In inaugural Division 2 girls state wrestling tournament, Tri-County wins championship
NORTHBOROUGH – The wins, pins and celebrations happened in rapid succession.
On adjoining mats at a crowded Algonquin Regional High School, Milford and Tri-County took turns earning victories in the finals of the Division 2 state wrestling tournament. Before long, the triumphant individuals stood atop the podium, grinning for pictures.
The long day ended with the Milford boys finishing 1.5 points short of a three-peat and Tri-County becoming the first school to claim a D2 girls state championship.
After Milford’s Derek Marcolini won the 113-pound title by outlasting Whitman-Hanson's PJ Katz, 9-1, with emphatic hand slaps and hugs, Tri-County's Luca Marshall earned her third pin in as many matches. Her second-period triumph over Salem’s Sophia Fritz in the 126 final was followed by subdued hugs with her coaches before she jumped into the arms of her father, Steve, who lifted her up and twirled her around.
Luca Marshall, a freshman, is competing in her first season as a wrestler.
“It’s really exhilarating,” Marshall said after climbing down from the podium. “It showed all the hard work that I put in. That it wasn’t for nothing.”
She said her father has been in her corner from the start.
“He’s my biggest advocate,” Luca said. “I know there’s no one who cares more than he him.”
Barely a minute later, Madison Dowd was celebrating a pin with a group hug with her teammates, this one in 32 seconds over Hingham’s Liv Tennebo at 132 pounds. Dowd needed just 3 minutes and 2 seconds to defeat her three opponents on Saturday and is 21-1 on the season.
Kaylee Guimond battled back from a first-round loss to earn a pair of pins for a third-place showing at 152 pounds for Tri-County.
Back to the other mat.
Milford’s Mikey Boulanger won his second consecutive state title, this one at 138 pounds, with a second-period pin of Middleborough’s Matt Patterson. Boulanger won his other three matches on the weekend in dominant fashion: two technical falls and a major decision.
Boulanger slapped hands and was lifted skyward by a teammate before the ultimate form of jubilation kept the winning ways going for the Scarlet Hawks.
Aidan Baum, who placed second at states a year ago, decisioned Silver Lake’s Justin Vicenti at 144 pounds and took advantage of a short delay at the end of the match to perform a back flip.
Despite a third-place finish from Robert Lyons, a seventh from Dylan Wright and an eighth by Anthony Dew, Milford was edged by Minnechaug, which totaled 131 points after placing second to the Scarlet Hawks a year ago.
The final match of the day featured Bellingham’s Landry Fitzgerald at 285 pounds. Fitzgerald earned his third pin of the weekend in 1:45 to defeat Plymouth South’s Brendan Nunley. The victory signaled a big improvement for both Fitzgerald and the Blackhawks, who finished 24th last year with 31 points as Fitzgerald placed seventh.
Bellingham totaled 65 points and finished ninth this time around, with help from Tyler Campbell (4th at 106) and Tyler Clare (5th, 215).
Bellingham’s girls placed 20th as Ella Costa placed second at 185 pounds.
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: Tri-County girls wrestling wins state title; Milford boys a close 2nd
