Southwest defends GMAC wrestling title. Now, the state playoff push begins
The ultimate goal for the Miami Southwest wrestling team is to break through at the state championship meet next month and unseat fellow local powerhouse South Dade in Class 3A.
The Eagles showed the potential is there.
Behind four individual champions and 12 total top-three finishes, Southwest on Saturday won its second consecutive GMAC wrestling championship with 367 points. South Dade, which won 10 consecutive GMAC titles prior to this current mini-run by Southwest finished second with 355 points. Columbus (219.5), Palmetto (183.5) and Miami Beach (166) rounded out the top-five teams.
Four of the 14 individual titles came down to head-to-head matchups between South Dade and Southwest, with the teams each winning two of the finals bouts.
In the 113-pound final, Southwest senior Kevin Placer beat South Dade sophomore Luis Acevedo by a 3-0 decision.
In the 152-pound final, Southwest junior Adrian Ochoa beat South Dade senior Alex Cuoto.
South Dade junior Cordell White won the 160-pound final over Southwest junior Danny Diaz.
And South Dade Sophomore Sawyer Bartelt topped Southwest junior Jonathan Fraga via fall in the 220-pound final.
Southwest’s other individual title winners: sophomore Gabriel Tellez (106) and senior Adrian Sans (285).
South Dade, meanwhile, had four other individual champions: Freshman EJ Solis (132), junior Misha Arbos (138), sophomore Gavin Balmeceda (145) and junior Ansel Cervantes (195).
The rest of the individual winners:
▪ Columbus senior Christian Guzman won the 120-pound bracket with an 8-6 decision over South Dade senior Adrian Morales.
▪ North Miami senior Alexander Exalant won the 126-pound bracket with a 5-0 decision over South Dade sophomore Joshua Aviles.
▪ Miami Beach senior Jaiden Forbes beat South Dade sophomore Chris Sanchez to win the 170-pound class.
▪ Columbus senior Javier Taylor won via fall over Southwest senior Miriel Tapia in the 182-pound final.
Girls’ wrestling results
South Dade won the girls GMAC wrestling tournament with 161 points, barely edging out second-place North Miami’s 159 points.
The Bucs had five individual winner among the 12 weight classes: Freshman Rebekka Kinkade (100 pounds), senior Natalie Duran (105), senior Rocio Riol (125), Geraldine Honore (130) and senior Ferny Hernandez (170).
North Miami’s run was led by four individual winners: freshman Isis Severe (115), junior Tydaisa Mack (135), junior Taesha Inelus (140) and freshman Mya Bethel (155).
Braddock’s Analy Banuelos (120) and Norland sophomore Day’Jah Clark (195) rounded out the individual winners.
Next up: State series
The focus now shifts to the state series for the individually bracketed tournament (IBT) wrestling state championship.
Dates are as follows:
▪ Girls districts: Monday-Saturday
▪ Boys districts: Feb. 14-19
▪ Girls regionals: Feb. 18-19
▪ Boys regionals: Feb. 25-26.
The state championship is March 3-5 at Kissimmee’s Silver Spurs Arena. This is the first year that girls’ wrestling has been sanctioned by the FHSAA.
South Dade has won the past eight IBT state championships, dating back to 2014. Southwest finished as runner-up each of the last two years.
This story was originally published February 6, 2022 at 8:56 AM.
.JPG)