While the student body mourned the varsity basketball loss at Regional Finals, they overlooked the wrestling team’s victory at States.

Under their first year coach Mike Hatcher, the wrestling team set a new record for Krop. In February they traveled to Lakeland for the state championship and finished strong. Five wrestlers qualified for the tournament, and all were medaled and placed. Overall the team finished third, the highest Krop has ever finished as a team at the State wrestling games.

Senior Damion Stephenson led the team with the best season of his career. He finished undefeated and dominated placing first in the 160 lbs. division. “We had a great season; all the hard work payed off,” Stephenson said. “My coaches, teachers and friends helped me to pursue my dreams.”

Senior Aymen Habiballah also placed first in the 130 lbs. division. He finished the tournament 8-0, beating a four- time state place winner, Alex Brown of Sarasota. “I blew my opponent out 8-0 because I was just in better shape,” Habiballah said.

Hatcher focused more on physical, cardio training as opposed to the previous coach Eric Phillips’ aggressive style of coaching. “I basically tried to get them in their best shape,” said Hatcher. Evidentially, it worked.

“Coach increased our endurance by bringing in cardio and brought all of us to the next level,” senior Giovanni Harris said. “It is unheard of to have only five guys play in States and all of us place; we are in the best shape we’ve ever been.” Harris placed fifth at the championship in the 140 lbs. division.

Even though they compete individually by weight class, they remain a team and display their unity in different ways. “We all dyed our hair purple for States because it represented us as a team,” senior Ismael Vargas, who placed second in the 215 lbs. division, said.

The fifth competitor for the Lighting in the tournament, senior Patrick Simon, placed third in the 145 lbs. division. “We are the five senior captains; they call us the final five,” Simon said.