PANAMA CITY, Panama – Birmingham’s Katie Gomez has added an international championship to her growing wrestling trophy case.
Gomez will return home from Panama City, Panama, with the 54-kilogram (119.5 pounds) crown that she won at the 2019 Cadet Pan American Championships.
Wrestling for Team USA and coached by Titan Mercury Club and Northview High coach Mike Duran, Gomez won her round-robin bracket earning a pair of falls and technical-falls to earn the Golden Boot as the Outstanding Wrestler of the women’s division.
Gomez was part of the U.S. team that picked up seven gold medals one silver medal and three bronze medals en route to the team championship with 175-points, followed by host Panama with 107-points and Colombia in third with 86-points. A total of 11 nations competed in the event.
Gomez victims included Rachel Arquinez (Panama), Ashi Iboy Escobar (Guatemala), Veronica Garcia Moz (El Salvador), and Marciela Molina Rivasplata (Peru).
Gomez just completed her freshman season at Birmingham High School. She won the Los Angeles City Section tournament and place fifth at the CIF state tournament at 119-pounds.
Gomez becomes the second wrestler from the Patriots to earn an international medal this year. Her head coach James Medeiros was triumphant in earning medals at the Veterans World Championships early this year. He won the bronze medal in Greco-Roman and silver in Freestyle.
Gomez comes from a wrestling family as her older brother Carlos was a three-time state qualifier that currently competes at the college level.
Gomez should be one of the favorites next year to become an individual state champion for the Patriots.