McDanel Wins Second-Straight U20 Pan-American Championship

Incoming freshman Camden McDanel (97 kg) claimed his second-straight gold medal at the 2024 Pan-American Championships in Lima, Peru. 

McDanel, one of six newcomers on the 2024-25 squad, went 3-0 and outscored his opponents 30-0 to earn the victory. His impressive performance, including three-straight technical falls, helped the USA wrestling team sweep the tournament with all 10 wrestlers winning gold medals. 

Additionally, fellow newcomer LJ Araujo (79 kg) represented his dad’s home country of Brazil and earned the bronze medal. The four-time North Dakota state champion finished the championships with two-straight shutouts to claim his first international medal. 

2024 Pan-American Championships
July 11-13, 2024
Lima, Peru

79kg: LJ Araujo - Bronze

• Quarterfinals: 8-0 loss to Zackary Ryder (USA)
• Consolation: 4-0 win over Hector Hernandez Castillo (ECU)
• Third-Place Match: 11-0 win over Dario Cubas Castillo (PERU)

97kg: Camden McDanel - Gold 

• Round 1: Bye
• Round 2: Forfeit win over Alex Ortiz (PUR)
• Quarterfinals: 10-0 win over Tejvir Dhinsa (CAN)
• Semifinals: 10-0 win over Gabriel Garibaldi (ARG)
• Finals: 10-0 win over Tejvir Dhinsa (CAN)