Wrestling - V

PEA Wrestling went 2–2 over the weekend in a super-quad meet down at Andover. In the marquee  rivalry match-up against Andover, Exeter fought hard but fell short in a tight 43–33 loss. The Big Red rebounded to defeat Deerfield (36–31) and Hyde (63–12), before ending the day with a 66–12 loss against a strong Roxbury Latin team. Several Big Red grapplers turned in strong individual performances, with Ikaika Toves, Lake Zhou, Edward Wu, and Towner Akers earning their first varsity wins of their PEA wresting careers. Nathi Lomax and Bella Bueno also posted victories in JV exhibitions.

On Saturday, Exeter closed out the dual-meet portion of its season by playing host to the annual Seabrooke Duals, named in honor of legendary Big Red wrestling coach Ted Seabrooke. PEA went 2–2 on the day, defeating Avon Old Farms (46–33) and Brooks (40–30) and falling to Northfield Mount Hermon (72–6) and St. Sebastian’s (51–21). The dual against Brooks was particularly exciting, with Kevin Thant bumping up to 190 pounds to win a crucial match in a wild 13–11 barn-burner. Against St. Sebastian’s, co-captain Sebastian Hiller wrestled a smart match against a strong opponent, scoring an escape late in the third period to secure a one-point victory. This set of results leaves the team with a final 10–7 dual meet record for the year, and Exeter’s grapplers will now turn their attention to “tournament season," starting with the Northern New England Invitational next weekend.

Exeter Wrestling competed at the Northern New England Tournament this weekend, finishing in 3rd place as a team. Leading the charge for the Big Red were the three wrestlers who won individual championships: Konrad Kutt, co-captain Sebastian Hiller, and Jack Mosley. In addition, eight other Exeter wrestlers placed at the tournament: Marek Jin (2nd), co-captain George Varghese (3rd), co-captain Alex Rosen (3rd), Nathi Lomax (4th), Zain Reza (4th), Ikaika Toves (5th), Becket Moore (5th), and Jack Breaks (6th).

PEA wrestling had a successful day of competition at the Class A Championships this weekend. As a team, Exeter narrowly edged out Choate to finish in fourth place. Co-captain Sebastian Hiller led the Big Red with a second-place finish in the 215-pound weight class, upsetting a highly ranked St. Paul’s opponent with a quick pin in the semifinals, while Bella Bueno earned a strong second place in the 165-pound girls division. Five additional PEA wrestlers—Ikaika Toves, Konrad Kutt, Jack Breaks, Zain Reza, and Marek Jin—turned in third-place finishes. Based on these results, a total of eight Exonians (the aforementioned seven, plus co-captain Alex Rosen) have qualified for the New England Championships next weekend. Congratulations!

The full list of placewinners from this weekend’s tournament is below:

113: Ikaika Toves 3rd

120: Nathi Lomax 5th

126: Konrad Kutt 3rd; Edward Wu 6th

144: Jack Breaks 3rd; Becket Moore 6th

150: George Varghese 5th

157: Zain Reza 3rd

215: Sebastian Hiler 2nd

285: Marek Jin 3rd

165 (girls’ division): Bella Bueno 2nd

PEA wrestling competed at the New England Championships this weekend, with berths in next weekend’s prestigious Prep Nationals tournament on the line. On the boys’ side, co-captain Sebastian Hiller and Marek Jin punched their ticket to Nationals, placing fourth and sixth in their respective weight classes. Konrad Kutt and Ikaika Toves also made the podium with eighth-place finishes. Additionally, co-captain Alex Rosen capped off his PEA wrestling career with a gutsy effort, batting through injury but ultimately falling just short of the medal matches. On the girls’ side, Bella Bueno qualified for Nationals with a strong third-place finish, avenging a prior loss to an NMH opponent in her last match of the day. As a team, PEA finished in 14th place. Onward to Nationals!