The Bristol Central Invitational wrestling tournament was held this past Saturday in the Charles C. Marsh Gymnasium at Bristol Central High School.
The invitational was won by East Hartford with 232 points. Bristol Eastern tied for sixth with Staples (124) while Central was ninth (113½). There were two local winners, one runner-up and three third place finishers.
More on that in another post.
The longtime invitational got a new name…the Dennis Siegmann Invitational. Siegmann, who coached the Rams from 1977-99 and compiled a 348-109-12 record (.751 win percentage), is a legend. He ranks in the Top 20 all-time in the state in coaching wins, and the accolades are plentiful.
Siegmann was a Connecticut Chapter National Wrestling Hall of Fame Lifetime Service award winner. He was inducted into the New England High School Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1997 and the Connecticut High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2003. Siegmann also earned a Recognition Award from the CHSCA in 1999. In 2003, he was inducted into the Bristol Sports Hall of Fame.
Siegmann was the CHSCA Wrestling Coach of the Year in 1985, when Central won the Class L state championship. The Rams were third the previous season, then climbed the mountain to win the title. Central grabbed another third place finish in 1994, but it won a second state championship in 1998. The Rams were second in 1999.
During this past Saturday’s invitational, Siegmann was publicly recognized and received the first T-shirts for the 2026 Dennis Siegmann Invitational from current Central head coach Matt Boissoneault.
Photo credit: Bristol Sports Hall of Fame.
