Justin Ruiz at the 2010 World Championships. Ruiz will be wrestling in this weekend’s Pan American Championships and will be seeking his fifth Pan Am Wrestling Championship title. Larry Slater photo.

USA Wrestling has announced its lineups for the 2012 Pan American Wrestling Championships held at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. The event will take place Feb. 24-26 in the upstairs gymnasium in Sports Center II.

The Pan American Championships is the annual continental championships for North, Central and South America. This will be the fifth time that Colorado Springs has hosted this major international event.

Competing for the U.S. in Greco-Roman is Justin Ruiz, a 2005 World bronze medalist. Past U.S. World Team members Joe Betterman at 60 kg/132 lbs., Andrew Bisek at 74 kg/163 lbs. and Chas Betts at 84 kg/185 lbs. will also wrestle for the U.S. team, which competes on Friday, Feb. 24.

In women’s freestyle, 2010 World silver medalist and 2010 World University champion Elena Pirozhkova will wrestle at 59 kg/130 lbs. Five of the U.S. team members are past U.S. World Team members, Pirozhkova plus Alyssa Lampe at 48 kg/105.5 lbs., Whitney Conder at 51 kg/112.25 lbs., Helen Maroulis at 55 kg/121 lbs. and Stephany Lee at 72 kg/158.5 lbs. Conder is a past Junior World champion, while Lee has won two University World titles. The women’s freestyle competition is on Saturday, Feb. 25

The U.S. freestyle roster is still being finalized. Among the stars on the U.S. men’s freestyle roster is 2009 World bronze medalist Tervel Dlagnev at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. Also on the U.S. team is 2009 U.S. World Team member Trent Paulson at 74 kg/163 lbs.

At least five past Pan American Championship champions will be competing for the United States. Greco-Roman star Ruiz has won the event four times (2007, 2008, 2010, 2011). Women wrestlers Pirozhkova (2008, 2009, 2010) and Lee (2004, 2006, 2008) have won the event three times. Other past winners are men’s freestyler Dlagnev (2010) and women’s freestyler Lampe (2009).

The international field is also very strong, with a number of past World and Olympic medalists in the field. Mijian Lopez of Cuba, a 2008 Olympic champion and four-time World champion, will participate in Greco-Roman. The Canadian women’s team features past World medalists Jessica MacDonald, Brittanee Laverdure and Justine Bouchard.

At least 32 medalists from the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico will also be competing. The Pan American Games is a major multi-sport event held every four years, which differs from the annual Pan American Wrestling Championships event. On the U.S. team, Maroulis and Dlagnev were 2011 Pan American Games champions.

The last time the U.S. hosted the Pan American Championships was in 2008 in Colorado Springs. The Pan American Wrestling Championships were also held in Colorado Springs in 1986, 1989 and 1990.

All sessions, adult (ages 19 and older) tickets are $25 and an adult one day ticket is $15. A youth ticket is $15 for all sessions and $10 for a single day. Children under the age of 5 are free.

2012 PAN AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
At U.S. Olympic Training Center, Colorado Springs, Colo.

U.S. Pan American Championships rosters

Greco-Roman (competes Friday, Feb. 24)
55 kg/121 lbs. - Jermaine Hodge (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army)
60 kg/132 lbs. - Joe Betterman (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids)
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Ben Sanchez (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC)
74 kg/163 lbs. - Andrew Bisek (Colorado Springs, Colo./Minnesota Storm)
84 kg/185 lbs. - Chas Betts (Colorado Springs, Colo./Minnesota Storm)
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Justin Ruiz (Orem, Utah/New York AC)
120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Pete Kowalczuk (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids)

Women’s Freestyle (competes Saturday, Feb. 25)
48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Alyssa Lampe (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids)
51 kg/112.25 lbs. - Whitney Conder (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC)
55 kg/121 lbs. - Helen Maroulis (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC)
59 kg/130 lbs. - Randi Beltz (St. Clair, Mo./Missouri Valley WC)
63 kg/138.75 lbs - Elena Pirozhkova (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC)
67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Lauren Louive (Massillon, Ohio/UC Women’s Wrestling)
72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Stephany Lee (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids)

Updated Men’s Freestyle (competes Sunday, Feb. 26)
55 kg/121 lbs. - Sam Hazewinkel (Norman, Okla./Sunkist Kids)
60 kg/132 lbs. - Troy Nickerson, Ithaca, N.Y. (New York AC)
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Phillip Simpson (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army)
74 kg/163 lbs. - Trent Paulson (Ames, Iowa/Sunkist Kids)
84 kg/185 lbs. – Raymond Jordan (Lincoln, Neb./Sunkist Kids)
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Dustin Kilgore (Berea, Ohio/Sunkist Kids)
120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Tervel Dlagnev (Columbus, Ohio/Sunkist Kids)

Event Schedule

Friday, February 24
12:00 noon -5:00 p.m. - Session I: Greco-Roman qualification rounds
6:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. - Opening Ceremony
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. - Session II: Greco-Roman finals

Saturday, February 25
12:00 noon - 5:00 p.m. - Session I: Women's Freestyle qualification rounds
6:00 p.m. -8:00 p.m. - Session II: Women's Freestyle finals

Sunday, February 26
12:00 noon -5:00 p.m. - Session I: Men's Freestyle qualification rounds
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. - Session II: Men's Freestyle finals