North Royalton City Schools celebrated the remarkable achievements of two junior wrestlers, Mannix Wasco and Sophia Antonio, at the May 16 Board of Education meeting. Their exceptional performances during the season rewrote school records and etched their names in the annals of North Royalton wrestling history.
Mannix Wasco, a junior, had an outstanding season with a 30-4 record, despite missing time due to a broken finger. He became the first junior in the school's history to reach 100 wins. Wasco excelled in every tournament he entered, claiming three tournament titles and the Sectional Title. His remarkable run culminated in qualifying for the state tournament for the second consecutive year, where he defeated a two-time state placer winner before reaching the state semifinals. For the second year in a row, Wasco finished on the podium, taking sixth place in the state. He is now a two-time All-Ohio state place winner and a two-time Academic All-Ohio athlete with a 4.0 GPA.
Joining Wasco in the spotlight was junior Sophia Antonio, who had a record-breaking season of her own. With a 41-9 record, she led the team in every statistical category. Antonio placed in all ten tournaments she entered, winning four of them, including an impressive seventh-place finish at the inaugural Ironman Tournament. She qualified for the state tournament, where she advanced to the semifinals and ultimately claimed All-Ohio honors by finishing sixth, becoming the first-ever All-Ohio state place winner in the school's history. Antonio shattered multiple school records, including wins, pins, and points, records that she previously held.
The achievements of Mannix Wasco and Sophia Antonio have brought immense pride to the North Royalton City School District and serve as an inspiration to future generations of wrestlers.