ESSEX — Eight area wrestlers earned top-six finishes this past weekend at Essex High School’s Michael Baker Classic, which drew 31 teams from around New England and New York.
Vergennes senior Brandon Cousino earned the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler Award for topping previously undefeated Concord, N.H., 182-pounder George Tarwo in dramatic fashion.
Cousino, down by 3-2 in the final seconds in a match that drew loud applause, powered Tarwo to the mat for two points and a 4-3 victory in the final. That result also avenged Cousino’s only loss this season, 5-4 to Tarwo — a two-time N.H. champion — in the final of a Lowell, Mass., tournament in late December.
Cousino also earned his 100th career pin while winning his semifinal match. His career record now stands at 155-27 with almost two months of high school wrestling to go.
Mount Abraham also enjoyed a good showing, taking 10th with 83.5 points and seeing four of its wrestlers reach the podium, including sophomore Roman Mayer at 120 pounds. Mayer won three matches easily and then lost by a point in the final to Anthony Carter of Beekmantown, N.Y.
Eagle sophomore Kevin Pearsall also fared well at 182, going 5-1 to finish third in the weight class — and losing only to Cousino in the semifinal.
Eagle senior Ben Murray went 4-1 at 126 and finished fourth, and junior Dylan Little won four of seven matches, all by pin, in taking sixth at 170.
Middlebury finished 16th with 47 points, the bulk of them scored by junior Dustin Davio, who took third at 138 and won three matches, and Joe Langevin, who placed sixth at 285 and won twice.
Otter Valley took 18th with 37 points, many of them scored by junior Tyson Cram, who won three matches and finished fifth at 145 pounds.
Concord won the tournament with 240.5 points, followed by Mount Ararat/Brunswick, Maine, (174.50) and Essex (158).
Also competing for the local teams and their records were:
•  99 pounds: Michael Whitney, MUHS, 1-2.
•  106: Patrick Irish, Mt. Abe, 0-2.
•  120: Ty Rovi, OV, 2-2; Alex Walker, MUHS, 1-2; and Dawson Philips and Parker Gero, Mt. Abe, each 0-2.
•  126: Justin Jackson, MUHS, 2-2; and Daniel Whitney, OV, and John Bent, Mt. Abe, each 0-2.
•  132: Gary Conant and Christian Little, Mt. Abe, each 1-2.
•  128: Troy Provencher, VUHS, 0-2.
•  145: Matthew Cota, Mt. Abe, 1-2.
•  152: Joe Whitley, MUHS, 0-2.
•  170: Josh Beayon, OV, 2-2; Justice Green, Mt. Abe, 0-2.
•  182: Cody Young, OV, 2-2, and Zander Wildisin, VUHS, 0-2.
•  220: Jaro Perera, MUHS, 1-2, and Hailey Trayah, Mt. Abe, 0-2.
•  285: Ryan Durfee, Mt. Abe, 0-2.
Andy Kirkaldy may be reached at [email protected].   COMMODORE BRANDON COUSINO, seen here wrestling George Tarwo, was voted the outstanding wrestler at a major Essex tournament on Saturday.
Photo courtesy of Kirk Cousino