South Dade’s Bartelt, North Miami’s Bethel, Coral Park’s Delgado are Dade Wrestlers of Year
There was a common thread among the Miami Herald’s Dade Wrestlers of the Year this season: Perfection.
South Dade’s Sawyer Bartelt capped his third undefeated season. North Miami’s Mya Bethel went without a loss for a second consecutive year. And Coral Park’s Sofia Delgado won her first state title after running the table.
As such, Bartelt is the Boys’ Wrestler of the Year for a third consecutive season. Bethel and Delgado are Co-Girls’ Wrestlers of the Year, with Bethel getting the honor for a second consecutive year.
“It’s extremely difficult to go undefeated,” Delgado said. “Being a student-athlete and having to focus so hard on school and your sport and competing at the high level that we do, it’s a big challenge and it’s not easy. It does take a lot of work, and it does take a lot of sacrifice and a lot of determination. You just have to stay focused and you have to keep your goals in mind.”
Let’s start with Bartelt, who has been a force for powerhouse South Dade since his freshman season.
In three years with the Bucs, he is a perfect 120-0, winning the individual state title in the 195-pound division as a freshman and going back-to-back in the 220-pound division as a sophomore and junior. This includes going 49-0 this season.
Even more: Bartelt has not sustained a takedown in any of his matches of the past three seasons.
“I don’t like to lose,“ Bartelt said after winning his individual state title. “There is pressure but I don’t really think about it. I just try to take him down before he takes me down.”
Bethel, a sophomore, has been an anchor for North Miami since the FHSAA began sanctioning girls’ wrestling in 2022. She successfully defended her individual title in the 155-pound division to finish the season 27-0. She won each of her first two matches at state by fall before taking a 7-0 decision in the semifinal and 5-0 decision for the title.
Bethel went 16-0 last year in the run to her first individual title.
And Delgado, a junior, earned her first individual state title in the 140-pound division to cap a 25-0 season one season after finishing runner-up at state.
It’s quite impressive considering last year was Delgado’s first season wrestling. She has a background in jiu-jitsu, which she started practicing when she was about 9 years old.
“I did have a lot of background on the mats and I have a lot of mat time,” Delgado said, “so wrestling just came easy to be because I had already been doing a combat sport for so long.”