State wrestling championships to hit the mats at Silver Spurs Arena this week

Thirty one athletes from Osceola County’s public schools will be seeking state championships this weekend when the Silver Spurs Arena at Heritage Park hosts the FHSAA boys and girls wrestling championships beginning Thursday, Mar. 2 and culminating with the finals on Saturday, Mar. 4.

The boys will compete in one of three classifications based on enrollment (1A to 3A); while the girls will compete in one classification (1A), as their sport enters its second year of official sanctioning by the FHSAA and continues to grow in participation. Admission is $9.00 per session if purchased in advance via Ticketmaster, and $12.00 if purchased day of (No Re-entry). Parking is $10.

Osceola enters the boys’ tournament with a county-high seven participants who qualified last weekend at the Class 3A, Region 2 championship. In winning the regional team championship with 171 team points, Osceola sent five wrestlers to the finals, with Anderson Heap (145-lbs.), Cooper Haase (152), and Jomar Sanchez (190) all winning individual regional titles.

Gunner Holland (170) and Elijah Vansickle (225) finished second in their weight classes to earn a trip to the state finals; as did Kowboys’ top-four finishers Evan Martinez (3rd–120) and Isfandier Sharipov (4th – 126).

Haase, who is nationally ranked and 45-1 on the season, will be chasing history as he attempts to join Fox Baldwin as Osceola High’s only four-time state champion. Last year, Haase joined Malyke Hines (2017-19) as the only other Kowboys’ wrestlers to win three individual state championships.

Haase breezed to his fourth regional championship, beating Sarasota’s Reese Hibbard by technical fall, 26-5. It was also his 200th career win.

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