NMHS Athletic Hall of Fame

Melquisedec ‘Mel’ Ortiz, Class of 2018, was a standout among standouts during perhaps Green Wave wrestling’s most impressive run of success in its rich history.

 

Competing for four seasons at weights from 113 to 126, Mel built the second-best individual record in program history, behind only fellow AHOF inductee Conor Kirkegard, with his 166-26 mat ledger. Of special note, Mel pinned 88 rivals while being pinned just once.

 

His reliable contributions helped coach Chris Piel’s squads carve out at 30-1 match record in the South-West Conference for those four years, as well as a 51-5 overall record. The Green Wave captured the SWC team championship three of Mel’s four seasons and claimed the state class ‘L’ title in 2015 and ’16.

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When Mel arrived on the Green Wave varsity wrestling scene as a freshman, straight from New Milford’s strong youth wrestling program, he took virtually no time establishing his spot in coach Piel’s talented lineup as the 113 pounder. There were a few bumps in the road, yet Mel captured gold medals in three tournaments, including the Green Wave’s own New Milford Invitational, and captured third place in the SWC tournament en route to an overall 32-10 individual record.

 

Most significantly, Mel grappled his way to third place at 113 pounds in the state class ‘L’ tournament, providing crucial points as coach Piel and Co. brought home the team state championship plaque.

 

Stronger and more experienced as a sophomore, Mel was already a force on the area wrestling score. His 43-9 record at 120 pounds featured wins at the Farmington Classic and the SWC tournament, where he received the first of the straight ‘Outstanding Wrestler’ plaudits.

 

Better yet, Mel won the first of his three individual gold medals in state class ‘L’, in the process showing the way for coach Piel’s grapplers to win a second consecutive state championship. He followed that by earning second place in the state open and gained valuable experience with his fifth-place effort at the New England tournament.

 

Courtesy of excellent coaching and his own motivation, Mel upgraded from those solid performances as a freshman and sophomore to etch a remarkable 91-7 mat ledger for his final two seasons. During those two wintertime campaigns, he captured gold medals at numerous invitational tournaments, including back-to-back titles in the Green Wave’s own New Milford Invitational, and scored the possibly unprecedented achievement of being named the ‘Most Outstanding Wrestler’ at three straight SWC tournaments.

 

As a junior, he won his second straight state ‘L’ title and finished third in the state open, at the New England tournament and at the Junior Nationals. His individual record for the 2017 campaign was 43-4 while competing at 126 pounds. The Green Wave was again the unbeaten SWC champion, although it had to settle for runnerup at the state ‘L’ tournament and sixth in the state open.

 

As impressive as his junior season had been, Mel improved even more during the 2018 season. From season’s start to the final match at the New Englands, Mel rarely tasted defeat, building a 48-3 record at 126 pounds.

 

Mel captured titles at five invitational tournaments and was once again honored as the ‘Outstanding Wrestler” at his final SWC tournament. He then took his wrestling to an even higher standard, winning his third state class ‘L’ gold, claiming the state open title and then the ultimate honor, the New England championship.

 

Mel capped his Green Wave career by earning third place in the National Seniors.

 

The Green Wave again won the SWC team title, placed third in the state tournament and was ninth at the state open. Understated throughout his Green Wave career in his manner, Mel nevertheless gained the respect of his teammates for his contributions to the team, and was voted Green Wave MVP in back-to-back seasons.

 

For his accomplishments, Mel was accorded all-state honors and earned All-American recognition. Induction to the New Milford High School Athletic Hall of Fame is a fitting next step on Mel’s Green Wave resume.