For the first time in its storied history, the Franklin Tech wrestling program has an All-State champion. 

Senior Mia Marigliano accomplished that feat last weekend at the MIAA Girls All-State Championship in Methuen, going an unblemished 3-0 in the 132-pound weight class to take home the championship. 

“It is such a surreal feeling,” Marigliano said. “It’s super, super crazy. Just even being in that gym felt so unreal. Every match I won I got one step closer. It was just a roller coaster.”

It didn’t come easy for Marigliano, however. 

Marigliano — who placed third at the MIAA Div. 3 state tournament the week prior — had a bye to the quarterfinals, where she faced off with Putnam’s Melanie Miles. 

Miles was the aggressor in the first period, scoring a pair of takedowns to take a commanding 14-1 lead at the end of the frame. 

Just a few points away from losing by technical fall, Marigliano had her back against the wall going into the second period. She didn’t quit, got a takedown of her own and eventually scored a pin 1:02 into the second period to advance to the semifinals. 

“I got thrown in three headlocks,” Marigliano said. “If she successfully got me in the last one I would’ve been tech’d. I managed to reverse on her. My back was against the wall. Going into the second period if I let her get another takedown that would’ve been it for me. As you could imagine, it was pretty scary. It was also very painful.” 

Winning that kind of match gave the senior confidence for the remainder of the tournament. 

“After that match everything was hurting,” Marigliano said. “Going into the second day [of the tournament] I knew nothing could be worse than that. That was the worst match I had.” 

Her semifinal match was against Bristol-Plymouth’s Rileigh Fagan, the same wrestler who beat Marigliano the week before at Div. 3 states in the semifinals via a 12-5 decision. 

It was a different story at All-States, as Marigliano didn’t allow Fagan to score before earning a two-point reversal in the third period that sealed a 2-0 win to send her to the finals. 

In the finals against South Shore’s Lindsey Lincolne, Marigliano jumped out to a 6-3 lead after two periods then scored six more points in the third to run away with a 12-3 major decision victory to take home the first All-State crown in program history. 

“My semifinal match was [against] the same one who knocked me out the previous week so I was pretty anxious yet excited going into it,” Marigliano said. “In the finals I remember watching the clock run down the last few seconds. I was on top and was just thinking ‘wow, this is it.’” 

What’s been the biggest difference between last year, where Marigliano took third at All-States, and this year where she won the tournament title? She said it’s the work she put in throughout the year to improve. 

“The biggest change I would say would be just more commitment and just showing up for myself and for the team,” Marigliano said. “I’ve been trying hard to learn new things and get better. I’ve been so much more committed to the sport itself.” 

She also credited her coaches and teammates for pushing her to improve and helping her grow and learn. 

“I want people to know how appreciative I am of my team and my coaches,” Marigliano said. “I can’t say it enough. I wouldn’t be here without them. I’m so grateful for the team this year. From aspects like cutting weight to learning new skills, they’ve helped me so much. I’ve gone through every single person on this team as a drilling partner. They’ve all helped me tremendously.” 

The first place performance helped clinch Margiliano a spot at the New England Girls Wrestling Championship, scheduled to begin on Saturday in Providence, Rhode Island. 

It’s the second year the New England Girls Championship has taken place, and Marigliano is just the second Franklin Tech wrestler ever to qualify for it. It didn’t go her way last year though, as she went 0-2 in the tournament. She’s hoping for a better showing this weekend. 

“Last year I had a good season but my matches in general were nowhere near as competitive as they were this year,” Marigliano said. “There’s some really good girls this year which makes winning All-States all the more rewarding. Last year I just went into New Englands happy with how I did at states but with low confidence. This year I feel like I can beat anybody. I’m looking to place. Best case scenario is I can end my career with a win.” 

Marigliano is the No. 5 seed going into Saturday and will wrestle Bedford, N.H.’s Audrey Shaw — who she beat at a tournament earlier this season — in her opening match on Saturday. As the Massachusetts champion, she knows she’ll have a target on her back going into the event. 

“I learned after facing the same girl five times, a winning record going into the match means nothing,” Marigliano said. “I’m sure all the state champs feel that.” 

Marigliano was the headliner of what was a stellar season for the Franklin Tech wrestling program. 

The Eagles went unbeaten to win the Suburban League North, then Carsten Couture (120) and Landon Purington (132) captured MIAA Div. 3 West sectional titles, helping Franklin Tech win its first sectional team championship in program history. Couture, Purington, Collin Eddy (190) and Dillon Laffond (285) all qualified for the MIAA All-State tournament, the most the Eagles have sent there since 2014. 

Franklin Tech coach Mike Aiken credited all the hard work his wrestlers put in for their success. 

“All those kids put in the extra work this summer,” Aiken said. “They’ve been putting in the work over the last two, three years and to see them reach some of their goals was a lot of fun to be a part of. They want to work hard and they want to do things the right way. When you do the right things consistently over time, the results end up coming.” 

Aiken knew the type of talent his team had going into the season and was pleased to see them capitalize on their potential.

“Having potential and actually following through and doing things you know you can do are two different things,” Aiken said. “Winning a Western Mass. championship is one of the biggest highlights of the year. Mia being our first All-State champion is a huge highlight. Sending four boys to states is something we haven’t done in a long time. It was an all-around success at every level to an extent.

“All these kids deserve the success they’ve had,” Aiken added. “Mia deserves everything she’s gotten this year. She wrestles well through adversity. Every girl that’s beaten her, she’s come back and found a way to beat them. She continues to get better and hopefully she can keep that going at New Englands.” 

Don’t expect the Eagles to go anywhere next year. Eddy, Travis Eastman and Marigliano are starters Tech will have to replace, along with senior Jacqueline Churchill, but Aiken is hoping this can be the start of big things for the program. 

“We’re bringing a lot of kids back,” Aiken said. “They’re ready to get to work this offseason.”