East Hampton hosted the 47th Sprig Gardner Wrestling Invitational on Saturday, and Ethan Mitchell, the boys wrestling coach, called it “probably one of the smoothest tournaments I’ve been a part of.”
The tournament is named for the wrestling legend Frank (Sprig) Gardner, who died in 1975 after coaching at Mepham High School for two decades and at East Hampton before that. Seven teams participated in the invitational, which raised nearly $5,000 for a variety of charities. It was East Hampton’s first contest of the season, and the Bonackers finished in third place behind first-place Sachem North and second-place Mount Sinai.
Coach Mitchell said he was happy with the grit and toughness his wrestlers showed.
“We ended up with 10 wrestlers on the podium. Especially considering this year there are 14 wrestling classes and we only entered 11 weight classes and we placed 10 guys, which is awesome.” Those 10 wrestlers were Juan Espinoza (215 pounds), Matias Gonzalez (165 pounds), and Franco Palombino (285 pounds), who are seniors; Chris Amay (190 pounds), Bronco Campsey (126 pounds), Aiden Gavilanes (165 pounds), and Ben O’Sullivan (157 pounds), juniors, and Caleb Mott (150 pounds), Orson O’Brien (215 pounds), and Brian Torres (175 pounds), sophomores.
The Bonackers voted Espinoza their most outstanding wrestler of the invitational. His teammates call him Big Bird — not for “Sesame Street” but for the Angry Birds game, because he’s constantly picking up wrestlers and throwing them down.
Mitchell said his performance at Sprig Gardner was no different. “Not all of our guys do a lot of throwing. It’s a high-risk area, but he loves being there. He won 7-1, and I believe his last throwing move was worth 5 points to secure the win.”
The coach also called out O’Sullivan, a second-year wrestler who made it to the semifinals. He hurt his knee in his consolation match and took sixth place, but he was able to walk off the mat afterward. Mitchell said O’Sullivan showed how hard work pays off and hopes he’ll be back soon.
Mott and Torres had breakout performances, placing for the first time. Mott made it to the 150-pound finals. Torres finished second to Thomas Vecchio of Sachem North, one of the best wrestlers in Suffolk County. “Both came through with a lot of toughness,” Mitchell said. “There were no easy matches. They certainly earned it.”
Mitchell praised Coach Anthony Marino and the Sachem North wrestling team, a longstanding county powerhouse. “They’re looking to be one of the top teams again this year. It was great having them,” Mitchell said. “They certainly set the tone.”
He also thanked the entire East Hampton athletic department and wrestling community. “I’m so appreciative and grateful for all of the support from the school and the families who came out to help,” he said. “The smoothness of the tournament and the results of our kids — it takes a village. A big shout-out to my coaching staff for all the late nights you don’t see.”
