Michigan Wolverines on Cloud Nine as Wrestling Trio Clinches Gold at Pan American Championship

Published 02/25/2024, 9:57 AM EST

Since day one of the 2024 Pan American Championship, the men of the USA wrestling team have represented an unparalleled level of dominance. Each day starts with them showcasing their prowess on the mat all four days of the event, which is happening at the Acapulco Mexico. Many weight categories have taken center stage, culminating in an intense mat on the mat.

The competition reached its peak today. However, with their extraordinary determination, they scored ten victories out of ten matches on the very first day. But that’s not it for the fans, as recently, out of all the contenders, three stellar wrestlers can be seen posing for their fans after putting off their thrilling skills on the ground.

A golden moment for the Michigan Wolverines

Recently, the official Twitter page of Michigan Wrestling posted a very golden picture. Three wrestlers who secured gold at the tournament posed together for a picture, including Mason Parris, Alec Pantaleo, and Nick Suriano. The picture was captioned, “3 Wolverines, 3 Pan Am champs. #WrestleAcapulco | #GoBlue.”

3 Wolverines, 3 Pan Am champs. 🥇🥇🥇#WrestleAcapulco | #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/Z2ASmIh3PX
— Michigan Wrestling (@umichwrestling) February 25, 2024

On the very first day, several wrestlers secured their places as well, including Kyle Dake, Chance Marsteller, and many more. On shifting the spotlight towards the Saturday match, commencing in the men’s freestyle category, the three American wrestlers have demonstrated their strength and bagged their titles. Among all the performers, the standout was Mason Parris, as his strategic prowess pushed him toward victory under 125 kg against Puerto Rico’s Jonovan Smith. Where he scored 3-0 and got a gold under his belt.

Another noteworthy achievement was showcased by Alec Pantaleo, who clinched the gold medal in the 70kg category with a score of 4-0 with three techs. Not only did he qualify for the 2024 Olympic Trail in the coming April, but he also returned to the top position on the podium after three years of hiatus. Pantaleos’ previous victory was in Guatemala City, which happened in 2021.

Hold on! The list isn’t over yet

Last but not least comes Nick Suriano, who competed in the 61 kg category and demonstrated incredible skill to fight for his journey towards gold. He dominated his opponents, including Joseph Silva of Puerto Rico and Jose Benites Vasques of Peru, with scores of 3-2 and 12-2, respectively. But his final performance against Juan Lavat Cortez of Mexico, where Suriano pinned him at 4:47, made him clench a gold for himself.

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Each wrestler is now waiting for their upcoming US Olympic Team Trails, which is going to take place at the State College of Pennsylvania in April. But right before heading up to the intense practice for the ultimate event, they shared their happy moments with their fans who are rooting for the them.

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Written by:

Shayni Maitra is an Olympics Sports writer at EssentiallySports. She actively covers the NCAA Division 1 Women’s Volleyball and writes her insights about the combating world of Wrestling. Bringing detailed narratives of collegiate athletics to spotlight, Shayni bridges the gap between her readers, and their favorite NCAA athletes.

Edited by:

Suman Varandani