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Ridgewood Duo Took Different Roads To State

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By EDDIE DANIELS, The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 13, 2008

NEW PORT RICHEY - It has been said there are more roads than one to reach a certain destination in life.

A portion of the journey to the Lakeland Center for Ridgewood wrestler Dean Stupar went through Minneapolis. Teammate Allyn Williamson went through Iowa State.

Together, each will arrive at The Lakeland Center for the 2008 FHSAA Wrestling Championships for the second time in their careers and the first time since their sophomore seasons.

After losing in the regional tournament last season and failing to qualify for the state tournament, Stupar embarked upon a mission of redemption.

"I started about two weeks after states, maybe a week after states," said Stupar, a senior who enters the tournament 35-10. "I went to an open tournament and won that in all three styles freestyle, Greco-Roman, folkstyle and that was a start. Then I was training with Matt and Billy Bullwinkel for the whole summer and I went with my friend Andrew DeSantis to the J. Robinson Camp up in Minnesota."

While at the J. Robinson Camp, it was hard to see past what was happening at that moment, but once away from the camp, all the benefits could be seen.

"Looking back, I loved it, but while I was there, I thought it was ... It was a good experience," Stupar said. "But when you're there, you don't wish it upon anybody else. It's tiresome, it's hard."

Williamson, who attended a technical camp at Iowa State that featured Cael Sanderson, immediately was a hit. He knocked off top wrestlers from Wisconsin and California to claim the top spot in the camp's 147-pound weight class.

"It's good to see the kids work hard and then it actually pays off when they're winning matches and winning tournaments," said Ridgewood assistant Matt Bullwinkel, the last Ram to win a state title (2004). "Allyn, he took sixth at East Lake and he didn't lose a match all the way up to Ippolito. He came back stronger after that.

"Dean's been in the finals of every tournament but Ippolito, where he took third and lost to the same kid twice. One point each time. He's one good weekend from winning states."

The season was smooth sailing for Williamson, a senior, until Brandon's Ippolito tournament, where he injured his thumb. He was told to stop wrestling and had the thumb immediately X-rayed, which detected ligament damage. That put him out for just over a week.

Despite the seriousness of the injury, which should have kept him out for a month, Williamson hurried back for his shot at the state tournament. Plus, it seems he has been injury-prone during this time of the season and he refused to sit this one out after dislocating his shoulder last season in the regional tournament, which ended his season.

"I think it just made me stronger," he said, "and just made me want it more because you just have to keep going and going and now I'm there."

By each wrestler having previous state tournament experience, they admit there will be no looking around in the stands in awe. They'll be focused in on who is in front of them - the crowd just has the pleasure of being there.

"It's going to be different," Williamson said. "There's going to be more confidence, there won't be that wow factor any more. It's going to be going in and win a medal."

No matter the route, each wants a place on the podium inside the Lakeland Center.

STATE MEET

WHAT: 2008 FHSAA Wrestling Finals

WHERE: The Lakeland Center, 701 West Lime Street, Lakeland

WHEN: Thursday: Weigh-ins, 10 a.m.; First Round, Noon; Wrestlebacks (First Round), 5 p.m.; Friday: Weigh-ins, 8 a.m.; Round 2, 10 a.m.; Wrestlebacks (Round 2), 2 p.m.; Semifinals, 7 p.m.; Saturday: Weigh-ins, 8 a.m.; Wrestlebacks (Round 3), 10 a.m.; Wrestlebacks (Round 4), Noon; Fifth/Sixth, 4 p.m.; Third/Fourth, 4 p.m.; Finals, 6:30 p.m.

PARKING: $5.00 per day

ADMISSION: $8.00 per session

OPENING ROUND PAIRINGS: Class 3A: 171: Jessey Lorentsen (Mitchell), Jr., 33-5 vs. Erin O'Dell (Oviedo), 33-7, So.;

Class 2A: 112: Dean Stupar (Ridgewood ), Sr., 30-10 vs. Thomas Gayer (Naples Palmetto Ridge), Jr., 32-7; Anthony Biondo (River Ridge), Sr., 38-13 vs. Michael Torres (Bradenton Manatee), Sr., 38-10; 119: Tyler Fleming (River Ridge), Sr., 38-5 vs. Virgil Torns, 36-11, Fr., Forest (Ocala); 135: Allyn Williamson (Ridgewood), Sr., 28-5 vs. Jerome Robinson (Jacksonville Robert E. Lee), Sr., 22-1;

Class 1A: 103: R.J. O'Conner (Gulf), Fr., 34-9 vs. Josh McLeod (Green Cove Springs Clay), Fr., 33-8; 112: Nick Hynes (Zephyrhills), So., 34-10 vs. Isiah Verona (Miami Doral), 8th, 39-7; 130: Jordan Holding (Gulf), Sr., 38-2 vs. Dylan Barber (Key West), So., 20-9; 140: Robbie Kunkle (Zephyrhills), Sr., 32-10 vs. Billy Brooks (Starke Bradford), Jr., 30-1; 160: Antonio Germano (Hudson), Sr., 29-2 vs. Ian Burns (Jacksonville Episcopal), Jr., 34-6; 171: Devinlee Brown (Hudson), Sr., 36-1 vs. Silas Doyle (Jensen Beach), Sr., 22-16; 189: Ray Perez (Pasco), Sr., 37-3 vs. Gage Cannon (Bradenton Braden River), Sr., 13-5; Jarrett Baker (Sunlake), Jr., 29-9 vs. Ellis St. John (Robinson), Sr., 25-3; 215: Eric Stroud (Pasco), Sr., 32-6 vs. Juan Corona (Glen St. Mary Baker County), Sr., 27-8; 285: Travis Tindell (Hudson), Sr., 32-1 vs. Thierry Bano (Miami Monsignor Pace), Sr., 30-4

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