Wrestling: Bow’s Moura wins state title; Concord’s Beauregard wins girls crown

Concord’s Griffin Norwalt (left) wrestles Keene’s Carter Trubiano in the 126-pound semifinals at the NHIAA Meet of Champions on Saturday.

Concord’s Griffin Norwalt (left) wrestles Keene’s Carter Trubiano in the 126-pound semifinals at the NHIAA Meet of Champions on Saturday. Courtesy Jay Heath

The referee declares Bow’s Adler Moura (center) the winner at the end of the 113-pound championship bout at the NHIAA wrestling Meet of Champions on Saturday. Moura defeated Salem’s Dominic Murphy in a 7-2 decision to claim his first MOC title.

The referee declares Bow’s Adler Moura (center) the winner at the end of the 113-pound championship bout at the NHIAA wrestling Meet of Champions on Saturday. Moura defeated Salem’s Dominic Murphy in a 7-2 decision to claim his first MOC title. Courtesy of Stacey Harrison

By DAN ATTORRI

Monitor staff

Published: 02-26-2024 7:09 AM

Bow High’s Adler Moura set high expectations for himself heading into this wrestling season. He already had three major awards to his name heading into Saturday’s Meet of Champions and left the Bedford High School gym with a fourth.

Moura, a senior, won the 113-pound state title at the MOCs, claiming that elusive crown after finishing as the state runner-up in the two previous seasons. The prize added to a growing collection of hardware earned this season, including a Division III team championship with the Falcons, the D-III 113-pound title and D-III Outstanding Wrestler award.

Moura lived up to his top seed, advancing with first-period pins over Concord’s Dom Hubbard in the quarterfinals and Hollis-Brookline’s Aiden Smith-Nightingale in semifinals before winning a 7-2 decision over Salem’s Dominic Murphy in the final.

Fellow seniors Josiah Funches (third 157), Joe McDowell (third 175) and Ben McDowell (fourth 165) also placed for the Falcons, leading Bow to sixth as a team, the top area program at the tournament.

Salem was the top team, winning three titles and earning 159 points, with Bedford (128), Keene (118), Timberlane (116) and Pinkerton (106) rounding out the top five.

Concord senior Griffin Norwalt fell one step short of the state crown in the 126-pound class and was the only other area finalist.

Norwalt pinned Nashua North’s Gavin Page late in the first period of his their quarterfinal bout and beat Keene’s Carter Trubiano in an 8-3 decision in the semifinals before falling to Salem’s Steve Spencer Buscema, 11-4, in the final.

Freshman Biswas Darji (fourth at 106 pounds) and sophomores Max Chung (fifth, 150) and Jaxon Carter (sixth, 144) all placed to lead Concord to 11th in the team standings.

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John Stark finished eighth behind freshman Lyncoln Jablonski (fourth 113), seniors Lukas Boulanger (fourth 215) and Brayden Menard (fifth 138) and junior Alex Descoteau (fifth 190).

Junior Aemon Gauthier (sixth 126) placed for 28th-place Winnisquam.

The top three wrestlers at each weight class will compete in New Englands next weekend at the Providence Career & Technical Academy in Rhode Island.

Girls’ state championship

Bedford High was also host to the second girls’ state championship with 43 wrestlers representing 24 schools competing.

Concord sophomore Madison Beauregard won her second state title, bringing home the crown at 185 pounds. Beauregard pinned Winnisquam’s McKinley Desmarais in the semifinals and Keene’s Briana Marks in the championship bout for her championship.

Junior Ava Anderson (second at 114 pounds), sophomores Desmarais (third, 185) and Anna Drinkwine (fourth, 114) and freshman Kyra Russell (fourth, 138) competed for Winnisquam.

Freshman Joie Demmons (third, 107) competed for John Stark.