Wrestling set to include many local competitors

By BRANT JAMES

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 6, 2000

SPRING HILL -- The Sunshine State Games might not be run in the same spartan manner as the Springstead wrestling program, but Eagles coach Bob Levija can put up with it.

After all, it's wrestling.

Levija will lead at least a dozen Hernando County wrestlers into competition beginning Saturday at the O'Connell Center on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville and expects to come home with several medals. That's not bragging. That's just extending the trend established by Hernando County wrestlers in the past.

Springstead's Anthony and Gerard DeCristofaro won championships last summer while Brandyn Kuhn (Hernando) won in freestyle and Greco-Roman. Hernando County participants include: Jason, Nate and Matt Booker, the DeCristofaros, Jimmy Stevenson (the Class 2A state champion at 125 pounds), Reggie Pena, Tim Cook, David Kachiroubas, Fabien Lewars, Warren Hendry -- all Springstead products or prospects -- Kuhn and Michael, Will and Charley Combs.

"It's a nice getaway for the kids," said Levija, who has taken teams to the Games for 20 years. "But it can be a pain in the (butt).

"They tell you they will follow a schedule, and they don't. But all in all, it's a good experience. It keeps the kids together."

Levija said his biggest complaint is a lack of trained adult coaching and inconsistent officiating. Therefore, he said, he stresses his wrestlers concentrate on the experience, not the outcome.

"I tell them to go up to have fun," he said. "If they get whacked by the officials, don't worry about it."

Most of the whacking has been done by Hernando wrestlers, however. Levija expects that to continue.

"We expect a couple of champions," he said.

So does Anthony DeCristofaro, who will get a final chance to compete against some of the state's best before beginning his college career at Skyline Junior College in San Bruno, Calif.

"It's a pretty good freestyle tournament," he said. "They get a lot of kids from around the state, so you end up seeing some pretty tough wrestlers."

DeCristofaro won a title at 220 pounds in Greco-Roman last year even though that is not his favored discipline. Wrestlers are not allowed to attempt holds below the waist in Greco-Roman.

"I prefer freestyle, but for some reason, I seem to do better in Greco," he said. "I guess it's because my upper-body strength is pretty good."

Doing better all the time is made possible by Hernando-area wrestlers' year-round commitment. Levija keeps his gym open during summer school, which draws his charges and their counterparts from Ridgewood and Land O'Lakes.

"We're rocking and rolling over there two nights a week," Levija said. "I think it's the only place that's open during the summer, and you get to keep an eye on them."

Levija's commitment is more than just time. Wrestlers are responsible for the $15-20 entry fee (depending on if they pre-register and how many disciplines they compete in), but Levija solicits donations to pay for lodging.

The Games offer 11 divisions based on age and weight.

For more info

Information on Sunshine State Games wrestling is available at http://www.floridausawrestling.org/ next_major_event.html. For more information about all of the Sunshine State Games events, including a schedule of each event, check out http://www.flasports.com.

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