By ANDY KIRKALDY
VERGENNES — Twenty-two youth wrestling programs from around Vermont sent 460 wrestlers to Vergennes Union High School on Saturday for the kindergarten-through-sixth-grade state championship meet, hosted by the Vergennes-area youth wrestling program.
The host youth program also fared best among area teams, with six of their young grapplers winning a title in one of the weight classes in three age brackets: kindergarten through second grade, third and fourth grade, and fifth and sixth grade.
Program coach Robin Jackman, one of 10 Vergennes-area youth coaches who helped organize the event, said those results were the best ever for the local athletes.
“That’s a record for us. Things are looking up,” said Jackman, also the VUHS middle school coach.
Wrestlers from the Mount Abe-area youth wrestling program took three championships and those from the Middlebury area claimed two.
Jackman and his colleagues were thrilled with the many members of the community who helped run the event as well as their athletes.
“We’re real proud of all our participants, and all the people who helped the thing run as smooth as it did,” he said.
Winning from the Vergennes club were:
• Kyle Kingsley, 3rd and 4th grade, 60 pounds.
• Devin Kimball, 3-4, 75B class (in some weights there were so many wrestlers the classes were split and more than one champion was crowned).
• Cyrus Devine, kindergarten-to-2nd grade, 90.
• Anthony Smith, 5th and 6th grace, 96.
• Brandon Cousino, 3-4, 119.
• Dylan Raymond, 5-6, 125.
Winning from the Mount Abraham program were:
• Thomas Lopinto, 5-6, 75.
• Dylan Little, 3-4, 85.
• Jackie Gorton, 5-6, 119.
Winning from the Middlebury program were:
• Nicholas Niemo, K-2, 65A.
• Tyler Hotte, 3-4, 110.
Placing second from the Vergennes program were:
• Zachary Stearns, K-2, 60A.
• Jesse Nary, 5-6, 60B.
• Trevon Smith, 3-4, 75.
• Christian Paquin, K-2, 100.
• Ryan Paquin, 5-6, 119.
Taking second from the Mount Abe program were:
• Logan Swinton, 5-6, 70.
• Matt Jackman, 5-6, 80.
Taking second from the Middlebury program were:
• Aaron Laroque, K-2, 50D.
• Benjamin Murray, 3-4, 65B.
• Jared Messner, 3-4, 70A.
• Wyatt Warner, 5-6, 90B.
• Matthew Dutton, 5-6, 112B.
• Alyssa O’Dell, 5-6, 112C.
• Wyatt Laberge, 5-6, 145.
• Bruce Wright, 5-6, 171.
Placing third from the Vergennes program were:
• Trevor Hallock, K-2, 50A.
• Barrett Barrows, K-2, 50B.
• Kyriek Smith, K-2, 65.
• Phillip Armell, 3-4, 70.
• Dylan Bradford, 3-4, 85.
• Eli Paquin, 3-4, 100.
• Casey Kimball, 3-4, 110.
• Chloe Martin, 3-4, 140.
Earning thirds from the Mount Abe program were:
• Gary Conant, K-2, 60.
• Larry Bristol, 3-4, 65.
• Dominic Freegard, K-2, 70.
• Aaron Dragon, K-2, 75.
• Jacob Gorton, 3-4, 80.
• Gabe Doane, 5-6, 119.
Placing third from the Middlebury area were:
• Jacob Remick, K-2, 65B.
• Martin Niemo, 3-4, 90A.
• Zachary Mason, 3-4, 120.
• Jerry Niemo, 5-6, 103.
• Christopher Gobbi, 5-6, 160.