- April 19, 2024
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Kaden Golder, who missed qualifying for state by one match last year, was the district runner-up at 126 pounds. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Brian Harris, top, placed fourth at district at 132 pounds. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Josh Newman placed fourth at district at 195 pounds. Photo by Brent Woronoff
When Matt Lawrence re-started the program five years ago, wrestling was a distant memory at Mainland High School.
It hasn’t been easy resurrecting a sport from the dead. Five years ago, the Bucs had to roll out mats from the 1990s. They’re still using them.
“They’re not in great shape. They weren’t stored properly. But we make do.”
MATT LAWRENCE, Mainland wrestling coach on using mats from the 1990s.
“They’re not in great shape,” Lawrence said. “They weren’t stored properly. But we make do.”
Indeed. Piece by piece, Lawrence is putting Mainland wrestling back on the map.
Last year, the Bucs had three regional qualifiers. On Feb. 16 at the District 4-2A tournament at Matanzas High School, Mainland qualified nine of 10 wrestlers for the regional meet Feb. 25-26 in Tallahassee.
The girls team, meanwhile, is establishing itself as one of the better programs in the region in the FHSAA’s first year sanctioning the sport for girls.
Three Mainland girls qualified for the state championships at the Region 1 tournament Feb. 19 in Panama City, led by region champ Jah’Mya Hill.
Hill won the 155-pound title. The junior improved to 24-5 on the season with a pin in the championship match against West Port’s Jayden Dodge.
Hill will be joined in Kissimmee March 3-5 by Abby Couillard (27-10), who placed third in the 100-pound class and Cheyenne Wigley (21-7), who was third in the 235-pound class.
At the boys district meet, two Bucs were runners-ups: Kaden Golder (37-9) at 126 pounds and Sam Ayodele (21-18) at 145 pounds.
Two Bucs finished third: Dasaniel Rodriguez Andino (7-15) at 138 pounds, and Jeffery Turner (13-14) at 220 pounds.
Five more Buccaneers finished fourth: Brian Harris (26-15) at 132 pounds, Isaiah White (21-16) at 152 pounds, Kalyb Evans (13-8) at 170 pounds, June Rivera (13-15) at 182 pounds and Josh Newman (18-15) at 195 pounds.
Wrestling may never reach the level of football or basketball at Mainland, but a wrestling banner or two might be joining those other sports soon at the Vince Carter Athletic Center.
