Winter Springs (Fla.) senior Matthew Nereim tied an 18-year-old 140-pound national record by pinning Keavan Cooper of Oviedo Hagerty in a lightning-fast four seconds during the Class 3A district wrestling tournament. 
Matthew Nereim, Winter Springs
Photo by Joe Petro
Coach Scott Gomrad told MaxPreps, "He had broken all of our school records for a season and career, but for the fastest pin (six seconds), I told him there are a lot of variables that he can’t control.
"He told me, ‘No, no, I think I can get it, coach! I’m going to break it in the first round of the district. I can reach out with my left hand, grab the kid’s right wrist and hit him with a flying head lock.’ He went out there and executed it. Amazing! He basically called his shot – like Babe Ruth (before hitting a World Series home run).
"He’s the best wrestler I’ve coached in my 15-year career. He’s the most ferocious competitor and his will to win is unsurpassed."
After he actually had accomplished his pre-match boast, Nereim admitted, "I really, honestly, didn’t think I could. I pretended I was confident. I was kind of surprised."
That was just the beginning, however, because last weekend he completed a brilliant 51-1 campaign by avenging his only loss with a 10-6 victory over defending state champion Pete Baldwin of Kissimmee Osceola. Baldwin was ranked No. 6 in the nation and Nereim No. 10 by Wrestling USA Magazine. He completed his four-year career with a superb 170-18 record.
Following his title match – called by some one of the greatest in Florida history – Nereim was approached by four college coaches. He has a 3.6 GPA and would like to major in either engineering or business. To see video of the pin, click here and scroll to the bottom of the page.
* Virginia Beach Cox senior Bryan Whitt defeated Hopewell’s Jonathan Gay, 9-2, at 119 pounds to win his Virginia-record fifth state championship and finish his career with a state-record 235 career victories against just 15 defeats. He has a 3.9 GPA and will attend the University of Virginia. Coach Matt Small says, "He’s very quiet, but completely the opposite when he steps on the mat. He’s definitely a crowd favorite."
* Nick Moore, a 160-pound senior from Iowa City West, defeated Indianola’s Spencer BeLieu, 11-6, to win Class 3A and become only the 19th four-time state champion in Iowa’s storied history.
* Carrington senior Chris Bahm (30-2) upset unbeaten and three-time defending champion Michael Nord of Lisbon, 10-5, before an estimated crowd of 6,000 to win North Dakota’s 145-pound Class B state championship.
Nereim (on top) went 51-1 this season.
Photo by Joe Petro
Next Baltimore star
Though he’s just a 5-foot-6 freshman, Patterson point guard Aquille Carr appears ready to take his place alongside such pint-sized Baltimore (Md.) legends as Tyrone "Muggsy" Bogues and Shawnta Rogers. He’s averaging an impressive 25.2 points, 8.3 assists and 5.5 steals.
However, the big eye-opener was the night that he outscored one of the nation’s premier senior guards, Joshua Selby, 39-36, during an 86-80 loss to Baltimore Lake Clifton. He already has heard from such colleges as Arkansas and Memphis, according to the Baltimore Sun.
* Pine Crest (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) senior guard Brandon Knight has broken Broward County’s career scoring record, which was set last year by All-American Kenny Boynton – with 3,373 points.
* Florida’s premier junior, Winter Park guard Austin Rivers, poured in 41 points during an 83-60 rout of Winter Springs. Duke University coach Mike Krzyzewski was among the onlookers, as he hopes to lure the young superstar away from his long-ago commitment to the University of Florida. Coach "K" had to be impressed with Rivers’ six consecutive hits from beyond the 3-point line.
* Rod Rucker, a 6-4 senior from Elbert County (Elberton, Ga.), broke a backboard with a two-handed dunk during a recent region tournament game.
* Lake Mead Academy (Henderson, Nev.) senior guard Landon Littlefield poured in a career-high 54 points during a 103-66 rout of Trinity. He drilled 18 of 29 shots, including eight of 14 threes.
* Wake Forest signee J. T. Terrell made three free throws with three seconds left to give West Charlotte (Charlotte, N.C.) an 80-77 victory over Hopewell. He finished with 44 points and 12 rebounds.
* Goodyear Estrella Foothills senior guard Corey Hawkins continues to tear up Arizona defenses. Now closing in on Mike Bibby’s one-year state scoring record, he exploded for 54 points in just three quarters during a 111-58 rout of Holbrook.
* Senior guard Joe Jackson scored 47 points, but his Memphis White Station team was edged by city foe East in a 91-86 shootout.
* Terrence Jones, a 6-8 senior, exploded for 50 points as Jefferson (Portland, Ore.) defeated Cleveland, 92-66.
* Adreian Payne, a 6-10 senior from Jefferson (Dayton, Ohio), suffered a dislocated shoulder during a 74-72 victory over Ohio’s No. 1-ranked Division II team, Dayton Dunbar.
* One of Virginia’s strongest teams, Hayfield (Alexandria), had won 19 consecutive games until having to forfeit its first playoff victory due to unknowingly using an ineligible player.
* Our thoughts go out to Arlington Country Day (Jacksonville, Fla.) coach Rex Morgan, who announced to his team last week that he is undergoing treatments for throat cancer. The 61-year-old Morgan has a 14-year record of 365-64 and is seeking a Florida-record sixth consecutive state championship this year.
* Center Grove (Greenwood, Ind.) coach Cliff Hawkins posted his 400th victory with a 69-67 upset of the state’s No. 2-ranked Class 4A team, Indianapolis North Central.
* McMinnville (Ore.) golf team member Steven Ulvang won $5,000 by drilling a half-court shot during halftime of a home game against Newberg. The Oregonian reports, however, that he’s still searching for his first hole-in-one.
Winchester ousts champs
Sarah Hamm, a 6-3 senior, scored 18 points as unbeaten Winchester (26-0) nipped Indianapolis Heritage Christian, 56-53, in overtime to win the Class 2A girls regional championship. Heritage Christian had won the last four Class 2A state titles and a state-record 31 consecutive playoff games.
* Genevieve Okoro, a 6-1 senior from Eastern (Voorhees, N.J.), scored a career-high 41 points and also grabbed 21 rebounds during a 68-57 victory over Rancocas Valley.
* Ogden (Utah) coach Phil Russell recorded his 500th victory, 47-40, against Box Elder.
* The Florida Times-Union reports that Kayla Brewer, a 6-2 junior from Lee (Jacksonville, Fla.), has made a commitment to the University of South Carolina. She averaged 16 points, 15 rebounds and seven blocks this year.
National sophomore record
St. Mary’s (Berkeley, Calif.) track star Trinity Wilson won the 60-meter hurdles in a national sophomore-record 8.29 seconds during the 32nd Simplot Games at Idaho State University.
* For the third year in a row, St. Elizabeth (Oakland, Calif.) senior Ashton Purvis won Simplot titles in the 60-meter dash (7.36) and the 200-meter dash (23.54).
* Morristown Delbarton star Pat Schellberg ran the nation’s fastest indoor 1600-meters (4:10.48) during the New Jersey non-public state championships.
2 records for Beisel
Elizabeth Beisel, a 2008 USA Olympian, broke two of her own Rhode Island state records during her final high school swim meet. The North Kingstown senior eclipsed state records by winning the 200-yard individual medley in 1:56.87 and the 100-yard freestyle in 50.30. The University of Florida recruit completed her stunning career with eight state titles, six state records and four University of Rhode Island pool records.
The standing-room crowd also got an up-close look at Rhode Island’s next female star, Narragansett sophomore Bianca Spinazzola, who won four gold medals, including a state-record 24.35 clocking in the 50-yard freestyle.
* In Utah, Salt Lake City Brighton freshman Long Gutierrez set a national record for ages 13-14 by placing second (49.02) in the 100-yard butterfly during the Utah Senior State Championships. The previous week he set a state record by winning the Class 5A title in 49.33.
Seibert retires in style
Dick Seibert coached Braintree to its 18th Massachusetts boys gymnastics championship with 182.75 points, then announced his retirement. He won eight of those titles and had six runner-up finishes while compiling a 113-38 record in 20 years. Senior Blake Ellis paced Braintree by winning every event except still rings and finished his outstanding career with 14 state championships.
* Clear Lake Deuel seventh grader Meaghan Sievers scored 37.031 points to win all-around honors during South Dakota’s Class A Individual Gymnastics Championships.
Wyatt, Tanco wins titles
Bobby Wyatt carded 5-under-par 211 to win the HP Boys Golf Championship in Woodlands, Texas. The Mobile, Ala., standout defeated Rolex Junior Player of the Year Jordan Spieth by two strokes.
Victoria Tanco of Bradenton, Fla., shot 5-under-par 211 to win the ANNIKA Invitational at Reunion, Fla., by three strokes. It marked her fourth AJGA career title.
Potpourri
When Jordan (Long Beach, Calif.) let it be known that new baseball uniforms and other equipment were sorely needed, rival Long Beach Poly came through in an unprecedented way, according to the Los Angeles Times. Poly’s Baseball Booster Club, aided by James McDonald III of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Slugger Sports, combined to present Jordan with a $4,720 check. That’s sportsmanship at its zenith!
* Stillwater senior Jessie Diggins tied the Minnesota record by winning her third Nordic ski state championship and led her team to its ninth title. Coach Kris Hansen calls Diggins, who has won nine national titles, "an extraordinary skier."
* In New Jersey, arch rivals Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey) and Bergen Catholic (Oradell) are in for an even hotter rivalry now that Don Bosco athletic director and offensive coordinator Nunzio Campanile has been named head football coach at Bergen Catholic.
