Former Alonso wrestler hit by car and killed near Orlando

Posted Sep 6, 2011 by Eddie Daniels

Updated Sep 6, 2011 at 11:13 AM

John Moore fought back tears as he recalled his former wrestler Tony Milanes.

“The thing about Tony that I remember, he had this infectious smile,” Moore said. “Then he had this crazy, giggle-type laugh. Even though he was very, very serious and goal-oriented and competitive, we laughed a lot. We had a lot of good times and he was like a lot of the kids, he kept me young.”

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Milanes was laying on McCulloch Road in Seminole County at 3:20 a.m. Monday when a vehicle ran him over. Milanes, visiting a friend at the University of Central Florida, was taken to Florida Hospital East where he later died.

Milanes was 19.

The University of Florida freshman, who graduated from Alonso in 2010, left the Ravens program having set numerous records. He holds the marks for most wins (155), most pins, most takedowns, most first takedowns, most pins in a season and the highest GPA (5.4). He also participated on the cross country and tennis teams at Alonso.

Milanes, who lost his mother to leukemia at 5, was raised by his father Victor, Moore said, and has an older brother.

Funeral arrangements have not been finalized.

It was apparent the number of lives he touched on the Scout.com wrestling message board. News of Milanes’ death prompted several coaches and wrestlers to give condolences, including Regina and Todd Fulk. Their son Travis Fulk, a three-time state qualifier from Manatee High, wrestled Milanes several times.

“We talked about Tony’s passing, the great matches Tony and Travis wrestled, but the majority of the conversation was about what a great person Tony was and what a positive impression he made on everyone,” the Fulks wrote. “He was a great athlete who wrestled with honor and class, and his passing is a tremendous loss to all who met him.”

Milanes, who wrestled in the 119-pound division as a senior and junior, qualified for the state tournament three times. His best finish came as a 103-pound sophomore during the 2007-08 season where he placed sixth in the state in Class 3A.

Moore met with current and called former Alonso wrestlers to tell them of the news. In turn, the group said it wanted to honor Milanes by possibly hosting a preseason tournament. Although nothing has been etched in stone or even discussed with other teams, the names Brandon and Durant were floated by the kids.

Moore asked why those two and the answer was a reflection of Milanes’ attitude.

“They said because they’re the toughest teams in the county and that’s who Tony would want us to wrestle,” Moore said. “The kids knew him well.”

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