Newtown Grapplers Shine In Final Pre-Season Tourney

DANBURY – The Newtown Youth Wrestling Association (NYWA) was strongly represented in the final Nutmeg Series Tournament with seven boys participating. The last in a series of four state-wide matches held over the previous six weeks saw teams from New York, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island join more than 20 Connecticut-based teams on November 7 at the Danbury Police Athletic league complex. Participants earned points depending on how they finished in each of the contests and the wrestlers with the most overall points will be declared the champions.

The NYWA was represented by middle schoolers James Leuci, Luca Crudo, Joseph Praino, Andy Hubina, Anthony Falbo, and Dylan Bartlett. Rounding out the squad was fifth-grader Michael Gardner.

The team came home with seven medals, highlighted by a gold medal effort from Leuci, a silver medal for Hubina, and bronze medals awarded to Bartlett, Crudo, Falbo, Garner, and Praino. Leuci not only won his middle school bracket, but also wrestled in a high school bracket and finished fourth.

The NYWA, now entering into its sixth season, began this past October. Under the guidance of coaches Chris Bray and Angelo Bodetti the team has grown to 49 wrestlers this season. The team practices Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 6:30-8 pm at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

For information on the NYWA program, contact President Betsy Paynter at newtownwrestling@gmail.com.