QUEEN OF THE MAT RECAP
The applause was heard above the grandstands as Harborfields wrestlers pinned their way into the finals. 19 TOH (Town Of Huntington) girls plus Harborfields-only Kaitlynn Carrion went to the season opener in Copiague on Saturday, December 2nd.
Carrion, who wrestles mixed competition joined Kaitlyn Costa and I, Yoselin Benitez Almendares in the Annual Queen of the Mat Tournament. This tournament commemorates the late Coach Cipriano of Copiague, who passed away back in July 2022.
If you want to learn more about Coach Cipriano's legacy click here!
All the wrestlers gathered in the middle of the mat where the current Copiague coach talked about the impact Coach Cip left. He was one of the first on Long Island to do an “odd thing” by letting a girl join their team. He mentioned how at the time he and others thought Coach Cip was weird as he believed that, “Girls can’t wrestle because that's a boy sport!”
However, he soon learned that wrestling is JUST wrestling no matter the gender. He continued his speech by thanking everyone in the gymnasium for having an impact on the growing sport. Once the clock struck 9 o’clock, wrestling began and the room filled with beeping timers and enthusiastic teammates.
When asked about her experience with this tournament, Senior Kaitlynn Carrion said, “My sophomore year, Copiague had a boys’ tournament with a tiny girls’ division of only 4 of us! The matches would go by quickly, but now it’s its own division with competitive finals. Now that a lot of girls have been wrestling a year or more, they have gained much more skill leading to exciting competitions.”
Picture of Kaitlynn Carrion (on the right) standing with the tournament placers at The Queen of the Mat tournament.
Picture of Yoselin Benitez Almendares (on the left) after winning her match.
Besides Carrion, others had strong emotions such as myself. This year I placed 4th starting the season 2-2. I was able to see and feel how much I’ve improved since my first-ever match. I went from being completely upset that I started the season 0-2 last year to beaming with joy as I wrestled until the very end. Unfortunately, I did have to forfeit at the finals due to an injury in the first period, nonetheless, I am extremely proud of myself and I can’t wait for more.
Picture of Bianca Awerman (on the right) standing with the tournament placers at The Queen of the Mat tournament.
This year TOH has a Commack wrestler joining the lineup. Freshman Bianca Awerman made her debut, pinning every girl coming her way, granting her first place.
This tournament was an amazing way to start the amazing season that is down the road for HF and TOH. The next stop is back at the Bayshore Gymnasium for a dual meet against them as well as Bellport on Thursday, 12/14/2023 at 6:00 PM. Mark it in your calendar and come cheer for us!
