Advertisement

TCPalm Winter All-Area: Meet the area's top wrestlers from the 2023-24 season

patrick bernadeau, treasure coast newspapers
·7 min read

The TCPalm Winter All-Area season continues as the Treasure Coast’s top athletes and coaches from basketball, soccer and more will be honored throughout the week.

Today, we take a look at our winners in wrestling.

Entering the season as the two-time defending dual and IBT state champions, Jensen Beach delivered yet another banner year to maintain its area status as the top dog on the mat. No area program had more state qualifiers or had a higher state finish than the Falcons, who once again had a wrestling take home gold at the biggest tournament of the season.

TCPalm Winter All-Area: Meet the area's top girls weightlifters from the 2023-24 season

Mulligan’s Athlete of the Week poll: Check out the top local prep sports performers!

Without further ado, here are this season’s Wrestler of the Year, Coach of the Year, All-Area First Team and wrestlers who received Honorable Mention.

Wrestler of the Year

Sebastian Degennaro, Jensen Beach

Jensen Beach junior Sebastian Degennaro (middle) stands at the top of the podium after winning his third-straight state title at the FHSAA wrestling state championships on Saturday, March 2, 2024 from the Silver Springs Arena in Kissimmee.
Jensen Beach junior Sebastian Degennaro (middle) stands at the top of the podium after winning his third-straight state title at the FHSAA wrestling state championships on Saturday, March 2, 2024 from the Silver Springs Arena in Kissimmee.

Not only has the junior three-peated as a state champion, he’s now a three-time TCPalm Wrestler of the Year, cementing himself as not only the greatest wrestler in Falcons history, but among the very best to ever wrestler in Florida. Degennaro, an Oklahoma commit, rolled to a 38-4 record, with 12 wins coming via pin. He collected district and regional titles before demolishing Lemon Bay’s Jack Oliver in a 16-0 tech fall to claim his second-straight state title at 126 pounds.

Coach of the Year

Tom McMath, Jensen Beach

Jensen Beach head coach Tom McMath celebrates Dylan Fox's state title victory at 152 pounds that secured the 1A championship at the FHSAA Championships held at Silver Spurs Arena on Saturday, Mar. 4, 2023 in Kissimmee.
Jensen Beach head coach Tom McMath celebrates Dylan Fox's state title victory at 152 pounds that secured the 1A championship at the FHSAA Championships held at Silver Spurs Arena on Saturday, Mar. 4, 2023 in Kissimmee.

While they were unable to three-peat in either dual or IBT state tournaments, McMath and his team still sits at the head of the table amongst area programs. The Falcons captured district titles in both dual and IBT competition. After 12 wrestlers from his stable were crowned as district champions and three took home regional titles, the Falcons produced an individual state champion for the fourth consecutive season. Also for the fourth year in a row, Jensen Beach earned its fourth-straight top-five finish at the state IBT after taking fifth.

First Team

Jabore Brown, Treasure Coast

Treasure Coast senior Jabore Brown poses for photos at the podium after placing second in the Class 3A 165-pound weight class at the FHSAA wrestling state championships on Saturday, March 2, 2024 from the Silver Springs Arena in Kissimmee.
Treasure Coast senior Jabore Brown poses for photos at the podium after placing second in the Class 3A 165-pound weight class at the FHSAA wrestling state championships on Saturday, March 2, 2024 from the Silver Springs Arena in Kissimmee.

Year: Senior

Weight Class: 165

Highlights: Brown only suffered two losses in a tremendous senior season where he finished as the Class 3A runner-up at 165 pounds. He narrowly missed out on a state title after losing a 6-5 decision to South Dade’s Gavin Balmeceda. Brown captured district and regional titles en route to a 41-2 record.

Sebastian Degennaro, Jensen Beach

Jensen Beach's Sebastian Degennaro (top) wrestles South Dade's Luis Acevedo in the 120 pound match during the Cradle Cancer Invitational wrestling tournament on Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023, at Jensen Beach High School.
Jensen Beach's Sebastian Degennaro (top) wrestles South Dade's Luis Acevedo in the 120 pound match during the Cradle Cancer Invitational wrestling tournament on Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023, at Jensen Beach High School.

Year: Junior

Weight Class: 126

Highlights: Extending the Falcons’ Wrestler of the Year streak to four, Degennaro joins Fort Pierce Central’s Perry Parks  as the only wrestlers from the Treasure Coast to win three individual state championships.

Kha’Liyah Delva, Fort Pierce Central

Year: Junior

Weight Class: 155

Highlights: One year after qualifying for state while at St. Lucie West Centennial, the Cobras junior stood proudly near the top of the podium as she took home runner-up honors at 155 pounds. Delva earned two pins and a majority decision before falling to three-time state champion North Miami’s Mya Bethel in the championship match to finish with a 30-8 record. She also earned runner-up honors at regionals after winning a district title.

Jack Duke, Martin County

Year: Senior

Weight Class: 138

Highlights: Duke was the best wrestler in the Tigers lineup that produced three state qualifiers. The senior won a district title, placed third at regionals before taking home a medal with an eighth-place finish at state to wrap up the season with a 45-10 record.

Trenton Hogan, Lincoln Park Academy

Lincoln Park Academy's Trenton Hogan finished seventh in 1A at 160 pounds at the FHSAA Championships held at Silver Spurs Arena on Saturday, Mar. 4, 2023 in Kissimmee.
Lincoln Park Academy's Trenton Hogan finished seventh in 1A at 160 pounds at the FHSAA Championships held at Silver Spurs Arena on Saturday, Mar. 4, 2023 in Kissimmee.

Year: Senior

Weight Class: 165

Highlights: Hogan placed eighth at state this season after finishing seventh last year. Compiling a 43-15 record, the senior was a district runner-up and followed that with a fourth at regionals.

Aidan Madden, Fort Pierce Central

Year: Senior

Weight Class: 190

Highlights: Madden was one of two Cobras to capture district and region championships before placing at state. He was also one of the few to end his season with a victory at the most important tournament of the season when he pinned Southwest Miami’s Myron Mendez in the fifth-place match.

Gian Ortiz, Jensen Beach

Jensen Beach's Gian Ortiz defeated Crystal River's Blaine Reed with a 13-11 decision to take third place in 1A at 113 pounds at the FHSAA Championships held at Silver Spurs Arena on Saturday, Mar. 4, 2023 in Kissimmee.
Jensen Beach's Gian Ortiz defeated Crystal River's Blaine Reed with a 13-11 decision to take third place in 1A at 113 pounds at the FHSAA Championships held at Silver Spurs Arena on Saturday, Mar. 4, 2023 in Kissimmee.

Year: Senior

Weight Class: 120

Highlights: No one on the Falcons roster picked up more pins than Ortiz, who took down 28 opponents via pin. He ended his prep career with his best season ever, taking home state runner-up honors. A district and regional champion at 120 pounds, the senior dropped an 8-4 decision to Bozeman’s Derrick Williams to finish the season with a 40-5 record, with only two of those losses coming in Florida.

Hernan Ortiz, Fort Pierce Central

Fort Pierce Central's Hernan Ortiz took eighth in 3A at 220 pounds at the FHSAA Championships held at Silver Spurs Arena on Saturday, Mar. 4, 2023 in Kissimmee.
Fort Pierce Central's Hernan Ortiz took eighth in 3A at 220 pounds at the FHSAA Championships held at Silver Spurs Arena on Saturday, Mar. 4, 2023 in Kissimmee.

Year: Senior

Weight Class: 285

Highlights: The Cobras heavyweight repeated his performance from his junior campaign by taking eighth at state for the second consecutive season. Like Madden, Ortiz was crowned a district and regional champion en route to a 30-10 record.

Ben Norris, Jensen Beach

Jensen Beach's Ben Norris finished fourth in 1A at 106 pounds at the FHSAA Championships held at Silver Spurs Arena on Saturday, Mar. 4, 2023 in Kissimmee.
Jensen Beach's Ben Norris finished fourth in 1A at 106 pounds at the FHSAA Championships held at Silver Spurs Arena on Saturday, Mar. 4, 2023 in Kissimmee.

Year: Junior

Weight Class: 132

Highlights: Moving from the 106-pound weight class to 132 this season, Norris continued to produce solid results for the Falcons as the junior placed at state for the second-straight season with a sixth-place finish. Prior to that, he was third at regionals and won a district title for the second year in a row.

Mikel Pierce-Walker, Jensen Beach

Jensen Beach's Mikel Pierce-Walker (left) wrestles Apopka's Tamarion Kendrick in the 138 pound match during the Cradle Cancer Invitational wrestling tournament on Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023, at Jensen Beach High School.
Jensen Beach's Mikel Pierce-Walker (left) wrestles Apopka's Tamarion Kendrick in the 138 pound match during the Cradle Cancer Invitational wrestling tournament on Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023, at Jensen Beach High School.

Year: Senior

Weight Class: 138

Highlights: With well over 100 victories since his sophomore campaign, Pierce-Walker makes the leap from honorable mention the past two seasons to the First Team in 2023-24. The senior claimed district and regional titles before defeating Mater Lakes Academy’s Malikai Badillo in a 4-3 decision to earn third at state.

Neveah Robinson, Okeechobee

Year: Junior

Weight Class: 235

Highlights: Qualifying for state in back-to-back seasons, Robinson stood on the podium for the first time after she pinned Westside’s Trayce Goodman to take seventh. In addition to third-place finishes at districts and regionals, the Brahams junior wrapped her season with a 24-9 record.

Tobby Rooney, Jensen Beach

Tobby Rooney (left), of Jensen Beach, competes against Peter Mocco, of Coral Springs, in a semifinal during the Region 4-1A wrestling tournament, Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024, at Jensen Beach High School.
Tobby Rooney (left), of Jensen Beach, competes against Peter Mocco, of Coral Springs, in a semifinal during the Region 4-1A wrestling tournament, Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024, at Jensen Beach High School.

Year: Senior

Weight Class: 190

Highlights: No one in the Falcons lineup collected more wins than Rooney. The senior went 43-13 this season, winning a district title, taking third at regionals before placing at state for the first time with an eighth-place finish.

Brooke VanEtten, Jensen Beach

Year: Junior

Weight Class: 115

Highlights: VanEtten had a breakout season for the Falcons, placing second at districts, third at regionals and seventh in her first appearance at state. She won 35 matches and suffered 10 defeats.

Quisiera Wilson, Lincoln Park Academy

Year: Freshman

Weight Class: 190

Highlights: While she was unable to place at state, the Greyhounds freshman was unbeatable through most of the winter. She won her first 38 matches, taking home district and regional titles. Wilson finished the season at 39-2.

Clayton Wolf, Okeechobee

Poinciana's Landon Trigueros (right) wrestles Okeechobee's Clayton Wolf in the 106 pound match during the Cradle Cancer Invitational wrestling tournament on Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023, at Jensen Beach High School.
Poinciana's Landon Trigueros (right) wrestles Okeechobee's Clayton Wolf in the 106 pound match during the Cradle Cancer Invitational wrestling tournament on Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023, at Jensen Beach High School.

Year: Senior

Weight Class: 120

Highlights: Wolf has totaled 70 wins over the past two seasons, including a 31-10 mark this season. After winning two consolation matches at state, the senior came home with a medal following an eighth-place finish. He placed second at districts and third at regionals.

Honorable Mention

Mackenzie Allcroft, Fort Pierce Central - 105 pounds

Carlos Almanza, Sebastian River - 165 pounds

Lucas Boekas, Sebastian River - 144 pounds

Ciara Cortez, Sebastian River - 145 pounds

Corbin Fjalstand, Martin County - 120 pounds

Nathan Halulko, Martin County - 106 pounds

Brayden Hogg, Jensen Beach - 157 pounds

Mia Johnson, Fort Pierce Central - 285 pounds

Eddie Keyes, St. Lucie West Centennial - 285 pounds

Kyle Leaich, Treasure Coast - 126 pounds

Bradyn Peters, Jensen Beach - 150 pounds

Timothy Rattiger, Sebastian River - 120 pounds

Jayden Romanello, Fort Pierce Central - 144 pounds

Dillion Ruhlander, Port St. Lucie - 113 pounds

Reece Smith, Martin County - 215 pounds

Jonathan Tumblin, Sebastian River - 190 pounds

Trey Viens, Jensen Beach - 106 pounds

Jaxon Walker, Jensen Beach - 113 pounds

Kaden Wheeler, Sebastian River - 138 pounds

Beatrice Williams, Sebastian River - 235 pounds

John Williams III, Fort Pierce Westwood - 190 pounds

Patrick Bernadeau is a sports reporter for Treasure Coast Newspapers. He can be reached at (772) 985-9692, on X at @PatBernadeau or via email at pbernadeau@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: 2023-24 TCPalm Winter All-Area: Who was the Wrestler of the Year?