Local Wrestlers Collect Titles at Berkshire Holiday Tournament
GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. – The Mount Everett wrestling team is off to a strong start this winter, and the Eagles are setting their sites pretty high.
“We’ve got a lot of talent this year,” Tyler Candelari said after winning the 126-pound title at the Berkshire Holiday Tournament on Tuesday. “A few of my teammates are battling injuries. But coming back from second place last year at Western Mass, we’re looking to get it done this year.”
Mount Everett took home three individual titles and a third-place finish from the 14-team event at Monument Mountain.
Division 2 West Springfield won the event with 220 points. Taconic placed second with 151, and the Eagles garnered 141 points. Monument Mountain finished fourth.
Mount Everett got wins in the championship round from Candelari, Connor Lupiani (113) and Diego Cruz (106). Omar Cruz also made it to the championship bout, falling in the 138-pound final.
Taconic went 3-0 in the finals.
The Thunder’s Noah Poirier pinned Mount Greylock’s Aiden MacPherson in the 160-pound championship bout.
The reigning Division 3 Western Mass champs also got championship pins from Broc Healey at 170 and Jake Hall at 182.
Healey overcame a 7-1 deficit to come back and stop Gateway’s Eli Gilbert.
“Just knowing how to scramble,” Healey said of his effort to turn around the match. “My coach, [Ishmael Lytle] is a big part of it and a big supporter of my wrestling career. He made me the wrestler that I am today.
“[Tuesday] went well. I had a bye in the first round. Second match, I pinned the kid in the second period. I came into my next match pretty confident, pinned the kid, and then walked in the finals ready to go.”
The host Spartans sent three wrestlers to the first-place matches and came away with two golds.
At 120, Colin Kinne earned a pin, and Luke Hartshorn stopped West Springfield’s Legend Kelly in their 195 final. Monument Mountain’s Sam St. Peter made it to the final at 220.
Mount Greylock did not pick up any titles on Tuesday, but it did end the meet on a high note with Jayquan Vazquez earning a victory in the third-place match at 285 pounds.
For the Eagles, Tuesday followed up on a strong performance at the Knighthawk Classic, where Candelari and Diego Cruz also brought home titles.
“It’s been quite a ride so far this season,” Candelari said. “We’ve worked really hard in practice all together, and it definitely pays off in matches. I’ve got to give thanks to my coaches as well.
“West Springfield is a tough school to battle against [in the finals]. In the end, I got it done, and I could say the same for a lot of my teammates as well.”
Team Scores
1. West Springfield, 221.5 points; 2. Taconic, 151; 3. Mount Everett, 141; 4. Monument Mountain, 127; 5. Hoosick Falls, 106.5; 6. Smith Vocational, 88; 7. Athol, 81; 8. Mount Greylock, 66; 9. Taconic Hills, 63; 10. Hampshire, 58.5; 11. Gateway, 58; 12. Franklin Tech, 39; 12. Mohawk Trail, 39; 14. Northwestern, 4.
Finals
106: Diego Cruz, ME, pinned Mateo Henriques, South Hadley, 57 seconds.
113: Connor Lupiani, ME, pinned Thomas Harrington, Hoosick Falls, 4:19
120: Colin Kinne, Monument Mountain, pinned Cam Giang, West Springfield, 3:37.
126: Tyler Candelari, Mount Everett, pinned Rex Vasquez, West Springfield, 3:33.
132: Matthew Small (Smith Voc) pinned Marin Todica, West Springfield, 2:28.
138: Spencer Miltimore, West Springfield, pinned Omar Cruz, Mount Everett, 1:14.
145: Hood Mohsin, West Springfield, pinned Adin Clifford, Hampshire, 3:13.
152: Forrest McSweeney, Smith Voc, pinned Alex Willard, Hampshire, 2:24.
160: Noah Poirier, Taconic, pinned Aiden MacPherson, Mount Greylock, :39.
170: Broc Healey, Taconic, pinned Eli Gilbert, Gateway, 4:42.
182: Jake Hall, Taconic, pinned Zach Wessel, Taconic Hills, 2:49.
195: Luke Hartshorn, Monument Mountain, pinned Legend Kelly, West Springfield, :25.
220: William VanVleet, Mohawk Trail, pinned Sam St. Peter, Monument Mountain, 1:55.
285: Natanael Torres, Athol, pinned Connor Johnson, Taconic Hills, 1;03.
