Newtown Youth Wrestling Association Grapplers Excel in State Meets

The Newtown Youth Wrestling Association (NYWA) recently participated in the state qualifiers at the Danbury PAL building to determine who would move on to the State of Connecticut’s Youth Championships held at Hillhouse High School in New Haven.

There are four sectional qualifiers held throughout the state. A total of 25 wrestlers competed, highlighted by the team advancing 16 team members.

Leading the charge for the team and finishing first were Intermediate Division (third and fourth grade) winners Evan Rooney (60 pounds) and Shaine Luzietti (103); and Middle School (seventh and eighth) winner Anthony Falbo (120). Joining them at the trophy table were Intermediate Division wrestlers Luke Wellman, second place (70); and Novice Division (fifth and sixth grade) grapplers Sean Arnold, second place (65), Gren Payter, third place (85), Sean Dauber, second place (120); and Middle School Division competitors Thomas Leuci, third place (77), Andrei Steinjann, second (91l), Edward Lovely, second (98), Alex Stavola, fourth (128), and Andy Hubina, second (175).

Also qualifying for the state tournament were NYWA’s Ben Watson of the Intermediate Division (60), Nate Gibson of the Novice Division (95), and Dylan Bartlett of the Middle School Division (112) as first alternates chosen to fill vacant spots by virtue of their fifth-place finishes in their respective division weight classes.

State Championships

The NYWA sent 16 qualifying wrestlers to the State of Connecticut’s Youth Championships at Hillhouse High School in New Haven. Highlighting the day’s results was the crowning of Luzetti (103 pounds) as a state champion in the Intermediate Division and the team sending two other wrestlers on to the New England Championships in Coventry, Rhode Island.

Joining Luzetti at the trophy table and advancing to the New England finals were Arnold, second place (65) in the Novice Division, and Hubina fourth place (175) in the Middle School Division. Teammates Rooney (60) Intermediate Division, Dauber (120) Novice Division, and Falbo (120) Middle School Division all wrestled well enough to finish sixth in their brackets.

Also participating in the state tournament were Bartlett, Leuci, Lovely, Paynter, Stavola, Steinjann, Watson, and Wellman. Each earned the right to participate by virtue of a top finish in their divisions at the sectional qualifiers.