Team USA’s Wil Hagen & Morgan Steelman upset top-seeded Mexico before defeating Paraguay to win gold in the 2015 Pan American Junior Championships Mixed Doubles competition Thursday night in Resistencia, Argentina.
Unseeded Hagen & Steelman twice recovered from losing the first game to win two difficult three-game matches before the final. The Americans first defeated Ecuador 9-11, 11-9, 11-10, then upset top-seeded Mexico 8-11, 11-3, 11-8 to reach the final. Hagen & Steelman only needed two games to claim gold medals against Paraguay in the final, however, cruising to victory 11-4, 11-2.
The team competition begins with pool play Friday. The U.S. women are seeded second and were drawn into a pool with Brasil, Paraguay, and Guatemala. The men meanwhile were drawn into a difficult pool with Mexico and Argentina.
Follow @TeamUSASquash on Twitter for updates from Argentina.
Follow all results on the team competition tournament page.