Xavier wrestling repeats at State Open champions
NEW HAVEN — The Xavier wrestling team has a saying on its wall: “Pressure is a privilege.”
That pressure tends to build when a team is winning as much as the Falcons have the past two seasons. Top-ranked Xavier hit a championship trifecta for the second consecutive season, following SCC and CIAC Class L titles with a State Open crown Saturday at the Floyd Little Athletic Center in New Haven.
The Falcons racked up 175.5 points while putting four wrestlers in the finals and winning two individual titles. They finished well ahead of runner-up New Fairfield, which scored 121.5, with Newtown third with 120. New Milford (96.5) and Danbury (90) rounded out the top five.
Xavier coach Mike Cunningham said his wrestlers were able to stay grounded despite carrying the bull's eye of being the No. 1 team in the state.
“If we stay within ourselves, don't worry about the outside rankings or any of that stuff and just do our jobs, we'll do all right,” Cunningham said. “We committed to a really hard schedule, we traveled a lot and the team became tighter. We just focused on if we did what we're supposed to do and let the schedule speak for itself, hopefully it gives us the opportunity to do this.”
MAKING HISTORY
With a choice between competing in the CIAC girls wrestling tournament or against the boys in the State Open, Ledyard freshman Tatianna Irizzary opted for the latter, saying she had two goals.
“I want to win one match. After that wrestle to the best of my ability,” Irizzary said.
On Friday, she made history.
Irizzary became the first female wrestler to win a match at the State Open when she pinned Bristol Central's Engher Disla Almonte in the consolation round of the 106pound weight class. Irizzary led 7-0 after scoring five points on a take down and nearfall in the first period, and two on a secondperiod takedown before getting the pin.
She lost 7-3 to Griswold/ Wheeler's Seth Christie in the opening round and, after winning one match, was eliminated in a tough 5-3 decision to Maloney's Logan Gagne.
David.Stewart@hearstmediact.com; @dstewartsports