Team USA has emerged from the first two competitions of the 2017 Pan American Junior Championships, individuals and softball doubles, with three medals in Asuncion, Paraguay.
Two of the medals came in the girls’ individual competition that saw all four Americans progress to the quarterfinals. In one of the matches of the girls draw, Team USA’s Emily Rose came back from two games down, to upset local favorite and 5/8 seed Lujan Palacios in five games to progress to the quarterfinals.
The top half of the girls draw included an all-Team USA semifinal between top seed Sumrin Mudgil and 5/8 seed Riya Mital, which Mudgil edged in four close games 11-8, 12-10, 13-15, 13-11. Mital earned Team USA a bronze medal in reaching the semifinals.
In the final, Mudgil fell short against Mexico’s two seed Dina Anguiano 11-9, 7-11, 8-11, 5-11, earning Team USA’s first silver medal of the competition.
In the boys individual draw, Henry Martin, Patrick McElroy and Charles Culhane all fulfilled their seeding by reaching the round of sixteen.
The ensuing doubles competition included a run to the semifinals by Team USA’s Jane Pincus & Emily Rose. After a quarterfinal win against El Salvador, Pincus & Rose lost a close semifinal against top-seeded Mexico, earning Team USA a bronze medal.
Team USA’s boys doubles partnership, McElroy & Edward Mylod defeated Brazil in their opening match before exiting the competition against top seeds Mexico 11-9, 11-8.
The team competitions close out the championships, June 28-30.
Team seedings were determined based on individual and doubles results as teams prepare for pool play followed by playoffs.
The U.S. girls enter the team competition as the top seeds, leading Group A with 3/4 seeds Paraguay, 5/6 seeds El Salvador and 7/8 seeds Guatemala.
The U.S. boys are seeded 4/6 and enter Group B alongside hosts and 7/9 seeds Paraguay and two seeds Mexico.
Follow all results on the 2017 Pan American Junior Championships tournament page.
