North Suncoast: Springstead rolls to Kiwanis Invitational wrestling meet crown

BROOKSVILLE — Springstead is no stranger to success at the Kiwanis Invitational.

The Eagles have twice won three consecutive team championships at the annual tournament hosted by Hernando.

Saturday marked the first time in the 28-year history of the tournament that any program, including Springstead, had ever won four straight titles. The Eagles topped the 23-team field with 317.5 points — 137 more than second-place Gulf (180.5 points).

"(Four times in a row) has never been done, so that makes this special," Springstead coach Eric Swensen said. "To be so dominant doing it, that makes it extra special."

After winning only three individual titles last season, the Eagles marched 11 wrestlers into the championship matches, with nine of those finalists standing atop the medal stand at the end of the night.

Among those winners were state champion Richie Bliss (103 pounds), state runnerup Cody Ross (135) and state placer Nick Soto (130). Bliss, Ross and Kenny Cox (215) all repeated their titles from last season's tournament.

Gulf, one of the teams expected to compete for a Class A state title later this season, placed second thanks in large part to individual titles from Ladarious Jackson (152) and Anthony Ayers (119).

In arguably the best match of the tournament, Jackson came back in the final period of his championship match to best Springstead's Shawn Landgraff 9-7. A state runnerup, Jackson was down 6-4 at one point late.

Hernando (110 points) had its best finish (third) as a team since 2007. Daniel Pritz (145), who won by injury default over Pasco's Trevor Drake in the final to capture his first Kiwanis gold, led the host Leopards. Pritz, a senior, was competing in his final Kiwanis tournament.

"To me, this is second only to the state tournament," Pritz said. "I really would've liked to wrestle it out though."

Another notable title winner was River Ridge's Landon Vannata (171), who pinned Springstead's Casey Quinn early in their final to capture his title.