The two day New England middle school wrestling championships attracted approximately 1,000 competitors from the six regional states.

Wrestlers from Mountain Valley and Dirigo comprised a team that finished in third with 69 points. Each individual wrestler was eligible to score points in its division; Intermediate (third and fourth grades), Novice (fifth/sixth) and Middle School (seventh/eighth)..

Mount Anthony of Vermont won the team title with 75 points. Chelmsford, Mass. was second with 69.

Caleb Austin (94 pounds) won an individual championship in the middle school division with a pin 17 seconds in to the third overtime. The top-seeded Massachusetts wrestler had led 2-0 before Austin executed a reversal as time was running out in regulation. Austin trailed entering the final 30 seconds before slipping in a power-half nelson.

Austin, who had four pins in the tournament, is only the second River Valley wrestler to win the New England title. Taylor Carey won it in 2006.

Anthony Mazza won a championship in intermediate at 84. Kyle Heinzen placed fourth with a pair of pins at 80.

Ethan Boucher also reached the finals, but it required three decisions. In the finals, Boucher dropped down on an ankle and held securely. He was dinged for stalling and eventually lost the match, 1-0.

“It was a great match,”coach Eric Austin said. “Ethan grabbed an ankle and would not let go. His opponent was able to drag (Ethan) across the mat and the referee called it.”

Boucher was tested in the quarterfinal, winning 4-2, and upset Matt Kelly of Foxboro, Mass., in the semi.

“It was our best showing ever,”coach Austin said. “We had seven medalists out of the 11 kids who went. Overall, it was a great tournament. Those kids from Connecticut and Massachusetts take it seriously, so when you step on the mat you better be ready because they bring it.”

Lucas McDonald of Dirigo won three of four matches to place third in MS. McDonald stuck a trio of opponents at 185.

Ian Austin won his first two matches before losing twice. He wrestled back through the consolation brackets for fifth place at 147. The MV freshman is still young enough to be eligible to compete in the tourney.

Griffyn Smith of Dirigo won four of seven matches. Josh Thibodeau of MV had won two of three before losing in overtime. Dagan Bereyni of Belfast and Peter DelGallo of Gardiner were each finalists. DelGallo lost to a 4-time New England champion.