Since 2007, the Youth New England Wrestling (YNEW) Championship has been the culmination of the youth winter wrestling season in New England
Back then, the tournament was held on one day, using partial mats, like most youth wrestling competitions of that time. Originally, there were only two age groups in a CO-ED competition. There were no team titles and no individual awards for outstanding wrestlers. The tournament was run ‘on paper’, with bout sheets and flip charts. Nevertheless, the competition to earn the YNEW champion’s coveted hooded sweatshirt was intense.
The early years featured many talented youth wrestlers who went on to excel at the high school and collegiate levels. A close look at the list of YNEW past champions and placers reads like a who’s-who of New England wrestling stars, with many earning multiple state and New England titles in high school before moving on to stellar college careers. Visit YNEW All-Timers List to review the lists of past champs and placers, outstanding wrestlers, team title winners, and scholarship recipients.
Dozens of former YNEW competitors have wrestled for collegiate wrestling programs across the country, from college club teams to New England D-3 schools to big time D-1 programs in the midwest and the south. From the Big Ten to the Ivy League, from the Southern Conference to the New England Wrestling Association, numerous YNEW alumni have earned conference titles and All-American status.
In recent years, the YNEW tournament has more than doubled in size. A younger age division has been added and the tournament is held over two days to accommodate full mats for every match. There are awards for most dominant and outstanding wrestlers, as well as team titles for both town and club teams. KapWrestling uses a paperless system to manage the competition.
The host facilities have grown larger to accommodate the crowds, and the YNEW tournament has turned into a ‘mark-your-calendar’ event for youth wrestlers in New England. Oftentimes, wrestlers use their YNEW experience to test their mettle at other regional competitions located in Pennsylvania, Virginia, New Jersey, Oklahoma, North Carolina, and Florida.
In 2017, a scholarship program was created to support YNEW alumni who were graduating from high school and moving on to collegiate wrestling. The New England Pride Scholarships provide an opportunity for all of us to show our pride in these envoys of the New England wrestling community.
In March 2022, the Youth New Englands returned from a two-year hiatus because of the COVID pandemic. CONGRATULATIONS to all individual champions and placers and KUDOS to the following award winners:
- Club Team Champs – MarcAurele Wrestling Club
- Town Team Champs – Newtown CT & Providence BTS
- Girls Team Champs – Riptide MA & Maine Trappers
- Most Outstanding Wrestler (Peckham Award) – Julian Rios
- Outstanding Wrestler (10U CO-ED) – Mateo Montanaro
- Most Dominant Wrestler (10U CO-ED) – Cam Veneziano
- Outstanding Wrestler (11U GIRLS) – Brooklyn Murray
- Most Dominant Wrestler (11U GIRLS) – Madeline Sousa
- Outstanding Wrestler (12U CO-ED) – Sam Floody
- Most Dominant Wrestler (12U CO-ED) – Ava Guilmette
- Outstanding Wrestler (14U GIRLS) – Isabella Depina
- Most Dominant Wrestler (14U GIRLS) – Cecelia Verrilli
- Outstanding Wrestler (15U CO-ED) – Brighton Karvoski
- Most Dominant Wrestler (15U CO-ED) – Ryan Meier