Andover crowns 1 champion and two other All Americans
Five Andover wrestlers traveled to Delaware on Wednesday afternoon to compete in the 3rd annual Girls Beast of the East tournament on 12/19 and 12/20. Andover crowned 3 All Americans and one Individual champion at the event, placing 5th overall as a team.
Leading the way was senior co-captain Dani Nugent ’25, who competed at 140 lbs. She won her first three matches all by first period pin (1:05, 0:21, and 0:53) en route to the finals, where she faced off with the returning champion. Dani dominated her finals match, getting the first takedown and putting her opponent on her back in a cradle. In the second period, Dani was able to get a reversal and more back points. She won the match 13-6, and is Andover’s first ever Beast of the East champion.
Serra Akyali ’28 had a good showing in her first high school national tournament. Akyali went into the tournament unseeded, and she pinned her first two opponents en route to the quarterfinals. She lost the quarterfinals in a tough 3-8 decision, but rallied in the consolation rounds with a pin, a 5-0 decision, and a 7-5 decision to wrestle for 3rd place. She lost her final match and placed 4th with an overall record of 5-2.
Toni Elliott ’27 went 2-2 at the 190 lb weight class. She won her quarterfinal match by pin, but lost in the semifinals to a tough opponent. In the consolation round she lost another tough match 2-16, and in her final match she pinned her opponent in 35 seconds to secure 5th place.
Also competing well for Andover were Tasha Bohorad ’26 and Ophelia Lee ’26, who both went 1-2 on Thursday.