Team USA Makes History with Five Junior Pan Am-Oceania Titles in Rio

(Colorado Springs, CO) – Team USA won five gold medals – a record for any U.S. squad – at the Junior Pan Am-Oceania Championships in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday.

2024 Junior Pan Am-Oceania Championships Results

The U.S. team won 12 medals overall to finish second in the standings behind host nation Brazil who ended the tournament with 16 medals.

With four title wins, the U.S. men also outpaced every other nation in the tournament, including Brazil who won two men’s gold medals.

Dominic Rodriguez (Lehigh Acres, FL / NYAC / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center) made history in 2022 with his gold medal win in the 73 kg division at the Senior Pan Ams where he became the youngest U.S. man to win a Pan Am title at just 17 years old. With three Cadet Pan Am titles on his resume, Rodriguez moved up to 81 kg this season and came to Rio to win the junior title that eluded him when he earned bronze medals in 2021 and 2022. Rodriguez dominated the field, throwing Alejandro Martinez Sanchez (MEX) for two waza-ari scores in the opener and Luan Almeida (BRA) for ippon in the semifinals. In the finals, he needed less than a minute to throw Enzo Simomura Maxiliano Trombini (BRA) for ippon to win gold.

Christopher Velazco (Coral Springs, FL / NYAC / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center) also won three Pan Am titles during his cadet career, but had a breakthrough in Rio, making his first Junior Pan Am medal a gold in the 60 kg division. Velazco led his round of 16 against Esteban Maldonado (ARG) by a waza-ari before closing the match with an armbar in the final minute. He advanced to the semifinals with a win on penalties over Jeronimo Pino Balbin (COL) and needed less than two minutes to throw Carlos Maximiliano Hernandez Macias (MEX) for two waza-ari scores. In the finals, Velazco defeated Jhonathan Benavides (ECU) on penalties in the first minute of Golden Score (sudden death overtime).

Emily Jaspe (Hialeah, FL / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center) was a medal favorite in the 63 kg division from the start as a 2022 Cadet Pan Am Champion and two-time bronze medalist in the junior event. Jaspe won her first two matches by ippon during regulation over Maria Cruz (MEX) and Noilyn Aguilar Bravo (CRC), but her final match would grind through regulation and into the sixth minute of overtime before Jaspe threw two-time Cadet Pan Am medalist Ingrid Choco (COL) for ippon.

The day after winning bronze in the +90 kg cadet event, Daniel Liubimovski (Staten Island, NY / Colton Brown Training Center) returned to the junior finals for the second straight year. A silver medalist at 90 kg last year, Liubimovski moved up to 100 kg to win gold. Liubimovski won his first match against Valentino Valdivia (PER) by ippon and advanced to the finals when teammate Zalman Zucker (Palo Alto, CA) was given a hansokumake for a flying armbar during their match. Fighting for gold, Liubimovski threw Andre Kramer (BRA) for ippon.

Oleksandr Nyzhnyk (Los Gatos, CA / Nakano Judo Academy) won gold in the 90 kg division at his first Junior Pan Am-Oceania Championships. The 2022 Junior World Team member defeated Gesse Barbosa (BRA) in the quarter-finals and upset 2023 Junior Pan Am Champion Gustavo Milano in the semifinals, throwing the Brazilian for a waza-ari in the final five seconds of regulation and locking in a pin to close the match. In the finals, Nyzhnyk and 2023 Cadet Pan Am Champion Yehor Paladii (CAN) battled for three minutes before Nyzhnyk won the match and the gold by ippon.

In the 70 kg division, Nancy Nguyen (San Jose, CA / San Jose State University Judo) and Shavon Gonzalez (West Palm Beach / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center) won silver and bronze. Although this was Nguyen’s debut on Team USA, she came into the event after a gold medal win at the Podgorica Junior European Cup in March and her first Youth National Championship title two weeks later.

Nguyen won her first match by ippon over Heydi Santillana (COL) and took her next two victories by penalties in Golden Score when she defeated Charline Bourque (CAN) in the quarters and teammate, Shavon Gonzalez (West Palm Beach, FL / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center), in the semis. In the finals, however, Nguyen was thrown for ippon by two-time Junior World silver medalist Kaillany Cardoso (BRA). A two-time Cadet Pan Am Champion, Gonzalez won her third straight bronze medal in the junior event after throwing Renata Sandoval (MEX) for a waza-ari and pinning her in the final minute of the match.

Jonathan Yang (Los Angeles, CA / LA Judo Club) followed his Cadet Pan Am title in the 60 kg division with a bronze medal in the junior competition where he finished with a 5-1 record. Yang won his first match against Andres Leon (VEN) in the round of 32 where he threw the Venezuelan for a waza-ari and then took the match on penalties. In the round of 16, Yang threw Eduardo Sagastegui (MEX) for ippon in the second minute. Yang lost his quarter-final match to Victor Dessureault (CAN), a gold medalist at the Senior Montreal Pan American Cup, but won three straight to reach the podium. In the repechage, Yang won his first two matches on the ground, choking Manuel Eduardo Simo Garcia (DOM) and armbarring Galo Gillavicencio (ARG) each in the opening minute. In the finals, Yang defeated Carlos Maximiliano Hernandez Macias (MEX) on penalties.  

Yang’s older brother, Jacob Yang (Los Angeles, CA / LA Judo Club), won a bronze medal as well – adding to the two previous bronzes he won in the 66 kg division at the Junior and Cadet Pan Ams in 2022. Yang rebounded from an opening round loss to 2023 Junior Pan Am bronze medalist Kevin Ayala (ECU) to defeat Keiner Sanchez Garcia (COL) and Lowan Le Bris (CAN) to advance to the bronze medal final where he threw 2023 Cadet Pan Am bronze medalist Xavion Johnson (BAH) twice to reach the podium – first for a waza-ari in the opening minute and again for ippon in the third minute.

A bronze medalist in the +70 kg cadet event at her Pan Am debut on Monday, Mackenzie Schultz (Daleville, AL / Black ICE Judo) added a junior bronze in the 78 kg event in Rio. Schultz trailed Tania Murillo (COL) by a waza-ari and two penalties going into the final minute of their quarter-final before Schultz ended the match with a pin. In the semifinals, Schultz fell to Dandara Camilo (BRA) – the 2023 gold medalist in the +70 kg cadet event who went on to win gold in the 78 kg junior competition. Schultz utilized her ground game again in the bronze medal final where she pinned Zen Mineque (CAN).

Harlee Hiller (Evanston, IL / Cohen Brothers) advanced to the finals of the 48 kg at the last two Junior Pan Ams and returned to the podium in a new weight this year, winning bronze at 52 kg. Hiller trailed Driulys Rivas (PER) by two penalties in the round of 16 before taking the match to the ground and pinning Rivas in the third minute. Hiller needed just over a minute to defeat Stefany Salinas (PAR) by ippon in the quarter-finals, but her quest for gold was stopped by Aylin Avila (MEX) in the semifinals. Fighting for bronze, Hiller and Wendy Golu (COL) battled into the fourth minute before Hiller threw Golu for the waza-ari that would clinch the match.

A gold medalist in 2021 and silver medalist in 2022 in the 52 kg division, Nicole Cancela (Coral Springs, FL / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center) also came back from an opening round loss to win bronze. Cancela was upset by Frida Maya (MEX), the silver medalist in the cadet event on Monday, in overtime, but needed just over a minute to win each of her repechage matches by ippon, defeating Juana Maidana (ARG) and Irene Ferrin (ECU). In the bronze medal final, Cancela bested Audreys Pacheco (VEN) on penalties in the third minute.

Top eight and U.S. results are as follows:

Men’s 60 kg
1. Christopher Velazco (Coral Springs, FL / NYAC / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center)
2. Jhonathan Benavides (ECU)
3. Jeronimo Pino Balbin (COL)
3. Jonathan Yang (Los Angeles, CA / LA Judo Club)
5. Victor Dessureault (CAN)
5. Carlos Maximiliano Hernandez Macias (MEX)
7. Erick Matsumoto Kaneda (BRA)
7. Galo Villavicencio (ARG)

Women’s 48 kg
1. Clarice Ribeiro (BRA)
2. Erika Jara (ECU)
3. Heidi Quach (CAN)
3. Marie-Lune Turmel (CAN)
5. Maryury Urena (COL)
5. Mariana Nunes (BRA)
7. Natalie Pino (Hialeah, FL / Budokan Judo School)
7. Manuela Crespo (COL)

Men’s 66 kg
1. Iago Santos de Oliveira (BRA)
2. Alfredo Valdivieso (ECU)
3. Kevin Ayala (ECU)
3. Jacob Yang (Los Angeles, CA / LA Judo Club)
5. Fabricio Meyer (CHI)
5. Xavion Johnson (BAH)
7. Franco Baltazar (PER)
7. Lowan Le Bris (CAN)

Women’s 52 kg
1. Rafaela Rodrigues (BRA)
2. Aylin Avila (MEX)
3. Harlee Hiller (Evansville, IL / Cohen Brothers)
3. Driulys Rivas (PER)
5. Wendy Golu (COL)
5. Valentina Alamo (ARG)
7. Blanca Chala (ECU)
7. Leomaris Ruiz (VEN)

Men’s 73 kg
1. Guilherme De Oliveira (BRA)
2. Maikor Yefri Louis Pierre (DOM)
3. Tomas Hernandez (CHI)
3. Lasha Tsatsalashvili (CAN)
5. Jose Gonzalez (ECU)
5. Paolo Alberto Silva Manzi (URU)
7. Steven Boldbaatar (Bellevue, WA / Washington Judo Academy)
7. Esteban Barrionuevo (ARG)

Women’s 57 kg
1. Julia Henriques (BRA)
2. Frida Maya (MEX)
3. Nicole Cancela (Coral Springs, FL / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center)
3. Catherine Toshkov (CAN)
5. Audreys Pacheco (VEN)
5. Carla Van Zyl (CAN)
7. Irene Ferrin (ECU)
7. Montserrat Mosqueda Lopez (MEX)

Men’s 81 kg
1. Dominic Rodriguez (Lehigh Acres, FL / NYAC / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center)
2. Enzo Simomura Maxiliano Trombini (BRA)
3. Luan Almeida (BRA)
3. John Perez Ruiz (COL)
5. Luis Pariche (VEN)
5. Tigran Kryvytskyi (CAN)
7. Demis Gomez (CHI)
7. Alejandro Martinez Sanchez (MEX)

Women’s 63 kg
1. Emily Daniela Jaspe (Hialeah, FL / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center)
2. Ingrid Choco (COL)
3. Maria Cruz (MEX)
3. Ana Beatriz Feitosa (BRA)
5. Constanza Perez (CHI)
5. Noilyn Aguilar Bravo (CRC)
7. Mackenzee Bunton (Frisco, TX / Eastside Dojo)
7. Margot Chevalier (CAN)

Men’s 90 kg
1. Oleksandr Nyzhnyk (Los Gatos, CA / Nakano Judo Academy)
2. Yehor Paladii (CAN)
3. Jesse Barbosa (BRA)
3. Gustavo Milano (BRA)
5. Derik Rodriguez (PUR)
5. Tomas Quinteros (ARG)
7. Samuel Corzo (VEN)
7. Jhon Caicedo Sinisterra (COL)

Women’s 70 kg
1. Kaillany Cardoso (BRA)
2. Nancy Nguyen (San Jose, CA / San Jose State University Judo)
3. Shavon Gonzalez (West Palm Beach / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center)
3. Joaquina Nieto (ARG)
5. Renata Sandoval (MEX)
5. Hannelys Espina (VEN)
7. Iara Figueroa (ARG)
7. Heydi Santillana (COL)

Men’s 100 kg
1. Daniel Liubimovski (Staten Island, NY / Colton Brown Training Center)
2. Andre Kramer (BRA)
3. Eduardo Franco (VEN)
5. Zalman Zucker (Palo Alto, CA)

Women’s 78 kg
1. Dandara Camilo (BRA)
2. Brenda Olaya (COL)
3. Mackenzie Schultz (Daleville, AL / Black ICE Judo)
3. Tania Murillo (COL)
5. Zen Mineque (CAN)
5. Paula Constanza Sanchez Ledesma (MEX)

Men’s +100 kg
1. John Jr Messe A Bessong (CAN)
2. Jose Miguel Brache Jarquin (DOM)
3. Breno Dias Duarte (BRA)
3. Patricio Urra (CHI)
5. Gustavo Canizalez (VEN)
5. Gerardo Castelan (MEX)

Also Competed: Armen Akojyan (Glendale, CA / Glendale Judo Academy), 0-2

Women’s +78 kg
1. Evellyn Vitoria Das Chagas Pereira (BRA)
2. Alisa Kofman (CAN)
3. Olivia Oliveira (BRA)
3. Kharla Casas (CHI)
5. Jeslenny Baletrini (VEN)
5. Valeria Hernandez (CRC)