Ashland leads list of MetroWest, Milford area wrestlers for this weekend’s All-States
If combined championships existed, Ashland would stand on top.
At last weekend’s Division 3 state wrestling championships in Wakefield, Ashland’s girls placed first and the boys finished in second. The Clockers’ combined 185.5 points were more than any other school in all divisions.
Four individuals won their weight classes and five others placed in the top four as Ashland goes into this weekend’s All-States in Salem riding high.
“Our practice room was as competitive as it has ever been this year,” said boys coach Pete Zacchilli. “That certainly was the major ingredient in our success. In competition, they have exhibited a sense of urgency and relentlessness too, and that has led to a successful postseason thus far.”
In the first state tournament for girls in Massachusetts, Ashland captain Nora Quitt (138 pounds) – an All-States champion a year ago – and Angie Nommi (145) won titles. The crown was the first for a girls team at Ashland since the softball team went undefeated in consecutive years in 2008-09.
“It was awesome,” Ashland girls coach Adam Quitt said of winning the state championship. “We couldn’t have done it without Zacchilli. He created a separate practice time for the girls. What programs had to do before was hop into a boys (wrestling) room. The girls were excited to just be with each other.”
Adam Quitt says Lowell, out of Division 1, will be the team to beat at All-States.
Nora Quitt is 21-12 on the season and one of her signature wins was a 6-0 decision over Zoe Griffith, a national champion who has been ranked as high as No. 6 in the country, at the Eastern States Classic.
On the rise: Ashland hoping its girls wrestling program can be an example as sport continues growing
Nommi is 9-1 on the season.
Captain Carly Larson (8-2) placed third at states at 138 as Raina Quitt (152, 7-3) and Ruby Khazadian (235, 7-3) also placed third.
Agawam won the girls All-States title last year, but there were no qualifying Divisional tournaments the week before like there was this winter, where the top four placers advance.
“It was an honor that they are bringing the girls along with the boys and having a qualifier now for the All-States,” Adam Quitt said. “That’s a huge step in the right direction for girls wrestling. It’s legitimizing.”
The top four from this weekend will move on to the New England tournament in Providence.
Nora Quitt was Ashland’s lone competitor at All-States a year ago and scored 32 points, which put the Clockers in a tie for seventh among 84 schools.
For the boys, Ashland’s Anton Puhach (175) improved his record to 44-3 in winning the Div. 3 title last weekend. Adrian Guzman is now 34-2 after winning at 157. Logan Costello reached the finals at 106 and carries a 32-4 mark into All-States.
Matt Terry placed fourth at 285 and is 27-13; captain Cam Antoniuk (165) was sixth and is 14-4.
The top six boys placers from states last weekend and the top four from the girls advanced to All-States. Seventh-place finishers for the boys serve as alternates.
More than 30 other Milford and MetroWest area wrestlers will compete this weekend:
GIRLS
Bellingham: Ella Costa represents the Blackhawks after placing second at 185 last weekend in Division 2.
Framingham: Adriana DeGroat won a Division 1 state title at 120 pounds and Penelope Trostel (100) placed third.
Holliston: At 120, Sadie Hermann placed fourth at States.
Keefe Tech: Grace Arena reached the finals at 152 pounds last week and made it into the third period before falling.
Marlborough: Angeles Munoz is representing the Panthers after a runner-up finish last week in Division 3.
Natick: Hayden Kane placed fourth at 126 in Division 1.
Tri-County: The Cougars won the inaugural Division 2 tournament in Northborough, with Luca Marshall (126) and Madison Dowd (132) earning titles in back-to-back matches. Dowd improved her record to 21-1 on the season. Kaylee Guimond (152, third place) is also competing this weekend.
Wellesley: Clare Roney reached the 107 finals in Division 1.
BOYS
Algonquin: Alexander Franca (132) is the lone Titan heading to Salem.
Bellingham: Division 2 champ Landry Fitzgerald (285) takes a 30-1 record into the weekend. Tyler Campbell (106) and Tyler Clare (215) will also represent the Blackhawks.
Fitzgerald a man of many hats: 'I'm going to be remembered:' Landry Fitzgerald is Bellingham/BVT's 1st wrestling state champ
Framingham: Dan Sullivan (132) advanced to All-States thanks to a fifth-place finish last week.
Franklin: Fourth in his weight class (138) in Division 1, Riley Carlucci will represent the Panthers.
Holliston: Fresh off a ninth-place finish in Division 2, the Panthers are sending Zak Robinson (138), Henry McElligott (144) and Bavly Mikhail (113).
Marlborough: Another Panther trio – Owen Menendez, the D3 champ at 138; Miguel Borges, the runner-up at 150; and Marcelo Borges, fifth at 285.
Milford: The Scarlet Hawks had three wrestlers with titles last weekend. Mikey Boulanger (138) kept his undefeated record intact and has 123 career wins. He is 29-0. Aidan Baum (144) is 46-3 after winning his weight class last weekend. Derek Marcolini upped his record to 43-1 on the way to the 113-pound title. Robert Lyons (126) is heading to Salem as well. Dylan Wright (106) is an alternate.
Natick: Jake Ashman (157) qualified with a sixth-place finish at the Div. 1 meet last week. Mike Mortarelli (106), Matthew Pini (120) and Joseph Linton (132) are alternates.
Hudson: Daniel De Almeida, who wrestles with the Nashoba co-op, placed third last week in the 175-pound class.
Tri-County: Jack Disharoon (215) and Brandon Allen (132) qualified for the Cougars.
Wayland: Cole Chase (157).
Wellesley: Jonah Ginsburg (175) placed fifth last week. Oliver Knight (285) is an alternate.
Tim Dumas is a multimedia journalist for the Daily News. He can be reached at tdumas@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @TimDumas.
This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Ashland leads list of area wrestlers for this weekend’s All-States
