Trinity, which won its first NECCWA Duals Championship title earlier this season, looks to sweep the two championships of different formats for the first time. The NECCWA Championships are made up of individual tournaments for each weight class with the winners (and a few wild cards as selected by the coaches) qualifying for the NCAA Division III National Championships in March. The teams accumulate points depending on the finishes of their various wrestlers to determine the New England Champion. The Bantams, coached by Sebastian Amato (17th season, 135-168-3), won their first NECCWA title in 2001 and finished fifth (out of 19) last winter. They are currently ranked No. 1 in New England, No. 5 in New England among all divisions, and No. 24 in the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) National Poll.

The Bantams have overwhelmed their competition this season, as Trinity wrestlers have won 217 of their 300 individual matches with 60 pins. Junior co-captain 184-pounder Michael Doros (East Hartford, Conn.) and freshman heavyweight Michael Blair (Plymouth, N.H.) are both ranked No.1 in New England in their weight classes, and boast 25-2 and 21-1 records, respectively. Blair, also the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Defensive Rookie of the Year as a defensive lineman for the league champion Trinity football squad, is ranked No. 7 nationally in his rookie season. Fellow junior co-captain Wesley Connell (Simsbury, Conn.) has a team-high, 23 wins against just one loss with 11 pins, and is ranked No. 2 at 165 pounds.

Trinity sophomores David Bucco (Paramus, N.J.) and Matt Webster (Foxboro, Mass.) are ranked No. 4 in New England at 157 pounds and 197 pounds, while senior 174-pounder Lucas McKittrick (Lincolnville, Maine) and freshman 141-pounder Mark Romeo (Ridgewood, N.J.) are both ranked sixth in their weight class. Webster is 18-4 with a team-high, 12 pins, while Bucco is 21-5, McKittrick is 16-7, and Romeo is 21-7. Bantam senior Eric Egolf (Glastonbury, Conn.) is 18-10 at 149 pounds, and freshman Luis Murillo (Meriden, Conn.) is 13-8 at the 125-pound class for the Bantams.

This week’s New England Division III Poll:
1. Trinity (Conn.) 75
2. Norwich 68
3. Bridgewater State 60
4. Springfield 55
5. Rhode Island College 50
6. Wesleyan 40
7. Roger Williams 28
8. Coast Guard 22
9. Worcester Tech 19
10. Johnson and Wales 15
Also: Williams