The Tar Heel Wrestling Club wrapped up competition at the Senior Pan American Championships in Coralville, Iowa, with another podium finish Sunday as Shannon Hanna earned a bronze medal at 65 kg.

Hanna put together a strong tournament performance before falling in the semifinal round to Real Woods of the United States. Woods entered the event as the reigning World bronze medalist at 65 kg and went on to win gold.

Bouncing back after the semifinal loss, Hanna responded with a dominant performance in the bronze medal match to secure a spot on the podium and add to an impressive weekend for the Tar Heel Wrestling Club on the international stage

With Hanna’s bronze medal, THWC finished the Senior Pan American Championships with three total medals, including one silver and two bronze medals against some of the top competition from across the Americas.

The strong performances in Coralville continue to showcase the growth and international success of the Tar Heel Wrestling Club as its athletes compete against world-level competition across the globe.

Tar Heel Wrestling Club athlete Justin Benjamin made history this weekend at the 2026 USA Wrestling Beach Nationals, capturing the championship and earning a spot on the U.S. Beach World Team for the fourth time in his career. Benjamin becomes the first athlete in Tar Heel Wrestling Club history to win a Beach Nationals title.

With the victory, Benjamin qualified for the 2026 Beach Wrestling World Championships, set to take place in September in Katerini, Greece.

The Beach World Championships will bring together top athletes from around the globe as Benjamin looks to continue building on his international success while representing both Team USA and the Tar Heel Wrestling Club on the world stage.

The Tar Heel Wrestling Club saw two athletes reach the podium Saturday at the Senior Pan American Championships in Coralville, Iowa, as Chris Foca captured a silver medal and Ethan Ramos secured bronze in freestyle competition.

Competing at 86 kg, Foca advanced to the championship finals with an impressive run through the bracket before falling to reigning World Champion Zahid Valencia in the gold medal match. Foca’s silver medal performance continues his rise on the international freestyle scene and adds another major achievement for the Tar Heel Wrestling Club on the senior level.

Representing Puerto Rico, Ethan Ramos battled back through the bracket to earn a bronze medal finish at 86 kg. A past Pan American medalist, Ramos once again showcased his veteran experience and toughness against a deep international field.

The medal-winning performances highlighted a strong showing for THWC athletes on the continental stage as the Senior Pan American Championships brought together many of the top wrestlers from across the Americas in Coralville.
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THWC’s international competition continues Sunday as Shannon Hanna is set to take the mat in Coralville looking to add another podium finish for the club.

The 2026 Senior Pan-American Wrestling Championships begin this week in Coralville, Iowa, bringing together many of the top freestyle wrestlers from across the Americas for one of the premier continental events on the international calendar. 

Three athletes representing the Tar Heel Wrestling Club will take the mat this weekend, as Shannon Hanna, Chris Foca, and Ethan Ramos compete against elite international fields while representing their respective nations.

At 86 kg in men’s freestyle, both Chris Foca and Ethan Ramos are set to compete on Saturday in a loaded bracket featuring top contenders from the United States, Brazil, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Canada, Colombia, and Mexico.

Representing the Dominican Republic, Chris Foca enters will open his competition directly in the quarterfinals. Foca is positioned on the bottom side of the bracket and could see several high-level matchups on his road to the finals.

Ethan Ramos, representing Puerto Rico, also received a direct berth into the quarterfinals. Ramos sits on the same side of the bracket from Foca, giving the two THWC athletes a potential opportunity to meet in the championship semifinals.  The 86 kg bracket includes several accomplished international wrestlers and is expected to be one of the most competitive divisions of the tournament.

On Sunday, Shannon Hanna will compete at 65 kg representing the Bahamas. Hanna advances directly into the quarterfinals, where he will begin his pursuit of a Pan-American medal against a field that includes athletes from the United States, Canada, Ecuador, Mexico, and Jamaica.

The Pan-American Championships serve as one of the most important continental events of the year and feature many current World Team members, Pan-American medalists, and internationally ranked athletes. The tournament runs May 7–10 in Coralville, Iowa.
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Fans can follow the action live through United World Wrestling and FloWrestling coverage throughout the weekend.

​Chapel Hill, NC — The Tar Heel Wrestling Club is set to be represented on the national stage as Justin Benjamin competes at 70 kg in the upcoming USA Wrestling Beach Nationals, held at the Carolina Beach Boardwalk in Carolina Beach, North Carolina.

Hosted by USA Wrestling, the Beach Nationals bring together top athletes from across the country to compete in one of the sport’s fastest-growing and most dynamic disciplines. The event features competitors of all ages and experience levels, all vying for national titles and, in select divisions, opportunities to qualify for international competition.

Benjamin will compete in the highly competitive 70 kg division, a weight class featured across multiple age groups including U20 and Senior men’s divisions.

Set against the backdrop of Carolina Beach, the event combines high-level wrestling with a unique outdoor atmosphere, highlighting the physicality and excitement of beach wrestling. Competition is scheduled to begin Saturday following weigh-ins and a mandatory rules clinic for all athletes.

Chapel Hill, NC — Dunia Rodriguez Sibomana continued his remarkable run on the international stage, capturing a second gold medal in as many days with a championship performance at the Senior African Championships in the 57kg division on Sunday.

Fresh off his UWW U20 African Championship title, Sibomana returned to the mat against the continent’s top senior-level competition and once again proved dominant. Showing no signs of fatigue, he controlled matches with the same high-paced offense and technical precision that defined his U20 run, solidifying his status as one of Africa’s premier wrestlers at 57kg—regardless of age level.

Doubling up with both U20 and Senior African titles in the same weekend is a rare and impressive feat, highlighting Sibomana’s readiness to compete at the highest levels of international wrestling. With back-to-back gold medals, Sibomana now turns his focus to the global stage, where he will represent the Democratic Republic of Congo at the U20, U23, and Senior World Championships later this summer and fall.

Chapel Hill, NC — Dunia Rodriguez Sibomana delivered a dominant performance on the international stage, securing the gold medal at the UWW U20 African Championships in the 57kg division. Competing against the continent’s top young talent, Sibomana picked up three tech-falls and one injury default en route to the championship title.

Sibomana was nothing short of dominant throughout the tournament, recording three technical falls and one injury default across four matches. His ability to control position, dictate pace, and score in bunches separated him from the field and underscored his emergence as one of the top young wrestlers in his weight class.

Sibomana will represent the Democratic Republic of Congo on the world stage, competing at the U20, U23, and Senior World Championships later this summer and fall. The gold medal performance builds significant momentum as he prepares to take on the best wrestlers in the world across multiple age divisions.

Chapel Hill, N.C. -- The Tar Heel Wrestling Club (THWC) will be represented on the international stage this May as three of its athletes are set to compete at the 2026 Pan American Wrestling Championships. The event will bring together the top wrestlers from across North, Central, and South America in a showcase of elite freestyle, Greco-Roman, and women’s wrestling competition.

Representing their respective countries, Chris Foca (Dominican Republic) and Ethan Ramos (Puerto Rico) will both compete in the men’s freestyle 86kg division, while Shannon Hanna (Bahamas) will take the mat at 65kg in men’s freestyle.

The Pan American Championships are scheduled for May 5–11 in Coralville, Iowa.

Freestyle competition for Foca and Ramos at 86kg is slated for Saturday, May 9th, beginning with qualification rounds from 10:00AM EST. Semi-finals will take place at 2:00PM EST, with repechage rounds immediately after. Finals and medal matches are scheduled for that evening at 6:00PM EST.

Hanna will compete at 65kg on Sunday, May 10th, following the same competition structure.

THWC continues to expand its international presence, with athletes representing multiple nations and competing at the highest levels of the sport.
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For more updates and results throughout the tournament, follow Tar Heel Wrestling Club on social media and visit www.tarheelwrestlingclub.com.

Day 4 brought a full slate of high-level matches, and THWC athletes responded with a mix of dominant technical falls, gritty decisions, and hard-fought placement finishes against some of the nation’s best.

Matthew Botello battled deep into the consolation rounds, picking up a solid 7–1 decision over Vincent Paino before falling in a high-scoring 16–13 match to Nicholas Sorrow. 

After dropping his quarterfinal bout Nate Askew, stormed back through the consolation bracket securing a fall over Jesse Grajeda. His run was halted in the consolation semifinals, and he ultimately finished sixth, capping off a strong tournament performance.

Jacob Levy mirrored that momentum on the backside. After an early loss in the quarterfinals, Levy responded with back-to-back technical falls over Tyson Russell and Rylan Kuhn to reach the consolation semifinals. 

Robert Platt led the way for THWC on the championship side with an impressive run to the finals. He opened with a technical fall over Thomas Reilly and followed it up with a tight 8–6 semifinal win against Brokton Borelli. Platt finished as runner-up.

Also making waves, Lincoln Jipp advanced to the finals on the championship side, before finishing second in a high scoring 15–14 decision.

The THWC had multiple podium finishes and, more importantly, four athletes Nate Askew, Lincoln Jipp, Robert Platt, and Jacob Levy officially qualified for the World Team Trials in Geneva, Ohio this May.