Penn State's Alex Facundo Wins Pan-American Gold Medal

Facundo, who is taking a redshirt year at Penn State, helps Team USA to the title in Mexico.

Penn State wrestler Alex Facundo, who took an Olympic redshirt year away from the Nittany Lions, continued his burgeoning international career at the 2024 Pan-American Championships. Facundo cruised to a championship in the 79 kg freestyle weight class to earn the international gold medal.

Facundo was part of a U.S. team that swept the men's freestyle golds in Acapulco, Mexico. Fellow Nittany Lions Wrestling Club competitors Nick Lee (65 kg) and Kyle Snyder (97 kg) also won titles for the U.S. Facundo swept his weight class with a pair of shutout decisions, including an 11-0 win in the final. Facundo previously won a U20 championship at the 2022 Pan-American Championships.

Facundo, who qualified for the 2023 NCAA Wresting Championships at 165 pounds, chose to take an Olympic redshirt this season. He has been training for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials, which Penn State will host in April. Facundo clinched a spot at the Olympic Trials by placing third at the 2023 U.S. Senior Nationals.

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As a redshirt freshman for Penn State last season, Facundo went 18-6 and placed seventh at the Big Ten Championships. He went 0-2 in his first appearance at the NCAA Championships.

With Facundo taking an Olympic redshirt, Mitchell Mesenbrink has thrived at the 165-pound weight class for Penn State. Mesenbrink, a redshirt freshman who transferred from Cal-Baptist, is ranked sixth nationally according to InterMat at 19-0.

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