Contact: Lisa Nee

Phone: (914) 381-4483

lisa@allennee.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

9 AM January 3, 2011

NEW COACHES KEEP HAND WRESTLING LEGACY ALIVE

When Dave D’Alessio and Tom Lipford vacated their spots as co-head wrestling coaches at Daniel Hand High School, they left some very big shoes to fill. The dynamic duo of Coach “D” and Coach Lipford lead the Tigers to three successive SCC Championships. With Coach D’Alessio’s distinguished twenty-five years as head coach, the Tigers accumulated 10 Conference Championships, scores of team tournament titles and over 300 team wins. Looking for a well deserved break, coach “D” and Coach Lipford agreed they wouldn’t consider stepping down until they were confident the next coaches could live up to the high standards of DHHS Wrestling. So, it was with great pride when it was announced that former Hand assistant coaches Erik Delehanty, and Blair Tugman would be elevated to the position of head coaches of the Hand wrestling team and James Therrien as assistant coach. “There has always been more to Hand wrestling than just winning and losing. I know that coaches Deli, Tugman and Therrien continue to stress the family atmosphere that has been Hand wrestling along with the things that matter more in life” said D’Alessio.

The coaching trio comes with impressive backgrounds, Coach “Deli”, as he is affectionately referred to by his team, wrestled for Springfield College and was a Connecticut State Champion competing for Morgan High School in Clinton. Blair Tugman, has over twenty years if experience, and is the founder of the USA Sanctioned Wrestling club, Team Tugman, based in Madison, he still competes in Mixed Martial Arts and is a four time New Jersey Free Style State champion. Newest to the Hand grappler scene is, James Therrien. Coach Therrien wrestled for Drexel University and is a three-time Connecticut State Open finalist. But, what really qualifies this triple threat as is Hand coaches are the high standards they hold for the wrestlers on and off the mats. “For the majority, only a few wrestlers will continue their career after High School”, says coach Deli, “So we want to use what is learned through the sport; discipline, work ethic and overcoming adversity to help students maintain grades in the class room and apply these skills later in life.”

Already, the signs are good that the Hand wrestling legacy is in good hands. The team is currently 7-0, and presently ranked 4th in the State. It’s still early and a lot more excitement is promised to come. “I foresee a Class SCC title, Class L title”, says coach Tugman “and a State Open title”. Besides racking up the wins one of the ongoing goals is to fill the stands at home matches. Coach Tugman says “Hand wrestlers are some of the most exciting athletes to watch. They are aggressive; they go all-out for the full 6 minutes. The crowd can expect to see the Hand Tigers getting their hands raised at the end of the match.” You can experience the excitement of the Daniel Hand Tigers at home on January 5, 19 and February 2 and January 12 at Guilford. Or you can check them out on Facebook by going to www.facebook.com/pages/Daniel-Hand-Wrestling

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