Representing the U.S., Southbury’s William Henckel won a gold medal at the U20 Pan American championships. (Photo courtesy Beast of the East)
Southbury’s William Henckel won three bouts to win a gold medal at the U20 Pan American championships in freestyle at 79 kilograms (174.1 pounds) on Saturday in Lima, Peru.
Henkel was one of eight Americans to win gold medals as the U.S. easily won the team championship in freestyle by 77 points over Canada, 230-153. The Americans went 31-2 in the tournament with 27 bonus point wins including 25 wins by technical fall and two pins.
Henckel, who will be a freshman at Penn State, won his first two matches by technical fall. In the finals, Henckel secured a 9-0 decision over Leandro Araujo of Brazil. Henckel, who graduated from Blair Academy in June, is a member of the U.S. U20 world championship team too.
The United States swept all three team titles in Lima, with the U.S. Greco-Roman Team winning the U20 Pan American title on Thursday and the U.S. women’s freestyle team winning the U20 Pan American title on Friday.
2025 PAN AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Lima, Peru, June 10-13
Men’s Freestyle results
79 kg (174.1 pounds)
Gold – William Henckel (USA)
Silver – Leandro Araujo (Brazil)
Bronze – Vincent Echavarry (Puerto Rico)
Bronze – Axel Nava Guzman (Mexico)
5th – Dario Cubas Castillo (Peru)
5th – Juan Villotta De La Cruz (Colombia)
7th – Angel Catalan Martinez (Guatemala)
8th – Santiago Valenzuela Mendez (Chile)
9th – Bryce Rooney (Canada)
79 kg: William Henckel, Southbury, Conn. (Blairstown WC), gold medal
WIN Dario Cubas Castillo (Peru), tech fall, 10-0, 1:36
WIN Vincent Echavarry (Puerto Rico), tech fall 10-0, 0:48
WIN Leandro Araujo (Brazil), 9-0
Men’s freestyle results
Team results — 1. United States 230, 2. Canada 153, 3. Brazil 128. 4. Mexico 100, 5. Puerto Rico 97, 6. Peru 86, 7. Ecuador 45, 8. Panama 42, 9. Guatemala 36, 10. El Salvador 20, 10. Jamaica 20, 12. Chile 16, 13. Colombia and Costa Rica, 10
