South Dade's Solis and North Miami's Bethel are the Miami-Dade Wrestlers of the Year
At a school with a history replete with dominant wrestlers, Elvis Solis left his own mark this past season.
And at North Miami High, Mya Bethel completed a remarkable championship run during a time when she helped put girls' wrestling on the radar in the state of Florida.
Solis and Bethel - both seniors - are the Miami Herald's Miami-Dade County Wrestlers of the Year.
Bethel just finished up a stellar career in which she never lost and went 104-0 over four seasons. Bethel capped it this season by winning her fourth state championship, securing the title this season at 155 pounds.
Bethel, who entered the state meet ranked No. 2 nationally in her weight class, is a four-time GMAC, district and regional champion as well.
Her dominant run comes at a time when girls' wrestling, sanctioned in recent years by the Florida High School Athletic Association, is seeing its participation numbers grow and more female wrestlers achieve success.
In the classroom, Bethel is also dedicated as she has maintained a 3.5 weighted GPA.
'I had to go all out,' Bethel said after the state meet. 'It was a good fight from the girls but at the end of the day there is only one, and that is me.'
Solis finished his career with a state championship in Class 3A at 144 pounds after going 53-0 for the season.
Solis was one of six individual state champions for South Dade, which won its 12th consecutive state title in the individually-bracketed tournament format and 20th overall. This was Solis' third consecutive state title since transferring to the Bucs.
Solis will try to carry over that success to the next level as he has signed to wrestle in college at Kent State.
'I achieved a lot in my high school career, traveling around the country and working hard and carrying on a legacy,' Solis said. 'Ever since I started wrestling, I knew I was going to go to South Dade and it helped improve my wrestling, conditioning, mental preparation, everything.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Miami Herald
3 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Venezuelans in exile urge U.S. to deny visa to soccer player over ties to Maduro regime
A Miami-based Venezuelan exile organization has asked the U.S. State Department to deny the visa of a Venezuelan soccer player set to participate in the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup, due to his close ties to the Nicolás Maduro regime. In a letter sent to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Politically Persecuted Venezuelans Abroad, or VEPPEX, expressed concern over the imminent entry into the U.S. of Matías Lacava, a player on the South Korean team Ulsan HD, which will play its first match on U.S. soil on June 17 at Inter & Co Stadium in Orlando. Matías Lacava is the son of Rafael Lacava, current governor of Carabobo state in north-central Venezuela and a prominent figure in Maduro's regime. The official was sanctioned on Feb. 25, 2019, by the U.S. government along with three other Venezuelan governors for corruption and obstructing humanitarian aid. In the letter, VEPPEX argues that allowing the entry of immediate relatives of sanctioned officials such as Matías Lacava represents a clear contradiction to the principles of justice, accountability and respect for human rights that the United States has historically upheld. 'Allowing the son of a top Maduro regime official to enter the U.S. for an international sporting event is a direct affront to the Venezuelan exile community, many of whom have fled precisely the oppression that family represents,' the letter stated. The organization formally requested that the State Department revoke any valid visa or entry permit held by Matías Lacava and deny him entry into the country until a thorough review of his case is conducted, 'taking into account possible implications for human rights and national security.' In its decision to sanction Rafael Lacava in 2019, the Treasury Department argued that the four governors were involved in endemic corruption practices and that he helped obstruct the delivery of critical humanitarian aid, thereby worsening the ongoing humanitarian crisis 'caused by Maduro's illegitimate regime.' In Rafael Lacava's specific case, the department noted that he 'has long been a friend and key intermediary' of Maduro and continues to act on his behalf. 'In early 2018, he was accused of hiding funds in Switzerland and Andorra.' Rafael Lacava was re-elected in the controversial regional elections held on May 25, which were widely denounced for lack of transparency, voter repression and the exclusion of opposition candidates, according to VEPPEX. For the Venezuelan exile community, the case of Matías Lacava 'carries deep symbolic weight' because, according to VEPPEX, the United States has been a bastion of hope and refuge for thousands of politically persecuted individuals, and decisions like this send a contradictory message about its stance toward authoritarian regimes. 'We trust that you will take swift and decisive action on this matter,' the letter to the leadership of the State Department concludes.
Washington Post
3 hours ago
- Washington Post
Miami Marlins join efforts to restore defaced Jackie Robinson and Minnie Miñoso mural
MIAMI — The Miami Marlins are joining efforts to restore the defaced mural of baseball legends Jackie Robinson and Minnie Miñoso in Miami's Overtown neighborhood, which was marked with racist graffiti last week. City of Miami Chairwoman Christine King announced Wednesday that she along with the Marlins, Urgent, Inc., Omni Community Redevelopment Agency, Southeast Overtown/Park West Community Redevelopment Agency and other community activists will lead the restoration at Dorsey Park, where community leaders said a 7-year-old boy first discovered the vandalism last Sunday and asked his mother what the words and the Nazi symbols meant.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Joel Klatt Names SEC Program With 'Much Higher' Expectations in 2025
Joel Klatt Names SEC Program With 'Much Higher' Expectations in 2025 originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Billy Napier's job as Florida's head coach was hanging in the balance. But a late-season surge, largely fueled by the emergence of freshman quarterback DJ Lagway, helped him weather the storm. Advertisement Still, the pressure on Napier hasn't eased. In fact, FOX Sports' Joel Klatt warns that things could quickly spiral if Florida struggles during a pivotal four-game stretch next season. Fox Sports analyst Joel Lee/Imagn Images During Monday's 'Coaching Pressure Index' segment of The Joel Klatt Show, the host spotlighted the Gators' daunting four-game stretch—starting September 13 at LSU and ending October 11 at Texas A&M—as a defining moment in Billy Napier's tenure at Florida. 'Hottest seat in the country last year, performed well. I think that bringing him back is the right move. The Lagway relationship clearly worked. They finished really strong, winning their last four including wins against Ole Miss and LSU – those were big wins,' Klatt said. . Advertisement 'This year, the expectations are much higher. The schedule is just as difficult but they're much higher. And they have an incredibly tough four-game stretch early in the year. I think that they need to go at a minimum 2-2 in these games. This four-game stretch is at LSU, at Miami, (vs.) Texas, and at Texas A&M.' The SEC games will matter, no doubt, but for Napier, it's the September 20 showdown at Miami that could prove most pivotal. 'So then we talk about where is that pressure game? The pressure game is the same pressure game as Florida State, which is Miami,' Klatt continued. 'It's one thing to lose some of these conference games, and understand the conference schedule is incredibly tough, including at LSU, at Texas A&M, and Texas we think is going to be a Top-2 team, maybe the top team in the country. Advertisement 'But you've got to prove you're not the third-tier team in the state of Florida, or even the second-tier team. So the game at Miami is actually the one where the pressure gets ratcheted up. 'Tough four-game stretch, I think they need to go 2-2. And if you don't beat Miami, which other two teams are you beating? I don't know.' Related: Joel Klatt Names Dark Horse SEC Program That is a National Title Contender Related: Joel Klatt Names SEC Program 'Not Even Close' To The College Football Playoff Hunt Related: Joel Klatt Names Two SEC Programs That Are Not Legit Contenders In 2024 This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
