Newtown High’s Antonio Arguello, representing El Salvador, won a bronze medal at the recent U-17 Pan American championships in Panama (Photo courtesy CIAC)
Newtown’s Antonio Arguello earned another medal at the U-17 Pan American championships in Panama over the weekend. Representing El Salvador, Arguello finished third at 71 kilograms or 156.1 pounds.
Arguello, a junior at Newtown High, won a bronze medal in 2023 U15 for freestyle and 2 bronze medals for Greco and Freestyle at the U15 in 2024. At the U17 championships in 2025, he won silver for freestyle.
Arguello won his first match of the tournament with a pin over Chile’s Valentino Goday Corvalan before losing to American Aiden Arnett of Illinois 9-4 Arnett won his two matches to advance to the finals before dropping a 12-8 decision to Canada’s Jerin Coles.
Arguello beat Argentina’s Benjamin Casas Vaquel, 7-6 to finish third.
Less than a month ago, Arguello finished third at the New England championships at 157 pounds to finish his high school season at 53-4. A week earlier, he won his first State Open championship.
With eight gold medalists and a medalist in each weight class, the Americans won the tournament with a 235-147 win over Canada. Puerto Rico was third with 112 points. El Salvador was ninth out of 10 teams with 44 points. Six of the American’s eight wins were by technical fall.
Men’s Freestyle
At Panama City, Panama
Team Standings — 1. United States 235, 2. Canada 147, 3. Puerto Rico 112, 4. Mexico 100, 5. Peru 83, 6. Brazil 78, 7. Venezuela 57, 8. Colombia 53, 9. El Salvador 44, 10. Panama 43
71 kilograms (156 pounds)
Gold – Jerin Coles (Canada) dec. Aiden Arnett (United States), 12-8
Bronze – Antonio Arguello Belcolore (El Salvador) dec. Benjamin Casas Vaquel (Argentina), 7-6
Bronze – Isaque De Sa Barbatto (Brazil) tech. fall Cameron Haines (Panama), 10-0
