6 Youth Wrestlers Place at Regionals; Reed Student Named Champion

(Submitted by Newtown Youth Wrestling Association)

The Newtown Youth Wrestling Association sent a record nine qualifiers to New England Youth Wrestling Championships this weekend in Lowell, MA. 

The boys took on the best wrestlers from Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. Only the top four wrestlers from each state in each weigh bracket were invited to participate.

While a testament to skill and hard work just qualifying for the tournament, six of the nine participants finished in the top six in their weight brackets and found themselves on the awards podium in the end. 

In the novice division (5^th & 6^th grades) all five Reed Intermediate School wrestlers came home with medals, including Anthony Falbo who went undefeated and was named New England Youth Champion at 108 pounds.

Fellow 6^th grader Edward Lovely (92 pounds) finished 2^nd in New England, losing only to Connecticut wrestler Sean Penny in a tough rematch of the state finals. Also adding to the day’s successes were 5^th grader Michael Garner (4^th place – 88 pounds), and 6^th graders Joe Accousti (4^th place – 97 pounds) and Dylan Bartlett (6^th place – 92 pounds). 

In the middle school division (7^th & 8^th grades), a group of four Newtown 8^th graders were paced by Ed Lajoie (152 pounds) who went 3-2 with 2 pins. He assured himself of a 5^th place finish after posting a close 9-7 decision over David O'Brien of Massachusetts. 

Also wrestling hard for the squad were Matthew Gonzalez (120 pounds) and Forest Speed (144 pounds) who both went 2-2, and James Leuci (136 pounds) who ended the day 3-2.