3 Land on the Podium at Jr. Pan American Games
Share:
ASUNCIÓN, PARAGUAY – The United States earned three medals at the 2025 Junior Pan American Games in Asunción, Paraguay. Nicole Caamano (69 kg), Ryan McDonald (88 kg), Jade Morales (53 kg), and Ella Nicholson (77 kg) all placed in the top-five in their respective weight classes.
W 53 kg
Jade Morales went 4-for-6 and lifted 75/98/173 to earn silver in the women’s 53 kg category. The 17 year old was in third place after the snatch portion of the competition, but hit her second 98 kg clean & jerk attempt to take second place in the total by just one kilogram. Morales’ total is five kilos short of her competition PR that she set at the 2025 Pan American Junior Championships in March. 173 kg is 96.65% of the junior women’s A standard.
M 88 kg
Ryan McDonald took the bronze medal in the men’s 88 kg category, going 4-for-6 and lifting 146/182/328 for a competition PR in the snatch and three international PRs. The 18 year old nailed his first two attempts at each lift to secure his bronze, and then missed on 149 kg and 190 kg. He surpassed his competition snatch PR of 144 kg set at the 2025 National Championships in June by two kilos. He also broke his international PR of 321 kg set at the 2025 Pan American Junior Championships by seven kilos. McDonald’s total of 328 kg is 99.39% of the junior men’s A standard.
W 69 kg
Nicole Caamano went 2-for-6 and lifted 92/110/202 to place fifth in the women’s 69 kg category. Her 202 kg total is 96.19% of the junior women’s A standard. Caamano hit her opening snatch at 92 kg, but didn’t complete attempts at 94 and 95 kg. Caamano then opened clean & jerks with a successful 110 kg attempt. Her attempt at 114 kg was initially good by majority, but was overturned by the jury. She then missed the jerk on her final attempt at 115 kg.
W 77 kg
Ella Nicholson went 5-for-6 at 77 kg, topping out at 114 kg in the snatch and 131 kg in the C&J for a 245 kg total and a silver medal. That was a 1 kg lifetime personal record in the snatch, 2 kilos under her C&J best, and a 1 kg total PR. Nicholson’s 114 kg snatch set a new senior American and junior Pan American record, and her total was a junior American record. Her total was 114.49% of the junior A standard, and 102.94% of the senior A standard. Nicholson finished second overall to Colombia’s Maria Mena Mosquera who totaled 246 kg off a 110 kg snatch and 136 kg C&J.
