Villarreal grabs first gold for Mexico in men’s 1,500 meters; Watson wins women’s 400 hurdles, then endures DQ, eventually has ruling overturned to earn first title in event for Canada; Silva takes third straight women’s pole vault crown for Cuba, Spencer repeats in women’s high jump for Saint Lucia

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

It was a historic, and quite emotional, day for a pair of University of Arizona standouts Thursday at the 18th Pan American Games at Athletic Stadium in Lima, Peru.

Fifth-year senior Carlos Villarreal captured the first gold for Mexico in the men’s 1,500 meters and just the country’s third overall medal in the event in meet history, clocking 3 minutes, 39.93 seconds to rally past American Johnny Gregorek (3:40.42) and Arizona State graduate Will Paulson, who finished third for Canada in 3:41.15.

It was also a significant redemption run for Villarreal, who was racing for the first time since placing 20th in the NCAA Division 1 semifinals June 5 in Austin, Texas, resulting in him not advancing to the final after clocking a personal-best 3:37.22 on April 19 at the Bryan Clay Invitational at Azusa Pacific University.

But the most chaotic scene, not just Thursday, but thus far in the entire track and field competition, came following the women’s 400-meter hurdles final.

Arizona graduate and Nike professional Sage Watson, the 2017 NCAA Division 1 champion, appeared to have secured the first gold medal in the event for Canada in meet history in 55.16 seconds.

Then, a short time after, Watson was disqualified for apparent lane infringement, resulting in American Anna Cockrell – the reigning NCAA champion for USC – being upgraded to gold in 55.50 seconds.

However, following an appeal, the gold medal was returned to Watson, securing her first international title representing Canada, with Cockrell placing second and Jamaica’s Rushell Clayton earning bronze in 55.53.

With the U.S. accumulating nine medals Thursday, but no golds, there were several other countries celebrating memorable firsts, including Costa Rica’s Andrea Vargas in the women’s 100-meter hurdles.

Vargas prevailed in a wind-legal 12.82 seconds to earn Costa Rica’s first medal of any kind in the event in meet history. USC sophomore Chanel Brissett secured silver in 12.99 and Jamaica’s Megan Simmonds grabbed bronze in 13.01.

Another significant victory came in the men’s 400 meters, with Anthony Zambrano winning in 44.83 seconds to capture the first medal for Colombia in the event in meet history.

Jamaica’s Demish Gaye took silver in 44.94 and Hazelwood West MO junior Justin Robinson, the reigning Pan American U-20 champion, earned his first senior medal for the U.S. by grabbing bronze in 45.07, just ahead of fellow American Wil London III in 45.22.

Chile became only the second nation to take the top two spots in the men’s hammer throw, with Gabriel Kehr Sabra producing a second-round effort of 246 feet (74.98m) to capture the first championship in the event for his country and achieve the first medal of any kind since 1951.

Humberto Mansilla Arzola had a fifth-round mark of 244 feet (74.38m) to take silver for Chile, with American Sean Donnelly producing a third-round throw of 243-6 to earn bronze. The U.S. is the only other country to sweep the top two places in the men’s hammer throw, achieving the feat in 1991, 1999 and 2011.

Yarisley Silva made history for different reasons in the pole vault, becoming the fifth Cuban female athlete and seventh overall women’s competitor in meet history to win three consecutive gold medals in any event.

Silva cleared 15-7 (4.75m) to edge American Katie Nageotte 15-5 (4.70m), who was attempting to become the only female vaulter to win titles at both the Pan Am Games and NACAC Championships, in addition to pursuing the first championship for the U.S. at the meet since 2003.

Nageotte still joined Silva and fellow American Becky Holliday as the only women’s vaulters to medal at both meets.

Canada’s Alysha Newman had a 14-11 (4.55m) clearance on her first try to earn bronze after American Olivia Gruver, the collegiate record holder at Washington, and Venezuela’s Robeilys Peinado both cleared the height on their second attempts.

Silva joined fellow Cubans Aliuska Lopez in the 100-meter hurdles, Maria Elena Sarria in the shot put, Carmen Romero in the discus throw and Yipsi Moreno in the hammer throw as winners of three consecutive Pan Am titles. Mexico’s Ana Guevara also achieved the feat in the 400 meters, with countrywoman Adriana Fernandez capturing three straight golds in the 5,000.

Levern Spencer of Saint Lucia repeated as women’s high jump champion with a first-attempt clearance at 6-1.50 (1.87m), securing back-to-back titles after Priscilla Frederick of Antigua and Barbuda got over the bar on her second attempt.

Jamaica’s Kimberly Williamson earned bronze by clearing 6-0.50 (1.84m).

Spencer, 35, became the first women’s high jumper to defend her title since Cuba’s Ioamnet Quintero won back-to-back gold medals in 1991 and 1995. Spencer has three Pan Am medals overall, including bronze in 2007.

Shericka Jackson won the women’s 400 championship in 50.73 seconds, the first gold medal for Jamaica in the event since Marilyn Neufville in 1971.

Mexico’s Paola Moran Errejon took second in 51.02 and American Courtney Okolo placed third in 51.22.

Alison dos Santos, the Pan Am U-20 champion, added a senior-level gold for Brazil in the men’s 400-meter hurdles by clocking a personal-best 48.45 seconds to achieve the country’s first title in the event since Eronlide de Araujo won three in a row in 1991, 1995 and 1999.

Houston graduate Amere Lattin earned silver for the U.S. in 48.98, with Jamaica’s Kemar Mowatt grabbing bronze in 49.09.

Adriana Rodriguez Fuentes won the second straight heptathlon title for Cuba and third in meet history with 6,113 points.

Annie Kunz secured silver for the Americans with 5,990 points and Colombia’s Martha Araujo Sinisterra took bronze with 5,925 points.