The goal was set forth by the United States Greco-Roman leadership this past fall: go to Argentina and qualify the remaining five Olympic weights for the Pan American Games set for Peru later this summer.
That goal has been achieved.
The other? Win the team title.
Cross that one off the list, as well, as Team USA topped Cuba 195 points to 110.
But the star on the second and last day of Greco-Roman at the 2019 Pan American Championships wasn’t one of the athletes who needed to cement his weight class for the Games. Rather, it was a dependable veteran who competed with the fire of someone still needing to prove his worth.
Cheney Haight (82 kg, NYAC) won his third Pan Am Championships title on Friday by offering the kind of performance he has become known for throughout his decade-plus career. Facing Carlos Espinoza Castro (PER), Haight observed an aggressive tempo right from the first whistle and worked his way to a passivity chance. He took advantage by clamping a reverse lock and waffling Castro over for two more points. The Peruvian was in danger of being called for a fall if only for an instant, but the pair returned to their feet with no further scoring in the frame.
The second period ushered in a more emboldened Castro, who benefitted from the passivity fairy himself. However, Haight remained pasted to the tarp and held his ground the rest of the way to pick up the victory.
Kamal’s Silver Shrouded in Controversy
2017 Junior World Champion Kamal Bey (77 kg, Sunkist) and Yosvanys Pena Flores (CUB) kicked off their finals match with a brisk pace. A Pena leg got in the way briefly following an exchange, leading Bey to become off-balanced. But the pattern was set. Bey was looking to explode, jutting forward, stops and starts. The Cuba preferred to chip back, but neither were all that close to a big move.
The first passivity went to Pena, and he converted a side lift to grab correct throw points. Bey — who had tried to escape previously — scrambled at the end of the lift and managed to turn it into a step out.
Trailing 3-1 in the second, Bey was to be the recipient of a passivity point — but it was negated after the officials consulted. It was, to say, weird, and it would have been par for the course when it comes to the abhorrent officiating that has plagued these championships — if not for the fact that Pena was later cited for negative wrestling, temporarily giving Bey two points and an apparent criteria lead — only for the call to be challenged by Cuba and ruled in their favor.
Bey, practically at wit’s end, still gave it a go and dashed in on a pair of attempts. But that was that. Things got a little heated at the end, and the officials wound up calling Bey to the table for a pointless conference. The US star earns his first Pan Ams medal, a silver, and as mentioned previously, qualifies 77 kilograms for the US at the Pan Am Games.
Martinez Grabs Bronze
Patrick Martinez (87 kg, NYAC), who also earned bronze at the Pan Ams in 2016, stood across a familiar face — Phillip Barreiro (CAN). Barreiro and his twin brother Thomas are both international competitors who have appeared in plenty of events alongside US athletes, including the Dave Schultz Memorial. Martinez got off to a 4-0 lead early in the first before adding a step-out and a two caution points for Barreiro fleeing towards the end of the period. In the second, Martinez used a push-pull sequence to end it. He was hustling Barreiro near the edge, seemingly trying to put this one away with another step-out. Instead, Martinez latched onto the head, snapped Barreiro, and spun around for the bronze-clinching points.
Most importantly, by virtue of his performance at the tournament, Martinez sealed up 87 kilograms for the Pan Am Games, which was the chief priority for the US program entering this week’s action.
Notes:
- Of Team USA Greco’s 25 wins at the 2019 Pan Am Championships, 15 came via tech, and five were recorded via pin. Adam Coon (130 kg, Cliff Keen) had three of them.
- Eight of the 10 USA Greco representatives were on the 2018 Budapest World Team.
2019 Pan American Championships
April 18th-19th — Buenos Aires, Argentina
TEAM USA DAY 2 RESULTS
77 kg
Kamal Bey (Sunkist) — silver
WON Enrique Cuero Ortiz (ECU) 8-0, TF
WON Juan Angel Escobar (MEX) 8-0, TF
WON David Elia Choc Huoc (GUA) 5-3
LOSS Yosvanys Pena Flores (CUB) 3-1
82 kg
Cheney Haight (NYAC) — gold
WON Andres Barres Machado (BRA) via fall
WON Carlos Espinoza Castro (PER) 3-1
87 kg
Patrick Martinez (NYAC) — bronze
WON Lesyan Cousin Otomuro (JAM) 6-1
WON Ronisson Brandao Santiago (BRA) 7-0
LOSS Luis Avendano Rojas (VEN) 4-0
WON Phillip Barreiro (CAN) 8-0, TF
TEAM USA FULL RESULTS
55 kg
Max Nowry (Army/WCAP) — gold
WON Joshua Medina (PUR) 9-0, TF
WON Sargis Khachatryan (BRA) 4-3
WON Marcelo Torres (ARG) 8-0, TF
60 kg
Dalton Roberts (NYAC/OTS) — 5th
WON Luis Morales Mayancha (ECU) 12-3, TF
LOSS Luis Orta Sanchez (CUB) 9-0, TF
WON Andres Andrade (PAN) via forfeit
LOSS Anthony Palencia Puentes (VEN) 1-1 (criteria)
63 kg
Ryan Mango (Army/WCAP) — silver
WON Jose Davilla Cabello (PER) 9-0, TF
WON Mauri Vicente Silverio Junior (BRA) 8-0, TF
LOSS Andres Montano Arroyo (ECU) 9-0, TF
67 kg
Ellis Coleman (Army/WCAP) — silver
WON Victor Lopez Miranda (ESA) 9-0, TF
WON Shalom Villegas Requena (VEN) 11-0, TF
WON Christhian Rivas Castro (ECU) 10-0, TF
LOSS Ismael Borrero Molina (CUB) 11-1, TF
72 kg
RaVaughn Perkins (NYAC) — gold
WON Francisco Barrio (ARG) via fall
WON Kenedy Moraes Pedrosa (BRA) 8-0, TF
77 kg
Kamal Bey (Sunkist) — silver
WON Enrique Cuero Ortiz (ECU) 8-0, TF
WON Juan Angel Escobar (MEX) 8-0, TF
WON David Elia Choc Huoc (GUA) 5-3
LOSS Yosvanys Pena Flores (CUB) 3-1
82 kg
Cheney Haight (NYAC) — gold
WON Andres Barres Machado (BRA) via fall
WON Carlos Espinoza Castro (PER) 3-1
87 kg
Patrick Martinez (NYAC) — bronze
WON Lesyan Cousin Otomuro (JAM) 6-1
WON Ronisson Brandao Santiago (BRA) 7-0
LOSS Luis Avendano Rojas (VEN) 4-0
WON Phillip Barreiro (CAN) 8-0, TF
97 kg
G’Angelo Hancock (Sunkist) — silver
WON Manuel Huaman Caillahua (PER) 8-0, TF
WON Kevin Mejia Castillo (HON) 9-0, TF
WON Jose Arias Paredes (DOM) 11-2, TF
LOSS Gabriel Rosillo (CUB) 10-2, TF
130 kg
Adam Coon (Cliff Keen) — gold
WON Diego Alemendras Rodriguez (CHI) via fall
WON Angel Pacheco Romero (CUB) via fall
WON Luciano Del Rio (ARG) via fall
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