Newtown Youth Wrestling Association (NYWA) competed in the Connecticut Youth State Championships at James Hillhouse High School in New Haven on March 1. The event marked the culmination of months of hard work that began in early November. Wrestlers from across the state participated in the 10U, 12U, and Middle School divisions, representing more than 40 towns and clubs and a field of over 500 competitors.

Newtown once again demonstrated why it is regarded as the premier town program in New England and one of the top programs in Connecticut. NYWA produced 22 place finishers in the top six, including two state champions — Camron Veneziano and Allen Gaudenzi. Of the 37 Newtown wrestlers who qualified, nearly 60% placed at the state championships. Newtown had the most place finishers of any town program in Connecticut and the third most overall when including club teams. Among all teams, Newtown also led the field in second-place finishers with eight, and fourth-place finishers with five.

Placing second were Matt Iacuone, Joey Bartolic, Hugo Borgerding, Drew Van Scotter, Dominic Silva, Charlie Langenus, Callum Carl, and Ben Weintraub; third was Evan Emard; coming in fourth were Sklyer Nieves, Drake Oatis, Cole Salce, Alex Jaquez, and Chase Ibbitson; in fifth were Joey Guagliano and Evan Huber; and in sixth Silas Houston, Matthew Braunagel, Andrew Braunagel, and Cameron McGee.

NYWA President Kyle Ibbitson reflected on the performance, saying: “What an amazing weekend for so many wrestlers and families. Our program couldn’t be happier with the performance of our team. It’s so fulfilling to see so many kids achieve some of their goals after putting in so many grueling hours of practices and tournaments. But this is only one part of the goals as we now move on to even more challenging tournaments, including Youth New Englands, where many kids have goals to place and claim a New England Championship. The future is bright for Newtown Youth Wrestling.”

Head Coach Curt Urbina echoed that sentiment: “I’m incredibly proud of our coaching staff and parents for everything they do behind the scenes to support our athletes. Our coaches put in countless hours developing and guiding these wrestlers, and our parents provide the foundation that makes it all possible. Their hard work, commitment, and belief in the process are a big reason our team continues to grow and compete at a high level. We’re grateful for everyone who plays a role and excited to carry that momentum into the New England tournament.”

“It was another exciting year of states for the team. It was great to see so many of our young wrestlers qualify and even better to see them place at the championships. We had some tough wins which really showed the grit and effort of this team, as well as some tough losses which are great opportunities to learn and work to get better for next time. Overall, we are very proud of our team and how they competed and are looking forward to an exciting New England tournament,” Travel Head Coach Mike Long added.

Next up for Newtown Youth Wrestling is the Youth New England Championships, to be held in Fitchburg, Mass., March 14-15. Newtown will look to reclaim its town team title after finishing as runner-up in 2025, following three consecutive years as New England town team champions from 2022 through 2024.