Newtown High School’s wrestling team competed in the State Open, a competition that brings together the top six place winners from the Class S, M, L, and LL state championships, at Floyd Little Athletic Center in New Haven, on February 26 and 27.

The Nighthawks had eight State Open qualifiers and sent seven wrestlers into day two of the tournament. The team placed 17th among 87 competing schools out of 117 total school programs in the state.

Sophomore Fisher Stites placed third and freshman Marc Maurath was sixth in the State Open. Stites earned a 5-3 decision over RHAM’s Jeremy Devine in his final match in the 160 pound weight division. Maurath lost to New Fairfield’s Thomas Bock in his last bout at 138.

Stites qualified for the 57th Annual New England Interscholastic Wrestling Championships in Providence, R.I., March 4 and 5.