Bear wrestling takes on nationals

The Bear Wrestling Club is once again flexing their muscles. Four competitors including Zack Mastro, Joey Nadotti, Chase Singletary and Colby Singletary made the trip to South Carolina, May 27-28, for the Southeast Regionals. All four brought home medals and qualified for the USA Wrestling Nationals, June 28-July 1 in Wisconsin.

Photo by KEN LANE, Collier Citizen

Four members of the Bear Wrestling Club qualified for the USA Wrestling national competition, June 28 - July 1 in Wisconsin. Pictured above from the left are Joey Nadotti, Chase Singletary and Colby Singletary. Not pictured is Zack Mastro who took first in the Cadet division for both Freestyle and Greco.

"The boys wrestled really well," coach K.C. Singletary said. "There were some good matches but it seemed like Florida dominated. Almost every kid in the finals was from Florida."

Taking first in both freestyle and Greco wrestling classes were two brothers, five-year old Colby Singletary in the pee wee division, and older brother, Chase in the midget division.

Chase commented on his opponents saying, "They were tons easy," then added, "Well… pretty easy." The top six wrestlers from each division earned a spot in nationals, which also included Joey Nadotti, an eight year-old wrestling for the first time in the midget division and soon-to-be Palmetto Ridge junior Zack Mastro.

Nadotti took second in freestyle and fourth in Greco while Mastro dominated the best the cadet division could throw at him taking first in both freestyle and Greco. Before the end of the high school wrestling season, Mastro was crowned the 160 lb. state champion in Class 1A.

"We usually do local tournaments, so when we travel out of state, we really have a good time," coach Joe Nadotti said.

Nadotti has watched as the club grew this year to 120 kids, and as the number grows, so do the victories.

"We have seen a steady flow of kids go through the club which is helping us to become one of the premier ones in the state," Nadotti said. "Watching these little guys wrestle here and go on to compete in high school, that is when all the work really pays off."

Next stop for the club will be the Florida Pride Wrestling Camp, June 6-12 and the Russ Cozart Camp in Brandon, June 12-16. The club will also send wrestlers June 17-18 to both the Disney Duals in Orlando and the Gulf Coast High School Tournament here in Naples.

The Southeast regionals included teams from Alabama, Virginia, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Tennessee and Florida.