Stratford’s Lindsay Rywolt, right, battles Hannah Bryson of Wilmington, Mass., during the finals at 126 pounds.
PROVIDENCE, R.I., March 2, 2024 – It began just as a dare from a teammate the Stratford volleyball program. And Lindsey Rywolt wasn’t really going to follow through and give wrestling a try.
But two classmates on the wrestling team convinced her to come try it out.
“Now, I have been sucked in and I really enjoy it,” she said Saturday afternoon at the first-ever New England championship tournament for girls.
It was about an hour before Rywolt won her first New England championship with a 6-2 win over Massachusetts champion Hannah Bryson of Wilmington, Mass. Rywolt, who was named the tournament’s outstanding wrestler, was one of six Connecticut girls to win New England championships on Saturday at the Providence Technical Career Academy.
Old Lyme’s Hoshema Gemme (132), Bethel’s Esther Ribeiro (145), Foran’s Kelly Aspras (152), Platt’s Kayli Morris (185) and Arianna Bellamy (235) also won championships.
Ledyard’s Tatianna Irizarry (107), Fairfield Ludlowe’s Kan-Yah McCarthy (138) and Plainville’s Kali Fangiullo (152) were each second.
Norwalk finished third in the tournament with 45½ points, just ahead of Platt with 39. Noble, Maine won the tournament with 66 points followed by Sharon, Mass., with 45.
Rywolt is just in her third year of wrestling. She won the Queen of the Mat tournament in Milford and won the CIAC Girls Invitational.
She has made several adjustments in her technique since her junior season. “Just breathing, not being nervous and just going out there and doing what I know I can do,” she said.
Bethel’s Esther Ribeiro has her opponent on her back in the New England finals on Saturday.
At the New England tournament, she pinned in her first two matches before outlasting Norwalk’s Nina Rodriguez, 10-3 in the semifinals. In the championship match against Bryson, Rywolt got a takedown and three-point near fall in the second period.
A one point penalty for stalling against Bryson gave Rywolt a 6-0 lead. Bryson cut the lead to four with a late reversal in the second period.
In the third period, Bryson started on top but Rywolt was able to secure the victory. Bryson, who is several inches taller than Rywolt, tried to throw legs to help turn Rywolt.
“I feel amazing,” Rywolt said. “It was tough but it makes you feel even better when it is a tough match. I am really excited. It took a lot of hard work and effort.”
Gemme had three consecutive pins to earn her way into the championship match against Vermont state champion Jillian Glaski of Mt. Anthony. Down by one in the final 30 seconds, Gemme got a takedown with four seconds remaining to earn a 7-6 victory. Glaski had snapped a 5-5 tie with an escape with 33 seconds left in the bout.
At 145 pounds, Bethel’s Esther Ribeiro went 3-0 with victories over three Massachusetts wrestler that included a pin in 3:30 over Massachusetts champion Shelby Galex of Northeast Metro East/Bishop Fenwick.
Aspras beat the Rhode Island and Massachusetts champions on her way to the championship final where she pinned Plainville’s Kali Fangiullo in 3:12 to win the New England championship.
Her closest battle came in the semifinal with a 5-1 win over Massachusetts champion Tessa Master of Watertown. Aspras got a takedown with 45 seconds remaining in the match to turn a tight two-point lead into a more comfortable four-point lead.
“I wrestled some really tough wrestlers,” Aspras said. “It was tough but it’s been successful.”
Foran’s Kelly Asparas after winning her first New England championship.
Morris, a second-year wrestler from Platt, went 3-0 with three pins to win a New England title at 185. “It feels great. It makes me hungry for more. It makes me want to get better,” Morris said.
Bellamy (235) also went 3-0 with a pair of pins and a default to win her first New England title by pinning Samatha Rabkin of Sharon, Mass., in 5:35.
Norwalk had three girls in the tournament and two – Rylee Donahue (132) and Lina Rodriguez (126) each finished third to help Bears outlast Platt and bring home some championship hardware.
Donahue was 5-1 in the tournament with five pins. Donahue’s lone loss came to Gladski in the quarterfinals. Rodriguez was 4-1 with four pins.
“It was really fun,” Donahue said. “It’s more inclusive. It was more of a serious situation (with a team trophy at stake).”
For the second straight week, Foran’s Kelly Aspras sang the national anthem before wrestling began at the New England championships.
GIRLS
New England Championships
At Providence, RI
Team results: Noble ME 66, 2. Sharon MA 45, 3. Norwalk 45½, 4. Platt 39, 5. Mt. Blue ME 36, 6. Belfast ME 29, 7. Ashland, Bethel, Colchester, Foran, Maloney, Oceanside, Old Lyme 28, 14. Stratford and Souhegan 25, 17. Bristol-Plymouth. Shelton and Northeast MetroTech/Bishop Fenwicj 24; 20. Fairfield Ludlowe and Mt. Anthony VT 23, 22. Agawam MA, Hanover, Scituate RI and Ledyard 22, 26. Ludlowe MA , Oliver Ames and Wilmington 21; 29. Berlin, East Longmeadow MA, Pilgrim, Plainville and Watertown MA 20; 34. St. Johnsbury 19½ ,35. Bridgewater-Raynham 19, 36. Hingham MA 18, 37. Stamford 17½, 38, Pelham 17, 39. Burr and Burton and Trumbull 16, 41. East Haven 15½, 42. Bucksport, Concord NH, Duxburt MA, Jonathan Law and Montachusett 15; 47. Framingham MA, Mansfield and Tri-County 14.
Other Connecticut teams: 50. St. Paul 13, 53. Amity and Ellis Tech 12, 57. Nonnewaug, South Windsor and Weston 11, 66. New Britain and Rockville 7, 98. Windham 1; 99. Bristol Central 0
Individual results
Championship finals
100 Hannah Perro ME (Noble) pin Samantha Bertini MA (Ludlow), 2:36
107 Madolin Ripley ME (Oceanside) dec. Tatianna Irizarry CT (Ledyard), 6-2
114 Madeline Li MA (Andover) dec. Brooke Weafer MA (Bristol-Plymouth), 10-5
120 Jaden Coppins VT (Colchester) pin Delaney Frost ME (Noble), 4:00
126 Lindsey Rywolt CT (Stratford) dec. Hannah Bryson MA (Wilmington), 6-2
132 Hoshena Gemme CT (Old Lyme) dec. Jillian Glaski VT (Mt. Anthony), 7-6
138 Nora Quitt MA (Ashland) pin Kan-yah Mccarthy CT (Fairfield Ludlowe), 1:31
145 Esther Ribeiro CT (Bethel) pin Shelby Galex MA (Northeast Metro Tech/Bishop Fenwick), 3:30
152 Kelly Aspras CT (Foran) pin Kali Fangiullo CT (Plainville), 3:12
165 Meghan Wiebe MA (Sharon) dec. Emma Leonido MA (Hanover), 4-0
185 Kayli Morris CT (Platt) pin Eralyn Figueroa MA (East Longmeadow), 2:56
235 Arianna Bellamy CT (Maloney) pin Samantha Rabkin MA (Sharon), 5:35
Third place (consolation final)
100 Allison Patten RI (Pilgrim) dec. Selena Batres CT (Jonathan Law), 10-7
107 Mia Dineen MA (Hingham) dec. Addisyn Herdic CT (Ellis Tech), 5-0
114 Sybella Landrie CT (Berlin) tech fall Brooklynn Webber ME (Mt. Blue), 16-1 4:22
120 Jasmine Whitfield CT (Stamford) pin Gonul Celik CT (East Haven), 3:26
126 Lina Rodriguez CT (Norwalk) pin Lilou Gardien ME (Noble), 3:33
132 Rylee Donohue CT (Norwalk) pin Madison Dowd MA (Tri-County), 3:28
138 Lilya Akande CT (Shelton) pin Amaya Smith MA (Oliver Ames), 1:42
145 Isabelle Brandt NH (Souhegan) dec. Tessa Johnson MA (Mansfield), 9-0
152 Tessa Master MA (Watertown) pin Brooke Davis VT (St. Johnsbury), 0:57
165 Zady Paige ME (Belfast) dec. Sky Lewit VT (Burr & Burton), 7-6 UTB
185 Kendall Foster ME (Mt. Blue) dec. Madison Beauregard NH (Concord), 3-2
235 Arianna Nivar MA (Agawam) pin Lillian Soper ME (Bucksport), 0:25
Fifth place
100 Sophia Gordon CT (South Windsor) dec. Daylianette Sanchez cardona CT (Platt), 9-3
107 Daisey Hawkins RI (Scituate) pin Olivia Polansky MA (Bridgewater-Raynham), 1:42
114 Noah Edwards MA (Duxbury) pin Kennedie Davis MA (Bridgewater-Raynham), 1:53
120 Adriana Degroat MA (Framingham) pin Cristel Miguel CT (Amity), 4:34
126 Natalia Jaramillo MA (Nashoba Tech) dec. Piper Leone ME (Belfast), 5-0
132 Emily Angelo NH (Merrimack) dec. Morgan Pennimpede MA (Gloucester), 7-6
138 Katelynn Zannoni NH (Pelham) pin Sophia Lancin CT (Weston), 4:00
145 Aubrey Hastings RI (Cumberland) pin Elena Thomas MA (Carver), 0:57
152 Kaleigh Fuller MA (Montachusett) dec. Hannah Brewer ME (Central), 9-5
165 Shalom Feliz RI (Mt. Pleasant) pin Marangelie Teixeira CT (Trumbull), 3:52
185 Essence Tucker MA (Quincy Upper) pin Angeles Munoz MA (Marlborough), 3:41
235 Mallory Sefick CT (St. Paul) pin Gianna Cycan MA (South Shore), 0:51
Outstanding wrestler: Lindsey Rywolt, Stratford (126)
Best final: 100 pounds: Perro vs. Bertini
Brackets and results (FloArena)
Printable brackets
Note: Finals began at 126 pounds after a draw
