PANAMA CITY, Panama – The United States had three individual champions and six medalists, and won the team title at the Pan American Championships in men’s freestyle on Sunday.

Claiming individual titles for Team USA were Mark McKnight (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC) at 55 kg/121 lbs., Phil Keddy, Iowa City, Iowa (Hawkeye WC) at 84 kg/185 lbs. and Zach Rey, Hopatcong, N.J. (Lehigh Valley AC) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs.

“The guys did an awesome job today. They wrestled hard and smart. We were very close to having seven finalists. Coach Mike Duroe and I are extremely proud of these guys. It has been a pleasure being a part of this great group of young men,” said U.S. coach Chris Bono.

McKnight, who competed in college for Buffalo and Penn State defeated Juan Ramirez Beltre of the Dominican Republic.

Keddy, who starred at Iowa, stopped Tamerlan Tagziev of Canada in the finals, 1-1, 2-1. Keddy had big semifinal victory over Yuriesku Torreblanco Queralta of Cuba, 0-2, 1-1, 2-0, and a victory over Pool Ambrosio Greifo of Peru, 1-0, 3-0.

Rey, a past NCAA champion for Lehigh, beat Korey Jarvis of Canada for the title, 1-0, 1-0. His other wins included a pin over Carlos Alas Oliveras of El Salvador in the second period, and a two-period win over Jesse Ruiz of Mexico in the semifinals.

Winning a silver medal was Drew Headlee, Morgantown, W.Va. (Sunkist Kids) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. Headlee, who competed for Pitt, also had three wins in the preliminaries, pinning Jose Greifo of Peru and Hernan Guzman of Columbia, and beating Rafael DeMoura of Brazil by technical fall. He was beaten by Franklin Maren Castillo of Cuba in the finals, 0-3, 0-4

Winning bronze medals were Nick Marable (Columbia, Mo./Sunkist Kids) at 74 kg/163 lbs. and David Zabriskie, (Bethlehem, Pa./Lehigh Valley AC) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. 

Marable, who was a star for Missouri, went 3-1, including a 3-0, 7-0 shutout of Humberto Brown of Panama in the bronze-medal match. Zabriskie, a past NCAA champion for Iowa State, had a 3-1 record including a victory over Adarsh Kewal of Surinam, 6-0, 5-0 in the bronze-medal match.

2012 Olympic bronze medalist Coleman Scott, Stillwater, Okla. (Titan Mercury WC) placed at 60 kg/132 lbs. After dropping his semifinal match to a Cuban opponent, Scott did not wrestle in the bronze-medal bout.

The United States won the team title with 61 points, well ahead of runner-up Cuba with 48 points. Cuba had four champions: Alejandro Valdes at 60 kg/132 lbs., Franklin Maren at 66 kg/145.5 lbs., Yunierki Blanco of Cuba at 74 kg/163 lbs. and Javier Cortina at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. Canada was third with 46 points.

The USA also won the team title in Greco-Roman on Friday, and was third in the women’s freestyle standings on Saturday.

PAN AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Panama City, Panama

Men’s freestyle results

55 kg/121 lbs.
Gold – Mark McKnight (USA)
Silver – Juan Ramirez Beltre (Dominican Republic)
Bronze – Wilber Cuero Munoz (Colombia)
Bronze – Pedro Mejias Rodriguez (Venezuela)
5th – Andre Quispe Fajardo (Chile)
5th – Brandon Escobar Amador (Honduras)

60 kg/132 lbs.
Gold – Alejandro Valdes Tobier (Cuba)
Silver – Luis Portillo Mejia (El Salvador)
Bronze – Brandon Diaz Ramirez (Mexico)
Bronze – Ibsen Aguilar Canizalez (Venezuela)
5th – Jose Munoz Santana (Dominican Republic)
5th – Coleman Scott (USA)

66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Gold – Franklin Maren Castillo (Cuba)
Silver – Drew Headlee (USA)
Bronze – Jeffry Avila (Dominican Republic)
Bronze – Hernan Guzman Ipuz (Colombia)
5th – Cesar Robertty Moreno (Venezuela)
5th – Rafael De Moura Jesua (Brazil)

74 kg/163 lbs.
Gold – Yunierki Blanco Mora (Cuba)
Silver – Cleopas Ncube (Canada)
Bronze – Edison Hurtado Lerma (Colombia)
Bronze – Nick Marable (USA)
5th – Eduardo Valencia Escoto (Mexico)
6th – Humberto Brown Morrison (Panama)

84 kg/185 lbs.
Gold – Phillip Keddy (USA)
Silver – Tamerlan Tagziev (Canada)
Bronze – Yurieski Torreblanca Queralta (Cuba)
Bronze – Juan Martinez Ibarguen (Colombia)
5th – Pool Ambrosio Greifo (Peru)
5th – Daniel Esquivel Villanueva (Mexico)

96 kg/211.5 lbs.
Gold – Javier Cortina Lacerra (Cuba)
Silver – Yuir Alexei Horacio (Argentina)
Bronze – Riley Otto (Canada)
Bronze – David Zabriskie (USA)
5th – Juan Izidoro Bittencourt (Brazil)
5th – Adarsh Kewal (Suriname)

120 kg/264.5 lbs.
Gold – Zach Rey (USA)
Silver – Korey Jarvis (Canada)
Bronze – Jesse Ruiz Flores (Mexico)
Bronze – Luis Vivenes Urbaneja (Venezeula)
5th – Carlos Alas Olivares (El Salvador)
5th – Josue Encarnacion Ovando (Dominican Republic)

U.S. men’s freestyle results

55 kg/121 lbs. – Mark McKnight, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC), gold medal
WIN Wilber Cuero Munoz (Colombia), 0-3, 2-1, 3-1
WIN Cristian Mox Arias (Guatemala), 3-0, 5-0
WIN Andre Quispe Fajardo (Chile), 3-1, 2-1
WIN Juan Ramirez Beltre (Dominican Republic), 1-1, 3-0, 3-1
 
60 kg/132 lbs. – Coleman Scott, Stillwater, Okla. (Titan Mercury WC), 5th
WIN Abel Herrera Pasto (Peru), 5-1, 3-1
WIN Michael Asselstine (Canada), 6-0, 2-0
LOSS Enrique Valdez Tobier (Cuba), 0-6, 0-1
LOSS Isben Aguilar Canizalez (Venezuela), forfeit
 
66 kg/145.5 lbs. – Drew Headlee, Bethlehem, Pa. (Lehigh Valley AC), silver medal
 WIN Jose Greifo (Peru), pin
WIN Rafael DeMoura Jesus (Brazil), 7-0, 7-0
WIN Hernan Guzman (Colombia), pin
LOSS Franklin Maren Castillo (Cuba), 0-3, 0-4
 
74 kg/163 lbs. – Nick Marable, Columbia, Mo. (Sunkist Kids), bronze medal
WIN Billy Valdez Jean (Dominican Republic), 4-0, 2-0
WIN Francisco Soler Tanco (Puerto Rico), 6-0, 7-0
LOSS Yunierki Blanco Mora (Cuba), 1-0, 1-4, 0-2
WIN Humberto Brown Morrison (Panama), 3-0, 7-0
 
84 kg/185 lbs. – Phil Keddy, Iowa City, Iowa (Hawkeye WC), gold medal
 WIN Pool Ambrosio Greifo (Peru), 1-0, 3-0
WIN Yuriesku Torreblanco Queralta (Cuba), 0-2, 1-1, 2-0
WIN Tamerlan Tagziev (Canada), 1-1, 2-1
 
96 kg/211.5 lbs. – David Zabriskie, Bethlehem, Pa. (Lehigh Valley AC), silver medal
 WIN Marcos Santos Bonnett (Puerto Rico), 0-1, 4-1, 3-0
WIN Rodolpho Waithe Marin (Panama), 3-1, 3-1
LOSS Javier Cortina Lacerra (Cuba), 2-2, 2-3, 0-4
WIN Adarsh Kewal (Surinam), 6-0, 5-0
 
120 kg/264.5 lbs. – Zach Rey, Hopatcong, N.J. (Lehigh Valley AC), gold medal
WIN Carlos Alas Olivaras (El Salvador), 6-0, pin
WIN Jesse Ruiz (Mexico), 1-0, 2-0
WIN Korey Jarvis (Canada), 1-0, 1-0

Team Standings
1. United States, 61 pts.
2. Cuba, 48 pts.
3. Canada, 46 pts.
4. Mexico, 36 pts.
5. (tie) Colombia, 35 pts.
5. (tie) Venezuela, 35 pts.
7. Dominican Republic, 30 pts.
8. (tie) El Salvador, 15 pts.
8. (tie) Brazil, 15 pts.
8. (tie) Panama, 15 pts.
11. Argentina, 14 pts.
12. (tie) Chile, 10 pts.
12. (tie) Puerto Rico, 10 pts.
14. Guatemala, 9 pts.
15. Peru, 8 pts.
16. (tie) Honduras, 6 pts.
16. (tie) Surimame, 6 pts.