Florida Christian wrestlers in London. Karate Kid is Divine. Plus, state track honors
Area wrestlers Zoe Delgado and Chloe Parets were invited to compete for Team USA in the Windsor Open in London, England. This was the largest women’s tournament in the history of British wrestling with more than 300 entries.
Delgado, a freshman at Florida Christian School, went 3-0.
In the U15 67kg (147.7-pound) division, she defined a wrestler from England 10-0 and American teammate Ilyana Martinez (the U15 World Bronze Medalist) 11-0.
In the U17 72kg (158.8-pound) division, she defeated a wrestler from Ukraine, 3-2.
Parets, a Florida Christian alumni, was 2-0
In the senior 53kg (116.6-pound) division, she defeated the British National Champion by pin in the first period and the Commonwealth Games Champion 12-2.
Parets, a sophomore at Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama, was SLIAC Conference runner-up this season.
The Miami girls led Team USA to a second place finish with just six girls on the team, the smallest team in attendance.
Also on Team USA, Arya Thephavong (Tennessee) 13U Boys 38kg (83.6), 15U Girls 40kg (88); Rhilynn Tolzman (Minnesota) 13U Boys 43kg (94.6), 15U Girls 48kg (105.6); Bristol Prado (Nebraska) 17U Girls 55kg (121); Ilyana Martínez (Missouri) 15U Girls 67kg (147.4), 17U Girls 67kg (147.4).
Thephavong and Tolzman also competed in the boys’ division in the 13U age group. No points were received at those weights, even though they were the only girls registered. Their wins in the boys’ division helped the boys’ team win the tournament.
Plus, Team USA was named tournament Grand Champions (all points added from both genders and age groups).
Team USA results:
Senior Division - silver.
Junior Division - gold.
Male Division - gold.
Female Division - silver
Individually for Team USA: 11 gold medals, 12 silver medals, 8 bronze medals.
Florida Christian School wrestling coach Nick Alvarez was the Team USA girls’ coach.
Karate
Representing Team USA against some of the best athletes in the world, Martin Davila of Doral earned the gold medal at the prestigious WKF Youth League competition in Manila, Philippines.
Davila, 16, a Junior category karate athlete, is a sophomore at Divine Savior Academy.
Competing in the highly competitive Junior Kata division, Davila delivered an outstanding performance throughout the tournament, showcasing discipline, technical excellence, and determination on the international stage.
The WKF Youth League is one of the most important global karate circuits for youth athletes and attracts elite competitors from dozens of countries. Winning gold at this level is considered a major international achievement in the sport.
“This victory represents years of sacrifice, hard work, and dedication,” said Davila. “I’m proud to represent the United States, my city of Doral, my family, coaches, and everyone who has supported me on this journey.”
Davila trains under Sensei and Coach Joseph Martinez and is part of Team PUNOK.
The achievement further highlights the growing level of elite karate talent developing within the South Florida community.
In addition to Davila’s gold medal performance in Manila, he previously earned a bronze medal at the WKF Youth League in Venice, Italy, and a gold medal at the USA Open, continuing to establish himself as one of the rising young karate athletes representing the United States internationally.
State track honors
Marcelo Mantecon, a junior at Belen Jesuit, is the FHSAA Class 3A Boys’ Track & Field Athlete of the Year.
The two-time Florida Mr. Cross Country swept the 800-meter (1:51.40), 1,600-meter (4:17.38) and 3,200-meter titles (8:56.02) and was a member of the state-title winning 4x800 relay team.
Jaysha Carter of Flanagan is the FHSAA Class 4A Boys’ Track & Field co-Coach of the Year. The first-year head coach led her squad to the school’s first state title with 77.5 points.
Davidson Gill of Dillard is the FHSAA Class 3A Girls’ Coach of the Year. He led his team to its third consecutive state title with a 69-64 point victory over Niceville.
Submit sports results
If you have spring and summer sports results (with stats) on high school-aged athletes or middle school-aged athletes -- who are from Broward or Miami-Dade counties -- email hssports@miamiherald.com.
They will run in the newspaper and online. Photos accepted, too. No deadline. You will be alerted when it will appear.
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Compiled by Jim Varsallone
jvarsallone@miamiherald.com
