Solmaris Melo earns spot on Team Florida

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Solmaris Melo earns spot on Team Florida

Sports

Saturday, 10 April 2010 00:00

By Rick Pedone
Sports Editor
Solmaris Melo spent a recent weekend at Oklahoma City, perhaps not the ideal destination for a teenager in early spring, but a good one if you are a talented high school wrestler.
Melo easily qualifies in that respect.
The Poinciana High sophomore became Florida’s state runner-up at 145 pounds at the girls state wrestling tournament at Cypress Creek in late January.
Although disappointed about losing in the finals, Melo showed coaches from Team Florida enough potential to qualify for the USA Wrestling Girls Folkstyle National Championships in Oklahoma.
“They saw me at the state meet. That’s when I started getting their attention,” Melo said.
Lorrie-Ann Ramos of Cypress Creek, who defeated Melo at the Florida state tournament, won the 155-pound national championship at Oklahoma City.
Melo has made rapid progress in her favorite sport since she became interested in wrestling as a seventh-grader at Horizon Middle School.
“I liked it,” she said.
The more she competed, the more confident she grew as she moved to the high school level, where she joined Poinciana Coach Bruna Foster’s team.
Melo was the only sophomore among the eight girls on Team Florida who traveled to Oklahoma City. She might have been nervous, but certainly not intimidated.
“I surprised myself by actually being able to last with some of the hardest (wrestlers) from Texas and California,” she said.
Melo was one win away from earning All-America status.
“All in all, Oklahoma was a profound event. I was glad to attend and I am excited for my future events coming soon and working with (Team Florida) and the coaches who are determined to put Florida women’s wrestling on the map,” Melo said.
Melo, like many female high school wrestlers, is frustrated that the sport is not recognized by the Florida High School Athletic Association. The FHSAA said more member schools need to participate for the sport to be sanctioned.
“We don’t get a lot of publicity for all the hard work that we put into it,” she said.
She will compete at the USA Wrestling Body Bar Nationals at the Silver Spurs Arena May 14, where she hopes local fans will turn out and support Team Florida.
“I think it’s important that we make it a big deal. That’s the only way this nation can see we are serious about this sport and maybe even give (the FHSAA) reason to sanction our sport,” she said.
She plans to travel with Team Florida to Fargo, N.D., this summer for the USA Wrestling Junior Nationals.
“I think I can hit it just as hard as anyone else,” she said.