WRESTLING: Mocco wins gold as USA takes second in freestyle at Pan American Championships 2008 Olympian Steve Mocco (Coralville, Iowa/New York AC) won a gold medal at 120 kg/264.5 lbs., the top U.S. performance in men’s freestyle at the Pan American Championships on Saturday.
Photo: www.nj.com - North Bergen native Steve Mocco
MARACAIBO, Venezuela - 2008 Olympian Steve Mocco (Coralville, Iowa/New York AC) won a gold medal at 120 kg/264.5 lbs., the top U.S. performance in men’s freestyle at the Pan American Championships on Saturday.
Mocco was among seven U.S. medalists in the tournament. Cuba, with six champions, won the team title with 68 points, followed by the USA with 62 pts. and Canada with 53 pts.
Mocco won three bouts, including two pins. He opened with a 2-0, 1-0 win over Elier Romero of Cuba. In the championship bout, he pinned Michael Neufeld of Canada. Mocco won his first U.S. Nationals title in early April in Las Vegas.
The U.S had four silver medalists, all who were defeated by Cuban opponents in the finals:
* Obe Blanc (Naples, Fla./Gator WC) at 55 kg/121 lbs.
* Jon Reader (Davison, Mich./Cyclone WC) at 74 kg/163 lbs.
* Eric Luedke (Iowa City, Iowa/Gator WC) at 84 kg/185 lbs.
* Kyle Cerminara (Lewiston, Pa./New York AC) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs.
Blanc lost in the finals to Luis Ibanez, 0-2, 2-3. Reader fell to 2004 Olympic medalist Ivan Fundora by pin. Luedke lost to Reineris Salas, 0-2, 0-6. Cerminara was beaten by 2006 World bronze medalist Michel Batista, 0-1, 0-3.
Blanc, Luedke and Cerminara were 2009 U.S. Nationals runners-up at their weight classes.
The U.S. added a pair of bronze medals: Brent Metcalf (Davison, Mich./Gator WC) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. and Matt Valenti (New York, N.Y./New York AC) at 60 kg/132 lbs. Both lost matches to Canadian opponents, but wrestled back in the repechage rounds for the bronze medal.
PAN AMERICAN FREESTYLE CHAMPIONSHIPS
at Maracaibo, Venezuela, April 25
55 kg/121 lbs.
Gold - Luis Ibanez (Cuba)
Silver - Obe Blanc (USA)
Bronze - Aso Palani (Canada)
Bronze - Enrique Vasquez Castro (Ecuador)
5th - Jose Edgardo Ramos (El Salvador)
5th - Arturo De Jesus Chavez Ramirez (Mexico)
7th - Manuel Ramirez (Puerto Rico)
8th - Angel Batista (Panama)
9th - Hector Camacho (Venezuela)
60 kg/132 lbs.
Gold - Maikel Antonio Perez(Cuba)
Silver - James Mancini (Canada)
Bronze - Abel Gerald Herrera Pastor (Peru)
Bronze - Matt Valenti (USA)
5th - Guillermo Torres Cervantes (Mexico)
5th - Nelson Garcia (Colombia)
7th - Fernando Iglesias (Argentina)
8th - Gabriel Garcia Sanchez (Dominican Republic)
9th - Jefferson Nunes Araujo (Brazil)
10th - Tomas Solorzano (Venezuela)
