South Dade wins 16th state wrestling team title; Somerset Academy reigns in 1A
What happens in regionals is left in regionals.
After dropping the regional tournament to rival Southwest, South Dade regrouped and romped through the competition at the wrestling state championships Saturday to capture the Class 3A state title and crown three individual state champs. The Buccaneers rolled up 164 points, besting second-place Southwest by 33.5.
“Losing always wakes you up a little bit,” South Dade coach Victor Balmeceda said. “Being the underdog always puts a little more fight in you. Everyone of our kids scored points and [20] trophies is a nice round number.”
Updating the record books, South Dade won its 16th IBT team state championship — eighth consecutive — and its 20th state championship overall. In January, the Buccaneers won their fourth straight Duals state championship — the most of any program in the state.
Individually, South Dade state titles went to junior Adrian Morales (53-3), defeating Manatee senior Angelo De Dona 6-0 at 113, senior Joshua Swan (53-3) pulling out a 7-5 decision over North Port sophomore Dominic Joyce at 170 and freshman Sawyer Bartelt (35-0), completing a perfect season by winning the 195 title over Osceola senior Nolin Eaddy.
Additionally, junior Alex Couto (50-6) finished as the 138 state runner-up to Osceola senior Jaekus Hines, and sophomore Cordell White (152) finished third while freshman Gavin Balmeceda (132) and Adrian Neco (145) finished fourth.
Also in 3A, Columbus junior Christian Guzman (43-2) pinned Osceola freshman Anderson Heap (35-3) for the 106-pound state title — the first of his career.
“Last year I was runner-up but hard work gets it done. I knew if I wrestled my best, no one in this state can hang with me,” Guzman said.
Southwest senior Sebastian Melguizo (44-3) defeated Fort Pierce Central junior Russell Raabe 5-1 for the 132-pound state title while senior teammate Robert Dusendang (40-4) finished as 3A state runner-up at 126 pounds.
In 1A, Somerset Academy dominated its way to winning the 1A state championship, sending nine wrestlers to the medal stand including four individual state titles and rolling up 196 points.
Somerset, which won its first state championship in program history at the Duals in January, was so imposing it mathematically won the state championship before the finals matches were even announced.
“We actually thought we could have 10 medalists,” Somerset coach Joe Blasucci said. “That was the goal but we got nine and five in the finals. That’s a team record and we broke our point record.”
Eighth-grader Christian Fretwell (46-4) won the first title of the night for Somerset, besting Admiral Farragut freshman Roman Lermer 9-3 in the 106 final. Senior Chase Gillis (41-6) topped Cardinal Gibbons senior Tyler Carbral (23-1) for the 138 title and senior Darian Estevez (42-1) knocked off Delray Beach American Heritage freshman Omer Barak for the 152 title while eighth-grader Ben Diaz (17-2) toughed out a 3-2 win against Mater Lakes junior Benjamin Rogers (8-2) to win his second consecutive state title, this time at 145.
“You have to prepare for a match like that. It was just two weeks of crazy training,” said Diaz, who is not thinking about winning six state titles. “My dream is to go to the Olympics and win a gold medal.”
Also winning medals for Somerset were state runner-up Matthew Jimenez (285), Elvis Solis (120) and Skylark Caban (132) finishing third and Danny Diaz (170) and Sean Concepcion (182) fourth.
Also in 1A, Cardinal Gibbons sophomore Nicholas Yancey (24-0) scored a thrilling 3-2 overtime win for the 113-pound state title over previously unbeaten Palm Bay senior Tyler Perrow, and Mater Lakes junior Ethan Vergara (34-3) won the 285 state title, pinning Jimenez in the first period.
In 2A, Killian freshman Christian Vasquez (25-2) finished as state runner-up after losing the title match by pin to Palmetto Ridge sophomore Tyler Washburn (46-1) and St. Thomas Aqunias senior Michael Moss (28-1) finished as state runner-up at 182 in 2A.
Also winning state medals were: Cardinals Gibbbons junior Daniel Korchensky (160) third and junior Peyton Vargas (106) fifth and Mater Lakes junior Dylan Garcia (113) fifth and eighth-grader Luis Bellon (132) sixth in 1A; Southridge senior Cyrus Williams (152) third, senior Conner Hueck (120) and junior Quilton Johnson (170) sixth in 2A; Southwest junior Adrian Morales (113) and sophomore Daniel Martinez (120) finished third, junior Derrick Hart (285) fourth and junior Favian Oliva (138) was sixth while Coral Reef seniors Anthony Morales (113) and Christian Llauger (220) finished fifth in 3A.
