U.S. Squad Set for Second Junior Pan American Games

(Colorado Springs, CO) – Thirteen athletes under the age of 22 will compete in the second edition of the Junior Pan American Games in Asuncion, Paraguay, August 9-23. The Junior Pan American Games is a multi-sport event for junior athletes, with 334 events in 28 sports expected to be contested. In the inaugural event held in 2021 in Cali, Colombia, the U.S. won two gold medals and three bronze medals.

Nicole Cancela (Lake Worth, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center), 19, was one of those gold medalists four years ago in the women's 52kg division, and she returns to this year's event in the 57kg competition, where she is currently ranked #28 in the world among juniors.

Four top-10-ranked juniors dot the U.S. roster, including #2-ranked Christopher Velazco (Coral Springs, Fla. / NYAC / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center) in the men's 60kg, #2-ranked Emily Jaspe (Hialeah, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center) in the women's 63kg, #2-ranked Daniel Liubimovski (Staten Island, N.Y. / NYAC / Colton Brown Training Center) in the men's 100kg and #8-ranked Jacob Yang (Los Angeles, Calif. / USA Judo National Resident Team / LA Judo Club) in the men's 66kg.

Other U.S. juniors currently ranked in the top-20 who will be competing at the Junior Pan American Games are Shavon Gonzalez (West Palm Beach, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center), #12 in the women's 70kg, Harlee Hiller (Evansville, Ill. / Cohen Brothers Judo), #14 in the women's 52kg, and Daniel Shulgin (Philadelphia, Pa. / Yawara Force), #18 in the men's 81kg.

Complete U.S. Junior Pan American Games roster is below:

Junior Women’s 48 kg
Malia Manibog (San Gabriel, Calif. / San Gabriel Judo Dojo)

Junior Men’s 60 kg
Christopher Velazco (Coral Springs, Fla. / NYAC / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center)

Junior Women’s 52 kg
Harlee Hiller (Evansville, Ill. / Cohen Brothers Judo)

Junior Men’s 66 kg
Jacob Yang (Los Angeles, Calif. / USA Judo National Resident Team / LA Judo Club)

Junior Women’s 57 kg
Nicole Cancela (Lake Worth, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center)

Junior Men’s 73 kg
Anthony Farnot (Lehigh Acres, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center)

Junior Women’s 63 kg
Emily Jaspe (Hialeah, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center)

Junior Men’s 81 kg
Daniel Shulgin (Philadelphia, Pa. / Yawara Force)

Junior Women’s 70 kg
Shavon Gonzalez (West Palm Beach, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center)

Junior Women’s 78 kg
Mackenzie Schultz (Daleville, Ala. / Black Ice Judo)

Junior Men’s 100 kg
Daniel Liubimovski (Staten Island, N.Y. / NYAC / Colton Brown Training Center)

Junior Women’s +78 kg
Rhadi Ferguson (Tampa, Fla. / High Noon Judo)

Junior Men’s +100 kg
Kanta Ueyama (Burbank, Calif. / LA Tenri Judo)