After nailing 5th place in the very tough New Jersey Youth State Championships last season, as a 4th-grader, Luke O’Connor – now in 5th grade – is poised to potenntially earn State Champ honors. But not in New Jersey this year.
O’Connor is now wrestling in a new state.
Florida.
And he is tearing up the Sunshine State. He has kicked off the season with an 11 – 1 record, nailing seven pins and three major decisions. His only loss was against a Georgia State Champ in a hard fought decision.
Wrestling out of Creeks Wrestling Club in northern Florida, alongside another powerhouse New Jersey alum – 7th grader Florida State Champ Mario Del Vecchio who Empire State News recently profiled in an article here – O’Connor just whipped through the Merritt Island IOF State Qualifier last weekend. In winning two different weight classes, 75 lbs and 80 lbs, O’Connor racked up seven wins in this tournament alone. His victories included two matches against a 2021 Florida State Champ: an 11 – 0 major decision and an 8 -2 decision.
Luke O’Connor, who has a cache of slick moves and who wrestles each match like a chess game, has launched an exceptional season in Florida. Reaching the top of the state podium this year is a definite goal–and a realistic one at that. No matter where the kid finishes this year, though, he has already made his mark in Florida.