High School

Atkinson, Morris add New England championships to their resumes

by
Gerry deSimas, Jr. , Connecticut Wrestling Online
March 10, 2026

Platt’s Kayli Morris, right, won her third consecutive New England championship Sunday in Providence.

PROVIDENCE, R.I., March 8, 2026 – Winning a significant wrestling championship always puts a target on your back. While some are intimidated by your success and lose quickly, it fuels others to bring their best to the mat and try and beat you.

The challenge never stops.

New Britain senior Kaydence Atkinson had to learn this season how to deal with those expectations and challenges that her opponents brought to the mat.

In January, she was fifth at the Queen of the Mat tournament in early February – a humbling afternoon for an athlete that won her first New England championship just 11 months earlier.

She kept working. Atkinson won the first Central Connecticut Conference girls tournament and advanced to the final of the CIAC girls championship meet only to fall to Trumbull rival Marangelie Teixeira in the title bout for the second consecutive year.

On Sunday, Atkinson won her semifinal match in overtime and beat Stamford’s Gabriella Mighty in the championship bout at 165 pounds to win her second consecutive New England championship.

Atkinson was one of five Connecticut wrestlers to win a New England title. Platt’s Kayli Morris (185) earned an automatic entry into the New England Wrestling Hall of Fame by winning her third straight New England title.

Trumbull’s Jillian Blake (120), Ellis Tech’s Adelina Tate (126) and Norwalk’s Jeily Euceda (235) also won their first New England championships.

Stratford’s Gabriella Kiely (145) finished second along with Mighty.

South Windsor’s Sophia Gordon (100), Branford’s Ava Gamberdella (114), Bristol Central’s Maleeah Rios (120), Amity’s Eliana Selerais (132), Stratford’s Winner Tshibombi (138), New Milford’s Josephina Piel (145) and Bristol Eastern’s Bethany Grace-Dean (165) each finished third.

With two finalists and one individual champion, Massabesic High from Waterville, Maine won the New England title with 52 points, outlasting Salem, New Hampshire, who was second with 48 points. Woburn, Mass., was third with 44 points.

Stratford was the highest finishing team from Connecticut with 42½ points. Just 9½ points separated the top nine teams.

New Britain’s Kaydence Atkinson, top, won her second New England title on Sunday.

Atkinson (19-3) had to rally just to reach the finals. In her semifinal against New Hampshire champion Sadie Nadeau, Atkinson gave up a takedown with 19 seconds remaining and trailed by one point.

“(Nadeau) hit a nice little dump shot and it took Kaydence down,” New Britain coach Nick Catalano said. “It was definitely a scary moment. I told her if she wants it bad enough, you can get out in 10 seconds. You can’t wait for anything.”

Atkinson escaped with one second left to force overtime where she got a takedown about 10 second remaining, spinning behind after a failed shot attempt from Nadeau for a 9-6 victory.

In the final against Mighty, Atkinson led 1-0 after two periods and got a takedown with 51 seconds remaining to take a commanding 4-0 lead. She won, 4-1.

“It feels great,” Atkinson said. “Everyone I wrestled was tough.”

Mighty came one win away from a storybook finish. She finished fourth at last week’s State Open and didn’t qualify because the top three wrestlers in each weight class from Connecticut are invited to the New England tournament.

But Mighty received a call on Wednesday night. Did she want a spot in the tournament? Connecticut state champion Marangelie Teixeira of Trumbull hurt her ankle in practice this week and had to withdraw.

Mighty beat the Maine state champion in her first match and the No. 2 wrestler from Massachusetts in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, she beat Bristol Eastern’s Bethany Grace Dean, who beat her a week ago at the State Open, 6-2, to earn a spot in the finals.

Morris’ tournament had a bit less drama as she won with three pins, giving up just two points in three matches to improve to 26-0.

“I feel amazing,” she said. “I was glad I was able to get it done. Now, I’ll be chasing bigger goals at the nationals.”

Morris will be competing at the National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA) national championships at Virginia Beach, Va., on March 27-29. She earned All-American honors a year ago by finishing fifth.

Ellis Tech’s Adelina Tate, right, went 22-1, won a Connecticut state title and the New England championship in her first season on the mat.

Blake (28-0) had four pins to win her first New England title with a pin of Massachusetts champion Hannah Dyckman of Bristol County/Dighton Rehoboth in the final.

“That was awesome. I am so happy,” she said afterward. “I wanted to get my shots in but whatever was there I hit.”

She will be wrestling at Sacred Heart next winter.

“I haven’t worked harder for anything else in my entire life and I am so, so grateful,” she said. Her championship bout with Dyckman was voted the most outstanding final in the girls tournament.

Tate (22-1) pinned Caitlin Castoldi of Woburn, Mass., in 5:08 to win a New England championship in her first season on the mat. The Ellis Tech junior had four pins and gave up just four points in four matches.

Tate has been a long-time participant in judo so she decided to try wrestling.

“I thought it would be a good time to start wrestling in high school,” she said. “I like that I can use my judo throws in wrestling.”

Euceda (12-1) had a dominating tournament at 235 pounds. She had four pins, including a pin of Massachusetts champion Hillary MacDonald of Lawrence in 2:27. Euceda didn’t give up a point in four matches.

“It is the best she has wrestled all year,” Norwalk coach Charlie Vado said. “She is in dominating positions and follows through, staying dominant with heavy snaps.”

In the championship match, Kiely (20-2) was pinned by two-time New England champion Sophie Grunhuvd of Massabesic in Maine in 1:50. But Kiely won three matches to get to the final, including a pin of Rhode Island champion Sofia George of Ponaganset in 1:38 in the quarterfinals.