THWC Set for Senior Pan-American Championships in Coralville

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.