Post by atlantaal on Feb 3, 2020 18:32:46 GMT -5
The Hawks often win this event (4 of the last 6 with a half-point loss last year) but host Concord prevailed this time with a well-balanced effort on Feb. 1st. Hendricken tied with Burlington, Mass. for the most champs with 3, but Concord demonstrated great depth despite only one champ with 3 finalists and 4 3rd-placers. BH champs were Fallon, Fine and Betancur. Top-seeded Bailey was upset in the semis and finished third; I think it's his first loss to a New England wrestler this season. Guerrero finished 2nd, upended by 2X New England place-winner Mikey Glynn of Central Catholic, Mass. Mead placed 3rd and Maroney had to default to 4th. No Sclama or Keaney there, and Silva had to forfeit in the con semis so didn't place. Fallon looked very good taking 3X Vermont champ and previous NE place-winner Hunter Verge 12-2, same score for Fine over NH runner-up and NE qualifier Mackiernan of Pinkerton Academy, NH.
In other matches of note for New England rankings, the Soda brothers of Burlington won handily at 106 and 113, as did teammate Perna at 120. Jake Nicolosi of Haverhill, Mass. won easily at 145 and may be one of Kyle Merritt's toughest obstacles in the New Englands. Nicolosi beat Fine in last year's NE's though wound up not placing while Nick did. New Hampshire champ and NE 6th Sterling McLaughlin of Pinkerton won at 182. He didn't face Grifka last season but beat Gregorian 7-0 on the way to the NE semis then wound up defaulting to 6th. And Kyle Gora of Alverine, NH is fully back. He was a sensational NH state champ as a freshman at 160 two years ago and top-ranked in New England at 170 last season but was injured early and never competed the rest of the year. His pin times in the tourney were 0:19, 0:14, 0:51 and 0:28 before the finals. I was actually watching the time tick down on the Flo screen of his match in real time to see if he could get another sub-minute pin as the score went 2-0, 5-0, 8-0. Ha! not even close: 1:28. Expect to hear more from him at the New Englands. Link to Floarena below:
arena.flowrestling.org/event/b139eba9-d1af-452b-9b1f-263f381c1019
In other matches of note for New England rankings, the Soda brothers of Burlington won handily at 106 and 113, as did teammate Perna at 120. Jake Nicolosi of Haverhill, Mass. won easily at 145 and may be one of Kyle Merritt's toughest obstacles in the New Englands. Nicolosi beat Fine in last year's NE's though wound up not placing while Nick did. New Hampshire champ and NE 6th Sterling McLaughlin of Pinkerton won at 182. He didn't face Grifka last season but beat Gregorian 7-0 on the way to the NE semis then wound up defaulting to 6th. And Kyle Gora of Alverine, NH is fully back. He was a sensational NH state champ as a freshman at 160 two years ago and top-ranked in New England at 170 last season but was injured early and never competed the rest of the year. His pin times in the tourney were 0:19, 0:14, 0:51 and 0:28 before the finals. I was actually watching the time tick down on the Flo screen of his match in real time to see if he could get another sub-minute pin as the score went 2-0, 5-0, 8-0. Ha! not even close: 1:28. Expect to hear more from him at the New Englands. Link to Floarena below:
arena.flowrestling.org/event/b139eba9-d1af-452b-9b1f-263f381c1019