On Saturday, the All-Gender Wrestling team competed in the Class A Championships, highlighted by Co-Captain Julian Rios ’26 becoming a three-time Class A Champion. Andover had 15 wrestlers compete in the Prep division (co-ed) and eight in the Girls division. The team placed third overall in the Prep division and had a strong showing in the Girls division, finishing second overall.
Julian Rios ’26 reflected on his tournament, expressing satisfaction with his performance on Saturday and the reward of seeing his hard work pay off.
“My matches went very well. I wrestled at a high level, and I was able to get the job done quickly, which is always ideal. It was a fun tournament; it’s nice to see the hard work pay off at the end of these big tournaments and culminate in a successful result for the team,” said Rios.
Sean Flynn ’27 shared that he was particularly impressed with Tash Bohorad ’26 and Antonia Elliot ’27 in the Girls division, as well as James Bae ’26 in the Prep division.
“The girls, Tash and Toni, did great in the tournament. It was very impressive how well they competed in their matches. For the guys, James Bae did very well. He placed fourth in his weight division,” said Flynn.
Similarly, Rios had high praise for his teammates, highlighting the significant improvement the wrestling team has made throughout the winter season.
“Everyone wrestled well, and we all went out there and performed at our best. It’s really good to see how much everyone has improved over the course of the season. The season overall has been great for the team. It’s always nice to see the hard work everyone has put in so far. Overall, the season’s been awesome, and I’m excited to see what’s coming up next,” said Rios.
Reflecting on the season, Flynn echoed Rios’s sentiment, agreeing that it has been a success so far. He highlighted the incredible progress made by each wrestler and the ability of new wrestlers to improve quickly.
“Since the beginning of the season, there has been so much progress. The returning wrestlers have refined their techniques, while the new wrestlers have learned them quickly. I’ve seen so much improvement over the past year, and every week we are getting better. Eventually, we’re going to reach the top,” said Flynn.
Christian Robinson ’28 competed in his second tournament for Andover this weekend. He emphasized the value of the experience and the lessons he’s gaining from each match, even when facing tough opponents.
“I had a really strong bracket. Today, my match didn’t go as well as I wanted it to. I had some tough losses, but overall, my fights were great. I’m sure I’ll learn a lot from them and apply it to my next matches,” said Robinson.
Looking ahead, the New England Championships are approaching for qualified wrestlers. To prepare for both this tournament and the upcoming matches at Nationals and Phillips Exeter Academy (Exeter), Flynn emphasized the need for consistency and daily improvement.
“We really need to drill and work hard each day at practice. We need to stay mentally focused at all times in preparation for our next matches and play our part for the team’s success,” said Flynn.
This Friday, the team will travel to Exeter to compete in the New England Championships, which will take place on Friday and Saturday, followed by Nationals the week after.
