Harmony defending state champion Nathan Lyttle is among two-dozen Osceola County wrestlers who’ve qualified for the FHSAA state tournament at Silver Spurs Arena this weekend.
Lyttle, a four-time district and three-time regional champion, punched his ticket in the Class 3A bracket by winning the 120-pound regional crown Saturday at Osceola High.
Ranked in the top-50 nationally all year at his weight, Lyttle was dominant in picking up two pin falls and two technical falls at regionals, beating St. Cloud’s Carter Rivera, 20-4 in the final.
“He still has some work to do and he knows it,” Harmony Coach Vic Lorenzano said of Lyttle. “But this young man has continued to get better and better each year. If he finishes it with another state title, he would in my opinion be the best ever out of our program.”
Four Longhorns won individual titles Saturday: Lyttle, Nevan Irving (132 pounds), Nathan Barrett (150) and Sebastian Rodriguez (106). Irving, who posted two falls and two technical falls, pinned Osceola’s Jose Herrera in the finals. Barrett was also impressive picking up two falls and a tech fall before dispatching Freedom’s Kingsley Mincer, 11-6, in the final.
Lorenzano says Rodriguez, a freshman, could surprise some people this week. He beat Freedom’s Nadir Shalaby, 4-2.
Longhorns Carlos Lopez (third at 144) and Leo Ortiz (fourth at 113), who took fourth.
Osceola will send regional runner-up Jonathan Olmo (157) and Jose Herrera (120). Tohopekaliga advances runnerup Bryan Battles (165) and Juan Hildalgo (157) and Valentino Benavides (215) go via thirdplace finishes. Celebration’s Israel Serrano won a consolation semifinal, 7-5, over Caden Kimball to reach states as a 4th place finisher at 175.
Harmony, third at the Region 3A-3 tournament (150.5 points) claimed four regional champs, the most of any of the 32 participating teams.
Fresh off their District 2A-8 championship the Gateway Panthers sent 10 wrestlers to the Region 2A-2 tournament in Brandon Saturday. The tough field featured stalwarts Lake Gibson, Tampa Jesuit and host Brandon. GHS’ Jose Davalillo picked up a fourth-place finish at 138 to punch a state ticket.
Although one of the fastest growing sports in the nation, girls wrestling is still a single classification event in Florida. At the Region 2 tournament at Osceola on Feb. 19, Harmony, placed fourth in the regional with 114.5 points and send four of the county’s 10 wrestlers to the girls’ state meet (which will run concurrently with the boys meet) — third place regional finishers Kiley Vinson (135), Bella Wall (190), and Katelyn Holt (235); and fourth place Audrey McNichols (100).
Osceola was sixth at regionals and sends three to state, include the lone girls regional champion, Aniyah Wayne (100-pound class). She’s joined by Kowboys Amanda Cintron (4th-135) and Bailey Devries (4th-190).
Other state qualifiers from the county included Tohopekaliga’s Elisa Medina (2nd-135) and Sophia DeLima (4th-125) and St. Cloud’s Brihanna LaPaz (4th-170).
In all, Osceola County will be represented by a total of 24 wrestlers at the Silver Spurs Arena.
