Del Gallo takes second at high school wrestling nationals

Gardiner junior falls in overtime in championship match

BY MATT DIFILIPPO STAFF WRITER [861-9243]

mdifilippo@centralmaine.com

Gardiner Area High School junior Peter Del Gallo finished as the runner-up in the 120-pound junior division at the NHSCA High School National Wrestling Championships, held this weekend at Virginia Beach, Va.

Del Gallo was the No. 2 seed, and lost on Sunday to top-ranked Devan Turner of California, 6-4 in overtime. According to calgrappler.com, a website for California high school wrestling, Turner has already verbally committed to wrestle at Division I Drexel University in the fall of 2016.

Peter Del Gallo

Over the weekend, Del Gallo won five straight matches, beating wrestlers from South Carolina, Missouri, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Georgia. The bracket on the NHSCA site has Del Gallo defeating Codi Russell of Georgia, 3-2, in the semifinals, but Del Gallo said he actually won by pin.

“I pinned him with a cradle,” Del Gallo said. “I was winning 9-2 in the third period, so I pretty much dominated the whole match.”

On his match with Turner, Del Gallo said, “I could have wrestled better.”

This was Del Gallo’s third straight year competing at nationals. As a freshman, he placed fourth at 106. Last spring, he was second at 113.

“It’s definitely an accomplishment,” Del Gallo said of finishing second this year. “It’s not what I wanted, but it turns out how it does.”

Pine Tree Wrestling League: Medomak Middle School captures first league mat crown

Oceanside second — four points behind champion Riverhawks

By Ken Waltz for Village Soup

Courtesy of: Meredith BennerThe 2015 Pine Tree Wrestling League champions from Medomak Middle School in Waldoboro.

AUGUSTA — One week after finishing a close second to Troy Howard Middle School of Belfast in the Pine Tree Wrestling League Eastern Regional meet, Medomak Middle School shook off the sting of its first loss of an impressive 2015 season, picked itself up off the mat, dusted itself off and proceeded to prove which team was best when it mattered most as the Riverhawks pinned down the overall league title a mere seven days later.

The Riverhawks of Waldoboro won the PTWL crown for the first time in the school's history on Saturday, March 28 at Cony High School. MMS beat 22 other scoring teams to capture the crown.

Medomak finished with 102 points and Oceanside of Thomaston/Rockland hot on its neighbors' heels with 98, good for second. Mountain Valley of Rumford placed third at 86.

"Very proud of all the wrestlers," said veteran MMS coach Eric Hunt. "Great team effort today. Being able to get a win from every one of my wrestlers clearly shows it takes a whole team to win a championship. Couldn't be prouder."

The Riverhawks won all their regular-season dual-meets, then finished second to THMS in the regional meet before bouncing back a week later to nail down the overall league championship.

Young mat student-athletes from Medomak, Troy Howard, Oceanside, Mount View of Thorndike, Camden-Rockport and Hope-Appleton-Lincolnville qualified to participate in Saturday's league finale.

Additional photos and information from the meet will appear later with this story.

Other Midcoast teams, including Troy Howard, HAL and CRMS, have won league wrestling crowns in the past. Now MMS joins that group with a league team title under its belt.

Many Midcoast athletes also performed well at Saturday's meet to finish among the top few competitors.

In fact, five brought home individual league titles, including Medomak's Duncan Widdecombe (93 pounds); Oceanside's Alex Fogarty (99), Bennett Penney (105) and Ben Ripley (117); and Troy Howard's Patrick Curtis (111).

Finishing as runners-up were HAL's Eric Andrews (81) and Noah Lang (117); Medomak's Eli Miller (137), Korbin Daniels (155) and Eric Benner (195); Troy Howard's Anthony Sanborn (240); and Mount View's Mark Ward (111).

Other area mat athletes who also finished among the top four were:

Medomak – Marshall Sawyer (3rd at 75).

Troy Howard – Wyatt Staples (3rd at 81), Isaac Ham (3rd at 99) and Shane Rumney (4th at 195).

Mount View – Zach Ward (3rd at 93) and Nathaniel Fuller (4th at 170).

Oceanside – Lucien Marriner (3rd at 145) and Carter Fogarty (4th at 75).

Camden-Rockport – Ian Henderson (4th at 99).

HAL – Drew Kelly (4th at 111).

The overall team scores were: Medomak 102, Oceanside 98, Mountain Valley 86, Troy Howard 80.5, Cony 75.5, Nokomis of Newport 66.5, Mount Ararat of Topsham 65, Bucksport 59, Oxford Hills of South Paris 57, Dirigo of Dixfield 56, HAL 47, Mount View 41, Mattanawcook of Lincoln 36.5, Hancock 36, Bath 32, Skowheagan 32, Mount Blue of Farmington 28, Sugg 25, Winslow 20, Ellsworth 11, Madison 9.5, CRMS 9 and Hampden 2.5.

The individual results for Midcoast wrestlers in the championship finals were:

81 pounds — Victor Verrill, Dir, beat Eric Andrews, HAL, 9-5.

93 pounds — Duncan Widdecombe, Med, pinned Noah Dumas, Con, at 1:08.

99 pounds — Alex Fogarty, Ocean, beat. Anthony Mazza Jr., MountVal, 10-4.

105 pounds — Bennett Penney, Ocean, won by technical fall over Jaden David, OxH, 17-2.

111 pounds — Patrick Curtis, TH, won by injury default over Mark Ward, MtView.

117 pounds — Ben Ripley, Ocean, pinned Noah Lang, HAL, at 0:26.

137 pounds — David Wilson, Nok, beat Eli Miller, Med, 6-5.

155 pounds — Luke Wardwell, Buck, pinned Korbin Daniels, Med, at 0:54.

195 pounds — Jared Smith, Han, pinned Erik Benner, Med, at 0:24.

240 pounds — Avery Bradeen, Dir, beat Anthony Sanborn, TH, 9-5.

The individual results for Midcoast wrestlers in the consolation finals were:

75 pounds — Marshall Sawyer (Medomak) def. Carter Fogarty (Oceanside) Maj Dec. 12-1.

81 pounds — Wyatt Staples, TH, beat Deegan Tidwell, Matt, 9-2.

93 pounds — Zach Ward, MtView, pinned Cody Holman, MtA, at 2:35.

99 pounds — Isaac Ham, TH, beat Ian Henderson, CR, 5-4.

111 pounds — Josh Thibodeau, MountVal, pinned Drew Kelly, HAL, at 0:17.

145 pounds — Lucien Marriner, Ocean, maj dec Kyle Kenney, MountVal, 10-2.

170 pounds — Alex Demers, Win, pinned Nathaniel Fuller, MtView, at 1:21.

195 pounds — Hunter Gleason, MtB, pinned Shane Rumney, TH, at 0:44.

SJHS wrestlers place at tourney, defeat Massabesic, Scarborough

By John Cochin

Sanford News Sports Editor

Sanford Junior High School wrestler Zach O'Dell picked up a total of five victories in recent meets with Kennebunk, Massabesic and Scarborough.

SANFORD — Sanford Junior High School Coach Mike Kane took ten of his wrestlers to the March 14 tournament at Massabesic Middle School and placed seven in the top four.

Kane said he was amazed by the performance of his injury-decimated squad. “Because of injuries and illness, we were only able to bring 10 wrestlers to the tourney, but we were able to place seven of them in the top four of their weight brackets. That was unbelievable,” he said.

Isaac Plante and Reece LaChance each placed first in their respective weight brackets, and James Meggison placed second. Finishing fourth in their weight brackets were Zach O’Dell, Jon Anderson, Dustin Walsh-Malloy and Alysha Simpson. The tournament was also part of the Maine Girl’s Wrestling Championships, and Simpson was able to finish in fourth place among all the wresters in her bracket. In an earlier win over Kennebunk, Sanford’s Adam Genereux won one match by a 3-0 decision and the other by a 1:39 pin. LaChance also won two matches, pinning one opponent in 1:52 and posting a 10-0 win over his second opponent.

Winning a match by a fall were Plante, who needed only 0:21 to pin his opponent, and Jon Anderson, who recorded a 1:17 pin. Also pinning their opponent were Meggison, who recorded a time of 1:44, and O’Dell, who pinned his opponent in 2:36. Taking decisions against Kennebunnk opponents were Ethan Matt (4-1), Anthony Plateroti (7-0), Ethan Fortier (7-3) and Brandon Shaw (6-4). 

SANFORD 10, SCARBOROUGH 2

In a 10-2 win over Scarborough on March 12, Kane’s team got two wins apiece from Plateroti, O’Dell and LaChance. Adding one win each were Plante, Meggison, Simpson, Walsh-Malloy and Ethan Trumble. Plateroti picked up one victory with a 15-0 technical fall, and the other by pinning his opponent in 0:30. O’Dell’s first win was by an 18-0 technical fall, and the other was via a pin in 1:52. In his first match, LaChance won by a 16-1 technical fall and followed with a 16-3 decision. Meggison came away with a pin in 0:23, and Plante took an 11-5 decision over his Scarborough opponent. Walsh-Malloy closed out with an 8-4 decision, and Trumble pinned his opponent in 1:53. Simpson defeated her Scarborough opponent by an 11-6 score.

SANFORD 10, MASSABESIC 8

The SJHS wrestlers defeated Massabesic High School’s wrestlers, 10-8, on March 10.

Getting two wins apiece for Sanford were O’Dell, Shaw and Plante. Adding one victory each were Joe Anderson, Trumble, Plateroti, Meggison and LaChance. O’Dell defeated his first opponent by a 7-2 decision and followed with a 6-2 decision in his second match. Shaw opened with a pin in his first match, recording a time of 2:59. In his second match, he came away with an 8-0 decision. Plante pinned his first opponent in 2:32 and recorded a 2:44 pin in his second victory. Anderson’s victory came via a 7-0 decision, and Trumble came away with a 7-5 decision. Plateroti’s Massabesic victory was by a 9-1 score, and Meggison recorded a 0:34 pin in his victory. LaChance closed out the meet with a 7-0 win over his Mustang opponent.

Pinning down success: Troy Howard tops strong regional field

Photo by: Ken Waltz

Pine Tree Wrestling League

Medomak, Oceanside, CRMS, HAL, Mount View compete; 11 champs, 42 state-bound

ROCKLAND — The Midcoast has long been a hotbed for top-notch mat athletes and that was demonstrated again on Saturday, March 21 at Oceanside East High School as area teams and individuals dominated the competition during the Pine Tree Wrestling League Eastern Regional meet.

When the dust settled on a long, competitive day of middle school wrestling, Troy Howard of Belfast sat atop the mountain as the champion. Historically, the Lions are perennial regional and state championship contenders.

Troy Howard rallied late to outdistance Medomak of Waldoboro, which finished second at 188.5. The Riverhawks had finished the regular dual-meet season 22-0, including edging the Lions.

Host Oceanside of Thomaston/Rockland placed third at 142.

The team scores were: Troy Howard 207.5, Medomak 188.5, Oceanside 142, Bucksport 115, Mattanawcook of Lincoln 85.5, Mount View of Thorndike 77.5, Hope-Appleton-Lincolnville 71, Winslow 62, Hancock 41.5, Camden-Rockport 36, Hampden 22, Ellsworth 21, Erskine of South China 7 and Messalonskee of Oakland 3.

Individually, the Midcoast crowned 11 champions, including Oceanside's Alex Fogarty (99 pounds), Bennett Penney (105), Ben Ripley (117), Mike Yates (123) and Lucien Marriner (145); Troy Howard's Patrick Curtis (111), Asa Hayes (130) and Anthony Sanborn (240); HAL's Eric Andrews (81 pounds); and Medomak's Duncan Widdecombe (93) and Eli Miller (137).

Ultimately, Oceanside crowned five champs, Troy Howard three, Medomak two and HAL one.

The area added a bundle of other grapplers who placed second, third and fourth. In all, 42 Midcoast athletes qualifed for the state meet.

Additional information, video and a link to more photos from the regional meet will appear later with this story.

The top four in each weight division move on from the regional to the league championship meet on Saturday, March 28 at Cony High School in Augusta.

When all was said and done from Saturday's meet, Troy Howard qualified 13 young mat athletes to the state meet, Medomak 11, Oceanside seven, HAL and Mount View four and CRMS three.

The Midcoast state qualifiers from each area school were:

Camden-Rockport — Ian Henderson (3rd at 99), Seth Sweet (4th at 123) and Brady Hedstrom (4th at 145).

HAL — Eric Andrews (1st at 81 pounds), Noah Lang (2nd at 117), Dawson Allen (3rd at 93) and Drew Kelly (3rd at 111).

Medomak — Duncan Widdecombe (1st at 93), Eli Miller (1st at 137), Marshall Sawyer (2nd at 75), Shane Cookson (2nd at 105), Dylan O'Reilly (2nd at 145), Korbin Daniels (2nd at 155), Amos Hinkley (2nd at 170), Erik Benner (2nd at 195), Taylah Reed (4th at 99), Will Perry (4th at 111) and Ashton Daniels (3rd at 240).

Mount View — Noah McClendon (2nd at 87), Zach Ward (2nd at 93), Jasmine Barnard (4th at 130) and Nathaniel Fuller (3rd at 170).

Oceanside — Alex Fogarty (1st at 99), Bennett Penney (1st at 105), Ben Ripley (1st at 117), Mike Yates (1st at 123), Lucien Marriner (1st at 145), Carter Fogarty (3rd at 75) and Riley Micklich (3rd at 81).

Troy Howard — Patrick Curtis (1st at 111), Asa Hayes (1st at 130), Anthony Sanborn (1st at 240), Wyatt Staples (2nd at 81), Isaac Ham (2nd at 99), Jonah Lovejoy (3rd at 87), Timmy Smith (4th at 93), Cyrus Resh (4th at 105), Jack Hansen (3rd at 117), Tanner Veilleux (3rd at 145), Donny Resh (3rd at 155), Hayden Brewer (4th at 170) and Shane Rumney (3rd at 195).

The individual results from the championship finals included:

75 pounds — Jackson Sutherland, Matt, pinned Marshall Sawyer, Med, at 3:25.

81 pounds — Eric Andrews, HAL, beat Wyatt Staples, TH, 7-2.

87 pounds — Landon St. Peter, Ells, pinned Noah McClendon, MtV, at 4:03.

93 pounds — Duncan Widdecombe, Med, won by technical fall over Zach Ward, MtV, 16-1.

99 pounds — Alex Fogarty, Ocean, pinned Isaac Ham, TH, at 2:32.

105 pounds — Bennett Penney, Ocean, pinned Shane Cookson, Med, at 1:25.

111 pounds — Patrick Curtis, TH, pinned Mark Ward, MtV, at 1:13.

117 pounds — Ben Ripley, Ocean, pinned Noah Lang, HAL, at 2:58.

123 pounds — Mike Yates, Ocean, beat Xavier Hamilton, Buck, 6-4.

130 pounds — Asa Hayes, TH, pinned Andrew Gauthier, Ham, at 0:52.

137 pounds — Eli Miller, Med, won by major decision over Reed Kiah, Han, 14-5.

145 pounds — Lucien Marriner, Ocean, pinned Dylan O'Reilly, Med, at 6:30 in three overtimes. This was, perhaps, the most exciting match of the day.

155 pounds — Luke Wardwell, Buck, pinned Korbin Daniels, Med, at 1:02.

170 pounds — Alex Demers, Win, pinned Amos Hinkley, Med, at 2:52.

195 pounds — Jared Smith, Han, pinned Erik Benner, Med, at 1:02.

240 pounds — Anthony Sanborn, TH, pinned David Gross, Buck, at 2:36.

The individual results from the consolation finals were:

75 pounds — Carter Fogarty, Ocean, pinned Sam Schmitt, Win, at 0:39.

81 pounds — Riley Micklich, Ocean, pinned Deegan Tidwell, Matt, at 2:18.

87 pounds — Jonah Lovejoy, TH, pinned Abby Hanscom, Buck, at 3:13.

93 pounds — Dawson Allen, HAL, pinned Timmy Smith, TH, at 4:02.

99 pounds — Ian Henderson, CR, pinned Taylah Reed, Med, at 4:02.

105 pounds — Travis Mushero, Matt, pinned Cyrus Resh, TH, at 2:07.

111 pounds — Drew Kelly, HAL, won by major decision over Will Perry, Med, 10-0.

117 pounds — Jack Hansen, TH, pinned Anthony Proulx, Win, at 0:38.

123 pounds — Nick Larrabee, Matt, won by major decision over Seth Sweet, CR, 9-0.

130 pounds — Ricky Perkins, Buck, pinned Jasmine Barnard, MtV, at 1:29.

137 pounds — Cam Fredette, Win, pinned Oliver Spainhour, Buck, at 2:02.

145 pounds — Tanner Veilleux, TH, pinned Brady Hedstrom, CR, at 1:05.

155 pounds — Donny Resh, TH, pinned Nick Pelkey, Matt, at 2:18.

170 pounds — Nathaniel Fuller, MtV, pinned Hayden Brewer, TH, at 1:08.

195 pounds — Shane Rumney, TH, pinned Noah Scanlon, Buck, at 0:37.

240 pounds — Ashton Daniels, Med, pinned Dakota Page, Matt, at 1:45.

For local wrestlers, Oceanside's Brennan Harris is an alternate to the states at 170 and Camden-Rockport's William Jurek (81) and Joah Thompson (87) alternates in their weight divisions.

UMaineOrono NCWA Wrestling Team Nationals results

National Champion SAMANTHA FRANK with PIN in the second

River Robertson 5th All American

Jacob Powers 4th All American

Outstanding finish for our second year program and our first year women's team

Liberty Wins 2015 NCWA National Championships

ALLEN, Texas – The day belonged to the U.S. Air Force Academy Prep School, which highlighted the finals of the NCWA Championships with three individual champions. Liberty and the U.S. Naval Academy Prep School contributed to the patriotic theme on Saturday’s leaderboard with a pair of champions apiece.

But the tournament still belonged to Liberty, which sat atop the standings throughout the three-day event and closed with its first NCWA title in four years of membership. The Flames had already advanced five to the finals on Friday, then saw Ryan Diehl win the 141-pound title over Navy Prep’s Adam Connell, 11-1, and Joshua Llopez take the 174 title.

Liberty ran away from the field with 194 points, well ahead of Middle Tennessee’s 127.5 and Rochester’s 120.5 points in its first NCWA competition. Central Florida was a quiet fourth with 93 points.

Diehl was voted the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler. The sophomore who won the 133 class last year and is rumored to be heading to Maryland next season is the first wrestler in the NCWA’s 18-year history to win the MOW twice.

The Flames already had a boost on the field by carrying 24 team points into the tournament under the NCWA’s combined championship scoring system. Runner-up finishes by Tim Nordan (125), Evan Canady (235) and Joshua Pelletier (285) pushed Liberty past the field while Ike Podell (fifth at 141), new three-time All-American KeyShaun Ward (fourth at 184) and new two-time All-American Matthew Reynolds (eighth at 197) added icing to the point total.

The Flames lost top-seed Chase Boontjer to injury in the 165 class but the senior still earned a third All-American finish. Peter Tatanish, a returning All-American in the 149 class, also had to retire but medical default.

Isaac Jimenez began Air Force Prep’s banner day with the 125 title, taking a 7-4 decision over Liberty’s Tim Nordan to lead off the finals. Alex Mossing followed soon after with a feature-match win in the 157 final over Navy Prep’s Hunter Sutton, 3-2. Anthony McLaughlin gave the Falcons their first trio of champions in a single tournament with a 13-8 decision over Wesley Schultz of Rochester in the 184 final.

The first five weight classes all had an academy prep wrestler involved in the matchup, but with mixed results. After Jimenez’s win, Air Force Prep’s John Twomey lost the 133 final to Davenport’s Zach Yates. Connell then lost to Diehl at 141. So it was a sigh of relief for Navy Prep when Nicholas Gil won the 149 title bout over Middle Tennessee’s Jacob Freeman that temporarily put the Midshipmen back among the top five teams.

Navy Prep had nine qualifiers to nationals, and seven of them wrestled in Saturday’s placing finals. Daniel Hawkins won the second of Navy Prep’s titles with a 20-second pin of Stefan Hass of James Madison in the 184 final. It was the quickest pin in a final in NCWA history. Navy Prep finished sixth overall with 72.5 points, and would have placed as high as third if not for losing 39 team points on uniform violations. Josh Bailey contributed to the total placing behind Hawkins at 197 in seventh, and Cody Lambert was eighth at 133.

Air Force Prep had eight qualifiers with four in the finals rounds and claimed the three national champions. Mossing’s win over Sutton in the 157 final ended the academy prep string and sent Air Force Prep into the top 10 to stay. It would finish eighth overall with 67.5 points, but also lost two-dozen team points on uniform violations.

Stuart Maddox became a three-time All-American, bouncing back from a loss in last year’s 235 final to claim the title with a second chance. Maddox beat Liberty’s Canady in the final, 5-3.

Washington State won the Division II title with 66.5 points. Brett Johnson, a returning All-American at 165, added another top finish with third place there this season. And Dave Stratton added a fifth-place finish at heavyweight. The Cougars had a host of points come from consolation matches as well.

The Cougars are arguably the west’s top team, but it would be Montana Western contesting that point. UMW scored its first NCWA champion in only the second year of the program as Ruger Piva won the 165 bracket, beating Johnson in the semifinals earlier in the day. Montana Western also had Jonathan Wiley place third at 184. UMW was only seven points behind WSU and was theDivision II runner-up.

Glenn Geurink gave Davenport its first NCWA champion also as the heavyweight champion. Geurink edged Pelletier 3-2 in the final. Helped by Yates’ title win at 133, Davenport placed 13th in Division I with 49.5 points in its first NCWA season.

The Coach of the Year Award went to Marion Military’s head coaching pair of Jim Hazewinkel and Dave Hazewinkel, who quietly snuck the Tigers into fifth place despite only two All-Americans. MMI qualified 11 wrestlers, and their combined runs through the consolation brackets boosted the points earned by returning All-American DeAndre Beck (eighth place at 141) and Michael Whalen (fourth at 165).

It was a rough tournament overall, as five of the finals matches, or roughly 11 percent of the round, was forfeited due to medical defaults.

NCWA FINAL STANDINGS AND RESULTS

Here are the results from Saturday’s finals matches:

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS

Most Outstanding Wrestler – Ryan Diehl, Liberty, 141 lbs. (Diehl also won in 2014; he is the first two-time MOW in NCWA history)

Coach of the Year –Jim Hazewinkel and Dave Hazewinkel, Marion Military

125 lbs.
Championship – Isaac Jimenez, U.S. Air Force Prep, def. Tim Nordan, Liberty, 7-4
3rd place – Scotty Stossel, Penn State, def. Michael Dauterive, Texas-Arlington, 8-2
5th place – Timothy Sakow, Central Florida, def. Alvaro Gallego, Arizona, by fall 6:22
7th place – Shane Shaffner, Middle Tennessee, def. Brett Himes, Penn State-DuBois, 15-3

133 lbs.
Championship – Zach Yates, Davenport, def. John Twomey, U.S. Air Force, by fall 2:05
3rd place – Zach Vatalare, Michigan, def. Eric Feuerbacher, Middle Tennessee, 3-1
5th place – Jacob Wasserman, Florida, def. Austin Vajen, Central Florida, 9-2
7th place – Carson Henry, Rochester, def. Cody Lambert, U.S. Naval Academy Prep, 5-2

141 lbs.
Championship – Ryan Diehl, Liberty, def. Adam Connell, U.S. Naval Academy Prep, 11-1
3rd place – Alexis Martinez, Glendale CC, def. Zane Corey, Grand Valley State, 7-0
5th place – Ike Podell, Liberty, def. Carlos Garcia, Middle Tennessee, 12-2
7th place – Casey Glassgow, Wayne State, def. DeAndre Beck, Marion Military, medical forfeit

149 lbs.
Championship – Nicholas Gil, U.S. Naval Academy Prep, def. Jacob Freeman, Middle Tennessee, 11-6
3rd place – Trevor Scott, Rochester, def. Nick Cegelski, USC, 15-10
5th place – Raul Moraga, Arizona, def. Trace Thome, Florida, default
7th place – Joe Staley, James Madison, def. John Chillem, Rowan, 8-2

157 lbs.
Championship – Alex Mossing, U.S. Air Force Academy Prep, def. Hunter Sutton, U.S. Naval Academy Prep, 3-2
3rd place – Trey Gregory, James Madison, def. Dillon Harris, South Puget Sound CC, 6-4
5th place – Christian Grillo, Central Florida, def. Bailey Bischer, Grand Valley State, 1-0
7th place – Ty Haines, Penn State-DuBois, def. Thomas Miller, Rochester, 11-1

165 lbs.
Championship – Ruger Piva, Montana Western, def. Clay Kocsis, Penn State-Mont Alto, 4-3
3rd place – Brett Johnson, Washington State, def. Michael Whalen, Marion Military, 12-2
5th place – Frankie McKeown, Alabama, def. Chase Boontjer, Liberty, medical forfeit
7th place – Connor Hanson, Rochester, def. Brandon Rochester, South Puget Sound CC, 8-4

174 lbs.
Championship – Josh Llopez, Liberty, def. Phil Marra, Penn State-New Kensington, 8-2
3rd place – Caynan Klessig, Wisconsin, def. Jacob Powers, Maine, 9-5
5th place – Cory Berry, Rochester, def. Derek Wojcik, Mercer, medical forfeit
7th place – Tyler Thomas, Saginaw Valley State, def. Joe Roehl, Mott CC, medical forfeit

184 lbs.
Championship – Anthony McLaughlin, U.S. Air Force Prep, def. Wesley Schultz, Rochester, 13-8
3rd place – Jonathan Wiley, Montana Western, def. KeyShaun Ward, Liberty, 5-3
5th place – River Roberston, Maine, def. Logan Shirey, Penn State-DuBois, medical forfeit
7th place – Jonathan Roberts, Middle Tennessee, def. Dennis Lumadue, Penn State-DuBois, by fall 1:40

197 lbs.
Championship – Daniel Hawkins, U.S. Naval Academy Prep, by fall 0:20
3rd place – Wayne Sanders, Saginaw Valley State, def. Jake Ferris, Central Washington, 4-3
5th place – Vincent Jiovenetta, Central Florida, def. Alec Shunnarah, Auburn, 4-2
7th place – Josh Bailey, U.S. Naval Academy Prep, def. Matt Reynolds, Liberty, 12-8

235 lbs.
Championship – Stuart Maddox, North Florida, def. Evan Canady, Liberty, 5-3
3rd place – Tyrell Walker, Central Florida, def. Noah Huxley, Florida Gulf Coast, 11-4
5th place – Thomas Ott, U.S. Naval Academy Prep, def. Zack McCarley, Central Washington, 3-2 TB-5
7th place – Michael Dyer, Rochester, def. Stevan Webb, Connecticut, by fall 1:40

285 lbs.
Championship – Glenn Geurink, Davenport, def. Josh Pelletier, Liberty, 3-2
3rd place – Theo Agbi, Amherst, def. Ian Jones, Apprentice, 6-4 TB-2
5th place – Dave Stratton, Washington State, def. Luis Pinto, Rochester, by fall 2:43
7th place – Rickey Carter, Florida A&M, def. Rashied Rayford, Middle Tennessee, 4-2

MEN’S DIVISION I STANDINGS
1. Liberty 194.0
2. Middle Tennessee 127.5
3. Rochester College (Minn.) 120.5
4. Central Florida 93.0
5. Marion Military 74.0
6. U.S. Naval Academy Prep 72.5
7. Apprentice 70.0
8. U.S. Air Force Academy Prep 67.5
9. Grand Valley State 66.0
10. Wayne State College (Neb.) 48.0
11t. Penn State-DuBois 47.0
11t. North Florida 47.0
13. Davenport (Mich.) 43.5
14. Florida Gulf Coast 38.5
15. Penn State-Mont Alto 37.0
16. Mercer 28.0
17. Penn State-New Kensington 27.0
18. Alfred State 24.5
19. Md.-Baltimore County 16.0
20t. MIT 15.0
20t. South Florida 15.0
22. RPI 13.0
23. Mott CC (Mich.) 12.5
24. West Chester 8.0
25t. East Tennessee State 3.0
25t. Penn State-Greater Allegheny 3.0
27. New Hampshire 2.5
28. Georgia Southern (-5.5)

DIVISION II
1. Washington State 66.5
2. Montana Western 59.5
3. Florida 58.5
4. Maine 49.5
5. South Puget Sound CC (Wash.) 48.0
6. Texas-Arlington 47.0
7. Glendale CC (Ariz.) 37.0
8. Arizona 36.5
9t. Central Washington 35.0
9t. Penn State 35.0
9t. Saginaw Valley State (Mich.) 35.0
12. Toledo 33.5
13. North Texas 28.5
14. Connecticut 27.5
15. James Madison 26.0
16. Dixie State (Utah) 25.0
17. Michigan 22.5
18t. Akron 21.0
18t. Rowan 21.0
20. Temple 19.5
21. Auburn 19.0
22t. Amherst 17.5
22t. USC 17.5
22t. Wisconsin 16.5
25. Florida A&M 16.5
26. Texas State 15.5
27. Henry Ford CC (Mich.) 14.5
28. Alabama 14.0
29t. Georgia 13.5
29t. UCLA 13.5
30. Texas 13.0
31. Memphis 12.5
32. Texas A&M 12.0
33t. Colorado State 11.0
33t. Fresno State 11.0
36. BYU 10.5
37. Tennessee 9.5
38. East Carolina 9.0
39t. Ohio State 8.0
39t. SUNY-Cortland 8.0
41t. Bowling Green 7.5
41t. Colorado 7.5
41t. Northern Kentucky 7.5
44. Kennesaw State 4.0
45t. Minn.-Duluth 3.0
45t. Northeastern 3.0
45t. VMI 3.0
48t. Lafayette 2.0
48t. UC-Merced 2.0
50. Idaho 1.5
51. Concordia-Ann Arbor (Mich.) 0.5
52t. Albany 0
52t. Northwest Missouri State 0
52t. Rutgers 0
52t. William and Mary 0
56. Montclair State (N.J.) (-1.5)
57. Massachusetts (-4.5)
NCWWA STANDINGS AND RESULTS

INDIVIDUAL FINALS RESULTS (top three are All-American)

Most Outstanding Wrestler – Samantha Frank, Maine, 105 lbs.
Coach of the Year – Josh White, Southwestern Oregon CC

105 lbs.
Championship – Samantha Frank, Maine, def. Mikayla Pica, Southwestern Oregon CC, by fall 3:50
3rd place – Lisa Anderson, Ottawa, def. Melissa Ortiz, Southwestern Oregon CC, by fall 1:13
5th place – Rose Heurtelou, Springfield Tech, def. Amber Radcliff, Florida Gulf Coast, by fall 6:35

112 lbs.
(round robin format)
Champion – Yolanda Lawes, Southwestern Oregon CC (4-0)
Runner-up – Alison Johnson, Southwestern Oregon CC (2-2)
3rd place – Tabitha Sparks, Ottawa (2-2)

119 lbs.
Championship – Franchesca Ybarra, Southwestern Oregon CC, def. Cindy Calixto, Springfield Tech, 2-0
3rd place – Brandi Elizalde, Southwestern Oregon CC, def. Tracy Smith, Springfield Tech, 8-2

130 lbs.
Championship – Sadie Bailey, Southwestern Oregon CC, def. Avery Souders, North Texas, 17-6
3rd place – Sara Andersen, Massachusetts, def. Amanda Nelson, Springfield Tech, by fall 1:17

139 lbs.
Championship – Gloria Maldonado, Springfield Tech, def. Addie Lanning, Ottawa, 8-6
3rd place – Talisha Dozier, Southwestern Oregon CC, def. Anna Ernst, Springfield Tech, by fall 1:46

148 lbs.
(round robin format)
Champion – Amber Quintana, Southwestern Oregon CC (3-0)
Runner-up: Darla Allen, Ottawa (2-1)
3rd place – Cassie Corey, Massachusetts (1-2)

159 lbs.
Championship – Janelle Fuamatu, Southwestern Oregon CC, def. Milagros Garcia, Southwestern Oregon CC, by fall 4:07
3rd place – Samantha Edwinson, Ottawa, def. Grace Chambers, Ottawa, by fall 0:25

176 lbs.
(round-robin format)
Champion – Destane Garrick, Springfield Tech (4-0)
Runner-up – Aysha Schwinden, Southwestern Oregon CC (3-1)
3rd-place – Nicole Newton, Ottawa (2-2)

209 lbs.
Championship – Brandy Lowe, Ottawa, def. Amber Tahir, Ottawa, by fall 2:50
No 3rd place
WOMEN’S STANDINGS
1. Southwestern Oregon CC 128.0
2. Ottawa (Kan.) 98.0
3. Springfield (Mass.) Tech 64.5
4. Massachusetts 26.5
5. Maine 21.5
6. North Texas 16.0
7. Middle Tennessee 6.0
8. Texas 5.0
9. Central Washington 4.5
10. Texas A&M 2.5
11. MIT 2.0
12t. Florida Gulf Coast 0.0
12t. Texas State 0.0
12t. Texas-Arlington 0.0
12t. UC-Merced 0.0

Del Gallo headed to D-III wrestling nationals

The Gardiner native is just the sixth USM wrestler to reach the NCAA tournament

BY RANDY WHITEHOUSE STAFF WRITER

rwhitehouse@centralmaine.com | @RAWmaterial33 | 207-621-5638

Daniel Del Gallo describes himself as being “happy, not satisfied” to be competing in the NCAA Division III national championship tournament this weekend.

Del Gallo, a Gardiner native, is one of two University of Southern Maine wrestlers who advanced to the national tournament, which starts Friday in Hershey, Pa. Senior Jonathan Deupree is making his second consecutive appearance at nationals.

ADDITIONAL IMAGES

Daniel Del Gallo has enjoyed a standout season for the University of Southern Maine wrestling team. Del Gallo, of Gardiner, qualified for the Division III championships in Hershey, Pa. this week. He will compete in the 149-pound division.Contributed photo

“I want to do more and perform better at a higher level,” said Del Gallo, a sophomore who wrestles in the 149-pound weight class. “I was happy with my performance at regionals, especially leading up to the final. Everything worked out good.”

Del Gallo and Deupree punched their tickets to Pennsylvania with outstanding performances at the Northeast Regional championships two weekends ago in Bristol, RI. Del Gallo was the runner-up in his weight class. Seeded fourth, he upset top seed Joey Gaccione of Johnson & Wales with a pin at 4:36 of their semifinal. He nearly pulled off another upset in the championship match, taking second-seeded Eamonn Gaffney of Ithaca College to overtime before falling, 5-3.

It took some time for the three-time Class B state champion to adjust to college-style wrestling, yet he still posted an impressive 21-8 record as a freshman. Even after a disappointing ending last season, he never doubted he could become a champion again at the college level.

“At the end of last year, I didn’t place at regionals. That kind of lit the fire. I knew at the beginning of this year if I put the work in, I was going to make it to nationals,” he said. “It feels good to have all of the hard work pay off.”

It helped that Del Gallo could turn to Deupree for guidance and inspiration, and offered plenty of inspiration in return.

“We just feed off of each other,” Deupree said. “When I’m feeling down and tired, Dan brings me up.”

Deupree, a two-time regional champion at 184 pounds, is just the third USM wrestler to return to the NCAA tournament. Last year at nationals, he won his first match by forfeit, then lost the next two and was eliminated.

This year, he heads into the tournament with a 25-3 record and seeded second.

Deupree said mentally preparing for the tournament should be easier the second time around and is confident head coach Joe Pistone will have him and Del Gallo physically and mentally ready.

“The coaches design the practices leading up to nationals to keep our lungs open and stay loose and have us peak right at the tournament. It allows our bodies and minds to get ready for the tournament,” said Deupree, an Ozona, Fla. native.

Del Gallo is the seventh Husky ever to reach nationals. He is 36-3 and unseeded in the tournament, where he will take on No. 2 seed Derek Arnold of Ursinus College, the East region champion.

While he isn’t familiar with Arnold or most of the rest of his weight class, Del Gallo is confident heading into nationals, and thinks the coaches and Deupree will have him ready. “The entire year, we’ve been talking about going to nationals, so I have a feeling of what to expect,” he said.

So what does he expect?

“I’m expecting to win,’ he said. “I know I can wrestle at that level, and even if I don’t win I know I’m going to be an All-American (top eight finisher).”

Randy Whitehouse — 621-5638

Ellsworth wrestlers compete at New Englands

by Taylor Vortherms on Sports Wrestling

Sports Editor at The Ellsworth American

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. — Two Ellsworth wrestlers competed at the 51st annual New England high school wrestling championships on Friday and Saturday at North Andover High School.

Freshman Peyton Cole and junior Connor Petros both traveled nearly 250 miles to represent Ellsworth among 169 schools. Cole won one of three matches at 132 pounds, and Petros lost both his matches at 152 pounds.

Neither Ellsworth wrestler ended up placing among the top six. The five Maine wrestlers who did place were Marshwood’s Bradley Beaulieu (second at 126 pounds), Cody Hughes (third at 170 pounds) and Jackson Howarth (fifth at 160 pounds) as well as Gardiner’s Peter Del Gallo (fourth at 126 pounds) and Wells’ Michael Curtis (third at 220 pounds).

Beaulieu was the only Maine wrestler to reach the finals of the two-day event.

Cole advanced to the second round with a bye, then beat Tyson Cram of Otter Valley, Vt., 8-2. Cross Cannone of Trumbull, Conn., — the eventual 132-pound runner-up — pinned Cole in the quarterfinals. Cole then lost to Cole Megill of Narragansett, R.I., 3-2 to fall out of the running.

Petros lost 9-2 in the first round to Jake Stetson of Framingham, Mass., who went on to place fifth at 152 pounds. Petros then lost 6-3 to Brett Leonard of New Milford, Conn.

Click here for more tournament results.

2015 NE Wrapup

By Bob McPhee

There was certainly a high level of competition and Maine wrestlers held up at the 51st annual New England Interscholastic Wrestling Championship, at North Andover, Massachusetts. Mount Anthony of Vermont (122.5 points) won for the third-straight year. Marshwood (fourth, 55 points) was the highest ranking Maine team at NE, for the second-straight year. The Hawks earned three medals, including finalist Bradley Beaulieu at 126-pounds. 

The results on Friday night certainly set the tone at the two-day, double-elimination tournament. A win in the rounds of 32 or 16-bracket would advance each individual and increase the level of competition.

Fate wasn't with area wrestlers who quickly fell behind the eight-ball in their initial matches. Mountain Valley's Class B state champion's Ethan Boucher (120) and Ian Austin (182) each lost. Boucher lost a nail-biting 8-7 decision to Nick Camach of Woburn, Mass. Boucher led 4-0 entering third period, but Camach executed a takedown and near-fall points. Austin was short-sided by Henry Oberta of Xavarin. 

''It was an eye-opening experience for Ethan. Hopefully, it will help him in getting to where he wants to be, in future,''Mountain Valley coach Gary Dolloff said. ''It's a different culture at New England. But, the lack of live wrestling for two weeks by Maine kids was obvious both physically and mentally.'' 

Malik Geiger of Oxford Hills experienced heartache after losing an overtime thriller, in the round of 16. Geiger was unable to hold Matt Frolo of Cohasset, MA, in fourth extra session. The Viking senior then redeemed himself by winning two matches, including a 5-2 decision against Austin, In the con.- quarterfinals, Geiger streak ended with a 3-0 loss to Brett Gerry of Marshwood. 

''Malik did well by winning twice and was one match away from placing,''Oxford Hills coach Tony Stevens said, who was scoreless with Gerry after two periods, in rematch of Class A state meet finals. But, Gerry escaped and then counter Geiger's attempted takedown that went out of bounds. ''The difference better Maine and out-of-state wrestlers is the three styles (folk-lure, freestyle and Greco-Roman). Those kids have the intensity level, they attack and are relentless.''

Dirigo teammates Griffyn Smith 120 and Hunter White each was pinned. Smith by Matt Coni and White by Hunter Costa of Saint John.

As often is the case, being dropped in to the consolation brackets usually produces some matches against Maine wrestlers. This was no exception as Boucher was eliminated after being decisioned, 7-1, by Andy Shorey of Noble. The Falcon sophomore had also lost to Shorey in the Maine qualifier tournament. White was pinned by Zach Caron of Dexter; the Cougar sophomore was also stuck by Caron in the finals of the Class C state meet. 

White was an alternate, however, he received an opportunity to wrestle because the Maine No.1 seed, withdrew. 

Smith, three-time Class C state champion, was stuck by Colin Cardoe of Mt. Hope.

Maine placed five individuals again, this year, including Beaulieu, who had won a thrilling 2-1 match in the semi-finals. The Hawk sophomore, who placed sixth in NE in 2014, faced Todd Grassway of Mount Anthony in finals and was stuck. Teammate Cody Hughes who was a finalist last year, lost 3-1 in SF, but wrestled back to place third at 170. Hughes, a four-time state champion, has placed three years in NE tournament. The Hawks Jackson Howarth placed fifth at 160. Mike Curtis of Wells, third for the second-straight year and Peter DelGallo fourth at 126; who had won a NE crown as a freshman, in 2013, placed last ear, also. 

''In terms of preparation, this was the best ever,''Dolloff said.''I was away from coaching three years, but (MV youth coach) Eric (Austin) took our kids every where (univerties) to practice. The commodity between Maine kids was great, they cheered and supported each other.''

The strategy at NE is totally different setting for Maine wrestlers because it doesn’t allow for feeling out an opponent- so the initial takedown is extremely important. A defensive style can be counter-productive because earning a lead allows utilizing leg rides to derail opponents. The competition at New England is extremely intense and mental mistakes have proven, costly. Peter DelGallo of Gardiner, 

2015 HS New Englands at North Andover HS, MA

Click to view results

Competition will be intense at New England tourney

by Bob McPhee

Maine wrestlers certainly will experience first hand how strong the level of competition is at the New England Interscholastic Wrestling Championship on Friday and Saturday, at North Andover, Massachusetts.

The two-day event at New England is extremely intense and mental mistakes have proven, costly. So, it's unwise to look ahead at the double-elimination tournament. 

Maine returns five medalists this year, including Cody Hughes of Marshwood who lost a heart-breaking 2-1 triple-overtime match last year in the 160-pound final. Hughes, a four-time state champion, had placed third at 152 in the 2013 NE tournament. 

The Hawk wrestler will compete at 170. 

''I credit my teammates and coaches for helping by pushing me,''Hughes said, who holds the all-time state record with 210 wins. Hughes will wrestle at Virginia Tech, next fall.

Local wrestlers have found the going extremely difficult on the big stage. Mountain Valley Class B state champion's Ethan Boucher (120) and Ian Austin (182) will be Maine seeds at second and third, respectively. Dirigo's Griffyn Smith is the No.3 seed at 120. Smith, a three-time Class C state champion, is anxious to re-test his skills at the next level. 

''I'd like to see Griffyn win a match or two,''Dirigo coach Doug Gilbert said. ''This is his second trip (he competed as a freshman, 

finished fourth at the all state last year).''

Teammate Hunter White was an alternate, however, he received an opportunity to wrestle because the Maine No.1 seed, withdrew. 

''It's Hunter's first trip and I have no expectations of him doing anything,''Gilbert said, regarding the adjustments. ''I've heard an official say, "There are no losers here, only winners and learners." That's the way I look at the New Englands.''

The the top three individuals in the 14-weight classes automatically qualified for NE, at the second annual qualifying tournament; the Maine Principal Association has sponsored the event, featuring the top wrestlers from Classes A, B and C. Previously, the state of Maine had automatically sent its state champions to NE, however, last year the MPA held a qualifying tournament for all-classes. This was done in an effort to enhance the level of competitive Maine wrestlers who compete at NE. 

Senior Malik Geiger of Oxford Hills won the qualifier at 182, and fully realizes that this represents his final opportunity. 

Malik feels good both physically and mentally,''Oxford Hills coach Tony Stevens said, 

who joined wrestlers from through out the state to attend practices at Maine Universities in Orono and Gorham; which provided each individual to work on techniques and conditioning. ''He wrestled there last year so he knows what to expect. Every match will be tough.''

The strategy at NE is totally different setting for Maine wrestlers because it doesn’t allow for feeling out an opponent- so the initial takedown is extremely important. A defensive style can be counter-productive because earning a lead allows utilizing leg rides to derail opponents. The competition at New England is extremely intense and mental mistakes have proven, costly. Peter DelGallo of Gardiner, who had won a NE crown as a freshman, earned fifth place with a 1-0 decision against Brad Beaulieu of Marshwood, sixth place. Beaulieu won in four overtimes by riding out Peter DelGallo, in qualifier. Mike Curtis of Wells, third and Jackson Howarth of Marshwood, fifth. Brothers Cody and Tyler Craig of Skowhegan are both threats. Marshwood, unofficial team champions again, qualified seven. The Hawks was the highest ranking Maine team at NE, last year. 

Noble's Shorey, Keisker gear up for N.E.'s

By MIKE WHALEY

mwhaley@fosters.com

NORTH BERWICK, Maine – Sophomore Austin Shorey and junior Otto Keisker will represent Noble High School at the New England wrestling championships this weekend in North Andover, Mass.

Shorey is in the midst of a great season having won the Maine Class A state title at 120 pounds, and then following that up with a first-place at 120 at the New England qualifier in Sanford last month. He was Noble’s first state champ since Ben Valencia in 2011.

Keisker, a junior, was third at the qualifier and second at states at 145.

“Austin could do very well,” said Noble coach Kip DeVoll. “He’s seen a lot of the kids down there. He’s only lost this year to (Bradley) Beaulieu (of Marshwood), who’s wrestling up at 126. But you never know. Every kid down there’s a stud. It’s not like a normal tournament where you might have an easy match or two. Everyone’s good. But he’s in a good spot in the bracket. He has the talent to do it.”

Noble has had only one New England champion in DeVoll’s 34 years with the program and that was Decota Cotten, who did it twice. 

Both Shorey and Keisker have first-round byes when the competition starts this afternoon. DeVoll said they will each likely only wrestle once today, and then be ready for the big push on Saturday.

Shorey won the qualifier, going 3-0 and beating Mountain Valley’s Ethan Boucher in the final by major decision, 10-1.

Keisker won his consolation final over Marshwood’s Sam Hebert, 7-1. 

“It will be a little tougher for Otto,” DeVoll said. “The thing is don’t get caught looking ahead. That’s the best way to get beat and beat bad. Just one match at a time.”

Noble finished the year as runner-up at both the Western Maine Class A tournament and Class A state tournament to Marshwood.

Biddeford wrestler still trying in a trying season

Dominick Day, preparing for the New Englands, is 37-1 despite a skin infection and broken nose

BY STEVE CRAIG STAFF WRITER

scraig@pressherald.com | @SteveCCraig | 207-791-6413

Dominick Day, right, training this week with a Biddeford teammate, Brian Livermore, now wrestles with a mask after breaking his nose during a match. Day, the Class A champion at 152 pounds, will seek a New England title after finishing sixth a year ago. Photos by Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer

BIDDEFORD — Dominick Day, the two-time Class A wrestling champion from Biddeford High, understands his sport is all about challenges.

Day will welcome as many challenges as he can this weekend. He’ll end his high school wrestling career representing Maine at the New England championships in North Andover, Massachusetts, on Friday and Saturday.

MAINERS AT NEW ENGLANDS

INDIVIDUAL COMPETITION

Bradley Beaulieu, Marshwood sophomore: He’s on the opposite side of bracket from defending 126-pound champ Troy Gassaway of Mt. Anthony (Vt.) Union and his personal rival, Peter DelGallo. A trip to the final is  possible after finishing sixth at 113 as a freshman, losing to DelGallo.

Cody Craig, Skowhegan sophomore: Very strong wrestler and already a two-time Class A and all-state champ, but he’s up against one of the deepest weight classes at 106 pounds.

Michael Curtis, Wells senior:Curtis was third at 195 last year, losing to the eventual champ in the championship semifinal by one point. Curtis has a similar path this year at 220. Defending 220 champ and Brown recruit Ian Butterbrodt of St. John’s (Mass.) Prep would be his likely semifinal foe.

Dominick Day, Biddeford senior:After being upset at the all-state meet, Day has advantage of coming in under the radar and the 152 class is considered wide open. Day won three matches with two pins and placed sixth in his first New England trip as a junior.

Peter DelGallo, Gardiner junior:The New England 106 champ as a freshman and fifth at 113 last year, DelGallo has the tools and experience to make another deep run at 126. An all-Maine final with Beaulieu? It’s not out of the question.

Jackson Howarth, Marshwood senior: Technically sound, Howarth is making his fourth trip to the New England meet, this time at 160. He’s improved each year and placed fifth a year ago. Defending champ Jon Viruet of Springfield (Mass.) Central is a heavy favorite to repeat. Howarth could be his opponent in the final.

Cody Hughes, Marshwood senior: Placed second at 160 as a junior. About the only thing missing from high school resume of Maine’s all-time wins leader is a New England title. If he gets it, he’ll earn it. Hughes will likely have to beat both familiar foe Fritz Hoehn of North Andover (Mass.) in his own gym in the semifinal and sophomore Anthony Falbo of Newtown (Conn.) in the final. Falbo was the outstanding wrestler at the Connecticut LL and Open tournaments.

Austin Shorey, Noble sophomore: Class A and all-state champ at 120 was also the outstanding wrestler at the Spartan tournament. Mt. Anthony (Vt.) Union’s Tyler Raetz is a threat in his half of the bracket. Shorey beat Raetz early in the season, 8-1.

TEAM COMPETITION

Marshwood tied for sixth last year with five wrestlers as Hughes (second), Howarth (fifth) and Beaulieu (sixth) placed. This time the Hawks will bring eight wrestlers and Coach Matt Rix is counting on those three plus three-time state champ Brett Gerry to medal. Kyle Glidden (106), Matthew Caverly (113), Sam Hebert (145) and Justin Stacy (152) also will attend. Stacey beat Biddeford’s Day in the all-state final.

Defending champ Mt. Anthony Union has 12 wrestlers and is still the favorite. The Hawks will challenge and can pull the upset if they get their big four into the medal rounds, preferably the top four, and four others win a few matches. They all have the potential to win a match or two, maybe more.

– Steve Craig, staff writerBut Day must have felt like he had a heavyweight or two piling on top of him this season.

Coming off a 138-pound Class A title and strong sixth-place finish at the New Englands last year as a junior, Day was ready to tear it up as a senior at 152 pounds.

Then, on the eve of the season, he wound up in the hospital because of cellulitis. A common but potentially serious bacterial skin infection, cellulitis forms at a cut or crack in the skin and can spread rapidly into the lymph nodes and bloodstream.

“If not treated it can kill you,” Day said. “My knee swelled up about double the normal size. I was in (the hospital) two days (and) one night.”

Aggressive treatment with antibiotics, at first delivered through an IV, quelled the infection. But Day’s return to wrestling was in doubt at first. He said doctors suggested a permanent catheter, known as a PICC line, be inserted to make daily outpatient IV treatments easier.

“That doesn’t come out for four weeks to … two months,” Day said. “They got (the infection) under control, thank God, and they let me wrestle a couple of weeks after.”

Once back, Day used his tenacious style to roll through the regular season, and regional and state tournament unbeaten.

But not unscarred. At a late-season meet he hit the mat face-first and broke his nose.

Day wore a mask at the Western regional meet but felt it hindered his breathing and effectiveness.

At the Class A meet the mask came off – until his nose met the knee of Marshwood’s Justin Stacy in the semifinals.

“I was bleeding a lot. It just busted wide open,” Day said.

Bloodied and bandaged, Day finished the match, beating Stacy, 16-5. Then he put the mask back on to beat Kam Doucette of Skowhegan in the final.

But Day was destined to suffer more pain, thanks to Stacy.

In the all-state New England qualifier Feb. 21, Stacy had his best meet of the year and earned a rematch in the final against Day. In the final seconds, with Day leading 5-3, Stacy worked a reversal and put Day to his back to pull off a 7-5 comeback victory.

Day, 142-16 in his career and now 37-1 as a senior, lost his final match in Maine.

“He had a really good day,” Day said of Stacy. “Unfortunately I just didn’t show up to wrestle that day.

“Once I lost the match I thought it was the worst thing that could happen. My coach talked to me and helped me get back on the right track. I started thinking, ‘Well, this is going to fire me up for New Englands.’ No one thinks about the second seed. So it’s not the worst thing. I go in there and wrestle like I did last year, anything can happen.”

As a junior, Day went 3-3 at the New Englands with two pins. His losses were against the top seeds from Rhode Island and Connecticut (twice) by a total of five points.

“I think being undefeated and going through all the things he’s had to go through, he had a lot of pressure on him,” said Biddeford Coach Steve Vermette. “Now he can just go into New Englands and wrestle. He’s got just as good a chance as any 152 going there to win. I don’t believe there’s anyone in that room that’s going to dominate him.”