South Dade wins 18th state title, all 14 Bucs wrestlers medal; Somerset 1A runner-up

Bill Kemp

When the curtain went up, South Dade was already holding the trophy.

Once again, the South Dade wrestling machine won the Class 3A boys state wrestling championship at the FHSAA Individually Bracketed Tournament before state title matches ever hit the mats on Saturday at Silver Spurs Arena.

“It will only take me about 10 minutes after we receive this trophy to start worrying about next year,“ South Dade coach Victor Balmeceda said. “And we have nine out of our 14 starters returning.

South Dade rolled up 270.5 points, easily beating second-place Southwest Miami with 139. Even more impressive, for the first time in its storied history, South Dade had all 14 state qualifiers reach the medal stand.

“This was just not a regular state tournament for us,” Balmeceda said. “We came here 14 strong. We were trying to break records. Each one bought in and all 14 got on the podium. I don’t think anyone in the state of Florida has ever done that.”

South Dade can add its latest championship hardware to a pile of 18 IBT state championship trophies and 23 overall -- counting the five FHSAA Duals state titles – when it returns home with four wrestlers that won individual state titles.

South Dade junior Sawyer Bartelt prepares to pin Southwest Miami’s Jonathan Fraga during the Class 3A 220-pound state title match on Saturday at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee.
South Dade junior Sawyer Bartelt prepares to pin Southwest Miami’s Jonathan Fraga during the Class 3A 220-pound state title match on Saturday at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee.

Those state champs for South Dade are Luis Acevedo (120), Elvis Solis (138), Lawrence Rosario (170) and Sawyer Bartelt (220).

Rosario (170) was the big surprise, defeating Osceola two-time defending state champion Gunner Holland to reach the finals.

“If there was an MVP for this tournament, it should be him,” Balmeceda said.

Bartelt, a junior, is now 49-0 this season, and has now won all 120 matches in his three-year varsity career at South Dade. He also took second place at Doral Academy as an eighth grader and fifth place as a seventh grader. During his three seasons at South Dade, he has yet to be taken down in any match.

Luis Acevedo leaps into the arms of South Dade coach Victor Balmeceda after winning Class 3A 120-pound state title match on Saturday at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee.
Luis Acevedo leaps into the arms of South Dade coach Victor Balmeceda after winning Class 3A 120-pound state title match on Saturday at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee.

“I don’t like to lose,“ Bartelt said. “There is pressure but I don’t really think about it. I just try to take him down before he takes me down.”

Also winning medals for South Dade were Misha Arbos (145) and Cordell White (160) finishing second, Gavin Balmeceda (152), Ansel Cervantes (195) and Marcelo Rosario (47-10) placing third, Nathaniel Williams (126) placing fourth, Guillermo Jaramillo (113),Tyree Graham (132) and Chris Sanchez (182) placing fifth and Bryan Morales (106) placing eighth.

Southwest Miami crowned two state champions, Adrian Ochoa (160) and Franklyn Ordonez (182), while Jonathan Fraga (220) and Danny Martinez (132) finished as state runners-up.

Also in 3A, Cypress Bay’s Andrew Punzalan won a tie breaker over Bloomingdale’s Nathaniel Overman to capture the 106-pound state crown and Doral Academy’s Christian Vazquez (113) finished as state runner-up along with Miami Beach’s Aaron Lanster (138).

Somerset’s Kendrick Hodge wins his second consecutive state title by major decision over Gavin Patton of Naples First Baptist at the FHSAA state championships Saturday at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee.
Somerset’s Kendrick Hodge wins his second consecutive state title by major decision over Gavin Patton of Naples First Baptist at the FHSAA state championships Saturday at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee.

In 1A, Somerset Academy finished second to defending champion Jensen Beach 177.5 – 170. The two teams were locked in a dog fight for most of the day. Entering the finals, Somerset held a slim 161 – 158.5 edge.

“Getting second, we weren’t even supposed to be close to that,” Somerset coach Joe Blasucci said. “The whole year, they were picking us to be seventh and we won the region last week.”

Winning state titles for Somerset were Jovani Solis (113) and Kendrick Hodge (160) – his second -- while Jake Austin (106), Matthew Velasco (126) and Tristan Sainz (132) were state runners-up. More Somerset medalists included: Kevin Concepcion (138) and Michael Sainz (145) placing fifth and Luis Bellon (152) placing sixth.

Mason O’Dell from Mater Lakes won the 1A 106-pound state title while his teammates Kalias Nazario (152) and Damian Soto (220) finished second. Nicholas Yancey won the 138-pound championship for Cardinal Gibbons while Michael Mocco from Cardinal Gibbons won the 195-pound state title.

For the girls, I-Cart Galumette, from North Miami, won the 110-pound title, Gabriela Caro, from Stoneman Douglas, won the 125, Sofia Delgado, from Coral Park, won the 140, Mya Bethel, from North Miami, won the 155 and Yoseline Perez from South Dade finished as the 235-pound state runner-up.

Southwest Miami’s Adrian Ochoa celebrates with the coaching staff after winning the 160-pound state title match on Saturday at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee.
Southwest Miami’s Adrian Ochoa celebrates with the coaching staff after winning the 160-pound state title match on Saturday at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee.

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