Spaulding snaps Mount Anthony’s 36-year reign atop Vermont high school wrestling

HINESBURG — Mark it down in history: Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, the day Mount Anthony’s dynastic rule over Vermont high school wrestling came to an end after nearly 40 years.

And Spaulding proved a worthy successor to unseat the mighty MAU program.

The Crimson Tide had the unrelenting depth, individual star power and years of motivation and just-misses to dethrone the Patriots’ 36-year reign during the state championship meet at Champlain Valley Union High School.

Spaulding clinched the team title before the start of finals, racked up the most total points in six years, and scored grapplers in 12 of the 14 weight classes to claim the program’s first state title since 1984. Spaulding finished with 236 points to MAU’s 195.

MAU’s unchallenged championship run was a national record for wrestling. It ranks sixth all-time for consecutive state titles among all high school sports in the country.

“The day that this season started,” said Maxwell LaPerle, Spaulding’s 190-pound champion when asked when he thought this team could topple MAU. “I watched all those boys walk in and I said, ‘This will be the year.’ We’ve said it for 36 years, but I had faith in our boys and we pulled through.

“I couldn’t ask for a better feeling. It’s the best I’ve ever felt. I know all the other boys are feeling the exact same way right now.”

The Barre school had finished runner-up six times during MAU’s 36-year run, including a narrow 5.5-point defeat four years ago when the championship was also held at CVU.

“That left a little sour taste in my mouth, and it felt good to be back here and pull it off this time,” Spaulding coach Darren O’Meara said. “We hoped when it happened it would be us, and we worked hard for it.”

Although MAU had six wrestlers into finals, Spaulding saw seven advance through, with three pocketing individual wins: Wesley Churchill (106 pounds), Noah Dunster (165) and LaPerle (190), who wowed with a 20-2, tech-fall triumph.

But that only told part of the story for the Crimson Tide.

Churchill was a three-seed who upset the top-ranked wrestler after losing to him at the state dual meet earlier this month. Logan Slater, a year removed from losing both of his matches at JV states, upset the top seed at 157 pounds to take third on Saturday.

“This group has changed the game for us,” O’Meara said. “They focus on development, positional development. It’s really about wrestling skill for them.”

LaPerle added, “We had the boys to do it.”

O’Meara said the team’s depth went beyond just who wrestled this weekend.

“You see the guys that come out here under the lights. What you don’t see is the 10 or 14 guys behind them, at practice, year-round that are getting them ready,” O’Meara said. “Those guys deserve a lot of credit. They are part of building a program like this.”

Colchester’s Cahota LaFond wins fourth straight title

Cahota LaFond of Colchester gets control of the Falcons Eoin Comes on his way to claiming the 126 pound title at the 2026 Vermont high school wrestling state championship at Champlain Valley Union High School on Feb, 28, 2026.

Before Cahota LaFond won his first title as a freshman in 2023, the Colchester star and his coach, Scott McPhearson, entered into a good-natured deal.

If he delivered on his promise of four straight championships, LaFond could serve up a takedown of McPhearson on the mat.

They both lived up to their word.

Undefeated on the season and a member of the 200-win club, LaFond made short work of his opponent, North Country’s Eion Comes, in the 126-pound final. LaFond earned a 17-0, tech-fall victory before the buzzer in the first period. He then hugged McPhearson and tossed him to the ground with quickness and perfect technique.

“It was awesome. We practiced (it) before states,” LaFond said. “I let that pressure turn into excitement. I knew I was going to dominate, I knew what I had to do, stick to my game plan, go to my bars.

“We’re not done yet. We are coming for New Englands. But I’m very thankful for all my coaches and teammates. Practices are hard in our room.”

Essex’s Brayden Buchanan voted top wrestler

Brayden Buchanan of Essex reacts after winning the 120 pound title at the 2026 Vermont high school wrestling state championship at Champlain Valley Union High School on Feb, 28, 2026.

Brayden Buchanan is halfway to seizing a four-peat like LaFond. In the 120-pound final, the Essex sophomore raced to a 11-0 lead over Colchester’s Mason Sheltra, a two-time state champion, and capped a 16-1, tech-fall win with a takedown in the final minute of the final period. Buchanan was named the meet’s most outstanding wrestler in a coaches’ vote.

Buchanan defeated Sheltra for the third time this winter, but he lost to the Colchester senior via a pin at the Commodore Invitational in January. That wasn’t on Buchanan’s mind in Saturday’s final.

“I’m glad I had an opportunity to wrestle (Saturday). I believed in my training, and it showed,” Buchanan said. “I feel like I could’ve scored at any moment I wanted in the last period.”

MAU standouts Ryan Marsden (285) and Duncan Harrington (144) each won a third straight title. Vergennes’ Payton Lavoie (175), Middlebury’s Tucker Wright (175) and MAU’s Asa Reis(138) all became two-time state champions.

2026 wrestling championship results

At Champlain Valley Union High School (Friday-Saturday)

Team scores: 1. Spaulding 236; 2. Mount Anthony 195; 3. Middlebury 134.5; 4. Vergennes 123; 5. Otter Valley 121; 6. Colchester 96; 7. Essex 86; 8. Mount Abraham 85.5; 9. Harwood 67; 10. Springfield 54; 11. Fair Haven 52; 12. Mount Mansfield 44; 13. Burr and Burton 43; 14. North Country 38.5; 15. Mill River 38; 16. St. Johnsbury 37.5; 17. Champlain Valley 36; 18. Lyndon 33; 19. South Burlington 29; 20. Randolph 28; 21. Rutland 26; 22. U-32 12; 23. Lamoille 11; 24. Lake Region 6; T25. BFA-Fairfax, Rice 3.

106 pounds: 1. Wesley Churchill (Spa) def. Fernando Oyola (MAU) (major decision, 14-3); 3. Tolkein Lawlor (MMU); 4. Brady Babcock (OV); 5. Mason Douglass (U-32); 6. Sam Dyer (Rut).

113: Sylas Race (MAU) def. Lucas Colby (Spa) (8-7); 3. Caleb Woodward (OV); 4. Addie Smith (Verg); 5. Colton Jones (MR); 6. Liem Moller (CVU).

120: Brayden Buchanan (Essex) def. Mason Sheltra (Col) (tech fall, 16-1); 3. Miles Goetz (Midd); 4. Duncan Klinck (Har); 5. Vincent Deysenroth (MAU); 6. Darien Haselton (CVU).

126: Cahota LaFond (Col) def. Eion Comes (NC) (tech fall, 17-0); 3. Jackson Brown (MMU); 4. Adrien Provencher (Verg); 5. Grady Thurston (Spa); 6. Eric Whitten (Har).

132: Stephen Kittredge (Verg) def. Anthony Szabo (FH) (7-4, OT); 3. Dylan Jacobs (Col); 4. Landon Wilcox (OV); 5. Nate Sackett (Har); 6. Cole Brown (Lyn).

138: Asa Reis (MAU) def. Karter Morey (Lyn) (major decision, 17-4); 3. Colby Belden (FH); 4. Mo Hussein (SB); 5. Camden Ayer (CVU); 6. Gavin Winnie (Spa).

144: Duncan Harrington (MAU) def. Michael Grasso (Spa) (10-3); 3. Jackson Scribner (Verg); 4. Anthony Abetti (BBA); 5. Carter Jones (Essex); 6. Wyatt Tarbell (MR).

150: Isayah Isham (MTA) pins Tyler Monick (MAU) (3:43); 3. James Marcellus (Spa); 4. Jackson Ladd (SJ); 5. Micah Perez (Rut); 6. Chase Tefts-Young (Col).

157: Nicky Service (Har) def. Mason Atkins (MTA) (9-7); 3. Logan Slater (Spa); 4. Connor Decker (SJ); 5. Jason Sperry (Midd); 6. Jeremy Glodgett (NC).

165: Noah Dunster (Spa) def. Blake Allen (OV) (4-3); 3. Dimitri Jasinski (Spring); 4. Lincoln Painter (MTA); 5. Quinn Veth-McGovern (BBA); 6. Henry Dodge (SB).

175: Payton Lavoie (Verg) pins Caleb Hoar (Spa) (1:38); 3. Ethan Patch (MR); 4. Parker Carl (Midd); 5. Jonathan Lake (Spring); 6. Max Potter (OV).

190: Maxwell LaPerle (Spa) def. Wyatt Kennett (Midd) (tech fall, 20-2); 3. Zane Cooper (Rand); 4. Keegan Reid (OV); 5. Abraham Kreuger (Lam); 6. Jacob Jamieson (FH).

215: Tucker Wright (Midd) pins Charlie Berry (Spa) (5:49); 3. Drake Felkl (OV); 4. Ian Denue (MAU); 5. Rowan Danaher (Essex); 6. Dallas Sulton’El (Col).

285: Ryan Marsden (MAU) pins Steven Lackard (Midd) (4:37); 3. Joe Gershon (Essex); 4. Izaak Wolniewicz (Verg); 5. Tyler Scott (MMU); 6. Alex Poczobut (Spa).

Contact Alex Abrami at aabrami@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter: @aabrami5.

This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Vermont high school wrestling state championship, Spaulding beats MAU

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