
By: Matt Rothman
It was an incredible week for the Marjory Stoneman Douglas wrestling team.
The boys finished in first place in the District Championship, competing against Coral Springs, J.P. Taravella, Fort Lauderdale, Monarch, Deerfield Beach, and Coral Glades.
Rocco Duygulu, Jimmy Messmer, David Leiva, Lenny Cipolla, Vincent Dion, Charles Dion, Lucas Siquiera, and Xander Kooby all won in their weight class.
Lorenzo Pellegrini, Daniel Alvarez, and Jackson Zajkowski came in second, while Caleb Hebert, with Miggy Renelus, finished fourth and fifth place from Grayson Starling.
Head Coach Ken Gendason believes that his team is just beginning and feels his team can make a run in Regionals and States. However, he knows just how tough of a region his team is in.
“It is definitely a better feeling going in with more experience and wrestlers that have wrestled in it before,” he said. “Hopefully, we punch a few tickets out of that region; then it would be considered an outstanding tournament.”
The girls shined in the District Championship, led by Gaby Caro, winning her second straight District Championship after making it to the State Final last year. First-year wrestlers Mia Velazquez, Grace Mackenize, and Jessica Rice also won championships, while Mickayla Sugrano and Maya Yenor came in second.
Haasini Vattakuti and Angel Chavez placed third, while Given Spong wrestled great, according to her coach, and missed placing by one round.
“They will be fun to watch,” Gendason added. “I think a couple of them can make a great run to States, and I’m just super proud of these girls.”
The girls are set to wrestle in Regionals on Saturday, Feb. 18, while the boys compete in Regionals on Feb. 24-25 at South Dade High School.
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Author Profile

- Matt Rothman is a 2018 graduate from Florida Gulf Coast University receiving his bachelor’s degree in journalism and then graduated from the University of Florida as a graduate student.
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