Youth Grapplers Experience Success During Busy Stretch

Participants in Newtown Youth Wrestling Association (NYWA) program found themselves victorious during a busy nine-day period, recently. Highlighted by a tremendous showing against interleague opponent New Milford and multiple wins in tournaments in Berlin and Exeter, N.H., the program showed why it is becoming a top youth program throughout New England.

The recent string of successes began with the middle school team during the McGee Middle School Wrestling Tournament. With some familiar faces leading the way, 14 of the 15 wresters participating walked away with medals. Sean Arnold, Anthony Falbo, Ed Lovely, and Andy Hubina took first place in their divisions, while Chris Lajoie and Gren Paynter each took second. Adding to the team totals were Andrei Steinjann and Michael Schlesinger with third place finishes, and Thomas Leuci, Alex Stavola, Chris Manfredi, and Jack Wellman in fourth.

The next day saw the full squad head up to Berlin again, this time for the Berlin Blast Tournament in which 17 team members came away with medals. In the elementary division, getting gold were Luke Wellman (two pins and a win) and Arnold (three pins), with Sean Dauber (two pins), Luca Manfredi (one pin), Zachary Robinson (two pins and a win), and Paynter (two wins) all taking home silver medals.  Rounding out the medal count were Nate Gibson, Joseph Stoerzinger, and Jarok Dauber garnering bronze.

In the afternoons matches the older squad did just as well, led by Hubina, Steinjann, Lovely, and Falbo, all of whom won gold and went 3-0 with two pins and a win each. They were followed by silver medalists Dylan Bartlett and Chris Manfredi, as well as Leuci and Stavola who won bronze.

The middle school team had another tough test midweek against a powerful New Milford team that has been a feeder program for its top ranked high school team during the last several years. While Newtown ended up on the short end of a 20-14 match count, the squad fared as well as it ever has against New Milford. Winners included Arnold, Bartlett, Falbo, Hubina, Chris Manfredi, Paynter, Michael Schleinger, Stavola, along with Leuci (two wins), Lovely (two wins), and Steinjann (two wins). The match of the evening, however, belonged to newcomer Gordon Walsh, who fought back and forth throughout regulation and an overtime period to reach a 1-1 stalemate.

To finish up the program’s busy week-plus period, the squad traveled to Exeter, N.H., to participate in the Blue Hawk Big Trophy Tournament where wrestlers faced brackets of eight to 16 participants from all over New England. Bringing home the “Big Trophy” and finishing first were Michael Carpenter, William Henckel, Shaine Luzietti, Falbo, and Hubina. Taking home the second-place trophies were Robbie Accomando, Lovely (who wrestled six matches during the day), Lajoie, and Stavola. Luca Manfredi and Arnold came away with a third-place trophies and Steinjann grabbed a forth. Completing the days successes were fifth-place medal winners Bartlett (who wrestled five matches on the day) and Adrian deCola.

The NYWA holds its practice sessions Mondays and Wednesdays from 6 to 8 pm for the middle school squad in the Sandy Hook gym and 6:30 to 8 pm for the elementary school squad held in the Sandy Hook cafeteria. Thursday nights are competition nights. NYWA information may be found online at http://newtownyouthwrestling.blogspot.com and be sure to follow Newtown Youth Wrestling on Twitter at twitter.com/NYWACT.