Led by wins from senior captains Tyler Cunningham and Sean Marinan Jr., Xavier won its first ever State Open wrestling title at New Haven’s Floyd Little Athletic Center.
The Falcons finished with 132 points to top rivals Hand (121.5) and Danbury (118.5). Glastonbury and Bacon Academy rounded out the top five. Middletown placed ninth with 55 points.
The title was the team’s third in as many weeks. Xavier won the Southern Connecticut Conference crown over Hand on February 12th and the Class LL title last weekend.
“I am really happy for the kids, parents and coaches involved with our team,” said head coach Michael Cunningham. “Our wrestlers worked so hard and sacrificed so much for this championship.”
“I knew coming in we would have a strong showing and would probably finish in the top three. We just had to focus and leave everything out there on the mat. Luckily we didn’t leave too much room to spare.”
Tyler Cunningham, Michael Cunningham’s son, won the title at 150 pounds and Marinan, Xavier’s other finalist, was champion at 220.
Junior Elliot Antler placed third at 170, sophomore Will Chowanec fourth at 113 and senior Ryan Butler fifth at 145 for Xavier.
Cunningham, the Class LL champion at 160 pounds, defeated Ledyard’s Alex Manwaring 7-2 in the final to win his first Open title. Cunningham was third at 145 in last year’s State Open.
“This has been my life goal ever since I was a little kid,” said Cunningham to the New Haven Register.
Marinan took down Masuk’s Eric Tucker in a epic battle that spanned four overtimes. Tied at one going into the overtime period, each wrestler would add a point in the first three overtimes before Marinan escaped Tucker seven seconds into the fourth to capture individual title 3-2. Marinan, who was second last season, celebrated the victory by jumping into assistant coach Kyle St. George arms.
“This is amazing for me to go out like this,” Marinan stated to the Hartford Courant. “To go back-to-back with football and wrestling is so special….But with wrestling it’s different. [Xavier had] never won one before, so now all our numbers go up on the wall. We’re immortal now.”
The story for Middletown was again Devon Carillo. The senior won at 182, his second consecutive state title after winning at 171 last season. Carillo defeated Weaver’s Sheldon Rhoden 7-2 in the final.
Senior Andrew Carignan finished fourth at 120 for Middletown and junior Randy Hale was sixth at 160.
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