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UConn club wrestling team raising money for trip to NCWA nationals

UConn’s club wrestling team is hosting a go-fund-me page to help raise money for a trip to the national championships in March. (Photo courtesy UConn wrestling)

UConn’s club wrestling team is raising money for a potential trip to the National Collegiate Wrestling Association (NWCA) national championship meet on March 13-15 in Bossier City, Louisiana.

The team has set up a Go-Fund Me page to raise money for the national championship event. The team is a student-run and funded organization, receiving minimal support from the university.

Travel expenses, lodging, gear, and competition fees are all covered by the students through team dues, donations, and crowdfunding. The coaching staff – head coach Alan Mashkovich and Vincent Stevens — volunteer their time, forgoing any salary to ensure the team can effectively travel and compete throughout the season.

UConn, which couldn’t find a coach to compete a year ago, is 10-2 and has fielded a full lineup of 10 wrestlers in most meets this season. The Huskies are looking forward to the national championship qualifying meet on March 1 at Springfield Technical Community College at the NWCA Northeast Regional.

Most members of the UConn team are from Connecticut high schools. Glastonbury High senior captain Martial Sutton is undefeated (7-0) at 141. Former Fairfield Warde wrestlers James Dean (157, 9-2) and Jack Dean (149, 10-1) are having strong seasons along with Ryan Sevigny (157, 11-5) of Notre Dame-West Haven, Newtown freshman Thomas Milligan (125, 7-4) and Greenwich’s Chad Gothelf (149, 7-2).

In six seasons from 2018 through 2023, the Huskies competed at the NWCA national championships four times, finishing in the top 20 overall each time. In 2019, the Huskies were second among the NWCA’s Division II teams, third in 2018 and fourth in 2020.

From 2018 through 2023, UConn’s club has produced nine NWCA All-American wrestlers with eight graduating from state high schools.

At the Northeast Regional conference meet, the Huskies have finished second three times (2019, 2020, 2023) behind Springfield Technical Community College, which competes at the NWCA’s Division I level.

The UConn club team has been in existence since 2007. UConn dropped their varsity wrestling program following the 1981 season.

The NCWA was founded in 1997 to provide collegiate athletes with an opportunity to compete in wrestling at a regional and national level. The NCWA helps develop programs under the school’s athletic departments, student services department and sport club departments.

Gerry deSimas, Jr., is the editor and founder of Connecticut Wrestling Online. He is an award-winning writer and has been covering sports in Connecticut and New England for more than 40 years. He was inducted into the New England High School Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2018.

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