OTTAWA — Wrestling Canada Lutte (WCL) is proud to announce the athletes, coaches, and support staff representing Canada at the 2025 U23 Pan-American (Pan-Am) Wrestling Championships, taking place April 10-12 in Querétaro, Mexico. This year’s event will serve as a qualifier for the 2025 Asunción Junior Pan-Am Games and be a critical pathway to the 2025 World U23 Championships in Navi Sad, Serbia for the Canadian athletes.
“The Canadian U23 team will be led by two world silver medalists, Serena Di Benedetto and Vianne Rouleau, when they hit the mats in Querétaro, Mexico,” said Chris Woodcroft, WCL High Performance Director. “Our athletes will compete against the best in North and South America to secure weight class qualifications for the Pan-Am Games in Paraguay this August. These championships also serve as a stepping-stone for the 2025 World U23 Championships in Serbia. Canada is sending a strong team, combining seasoned athletes from U17 and U20 Pan-Am events with rising stars making their international debut.”
The Canadian squad features standout competitors such as Di Benedetto, who will compete at 53kg and Rouleau, who will be in action at 76kg. Both captured silver medals at the 2024 World Championships in Tirana, Albania. Di Benedetto is also a past four-time bronze medalist at the Pan-Am Championships, taking two at the U20 and two at the U17 level.
As for Rouleau, she owns a trio of medals at the Pan-Am Championships, a gold at the 2022 U20 event, silver at the 2019 U17 and bronze at the 2018 U17. Both competitors will be looking to add more hardware to their collection in Mexico.
2025 U23 Pan-American Championships Team
| Weight Class | Name | Hometown | Club |
| WW 50kg | YOUNG, Kelyn | Brampton, ON | Guelph WC |
| WW 53kg | DI BENEDETTO, Serena | Stoney Creek, ON | Hamilton WC |
| WW 55kg | DETTLOFF, Kendall | Dorchester, ON | London-Western WC |
| WW 57kg | FRIESEN, Mia | St. Catharines, ON | Brock WC |
| WW 59kg | CROSS, Gabi | Calgary, AB | Dinos WC |
| WW 62kg | RANKIN, Michaela | St. Catharines | Brock |
| WW 65kg | ELLIS-TODDINGTON, Angelina | Lethbridge, AB | Dinos WC |
| WW 68kg | BURGESS, Nyla | Ajax, ON | Team Impact WC |
| WW 72kg | KEEFE, Vanessa | St. Catharines | Brock WC |
| WW 76kg | ROULEAU, Vianne | Edmonton, AB | Edmonton WC |
| FS 57kg | TROTMAN, Treye | London, ON | London-Western WC |
| FS 61kg | HELOU, Blayne | Pickering, ON | Hamilton WC |
| FS 65kg | PAPADOPOULOS, Dechlan | Pickering, ON | Team Impact WC |
| FS 74kg | SCHWICHTENBERG, Mark | Agassiz, BC | Dinos WC |
| FS 79kg | GLASGOW, Jackson | Mississauga, ON | GTA Alliance |
| FS 86kg | STEVENSON, Aidan | Edmonton, AB | Edmonton WC |
| FS 92kg | DE MAIO, Joseph | Calgary, AB | Dinos WC |
| FS 97kg | ASEKOMHE, Omogbai | Mississauga, ON | Hamilton WC |
| FS 125kg | LI, Roger | Windsor, ON | Brock WC |
Accompanying the team are the coaching staff and team officials. The group includes coaches Dave Collie and Gord Peavy; personal coaches Owen Dawkins and Dave Spinney; team leader Kale Whitton; and physiotherapist Tim Nanassy. Ryan Forsberg will represent Canada as an official.
For live updates, schedules, and results, visit the official tournament page: UWW Event Hub.
About Wrestling Canada Lutte (WCL)
Wrestling Canada Lutte (WCL) is the national sport governing body for Olympic style wrestling in Canada. Among its responsibilities, the association selects and prepares Canada’s teams that participate in international competitions including Continental Championships, World Championships and major multi-sport Games (i.e. Olympic Games). WCL works with provincial and territorial partners to deliver world-class programs and services to athletes, coaches, and officials to achieve podium success and grow the sport.
For more information:
DARREN MATTE
Marketing & Communications Manager
Wrestling.ca
Tel: 416-768-6847
Email: dmatte@wrestling.ca