More Sports: Svistunov Repeats as Div. 1’s Top Wrestler; Lehr Second In Meet Of Champions; Belmont Youth Hockey Girls Take 2 State Titles

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Photo: Belmont High’s Ava Svistunov is now a two-time Massachusetts Division 1 champion

Ava and Eva bring home the silverware

It took Belmont High’s Ava Svistunov less than six minutes of total mat time in her three matches to retain the title of Massachusetts’ top Division 1 wrestler at the MIAA Wrestling Divisional championships held at North Andover High School.

On Feb. 22, Svistunov won the title at 114 pounds, a weight class one step higher than last year when she took the 107 pound crown. Not that moving up made much difference as the junior stormed through the category, defeating Saphira Sao from the powerful Lowell High team in the finals via a fall in the first period.

Belmont High Eva Cohan

Svistunov’s teammate Eva Cohan came home with her own medal, taking third at 120 pounds; her only defeat coming at the hands of eventual champion Adriana DeGroat from Framingham High. Cohen would go on to compete at the Girls All-State Championships on the next weekend.

Dana Lehr and Noah Geiger were on-track indoors

After being a lynch pin in the midfield on the Belmont High varsity soccer team in the fall, senior Dana Lehr traded her boots for track spikes and showed her versatility as an athlete with top-notched performances going round and round the indoor track.

A member of Emerging Elites – the same club Belmont’s Ellie Shea, the USA Under20 cross country and track member, competed – Lehr doubled at the Middlesex League Indoor Track & Field Championship, winning the one (4 minutes, 57.74 seconds) and two mile (10:56.10), taking the deuce by more than 20 seconds.

At the MIAA Indoor Meet of Champions held on Feb. 22 at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center, Lehr would hang on to Needham High’s junior sensation Greta Hammer (who won in 10:21.48) before running solo for an impressive second and setting her indoor PR of 10:33.19. Lehr was invited to run in the two mile at the New Balance Nationals Indoor meet held in Boston, where she crossed the finish line in 10:43.53. Lehr will attempt to repeat as All-State outdoors 2 mile champion this spring.

Belmont High also showed off some young talent as first-year Noah Geiger took 7th in the two mile at the MIAA State Division 2 Championships finishing in 9:59.69, running as the only 9th grader in the finals. Geiger was 4th in the Middlesex meet (9:57.71).

State titles for Belmont Girls Youth Hockey

There will be two brand-new banners just waiting to be hung in the new Belmont rink and community center this December. And they belong to a pair of teams from Belmont Girls Youth Hockey who won state titles on March 2 at the New England Sports Center in Marlborough.

The Under 12 Tier IV girls showed a great deal of grit after starting the tournament losing two of their first three games. But with some help from other teams, Belmont got into the semifinals where they defeated Milton, 2-1. In the finals, Belmont topped Hingham, 2-1, exercising some revenge on the town whose high schoolers defeated Belmont, 2-1, in the MIAA state Division 1 quarterfinals.

In the Under 14 Tier III division, Belmont came out on top of KP Walpole, 3-2, in the semi-finals. A three goal second period against Charlestown put the championship game to bed as the Marauders secured its state title with a 5-2 victory. With five eighth graders having played varsity hockey this season, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a few of the state champions on the high school team much sooner than later.

Belmont’s Grappler Takes First Ever MIAA Girls’ Wrestling State Championship At 106 Lbs [VIDEO]

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Photo: Belmont High’s Ava Svistunov in the first-ever finals of the MIAA D1 State Girls Wrestling Championship at 106 lbs.

When hearing last year there would likely be a separate state tournament for girls’ wrestling, Belmont High’s Ava Svistunov and Craig Janjigian, the team’s head coach, said they knew that if her progression continued in the sport, she would be topping the podium.

“We both said it, that I could win,” said Svistunov.

Svistunov with Belmont High Head Coach Craig Janjigian (left) and assistant Head Coach Andrew McCahill.

One year later, their shared vision came true as Svistunov placed her mark on Belmont High sports history, winning the Division 1 state championship at 106 lbs. at the inaugural MIAA Girls Wrestling tournament.

The 15-year-old sophomore dominated the final against Claire Roney of Wellesley High, shutting out the top seed, 7-0, in the Saturday, Feb. 17 match at Newton South High School.

“It’s a big deal, probably,” said Svistunov, still contemplating what she had done five minutes earlier.

“[Svistunov] got the job done. She dominated this tournement,” said Janjigian, who also brought three male wrestlers to the championships.

Belmont High’s Ava Svistunov won the first-ever MIAA D1 State Girls Wrestling Championship finals at 106 lbs.

Svistunov will next wrestle in the Massachusetts Girls’ All-State tourney in Salem on Saturday, Feb. 20, when the top grapplers from across the three divisions will meet to determine the best wrestlers in each of a dozen weight groups.

It was an impressive run through the tourney for Svistunov, who started early Saturday morning by pinning Jasin Abdella of Leominster in 37 seconds in the opening period. Svistunov would have her most difficult challenge in the semifinals against second seed Abigail Muller, also from Leominster. Muller would go up 2-0 early on a quick counter that landed Svistunov on her back. She would recover and score two points on a reversal just before the period ended. The second (of three 2-minute) period saw Svistunov take down Muller to go up 4-2. And for the next five minutes of the contest, Svistunov would use her weight to secure Muller – who would finish third – to the mat and counter every attempt the increasingly exhausted Leominster wrestler made to escape her opponent’s grasp.

The finals against Roney saw Svistunov being efficient and relentless, going up 4-0 early in the match and never looking back, employing the same punishing ground game she employed with Muller. It may not have been the most action-packed of the finals, but it was certainly the most effective. When the official ended the bout, Svistunov flew into the arms of her coaches and then went to greet her mother mat-side.

“Wonderful!” said Svistunov’s mother after the finals. “If I say anything else, I’ll start crying.”