South Dade’s Bartelt, Northwestern’s Cox are the Dade 7A-5A Athletes of the Year
To say South Dade has a rich tradition in wrestling is an understatement.
But senior Sawyer Bartelt took that greatness up a notch the past four years on the mat wrestling for the Bucs.
Not only was Bartelt a four-time state champion, but for over three years no wrestler scored a takedown on him during a match.
Similar dominance can be said about the Miami Northwestern girls’ track and field team, which has produced Olympians, college stars and had won 14 state championships in a row coming into this high school season.
Junior Tyra Cox continued that tradition this season, winning four state titles and Miss Track and Field honors for the state of Florida.
And so, Bartelt and Cox are the Miami Herald’s Miami-Dade Boys’ and Girls’ Athletes of the Year for Classes 7A-5A.
Bartelt, an Iowa State signee, put together one of the most incredible careers of any wrestler in Dade County history.
He went unbeaten for four seasons, winning four state titles individually while helping South Dade keep its team title streaks going in the Duals and Individually-Bracketed Tournament meets.
Bartelt’s dominance wasn’t contained to the wrestling mat though.
This past season, he was an All-Dade first team defensive end on the Bucs’ football team, helping bring that program back to contention last fall as South Dade advanced to the Class 4M regional semifinals.
Bartelt totaled 84 tackles, including 28 for loss, nine sacks, three fumbles forced and three recovered. He returned one of those fumbles for a touchdown and blocked a field goal on special teams.
And he was strong in the classroom too.
Bartelt maintained a 4.379 weighted grade point average and scored a 26 on his ACT, earning him the Miami Herald’s Boys’ Scholar-Athlete Award earlier this year. Bartelt continues a tradition of excellent wrestlers earning Herald Athlete of the Year honors as he joins recent winners Brevin Balmeceda (2019) and Kendrick Sanders (2009).
“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.”
Cox, who started her career at Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna, transferred back to her home school and etched her name in their record books quickly. Cox dominated at the Class 3A state meet, winning the 100 meters, 200 meters and 400 meters and leading the Bulls’ 1,600-meter relay to a title.
Only a disqualification after the 400-meter relay event kept Northwestern from keeping its state-record team title streak alive.
But Cox has one more year to add accolades to her resume as she is the first Northwestern athlete to win Athlete of the Year since Deandre Baker in 2016 and the Bulls’ first Female Athlete of the Year since another track star Lizzie Harris won it in 2007.
OTHER BOYS FINALISTS
▪ Bryce Fitzgerald, Columbus (football, basketball): Fitzgerald, a junior, recorded 10 interceptions this season to help the Explorers win their second consecutive state football title. He is also key contributor off the bench for a loaded three-time state champion Explorers basketball team.
▪ Calvin Russell, Northwestern (football, basketball, track): Russell, who is rated the top overall recruit in the state for the Class of 2026, was first team All-Dade in basketball and second team in football as the starting quarterback for the Bulls.
▪ Cameron Boozer, Columbus (basketball): Boozer, a two-time winner of this award, put together another spectacular season to lead the Explorers to their third consecutive state championship. Boozer, a junior, is also a Gatorade Player of the Year and Florida Dairy Farmers Mr. Basketball winner.
▪ Isaiah Scott, Norland (football, track and field): Scott caught 53 passes for 1,094 yards and seven touchdowns as a wide receiver for the Vikings, who finished state runners-up in Class 2M. Scott, a Wofford signee, earned All-Dade first team honors in football and track and field in the 400-meter hurdles.
OTHER GIRLS’ FINALISTS
▪ Shanaii Gamble, Southridge (basketball, flag football): Gamble was the Miami Herald 7A-6A Girls’ Basketball Player of the Year after leading the Spartans to the Region 4-7A semifinals. Gamble, who is also a standout on Southridge’s flag football team and a Long Island University signee, averaged 18.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.7 steals per game.
▪ Sami Anes, Palmetto (basketball, flag football): A senior standout on both squads, Anes earned second team All-Dade honors in basketball and first team in flag football after scoring nine touchdowns and recording seven interceptions to lead Palmetto to its first state title.
▪ Sydney Wilson, Miami High (basketball, volleyball): Wilson, a junior, continued to be a standout in both of her sports. In basketball, Wilson led the Stingarees to the Region 4-7A semifinals, averaging 14 points and seven assists per game.
▪ Sarah Breaux, Doral Academy (softball): Breaux, a junior and Clemson commit, put together one of the most dominant hitting seasons by a Dade softball player in recent memory after belting 15 home runs and batting .603 with 50 RBI.
