USA's Francisco Martinez gets bronze in loss; Cam Awesome, Antonio Vargas in Pan Am semifinals

The USA won its first boxing medal at the Pan American Games Wednesday when 19-year-old Francisco Martinez was defeated by Hector Garcia-Mora of the Dominican Republic 3-0 in a men's bantamweight semifinal bout at the Oshawa Sports Centre in Toronto.

Martinez, from Dallas, by virtue of losing in the semifinals, gets a bronze medal along with the other semifinal loser, Kenny Lally of Canada.

"It was a tough fight. They gave me three rounds to get used to his style, which was a little awkward but every one has a different way of boxing," Martinez said. "The decision was fair, I didn't think I won. Whether it was close or not, I didn't do enough to make it clear that I won. I lost because I left it too close."

On Thursday, the USA will have a chance to put two fighters in the finals. Antonio Vargas, of Kissimmee, Fla., meets David Jimenez Rodriguez of Costa Rica in a men's flyweight semifinal bout. Also, Cam Awesome, Lenexa, Kan., takes on Cuba's Lenier Pero in a men's super heavyweight semifinal. Vargas and Awesome are guaranteed bronze medals.

Vargas and Awesome hope to join Marlen Esparza of Houston and Claressa Shields of Flint, Mich., in the final round with victories Thursday. Shields fights Guillen Benitez of the Dominican Republic on Friday and Esparza battles Canada's Mandy Bujold on Saturday, the final day of boxing competition.

Esparza and Shields clinched their berths in the championship round with semifinal wins on Tuesday.