Norwalk girls gather enough points to win first New England championship

The Norwalk girls wrestling team is the first state team to win a New England championship.

PROVIDENCE, R.I., March 9, 2025 – The New England championship came down to the final match of the 2025 girls tournament at the Providence Career and Technical Center.

A win by Trumbull’s Marangeie Teixeira over New Britain’s Kaydence Atkinson in a rematch of the CIAC girls championship a week earlier would have given the Eagles the championship.

It was the fourth time this year that the two Connecticut wrestlers had met in the finals of a tournament.

Norwalk, which came into the finals with a three-point lead, had two chances to clinch the championship before Teixeria and Atkinson hit the match. But sophomore Jeily Euceda lost in the final at 235 pounds and Rylee Donohue dropped a 7-4 decision in the finals at 132 pounds.

Atkinson (19-1) got an escape with 35 seconds left in regulation and held off takedown attempts from Teixeria to earn a 3-1 decision Saturday at the New England girls championship meet.

Atkinson’s victory enabled Norwalk to become the first Connecticut girls team to win a New England championship with a 63-60 win over Trumbull. Massabesic from Waterboro, Maine was third with 58½ points, just ahead of defending New England champion Noble, Maine with 57 points.

Three Connecticut girls brought home New England titles. Berlin’s Sybella Landrie survived a challenging semifinal bout to advance to the final where she beat Brooke Lightfoot of Tewksbury, Mass, 12-0 to win the championship.

Platt’s Kayli Morris (21-0) won her second consecutive New England championship with pin in 4:21 over Massachusetts champion Hillary MacDonald of Lawence, Mass.

Norwalk had three girls in the tournament and two made the finals. Lina Rodriguez (126) finished fourth for the Bears. A year ago, Norwalk was third at the New England tournament. A week ago, they finished second behind Trumbull at the State Open.

“We wrestled hard and everyone is having fun, giving it their all,” Norwalk assistant coach Platts Kouksides said. “It would be great to win a title. It would be a redemption story, but I just want my girls to win.”

Donohue and Euceda, a first-year wrestler, didn’t win in the finals. Euceda was pinned in 4:48 in the 235 final by two-time Massachusetts champion Amelyiah Martinez (24-0) while Donohue dropped a 7-4 decision to Nevaeh Grunhuvd of Massabesic High. Gunhuvd (22-0) scored seven points in the second period on a takedown and near fall to take command of the match

The Bears picked up enough points before the finals. Donahue won three matches with two pins while Euceda had three pins to earn a spot in the finals. Rodriguez went 3-2 in the tournament with a pin and two technical falls.

Norwalk’s Rylee Donahue controls Rocky Hill’s Olivia Hopkins in the semifinals of the New England championships Saturday in Providence.

“I was very impressed to see how well these girls did, including myself,” Donahue said. “It’s very exciting to see the program.”

Trumbull only had three girls in the tournament and it was nearly enough. Emma Rial (132) finished third with Jillian Blake (126) finishing fourth.

New Britain’s Kaydence Atkinson (top) won her first New England championship on Saturday.

A week ago, Atkinson beat Teixeira in the CIAC girls final with a 5-4 win in double OT. Earlier this year, Atkinson prevailed in the win at Queen of the Hill in Rocky Hill while Teixeira won at the Queen of the Mat tournament in Milford.

“It is pretty difficult,” Atkinson said. “You never know how the match will be. No match is ever the same.”

Just to face Teixeira again, Atkinson had to prevail in triple OT in the quarterfinals with a 4-3 win over New Hampshire champion Jillian Boncore (Alvirne) and pinned Rhode Island champion Aubrey Hastings of Cumberland in the semifinals.

In the final, Atkinson tied the match at 1-1 when Teixeira was penalized a point for a technical violation. Atkinson went up 2-1 with 1:35 remaining when Teixeira was penalized for stalling. An escape with 35 seconds left gave Atkinston a 3-1 lead.

“Stay tough. Stay tough and not five up on myself and the people around me. Keep going even when I feel a little bit tired,” Atkinson said.

Landrie didn’t give up a point in her first two victories – a pin and a 6-0 victory in the quarterfinals. It was difficult in the semifinal against Vermont champion Maisa Allen of Otter Valley.

Landrie had a 3-2 lead after one period before Allen turned Landrie toward the mat to score a three-point near fall and take a 5-3 lead in the second period.

Landrie got a takedown with 28 seconds left in the match for a 6-5 lead. She held on for the win. “I had a lot of hard matches but it was worth it in the end,” Landrie said “I like a hard road over an easy road.”

Landrie raced out to a big lead in the finals against Lightfoot, throwing the Massachusetts wrestler to her back for a 7-0 point lead in the first period. The lead swelled to 13-0 in the second period.

How was it to win a New England championship.

“Satisfying. Terrifying,” she said. “This is my senior and the last time I will be able to do this. So, I am happy.”

Morris beat the Maine and Massachusetts champions in the tournament and gave up just two points (escapes) in three matches.

Hannah Perro of Noble, Maine, and a three-time Maine state champion, won her second New England title at 100 pounds by pinning South Windsor’s Sophia Gordon in the finals.

Seven girls from Connecticut finished third – Jonathan Law’s Selena Batres (107), Amity’s Elliana Selearis Bethany (114), East Haven’s Gonul Celik (120), Amity’s Cristel Miguel (126), Rial(132), Haddam-Killingworth’s Amanda Peterson (138) and Platt Tech’s Jelene Lainez (152).

GIRLS WRESTLING
New England championships
At Providence RI
Team results (top 20) – 1. Norwalk 63, 2. Trumbull 60, 3. Massabesic-Waterboro ME 58½, 3. Noble ME 57, 5. Lowell MA 43½, 6. Amity 38½, 7. Bridgewater-Raynham MA and Scituate RI 36, 9. East Haven 35, 10. Northeast Metro/Bishop Fenwick MA 30, 11. Ludlow MA and Pelham NH 29½, 13. Methuen MA 29, 14. North Providence RI 28½, 15. Framingham MA and Salem NH 28, 17. Platt 27, 18. New Britain 26, 19.Berlin 25, 20. Lawrence MA 24
Individual results
Finals
100 Hannah Perro ME (Noble) pin Sophia Gordon CT (South Windsor), 2:44
107 Samantha Bertini MA (Ludlow) pin Allison Patten RI (Pilgrim), 3:15
114 Sybella Landrie CT (Berlin) dec. Brooke Lightfoot MA (Tewksbury), 12-0
120 Delaney Frost ME (Noble) dec. Adriana Degroat MA (Framingham), 9-7
126 Liz Donovan NH (Pelham) pin Chloe Ross RI (Scituate), 0:29
132 Nevaeh Grunhuvd Waterboro, ME (Massabesic) dec. Rylee Donohue CT (Norwalk), 7-4
138 Sophie Grunhuvd Waterboro, ME (Massabesic) pin Maxine Spencer ME (Erskine), 1:36
145 Janessa Santiago MA (Methuen) pin Tessa Master MA (Watertown), 4:54
152 Shelby Galex MA (Northeast Metro Tech/Bishop Fenwick) pin Ava Mcginnis ME (Nokomis), 2:44
165 Kaydence Atkinson CT (New Britain) dec. Marangelie Teixeira CT (Trumbull), 3-1
185 Kayli Morris CT (Platt) pin Hillary MacDonald MA (Lawrence), 4:21
235 Amelyiah Martinez MA (Lowell) pin Jeily Euceda CT (Norwalk), 4:58
3rd Place
100 Kelsie Strong ME (Marshwood) dec. Olivia Polansky MA (Bridgewater-Raynham), 11-7
107 Selena Batres CT (Jonathan Law) dec. Sora Mae Bukoski Lamoine, ME (Ellsworth), 9-1
114 Elliana Selearis Bethany, CT (Amity) pin Kennedie Davis MA (Bridgewater-Raynham), 3:41
120 Gonul Celik CT (East Haven) dec. Jillian Blake CT (Trumbull), 16-10
126 Cristel Miguel CT (Amity) dec. Lina Rodriguez CT (Norwalk), 2-1
132 Emma Rial CT (Trumbull) pin Keira Lynch Salem, NH (Salem), 0:44
138 Amelia Petersen CT (Haddam-Killingworth) medcial forfeit over Josephina Piel CT (New Milford)
145 Tessa Johnson MA (Mansfield) dec. Martina Gili fernandez ME (Maine Central Institute), 12-0
152 Jelene Lainez CT (Platt Tech) dec. Matilda Tote CT (Bunnell), 10-1
165 Zady Paige ME (Belfast High School) dec. Amada Moundele MA (Lowell), 1-0
185 Madison Beauregard NH (Concord) dec. Kaleigh Fuller MA (Montachusett), 2-0
235 Lillian Soper ME (Bucksport) pin Alei Fautua RI (North Providence), 2:52
5th Place
100 Amelia Hough Milford, MA (Milford) dec. Lilie Normandie Tyngsborough, MA (Greater Lowell), 10-8
107 Catori Watson ME (Mountain Valley) pin Grace Miller VT (Essex), 1:01
114 Maisa Allen VT (Otter Valley) pin Noah Edwards MA (Duxbury), 1:59
120 Ava Gamberdella CT (Branford) pin Grace Kenna NH (Bedford), 1:14
126 Luca Marshall MA (Tri-County) dec. Brooklynn Webber ME (Mt. Blue), 10-1
132 Olivia Hopkins CT (Rocky Hill) pin Mia Marigliano MA (Franklin County), 3:26
138 Winner Tshibombi CT (Stratford) pin Nora Demaine Newport, VT (Lake Region), 0:50
145 Maddie Cooper CT (East Haven) medcial forfeit over Mackenzie Lacoss NH (Spaulding)
152 Sofia Vraka MA (Billerica) pin Sadie Nadeau NH (Spaulding), 2:15
165 Aubrey Hastings RI (Cumberland) pin Jillian Boncore NH (Alvirne), 3:47
185 Marisol Almanzar MA (Greater Lawrence) dec. Grace Jean ME (Caribou), 18-7
235 Tiyana Taylor CT (Norwich Free Academy) pin Elaine Pinto MA (Durfee), 1:58
Outstanding wrestler: Liz Donovan (126), Pelham, NH
2025 New England championships brackets and results (FloArena)