Coach of the Year: DeWalt turned Gulf into champs

This article appeared in the Tampa Tribune on April 2, 2003

By JOHN LAWTON

After just three years as coach, Travis DeWalt has transformed Gulf's wrestling program from one that was winless for 45 consecutive meets and barely fielded half a squad for dual meets into one of the state's best dual-meet teams. The Bucs proved they were for real when they knocked off top-ranked Miami Dr. Krop 39-32 in the finals of the inaugural Bayonet Point Classic in December.

``When I took this job, part of [the] attraction would be to make a contender out of a team that people laughed at,'' said DeWalt, who decided to return to coach at his alma mater, where he was a Class 3A state champion at 112 pounds in 1990.

In his first year, Gulf was 9-11. Last year, the Bucs improved to 22-4 and this year they were 14-1, losing to crosstown rival Ridgewood. Gulf also won team championships at both Sunshine Athletic Conference tournaments. The Bucs won the dual meet in January and the individual in February.

``I think this team is the best Gulf has seen in a couple of decades,'' DeWalt said. ``Dual-meet situation- wide, we beat Hernando, Dr. Krop and Zephyrhills. Our kids don't seem to get rattled by a dual-meet situation. They really wrestle well when it is a dual.''

DeWalt credits year-round effort for the program's turnaround.

``You have to be willing to put the time in,'' he said. ``We haven't stopped wrestling since we met. We go all-year-round. We went to Russia. We went to Iowa. We went to Florida Pride Camp. We went to Charles Camp. This summer, we have four guys going to Charles Camp in Lakeland and the rest to Florida Pride.

``Every week, we have an `open gym' situation on Tuesday and Thursday. We'll start wrestling freestyle in a couple of weeks and we're looking at going to the Disney Duals this summer.''