Congratulations to the Portsmouth Abbey Varsity Wrestling team for clinching the league title in the EIL Tournament on Saturday, February 11, 2017. "Coming off a 22-0 dual meet season and some great tournament performances at the Battle of the Bay, and the Northern New England Invitational, the Wrestling Ravens were poised to accomplish the feat that they set out on five years ago, when the program started: capture an EIL Tournament title," said Head Wrestling Coach Mike McLarney.

This year's team rocketed to the top dominating the tournament, putting 11 out of 14 wrestlers in the finals and coming away with five champions in first and six seconds. The team additionally qualified 11 of 14 wrestlers for the New England Tournament and has a stable of backups, five of whom also qualified (but cannot compete, because only single entries per weight class are allowed).

"We were awarded a trophy for winning the league regular-season competition with a league record of 11-0 and an overall record of 22-0. We were also awarded a plaque as the team tournament winner. In addition, Mike McLarney was awarded EIL Coach of the Year for Wrestling," said Coach Dave Wilson. "Truly a team effort!"

Our wrestling champions, by weight class, are:

106 Luke Humphrey '20 EIL Champion

113 Ramon Uria '19 EIL Champion

120 JJ Twomey '19 EIL Finalist

126 Brendan Rogers '20 EIL Finalist

132 Rodrigo Goff Peniche '19 EIL Consolation Tournament Champion

138 Thomas Teravainen '18 EIL Finalist

145 Bautista Carugati '19 EIL Fourth Place

152 Chris Franco '18 EIL Finalist

160 Davey Appleton '20 EIL Champion

170 Lance Spears '18 EIL Finalist

182 Henry Wilson '18 EIL Finalist

195 Will Ensign '17 EIL Consolation Tournament Champion

220 Richard Ryu '18 EIL Champion

Heavy Weight Chase Carter '17 EIL Champion

"I can truly say that having been in the sport for 48 years, I have never seen a team work as hard as this one did, especially when they had tasted some small success, through hard work and dedication to a singular task, to make the wrestler next to them into a better wrestler, and to make themselves into fine young gentlemen," said Coach McLarney. "We do not make it easy for our wrestlers, and every day they need to visit the tropics and get out of their comfort zones. They soon find out 'after wrestling everything is easy.'"

Athletic Director Al Brown said, "Wrestling has made steady progress in the last five years culminating in a EIL League championship and Tournament championship this year. Eleven Abbey wrestlers qualified for EIL finals and five were crowned EIL champions. Coach Mike McLarney was named EIL Coach of the Year. We are all very proud of this team's accomplishments and the overall progress of the program. Good luck next weekend at the New Englands!"

The New England Wrestling Tournament will take place Friday 2/17- Saturday 2/18 at Hyde School in Bath, ME. Competing for Portsmouth Abbey will be Luke Humphrey, Ramon Uria, Rodrigo Goff Peniche, Thomas Teravainen, Davey Appleton, Lance Spears, Henry Wilson, Will Ensign, and Chase Carter.

Photos, from top:
The team in the wrestling room with their league trophy (Dave Wilson)
The lineup before the finals featuring 11 Abbey wrestlers filling out the 14 weight classes (Dave Wilson)
The team watching the tournament (Louis Walker)
Rodrigo Goff Peniche '19, EIL Consolation Tournament Champion (Louis Walker)
Coach Mike McLarney after being presented with the EIL Coach of the Year plaque (Dave Wilson)
Captains Henry Wilson and Will Ensign with the EIL team trophy (Dave Wilson)

For more photos of the tournament, visit:

http://www.louiswalkerphotography.com/Sports/Wrest...