Article & Photography By Cynthia Leota
On Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024, 178 high school female wrestlers traveled to Hernando High School in Brooksville, Florida, to compete in the Second Annual Rusted Jade Ladies Classic. A tournament Coach David Pritz says is one of the top girls’ tournaments in the state, boasting multiple state placers and qualifiers as well as top-ranked girls in Florida, some even ranked at the national level.
Women’s wrestling is currently the fastest-growing sport in the country. According to the National Wrestling Coaches Association website, “The number of women who wrestle in high school has grown from 804 to more than 50,000 since 1994.” Florida has seen that same exponential growth since its sanctioning during the 2021-22 school year. We saw it also in Saturday’s tournament, which hosted 30 teams this year versus 20 teams last year.
The Rusted Jade Ladies Classic is sponsored by husband and wife team Lenny and Maxine DiSalvo, owners of Rusted Jade Art Collective and Tattoo Shop in Brooksville.
“The Rusted Jade Ladies Classic is so special because it feels like we are helping to serve a bigger purpose,” Maxine (most in the community know her as Max) explained at the tournament.
“The creation of this tournament came from a very personal place for all of us. Our family fled New York seeking a better life in Florida and somehow landed in Brooksville with one of the best wrestling clubs/teams in the state.”
“This tournament is more than just another tournament. It’s about perseverance, daring to be different, coming together, opportunity, growth, and, of course, fun!” exclaimed Max. “The best part about it is that wrestling is the original martial art, so it is a true art. What better than to have an art-related business to sponsor this tournament!”
Max’s daughter, Emerson Webber, is currently wrestling for Zephyrhills Christian Academy as an 8th grader. She is currently ranked number 7 in the state of Florida and took first place at the Rusted Jade tournament.
When asked what she envisions for future tournaments, Max shared, “I want it to be the biggest and best girls’ tournaments in the state. Maybe even become popular nationally. The whole point is to help keep growing women’s wrestling.”
Coach Pritz also shared, “We plan to grow it into a premier, in-state, two-day tournament.”
Hernando County teams in attendance were Hernando, Nature Coast, Springstead, and Weeki Wachee.
Hernando High School, for the second year in a row, took first place with a score of 191 points. They had three girls in the finals, all of which took first place and had a total of seven girls stand atop the podium.
“3 for 3 in the finals was huge for our team. I felt like it was the best our girls have competed all season,” Coach Pritz said. “We won some big matches this weekend and won some matches we lost earlier in the season. It’s always fun to win our home tournament!”
Tournament Results:
115 Emma Bauknight of Hernando placed 1st
145 Makenzie Eltzroth of Hernando placed 1st
170 Grace Leota of Hernando placed 1st
120 Jasmine Serrano of Springstead placed 2nd
120 Sydney Bridenstine of Hernando placed 3rd
125 Daniela Espinal of Hernando placed 3rd
155 Mariah Earl of Hernando placed 3rd
190 Chloe Stinnett of Hernando placed 4th
105 Gianella Walczah of Springstead placed 5th
140 Olivia Brown of Hernando placed 5th
115 Nathalia Espinal of Hernando placed 6th
130 Julia Salgado-Campos of Hernando placed 6th
135 Jadyn Aponte of Weeki Wachee placed 6th
