The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
WRESTLING CAPSULES
STATE OPEN
WHERE: Floyd Little Athletic Center, New Haven
WHEN: Friday, 3 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. (Finals scheduled for 4 p.m.)
2022 CHAMPION: Xavier
CONTENDERS: Xavier, New Milford, East Hartford, Danbury, Warde, Newtown
2023 DIVISION CHAMPIONS: Trumbull (LL), Xavier (L), Avon (M), Killingly (S)
WRESTLERS TO WATCH
Raekwon Shabazz, So., Xavier (106): The Falcons boast numerous Open contenders, with Shabazz one of the headliners. He rolled through Class L with two pins and a 20-5 technical fall in the final and is the No. 1 seed at the Open… Isaiah Adams, Sr., Avon (113): Adams tore through the competition to repeat as Class M champion, winning by pinfall all four matches, the first three of which lasted a combined 1:21. The defending Open champ is 46-0 and seeded No. 1… Jaeckez Mendez, So., East Hartford, (138): Mendez is part of the Hornets’ trio of elite sophomores, alongside Drayvn Roberts (160) and Isaac Qulies (113). All three won Class LL titles last week. Mendez is unbeaten at 35-0 and owns the No. 1 seed, but his weight class includes several talented opponents, including No. 2 seed Anthony Basile of Xavier… Khalil Bourjeili, Sr., New Milford (160): Bourjeili is one of this season’s best stories, returning to the mats as a senior after a canceled sophomore campaign due to COVID and an injury wiped out his junior season. All he’s done this winter is go unbeaten at 27-0 and win SWC and Class L titles. He’s seeded No. 3 for the Open… Brendan Gilchrist, Sr., Norwalk (195): Gilchrist squared off with East Hartford’s Sammy Montovani in a battle of unbeatens in the Class LL final, with the Norwalk senior winning 11-4. He owns a 38-0 record, an FCIAC title, and two Class LL crowns. He’ll be looking to add the Open championship to the ledger after finishing third last year.
MOST INTRIGUING WEIGHT CLASS
Let’s face it. At this point, every division has several top contenders. But the 195-pound class is one of the standouts with two unbeatens in Norwalk’s Brendan Gilchrist (38-0) and Windham’s Malachi Fowler (39-0), and East Hartford’s Sammy Montovani (33-1), who’s only loss was to Gilchrist in the Class LL final. All three claimed conference titles and are potential New England contenders.
GIRLS WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS
WHERE: Floyd Little Athletic Center, New Haven
WHEN: Friday, 4:30 p.m., and Saturday, 9:30 a.m. (Finals scheduled for 4 p.m.)
2022 CHAMPION: Amity
2022 RUNNER-UP: Berlin
WRESTLERS TO WATCH
Samantha Yap, Sr., Stamford (107): The Sacred Heart University commit is looking for her third state championship after winning at 106 pounds during her freshman and junior seasons. She was fourth at the FCIAC tournament and sixth in Class LL, and is the No. 1 seed this weekend… Calli Gilchrist, So., Brien McMahon (114): After a solid freshman season, Gilchrist has been even better as a sophomore this winter. She won the Ludlowe Invitational and a Queen of the Mats title at Foran, before finishing as an FCIAC runner-up two weeks ago. She is the No. 1 seed while going for a repeat state title… Hoshena Gemme, So., Old Lyme (114): Gilchrist’s top competition likely comes from Gemme, the No. 2 seed. Last week, she became just the second female wrestler to earn a spot in a CIAC boys final when she finished as the runner-up in Class S… Camryn Brown, Sr., Amity (138): Brown is wrapping up a stellar career with the Spartans and is looking to make it three state championships in as many tournaments. She and senior teammate Emily DeSouza (120), also a defending state champion, helped Amity win the first state team title last winter.