Cloudy with light rain this evening...then a chance of an isolated thunderstorm overnight. Some mixed winter precipitation possible. Low 38F. E winds shifting to W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%..
Cloudy with light rain this evening...then a chance of an isolated thunderstorm overnight. Some mixed winter precipitation possible. Low 38F. E winds shifting to W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
Updated: March 25, 2023 @ 4:08 pm
Cumberland resident and Bishop Hendricken High junior Spencer Fine, left, gets ready to wrestle Ponaganset sophomore Preston Marchesseault in their 182-pound title match during last weekend’s RIIL championship meet at the Providence Career & Technical Academy field house. Fine won his second straight state title by pinning his first three opponents and posting a 3-0 victory in the finals.
Cumberland resident and Bishop Hendricken High junior Spencer Fine, left, gets ready to wrestle Ponaganset sophomore Preston Marchesseault in their 182-pound title match during last weekend’s RIIL championship meet at the Providence Career & Technical Academy field house. Fine won his second straight state title by pinning his first three opponents and posting a 3-0 victory in the finals.
Breeze photo by Eric BenevidesPROVIDENCE – State titles are always magnificent, but Spencer Fine made it very clear last Saturday night at the RIIL Wrestling Championships that he wants to tack a New England title onto his truly impressive high school resume.
A season after capturing the state title in the 170-pound weight class, the Cumberland resident and Bishop Hendricken junior struck gold in the 182-pound class with a dominant performance that mirrored his path to last year’s championship.
As he did last winter, Fine pinned his first three opponents before needing to wrestle all three rounds in his title match. Facing Ponaganset sophomore Preston Marchesseault, Fine picked up a 3-0 victory that saw him score his points in the third round with an escape and a takedown.
“It feels good,” Fine said when asked about winning another state title. “I expected it. I know I’m the best in the state at my weight. Obviously, I love being a state champ, but I want to be a New England champ, and that’s my goal next weekend.”
Fine needed a little over three minutes to secure his spot in the finals. After opening the tournament with a 45-second pin of North Kingstown’s Ethan Delehanty, he pinned South Kingstown’s Dante Peno 72 seconds into their quarterfinal-round matchup and Cumberland senior James Titre 66 seconds into the semifinal-round affair.
Fine, who posted a 33-2 record this season, with both losses coming against out-of-state competition, placed fifth at last winter’s New England meet, but he will be back in action on Friday night when the regional tournament returns to the PCTA facility.
Once his high school career comes to an end next year, Fine said that he plans to continue his wrestling and academic career at Columbia University and join his brother, Nick, on the squad. Fine, who is a sophomore 174-pounder for the Lions, was a three-time state champion at Hendricken.
Columbia is currently ranked 29th in the nation, and “I couldn’t pass up on the chance to go there,” said Fine. “Nick loves it there, I love it there, and the city, the team, and the atmosphere are great. I’m looking forward to going there.”
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