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03/25/2024 11:56 AMThe Guilford co-ed wrestling team never backed down from challenges this season. With a squad full of mixed experience levels, the Grizzlies took on every match with a positive attitude, and it paid dividends for them in the end.
The team had a very strong season, finishing the dual meet campaign with a record of 19-9 overall and 7-1 within the SCC. The Grizzlies were additionally crowned Division A champions with a record of 4-0.
Head Coach Craig Vedrani was proud of the way his team stepped up through struggles and embraced every moment on the mat.
“Our team had a solid dual meet season overall, especially considering all the injuries we dealt with. We luckily had quite a bit of depth and had people fill in nicely to our varsity lineup,” said Vedrani. “We won a bunch of close matches this year and gained a ton of experience in those battles.”
Guilford began the postseason on Feb. 10 with the SCC Tournament, where the Grizzlies finished third out of 15 schools. Seven wrestlers placed in the top 3.
Eli McDermott (37-6) placed second at 144 pounds, Alex Uzzo (42-12) took second at 132 pounds, Andrew Plancon (31-16) finished third at 113 pounds, and Dante Bilskis (31-18) claimed third place at 120 pounds. Additionally, JP Meguerditchian (24-21) took third at 175 pounds, Jonah Labbadia-Colon (26-9) took home third place at 195 pounds, and Timothy Hastings (39-11) finished in third at 215 pounds. Uzzo and McDermott were named to the All-SCC Second Team.
“I was very happy with the grit our team showed, wrestling back for (five) third place finishes,” said Vedrani. “It's not easy taking a loss, refocusing, and winning out your matches for third.”
On Feb. 15 and 16, Guilford hosted the Class M State Championship meet, with 27 schools in attendance. The Grizzlies placed fourth overall, with six wrestlers placing in the top six.
McDermott won a Class M state title at 144 pounds, with a decisive 7-1 victory over Berlin's Hiram Sepulveda. Vedrani praised McDermott for his ability to stay focused and give his best effort on the mat.
“Eli wrestled a great tournament. He was locked in and wrestled with confidence throughout the two-day event,” Vedrani said. “He is extremely talented, and when he just lets go and wrestles to his abilities, he is tough to beat. He has put in a ton of work in the offseason and has come a long way.”
Logan Murphy (junior, 31-10, 225 pounds) and Hastings both battled their way back to third place finishes. Uzzo and Bilskis also had strong showings, both taking fourth place in their respective weight classes.
“Logan and Timmy both were able to shake off tough losses and win their final matches to secure third place. I'm proud of the mental toughness they showed,” Vedrani said. “Uzzo (41-12) had an outstanding sophomore year. He had a stacked weight and wrestled tough in each of his matches. He'll be fun to watch for the next two years. Dante really turned it on towards the end of the year and had an excellent postseason. He has a high motor and never stops wrestling.”
Labbadia-Colon was another top contributor for the Grizzlies in the state championship meet, making the podium and placing sixth. He helped lead the squad as an effective captain this winter, alongside Hastings. They both brought leadership qualities on and off the mat.
“They were both great captains this year and great role models for everybody this year. They led by example; they are very honest and respectful people. They helped clean up some issues that we had with some of the younger wrestlers,” said Vedrani. “They really helped clean up the team throughout the year, and they both led well in their matches throughout the season.”
On Feb. 23 and 24, the Grizzlies competed at the State Open Tournament. Due to injuries, only four wrestlers were able to compete, along with Evie Day (114 pounds) and Makenna Sullivan (100 pounds), who competed at the Girls’ State Championship.
“All of our wrestlers that competed won a match or two, but Evie Day was the only placer, taking fifth place,” said Vedrani. “Evie is one tough competitor and wrestled great. She is strong and aggressive and gives her opponents fits. Once she gains a bit more experience, she'll be tough to beat. It was great to see her on the podium, especially as a freshman.”
What made Guilford’s campaign as impressive as it was is the fact that the team powered through obstacles all winter long, not backing down from any adversity thrown its way.
“We had a lot of injuries and sicknesses throughout the year. We had a lot of guys fill in. Winning our division in the SCC and going 7-1 in the SCC, I was very proud of everybody,” Vedrani said. “It was not easy because three of those matches were pretty close. People stepped up big; sometimes it was a freshman or JV wrestler that stepped in. Having 36 guys and girls on the team worked to our advantage and helped us with dual meets.”
As the Grizzlies look ahead to next winter on the mats, they bring back a lot of veteran experience that will help breed the talented freshman class. Vedrani is confident in the abilities of his athletes to bring home many accolades again.
“Our team looks to build off the experience that we gained this year and look forward to next season. We have 36 wrestlers on the roster and only two seniors, so we'll have a lot of experience coming back into the wrestling room next year,” said Vedrani. “We will have 16 seniors next year, most of whom have been wrestling for three or more years. We are hoping to make some noise in the league and the state tournament next year, and we are all excited.”
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 full 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), Bliskis, Dominick Bliskis (junior, 150 weight class), Alex Cieplik (junior, 157 weight class), Colton Deboda (junior, 175 weight class), Labbadia-Colon, Ben Lamarche (junior, 175 weight class), Garrett Mace (junior, 165 weight class), Ahmed Majeed (junior, 215 weight class), Amar Maula (junior, 157 weight class), McDermott, Murphy, Michael O’Donnell (junior, 190 weight class), Pelletier-Stephens, Sullivan, 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), Day, 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).