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12/19/2023 11:01 AMWhen the majority of a team includes athletes with experience, the goals and aspirations for that team are typically high. This sentiment can be applied to the Guilford wrestling team, as the squad hopes to grow both as a collective unit, and as individuals.
Head Coach Craig Vedrani is currently in his 21st year at the helm, and knows he has a reliable group of athletes this season, ready and eager to improve on their marks.
The eagerness and desire starts at the top, with the Grizzlies two captains in Jonah Labbadia-Colon (junior, 190-pound weight class), and Timmy Hastings (senior, 215-pound weight class). Vedrani likes the example they each set for the rest of their teammates, and the attitudes they bring to the mat daily.
“They are both extremely high-character athletes, that is why they are chosen, and I think our team saw that in them which is why they voted for them,” Vedrani said. “I think they demand respect from the team, and the team respects them. As far as being high-character student-athletes, they are good motivators, they communicate well with the other athletes, and they are going to be good role models for everyone on and off the mat.”
The Grizzlies compete in the Southern Connecticut Conference (SCC), and in class L on the state level stage.
Guilford is certainly off to a hot start to the winter campaign, as the team opened the season against the Hillhouse Academics on Dec. 13, grabbing a commanding 76-0 win.
In the dominant victory, top performers for Guilford were Eli McDermott (junior, 144 pounds), Owen Pelletier-Stephens (junior, 150-pound weight class), Dominic Bliskis (junior, 157 pounds), Garrett Mace (junior, 165-pound weight class), and Logan Murphy (junior, 285 pounds).
There are 25 returning wrestlers on the squad this season, with a total of 38 on the roster. With a large number of athletes being experienced in the sport, Vedrani hopes to see each one grow with the challenges that come with wrestling at weights they haven’t competed in before.
“We have about four or five people wrestling up a weight until Christmas, and then we get a two-pound growth allowance,” said Vedrani. “We have a few people shifting down to different weights, so our lineup is going to look a little different in a couple of weeks. I’m hoping we do well, we have a tough test at the Guilford Invitational with a bunch of top teams in the state who are going to be there. We will be tested right out of the gates with that tournament.”
That exact invitational certainly proved to be a challenge for the relentless Grizzlies, who hosted 16 teams from across Connecticut on Dec. 16. This was the 47th year Guilford held the tournament, with it being the longest running wrestling tournament in the state. On the day, Guilford finished at No. 6 with 122 points.
“The team wrestled well, and I was pleased with the effort of each wrestler,” Vedrani said. “We still have a lot of room for improvement, but it was a good start to the season. I’m very proud of sophomore Alex Uzzo on winning a title at 138 pounds. He has put in a lot of work in the offseason and wrestled great. Sophomore Logan Murphy (285 pounds) wrestled well to a second place finish. Senior Tim Hastings (215 pounds) wrestled back for third. Junior Dante Bilskis took fourth, and senior JP Meguerditchian (190 pounds) took fifth. Junior Eli McDermott (144-pound bout) got hurt in the semifinals, and defaulted out to a sixth place finish.”
With the number of impressive performances displayed on the mat at the multi-school invitational, Vedrani has high hopes for a variety of wrestlers this winter, including Bliskis (126-pound weight class), Uzzo, McDermott, Pelletier-Stephens, Labbadia-Colon, Meguerditchian, Hastings, and Murphy.
Not only does Vedrani want his team to continue to grow and improve every day, but he also hopes to get to 20 wins in the dual-meet portion of the season, and be in the top third for the SCC.
“I think this is a realistic goal to have. I am looking forward to this year,” says Vedrani. “Our team is very balanced this year, in years passed we have had some really good wrestlers, but also have had a lot of new wrestlers in a lot of weights. When you give up pins in wrestling, it really hurts because you give up double the points, as opposed to a decision. This year, we have good wrestlers all the way through, and we have some depth this year which is going to help.”
Vedrani is assisted by Neil Willis, who is in his second year with the team, and Anthony Mancini, who is in his eighth year.
The Grizzlies team roster is comprised of Hastings, Meguerditchian, Kenneth Pelphrey (senior, 175 weight class), Rocco Barbera (junior, 175 weight class), Richie Becker (junior, 175 weight class), Dante Bliskis, Dominick Bliskis, Alex Cieplik (junior, 157 weight class), Colton Deboda (junior, 175 weight class), Labbadia-Colon, Ben Lamarche (junior, 175 weight class), Mace, Ahmed Majeed (junior, 215 weight class), Amar Maula (junior, 157 weight class), McDermott, Murphy, Michael O’Donnell (junior, 190 weight class), Pelletier-Stephens, Makena Sullivan (junior, 106 weight class), Killian Thompson (junior, 132 weight class), Zander Vance (junior, 190 weight class), Daniel Boyce (sophomore, 175 weight class), Bodhi Climie (sophomore, 144 weight class), Sam Martocci (sophomore, 150 weight class), Andrew Plancon (sophomore, 113 weight class), Logan Plancon (sophomore, 120 weight class), Robin Roberts (sophomore, 138 weight class), Abdul Sabea (sophomore, 138 weight class), Uzzo, Liam Bercha (freshman, 215 weight class), Dylan Chung (freshman, 132 weight class), Thurstan Crane-Messina (freshman, 165 weight class), Evie Day (freshman, 120 weight class), Jayden Gravel (freshman, 215 weight class), Hyde Jacobson (freshman, 132 weight class), Madeline Kennedy (freshman, 106 weight class), Nathan Slater (freshman, 175 weight class), and Trin Sukdaung (freshman, 126 weight class).
Grizzlies Wrestling 2023-24 Schedule:
Wednesday December 20: vs Xavier at 7 p.m.
Saturday December 23: vs Ledyard, Foran, New Fairfield at 9 a.m.
Thursday December 28: vs Notre Dame-West Haven at 7 p.m.
Saturday December 30: Whippet Duals at 10 a.m.
Wednesday January 3: vs Daniel Hand at 6:30 p.m.
Saturday January 6: Bristol Central Invitational at 9 a.m.
Wednesday January 10: vs Branford at 6:30 p.m.
Saturday January 13: vs Staples, Fairfield Prep, Foran, Maloney, Northwestern, Stratford at 8:45 a.m.
Wednesday January 17: vs North Haven at 7 p.m.
Saturday January 20: Colter Abely Midseason Classic at 9 a.m.
Saturday January 27: TFC Kevin Miller Tourney at 9:30 a.m.
Wednesday January 31: vs Fairfield Prep at 5:30 p.m.
Saturday February 3: vs New Fairfield, Bethel, Branford, Haddam-Killingworth, Londonberry (NH), Nonnewaug, Ridgefield at 9:30 a.m.
Monday February 5: vs Amity at 6:30 p.m.