Prepping for his final year as a Cavalier, senior Diego Imbert has worked his way to the top of Cavalier wrestling. As captain of the wrestling team, Imbert has led Coral Gables Senior High School to compete at the state level.
A long-time grappler, Imbert has years of experience under his belt. Even prior to his time as a Cavalier wrestler, Imbert represented the United States in judo and wrestling competitions at the international level. Ever since his junior year, he has also represented Gables as captain of Gables wrestling, leading his team to success for his last two seasons.
Coming off a month-long injury, Imbert faced a challenging journey on his road to states. With merely a two-day notice unexpectedly thrust on him, he honed his skills to represent Gables at the Miami-Dade District competition. Despite this, Imbert was able to win two of his three matches to move on to regionals, where he placed third after succeeding in two more matches.
Leading into states, Imbert prepared and refined his abilities by training alongside fellow Cavalier state contender Kamora Willis. During practice, the two wrestlers would lead their teammates in the middle, working on their conditioning daily for hours after school. Along with training, Imbert constantly kept in form and cut carbs to make weight for his upcoming competition.
“In practice, Coach Hardy had me and Kamora stay in the middle of our sessions. We practiced for two hours every day leading up to states, drilling our favorite moves and figuring out how we could set them up in a match. Conditioning was tough, so the only time that we stopped practicing our drills was to change our partners or check our weight at the end of practice,” senior Diego Imbert said.
Going into his first match at states, Imbert faced a wrestler from Palmetto Ridge High School. After a grueling 8 minutes, he came out with the decision victory, beating his opponent 8 to 6 and moving on to the next round.
In his next match, Imbert faced against the number three ranked wrestler in his division from Freedom High School, Unfortunately, he lost by the judges’ decision after a hard-fought match, moving on to his final match of the competition.
For his final match, Imbert faced Dr. Lennard Senior High as he went against the seventh ranked wrestler in his weight class. After a long back-and-forth exchange on the mat, the result of the match was determined by a decision. Despite a valiant effort, Imbert lost the match by a close decision of 7 to 4, putting an unfortunate end to his time as a Cavalier wrestler.
“Going into my first match, I felt very good and confident in how I was wrestling. I had beaten someone who I lost to on the way to states, so I felt like I could make it far besides the injury. After that final match, I felt horrible knowing my last season was over, but I was able to live with myself knowing I gave it all I had,” Imbert said.
Although he was eliminated from the tournament, Imbert has not backed down from his wrestling career. With a strong season record of 37 wins and 8 losses, he has continued his wrestling outside of the Cavalier singlet. Keeping his routine active, Imbert consistently works on improving his skills and learning from his previous matches.
“After states, I started lifting weights and getting stronger at the gym. Since states is over, I am going to keep wrestling post-season at other wrestling clubs to stay in shape and showcase my abilities outside of school,” Imbert said.
Dedicatedly working on his craft day by day, Imbert maintains a steadfast focus on his goals, looking towards his future with unwavering passion. Through his extracurricular wrestling, he hopes to secure a spot on the Florida team. Preparing for the summer, he plans to travel to North Dakota to participate at Fargo, one of the most prestigious national wrestling competitions in the United States.
“Diego will leave behind a legacy here. Not only is he a great leader to his teammates, but he is also a great student and friend as well. As long as he keeps pursuing his dreams, he will be able to achieve anything he sets his mind to,” senior Osmany Garcia said.
A true embodiment of the Cavalier spirit, Imbert’s dedication to wrestling, both at Gables and elsewhere, is a testament to his devoted nature. As he ends his journey at Gables, he looks to continue his wrestling while studying Business and Marketing at Florida International University. With an open mind, he remains poised to embrace whatever opportunities may come his way, ready to tackle new challenges with determination and resilience.
