Wrestlers From 6 States Compete In First 'Summer Slam' Tourney In Hampstead

HAMPSTEAD, NH — More than 100 wrestlers from several states were in New Hampshire on Sunday to compete in the first Summer Slam event at the Phan Zone Sports Center in Hampstead.

The event was organized by Zach Bridson, a four-time state championship wrestler from Timberlane High School, who was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and later wrestled at the collegiate level for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. The event was the first time Bridson had organized a tournament in New Hampshire, but it was his 20th event overall.

When Bridson returned to New England several years ago, he worked at Smitty’s Barn in Kingston and served as the assistant head coach at New England College in Henniker. He left that job and Smitty’s to start a nonprofit, the Prophecy Wrestling Club in Lawrence, Massachusetts.

Bridson has been building up the club, working with area businesses, nonprofits, police groups, and others to promote the club in the city. It is the first time the city had a club that included K-6th-grade students, he said. He also held a camp at Plymouth State University this past week. Summer Slam was the culmination of all the work the kids had done.

“We’ve been training hard,” he said, of the work the kids put in to compete on Sunday. “Some kids are reaping the benefits of the trainings; other kids are tired. You’ve seen some really good performances, but either way, it’s a good group.”

Bridson leaned on friends to organize the tournament. One, from Virginia Beach, Virginia, lent a hand and brought up a bunch of kids to compete in New Hampshire. Other kids came by word of mouth — including from Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont, or participated in the Plymouth camp, called the White Mountain Warrior Project. The camp, now in its third year, featured a mix of wrestling practices and workouts, as well as camping, with a focus on a well-balanced, wholesome, and spiritually enriching life.

Fundraising for the kids and the program has been tight at times. However, that only motivated Bridson to put more energy into it, working harder to expand the network. He said he came at the project from the aspect and principle of the seven generations popular in some indigenous cultures, and something he learned from his elders, which focuses on improving the lives of the people from the present into the future.

“They told me,” he said, “now is the time. Go create something for these kids. The money will come; don’t worry about the money.”

Tournament Results

High School Results

106 Weight: 1st Jayden Parker (Grit Grizzlies Wrestling Academy) Ludlow, MA, 2nd Scott Holzworth (Riptide Wrestling Club) Pembroke, MA, 3rd Demetri Mallios (Granite State Wrestling Club) Bow, NH, 4th Kylah Bragan (Prophecy Wrestling Club) Haverhill, MA, and 5th Jonathan Brown (MetroWest United) Wayland, MA.

113: 1st Skiles Burkhead (Alchemy) Virginia Beach, VA, 2nd Colin Flood (Barnstable, MA), 3rd Jayden Martinez (Prophecy) North Andover, MA, 4th Ryan Hurley (Prophecy) Sudbury, MA, 5th Duncan Klinck (Smitty's Barn), Tunbridge, VT.

120: 1st Kaiden Cook (Top Flight) Cranston, RI, 2nd Cam Roussell (Smitty's Barn) Londonderry, NH, 3rd Izick Diaz (BraveHearts) Lawrence, MA, 4th Michael Quinn (Top Flight) North Kingston, RI, 5th Michael Joyce (Riptide).

126: 1st Mikhail Hulkow (Milo Wrestling Club) Warwick, RI, 2nd Patrick Cloney (MetroWest) Medfield, MA, 3rd Jayden Pena (BraveHearts), 4th Sean Flaherty (Granite State) Bow, 5th Marciano Armano (BraveHearts).

132: 1st Nathan Morales (Prophecy), 2nd Austin Steinruck (Smitty's Barn) Amherst, NH, 3rd Michael Canova (Iron Faith Wrestling) North Attleboro, MA, 4th Jacob Mullen (Granite State), 5th Jake Mullen (North Quincy), 6th Dennis Cruz (Smitty's Barn).

138: 1st Reid Stoddard (Alchemy), 2nd Apollo Bellini (Top Flight) Glendale, RI, 3rd Raffi Rafaelian (Top Flight) Providence, RI, 4th Samuel Cruz (Prophecy) Manchester, NH, 5th Dylan Griffin (Granite State), 6th Dominic Schinella (Concord, NH).

144: 1st Aidan Baker (Top Flight) Cumberland, RI, 2nd Luke Savage (Fisheye), 3rd Hunter Knight (Smitty's Barn) Hollis, NH, 4th Jordanny Geronimo (Prophecy), 5th Abel Ruano (Providence County Wrestling Club) Pawtucket, RI.

150: 1st Brandon Gray (Newport), 2nd Miles Phillpotts (Leominster, MA), 3rd Aedyn Mennell (Woburn, MA), 4th Maximus Hanson (Riptide), 5th Jacob Ledger (Riptide), 6th Diego Cruz (Prophecy).

157: 1st Ray Mwangi (Leominster), 2nd Alberico Mancini (Top Flight) Cranston, RI, 3rd Owen O'Reilly (Unattached), 4th Abdullah Peterson (Iron Faith) North Attleboro, 5th Andre Jarry (Grit Grizzlies), 6th Nasr Abbari (Manchester Memorial, NH).

165: 1st Kaelib Reynolds (BraveHearts), 2nd Benjamin Byrne (Smitty's Barn) Nashua, NH, 3rd Colin Taylor (Doughboys Wrestling Club) Manchester, 4th Daniel Estrada Colon (BraveHearts) North Andover, MA, 5th Gavin Olinde (Leominster), 6th Carter Geddes (Granite State) Dunbarton, NH.

175: 1st Dylan Miller (Alchemy), 2nd Roman Butera (Muz Trained) Newton, MA, 3rd Don Canova (Iron Faith) North Attleboro, 4th Anthony DiGaetano (Manchester West, NH), 5th Tailyk Rojos (Prophecy), 6th Nathaniel Estrada Colon (BraveHearts) North Andover.

190: 1st Jeancarlos Martinez (Prophecy), 2nd Jonathan Lucas (DoughBoy) Concord, MA, 3rd Colin Demmons (Prophecy), 4th Fisnik Gilaj (The lab wrestling) Salem, MA, 5th Jayden Moreau (BraveHearts), 6th Jonathan Ortiz (BraveHearts).

220: 1st Jaron Molgard (Shawsheen) Wilmington, MA, 2nd Joseph Brown (MetroWest) Wayland, MA, 3rd Andi Pillaj (BraveHearts).

285: 1st Nerivaldo Datrindade Jr. (BraveHearts) North Andover, 2nd Mohamed Amamou (Woburn).

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