METHUEN — Saugus High School’s Anna Felicio came up just a little short at Saturday’s MIAA Girls All-States Championship wrestling meet at Methuen High School.
Felicio, the reigning MIAA Division 1 girls champion in the 107-pound weight class, finished runner-up, losing the final to top-seeded Samantha Bertini of Ludlow, 20-5, in a technical fall (4:28).
But there is good news. With her runner-up finish, Felicio qualified for the New England Interscholastic Championship at Providence Career and Technical School on March 8-9. She is the first female in the history of the Saugus-Peabody program to advance to the New England meet.
“Anna had another great tournament,” said Saugus-Peabody Coach Wayne Moda. “Making the finals was amazing and I couldn’t be prouder. She was disappointed in her performance, but the reality is that she lost to a nationally-ranked wrestler.
After a first-round bye, Felicio, the No. 2 seed, opened with a pin in 2:39 over No. 10 Mikayla Balonis of Hingham in the quarterfinals, then followed with a pin win in 3:36 over No. 3 Hailey Lewis of Silver Lake Regional before dropping the final bout.
Felicio has enjoyed a stellar season on the Saugus-Peabody co-op wrestling team in her first full year as a starter, compiling an overall record of 42-15. Twenty-nine of her wins have come against boys.
The first state champion in program history, she also became the first Saugus Middle High School female to win an individual state wrestling championship.
Felicio plans to continue her wrestling career on the women’s team at Western New England University in Springfield.
“Anna has a very high ceiling and this offseason – and going into college – will help her make that transition from folkstyle to freestyle,” Moda said. “Wrestling has done so much for Anna. The wins are great, but the transformation of her character and attitude is what will serve her way after she steps off the mat. She is a special young lady and I am excited to coach her in the New Englands and then nationals at the end of the month.”
