UConn’s club wrestling team had 10 wrestlers qualify for the upcoming NCWA national championship in Louisiana. (Photo courtesy Alan Mashkovich)
With five individual champions and six finalists, Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) won their ninth consecutive National Collegiate Wrestling Association (NCWA) Northeast Conference championship at RPI in Troy, N.Y. on March 14.
STCC was one point shy of their tournament high of 195½ points set in 2020. STCC beat host RPI, 194½ to 147½ with UConn finishing third with 120 points, nipping Albany by a half point. Enfield’s Marlon Andino won a Northeast Championship for STCC at 125 pounds.
UConn had one individual champion and five finalists. The top five wrestlers in each weight class earned a spot at the upcoming NCWA national championship tournament on March 26-28 in Louisiana.
Ridgefield All-American Victor Petkov (165 pounds) won his second Northeast Conference title for the Huskies while Terryville’s Hayden Lewandoski (133), Fairfield’s James Dean (149) and New Haven’s Anthony Berruecos (285) each finished second in the conference.
RHAM’s Kyle Currier (133), Fairfield’s Jack Dean (157) and Stratford’s Angel Lainez (165) each finished fourth with Emre Gormus (184) finishing fifth. Lebanon’s Cameron Sammarco (174) took sixth and Sebastian Miranda-Mendoza of Hamden (184) finished eighth.
Sammarco and Miranda-Mendoza each received wild card bids to the national tournament, according to UConn head coach Alan Mashkovich. Ten UConn wrestlers qualified for the NCWA national championships.
UConn’s third place finish was their best finish since taking second in 2023. The Huskies have finished second behind STCC three times since 2019.
UConn’s Keagan Alatiw earned an invitation to wrestle at 130 pounds at the national tournament in the women’s tournament.
A fundraiser is underway to help the UConn team travel to the national championships. Looking to raise $7,500, the fundraiser has already raised $4,525 from 46 donors.
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.
2026 NCWA Northeast Conference championships
At Troy, N.Y.
Overall results – Springfield Technical Community College 194½, 2. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) 147½, 3. UConn 120, 4. Albany 119½, 5. UMass 103½, 6. Northeastern University 102½, 7. Yale 8½, 8. Stony Brook University 3
125 lbs
Final: Marlon Andino Enfield, CT (STCC) dec. Tommy Milligan Newtown, CT (UConn), 10-2
3. Alex Starace Brooklyn, NY (Albany) pin Bavly Mikhail Holliston, MA (UMass), 4:04
133 lbs
Final: Matthew Clayton Plymouth, MA (STCC) dec. Hayden Lewandoski Plymouth, CT (UConn), 3-1
3. Klue Thaw Albany, NY (Albany) pin Kyle Currier Hebron, CT (UConn), 0:33
141 lbs
Final: Aczel Reyes Springfield, MA (STCC) dec. Anthony Denier Saugerties, NY (RPI), 7-4 OT
3. Andrew Best Boston, MA (Northeastern) dec. Chase Turpin Lake Forest, CA (UMass), 8-2
5. Carlens Lapaix Leesport, PA (STCC) forfeit over David Argyros Port Jefferson, NY (Albany)
7. Bronson Branch Troy, NY (RPI) pin Omri Kovar Cresskill, NJ (Albany), 1:13
149 lbs
Final: Andrew Brevot Troy, NY (RPI) tech fall James Dean Fairfield, CT (UConn), 16-1 7:00
3. Rhein Ingham Agawam, MA (STCC) pin Cameron Heichman Tewksbury, MA (UMass), 4:51
5. Ian Darling Boston, MA (NU) FOR Michael Tavares Boston, MA (NU)
157 lbs
Final: Tabriz Khetab Albany, NY (Albany) dec. Arcangelo Losee Troy, NY (RPI), 13-10
3. Lucas Welling Amesbury, MA (UMass) dec. Jack Dean Fairfield, CT (UConn), 9-2
5. Derek McMahon Middletown, CT (STCC) dec. Vehaan Keswani Boston, MA (NU), 19-10
7. Djan Carbonell Nashville, TN (RPI) dec. Trevor Early Worcester, MA (STCC), 3-1
165 lbs
Final: Victor Petkov Ridgefield, CT (UConn) dec. Spencer Miltimore West Springfield, MA (STCC), 15-2
3. Sean McCall Middletown, CT (STCC) dec. Angel Lainez Stratford, CT (UConn), 8-4
5. Benjamin Taylor Albany, NY (Albany) pin Xavier Paul-Smith Troy, NY (RPI), 2:11
7. Shivdev Kamath Boston, MA (NU) forfeit over Ansh Maniani Stony Brook, NY (Stony Brook University)
174 lbs
Final: Luke Lamagna Troy, NY (RPI) pin Hamidullah Faqeer Albany, NY (Albany), 3:34
3. Bennett Resner Boston, MA (NU) dec. Timothy Gerry Athol, MA (STCC), 15-3
5. Mathias Schweitzer Troy, NY (RPI) dec. Cameron Sammarco Lebanon, CT (UConn), 13-9
7. Antonio Padilla Chicago, IL (Yale) pin David Mitkov Sharon, MA (UMass), 5:00
184 lbs
Final: Matthew Klein Troy, NY (RPI) pin Ethan Mayo Hingham, MA (UMass), 2:30
3. Tristin Stephens Ludlow, MA (STCC) pin Joseph Peretta Hopewell, NY (Albany), 3:28
5. Emre Gormus Mansfield, CT (UConn) pin Oliver Gray Boston, MA (NU), 2:39
7. Yaseen Nguyen Troy, NY (RPI) tech fall Sebsatian Miranda-Mendoza Mansfield, CT (UConn), 20-3 5:00
197 lbs
Final: Parisse Taylor-Williams Chicopee, MA (STCC) pin Henry Meisner New Rochelle, NY (Albany), 1:40
3. Ethan Han Troy, NY (RPI) pin Mathew Seibert North Andover, MA (UMass), 2:32
5. Theo Santos Amherst, MA (UMass) forfeit over Andrew Hanson Troy, NY (RPI)
235 lbs
Final: Daniel Chambers Boston, MA (NU) pin Jackson Rinke Bridgewater, MA (UMass), 6:39
3. Thomas Ryan Troy, NY (RPI) tech fall Chris Brefo East Hartford, CT (STCC), 18-3 6:30
5. Ryan Eplite Wilbraham, MA (STCC) tech fall Daniel Cheung Boston, MA (NU), 17-1 5:30
285 lbs
Final: Dzevat Kolenovic Ludlow, MA (STCC) dec. Anthony Berruecos New Haven, CT (UConn), 9-1
Of note: The top 5 finishers in each weight class advance to the NCWA national championship meet on March 26-28 in Bossier City, Louisiana.
2026 Northeast Conference results and brackets (FloArena)
WOMEN
Overall results: 1. Springfield Technical CC 64, 2. UConn and Northeastern 16, 4. Yale 12
Individual results
101: Aidalish Cruz (STCC)
109, Final: Jerymar De Jesus Lawrence, MA (STCC) dec. Wynter Radey-Morgan Waimea, HI (Yale), 4-3
123: Nevaeh Santiago (STCC)
130: Keagan Alatiw (UConn)
136: Sydney Wu (NU)
191: Tiana Roy (STCC)
