Preps

Wrestling: Terrapin wins individual title

Tampa Prep eighth-grader Tyler Liberatore is the county's only champ.

By TERRY JONES, Times Correspondent
Published December 2, 2007

DURANT - Tyler Liberatore was the only Hillsborough County wrestler to win an individual championship in the 12th annual Cougar Invitational wrestling tournament on Saturday night.

The Tampa Prep eighth-grader scored a pair of takedowns in the first two periods, then pinned his Naples Riverdale opponent 5 minutes, 17 seconds into the match for a third-period pin and the title belt at 112 pounds.

Riverdale won the team title with 249.5 points, followed by Miami South Dade (235), Manatee (230), Kissimmee Osceola (197) and Durant (139.5).

Tampa Prep finished 10th with 100 points.

"There was definitely great competition here this weekend," Liberatore said. "I was real happy about beating Travis Laxton of Suwannee in the semis. He beat me in the state tournament last year."

While watching a consolation match, Manatee coach Andy Gugliamini expressed just how tough he thought this tournament was.

"We just watched a Class 2A runnerup from last year pin a Class 3A state champion, to place only fifth here," he said.

Durant Kitko, coach and tournament director, also mentioned the intensity of the tournament.

"This was the best competition we have ever had in 12 years of this tournament," Kitko said. "At least four state champions were beaten this weekend. But over all things went smooth with no incidents and only the one broken wrist as far as injuries that I know."

Springstead's Dustin Soto won the 103-pound title for the only other wrestler in the Tampa Bay area to win.

Alex Hamm, 103, Christian Reed, 125, and Derrick Hudson, 130, all of Durant, each recorded third-place finishes, and Durant's Jamil Crespo, 145, placed fourth for the only other Hillsborough wrestler to place in the top four.

Miami South was a big favorite, but four of its starters were finishing football and did not compete. However, the Bucs were still only 15 points short of victory.

[Last modified December 1, 2007, 23:21:07]