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Winchester High School’s Red & Black wrestling team persevered with success through the Division 1 State Meet at North Andover High School last Friday and Saturday, Feb. 21 and 22.
This tournament brings out the best throughout the state after qualifying for it by finishing in the top four in all weight classes during the previous week’s state sectional tournaments.
Winchester once again distinguished itself against its divisional statewide peers with two boys and two girls placing, and as a team it also ended up in the Top 20 out of almost 50 Division 1 schools participating in this annual event.
The Winchester boys competed both days, with junior captain Kai Napadow Baquero taking third place in the 113-pound weight class, while his classmate and fellow captain Eddie Donlon came in seventh among the 132-pound grapplers.
Both fought hard throughout the tournament, and will now be heading to the All-State Meet — which includes all three divisions — this weekend (Feb. 28, March 1) at Methuen High School to compete against the best in the entire state to determine the 2024-25 champions.
The girls will be wrestling on Saturday, and locally senior captain Anshu Patra (114-pounds, fourth in the divisional meet) and sophomore Maria Baldwin (120-pound, second in the divisional meet) will be there to compete for state championships in Methuen after top finishes in the divisional meet.
The Red & Black had a fine representation at the state divisional meet, which also included the following among both the boys and girls grapplers.
Junior Henry Wallace came out on top once in the 106-pound weight class during the divisional meet. Luca Kovacev (175-pounds), Yusef Ebeid (190) and Shaun Garrett (215) also competed and gave it their all to close out their seasons against their state Division 1 peers.
Among the Winchester girls, freshman Eleonora Siciliano competed in the 106-pound weight class, and this experience will be crucial for her next year, according to head coach Ryan Errico.
“I also want to give a shoutout to Joe Ficociello and Ian Welsh, who competed at the War Dog’s Who’s No. 1 freshman tournament,” said Errico. “Joe ended up fourth, while Ian secured the championship.”
The War Dogs run a series of tournaments throughout the off-season that sharpens the skills of the young wrestlers. But in the meantime, Errico and his staff want the program’s fans to make some noise for Kai Napadow Baquero, Eddie Donlon, Anshu Patra and Maria Baldwin as they seek to secure state championships this weekend.
Team banquet plans in the works
The team’s annual end-of-the-season banquet is confirmed, and it will be held on Wednesday, March 19, at the Winchester Sons of Italy Hall, 117 Swanton St., starting at 6:30 p.m.
As usual, the program will celebrate the team and its coaches, while also giving out awards and goodies to the wrestlers. The banquet always provides an opportunity for everybody connected with the program to get together one last time before the off-season gets underway. It’s also a great way to cap off another winning season.
Fred Fakhiri, a professional caterer and Mahdi’s dad, is organizing the menu, along with help from the Boosters Club, who will partially subsidize the cost of the event. If you haven’t yet made a reservation, RSVP on the Evite, so the Boosters will know just how much food is needed for the festive occasion.
