RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – Taking their talents to the international stage and representing the country of their forefathers, former California high school standouts Moses Mendoza (Gilroy) and Aiden Chur-Martinez (Granite Hills) put on a spectacular show for Team Mexico at the U20 Pan-American Championships! Both wrestlers battled fiercely through deep brackets to walk away with hard-earned bronze medals.

Moses Mendoza: A Warrior’s Rebound at 71kg

Competing at 71 kilograms, Mendoza showed incredible resilience. His lone blemish in the tournament came during a grueling, razor-thin 5-3 quarterfinal war against the eventual gold medalist, Dean Anderson of the United States. Unfazed, Mendoza stormed back through the bracket to claim the bronze, completely dismantling his Colombian opponent with a dominant 13-1 statement victory. Fans can get ready to watch Mendoza bring this elite international experience to the mat for the University of Michigan this upcoming season.

Aiden Chur-Martinez: Clutch Under Pressure

Chur-Martinez made a massive impact of his own, powering his way to the semifinals before dropping an absolute heartbreaker to Canada in a tight 8-7 slugfest. But he didn’t let that stop him from securing hardware. In the third-place bout, Chur-Martinez regrouped, refocused, and outworked his Guatemalan challenger to secure an impressive 8-4 win, proudly taking home his very first U20 Pan-American medal.

These two Golden State products proved they have the grit and talent to compete with the absolute best in the Americas.