South Dade’s Sawyer Bartelt is the Miami-Dade Boys Scholar-Athlete of the Year
South Dade senior Sawyer Bartelt’s list of accomplishments in sports is lengthy.
He’s graduating as an athlete some consider Miami-Dade County’s most dominant wrestler ever.
He was also a first team All-Dade selection as a defensive end on the football team, helping bring that program back to contention last fall.
But something Bartelt is very proud of are his accomplishments away from the wrestling mat or football field.
“I’m not a one-trick pony. I’m good in the classroom too,” Bartelt said. “It’s a big thing for my family. My older sister wrestled and was a valedictorian of her class and studied at Life University (in Georgia). My other sister had straight As and studied at UCF.”
Bartelt isn’t just good at taking people down on the mat or tackling quarterbacks.
He’s finishing high school with a 4.379 weighted grade point average and scored a 26 on his ACT as he prepares to attend wrestling powerhouse Iowa State University.
As such, Bartelt is being recognized for being the entire package as a student athlete as the Miami Herald’s Miami-Dade Boys’ Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Bartelt isn’t just book smart or good at studying his competition. He loves to know how things work and is planning to become a mechanical engineer someday after he’s done with his wrestling career.
“My dad is kind of ‘Bob the Builder’ type so we’re in his garage a lot,” Bartelt said. “We took apart a jet ski, I’ve worked on engines.”
Bartelt often made it look easy competing for the Bucs the past four years while winning four consecutive state championships and going more than three years without an opponent scoring a takedown.
Bartelt also became an accomplished football player and an integral part of helping South Dade return to the playoffs this past fall and advance to the Class 4M regional semifinals. He totaled 84 tackles including 28 for loss and had nine sacks, three forced fumbles including one he returned for a touchdown and a blocked field goal.
So what kept Bartelt so consistent throughout his high school career?
“I’m just always thinking about the future and staying humble,” Bartelt said.
This story was originally published May 10, 2024 at 6:10 AM.
