Since 2007, the Youth New England Wrestling (YNEW) Championships have 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 era. Originally, there were only two age groups in the OPEN 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 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 All-Timers 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.
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, All-American status, and even national championships.
In recent years, the YNEW tournament has grown to become the largest in New England. There are now four OPEN competitions and three GIRLS competitions for ages 6-15 years old. The tournament is held on twelve full mats over two days so that youth wrestlers can test their mettle against New England’s best.
These days, there are special 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 entire competition, which is live streamed on FloWrestling. Visit the YNEW All-Timers List for a list of past champs and placers, outstanding wrestlers, team title winners, and scholarship recipients.
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, the New England Pride Scholarships program was created to support former YNEW wrestlers who are 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 and recognize the accomplishments of an impressive group of athletes from the New England wrestling community.
In March 2022, the Youth New Englands returned from a two-year hiatus caused by the COVID pandemic. Since then, the Girls Competition has grown dramatically and a new age group has been added for younger wrestlers. Meanwhile, the Open Competition has continued to grow. For the past two years, the Youth New Englands has been hosted at the Game On Sportsplex in Fitchburg MA.
Last March, YNEW 2024 produced sixteen outstanding wrestlers, three team champions, and 78 individual champions. CONGRATULATIONS to all individual champions and placers and KUDOS to the following special award winners for 2024:
- Club Team Champs – Doughboy Wrestling Club
- Town Team Champs – Newtown CT
- Girls Team Champs – Maine Trappers
- Most Outstanding Wrestler GIRLS (Elena Award) – Chloe Ross
- Most Outstanding Wrestler OPEN (Peckham Award) – Lucas Copper
- Outstanding Wrestler (10U GIRLS) – Avalyn Lamarre
- Most Dominant Wrestler (10U GIRLS) – Maeve Fernald
- Outstanding Wrestler (12U GIRLS) – Brooke Dixon
- Most Dominant Wrestler (12U GIRLS) – Zsofia Quiles
- Outstanding Wrestler (15U GIRLS) – Kaydn Hansen
- Most Dominant Wrestler (15U GIRLS) – Chloe Ross
- Outstanding Wrestler (8U OPEN) – Abe Gusha
- Most Dominant Wrestler (8U OPEN) – Joseph Stolfi
- Outstanding Wrestler (10U OPEN) – Parker Topa
- Most Dominant Wrestler (10U OPEN) – Maddox Wilson
- Outstanding Wrestler (12U OPEN) – Camron Veneziano
- Most Dominant Wrestler (12U OPEN) – Jackson Mahoney
- Outstanding Wrestler (15U OPEN) – David McNally
- Most Dominant Wrestler (15U OPEN) – Dawson McGrath