Sean Thomas earns milestone for MHS wrestling
By JENNIFER GENTILE
MELROSE—He put his name on the map as just a young freshman when he became a state champion in the 106 lb. weight class, now Melrose High senior Sean Thomas has joined an exclusive 100-win club at Melrose High as a member of the MHS varsity wrestling team.
Captain Sean Thomas earned his milestone win on Wed. Feb 2 at the 4th Annual Brawl in the Hall by beating Wakefield’s Bryan Fabbri in the 120 in a 10-4 major decision.
His MHS coach Larry Tremblay saluted the 2020 state champ, whose is currently ranked fifth in the state. “Because of the pandemic and the abbreviated season last spring, Sean could have had his 100th win long ago and may have been primed to hit 150 this year. But, this was a big night for him. He’s really one of the top technical wrestlers in the state.”
Sean Thomas spoke of his unique achievement. “It was really cool to hit 100 wins given the shortened season we had last year during COVID-19.”
It’s been a heck of a ride for Thomas and his band of brothers who secured a Div. 3 2020 state title a few seasons back. And this year the Div. 3 State Dual silver medalists and unbeaten league champs have a solid chance to repeat the effort. What’s the secret to the team’s success? Says Thomas, “Coach Tremblay always brings the team to tough tournaments to gain good experience.”
As special as this milestone is, this season has been all the more meaningful to Thomas for reasons that are more close to home. MHS wrestling is a family affair and Thomas’ heir apparent is now in the wings. His brother, Mike Thomas, is now a freshman in the 106. Being able to have his sibling as a teammate before he leaves is something he won’t forget. “Being able to wrestle a full season with this strong lineup and my freshman brother Mikey on it, means a lot,” he says.
Thomas’ wrestling journey started in the Melrose Youth Wrestling program. He started essential training at Smitty’s Wrestling Barn in NH during high school. These off season efforts no doubt contributed to his great success at MHS, where he became a state champ, multi year All Star and All State place winner. Notes Tremblay, “His dedication to the sport, and all his off season training has led him to the successful wrestler he is.”
There is plenty more work to be done for Thomas and his Red Raider team. Thomas would like to see Melrose make a healthy post season run this month. “We want to win Div. 3 states and send a few kids to All States,” he says.
Melrose will get that chance starting this weekend when they compete at the MIAA North Sectionals at Tewksbury High.
No matter how Melrose High ends up in Div. 3 and All State mix, Thomas’ wrestling future remains bright. He has committed to wrestle at Trinity College in CT next fall as a Bantam under head wrestling coach Sebastian Amato. It’s the perfect fit for Thomas, who liked the campus at sight. “When I visited the campus, the wrestling team was enthusiastic about pursuing their goals and excelling at both school and the sport. It felt inspiring and a place I wanted to be a part of.”
Notes his coach, “Sean is a great kid and a great athlete. Trinity is getting a good one.”
Check out Thomas and the MHS wrestling team’s post season journey that starts this weekend at Tewksbury High. State Finals are scheduled to take place the weekend of Feb. 18 at Game On in Fitchburg with a time TBD.