Ethan Vugman makes the right choice and earns a state crown

Bartram Trail’s Ethan Vugman after his win in the Class 3A state wrestling final at the Silver Spurs Arena. (Photo courtesy of Ward Wrestling)

BY BRANT PARSONS — Ethan Vugman’s first love was soccer.

Growing up, Vugman played soccer year-round and dabbled in wrestling.

But after eighth grade, he knew he had to make a choice.

His father Alex has wrestled his whole life and his brother Nick also wrestled so it may have seemed like an easy pick for Ethan to make, but it wasn’t at first.

“I was going into high school and I had a conversation with my parents and we decided that I had to pick one sport,” Vugman said. “I had to be the best I can be at one and I actually initially chose soccer — but then a week later I finally decided that wrestling was my thing.”

“That’s when I started going full time that put all of my effort into wrestling.”

It ended up being a pretty good choice as the Bartram Trail graduate ended his high school wrestling career with a state title in the Class 3A, 126-pound weight class, beating George Steinbrenner’s Colin Bradshaw 2-1.

That finals match against was a rematch of the state finals match a year ago, a bout won by Bradshaw 6-3.

A match not easily forgotten by Vugman.

“I started watching that match over and over again,” Vugman said of the 2022 final. “All summer I was watching that video. I would slow it down and just watch the little moments and work on those moves. I was always focusing on that match and what I could have done better.”

When he watched the video, Vugman saw himself forcing his moves and then he would become panicked when they didn’t work.

He also noticed that Bradshaw would get into a position that he wasn’t used to and Vugman was “freaking out” in his mind and Bradshaw would capitalize on it.

Vugman got a chance to test out some of this research when the two met in a freestyle match over the offseason, a match won by Vugman.

“It was definitely a big thing for me because I got it into my head that I could win this match, it was mine to lose,” Vugman said. “It helped me a lot because I knew I could beat him.”

Fast-forward to March of this year and just as Vugman predicted, the two met in the state final again.

“All year I was kind of expecting that match and for it to be the same finals match,” Vugman said. “That’s what I was working on all year, just taking a little mistake that I had made in the first match and fixing it.”

“I was ready for that match.”

And Vugman is ready for what’s next too.

He will go to the University of Florida and plans to study accounting. Vugman also plans to participate in the Florida wrestling club and looks forward to giving back to the sport even more down the road.

It all points to that decision made four years ago and it proved to be a good one.

“That is something no one can ever take away from me,” Vugman said. “No matter what happens, I’m still a state champ.”

Ethan Vugman at the 2023 state wrestling tournament. (Photo courtesy of Ethan Vugman)

STATE CHAMPION FEATURES

Kabra Wrestling is looking to feature as many state champions as we can over the next few months and tell a little story about what makes them special.

If you won a state championship and would like to be featured, please contact Kabra Wrestling to set up an interview.

2023 State Champions

3A-106: Andrew Punzalan (Cypress Bay)

3A-113: Tyler Washburn (Palmetto Ridge)

3A-120: Luis Acevedo (South Dade)

3A-126: Ethan Vugman (Bartram Trail)

3A-132: Cavarius Liddie (Buchholz)

3A-138: Elvis Solis (South Dade)

3A-145: Anderson Heap (Kissimmee Osceola)

3A-152: Cooper Haase (Kissimmee Osceola)

3A-160: Adrian Ochoa (Southwest Miami)

3A-170: Lawrence Rosario (South Dade)