Former NDSU Bison Josh Rodriguez won the 57 KG Pan American championship over the weekend wrestling for the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club.  Rodriguez, who left for Happy Valley, PA after he graduated from NDSU in 2017, started the day with a 7-2 victory over U23 World Champion Reineri Andreu Ortega of Cuba.  Rodriguez then scored two more victories before defeating returning Pan Am runner-up Oscar Tigeros Urbana in the finals.

At 61 KG,  world bronze medalist Joe Colon of Valley Regional Training Center scored a Pan Am title that included a win over last year’s world champion Yowlys Bonne Rodriguez of Cuba.  Bonne Rodriguez defeated Colon 9-4 last year in the world semifinals.  This tim around, Colon won 9-3 on the strength of a takedown and three consecutive gut wrenches.  Colon is coached at Valley RTC by North Dakota native Troy Steiner.

In total, the United State won gold at all ten Freestyle weigh classes and finished 34-0 in the tournament.