DALTON — It’s been about as successful of a senior year athletically for Frontier Regional’s Payton Sladeski as anyone could have.
Sladeski helped lead the Redhawks boys soccer team to a state final appearance in the fall. On Saturday the 120-pounder added an individual accolade, taking home a Western Massachusetts Division 3 wrestling title at Wahconah High School.
“It’s a great feeling,” Sladeski said. “It was cool having everyone cheer me on. Winning Western Mass. my senior year is awesome. Now it’s on to states.”
Sladeski entered the tournament as the No. 2 seed in his weight class. He defeated Duggan’s Ethan Laviolette by pin in the semifinals before taking on Mount Everett’s Nick Lupiani in the finals.
Lupiani came into the match with the height advantage, but Sladeski didn’t see that as a disadvantage for himself.
“I know how to control tall people,” Sladeski said. “I was a lot quicker than him. I had to ride his legs. I went for any move I could to try to get him on his back.”
The senior dominated the finals from start-to-finish. He went ahead 7-3 at the end of the first period, took a 12-3 lead at the end of the second and was ahead 14-3 in the third when the match was called after Lupiani was injured.
“In the first period I was up big and I knew it was my match,” Sladeski said. “He wasn’t coming back from that.”
Sladeski wasn’t the only Redhawk to make it to the finals. Jake Mattson got there at 195 after pinning Taconic’s Ethan Nicolls in the semifinals, but Mattson fell to Hampden Charter’s David Czartoryski in the finals via pin at the 1 minute, 7 second mark of the first period.
Frontier’s Ian Paciorek (fourth, 113) and Wyatt Finch (third, 106) will join Sladeski and Mattson at the D3 state tournament next week, with the top four in each weight class qualifying. The Redhawks placed fourth as a team.
Gateway’s Eli Gilbert had an impressive day at 160. The sophomore defeated Smith Vocational’s Aaron Pierce by pin in the second period in the semis to move onto the finals.
The championship match against Taconic’s Broc Healey saw the two trade points throughout, but Gilbert went to make a move and Healey caught him in the second round, securing the pin and the title.
“I could break him down but when I had my hips heavy on him, he was able to build up pretty fast,” Gilbert said. “I threw in some legs. I don’t do that often. I was using them for a while, went for a move but sat on my hip too fast and got taken down for it.”
While taking first was the goal, Gilbert is still proud of his performance and looking forward to competing at states.
“It was a great day,” Gilbert said. “I was pretty proud of that. I was a little gassed in the finals otherwise I might of had it. Now I want to go place at states.”
Gilbert will be joined at states by teammate Lucas Gilbert, who took third at 120.
Smith Vocational didn’t have anyone reach the finals but still will be sending five wrestlers to states next week. Matthew Small (132) and Forrest McSweeney (145) each took third in their weight classes, while Alex Martinez (138), Ariel Ginsberg (152) and Nicholas Gauger (170) each placed fourth.
Three Northampton wrestlers — Keegan Hollister (152), Quane Randall (285) and Schuyler Trapani (220) — all qualified for states, with Hollister and Randall each taking third and Trapani finishing fourth.
Hampshire’s Alex Willard and Luke Johndrow are both moving onto states, with Willard taking third at 138 and Johndrow placing fourth at 160.
Holyoke and Granby competed at Hopkinton High School on Saturday, and two Rams qualified for D2 the state meet.
Abram Speek placed third at 160, and Joseph Deprey earned fourth at 145. Granby took 10th place as a team. Nicholas Rodriguez was the top Purple Knight finisher on Saturday, taking fifth at 152.