Six Avon High athletes earned All-State honors for their play this winter in their respective sports. Eli Fagin (wrestling), Owen Vale (swimming) and Avon’s 4×200 relay team from indoor track (Kathryn Martin, Lauren Edge, Julia Freeman, Ziya Hudson) earned All-State honors.
Fagin earned All-State honors for winning the Class M championship at 138 pounds.
Vale won the 100-yard backstroke and finished second in the 50-yard freestyle at the CCC North championships before finishing second in the 200 IM (individual medley) and 100 breast stroke at the at the Class M championships.
At the State Open championships at historic Kiphuth Pool on the campus of Yale University, Vale finished second in the 200 IM and 100 breast stroke.
Avon’s 4×200 relay team of Kathryn Martin, Lauren Edge, Julia Freeman, Ziya Hudson won the Class M championship, finished fourth at the State Open and ninth in New England. The team finished 58th at the New Balance Indoor Track national championship meet in Boston with a season-best and school-record time of 1:44.99 seconds.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Coach: Kris Pedra
Record: 3-17, 0-9 CCC Central
All-Conference: none
All-State: none
CCC tournament: Did not qualify
CIAC state tournament: Did not qualify
Of note: This was the tenth season for Pedra at the helm
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Coach: Drew Faucher
Record: 7-14, 2-6 CCC Central
All-Conference: Lila Bosanac
All-State: none
CCC tournament: Did not qualify
CIAC state tournament: Lost to No. 7 Suffield, 75-46 in first round, Class M tournament
Of note: This was the first year that teams could qualify for the CIAC tournament by winning at least 30 percent of their games.
WRESTLING
Coach: John McLaughlin
Record: 18-5, 4-1 CCC North (second)
All-Conference: Eli Fagin, Sebastian Carlo, Mason Beecher, Aki Bhabad, John Murphy, Max Janes
All-State: Eli Fagin
CCC tournament: Sixth place (123½ points)
CIAC state tournament: 4th Class M (154½), 38th State Open (26½)
Of note: Fagin won a Class M championship at 138 pounds to earn All-State honors
BOYS HOCKEY
Coach: Mike Baron and Scott Percival
Record: 8-12-1, 4-8 CCC North
All-Conference: Brendan McLaughlin (Avon), Tucker Lebrecque (Mills)
All-State: none
CCC tournament: Did not qualify
CIAC state tournament: Lost to No. 3 North Haven, 5-2 in first round of CIAC Division II tournament
Of note: Avon was part of the Farmington Valley Generals co-op for the 14th year. The co-op includes players from Farmington (host school), Avon, Lewis Mills and Windsor
GIRLS HOCKEY
Coach: Mike Carerra
Record: 15-7-1, 8-2 CCC champions
All-Conference: Ashleigh Maurice (Bristol)
All-State: none
CCC tournament: Lost to Hall/Conard, 2-1 in CCC semifinals
State tournament: Lost to No. 2 New Canaan in Connecticut High School Girls Hockey Association (CHSGHA) semifinals, 3-0
Of note: Club was known as Avon/Southington. Avon and Southington were the co-op hosts and they won the CCC championship with a 8-2 regular season record. Other co-op participants included Bristol, Wethersfield, Lewis Mills, Newington, RHAM and Coventry.
BOYS SWIMMING
Coach: Brendan Smith
Record: 5-5, 4-1 CCC North (second place)
All-Conference: Owen Vale, Abir Dutta
All-State: Owen Vale
CCC tournament: Third at CCC North championships behind Wethersfield and Newington
CIAC state tournament: 12th at Class M championships (173); 32nd at State Open (53 pts.)
Of note: The Falcons tied for first at the Splash Classic, the girls-only championship meet for girls competing in boys swimming season. It was Avon’s first Splash Classic title since 2018 and 14th title since 2004.
BOYS INDOOR TRACK
Coach: Courtney Fusco
Record: No dual meet record
All-Conference: Brahm Bulow, Chris Campbell, Andrew Kessler, Aidan McLaughlin
All-State: none
CCC Championships: 14th (11 points)
CIAC state tournament: Tied 9th Class M (13 points)
GIRLS INDOOR TRACK
Coach: Courtney Fusco
Record: No dual meet record
All-Conference: Kathryn Martin, Lauren Edge, Julia Freeman, Ziya Hudson, Ying Ying Cheng
All-State: Kathryn Martin, Lauren Edge, Julia Freeman, Ziya Hudson
CCC championships: 7th at CCC championships (28 points)
CIAC state tournament: 6th Class M (27 points), tied 10th State Open (14 points)
Of note: Avon’s 4×200 relay (Martin, Edge, Freeman, Hudson) won the Class M title, finished fourth at the State Open and ninth in New England. The team finished 58th at the New Balance Indoor Track national championship meet in Boston with a season-best and school-record time of 1:44.99 seconds.
Gerry deSimas, Jr., is the editor and founder of The Collinsville Press. He is an award-winning writer and has been covering sports in Connecticut and New England for more than 40 years. He was inducted into the Connecticut Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2025 and the New England High School Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2018.
