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Colin Falla, Ryan Monti and Sam Nieves of the Mad Bulls all won state titles in the tournament at Westhill High School in Stamford.
Nicky Singer, Mike Marini and Quincy Carter finished second.
First-grader Damari Maxam placed fourth in his division and received his award as the Mad Bull coaches surrounded him with congratulatory handshakes and high-fives.
It was a day filled with mixed emotions as the Mad Bull team had some heartbreaking close losses that in some cases came down to the last few seconds of the match.
First-grader Colin Falla, who placed third in the state championships last year, showed up this year with renewed determination.
“The kids wrestled with heart all day long,'' coach Art Schad said. "We were in great shape conditioning wise to push the action, we lost some close ones with our newbies against some more experienced kids, but we have some encouraging takeaways from this tournament, something to build on for some kids for next year.
Newcomers Will Motley, Ryan Schneider and Carlo Tucci, failed to place but were in every single match, Schad said.
“Will Motley lost the opening round to a returning state champion, 4-2, and lost a sudden victory overtime match to finish out the day. It was tough, so close in each match. But that’s the beauty of this sport, the emotional roller coaster of winning and losing is what builds character in these Mad Bull kids and their competitors.”
Always looking toward the future, Mad Bull wrestling club continues to grow and expand its roster.
“We plan on finishing the season strong with the older kids and continuing on to the New Englands, after that we start training for the Nationals,'' program director Randy Haus said. "But after today you see newcomers like Seamus Brannigan and Andrew Talbot getting their first taste of post season action, you want to make sure the team is balanced and everyone gets the attention they need to improve, grow and be more competitive, all while having fun."
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