The Wellington Wrestling Club team competed recently at the AAU Scholastic National Duals at the Wide World of Sports in Kissimmee.
The wrestlers were able to compete against teams from Ohio, Indiana, Montana, Massachusetts and Florida.
Overall, the team placed 33rd out of 48 teams and finished with two All-American medal winners. Briar Macfarlane finished with a perfect 9-0 record to bring home a gold medal. He will be a senior this year at Wellington High School, and this was his second All-American medal at the event. Robert Lapeter finished with a 7-2 record to bring home a bronze medal. He will be a senior at Seminole Ridge High School, and this was his first trip to the event.
“This tournament is a four-day grind for the kids, which takes a lot of physical and mental toughness to get through,” coach Travis Gray said. “We were able to see top teams from around the country, and we hung in their each round and battled to the finish. This was our third trip to the National Duals, and Briar Macfarlane was the first gold medalist we have ever had, so we are very excited about his accomplishments.”
Team members attending the event included: Nik Bonadies, Andrew Mitchell, Briar Macfarlane, Marcus Morin, Colton Macfarlane, Adam Pendleton, Robert Kessler, Jonathan DeLaura, Noah Coulter, A.J. Lopez, Robert Lapeter, Ryan Artilles, Brandon Paz, Devin Gillotte, Mathew Wunderlich, Christian Goss and Brandon Way, along with coaches Zach Pincus, Chris Forte and Coach Travis Gray.
ABOVE: Medal winners Briar Macfarlane and Robert Lapeter.
