Beyonce Espinosa voted Reader’s Choice Wrestler of the Week

BY BRANT PARSONS — After missing weight at the region tournament this past season, Gladiator WC’s Beyonce Espinosa has made it a goal to make up for the disappointment.

That quest has started strong after Espinosa defeated two state champions in consecutive weeks with tech fall wins in freestyle to earn the nomination.

Two weeks ago she defeated Charlotte’s Iyonna Church-Ross and then at Father Devine, she bested Flagler Palm Coast’s Joslyn Johnson.

“Beyonce Espinosa is one for the hardest working kids we have in the room,” Coach Chino Duran said. “I knew she was going to break through at any given time.”

After those big wins, Espinosa earned the honor of Wrestler of the Week in a vote of Karba Wrestling readers.

Emily Doolittle (North Fort Myers), Jayla Sanders (Bartow), and Marco Rivera (Pasco Wolfpack Wrestling) were the other nominees.

Espinosa, a rising senior at South Dade, was a region qualifier last season after a 27-8 season but missed weight on the first day of the region tournament.

“She was really disappointed about not being able to go to the state tournament this year so she did not waste time working towards redeeming herself because of the missed weight incident,” Duran said. “She was going through a lot at the time so it had very little to do with her physical ability but working on her her mental toughness and how this sport could prepare for real life.”

“Queen B has arrived!”