G1A-13 Preview: 4-5 teams could make legitimate case for district favorite role
Kabra Wrestling Rankings are updated every week all season long for Kabra+ members.
Last season: Lincoln Park Academy outscored Bayside by 36 points to win the team crown.
Last year’s district tournament results
Last year’s region tournament results
Wrestlers to watch: Lainey Driggett (Merritt Island), Emma Hoppe (Viera), Quisiera Wilson (Lincoln Park), Catalina Kenney (Viera), Kha'liyah Delva (Fort Pierce Central), Bryce Travers (Melbourne), Neveah Robinson (Okeechobee)
The favorite: Lincoln Park. Moved to the front of the district last season and won a title. Looking to repeat.
Team to watch: Space Coast. A steady and young group returns with no seniors amongst the region qualifiers coming back.
District IBT: Feb. 8 at Bayside
Kabra Says: We love what Space Coast, Fort Pierce Central, and Viera are doing with their girls programs, but will that be enough to catch Lincoln Park? Even without confirmation on who is coming back, we’ll still take the Greyhounds.
Lincoln Park Academy Greyhounds
Coach: Jamie Labbe (2nd season)
Assistant Coach: Jacob Pryor
Recent district results: 2023:1; 2022:8
Notable losses (Graduation/Transfer): Anna Robinson, 14-12, RQ, D4; Claire Betz, 19-3, RQ, D2.
Notable returning wrestlers: #5-190 Quisiera Wilson, Fr., 27-5, 5th, R2, DC; #17-105 Sophia Bustelo, Fr., 14-15, RQ-BR, D2; #20-170 Chaniya Saintil, Jr., 19-9, RQ, D3; Ruckkyuna Wilson, Fr., 7-14, RQ, D3; Briggett Perez, Sr., 19-8, RQ, D2; Jakeire Merritt, Jr., 4-16, RQ-BR, D2.
What they’re saying: “All of our wrestlers this season have a year or less of experience, but that did not stop us last season. We are looking to do better this year. Our goals are to win another district title and send five to state and place.”
Outlook: Last year’s district champions are led by state placer and team captain Wilson.
Space Coast Vipers
Coach: Tony McCormick (19th season, 20th overall)
Assistant coaches: Corey Jones, Reggie Bradley, Ryan Starkey, Matt Dawley, Jesslynn Earl
Recent district results: 2023:3
Notable losses (Graduation/Transfer): None
Notable returning wrestlers: #11-135 Kylie Mangum, Fr., 17-10, SQ, R4, D3; #17-115 Emma Johnson, Jr., 14-18, RQ-BR, D2; #17-145 Breonna Mangum, Jr., 10-14, RQ, D3; Sarina Mangum, 8th, 18-10, RQ, D2; Allysa Wasmund, Jr., 10-13, RQ, D3.
New wrestlers: Marielena Barnes, 7th; Aralin Pierson, 7th; Angie Allen, So.; Haylie Thurman, So.; Giada Hasbrouck, 7th; Kayla Petro, Fr.; Tristan Byrd, Jr.
Outlook: Kylie Mangum leads five returning region qualifiers who will be joined by a growing roster.
Fort Pierce Central Cobras
Coach: Roger Allcroft (12th season)/Pat Seidel
Assistant coaches: Sean Harris, Michael O'Neil, Megan Allcroft, Billy McArdle
Recent district results: 2023:4; 2022:3
Last state champion: Gaby Perez, 2023 (135)
Notable losses (Graduation/Transfer): Brittney Vincens, 28-10, 6th, R2, DC; Gabriella Perez, 35-0, SC, RC, DC.
Notable returning wrestlers: #10-100 MacKenzie Allcroft, So., 26-12, SQ, R3, D2; Mia Johnson, So., 18-12, RQ-BR, D5.
New wrestler: #9-140 Kha'liyah Delva, Jr., 17-6, SQ, R2, DC (Transfer from Centennial)
On last year's seniors: "They're the ones who started our team and led our team. McKenzie's sort of fell on that role now to get everybody motivated for lifts and for practice. She hasn't missed one practice all year long, so she's fun to watch grow."
Outlook: Multi-state champion Perez and state placer Vincens are gone but Allcroft returns to lead a growing team and will be joined by another returning state qualifier in Delva.
The Florida High School Wrestling District Previews
Click on link to see preview
Class 3A: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16
Class 2A: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16
Class 1A: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16
Class G-1A: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16
Viera Hawks
Coach: Jason Custer (3rd season)
Assistant coach: Chris Zuniga
Recent district results: 2023:7
Notable losses (Graduation/Transfer): None
Notable returning wrestlers: #5-140 Emma Hoppe, Jr., 33-8, 5th, R4, DC; #7-110 Catalina Kenney, So., 22-7, 8th, R2, DC.
What they are saying: "Right now we have seven girls int he room, the goal is to get up to 10. Give me 10 girls on the team and I can tell you with confidence that we're going to be a very formidable team."
On building a girls program: "My thing is if you're coachable and you work hard, we're going to teach you the basic. And it is the basics, it's controlled aggressiveness, it's having your core four basic offensive maneuvers that you're going to use. It's having a good defense and it's knowing how to scramble. If you do those things, and you're mentally tough and work hard, you are gonna win matches. And that correlates to the girls because we're going to have them working with them and a lot of them are brand new, so we're starting from the ground up, which is fun. We want to get the girls program to where we want it to be."
Outlook: Two place-winners return and should lead what the program is hoping is a full girls team.
Bayside Bears
Coach: Stephen Schmeichel
Recent district results: 2023:2; 2022:5-1A7
Notable losses (Graduation/Transfer): Annabelle Guillaume, 14-8, RQ-BR, D2; Leidjana Jonassaint, 20-11, RQ, D2; Tanihya Wilson, 19-18, SQ, R4, D4.
Potential notable returning wrestlers: #18-140 Jordyn Schmeichel, Sr., 29-12, RQ-BR, D2; Abigail Guillaume, Sr., 30-8, RQ, D3; Jasmin Sawyer, Sr., 13-11, RQ, D3.
Okeechobee Brahams
Coach: Jonathon Kemp
Recent district results: 2023:4; 2022:2
Notable losses (Graduation/Transfer): Hailey Vasquez-Virto, 2-13, RQ, D3.
Potential notable returning wrestlers: #9-235 Neveah Robinson, Jr., 20-10, SQ, R4, DC; Patrice Cooper, Jr., 18-10, RQ, DC; Carlie Eaton, Jr., 9-13, RQ, D3.
Palm Bay Pirates
Coach: Sean Ballard (24th season)
Recent district results: 2023:6
Notable losses (Graduation/Transfer): None
Potential notable returning wrestlers: #16-130 Tamia Young, Sr., 17-4, RQ-BR, DC; #19-145 Desiree Arvelo, So., 15-3, RQ-BR, DC; Alyvia Gallagher, So., 14-6, RQ, D4.
Sebastian River Sharks
Coach: Tom Maul (18th season)
Assistant coaches: Zach Pitts, Phineus Weatherly
Recent district results: 2023:8; 2022:5
Notable losses (Graduation/Transfer): None
Notable returning wrestlers: #18-145 Ciara Cortez, Sr., 21-10, RQ, D3; Gabriella Vallejo, Jr., 16-9, RQ, D2; Angelina Radke, Sr., 11-11, RQ, D4; Kiersten Nichols, Sr., 13-11, RQ, D4.
What they are saying: "We're gonna have more girls on the team this year. We have anywhere from 10 to 15 that are practicing with us now.”
Outlook: Four region qualifiers return for the Sharks and each has their site on reaching Kissimmee at the end of the season.
Merritt Island Mustangs
Coach: Graham Smith (14th season)
Recent district results: 2023:9; 2022:9-1A7
Notable losses (Graduation/Transfer): None
Potential notable returning wrestlers: #3-170 Madelyn Driggett, Sr., 25-3, 4th, RC, DC; Abby Patellis, Sr., 13-14, RQ, D4 .
What they are saying on Lainey Driggett: "She's been in our program since she was in fourth or fifth grade. I'm just so thankful that girls wrestling is an FHSAA sport because it has provided her that opportunity that growing up we always hoped that she would have. She's worked really hard, and it was about getting her to believe how good she is. Her freshman and sophomore year, I don't think she really understood and I think it was hard because girls wrestling was a little bit more in its infancy. Last year, she flipped the switch. She was working incredibly hard at practice. She constantly wanted to jump in and beat up on the boys. And it paid off at the state tournament she finished in fourth place."
More on Lainey: "Now the focus has shifted and this focus is on winning a state title this year. She's competed all over the country. She's worked incredibly hard, harder than she's ever worked and I have a lot of confidence in her. Laney is a leader in our program, not just with girls, but she's a leader with the boys too. If she tells the boys to do something, they listen to her because they respect her. She's been around them a long time and she walks the walk. I've got a lot of respect for Lainey, and I'm gonna miss her after graduation this year. She's just been such a great kid to have around."
Outlook: State placer Driggett returns with region qualifier Patellis as the team looks to have its first girls state champion and build the depth in the program.
Melbourne Bulldogs
Coach: Robert Hickman
Recent district results: 2023:9; 2022:7-1A7
Notable losses (Graduation/Transfer): None
Potential notable returning wrestlers: #9-100 Bryce Travers, Sr., 29-6, SQ, RC, DC; Rachel Valdez, Jr., 7-5, RQ, DC.
Outlook: First-year wrestler Travers won a district and region title before coming up short at the state tournament. She’s back with another year to grow before heading off to college.
Cocoa Beach Minutemen
Coach: Chris Kelly (3rd season at CB; 15th overall)
Assistant coaches: Tony Acquafredda, Lucas Haase, Ryan Violette, Mike Fredenburg
Recent district results: 2023:11
Notable losses (Graduation/Transfer): None
Notable returning wrestler: Elysse Fredenburg, 8th, 9-8, RQ, DC.
What they are saying: "That's a struggle here because of how small Cocoa Beach actually is. When you look at the numbers, we're really the smallest or second smallest public school in Florida. So getting those girls out when most of our athletes have been pulled to other sports, they all kind of take precedent as being the big girls sport. And when your school is so small that you don't have the leftover girls or the extra girls to kind of want to try other sports, it's definitely hard for us. Were constantly recruiting. But really, the biggest place that we're hopefully going to make the impact is we are trying to start with the younger crop of girls, we're trying to get the middle schoolers out, and then we're spending a lot of time to get them ready."
Outlook: Cocoa Beach is trying to build the numbers of girls up in their room and hoping to see some long term success there. District champion Fredenburg returns with her eyes on going deeper into the postseason.
Westwood Panthers
Coach: Lee Jackson
Recent district results: 2023:12; 2022:7
Notable losses (Graduation/Transfer): Alysha Josue, 15-4, SQ, R3, D2.
Potential notable returning wrestlers: Kamara Pierre, Jr., 4-5, RQ, D2.
Vero Beach Indians
Coach: Jerry Knight (1st year at school)
Assistant coach: Lynn Esposito-Knight, Adam Knight
Recent district results: 2023:15; 2022:3
Notable losses (Graduation/Transfer): None
Potential notable returning wrestlers: #18-120 Jayla Benjamin, So.; #19-110 Brenda Gomez, Jr., 4-8; Shyonte Stinson, Jr., 18-11, RQ, D4; Mya Wallace, Jr., 2-18, RQ-BR, D3.
New wrestler: Kelis Tawzer, Jr. (Transfer from Iowa)
Treasure Coast Titans
Coach: Kevin Carter (2nd season)
Recent district results: 2023:16; 2022:1
Last state champion: Gabriella Perez, 2022 (135)
Notable losses (Graduation/Transfer): None
Notable returning wrestlers: #16-100 Jaila Allah, Jr., 15-9, SQ, R4, D3.
Satellite Scorpions
Coach: David McMiller (5th season)
Recent district results: 2023:13; 2022:7-1A7
Notable losses (Graduation/Transfer): Lucy Maris, 27-6, 2nd, R2, D2.
Potential notable returning wrestlers: Ashton Yates, So., 6-8, RQ, D5.
Centennial Eagles
Coach: Adam Woessner
Recent district results: 2023:14
Notable losses (Graduation/Transfer): Kha'liyah Delva, Jr., 17-6, SQ, R2, DC (Transfer to Fort Pierce Central)
Potential notable returning wrestlers: None
Outlook: The Eagles have a whole new roster for this season.
Rockledge Raiders
Coach: Jon Reneau
Recent district results: 2023:17
Notable losses (Graduation/Transfer): Grace McBride, RQ, D4.
Potential notable returning wrestlers: None
What they are saying: "I have a couple of new girls I just met and they've approached me about being interested in coming out. I've created a girls-only schedule so I think that's kind of attractive to them not having to wrestle guys and I think that's going to make it easier to build a sport because they don't have to compete against guys. I think they're going to be more likely to want to come out."
Outlook: The program is still in the building stage but they have had some interest from around the school.
Port St. Lucie Jaguars
Coach: Demery Brown
Recent district results: 2023:18; 2022:8
Notable losses (Graduation/Transfer): None
Potential notable returning wrestlers: None