Women's Wrestling Vasquez captures Pan Am gold

| July 9, 2017 8:54 PM

The Daily Inter Lake

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Flathead High School’s Tilynne Vasquez decisioned Melissa Fryer of Canada 6-1 in the final at 108 pounds to capture the gold medal in women’s freestyle wrestling at the Cadet Pan American Championships on Saturday.

Vasquez pinned Mercedes Castillo Bernal in the semifinals.

Vasquez wrestled two times.

Fryer wound up with a silver medal and Bernal took home the bronze.

Vasquez was one of six U.S. women to claim a gold medal. The U.S. had nine medalists total.

The U.S. finished first in the team standings with 86 points. Mexico was second, 59, and Canada third, 57.

Vasquez compiled a 22-7 regular-season record and was seeded fourth at 103 pounds for the Class AA state high school wrestling tournament in Billings back in February. She finished sixth at state, becoming the first female to ever place in AA.

Vasquez will be a sophomore for the 2017-18 school year.