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Minimal returns With reduced roster, NCT earn pair of third-place finishes

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By MARTY MILLER, Hernando Today correspondent

Published: November 24, 2007

BROOKSVILLE - Last year, Nature Coast Technical wrestling coach Mike Lastra had a problem winning any wrestling tournaments because he generally had only five or six wrestlers out of the 14 needed to compete in any tournament.

"You don't go into any tournament going in with five or six wrestlers expecting to win it," Lastra said Saturday.

So with six football players and one cross country runner missing Saturday, the Sharks again went into a tournament without a complete lineup.

But with David Simonson at 112 pounds and Paul DiDonna at heavyweight earning third-place finishes, Lastra said his team came out of the Alan Solomon Invitational wrestling tournament, held at Central High, about as well as can be expected.

Despite the low numbers, NCT did have two wrestlers medal in the 11-team field.

Scott Cronin finished fourth at 119 while Maurice Mendez (130) and Ryan McCabe (160) placed fifth.

While Lastra had a number of wrestlers missing this week, he says this year will not be like the last few years.

"That's the way it's been the last couple of years but now we'll have someone in every weight class," Lastra indicated. "But all of this is just practice for the districts anyhow.

"Once we get our full lineup it may take awhile to jell as a team. With so many football players out, we don't have our full squad. But by the end of December or early January, we'll be alright."
Simonson lost his first-round match to Cash Cottrell of Lake Gibson 13-7, and then in the consolation bracket, Simonson won four straight matches.

First he pinned Kyle Knudson of The Villages at 1:39, then he pinned Nick Haynes of Zephyrhills at 2:37 before getting another pin, this time from Sean Hart of Sunlake at 0:44. In the third-place match, Simonson pinned Matt Neal of Crystal River in 4:03.

"He should have gotten first place," said Lastra. "He was up 7-2 in the third period of his first match and I guess he got a little careless because the Lake Gibson guy scored 11 straight points and won."

With DiDonna, a sophomore transfer from Crystal River, Lastra says he has a lot of potential. "He wrestled as a freshman and he's an ox. But he doesn't know many wrestling moves right now."

For the sophomore Cronin, his first varsity wrestling tournament went well. He beat Kevin Engle of Land O'Lakes 12-6 in the first round, and then lost to Brandon Jones of Crystal River by pin in 2:29. Cronin then beat Engle again in the consolation bracket 8-6 before earning a 10-3 decision from Ed Santiago of Mitchell. He then lost the match for third place to Jean Ayala of Gulf by major decision 11-2.
Lastra also believes his team can improve on the number of wrestlers it can have reaching the regional tournament.

"Last year we got six into it but we're hoping to get at least 10 this year," he said. "We'll be ready as a team by late December, but we'll be OK because we have to aim high."

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