Warren Youth Wrestlers Place Top in State Championship

The Warren Wrestling Club had an outstanding showing at the 2011 RI Kids Championship, held recently at Coventry High School. The Warren wrestlers made history, as they became Rhode Island’s first youth wrestling organization to capture the first ever recorded overall state championship.

This marked the first time a team championship was determined at the Kids Championship. The result was based on the combined scores of each club’s various age divisions. The Warren Bantam and Novice Divisions both captured first place.  Warren’s Middle School Division finished in a tie as the runner-up and the club’s Intermediate Division placed fourth. The club’s combined scores surpassed it's competition and thus Warren was crowned the overall state champion.

 “The kids worked hard,” said Warren veteran coach Chris Drance. “We have been preparing the kids for this since we started in November. It takes a lot of discipline to do what these kids did. I’m proud of their efforts.”

A total of 10 Warren wrestlers emerged from the tournament as state champions. Warren had 19th place overall.

 Warren’s 2011 state champions include Nicholas Gomes (37-40), Jordan Pompey (55-56), Andrew Fallon (51-54), Jacob Zasowski (96-101), Victoria Zasowski, (88), Neil Thibaudeau (103), Lucus Lucas Dillon (108) Cory Barnowski (120) Sean Thibaudeau (128), Josh Conti (144) and Dominic Lombardo  (152).

Warren’s state runners-up include Matthew Howard, Alex Tomellini, Brady McCoin, Aiden Bates, Nate Ramos, Christian Torres, and Quinlin Preston

Patrick Pitts, Cameron Connor, Noah Mallon, Josh Zasowski, Michael Borek each placed third at the state tournament while Warren’s James Thibaudeau, Napoleon Alicea, Shayne Bullock, Dominic Depasquale, Liam Mallon and Brandon Barnowski captured fourth place. Santino Depasquale rounds out the place finishers for Warren, finishing sixth overall.

The Warren wrestlers are coached by veteran coaches Drance and Bryon Kee, along with Kee, Warren Barnowski, Warren Wetzel, Jon Cottrell, Brian McCoin, Victor Gomes and Joe Depasquale.

 But the 2011 wrestling is far from over for the Warren wrestlers. Neil Thibaudeau, Coy Barnowski , Lucas Dillon, Sean Thibaudeau, Josh Conti, Dominic Lombardo, Victoria Zasowski and Josh Zasowski will represent Rhode Island at the 2011 New England Youth Wrestling Championship in Lowell MA, March 12-13.