PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB)– North Bay Haven freshman wrestler David Mercado has had a remarkable season in his first year on the mat, going undefeated and boasting a 31-0 record.
“I’ve been coaching wrestling this sport for about 20 years and I’ve never had anybody come through my wrestling program, or on the mat, that have just come out and dominated so quickly,” North Bay Haven head wrestling coach J.J. Gibbens said.
Mercado has pinned all of his opponents this season. He said his experience with the sport of jujutsu helped him when he started wrestling.
“It just makes everything easier, because they’re all similar just with a few different rules,” Mercado said.
Another remarkable thing about the Buccaneer’s’ success is that he is only a freshman.
“He’s coming in as a 9th grader not only doing well on the mat, but in the classroom and he’s a leader as well, and the kids look up to him,” Gibbens said.
He won the 195 weight class district championship on Thursday, the sky is the limit for the young athlete as the post-season continues. Next up for Mercado is the regional tournament next week.
