at the Pan American Championships were members of the 2011 U.S. World Team. Maroulis and Pirozhkova placed fifth in their weight class, while Chun placed seventh.

Coaching the U.S. women’s freestyle team are National Women’s Coach Terry Steiner of Colorado Springs, Colo. and Pan American Games Coach Billy Wood of Pocatello, Idaho. 

Leading the U.S. Greco-Roman team are two members of the 2011 U.S. World Team, Joe Betterman (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 60 kg/132 lbs. and Cheney Haight (Orem, Utah/New York AC) at 84 kg/185 lbs.

Also competing are three athletes who were runners-up at the 2011 World Team Trials, Glenn Garrison (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. and Ben Provisor (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 74 kg/163 lbs. and Tim Taylor (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. Garrison and Provisor are past U.S. Open champions.

Also competing for the USA will be Pete Gounaridis (Leominster, Mass./Sunkist Kids), who is ranked No. 3 in the nation at 96 kg/211.5 lbs.

The Greco-Roman team will be led by National Greco-Roman Coach Steve Fraser of Colorado Springs, Colo., along with Pan American Games Coaches Shon Lewis of Colorado Springs, Colo. and John Matthews of Phoenix, Ariz. Lewis is a past Olympic coach, while Matthews was an Olympian as an athlete.

The U.S. did not qualify to compete at three weight classes, one in each style. There will be no U.S. entry at 55 kg in Greco-Roman, 72 kg in women’s freestyle and 60 kg in men’s freestyle. The qualifying event was the 2011 Pan American Championships held in Rionegro, Colombia in May.

The last Pan American Championships were held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in July of 2007. The U.S. had six individual champions, Greco-Roman athletes Justin Lester at 66 kg. Brad Vering at 94 kg and Justin Ruiz at 96 kg, women’s freestyle athletes Sara McMann at 63 kg and Kristie Marano at 72 kg and men’s freestyle athlete Henry Cejudo at 55 kg.

None of the U.S. athletes competing in Guadalajara have previous Pan American Games experience.

2011 U.S. PAN AMERICAN GAMES WRESTLING LINEUPS

Greco-Roman
60 kg/132 lbs. – Joe Betterman, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
66 kg/145.5 lbs. – Glenn Garrison, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
74 kg/163 lbs. – Ben Provisor, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
84 kg/185 lbs. – Cheney Haight, Orem, Utah (New York AC)
96 kg/211.5 lbs. – Pete Gounaridis, Leominster, Mass. (Sunkist Kids)
120 kg/264.5 lbs. – Tim Taylor, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
National Greco-Roman Coach – Steve Fraser, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Pan American Games Coach – Shon Lewis, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Pan American Games Coach – John Matthews, Phoenix, Ariz.
Team Leader – Dave Barry, Hoboken, N.J.
College programs – Northern Michigan (Betterman, Provisor, Haight, Gounaridis), Montana-State Northern (Garrison), Clackamas CC (Garrison), Portland State (Garrison)

Women’s freestyle
48 kg/105.5 lbs. – Clarissa Chun, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
55 kg/121 lbs. – Helen Maroulis, Rockville, Md. (New York AC)
63 kg/138.75 lbs. – Elena Pirozhkova, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)
National Women’s Coach – Terry Steiner, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Pan American Games Coach – Billy Wood, Pocatello, Idaho
Team Leader – Kim Martori-Wickey, Phoenix, Ariz.
College programs – Missouri Valley (Chun), Simon Fraser (Maroulis), Missouri Baptist (Maroulis), Pikes Peak CC (Pirozhkova)

Men’s freestyle 
55 kg/121 lbs. – Nick Simmons, Corvallis, Ore. (Sunkist Kids)
66 kg/145.5 lbs. – Teyon Ware, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC)
74 kg/163 lbs. – Jordan Burroughs, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids)
84 kg/185 lbs. – Jake Herbert, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC)
96 kg/211.5 lbs. – Jake Varner, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC)
120 kg/264.5 lbs. – Tervel Dlagnev, Columbus, Ohio (Sunkist Kids)
National Freestyle Coach – Zeke Jones, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Pan American Games Coach – Bruce Burnett, Annapolis, Md.
Pan American Games Coach – Lou Rosselli, Columbus, Ohio
Team Leader – Mike Novogratz, New York, N.Y.
College programs – Michigan State (Simmons), Oklahoma (Ware), Nebraska (Burroughs), Northwestern (Herbert), Iowa State (Varner), Nebraska-Kearney (Dlagnev)

PAN AMERICAN GAMES WRESTLING SCHEDULE
At Guadalajara, Mexico, October 20-24
(times in Guadalajara, which is the same at the U.S. Central Time Zone)

Thursday, October 20 
(U.S. wrestlers Garrison, Haight, Taylor)
10:00 a.m. – Preliminaries, semifinals, repechage for Greco-Roman 55, 66, 84, 120 kg
6:00 p.m. – Medal matches for Greco-Roman 55, 66, 84, 120 kg

Friday, October 21 
(U.S. wrestlers Betterman, Provisor, Gounaridis)
10:00 a.m. – Preliminaries, semifinals, repechage for Greco-Roman 60, 74, 96 kg
6:00 p.m. – Medal matches for Greco-Roman 60, 74, 96 kg

Saturday, October 22 
(U.S. wrestlers Chun, Maroulis, Pirozhkova)
10:00 a.m. – Preliminaries, semifinals, repechage for women’s 48, 55, 63, 72 kg
6:00 p.m. – Medal matches for women’s 48, 55, 63, 72 kg

Sunday, October 23 
(U.S. wrestlers Simmons, Ware, Herbert, Dlagnev)
10:00 a.m. – Preliminaries, semifinals, repechage for freestyle 55, 66, 84, 120 kg
6:00 p.m. – Medal matches for freestyle 55, 66, 84, 120 kg

Monday, October 24 
(U.S. wrestlers Burroughs, Varner)
10:00 a.m. – Preliminaries, semifinals, repechage for freestyle 60, 74, 96 kg
6:00 p.m. – Medal matches for freestyle 55, 66, 84, 120 kg