Middle School Wrestlers Win Road Meet

Participants of the Newtown Youth Wrestling Association (NYWA) middle school program continued their winning ways recently as they traveled to Pomperaug High School in Southbury and took on a combined Pomperaug/Nonnewaug squad of fifth through eighth graders.

NYWA participated in 33 matches and came away victorious in 23 of the contests. The team was led by Sean Arnold (4-0 with 3 pins), Thomas Leuci (3-0 with a pin), Alexander Stavola (who was a perfect 3-0 with 3 pins) and Andrei Steinjann (3-0 with a pin).

Joining their teammates, Newtown Middle School eighth grader Andy Hubina and seventh grader Anthony Falbo finished the night 2-0 with 2 pins as well as Chris Manfredi who went 2-0 including a sudden death overtime win.

Also contributing to the nights wins were Christopher Lajoie and Michael Schleinger. There were three matches of special note. Newcomer Jack Wellman lost 2-0 but fought hard all match finally succumbing to a reversal for the match’s only points. Veteran Dylan Bartlett took on the opposition’s top-two ranked wrestlers and came away 1-1, including a terrific 7-2 victory.

In the match of the night, seventh grader Edward Lovely finished the first three periods of regulation tied 2-2.  He then went to a sudden death period and two 30-second ride out periods and the score was still knotted at 2-2 with neither wrestler giving any ground. In the forth and final overtime, Lovely was finally taken down and finished on the short end, 5-2 in one of the longest, hardest fought matches the program has seen in its seven year history.