LYNNFIELD — The Lynnfield/North Reading wrestling team is back on track. LNR has had a couple of lean years following a run of successful seasons. With low numbers, the team had been unable to fill weight classes resulting in costly forfeits that determined the outcome of matches.
The dismal numbers tell it all. Three years ago, the team was disbanded due to a lack of interest after the MIAA moved wrestling into the spring season. Two years ago, the team didn’t win a single match. Last year, the Black and Gold won one.
This year, however, LNR is off to a flying start. A little more than a week into the season, the team stands a 4-1 as of Monday. And with 20 wrestlers, Coach Craig Stone is excited about the new season.
“We had a good recruiting year and have nine returners with experience and some kids coming in with youth experience,” Stone said. “We have a bunch of first-year athletes so we are able to fill the weights. We haven’t been able to do that in a long time.”
Saturday, the Black and Gold finished 11th (104.5 points) at the Anthony Lisitano Memorial Tournament in Wakefield, a marked improvement from 2022 when the team finished dead last.
“We only scored 24 points and didn’t place anyone,” Stone said. “What a difference a year makes! It was just a total team effort. We did not compete in four of the 14 weight classes due to sickness and were just 10 points away from finishing seventh, which leads us to be very optimistic about both our dual meet and tournament schedule. It’s still a work in progress, but we are going in the right direction.”
James Fodera (190 pounds) and Gavin Iby (144 pounds) led the way, going undefeated at 4-0 and placing first in their respective weight classes.
Fodera (4-0) pinned his way through the tournament. He defeated Hagop Shahbazyan in 1:50 in the round of 16, Brendan O’Shaughnessy in 22 seconds in the quarter-finals, Markus Paus (a returning sectional place finisher) in 3:22 in the semi-finals, and Sawyer Letsky in 2:44 in the championship match.
Iby’s road to the championship included wins against Brady O’Connell by pin in 34 seconds in the round of 16, Jayden Diaz by pin in 1:57 in the quarter-finals and a 13-3 major decision win over Mason Hinshaw in the semifinals. Iby secured the title with a 7-0 decision over Dylan Smith in the final.
Nathan Barstow (106 pounds), Sam Bird (113 pounds), and Cam Arya (144 pounds) also scored points for the Black and Gold. Barstow finished 1-2 and placed fourth, while Bird and Arya worked their way out of the consolation bracket to finish 3-2 and place sixth.
Drew Cuddy (106, 1-2), Jakob Hulett (113, 2-2), Isaac Medford (132, 1-2), Matt Howell (157, 1-2), Zack Morse (215, 1-2) and Dylan Mathews (285, 2-2) all won matches but did not place.
On Thursday, LNR tuned up for the tournament with a tri-meet at Saugus/Peabody. LNR defeated Lynn Voke 42-0 then lost to Saugus/Peabody, 48-27. Against Lynn, LNR took seven matches, all by first-period pins. Freshman Xander Janicki (150) and sophomores Jack Cuddy (165) and Zack Morse (215) won their first varsity matches. Other winners included Medford (132), David Glynn (138), Arya (144), and Howell (157).
Against Saugus/Peabody, the match was up for grabs with two matches left and LNR trailing 36-27, but Saugus/Peabody hung on to win both and hand LNR its first loss of the season. Winners included Barstow (106), Hulett (120), Jason Kouyoumdjian (126), Arya (144) and Fodera (190).
“It was a very competitive dual meet and not decided until the very end,” Stone said. “We have six starters who are in their first year of varsity competition which bodes well for the future and level of talent we have now,” Stone said. “With eight freshmen, the future is bright.”
Another factor in LNR’s favor this year is the team is back in Division 3, which should boost the team’s postseason chances.
“With the new alignment, we no longer have to compete against the bigger schools like we’ve had to the last few years,” Stone said. “We had won three straight sectionals but the only way the co-op would be approved was if we went to Division 2. Supposedly, all co-op teams had to move up, but some with numbers similar to ours stayed in Division 3. It seems the policy has come full circle and we are where we belong again.”
LNR’s next dual match is Wednesday at home against Excel Academy. The team then heads to the Tsongas Center on Friday and Saturday to compete in the George Bossi Lowell Holiday Tournament.
