Here’s how Penn State wrestler Connor Mirasola fared at U23 Pan Am Championships
Over the past couple of years, Penn State has seen several wrestlers compete on the international stage for the United States’ freestyle team.
During the U23 Pan Am Championships in Lima, Peru on Thursday, the Nittany Lions had only Connor Mirasola take part in competition.
Mirasola, who competed at 197 pounds during the regular season, was at the larger 125 kilogram weight class. But the weight disadvantage didn’t stop him from claiming a gold medal.
It was his second straight U23 Pan Am Championships title, after winning in Mexico last year at 92 kilograms.
The Penn State wrestler gave up a total of two points in his title winning run, but he didn’t have a traditional bracket style format to go through. Instead, Mirasola took part in a round-robin type tournament.
He opened with what was his toughest match as he topped Mexico’s Leonardo Guerrero Aviles, 4-1. After that match, Mirasola was dominant.
After getting a bye in the second round, the Nittany Lions wrestler shut out Puerto Rico’s Ethan Vergara, 10-0. The fourth round saw Mirasola pick up another technical superiority win, 12-1, over Canada’s Jorawar Dhinsa.
In his final match, Mirasola collected another technical superiority win, 10-0, over Colombia’s Santiago Mantilla.