Newtown Wrestling has built a tradition of excellence that spans more than five decades. In recent years, that legacy has reached new heights, as the program continues to develop student-athletes from elementary school through high school and on to the collegiate level.

Last year culminated with a program-record college recruiting class. Four members of the Newtown High School class of 2025 committed to wrestle in college. The common thread among them is clear: All began their wrestling journeys with Newtown Youth Wrestling Association (NYWA).

Founded in 2002, NYWA has grown to be one of the strongest community-based youth wrestling programs in New England. NYWA has earned seven Western Connecticut League Championships and three New England titles. As the primary feeder program to Newtown High School, its mission is to nurture both the physical and mental development of athletes through hard work, commitment, and the camaraderie found in wrestling.

The Newtown High School wrestling program, now in its 54th year, has produced some of the state’s top competitors, including Anthony Falbo, a two-time national champion. Individually, Newtown wrestlers have earned more than 120 South-West Conference/Western Connecticut Conference titles, 45 Class L/LL State Championships, and 11 State Open titles. As a team, NHS has recorded 21 top-three state finishes, including three state championships. Consistency at the highest level is one of the team’s most impressive accomplishments. In five of the last ten seasons, Newtown has finished as a top four team, out of more than 170-plus programs from the six New England states. Last season alone, the team captured the SWC championship, placed second in both the Class L State Championships and the State Open, and finished fourth at the New England Championships.

Success has extended well beyond the mat. In the classroom, Newtown wrestlers continue to excel. Last season, seven wrestlers earned SWC Academic All-Conference honors, with nearly 65% of the team achieving Honors or High Honors. The team posted an average GPA of 93.77, one of the highest of any team at NHS. Additionally, seven wrestlers were named National High School Academic All-Americans, an honor requiring a minimum 3.6 GPA and state tournament placement. Those athletes were Owen Blair, Jake Maddox, Shaun Daoust, Kenna Gioffre, Antonio Arguello, Charlie Dunn, and Marc Maurath.

This combination of athletic and academic success has drawn increasing attention from college coaches. Strong academic performance, paired with competitive wrestling credentials, makes student-athletes highly attractive to top colleges. They also stress that the discipline, commitment, and resilience required in wrestling closely mirror the skills needed for success in the classroom.

Newtown’s rise in college recruiting momentum began in 2017 with standout wrestlers Anthony Falbo (Purdue University) and Joe Accousti (Appalachian State University). Others from that era include Andy Hubina (Worcester Polytechnic Institute) and Tom Long (Vermont State University).

Today, NHS wrestlers are guided through the college recruiting process with a clear plan — identifying schools of interest, meeting admissions requirements, connecting with college coaches, and competing at regional and national events. NHS coaches stress that college coaches seek well-rounded student-athletes who excel both academically and athletically.

There are more than 400 college wrestling teams across the country, with 75-plus NCAA Division I, 70-plus NCAA Division II, 100-plus NCAA Division III, plus hundreds of NAIA, NJCAA, and club teams. There are also now 100-plus women’s college wrestling programs.

While nationally only four percent of high school wrestlers are recruited to wrestle in college, recent Newtown wrestlers have committed to some of the nation’s top institutions, including Fritz Maurath (Johns Hopkins University, 2020), Fisher Stites (Williams College, 2024), Tommy Milligan (University of Connecticut, 2024), Kenna Gioffre (Roger Williams University, 2025), Thomas Morgan (Springfield College, 2025), Marc Maurath (Columbia University, 2025), and Charlie Dunn (Johns Hopkins University, 2025).

Current NHS standouts Antonio Arguello and Jake Maddox are just starting their college recruiting process, with many more coming up from Newtown Middle School over the next few years. With a strong foundation built at the youth level and sustained excellence at the high school level, Newtown wrestling continues to prove that success on the mat and in the classroom go hand in hand.

Much of this success stems from the commitment, effort, and skill on the part of the wrestlers, with Newtown High and NYWA coaches playing key roles in guiding the grapplers throughout the years, namely NHS Head Coach Chris Bray, Assistant Coaches Mike Long and Tom Maurath, and NYWA Head Coach/NHS Assistant Coach Curtis Urbina, who started a role as an assistant coach with University of Bridgeport this fall.

“Our mission when establishing the youth program was to create great high school wrestlers. We soon found out that our mission continued far beyond into the realm of college wrestling. Guys like Hubina, Falbo, Long, and Accousti’s ambitions were to wrestle in college as they continued to develop their game from youth to high school and the next logical step, college,” Bray said.

“The athlete’s commitment to, and focus on the sport is relentless and often grueling. That also holds true for their parents, by the way, as the families make sacrifices too,” Bray noted. “To achieve that level requires postseason wrestling and attending clubs. It’s a year-round ordeal to make that level as preparation for college-level wrestling is a new and elevated experience.

“Our coaching approach doesn’t really change that much — we just have to continue to challenge our athletes. Where the big change comes is putting more emphasis on the academic piece of the equation. That’s where Tom Maurath comes in. Tom has developed a formula through talking to college coaches and preparing his own sons, Fritz and Marc, for the rigors of college wrestling. The academic piece is the main component,” Bray added.

“Making it to college wrestling isn’t luck — it’s alignment. It’s commitment from the athlete, trust in the coaching, and a youth program that builds the right habits long before college is even a thought. I’ve seen it firsthand, now from a new lens as a first-year NCAA Division II assistant coach at the University of Bridgeport. We are incredibly proud of our programs’ accomplishments in sending wrestlers from our youth and high school systems on to the college wrestling circuit. That doesn’t happen by accident. It’s the result of years of work by coaches, parents, volunteers, administrators, training partners, and supporters who pour their time, energy, and belief into these athletes,” Urbina said.

“The wrestlers who succeed aren’t just tough on the mat — they’re consistent off it. They show up early, stay late, listen, and invest in the process year after year. Behind every college wrestler is a community that emphasized fundamentals, discipline, accountability, and love for the grind,” Urbina added. “This is the work of many. It truly takes a village and I’m proud to be part of one that’s building something special.”