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VALRICO - Hillsborough County co-wrestlers of the year David Craig of Brandon and Alex Enriquez of Jesuit, both members of the Brandon Wrestling Club, recently led Team Florida to the USA Wrestling Junior Dual Meet National Greco/Roman Championship in Enid, Okla.
The meet, held June 30-July 3, consisted of champions and all-stars from 24 states.
Mike Joyce of Brandon, former Jesuit and Armwood wrestling coach, took the reins as coach for Team Florida.
Craig, a junior at Brandon High in the fall, and Franklin Gomez, a senior for the Eagles, were undefeated in both Greco/Roman and freestyle competition.
Wrestling at 171 pounds, Craig went 6-0 in both styles. Gomez, at 112, went 9-0 in Greco and 8-0 in freestyle. Enriquez went 7-0 in Greco at 152 and 5-2 in freestyle.
Rocky Cozart, another Brandon senior, went 7-1 in Greco and 0-1 in freestyle at 160 and Ryan Joyce, a Brandon graduate, was 2-2 in Greco and 4-2 in freestyle.
Cesar Grajales, a three-time individual state champion on three Brandon state championship teams, was 9-0 in Greco and 7-1 in freestyle at 130 pounds. He will be a senior in the fall.
Eddie Hutchinson, another spring graduate and part of three Brandon state team titles, went 1-3 in Greco and 0-2 in freestyle at 145.
MORE WRESTLING: Matt Stwan of Valrico won the Black Hat award at the J. Robinson Wrestling Camp in Pennsylvania. He will be a senior at Durant High in the fall.
"We are very proud of Matt winning the award in such a tough, competitive camp," Durant coach Dennis Kitko said. "It is a very prestigious award and takes a great deal of work to attain it. It actually shows how much he has improved as a wrestler the past few years."
Kitko says the award is based on hard work, competitive improvement and overall performance and attitude.
Stwan also is a running back for the Cougars football team.
GYMNASTICS NATIONALS: Brandi Sharpe set the pace for Suntwister Gymnastics in the AAU National Championships in West Palm Beach. Suntwister Gymnastics is part of the overall sports program at the Brandon Swim and Tennis Club.
Sharpe, 13, won the gold medal on the balance beam and earned silvers in the floor exercise and all-around.
Sharpe says she wants to someday make the U.S. Olympic team.
"My favorite event is the bars," she said. "I like it because it comes naturally to me and I have a lot of fun doing fly-aways and dismounts."
Taylor Aguruso, 13, Kathleen Bradley, 12, Kelly Lauren, 10, and Kaitlin Flynn, 10, all of Brandon, also placed high nationally.
Aguruso, Bradley and Lauren all finished 10th in all-around competition for their age groups. Aguruso scored 35.25, Lauren 35.325 and Bradley 33.375. Flynn finished 18th with a score of 32.625.