Blue Devil Girls’ Wrestlers Make Contributions to Team

Huntington High School’s six girls’ wrestlers are making contributions to the Town of Huntington team that has gained respect across Long Island. The Blue Devils are combined with Walt Whitman, Harborfields, John H. Glenn, Northport, Kings Park and Commack to comprise the TOH squad.

Similar school combinations exist in both Nassau and Suffolk to help fill out the 14 weight class lineups and for facility and coaching related reasons. Walt Whitman is hosting the TOH team this year. Huntington High School’s girls are being coached by Nick D’Anna, who also coaches the Harborfields contingent. (Huntington provides Harborfields with coaches for the combined boys’ and girls’ fencing and boys’ and girls’ swimming and diving teams.)

Huntington’s roster includes freshman Mikiyla Blizzard, sophomores Dorismar Castillo and Taylor Ranft and seniors Wynne Franciscovich, Emely Herrera Rivas and Shannon Koepele. Franciscovich is the captain on the Blue Devil group.

The team practices daily at Walt Whitman and wrestles a schedule of dual meets and tournaments. Senior Night will be celebrated tomorrow (Tuesday, January 13) at Walt Whitman with the ceremony being held at 5:30 p.m. followed by a 6 p.m. meet against a combined squad from East Islip, Bayport-Blue Point, Sayville, Sachem East and Sachem North. The meet will be held in Whitman’s South Gym under a huge mat lamp in a darkened gym.

Last Friday night at Levittown MacArthur High School in Nassau, three Huntington High School wrestlers were in the lineup for the TOH team, which topped the Generals 35-27. Franciscovich won by pin in 1:21 at 120 lbs. and Castillo pinned her foe in 2:11 at 145 lbs. Koepele fell at 132 lbs.

Blizzard has also turned in several outstanding performances this winter, winning a pair of JV tournaments and an assortment of JV matches.

The TOH team will host a combined team of wrestlers from Rocky Point, Comsewogue, Newfield, Eastport-South Manor, Ward Melville, Smithtown West and Smithtown East on January 21 at 6 p.m. and then compete in the Steve Mallly Memorial Girls’ Tournament on Saturday, January 25 at Harborfields.

The final dual meet of the season will be held at William Floyd on January 28 and include wrestlers from that school along with Bellport, Patchogue-Medford, Miller Place, Riverhead, Longwood and Westhampton Beach on their combined team. The county tournament will follow in February.