Led by three underclass wrestlers, Methuen emerged as Massachusetts's top team at the New England Wrestling Championships on Saturday at the New Haven Athletic Center in Connecticut, finishing fourth.
Christian Monserrat (103 pounds), Paul Sughrue (119) and C.J. Doherty (145) all placed second for the Rangers, who finished with 66 1/2 points.
With the above three wrestlers returning in 2012, Methuen hopes to take a run at southern New Hampshire's Timberlane (Plaistow, N.H.), which won an unprecedented fourth consecutive New England team title, easily out-distancing second-place St. Anthony's of Vermont, Hand of Connecticut and Methuen.
Individual New England winners from Massachusetts were Kyle and Devin Visconti, Malden Catholic; Gabe Turetsky, Newton South; Nick Avery, Foxborough; and Ryan O'Boyle, Central Catholic (Lawrence).
VOLLEYBALL CLINIC DRAWS PRAISE, LARGE CROWD
Bond Shymansky
Photo by Jim Stout
The clinician was Marquette University coach Bond Shymansky, whose day-long presentation was entitled "Taking Volleyball Techniques to the Next Level."
"This shows that New England is truly interested in growing the sport of volleyball," noted MGVCA President Rob Slavin of Sacred Heart. "The range of coaches here from the middle school to the collegiate level were inspired by Coach Shymansky's high-energy presentation.
"It was great to see so many club coaches from across New England," added Slavin. "It supports the idea that kids are learning the game at younger levels, and that bodes well for the overall growth of volleyball in Region 1.
"We couldn't put on such an event without the partnerships with the American Volleyball Coaches Association, MaxPreps and Reebok. Their support provides the backbone for everything we do as an association. The leadership that these organization's provide is pivotal to our growth."
Jim Stout is the CBS MaxPreps Media Manager for the Eastern U.S. He may be reached at 845-367-2864 or at jim.stout@cbsinteractive.com.
