Last weekend at Riverside Prep in Gainesville, the Gatewood wrestling team made a strong statement at the GIAA traditional state meet, as two of three Mat Gators placed in an all-classification field.
Gatewood entered the state meet as a Class AA program competing against much larger schools, making its achievements that much more impressive. The Mat Gators also succeeded with only three wrestlers as one of the smallest GIAA teams.
Luca Ciaccio led the way with a fourth-place finish at 106 pounds. Ciaccio advanced to the semifinals before meeting the eventual state champion, then battled through the consolation bracket to finish on the podium.
“Fourth is a great accomplishment for him,” Gatewood head coach Tyler VanDusen said of Ciaccio.
Ciaccio’s performance was made even more impressive by the size disadvantage he faced throughout the season. According to VanDusen, Ciaccio often competed well below the weight of many of his opponents.
“He’s a kid who is outweighed,” VanDusen said. “The guy that beat him in the semifinals is almost 30 pounds heavier than him. He just keeps showing up ready to work, and a lot of times he uses it as an advantage.”
Freshman Hunter Pierce added Gatewood’s second state medal, finishing sixth at 133 pounds in one of the deepest brackets at the tournament. Pierce faced a field loaded with experienced upperclassmen but continued to battle his way through the bracket to become one of the youngest wrestlers on the podium.
“You’re talking about a freshman in a class with a bunch of upperclassmen and guys who were really experienced,” VanDusen said of Pierce. “For him to be a state medalist is a big deal.”
Gatewood’s third qualifier, Bo Wooten, rounded out the lineup and played a key role in the team’s overall success. In just his second year in the sport, the sophomore qualified for state and emerged as a team leader.
“Bo originally said he wasn’t really interested,” VanDusen stated. “He didn’t have a lot of success in year one and was on the fence about coming back. Not only did he return, but he also became one of our team leaders. He kind of became the de facto team captain as a 10th grader, and he wrestled through some injuries.”
All three Mat Gators are slated to return next season.
For VanDusen, the state meet served as a reward for a season built on commitment and resilience.
“I’ve been doing this for 20 years now, and I would tell you that’s probably one of the most rewarding seasons we’ve had,” he said. “Just having guys show up every day, put in the work, and earn a weekend like that made it special.”