By Michael Letendre 

Both the Bristol Central and Bristol Eastern wrestling programs were in action at the CIAC championships over the weekend.

The teams competed in different divisions in 2023, battling all the best programs in Class L and Class M.

The Rams tangled with all the contenders in the Class L bracket and held their own.

On the flip side, the Lancers were involved in the Class M fray.

Central ended up making a 10th place finish at the Ls, snaring three medals over a tenth-place finish.

The Rams scored 67 points overall and all three of its grapplers will be competing at the State Open event on February 24-25 from the Floyd Little Athletic Center in New Haven.

To no one’s surprise at the 138 championships of the Class Ls, Central’s Landon Dionne pushed Killingworth’s Anthony Basile to the brink.

But the grappler from Bristol ended up getting pinned in the final seconds of the third period (5:54), earning the runner up finish.

Dionne, rated third in the field, spun Windsor’s Dariuce Wilson via pin 37 seconds in and then in the quarterfinals, he snared an 11-3 major decision victory over Guilford’s Elijah McDermott to make the semifinal round.

Also for the Rams, Kaden Dragon (113 pounds), defeated New Milford’s Caden Reynolds by pinfall in only 51 seconds to snare his fifth-place medal.

And in the other fifth place showdown, Central’s Engher Disla almonte (106) was pinned by Simsbury’s Ethan Quinn in 33 seconds to finish in sixth place. 

Xavier (293½ points) ended up winning the Class L championship with New Milford (second place, 269) and Simsbury (third, 211) not far behind.

In the Class M field, Eastern nabbed 43.5 points for 22nd place, making a top-six finish along the way. 

Eastern’s junior standout Adam Zavecz battled his way into the metal round, earning a sixth-place finish off his pin-fall loss to Weston’s Tatum Peiffer (1:51).

Zavecz was ranked sixth in the 182 bracket. 

He had a big pin over Lyman Mem/Windham Tech’s Zach Rebello – earning the victory in just 45 seconds.

Zavecz, who also came in sixth place at the recent CCC Conference Tournament, earned a pinfall victory against Central four days later to complete a busy regular season slate.

He’s also heading for the State Open off his finish at the state meet.

Here are the overall results from both the Class M and Class L bouts:

Class M championship: Avon (Champions) 196½; 2. RHAM (Runner-up) 196; Foran (Third place) 187.

Individual finishes – Bristol Eastern

182 Pounds

Championship: Joshua Nieroda Suffield Ct, CT (Suffield/Windsor Locks) F Cole Snider Branford, CT (Branford), 3:43.

Third place: Joseph Cichowski Milford, CT (Foran) F Gavin Fallon Avon, CT (Avon), 3:46.

Fifth place: Tatum Peiffer Weston, CT (Weston) F Adam Zavecz Bristol, CT (Bristol Eastern), 1:51.

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Class L championship: Xavier (Champion) 293½; New Milford (Runner-up) 269; 3. Simsbury (Third place) 211.

Individual finishes – Bristol Central

138 Pounds

Championship: Anthony Basile Killingworth, CT (Xavier) F Landon Dionne Bristol, CT (Bristol Central), 5:54.

113 Pounds

Fifth Place: Kaden Dragon Bristol, CT (Bristol Central) F Caden Reynolds New Milford, CT (New Milford), 0:51.

106 Pounds

Fifth Place: Ethan Quinn Simsbury, CT (Simsbury) F Engher Disla almonte Bristol, CT (Bristol Central), 0:33.

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