BY GENE NARDI
Last Friday and Saturday, the high school Class 3A, Region 3 wrestling tournament was hosted by Park Vista High School in Boynton Beach. Twenty-nine high schools from Broward, Palm Beach and the Treasure Coast competed on the mat with the goal of qualifying for the state tournament.
Wellington took second overall as a team with 164.5 points, just behind tournament champion St. Thomas Aquinas, which tallied 195 points. Seminole Ridge came in 10th place overall with 60 points. Palm Beach Central placed 16th with 43 points, and Royal Palm Beach placed 17th with 35 points. The total team points are reflected by the number of wrestlers who qualified to compete in the regional tournament from each team.
Wellington’s Chris DiFiore won first place and a regional title in the 106-pound class over Seminole Ridge’s Hilton Luciano. Both qualify to compete in the state tournament. In the 126-pound division, Wellington’s Jared Abramson placed second in the final match, which qualifies him for the state tournament. Palm Beach Central’s Anthony Strada placed second in the 145-pound weight class, qualifying him as well. The 170-pound division had two rivals going head-to-head in the finals, Wellington’s Eric Saber won by fall in the third period over Seminole Ridge’s Mitchell Clark; both students qualified for the state tournament.
Third- and fourth-place wrestlers also qualify to compete in the state tournament. Wellington’s Tyler DiFiore won by fall to take third place. In the 138-pound division, two locals faced off on the mat, and Wellington’s Cameryn Townsend defeated Palm Beach Central’s Hunter Llano by decision for third place; and in the 152-pound class, two local state-ranked grapplers met in the center of the mat, Wellington’s Eric Reid and Royal Palm Beach’s Sam Perez. Reid edged Perez by decision, but both qualify to compete at the state tournament. Wellington’s Jacob Treanor took fourth place in the 145-pound division.
The Wolverines will bring seven wrestlers to the state tournament, one fewer than last year. Wellington qualified a school-record eight last season. Both Seminole Ridge and Palm Beach Central will bring two wrestlers to the state tournament, and Royal Palm Beach will have one competing.
Twelve grapplers in all will be representing the western communities this weekend at the state tournament at the Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee.
ABOVE: Seminole Ridge 138-pounder John Arnold and Wellington’s Cameryn Townsend square off.
