The XVII Senior Pan American Wrestling Championships are set to take place March 18-23, 2003 in Guatamala City, Guatemala. This event will serve as a qualifier for the Pan American Games in all three styles of international wrestling    Countries must have a wrestler place within the top eight of a weight class in order to be able to compete at that weight class in the Pan American Games. Never before has there been a qualifying event for the Pan American Games, making this an event of considerable importance.    Leading the U.S. men's freestyle squad will be 2002 U.S. Freestyle National Team members Jesus Wilson (Fayette, Iowa/Minnesota Storm) at 60 kg/132 lbs. and Lee Fullhart (Chattanooga, Tenn./Gator WC) at 84 kg/185 lbs.    Jeff Prescott (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) is the lone wrestler to return to this event this year at 55 kg/121 lbs. Last year, Prescott placed second at the Pan American Championships, losing only to 2002 World Champion Rene Montero of Cuba, 12-3.    2002 Dave Schultz Memorial International runner-up Tony DeAnda (Colorado Springs, Colo./Team Excel) will compete at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. DeAnda placed fourth at this tournament in 2001.    Brian Keck (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) will represent the U.S. at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. He placed fourth at the recent Cerro Pelado International in Matanzas, Cuba, losing only to five-time World and Olympic medalist Alexis Rodriguez of Cuba.    Also competing for the U.S. will be 1999 NCAA champion Kirk White (Boise, Idaho/Dave Schultz WC) at 74 kg/163 lbs. and 1994 NCAA champion Dean Morrison (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. Both have considerable international freestyle experience.    The team will be coached by USA Wrestling Freestyle Developmental Coach Dave Bennett of Colorado Springs, Colo.    At last year's Pan American Championships, the U.S. won three gold medals, two silver medals and one bronze medal as the team with placed second to Cuba.    2002 World Champion Dremiel Byers (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) will lead the U.S. Greco-Roman team at 120 kg/264.5 lbs.    Also competing will be 2002 U.S. World Team members Jim Gruenwald (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 60 kg/132 lbs., Kevin Bracken (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. and Brad Vering (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) at 84 kg/185 lbs. Gruenwald placed eighth at the 2002 World Championships and Vering placed fifth.    2002 U.S. National Team members Lindsay Durlacher (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) and Darryl Christian (Colorado Springs, Colo./Dave Schultz WC) will also compete. Durlacher will wrestle at 55 kg/121 lbs. and Christian will wrestle at 74 kg/163 lbs.    2001 U.S. World Team member Jason Loukides (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) will also wrestle for the U.S. team. Loukides will compete at 96 kg/211.5 lbs.    The team will be coached by USA Wrestling National Greco-Roman Coach Steve Fraser of Colorado Springs, Colo.    At last year's tournament, the U.S. team capture one gold medal, three silver medals and two bronze medals as the U.S. placed second behind Cuba.    The U.S. women's team will only compete at four weight classes. While the Pan American Championships will contest all seven women's World Championships weights, the Pan American Games will only wrestle the four Olympic weight classes (48 kg/105.5 lbs., 55 kg/121 lbs., 63 kg/138.75 lbs. and 72 kg/158.5 lbs.).    2002 World silver medalist Tina George (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) will compete at 55 kg/121 lbs. George won the gold medal at the Pan American Championships in 2001.    Also competing for the U.S. will be 2002 U.S. World Team members Patricia Miranda (Colorado Springs, Colo./Dave Schultz WC) and Toccara Montgomery (Cleveland, Ohio/Sunkist Kids). Miranda recently won the Dave Schultz Memorial International and has established herself as one of the world's top competitors. Montgomery also won the Dave Schultz Memorial International and was a 2001 World silver medalist.    Tori Adams (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) will round out the team at 63 kg/138.5 lbs. Adams placed third at the 2002 U.S. World Team Trials.    The team will be coached by USA Wrestling National Women's Coach Terry Steiner of Colorado Springs, Colo.    Last year, all seven U.S. women won gold medals as the U.S. won the team competition with 64 points.    FILA, the international governing body for the sport of wrestling, decided to host a Pan American Championships this year as a qualifier in order to limit the number of wrestlers at the Pan American Games. Wrestlers must finish in the top eight of their weight class at the Pan-American Championships in order to qualify for the Pan American Games.    Prior to this year, national teams were selected by their respective countries to participate in the Pan American Games.    The Senior Pan American Championships will feature Greco-Roman, men's freestyle and women's freestyle wrestling. In the women's division, all seven FILA weight classes will compete but only the four weight classes established by FILA to compete in the 2004 Olympic Games (48 kg/105.5 lbs., 55 kg/121 lbs., 63 kg/138.75 lbs. and 72 kg/158.5 lbs.) will participate in the Pan American Games.    The XIV Pan American Games are to be held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic August 1-17, 2003.    Pan American Championships  Guatemala City, Guatemala  March 18-23, 2003  U.S. Men's Freestyle Team  55 kg/121 lbs. - Jeff Prescott, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)  60 kg/132 lbs. - Jesus Wilson, Fayette, Iowa (Minnesota Storm)  66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Tony DeAnda, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Team Excel)  74 kg/163 lbs. - Kirk White, Boise, Idaho (Dave Schultz WC)  84 kg/185 lbs. - Lee Fullhart, Chattanooga, Tenn. (Gator WC)  96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Dean Morrison, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)  120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Brian Keck, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)  Coach: Dave Bennett (Colorado Springs, Colo.)    U.S. Greco-Roman Team  55 kg/121 lbs. - Lindsay Durlacher, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)  60 kg/132 lbs. - Jim Gruenwald, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)  66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Kevin Bracken, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)  74 kg/163 lbs. - Darryl Christian, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Dave Schultz WC)  84 kg/185 lbs. - Brad Vering, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)  96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Jason Loukides, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)  120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Dremiel Byers, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)  Coach: Steve Fraser (Colorado Springs, Colo.)    U.S. Women's Freestyle Team  48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Patricia Miranda, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Dave Schultz WC)  55 kg/121 lbs. - Tina George, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)  63 kg/138.5 lbs. - Tori Adams, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)  72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Toccara Montgomery, Cleveland, Ohio (Sunkist Kids)  Coach: Terry Steiner (Colorado Springs, Colo.)