RL Places Third in Annual Graves Kelsey Tournament

On February 12, Roxbury Latin’s wrestlers headed to Thayer Academy to compete in this winter’s Graves Kelsey Tournament—the Independent School League wrestling championships, named for long-time and legendary coaches Bert Kelsey of Roxbury Latin, and Gibby Graves of Buckingham Browne & Nichols.

Earning a highly respectable third place finish overall in a field of 13 teams, Roxbury Latin’s wrestlers exhibited dedication and toughness in a collective effort, with the following wrestlers placing in their respective weight classes:

1st place: Navid Hodjat (V)
2nd place: Benji Macharia (IV), Justin Lim (IV)
3rd place: Declan Bligh (V), Aydin Hodjat (III)
4th place: Dovany Estimphile (III), Justin Shaw (II), Nick Consigli (III)
5th place: Noah Abdur Rahim (IV), George Humphrey (I), Krystian Reese (II)
6th place: Alejandro Rincon (III)

Rounding out the RL team were tournament representatives Aidan Gibbons (II) and Thomas Savage (II).

The Graves-Kelsey Tournament was named in honor of Gibby Graves and Bert Kelsey in 1966. Bert was Roxbury Latin’s wrestling coach from 1937 to 1966, earning 24 winning seasons and numerous individual championships. A master of English and debate, his energy and good nature endeared him to hundreds of students. Gibby Graves was a long-time coach at Buckingham Browne and Nichols and was a pioneer in developing the league tournament. Roxbury Latin has earned the title of Graves Kelsey Champion 20 times since 1966.

Twelve members of RL’s wrestling team went on to compete at the New England Championships, including Navid Hodjat, Benji Macharia, Noah Abdur Rahim, Declan Bligh, Dovany Estimphile, Justin Shaw, Justin Lim, Aydin Hodjat, Nick Consigli, George Humphrey, Krystian Reese, and Aidan Gibbons. The team finished sixth in New England out of 39 teams. Three of RL’s wrestlers—Navid Hodjat, Benji Macharia, and Justin Lim—qualified to complete at the National Tournament at Lehigh University.

Perhaps most impressive, the team also went on to earn the ISL Wrestling Sportsmanship Award, an honor they also received in 2019-2020.