This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
03/03/2018 11:00 PMWrestling
After winning the State Open title for the 285-pound weight class, Hand senior Michael Burchell claimed a first-place finish and a regional title by winning the 285 division at the New England Championship, which took place on March 2 and 3 at the Providence Career and Technical Academy in Providence, Rhode Island. Burchell won the title in quick fashion by pinning Ryan Higgins of Billerica, Massachusetts in just 41 seconds in the championship bout.
After receiving a first-round bye, Burchell pinned Zeb Leavitt from Cheverus, Maine in 48 seconds in the second round of the championship bracket. He then won by a 13-4 decision over Calvin Hayford of Mt. Anthony, Vermont in the quarterfinals, before scoring a close semifinal victory over LaSalle Academy of Rhode Island’s Dante Delbonis by an 8-7 score.
“I’m excited to have the opportunity to bring home a SCC championship, a state championship, a State Open championship, and a New England championship to Madison and Hand,” said Burchell. “I started wrestling three years ago, and it was the best decision of my life. The success and positive experience couldn’t be possible without my coaches, my teammates, and my parents. When I wrestle well, I can beat anyone. It was great to finish off an undefeated season in front of 600 people with a 40-second pinfall in the final.”
Burchell compiled a record of 40-0 this season. He’s received a scholarship to wrestle at Division I school Appalachian State University in North Carolina and finished his Tigers’ tenure as a three-time All-American and two-time Class L state champion.
Gymnastics
Hand had a pair of representatives at the State Open Championship as Erin Naclerio and Grace Rogers competed on behalf of the Tigers at Pomperaug High School on March 3.
Naclerio posted an all-around score of 35.7 to finish in sixth place at the Open. She finished in a four-way tie for seventh on bars (8.7), was seventh on the beam (8.85), took seventh for the floor (9.15), and tied for 11th in the vault (9.0). Rogers finished 20th on the floor (8.675), 21st for the beam (8.2), and 22nd for the bars with an 8.15. Both athletes earned All-State First team recognition, and Naclerio qualified for the New England Championship that will be held Saturday, March 10 in Derry, New Hampshire.
Boys’ Indoor Track
The Tigers were represented by their 4x400 relay squad at the New England Championship, which took place on March 3 at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston, Massachusetts. Hand’s 4x400 quartet of Jamie Calderon, Carson Hines, Liam Akers, and Nick Porte finished in ninth place with a time of 3 minutes and 31.55 seconds, which set a new school record for the event.
Girls’ Basketball
The defending champion Hand girls’ basketball team entered the Class L State Tournament as the No. 4 seed and won its opening game to advance into the second round. The Tigers began their title defense by claiming a 55-41 victory over No. 29 Avon on Feb. 27 in a first-round contest to improve to 20-4 on the year.
Sara Wohlgemuth led three Tigers in double figures with a game-high 19 points against Avon. Gabby Egidio added 17 points, and Hannah Martin chipped in 10 points for Hand. The decision marked Hand’s fourth straight season with at least 20 wins and eighth consecutive season winning at least one State Tournament game.
Hand jumped out to a 17-10 lead in the first quarter behind 3-pointers from Wohlgemuth, Sullivan, and Egidio. The Tigers stretched that lead to nine at the half behind another five points from Egidio, but Avon hung around in the third. Isabel Aguilar scored 10 of her 18 points in the frame for Avon and, although Wohlgemuth posted eight points on her own, Hand struggled to create any separation. However, in the fourth quarter, Avon began to tire, and the Tigers hung on for the win to advance to the second round of the draw.
“Avon definitely came to play. I think we got caught peeking at their record and thinking this wasn’t going to be competitive. They did a great job inside with Abby St. Onge and Aguilar, and we struggled to defend in the paint,” said Head Coach Tim Tredwell. “Fortunately, we have some kids who can step up and make plays when we need. Sara makes life difficult on most defenses and Hannah had another strong game on both sides of the floor. At this time of year, you can’t get caught up in anything besides survive and advance, so I’m pleased to be moving on to round two.”
Hand hosted No. 13 seed Bassick (14-6) in the second round on March 5 (after press time). The winner moves on to the quarterfinals on Thursday, March 8 against No. 12 Law (16-7) at 7 p.m. The semis are on Monday, March 12, and the Class L final takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena on either Saturday, March 17 or Sunday, March 18.
Also last week, it was announced that Egidio and Wohlgemuth made All-SCC First Team, while Halle Freund made the Second Team for Hand this year.
Boys Basketball
The Tigers didn’t take to the court last week, but they did learn of their first-round opponent for the Division III State Tournament.
The 19th-seeded Tigers (9-12) traveled to No. 14 Darien (10-10) on March 5 (after press time) for a first-round game. The victor moves on to the second round to face No. 3 seed Prince Tech (18-2) on March 7 (after press time). The quarterfinals are on Friday, March 9; the semis take place on Tuesday, March 13; and the championship game is at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville on either Saturday, March 17 or Sunday, March 18.
It was also announced last week that Tyler Boris and Flynn Driscoll were named to the All-SCC Second Team for the 2017-’18 season for the Tigers.
Girls’ Ice Hockey
For the third straight week and in its second consecutive postseason game, the Hand-Coginchaug-Old Lyme girls’ ice hockey team squared off against Amity-North Haven-Cheshire last week. This time, it was in the first round of the State Tournament.
The 12th-seeded Tigers traveled to the Shelton Rinks on Feb. 27 to battle the No. 5 Blades in the opening round of states. The Blades prevailed 4-0 after they had defeated the Tigers by a 3-2 final in the first round of the SCC South Division Tournament the week prior.
In their first season with Head Coach Ray Lilley, the Tigers finished at 10-11-1 overall this year, while making both the Conference and State tournaments.
Boys’ Ice Hockey
The Tigers competed in the SCC/SWC Division III Tournament against Sheehan last week and dropped a 6-2 decision.
No. 3 seed Hand faced No. 2 Sheehan in a semifinal showdown on Feb. 28 at the Milford Ice Pavilion and took a 6-2 loss. Paul Gagliardi and Mike McKeon had the goals for Hand in the game.
In the Division III State Tournament, the Tigers (5-16) are the No. 13 seed and again faced No. 4 Sheehan (17-4) in the first round on March 5 (after press time) at Choate Rosemary Hall. The winner moves onto the quarterfinals on Thursday, March 8 against either the No. 5 seed Eastern Connecticut Eagles (14-3-3) or the No. 12 seed Redhawks. The semifinals are on Tuesday, March 13 at Ingalls Rink in New Haven, and the final takes place at Ingalls at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 18.