Photo by: Tony Rotundo
Wrestling's Mack Crowned Pan American Champion
6/1/2021 3:00:00 PM | Wrestling
Columbia Wrestling Volunteer Assistant Coach Shelton Mack took home the gold for USA Wrestling at the Pan American Championships.
GUATEMALA CITY — Seems that being labeled a champion is something Columbia Volunteer Assistant Coach Shelton Mack is getting comfortable with, as he ran the Men's Freestyle 61kg table to be crowned a Pan American Champion while representing United States Wrestling at the 2021 Pan American Championships with Mack's wins coming on Sunday, May 30.
Mack came to Guatemala City having won the United World Wrestling Senior National Title in Coralville, Iowa over the weekend of April 30-May 2, entered the final day of the championships needing four wins to be crowned Pan American Champion. Mack's weight class 61kg consisted of five other wrestlers giving the class a group of six men from across the Americas.
After a first-round bye, Mack began his quest for a title by taking down El Salvador's Victor Lopez Miranda by VSU, 10-0. The next round saw Mack matched up with Mexico's Jorge Olvera Rodriguez where a win by VSU1, 12-2 moved Mack into the semifinals and two wins away from the top of the podium.
In the semifinals, Mack faced Esteban Perez Castellanos who had the home mat advantage, hailing from Guatemala, but Mack had no problems punching his ticket to the finals. Mack would handle Perez Castellanos, winning by VSU, 10-0, and it set Mack up in the finals and a chance to be a Pan American Champion.
The finals saw Mack go up against the Dominican Republic's Juan Ramirez Beltre, who is a 2011 Pan American Games champion and the 2019 Pan American Games silver medalist, and from the first whistle Mack was in control, keeping Ramirez Beltre off the scoreboard throughout. Mack would get the points he needed, winning by VPO, 2-0, to take the gold and be named Men's Freestyle 61kg Pan American Champion.
2021 PAN AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
Guatemala City, Guatemala
MEN'S FREESTYLE
61kg | Shelton Mack (USA) – R2: W, by VSU, 10-0 vs. Victor Lopez Miranda (ESA); R3: W, by VSU1, 12-2 vs. Jorge Olvera Rodriguez (MEX); SF: W, by VSU, 10-0 vs. Esteban Perez Castellanos (GUA); F: W, by VPO, 2-0 vs. Juan Ramirez Beltre (DOM)
FOLLOWING THE LIONS: Stay up to date on all things Columbia Wrestling by following the Lions on Twitter (@CULionsWR), Instagram (@culionswr) and on Facebook (@ColumbiaAthletics).
Mack came to Guatemala City having won the United World Wrestling Senior National Title in Coralville, Iowa over the weekend of April 30-May 2, entered the final day of the championships needing four wins to be crowned Pan American Champion. Mack's weight class 61kg consisted of five other wrestlers giving the class a group of six men from across the Americas.
After a first-round bye, Mack began his quest for a title by taking down El Salvador's Victor Lopez Miranda by VSU, 10-0. The next round saw Mack matched up with Mexico's Jorge Olvera Rodriguez where a win by VSU1, 12-2 moved Mack into the semifinals and two wins away from the top of the podium.
In the semifinals, Mack faced Esteban Perez Castellanos who had the home mat advantage, hailing from Guatemala, but Mack had no problems punching his ticket to the finals. Mack would handle Perez Castellanos, winning by VSU, 10-0, and it set Mack up in the finals and a chance to be a Pan American Champion.
The finals saw Mack go up against the Dominican Republic's Juan Ramirez Beltre, who is a 2011 Pan American Games champion and the 2019 Pan American Games silver medalist, and from the first whistle Mack was in control, keeping Ramirez Beltre off the scoreboard throughout. Mack would get the points he needed, winning by VPO, 2-0, to take the gold and be named Men's Freestyle 61kg Pan American Champion.
2021 PAN AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
Guatemala City, Guatemala
MEN'S FREESTYLE
61kg | Shelton Mack (USA) – R2: W, by VSU, 10-0 vs. Victor Lopez Miranda (ESA); R3: W, by VSU1, 12-2 vs. Jorge Olvera Rodriguez (MEX); SF: W, by VSU, 10-0 vs. Esteban Perez Castellanos (GUA); F: W, by VPO, 2-0 vs. Juan Ramirez Beltre (DOM)
FOLLOWING THE LIONS: Stay up to date on all things Columbia Wrestling by following the Lions on Twitter (@CULionsWR), Instagram (@culionswr) and on Facebook (@ColumbiaAthletics).
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