The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
WRESTLING STATE CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW CAPSULES
BOYS STATE OPEN
Where: Floyd Little Activity
Center
When: Saturday & Saturday, 11 a.m.
Defending champion: Danbury
Contenders: Xavier, Danbury, East Hartford, Fairfield Warde, Branford, Haddam Killingworth
Wrestlers to watch: Evan Lindner, Sr., New Milford (126): This year Linder was the Class L state champion at 126 pounds. He also captured his first individual SWC title and was awarded most outstanding career. He has not lost a match this season.
Kai O’Dell, Sr., Danbury (138): The back-to-back Class LL champion at 138 pounds was named most outstanding wrestler at the FCIAC meet. Will Ebert, Sr., Fairfield Warde (170): Ebert won his second straight Class LL individual title last weekend and was named most outstanding wrestler of the tournament. He was also the FCIAC champion at 170 pounds. Thomas Lunt, Sr., Xavier (220): The only Xavier wrestler ranked No. 1 in his weight class, Lunt was the 220-pound champion in the SCC meet and the Class L meet. He was also the State Open champion at 145 pounds in 2020. Matt Wiener, Sr., Shelton (285): Wiener was the most outstanding wrestler in the Class L meet and the SCC meet. In Class L he won all four of his matches in a combined one minute and 47 seconds.
Most intriguing potential matchup: Isaac Quiles (East Hartford) and Joe Mahoney (New Fairfield), 106 pounds: Both Quiles and Mahoney enter the state open undefeated on the season. Mahoney was the state champion for Class S, while Quiles won the Class LL championship. Quiles is the top seed at 106 pounds while Mahoney is ranked second.
GIRLS STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
Where: Floyd Little Activity Center
When: Saturday & Saturday, 11 a.m.
Wrestlers to watch: Taylor McCormick, Sr., Somers (106): McCormick finished third overall in the Class S meet at 106 pounds and will be the No. 2 seed at the Girls championship. Samantha Yap, Jr., Stamford (106): The top seed entering the girls championship at 106 pounds will look to defend her title which she claimed in the first girls state championship in 2020. Hoshena Gemme, Fr., Old Lyme (106): Gemme finished fifth overall at the Class S meet and will be the fourth seed in the girls championship at 106 pounds and has a 12-3 record on the season. Lilliana Fraize, Fr., South Windsor (106): The third seed in the girls championship finished sixth overall in the Class L meet and has wrestled to the tune of a 17-7 record. Christianna Morley, Sr., Berlin (113): Morley was the runnerup for 120 pounds at the 2020 girls championship, and will be the No. 1 seed this year at 113 pounds. Calli Gilchrist, Fr., Brien McMahon (113): Gilchrist is 14-7 this year and finished 6th at the Class LL meet at 113 pounds. She enters this year’s tournament as the No. 3 seed. Esther Ribeiro, So., Bethel (120): The sophomore was the sixth-place finisher in the Class M meet and has gone 14-7 this year. She will be the second seed in the girls’ championship.
Camryn Brown, Jr., Amity (132): Brown was the 2020 champion at 132 pounds and will look to defend her title as the top seed in her weight class.
Most intriguing potential matchup: Linda Holeman (Ledyard) and Camryn Brown (Amity): Both wrestlers were inaugural champions in the 2020 girls’ championship, with Brown winning the 132-pound division and Holeman winning at 126. If Holeman can get past No. 3 seed Julianna Morris of Pomperaug (who placed 6th at this year’s Class L meet), we could get a finals bout between two former champions.