Pair of Dexter wrestlers reach 100-win milestone
Every sport has its standard of excellence. Football has 1,000 yards in a season, high school basketball 1,000 career points and big league baseball has 300 wins. High school wrestling has its standard as well, and that is 100 career victories. One hundred wins is a benchmark of success, hard work and commitment by student-athlete wrestlers.
Dexter Regional High School wrestlers Augustus “Gus” Irwin and Eric Bennett joined the 100-win club during recent matches. Irwin won his 100th during a Dec. 18 match in Guilford pinning Washington Academy’s Jacob Vande Sande.
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100TH VICTORY ON THE MAT — Dexter senior Eric Bennett, center, earned his 100th career wrestling win on Jan. 25 in Bucksport. He is pictured with head coach Andrew Levensalor, left, and coach Kyle Lockhart.
Irwin is a senior and has been wrestling for the Dexter Tigers for four years. He is the son of Deanna Sawyer-Genovese and lives in Garland. Irwin hasn’t determined what he would like to do after graduation.
Bennett is the son of Becky and stepfather Doug Viles of Dexter and Adam Bennett of Guilford. His grandparents are Wayne and Estella Bennett of Guilford. Bennett earned his 100th victory on Jan. 25 in Bucksport by pinning Winslow’s Aaron Erving.
Bennett is also a senior and plans to wrestle in college. He began wrestling for Dexter his freshman year and also power lifts at the Iron Will gym in Dexter.
Seniors Gage Stone and Justin Wing are two other Tiger wrestlers who have 100 wins and both are chasing the 150-victory mark this year. Wing is approaching the milestone of having 100 career pins which is quite an accomplishment.
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WIN NO. 100 — Senior Gus Irwin of Dexter, left pictured with head coach Andrew Levensalor, earned his 100th career win as a Tiger wrestler during a Dec. 18 match in Guilford.
Head coach Andrew Levensalor, with coaches Kyle Lockhart, Ian Weigle and Dave Gudroe have brought the team to first place in the Penquis Valley Conference with a record of 22-1. The only loss was to three-time state champion Wells. The team hopes to bring home a PVC championship Feb. 1 at MDI.
Levensalor says the biggest strength is having a lot of veteran wrestlers with experience, there are seven seniors on the team. Several team members are new to the sport and they have been learning the skills, moves and finding the best weight for themselves and the team.
The Class B North championship will be held in Caribou on Feb. 8, states in Fryeburg on Feb. 15 and dual states in Howland on Feb. 21. The girls on the team will be competing in the girls state championship in Windham where Dexter is set to have three wrestlers competing.