Angela LoRusso ‘19 competes in Girls State Wrestling Tournament
While the wrestling team had the weekend off in preparation for the District Tournament, Angela LoRuss0 ’19 traveled to Liberty High School in Kissimmee, FL to compete in the 2017 Florida Girls State Championships.
Girls wrestling is not a separate FHSAA sanctioned sport meaning Angela, along with hundreds of girls across the state, compete primarily co-ed. Due to weight class restrictions girls have found they can still be competitive and in some cases dominant over their male counterparts. Angela’s record this year against boys is 13-11 and her overall record is 19-14.
With few opportunities throughout the season for girls only tournaments, which are independently run to help further the sport, the Girls State Tournament has grown exponentially the past few years in Florida. This year, 270 girls competed across 14 weight classes representing 80 Florida schools. Angela competed in the 106 pound division that had a whopping 36 competitors!
Angela had initial wins against Olympia HS 2-0 then against Timber Creek HS by pin to move on to the second day of the tournament. In the Quarterfinals Angela faced off against the #3 seed from Lake Nona HS where she lost 15-9. Angela then competed in the consolation bracket where she had a thrilling overtime win 2-0 over a Senior from Arnold HS. Angela then lost her final match 4-1 against Hernando HS in another down to the wire battle.
Although Angela missed medaling for the tournament by one win, her final placement puts her among the top 8 girls in the state at the 106 pound weight class. Now Angela prepares with the rest of the team for the District Tournament being held on February 18, 2017 at Booker HS in Sarasota.
“Angela has improved in every facet this season,” said Coach Lacroix. “We are very proud of her progress and hope to see her do well at the district championships.”
“Angela continues to impress us with her grit and determination,” said Coach May. “She is a great asset to the team!”
