BY GENE NARDI
Last weekend, the annual Palm Beach County wrestling tournament hosted by Santaluces High School drew teams from 23 schools around the county.
Royal Palm Beach, Wellington, Palm Beach Central and Seminole Ridge high schools were among the attending schools.
Wellington won the team county championship title for the second-straight year. The Wolverines racked up a total of 242.50 team points. Seminole Ridge took sixth overall, totaling 103.00 points; Royal Palm Beach placed 13th with 57.00 points; and Palm Beach Central came in just behind the Wildcats at 14th, scoring 43.00 points.
The Wolverines posted four individual county titles en route to the team crown: in the 106-pound division, Chris DiFiore; in the 120-pound class, Robert Saldarriaga; in the 126-pound weight class, Jared Abramson; and in the 132-pound division, Tyler DiFiore.
Second-place finishers were, in the 145-pound class, Palm Beach Central’s Anthony Strada; in the 113-pound class, Wellington’s Robinson Cid; in the 152-pound division, Wellington’s Eric Reid; and 182-pound Eric Saber.
Third-place area wrestlers were Seminole Ridge’s 138-pound John Arnold and 170-pound Mitchell Clark; Wellington’s 145-pound Jacob Treanor and 220-pound Camron Allen; and Royal Palm Beach’s 160-pound Ethan Bennet.
Many of the wrestlers from local schools ripped through their earlier bracketed opponents, but the competition got tougher through the weekend.
Local wrestling teams are wrapping up their regular season and preparing for the district tournament Feb. 18.
ABOVE: In the 182-pound class, Royal Palm Beach’s Tre Gilbert wrestles Wellington’s Eric Saber.
