Drury Wins Pan-Am Gold

OAXTEPEC, Mexico — Haiden Drury won the gold medal at the 2022 U20 Greco-Roman Pan-American Championships in Oaxtepec, Mexico. Drury went 5-0 on the day, winning three matches by tech fall, one by fall, and outscoring opponents 36-2.

Drury needed only 1:50 to win the gold medal match, jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the first minute after a pushout and a two-point arm throw takedown of Antonio Jordan Ruiz Mora (Ecuador). Drury led 4-0 after a second pushout before adding a second two-point takedown going up 6-0 and earned a tech fall victory at 8-0 on a two-point gut wrench.

Drury won his first pool play match by tech fall 10-1, defeating Alexis Abraham Vargas Ramirez (Mexico). Trailing 1-0 early, Drury scored ten straight points for the victory. Drury scored on a pushout, takedown, and one final pushout to lead 4-1 at the break. Back-to-back two-point takedowns and a two-point turn clinched the victory in match one.

Drury scored nine straight points for a 9-1 victory over Ruiz Mora (Ecuador). Drury struck back with a pushout to even the match at 1-1 and then picked up two additional pushouts going up 3-1. A two-point takedown on a drag put Drury up 5-1 at the break. Drury scored the match's final four points on three pushouts and a flee call for his second tech fall win of the day, clinching a spot in the semifinals of the 63kg.

Drury finished 3-0 in pool matches after Wilfredo Lopez (Panama) had an injury forfeit in the final pool match.

Drury defeated Marco Adryan Fernandez Cubas (Peru) in the semifinals by fall. Drury scored two stepouts and added a two-point takedown to go up 4-0 at the break. A stepout after the break put Drury up 5-0 before back-to-back takedowns sealed the win and a trip to the U20 Pan-American Championships 63kg gold medal match.

Drury will represent the United States again next month in Sofia, Bulgaria, at the UWW World Championships, August 15-21.