Two Flagler coaches honored

Palm Coast Observer
Opinion

When many people in Flagler County think of the Flagler Palm Coast wrestling program, they think of Steve DeAugustino — the former Bulldogs coach who claimed three state titles and two second-place finishes.

DeAugustino built the wrestling program into what it has become today. (This season, the Bulldogs finished the regular season 16-0 and won the district championship.)

And last month, DeAugustino received the Central Florida Wrestling Coaches Association Lifetime Achievement Award. The award was presented Feb. 15, by Don Schroeder, president of the association.

The award was given for DeAugustino's lifetime achievement to the sport of wrestling — not only in Flagler County but across Florida.

DeAugustino coached FPC for 27 years. He’s currently the athletics director at the school.

Benvenuto wins coaching award

Matanzas girls soccer coach Tony Benvenuto led the Lady Pirates to its best season in school history: district title, regional title, Final Four appearance.

Those accomplishments secured Benvenuto to be named as the East Central Florida Referees Association’s Coach of the Year.

Bevenuto said the award is given to the coach that demonstrates good sportsmanship on the field, not necessarily to the best team or the coach with the best record.

Well, Benvenuto achieved those, too. The Lady Pirates finished 24-3-2, just two wins short of a state title. Benvenuto won the same award in 2009 when he was the coach of the boys team at Matanzas.

“When they called me, I was surprised because the East Central Florida Referees Association covers a wide range of schools,” Benvenuto said. “Receiving this award feels great because it shows that more than just your peers appreciate what a coach is doing with their program. It’s not about wins and losses. It’s about how a coach can get the maximum effort from his players and how well they behave on the field.”