Trinidad Gonzalez is used to being in pressure situations for the Bristol Eastern wrestling team.
When the Lancers trailed the Southington Blue Knights 34-33 on the opening night of the 2018-19 season, it was Gonzalez who secured a pin at 220 pounds to give his team a 39-34 victory.
Eastern, Simsbury and Xavier went back and forth throughout the second and final day of the Class L state meet on Saturday at Bristol Central High School. Gonzalez was in the 220 championship final against Wethersfield’s Austin Harnish, and his 7-3 decision helped the Lancers secure a third straight state championship by the slimmest of margins.
Eastern finished with 204.5 points, .5 point better than the 204 scored by second place Simsbury. Xavier was third with 194 points. Bristol Central claimed eighth with 97 points.
Gonzalez was one of three individual champions for Eastern. Tom Nichols won a 5-1 decision against Xavier’s Grant Barber in the 132 final while Justin Marshall claimed a 15-5 major decision over New Canaan’s Nate Sibbett at 152.
In a meet where every point counted, Eastern got a second place finish from Trent Thompson at 106, plus a trio of third place finishes from Mason Lishness (113), Alexander Marshall (145) and Noah Piazza (160).
The Trojans and Falcons each had nine medalists to seven for the Lancers, but none of the Lancer medalists finished worse than third. Xavier had three second place finishes, Eastern got the one from Thompson, and Simsbury had none. When it came to third place finishes, Eastern tallied three, Simsbury had one and Xavier recorded none.
Eastern was involved in the closest margin of victory in Class L history prior to Saturday’s finish. In 2017, the Lancers edged the Green Wave of New Milford, 231-230.
Nichols reached the final at 132 with three straight pins in times of 30 seconds, 40 seconds and 3:24. Justin Marshall got to the 152 final with two pins (21 seconds and 58 seconds) a 7-2 decision. Gonzalez’s road to the 220 final included a pin in 3:26 and a 12-4 major decision.
Thompson got to the 106 final with two pins (3:30 and 1:48) and a 6-3 decision. He dropped a 10-5 decision to Xavier’s Michael Rapuano in the final.
Lishness (113) won an 18-3 technical fall and 8-1 decision before losing a championship semifinal bout by 4-0 decision. In the consolation bracket, Lishness won a 6-0 decision before claiming a 7-1 decision in the third place bout.
Alex Marshall (145) started his tournament with a 2-0 decision against Central’s Umar Malick. After losing a 6-2 decision in the championship quarterfinal round, he won four straight consolation bouts to take third place. Those wins were by major decision (13-0), decision (2-0), decision (5-1) and decision (3-2).
Piazza (160) began his tournament with an 8-2 decision over Central’s Caleb Buden. After losing a 2-1 decision in the championship quarterfinal round, he won four straight consolation bouts to finish third. Those wins were by decision (8-0), decision (3-2), decision (5-1) and fall (3:39).
Eastern’s seven medalists will head to the State Open, which begins this coming Friday at the Floyd Little Athletic Center in New Haven.
