Team USA Tops Medal Table 6 Athletes Crowned Pan American Champions

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (April 26, 2021) -- Team USA returned home from the rescheduled 2020 Pan American Championships in the Dominican Republic after scoring 39 medals and scoring crucial points at the critical Tokyo 2020 Olympic Qualifier.

Six American athletes were crowned Pan American Champions at the competition which ran in Santo Domingo from April 20-24. Two athletes set new continental records while five set new American records. 

Led by stellar, Pan Am-winning performances by Cicely Kyle, Jourdan Delacruz, Meredith Alwine, Mattie Rogers and Sarah Robles, Team USA women defended their 2019 Pan American team title, scoring 25 medals in all; 13 gold, seven silver and five bronze. 

“This was a stunning and stellar performance by Team USA,” Mike Gattone, USA Weightlifting Senior Director of Coaching Education and High Performance, said. “With less than 100 days to the opening of the Tokyo Olympic Games, Team USA is ready to take the platform and we look forward to even greater successes come July.”

Team USA men, led by CJ Cummings’ Pan Am-winning performance in the 73kg body weight category, scored 14 medals; five gold, three silver and six bronze. Team USA Men finished in third place overall. 

For several athletes, this competition served as their potential final qualification event for the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. The Olympic Qualifying period runs through May 31, and USA Weightlifting will be able to name its Olympic Team by that point.

Originally scheduled for the spring of 2020 but delayed due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the 2020 Pan American Championships were rescheduled for April 2021. The 2021 edition of the Pan American Championships are scheduled for November 1-11 in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

The full results book is available from the Pan American Weightlifting Federation.

Team USA Results

Team USA Pan American Champions

Women

• Cicely Kyle, 36 years old

  • Bodyweight Category: 45kg

  • Hometown: Pensacola, FL

  • Club: Power & Grace Performance

    • Best Snatch: 70kg (Gold)

    • Best Clean & Jerk: 96kg* (Gold)

    • Total: 166kg (Gold)

• Jourdan Delacruz, 22 years old - Tokyo 2020 Hopeful

  • Bodyweight Category: 49kg

  • Hometown: Wylie, TX

  • Club: Power & Grace Performance

    • Best Snatch: 89kg† (Gold)

    • Best Clean & Jerk: 111kg† (Gold)

    • Total: 200kg† (Gold)

• Meredith Alwine, 22 years old

  • Bodyweight Category: 71kg

  • Hometown: Virginia Beach, VA

  • Club: Team OC

    • Best Snatch: 103kg (Bronze)

    • Best Clean & Jerk: 135kg (Gold)

    • Total: 238kg (Gold)

• Mattie Rogers, 25 years old - Tokyo 2020 Hopeful

  • Bodyweight Category: 81kg

  • Hometown: Geneva, FL

  • Club: Catalyst Athletics

    • Best Snatch: 111kg† (Gold)

    • Best Clean & Jerk: 140kg (Silver) 

    • Total: 251kg† (Gold)

• Sarah Robles, 33 years old - Tokyo 2020 Hopeful

  • Bodyweight Category: +87kg

  • Hometown: Desert Hot Springs, CA

  • Club: Team Houston

    • Best Snatch: 125kg (Gold)

    • Best Clean & Jerk: 155kg (Gold)

    • Total: 280kg (Gold)

Men

• CJ Cummings, 20 years old - Tokyo 2020 Hopeful

  • Bodyweight Category: 73kg

  • Hometown: Beaufort, SC

  • Club: Team Divergent

    • Best Snatch: 155kg* (Silver)

    • Best Clean & Jerk: 188kg (Gold)

    • Total: 343kg (Gold)

Medal-Winning Performances

Women

 

• Hayley Reichardt, 21 years old

  • Bodyweight Category: 49kg

  • Hometown: Leesport, PA

  • Club: Garage Strength

    • Best Snatch: 82kg (Silver)

    • Best Clean & Jerk: 107kg (Silver)

    • Total: 189kg (Silver)

• Taylor Wilkins, 23 years old

  • Bodyweight Category: 59kg

  • Hometown: McKinney, TX

  • Club: Spoon Barbell

    • Best Snatch: 95kg*

    • Best Clean & Jerk: 122kg* (Bronze)

    • Total: 217kg* (Bronze)

• Mattie Sasser, 24 years old - Tokyo 2020 Hopeful

  • Bodyweight Category: 64kg

  • Hometown: Grandview, MO

  • Club: UPLIFT

    • Best Snatch: 98kg

    • Best Clean & Jerk: 125kg (Bronze)

    • Total: 223kg

• Kate Nye, 21 years old - Tokyo 2020 Hopeful

  • Bodyweight Category: 76kg

  • Hometown: Berkley, MI

  • Club: Power & Grace Performance

    • Best Snatch: 105kg (Silver)

    • Best Clean & Jerk: 130kg (Silver)

    • Total: 235kg (Silver)

• Jessie Stemo, 24 years old

  • Bodyweight Category: 81kg

  • Hometown: Milwaukee, WI

  • Club: Power & Grace Performance

    • Best Snatch: 108kg (Silver)

    • Best Clean & Jerk: 134kg

    • Total: 242kg (Bronze)

Men

• Harrison Maurus, 21 years old - Tokyo 2020 Hopeful

  • Bodyweight Category: 81kg

  • Hometown: Auburn, WA

  • Club: Power & Grace Performance

    • Best Snatch: 150kg (Bronze)

    • Best Clean & Jerk: 190kg (Bronze)

    • Total: 340kg (Bronze)

• Nathan Damron, 24 years old

  • Bodyweight Category: 96kg

  • Hometown: San Ramon, CA

  • Club: California Strength

    • Best Snatch: 167kg (Bronze)

    • Best Clean & Jerk: 207kg (Bronze)

    • Total: 374kg (Bronze)

• Jason Bonnick, 39 years old

  • Bodyweight Category: 102kg

  • Hometown: Loxahatchee, FL

  • Club: Florida Elite

    • Best Snatch: 155kg (Bronze)

    • Best Clean & Jerk: 192kg

    • Total: 347kg (Bronze)

• Wes Kitts, 29 years old, - Tokyo 2020 Hopeful

  • Bodyweight Category: 109kg

  • Hometown: Knoxville, TN

  • Club: California Strength

    • Best Snatch: 160kg (Bronze)

    • Best Clean & Jerk: 190kg

    • Total: 350kg

• Caine Wilkes, 33 years old - Tokyo 2020 Hopeful

  • Bodyweight Category: +109kg

  • Hometown: Indian Trail, NC

  • Club: Little League Weightlifting

    • Best Snatch: 176kg (Silver)

    • Best Clean & Jerk: 212kg (Silver)

    • Total: 388kg (Silver)

Other Notable Performances

• Christian Rodriguez Ocasio, 27 years old

  • Bodyweight Category: 89kg

  • Hometown: San Ramon, CA

  • Club: California Strength

    • Best Snatch: 145kg

    • Best Clean & Jerk: 182kg

    • Total: 327kg (5th)

• Jordan Cantrell, 24 years old

  • Bodyweight Category: 89kg

  • Hometown: Clovis, CA

  • Club: Mash Elite

    • Best Snatch: 146kg

    • Best Clean & Jerk: 183kg

    • Total: 329kg (4th)

• John Downey, 29 years old

  • Bodyweight Category: 96kg

  • Hometown: Corona, CA

  • Club: Stable

    • Best Snatch: 146kg

    • Best Clean & Jerk: 187kg

    • Total: 333kg

*=New American Record

†=New American & Pan American Records