Pan American Championships: Nick Suriano Secures Gold With a Pin on Opponent’s Home Soil

Team USA couldn’t have asked for a better start to its Olympics run! With the Pan American Championships raging on, the country’s top wrestlers are making every step count with sensational performances on the mat. And now, Nick Suriano becomes the latest name to join the medal tally with a massive win. The former NCAA champion established himself as one of the country’s top talents over the years, and with the chance to represent the nation at the Olympics later this year, it looks like Suriano is fixated on delivering the goods.

Taking the game to your opponents in their home ground is never an easy task. However, Suriano managed to pull off the impressive feat in a stellar fashion.

The Pan American Championships offer another gold for the US

In its latest post on X (formerly Twitter), the official USA Wrestling account shared news of Suriano’s victory. The 2019 US national champ pinned Mexico’s very own Lavat Cortez to bag another gold for the country in the 61kg weight class. With Suriano recently announcing his step over to the new weight category, it looks like his decision was a sound one and his body is more than capable enough to take on opponents even in the new segment.

“MFS 61 kg – Round Five – Nick Suriano (US flag emoji) pin Juan Lavat Cortez (Mexican flag emoji), 4:47″, reads the caption of the post. Suriano and Spencer Lee’s epic rivalry has become an urban legend for anyone who follows collegiate wrestling with devotion. However, with Suriano announcing his weight class change, many were left saddened by the thought of never being able to see the two powerhouses lock horns anymore.

With that in mind, seeing the Michigan Wolverines wrestler Suriano excelling at the Pan American Championships couldn’t have been better news for fans in the Olympic year. However, Suriano isn’t the only one to find a podium finish at the Mexican tourney.

Team USA showing its worth with the Olympics at the end of the tunnel

Team USA has already amassed a considerable number of medals in the Pan American Championships. After two incredibly successful days, the momentum wasn’t lost and Katie Gomez bagged the first medal of the day after winning bronze after taking down her opponent in the women’s 53kg weight class. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Adeline Gray wrapped another brilliant tournament run with a gold to her name in the 76kg category. Men also complemented the performance.

Read more: Pan American Championships: Team USA Wrestling Shines Bright, Ends Day 2 With Staggering 6 Medal Haul

In the men’s 86kg finals, Chance Marsteller finished on the top of the podium while the 2023 Pan American Championships gold medalist Kyle Dake replicated the result only moments later in the 74kg finals. Both Dake and Marsteller won by forfeit. The last day of the event brings more stars from the male side on the mat. It remains to be seen how many more medals they add to the tally.