'Wick Wins Thriller in Ostrye Wrestling Gym

 

In the opening dual meet versus Salisbury, Brunswick won 11 of the 14 bouts including seven by pinfall. The pins came from Christian Yanoti '25, Marco Sethi '27, co-captain Michael Accetta '24, Alec Harned '26, Asher Benn '24, Jack Degl '25, and Michael Marini '26. Additionally, Jake Greene '26 earned a 5-3 win by decision. Final team score:

 

Brunswick 63

Salisbury 16

 

While Salisbury and Trinity-Pawling then wrestled one another, the Bruins regrouped to get ready for what both sides felt would be a tightly contested dual meet between Brunswick and T-P. In early December, the Bruins had beaten the Pride by a single point (34-33). Today, two Brunswick captains and two other starters were out of the line-up. The Bruins were going to need a huge team effort to pull out the victory.

 

Accetta started his team off with a 4-1 decision at 132 lb. That win was followed by a second period pin from Patrick O'Donahue '25, who finally was able to wrestle his first matches of the season today. The lead changed quickly though, as T-P won by pinfall at 144 lb. and 150 lb. The Pride kept it rolling with another win at 157 lb. despite Quinn McGraw '26 battling tough with an experienced opponent who earned a 10-2 win by major decision.

 

Degl briefly stopped the bleeding for Brunswick at 165 lb. as he wrestled a smart match to a 5-3 win by decision. But then T-P won three bouts in a row by pinfall at 175 lb., 190 lb., and 215 lb.

 

Brunswick was down 34-12 and needed to win the last five matches in a row.

 

At heavyweight, Marini continued his impressive day on the mats by pinning his opponent who had beaten him twice at a tournament in December. Owen Bartoszek '27 and Arjun Kolluri '27 had their hands raised at 106 lb. and 113 lb. before Yanoti bumped up to pin his opponent at 120 lb. to put Brunswick back in the lead at 36-34.

 

So it all came down to the final bout of the day, and Brunswick's hopes rested in the hands of a freshman. To win the meet for the team, Sethi would have to beat an opponent from T-P who had beaten him by a 10-2 major decision in early December.

 

Sethi got the crucial first takedown and added another followed by a ride out to end the opening period. Sethi then rode out his opponent for the entire second period, sending things to the final period with a score of 4-1. Sethi took bottom, reversed his opponent, and ultimately finished the match with a gritty 6-2 win by decision. It was one of the more thrilling team wins to ever happen in the Ostrye Wrestling Gymnasium. Final team score:

 

Brunswick 39

Trinity-Pawling 34

 

The Bruin grapplers will next be in action on Monday, January 9, vs. Greenwich Country Day School in a home match at 4 p.m.