PUEBLA, Mexico (Oct. 21, 2026) — The United States closed out day three of the 2026 Pan American Championships with two more victories, this time from its 57-kilogram representative, Alyssa Mendoza, and the 70-kilogram representative, Simona Winkler. Following the wins, Mendoza and Winkler advanced to the semifinals, securing two more medals for Team USA.
Mendoza kicked off her journey with a 5-0 unanimous-decision win over Mexico’s Guadalupe Torres, winning all three rounds by 10-9 scores. Mendoza controlled the bout and secured a 5-0 decision to advance in the women’s 57-kilogram division. She will return to the ring Friday, October 23.
Winkler showed resilience and grit in her quarterfinal win over Puerto Rico’s Stephanie Pineiro in the women’s 70-kilogram division. After dropping the opening round 4-1, Winkler responded with a dominant second round, landing three eight-counts on Pineiro before the referee stopped the bout. The victory sends Winkler to the semifinals, where she will return to action on Thursday, October 22.
Marcus Luther (65 kilograms) came up short against Cuba’s Luis Vinet, falling by a 3-2 decision. After dropping the opening round 5-0, Luther came out firing in the second, winning it 4-1 and sending Vinet to the canvas for an eight-count. However, Luther’s comeback effort fell just short as he dropped the final round 3-2 and ultimately the bout by the same score. Marie Rosendo also competed for the United States against Mexico’s Darianne Hernandez in the women’s 65-kilogram division, falling by a 4-1 decision.
Team USA will have five boxers in action during Wednesday’s competition, with Noelle Haro (51 kilograms), Salim Ellis-Bey (60 kilograms) and Joseph Awinongya (90 kilograms) competing in the opening session, followed by Kendra Samargis (75 kilograms) and Gilbert Kabamba (90+ kilograms) in the second session.
Haro is scheduled to face Guatemala’s Dulce Diaz in the quarterfinals during Session 1, Bout 1, at approximately 12 p.m. ET, while Ellis-Bey will square off against Colombia’s Duvan Zuleta in the quarterfinals in Session 1, Bout 8, at approximately 3:45 p.m. ET. Awinongya, a 2024 U19 World Championships gold medalist, will take on Brazil’s Isaias Filho, 2025 World Boxing Championships silver medalist, in the quarterfinals in Session 1, Bout 9, at approximately 4 p.m. ET.
Samargis will face Venezuela’s Maryelis Yriza in the quarterfinals during Session 2, Bout 4, at approximately 7:45 p.m. ET. Kabamba will conclude the day for Team USA against Cuba’s Erick Castillo in the men’s 90+ kilogram quarterfinals during Session 2, Bout 10, at approximately 9:15 p.m. ET.
The USA Boxing Elite High Performance Team is led by Head Coach Billy Walsh (Colorado Springs, Colo.), who is assisted by National High Performance Coaches Nikki Burleson (Oklahoma City, Okla.), National Technical Coach Zaur Antia, and Billy Rafalko (Philadelphia, Pa.) and Jay Nimo (Dallas, Texas).
For further information on the 2026 Pan American Championships, including Brackets, Livestream, results, and more, fans can visit USA Boxing’s 2026 PanAmerican Championships event page.
Tuesday, Oct. 20 Results
Women’s 65 kg: Marie Rosendo, USA vs. Darianne Hernandez, MEX | L 4-1
Men’s 65 kg: Marcus Luther, USA vs. Luis Vinet, CUB | L 3-2
Women’s 57 kg: Alyssa Mendoza, USA vs. Guadalupe Torres, MEX | 5-0 Women’s 70 kg: Simona Winkler, USA vs. Stephanie Pineiro, PUR | W RSC-2
Wednesday, Oct. 21 Schedule
Women’s 51 kg: Noelle Haro, USA vs. Dulce Diaz, GUA, | Quarterfinals in Session 1, Bout 1 at approximately 12:00 p.m.
Men’s 60 kg: Salim Ellis-Bey, USA vs. Duvan Zuleta, COL | Quarterfinals in Session 1, Bout 8 at approximately 3:45 p.m.
Men’s 90 kg: Joseph Awinongya, USA vs. Isaias Filho, BRA | Quarterfinals in Session 1, Bout 9 at approximately 4:00 p.m.
Women’s 75 kg: Kendra Samargis, USA vs. Maryelis Yriza, VEN | Quarterfinals in Session 2, Bout 4 at approximately 7:45 p.m.
Men’s 90+ kg: Gilbert Kabamba, USA vs. Erick Castillo, CUB | Quarterfinals in Session 2, Bout 10 at approximately 9:15 p.m.
Press release: Bob Trieger
