Lee County’s Delialah Bentaces headed to New Jersey

LEESBURG — On a night already meant for celebration, Delialah Betances gave Lee County High School one more moment to remember.

Fighting back tears, the reigning state champion announced Tuesday night on senior night that she will continue both her academic and wrestling careers at Felician University in Rutherford, New Jersey.

“I plan to continue my career at Felician University,” Betances said, pausing to compose herself. “It is a Division II school and I am very grateful for this opportunity.”

Betances is the defending state champion in the girls’ 115-pound weight class and has compiled a remarkable 114-4 career record. Two of those losses came during her freshman season, when she competed against boys because a girls’ division had not yet been established.

Now wrestling exclusively in the girls division, Betances enters the postseason ranked No. 1 in the state of Georgia in her weight class — a fitting distinction for an athlete who has defined excellence and consistency throughout her career.

Felician University gains not only a proven champion but a competitor whose journey has helped shape the growth of girls’ wrestling in Georgia.

For Lee County, the announcement was both a proud moment and an emotional one — the next step for an athlete who has already left a lasting mark on the program.