By Ernie Clark, BDN Staff
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George Almasi
Hermon's Alex Urquhart moves around York's Zach Handley in their 220-pound match during the Class B state wrestling meet Saturday at Morse High School in Bath. Urquhart went on to finish second in the meet.
George Almasi
Foxcroft Academy's Antonio Ayala has the upper hand on Erskine Academy's Isaac Taylor in their 120-pound match during the Class B state meet Saturday at Morse High School in Bath. Ayala went on to place third in the meet.
BATH, Maine — Senior Connor Winchenbach was crowned an individual champion Saturday as Camden Hills of Rockport used superior depth to win its third consecutive Class B wrestling state title and fourth in the last five years.
Winchenbach was the Windjammers’ lone weight-class winner, but coach Patrick Kelly’s squad had eight overall top-four finishers in amassing 124 points to edge runner-up Mountain Valley of Rumford (113) and third-place Ellsworth (100).
Foxcroft Academy, which was moved up to Class B by enrollment this year after winning the last three Class C state crowns, was fourth with 89.5 points while York (79), Wells (73) and Belfast (52) were next in the 20-school field.
Winchenbach won the 152-pound state final with a 10-2 major decision over Ellsworth’s Connor Petros.
Another Camden Hills senior, Brian Jones, advanced to the 182-pound final before dropping a 12-5 decision to Trevor Henschel of Fryeburg Academy.
The Windjammers picked up major points in the consolation rounds, winning five of the six third-place matches in which they were represented after going 6-2 in the consolation semifinals.
Zac Annis decisioned Belfast’s Brenden Bruns 8-5 to finish third at 113 pounds, while teammate John Underhill scored a 4-2 consolation-final victory over Jarryd Fonger of Mount View of Thorndike.
Camden Hills’ Eli Smith placed third at 145 pounds with a 14-5 major decision over Belfast’s Michael McFadden, while Elvis Bowan decisioned Belfast’s John Capella 6-3 at 160 pounds and Jared Gilbert pinned Caribou’s Matthew Manter at 1:24 of the first round of the 195-pound third-place match.
The Windjammers’ James Archer placed fourth at 120 pounds after dropping a 12-8 decision to Foxcroft Academy sophomore Antonio Ayala.
Hilary Merrifield of Camden Hills, the Eastern Maine champion at 106 pounds, dropped a 12-0 major decision to York’s Jon MacKaman in the first round that ended her bid to become the first Maine schoolgirl wrestler to win an individual state championship. MacKaman went on to place second in his weight class.
Mountain Valley had two individual state champions in Ethan Boucher (120 pounds) and Jacob Thornton (126) to go with seconds from Caleb Austin (113), Brandon Gill (132) and Dakota Jacques (145).
Ellsworth crowned a meet-best three weight-class winners, as Dagan Berenyi scored a 12-4 major decision over Gill at 132 pounds, Joe Wright won the 170-pound crown with an 8-2 victory over Cyril Miller of Medomak Valley of Waldoboro, and Michael Garland defeated Hermon’s Alex Urquhart 5-0 in the 220-pound final.
The Eagles also got a second-place finish from Petros at 152 and a third from Robert Banner at 126.
Foxcroft was paced by three state runners-up in Brooks Law at 138 pounds, Todd Francis at 160 and Corbyn Bruce at 192. Ayala added a third at 120 while Michael Pendriss (170) and Brandon Brock (182) each finished fourth.
Belfast got third-place performances from Austin Merando (106) and Walker Roberts (138) and fourths from Bruns, McFadden and Capella, while Dylan Dahlbergh of Maine Central Institute in Pittsfield placed second at 126 pounds.
Other individual champions were Henschel at 182 pounds, Danny Buteau of Oak Hill of Wales (106), Peter DelGallo of Gardiner (113), Colin Sevigney of Wells (138), Josh Smith (145) and Connor Elsmore (160) of York, Michael Curtis of Wells (195) and Aaron Lint of Winslow (285).
DelGallo, a sophomore who is the reigning state Class B and New England 106-pound champion, remained undefeated against regional competition over two seasons with three victories Saturday. He is now 96-0 against New England foes.
Lint was named the meet’s outstanding wrestler after pinning all three of his opponents in a combined time of 4 minutes, 51 seconds to win his third consecutive state championship.