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| Logo from Bristol Eastern athletics Twitter account |
Moving up the Class L wrestling finals due to an impending snowstorm didn’t slow down Bristol Eastern on Saturday.
As a matter of fact, nothing did.
The Lancers had four individual state champions on the way to their second straight team title. Eastern finished first with 231 points, well ahead of second place Xavier’s 196.5 and third place New Milford’s 173.
Leonardo Fernandez (145 pounds), Justin Marshall (152), Mikey Barrett (160) and Trinidad Gonzalez (195) won individual state titles for the Lancers. Fernandez won a 10-8 decision over New Canaan’s Nate Sibbett. Marshall claimed a 4-3 decision over Amity’s Matthew Rothman. Barrett took a 9-1 major decision over Wethersfield’s Alec Arnold. Gonzalez shutout Hall’s Justin Searls with a 7-0 decision.
Eastern also had two second place finishes, plus one third, one fourth and one fifth. The Lancers wound up with nine medal winners, and while it wasn’t the most, it was more than enough for victory.
Bryce Beebe (106) and Jordon Champagne (113) took second place. Thomas Nichols was third at 120, Carson Sassu finished fourth at 126 and Hidekel Mangual placed fifth at 220.
For Eastern’s seniors, there could be no better way to close out their time together as a team than with a second straight Class L state title.
Eastern’s nine place winners have qualified for the State Open, which takes place at New Haven’s Floyd Little Athletic Center this coming Friday and Saturday.
