Varsity wrestling duo Chris Alcock and Paul Papoutsis help New Trier be the regional champs last weekend on February 2nd.
According to M.J Pritchard, New Trier varsity wrestler, there were four first place winners, Colin Kenyon (113), M.J Pritchard (120), Chris Alcock (126) and Alec McKenna (132).
“My performance was not as good as I would’ve hoped, I took fourth and didn’t make it to sectionals because of some tough matches, but overall our team did really well and sent a lot of kids to sectionals,” said senior Jack Nolan.
New Trier dominated the nine-team field with 202 points in total compared to the runner-up Prospect who scored a total of 183 points at the Class 3A Fremd Regional.
So far, New Trier’s wrestlers are off to a great start this season. According to Pritchard, the team has recruited a few Junior Varsity wrestlers, who have proved themselves well this year as varsity wrestlers.
“As an individual I have improved a lot this year my record is 33-4,” said Pritchard.
On January 26th, the Deerfield wrestling team beat CSL runner-up Niles West 39-26 and New Trier 49-18 in the CSL Crossover Dual Championships in Winnetka. In other matches that day, New Trier beat CSL North runner-up Maine West 41-27.
Although New Trier wrestled without 2012 conference champions Chris Alcock (132 pounds) and Paul Papoutsis (160), as well as Jack Nolan (170), they still beat CSL North runner-up Maine West 41-27.
“We don’t like losing to Deerfield,” said New Trier coach Marc Tadelman, whose team won the CSL tourney last year but then lost to Deerfield in the CSL Crossover Championship. “Deerfield did a good job of stopping some of our moves. They’re a tough team,” he said according to CSL Insider.
In the marquee match, New Trier wrestler Colin Kenyon pinned CSL Tournament Outstanding Wrestler Mehrholz (32-2) in 1:35. New Trier also got wins from, Chris Wojcok who beat Deerfield’s Tom Bondies (7-5), M.J. Pritchard (7-3), McKenna (2-1) and John Benson (4-0)
Against Maine West, New Trier’s winners were Charlie Black (pin in :27 at 106), Kenyon (pin in :46 at 113), Pritchard (13-0 at 120), McKenna (pin in 2:42 at 132), Luke Iida (pin in 2:00 at 138), Thomas Palmer (5-4 at 145), Nick Sander (11-1 at 160) and Benson (pin in 1:27), who bumped up from 220, according to CSL Insider.
The New Trier Varsity wrestling team along with Niles West and Maine South tied for the CSL South championship with 4-1 records, January 15th.
Saved by a tie for the CSL South title with the help of Iida, earned a pin during the Trevians’ 54-24 win over Waukegan, along with pins by Colin Kenyon, Pritchard, Mckenna, Jack Nolan, John Benson and Ben Hogin. That Friday, New Trier and Maine South ended their CSL South seasons.
Kenyon recorded the quickest fall, needing just 25 seconds to beat Manny Tenorio at 113 pounds. Pritchard’s pin came at the 3:10 mark against Ronyale Wilson at 126, McKenna stopped Rudy Borland in 1:45 at 132, Iida caught Alex Perales in 1:32 at 138, and Nolan (3:08 over Alex Fernandez at 170), Benson (53 seconds against Aldaberto Maldona at 220) and Hogin (1:12 versus Edwin Palcencia at 182) also contributed six points each for the Trevians, according to CSL Insider.
Despite injured standouts, Alcock and Papoutsis, New Trier beat South Elgin (66-12) and Antioch (45-24). Both players missed Saturday’s competition at a series of dual meets hosted by the defending state champion Carl Sandburg, there they lost to top-ranked Oak Park-River Forest(57-24), Fremd (43-36) and Sycamore (40-19).