CORALVILLE, Iowa – Day 3 of the Pan American Games concluded with more hardware for the California contingent. At 86kg, Zahid Valencia put on a clinic, dismantling Michael Foca of the Dominican Republic 10-0 to secure his third career Pan Am gold medal. Valencia was untouchable throughout the tournament, outscoring his opponents by a combined 31-0 to help propel the U.S. Men’s Freestyle team to the top of the podium alongside 61kg gold medalist Austin De Santo. This victory adds to Valencia’s previous Pan Am titles from 2022 and 2025.

On the women’s side, Cristelle Rodriguez showed championship resilience at 53kg. After a narrow semifinal defeat at the hands of Olympic silver medalist Lucia Yepez Guzman (Ecuador), Rodriguez rebounded to claim bronze with a 7-2 win over Venezuela’s Alexa Alvarez Valenzuela. Rodriguez controlled the pace early with a step-out and a slick takedown-to-gut wrench sequence to lead 5-0 at the break. Despite a late push from Alvarez Valenzuela, Rodriguez sealed the medal with an emphatic “pancake” counter in the final seconds.

The action continues tomorrow as California’s Liam Cronin takes the mat at 57kg.

Photo Courtesy – Tony Rotundo

Photo Courtesy – Kadir Caliskan