In memory of former teacher John Kelly, Ocean Lakes wrestling hosted the annual John Kelly Invitational, finishing in seventh place.
“John was an indomitable spirit who was a phenomenal teacher and coach. He was a true supporter of our team and Ocean Lakes as a whole. It was an honor to be able to name the tournament in his memory,” head coach Micheal Mosley said.
The one-day tournament took place Jan. 25, 2025, and was also the team’s senior night, recognizing seniors Chris Castillo and Paul Chapman. Each senior was accompanied by their family and received flower bouquets and senior gifts.
“I’m really going to miss the relationships with my teammates that I have made the past four years,” Paul said.
Five players from Ocean Lakes placed in the top eight of their division. Skills Burkhead placed fifth in the 106-lb division, Chris placed fifth in the 126-lb division, Lincoln Massaro placed sixth in the 132-lb division, Paul placed fourth in the 138-lb division and Noah Xiong placed sixth in the 144-lb division.
“We felt very pleased with the results. We can improve on our mentality a little bit, but the guys wrestled really hard,” Paul said.
The team will compete at regionals on Friday, Feb. 8, 2025, at Frank W. Cox High School.
“This has been a rebuilding season for Ocean Lakes Wrestling because we graduated a lot of very tough seniors last year. However, our kids have really stepped up this year to fill in the gap,” Mosley said.
