Springstead High’s wrestling team finished second overall in the District 2A-5 meet held on Thursday, February 19, at River Ridge High School. The Eagles sent 11 wrestlers to regionals via a top-four finish. Host team River Ridge’s Royal Knights placed first with 262 points, followed by Springstead with 225.5 points.
Keith Gilbert earned an individual district championship by taking first at 144 pounds. He pinned Fivay’s Andrew Seabon in 54 seconds, then took down River Ridge’s Frank Muir in 3:07. Gilbert won a 13-6 decision over Lecanto’s James Reyes in the final. Other top performers included Dan Quinones, who finished first at 157 pounds with a 10-0 major decision over River Ridge’s Dawson Mann, and Joshua Rakowksi, who went 3-0 at 165 pounds.
The Eagles’ successful day was rounded out by several other top-four finishes. Grayson Weaver was third at 106 pounds, Alexander Piazza took fourth at 113 pounds, Oscar Castro-Cordero came in second at 120 pounds, and Giovani DeLape also placed second at 132 pounds. Jacob Lawrence placed third at 190 pounds, and John Garrett was second at 285 pounds.
Keith Gilbert, Dan Quinones, Joshua Rakowksi, James Garrett, and Kaleb Johns all won individual titles for Springstead. The team’s second-place finish and 11 regional qualifiers demonstrate the Eagles’ strength in the sport.
Originally reported by Hernando Sun
Sources: Hernando Sun
