U15 Squad Garners 11 Medals at Pan Am Championships

(Colorado Springs, CO) – Team USA won 11 individual medals, including two gold, on November 29 at the Pan American U15 Championships in Varadero, Cuba. A total of 250 competitors (141 male, 109 female) from 13 nations took part in the event with the U.S. sending a delegation of 36 athletes. The American contingent placed third in the team standings behind Brazil (25 medals) and host Cuba (15 medals).

2024 Pan Am U15 Championship Results

A pair of 2024 Junior Olympic Champions each followed their titles in Pittsburgh earlier this year with gold medals in Varadero. Fourteen-year-old Logyn Puahala (Aiea, Hawaii / Hawaii Kaikaku Judo Club) and 13-year-old Taylor Do Carmo (Lehigh Acres, Fla. / Chief Pride Judo Club) finished first in the female 53 kg and male 44 kg divisions, respectively.

Puahala won four straight matches to take the title, defeating Brazil's Iara Silva in the final. Do Carmo also went undefeated in his four matches with a victory over Cuba's Sandy Munoz in the gold medal match.

The three silver medalists for Team USA were Nur Azametli (Sandy, Utah / USA Stars of Salt Lake City) in the female 48 kg division, Daniel Lima (Coral Springs, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center) in the male 53 kg competition, and Lily Infantado (Lehigh Acres, Fla. / Chief Pride Judo Club) in the female 36 kg event.

Other U.S. athletes winning bronze medals at the U15 Pan Am Championships were:

• Samuel Abdelmalak (Punta Gorda, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center / Male 48 kg)
• Sebastian Teran (Pompano Beach, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center / Male 48 kg)
• Hector Sanchez (Miami, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center / Male 53 kg)
• Theodore Uruymagov (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Judo Sambo Center / Male 58 kg)
• Chrystal Monthe Noussi (Fort Worth, Texas / Fort Worth Judo Club / Female 64 kg)
• Haleigh Bodin (Van Alstyne, Texas / NTX Judo / Female +64 kg)

Top eight and U.S. results from the individual event are as follows:

U15 Men’s 36 kg
1. Lian Macias (ECU)
2. Frank Sanchez (ECU)
3. Kevin Garcia (CUB)
3. Anthony Perez (CUB)
5. Peter Chalmeau (St. Louis Park, Minn. / DOCS Gym)
5. Brayan Vicente (CUB)
7. Kelvin Aballi (CUB)
7. Cesar Moreno (MEX)

U15 Men’s 40 kg
1. Saulo Ferreira (BRA)
2. Lazaro Rivas (CUB)
3. Maikol Gomez de Molina (CUB)
3. Luis Perales (MEX)
5. Eduardo Lobainado (CUB)
5. Fabrizzio Teran (Pompano Beach, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center)
7. Cesar Bautista (ECU)
7. Mauricio Sosa (CUB)

U15 Men’s 44 kg
1. Taylor Do Carmo (Lehigh Acres, Fla. / Chief Pride Judo Club)
2. Sandy Munoz (CUB)
3. Johan Cherrez (ECU)
3. Emmanuel Cuevas (DOM)
5. Mateo Arizmendi (PUR)
5. Jeam Carlos Claro (CUB)
7. Jekson De Pozo (CUB)
7. Jalet Moreno (CUB)

U15 Men’s 48 kg
1. Arthur De Melo (BRA)
2. Mateo Guerrero (ECU)
3. Samuel Abdelmalak (Punta Gorda, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center)
3. Sebastian Teran (Pompano Beach, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center)
5. Marcio Fontes (BRA)
5. Gabriel Hallais (BRA)
7. Gabrieli Makhatadze (CAN)
7. Giovanni Paciello (PAR)

U15 Men’s 53 kg
1. Maikol Batista (CUB)
2. Daniel Lima (Coral Springs, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center)
3. Hector Sanchez (Miami, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center)
3. Kaua Yonaha (BRA)
5. Eithan Chacon (CRC)
5. Jean Mederos (CUB)
7. Jason Alonzo (CUB)
7. Ricardo Teran (MEX)
Also Competed: Emmanuel Fiffe (Tampa, Fla. / Mambi Judo Club), 0-1; Cooper Owens (Tuttle, Okla. / USA Stars Foundation), 0-2

U15 Men’s 58 kg
1. Leonardo Martins (BRA)
2. Raul Suarez (CUB)
3. Pedro Santana (BRA)
3. Theodore Uruymagov (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Judo Sambo Center)
5. Rommel Mullo (ECU)
5. Javier Querol (CUB)
7. Oliver Badillo (Lehigh Acres, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center)
7. Artur Kachachyan (North Hollywood, Calif. / L.A. Judo Club)

U15 Men’s 64 kg
1. Howar Diaswilson (CUB)
2. Felipe Belusci (BRA)
3. Vinicius Niels (BRA)
3. Joao Rodrigues (BRA)
5. Mihail Belyakov (Staten Island, N.Y. / Samir Judo)
5. Erik De Armas (CUB)
7. Antony Ferreiro (CUB)
7. Gustavo Macias (ECU)
Also Competed: Ryan Chen (Virginia Beach, Va. / USA Stars East), 1-2; Alex Ko (Los Angeles, Calif. / L.A. Judo Club), 0-1

U15 Men’s +64 kg
1. Emelyan Sokolov (CAN)
2. Joao Palma (BRA)
3. Davi Faganello (BRA)
3. Murilo Miyata (BRA)
5. Sait Baez (CHI)
5. Elier Mena (CUB)
7. Leonardo Larosa (CUB)
7. Yoni Planche (CUB)
Also Competed: Artem Voznyuk (Mt. Prospect, Ill. / Chicago Tenri Judo Dojo), 0-1; Taras Petrovskiy (Bothell, Wash. / Washington Judo Academy), 0-1; Joseph Sulimanov (Rego Park, N.Y. / Spartak Sports Club), 2-2

U15 Women’s 36 kg
1. Gabrielli Casola (BRA)
2. Lily Infantado (Lehigh Acres, Fla. / Chief Pride Judo Club)
3. Kiara Gomez (ECU)
3. Maria Sales (BRA)
5. Omilla Elisondo (CUB)
5. Imaday Vera (CUB)
7. Geidi Albear (CUB)
7. Jazmin Hernandez (CUB)

U15 Women’s 40 kg
1. Maria Maciel (BRA)
2. Fabiana Sandoval (ECU)
3. Maria Alfonso (CUB)
3. Luzdary Galindo (CUB)
5. Lorena Pavon (CUB)
5. Yuliannis Vidalperez (CUB)
7. Ivana Flores (MEX)
7. Clara Notopradono (San Gabriel, Calif. / Colton Brown Training Center)
Also Competed: Mia Kikuchi Magana (San Pedro, Calif. / Harbor Judo Dojo), 0-2

U15 Women’s 44 kg
1. Sofia Gonzalez (ECU)
2. Maria de Oliveira (BRA)
3. Renata Marmolejo (MEX)
3. Maria Pavanatti (BRA)
5. Carmen Bustos (MEX)
5. Erika Morejon (CUB)
7. Sophie Li (Redmond, Wash.)
7. Yuritsa Vinent (CUB)
Also Competed: Sofia Castillo (Chesapeake, Va. / USA Stars East), 0-2

U15 Women’s 48 kg
1. Anielly Almeida (BRA)
2. Nur Azametli (Sandy, Utah / USA Stars of Salt Lake City)
3. Arnelmis Cantillo (CUB)
3. Darina Zamora (CUB)
5. Maurely Lozano (ECU)
5. Ximena Perez (MEX)
7. Amaris Bell (Pembroke Pines, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center)
7. Wendy Ramirez (MEX)
Also Competed: Emma Alversado (Gardena, Calif. / Harbor Judo Dojo), 0-2; Alexandra Erb (Adams, Tenn. / Reagan Martial Arts), 0-1

U15 Women’s 53 kg
1. Logyn Puahala (Aiea, Hawaii / Hawaii Kaikaku Judo Club)
2. Iara Silva (BRA)
3. Ana Lucia Alvares (MEX)
3. Ismari Wilzon (CUB)
5. Mariah Nogami (Santa Clara, Calif. / Nakano Judo Academy)
5. Kristina Trych (Old Bridge, N.J. / Sword Judo Sambo Club)
7. Lucia Martinez (PUR)
7. Fatima Ramirez (PAR)

U15 Women’s 58 kg
1. Gabriela Pereira (BRA)
2. Victoria Vargas (CHI)
3. Samara Chacon (BRA)
3. Aroleya Ruiz (CUB)
5. Jenna Michel (CUB)
5. Maria Trujillo (CUB)
7. Alisson Arroyo (ECU)
7. Misaki Chan (CUB)

U15 Women’s 64 kg
1. Monique Silva (BRA)
2. Anna Dias (BRA)
3. Melody Guerra (CUB)
3. Chrystal Monthe Noussi (Fort Worth, Texas / Fort Worth Judo Club)
5. Agustina Colman (URU)
5. Paola Gongona (CUB)
7. Damaris Paredes (ECU)
7. Eowyn Pizurnia (URU)
Also Competed: Maxime Lantz (Aurora, Colo. / Hyland Hills Judo Club), 0-1; Kelsey Billups (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Legrosports – Starrett), 0-2

U15 Women’s +64 kg
1. Clarisse Vallim (BRA)
2. Yasmin Toledo (BRA)
3. Haleigh Bodin (Van Alstyne, Texas / NTX Judo)
3. Isabelle Mafra (BRA)
5. Sheyla Rizo (CUB)
5. Thalia Zabal (Hayward, Calif. / Tri-Valley Judo)
7. Joanelia Declet (PUR)
7. Hanislin Denis (CUB)
Also Competed: Evangelyn Cook (Oklahoma City, Okla. / USA Stars Foundation), 0-1