Mya Bethel wins national title in wrestling. Michael Mocco named Most Outstanding
Area wrestlers Mya Bethel and Michael Mocco recently won championships in freestyle at the 2023 USMC 16U National Championships in Fargo, North Dakota.
They represented Team Florida.
Bethel went 5-0 to win the championship at 144 pounds in the girls’ division. By doing so, she received All-American honors.
In the finals, Bethel defeated Maddie Hayden of Team Michigan. In the semifinals, she beat Elly Janovsky of Team Indiana, and in the quarterfinals, she defeated Shylee Tuzon of Team Colorado. Prior, she scored victories over Thea Rowland of Team New Jersey and Zoe Fries of Team Idaho.
Bethel helped Team Florida girls place seventh of 48 state teams in the 16U division. That was Team Florida’s best placing in state history and only the second time Florida has been in the Top 10.
Prior, Bethel was 8-2 to earn All-American status at the AAU Scholastic National Duals in Orlando.
Bethel, as a sophomore last season for North Miami High School, went undefeated at 27-0 en route to winning an FHSAA state title at 155 pounds. She was undefeated her freshman season, too, going 25-0 to earn her first state title. She is a two-time Miami Herald All-Dade Girls’ Wrestler of the Year.
Mocco was named the Outstanding Wrestler on the boys’ side in Fargo.
He won the 220-pound championship with a victory over Ohio’s Alex Taylor. In the semifinals, he beat Dean Bechtold of Team Pennsylvania (Team Pennsylvania won the team title). In the quarterfinals, he defeated Caleb Kurtti of Team Minnesota. Prior, he beat Nicholas Ebrahimi of Team Connecticut, Logan Tollison of Team Michigan and Chris Wrage of Team Iowa.
Mocco, who also earned All-American honors, did not allow a point throughout the tournament, leading to Most Outstanding acknowledgment. He helped Team Florida finish 12th of 48 state teams.
Mocco’s title at 220 pounds was Florida’s first in 16U freestyle since Nic Bouzakis of Tampa won gold at 126 pounds in 2019.
Prior, Mocco went 16-0 at the 16U National Dual Meet Championships, presented by USA Wrestling at Mercyhealth Sportscore Two in Loves Park, Illinois. He was named to the All Tournament team.
Mocco, as a freshman last season at Cardinal Gibbons High School, went 44-1, capping off that stellar season with an FHSAA state title at 195 pounds. As an eighth grader at Coral Springs Charter, he placed third at state.
Mocco, a Parkland resident, is already a two-time Miami Herald All-Broward first team selection and a Miami Herald All-Broward Boys’ Wrestler of the Year.
Track & field
The National Scholastic Athletics Foundation (NSAF) in partnership with USA Track & Field (USATF) announced the Nike Elite Program, a one-of-a-kind inaugural initiative designed to provide comprehensive support for the top United States high school track and field athletes – fueling the next generation of the sport to reach their goals and potential.
As part of the program powered by the NSAF, each athlete will work with a Nike mentor for holistic support and guidance and have touchpoints with Nike’s professional athletes to learn and hear from the world’s best. Nike will also equip the program’s athletes with the brand’s leading footwear and apparel innovations for training and competition. Additionally, athletes will receive support to compete in key events throughout the year, including Nike Indoor Nationals, Nike Outdoor Nationals, NSAF “select” events such as the Millrose Games, Oregon Relays, Arcadia and Mt. SAC Invitationals, and USATF U20 Championships.
The Nike Elite Program will support 40 high school athletes each year – with this year’s cohort including 20 male and 20 female athletes from 18 states across sprint, hurdles, throws, jumps, middle distance and distance track and field disciplines. The program will kick-off later this summer with an immersion event at Nike’s World Headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon.
The Nike Elite Program athletes for the 2023-2024 school calendar year includes two locals:
Western High School sophomore Skyler Franklin of Miramar and Somerset Academy-Pembroke Pines junior Aleesa Samuel of Southwest Ranches. Samuel is a four-time Class 2A state champion.
Tennis
Jerrid Gaines Jr. of Margate was a finalist in doubles at the USTA Boys 14s Clay Court Tennis Championships in Dothan, Alabama.
In the rain-interrupted doubles finals, top-seeded Tanishk Konduri (Cupertino, California) and Joseph Nau (Brentwood, California) beat No.7 seeded Gaines and Erik Schinnerer (Lewisburg, Pennsylvania) 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4).
In the semifinals, Gaines and Schinnerer beat the No.8 duo of Shaan Majeed (Cumming, Georgia) and Nicolas Pedraza (University Park, Maryland) 6-3, 6-4.
Submit summer sports info
For coaches and teams in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, if you have high school level athletes competing in summer leagues, events and programs, email hssports@miamiherald.com.
They will run in the newspaper and online. Photos accepted, too. No deadline. Send after the game, the next day or weekly. You will be alerted when it will appear in the newspaper and online.
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Roundup compiled by Jim Varsallone
jvarsallone@miamiherald.com
