Monthly Archives: February 2012

Seniors Lead Cornell to Undefeated Weekend, 10th Straight Ivy League Title

Posted on by
2

By Betsy Veysman

On Senior Day in the Friedman Center, it was appropriate that Frank Perrelli, Cam Simaz and Maciej Jochym led the way as the Big Red wrestlers captured their 10th consecutive Ivy League title and kept their undefeated dual season alive.

The trio of seniors combined for a 6-0 record on the day with four of the victories by bonus points as Cornell defeated Columbia 30-9 and topped previously unbeaten Hofstra 22-12. (Junior Kyle Dake and sophomore Mike Nevinger each went 2-0 for the Big Red as well).

Five other members of the Class of 2012 were honored: team manager Lexy Cook, Quin Leith, Warner Phipps, Derek Schreiner and Phillip Smith.

“It was nice to finish up at the Friedman Center with a few good wins,” Simaz said.  “It’s been a little bit of a shaky season dual wise but we’re still undefeated, so we must be doing something right.”

Earning the Ancient Eight crown again was also exciting for the squad.

“Winning the Ivy title meant more than in the past to me because 10 in a row is impressive,” Perrelli added.

Simaz, the top ranked 197-pounder in the nation, dominated as he has all season long, performing a takedown clinic on Columbia’s Nick Mills in a 20-5 technical fall before pinning the Pride’s Tim Murphy.  The six points he notched in the win over Hofstra clinched the dual for the Big Red.

“We call Cam ‘Captain Clutch’,” Perrelli said.  “We needed the pin against Hofstra and he went out and got it.  That’s just Cam.  He’s been dominating everyone he wrestles, no matter how good the opponent is.  We always expect it.  It’s always nice to have him in our back pocket.”

The three-time All-American, who is the all-time leader at Cornell in bonus point victories with 94, now has nine falls, six technical falls and three major decisions this year.

“I’m looking for a pin every time I get on the mat,” Simaz said, adding that he feels like he’s nearly back to 100% after his hamstring injury earlier in the year.  “I’m looking to dominate and score as many points as possible.  As I’ve matured here at Cornell, it’s gotten much easier to get the pins and techs.”

Perrelli, currently ranked fifth at 125 pounds, got on the board early and often against Robert Dyar of the Lions in a 13-0 win in the opening dual.   The victory was the New Jersey native’s 100th of his career.

“I was able to get to my shots and work on top and get a few turns,” Perrelli said. “I was basically able to do what I’ve been working for all year – scoring a lot of points and dominating.”

His next bout, the third match he has wrestled this season against #14 Steve Bonanno, was a lot tighter, with Perrelli prevailing 3-2.

“We’ve wrestled a lot, so we know each other pretty well,” he said. “It was like a lot of our other matches.  I scored offensively early and that was the match.”

“Frank is always close with Bonanno,” Simaz added.  “It’s similar to me and [Penn’s Micah] Burak. We wrestle a lot and every time it’s close.  Those are the ones you have to win and he came through.  [Perrelli] has been a fantastic leader for us this year, very vocal and very motivating.  We wouldn’t be the same without him.”

Jochym had an eye opening performance against Kevin Lester, last year’s First Team All-Ivy selection at heavyweight.  The Willston Park, NY native notched three takedowns before registering the fall in the third period to end the team’s victory over Columbia with an exclamation point.

“I think what made the difference for me against Lester was that I learned from the two times he beat me at the Body Bar,” Jochym said.  “This time, I didn’t overthink it.  It was almost automatic.  We shook hands and the rest I hardly remember.  I just did what I do in practice and it worked out pretty well.”

“That was probably the best I’ve seen Maciej wrestle,” Perrelli added. “I feel like he’s coming into this own and turning the corner.  Hopefully, he can keep it going next week and into March.”

Jochym followed up his fifth pin of the campaign with a 3-1 victory over Paul Snyder to close out the Hofstra dual.

“With my record right now, [15-12] I need as many wins against national qualifiers as I can get,” he said. “I’d be lying if I said those two wins were just regular wins because I know I need to beat guys like that to make a case for myself at the end of the year.  It’s also important as far as confidence goes.”

“I told him afterwards that I was really proud of him,” Simaz said of Jochym.  “He’s small for the weight but he outworks his opponents.  He’s really fun to watch.  I was talking to some people after the matches and they were saying that they usually hate to watch heavyweights but they liked watching him.  He takes his opportunities, is always moving and takes shots.  He needed those wins to get him over the hump and I’m excited to see how he finishes the year.”

Jochym, who will pursue a career in his major of Science and Technology Studies, acknowledged that Senior Day was meaningful.

“To be honest, I didn’t really think about wrestling for the last time at the Friedman Center until it was over,” Jochym said. “Up until then, it was just another two duals.  But when I got off the mat, it hit me.  There is such a unique feel in that facility. It’s a great place to wrestle.  I’ll miss it.”

However, the Big Red still has matches in Ithaca as Cornell welcomes Illinois, Oklahoma, Central Michigan, Purdue and American to Newman Arena on February 12.

“It was a little sad for the seniors [Saturday], but we still have some home duals left,” Perrelli said. “We’re looking forward to wrestling here again next week at the National Duals.”

In addition, for Simaz and Perrelli, Ithaca will remain home for at least one more year.  Both will stay on as coaches at the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club after graduation, with Perrelli hoping to qualify for the Olympic Trials after the college season finishes.

“Of course we’re seniors and everyone expects us to be a little sentimental,” Simaz said. “But that’s not the case, at least for me, and I think for Frank.  We’re not in any hurry to leave because Cornell has done so much for us. We’d like to stay here as long as we can.”

Army Places Fourth at All-Academy Championships

Posted on by
Reply

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Senior Derek Stanley and freshman Cole Gracey both won individual titles to lead the Army wrestling team to a fourth-place finish at the 18th annual All-Academy Championships on Sunday inside Clune Arena.

Three other Army wrestlers authored runner-up finishes to help the Black Knights rack up 80 points and place within the top half of the eight-team field. Navy won its fourth straight All-Academy title, totaling 109.5 points and finishing just in front of host Air Force (105 points). The Citadel accrued 81 points to edge Army for third place.

VMI (24 points), Coast Guard (11.5), Merchant Marine (10) and Norwich (0.5) placed fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth, respectively.

Stanley sprinted through the competition at 197 pounds, posting a 3-0 record en route to his first career tournament title. The veteran started the day by pinning Merchant Marine’s Tyler Russell in three minutes, 35 seconds. Stanley then slipped past Air Force’s Josh Mohr, 2-1, before taking a 3-2 decision from The Citadel’s Kelby Smith in the title bout.

Gracey, who extended his win streak to 12 straight bouts following today’s perfect 3-0 showing, had little trouble navigating his way through the 165-pound draw on his way to his second tournament crown of the season. The first-year grappler began the tournament by blanking Coast Guard’s Luke Taylor, 3-0, and pinning VMI’s Carry Joseph in 5:33 to reach the championship final. Gracey put the finishing touches on yet another dominant performance by shutting down Navy’s Mason Bailey, 4-0, in the title bout.

Junior Jordan Thome turned in a second-place showing in the 133-pound draw. The Troy, Ohio, native pinned Norwich’s Kyle Brouillette (1:07) and slipped past The Citadel’s Kyle Casaletto (2-0) before falling to Navy’s Aaron Kalil, 4-0, in the championship bout.

Sophomore Ryan Bilyeu chipped in a runner-up finish at 149 pounds. The second-year performer knocked off The Citadel’s Seth Vernon (12-6) and Navy’s Peyton Walsh (11-5) to reach the title match. There, the Guthrie, Okla., product was pinned by Air Force’s Cole VonOhlen in 2:28.

Senior Michael Gorman wrestled to a second-place finish in the 184-pound bracket. The fourth-year grappler pinned Norwich’s Sam Kent in 2:19 and dispatched VMI’s John Dommert, 8-5, to set up a title match versus nationally-ranked Luke Rebertus of Navy. The highly-touted Rebertus proceeded to pin Gorman in 2:18.

Freshman Scott Filbert (125 pounds), junior Casey Smith (141) and senior Jimmy Rafferty (157) each produced fourth-place finishes.

Army will jump back into its dual match schedule on Tuesday, Feb. 7, when the Black Knights host EIWA rival Bucknell at West Point’s Gillis Field House. The conference contest, which will serve as Army’s final tune-up prior to the annual “Star” match at Navy (Feb. 17), is set to get under way at 7 p.m.

Tournament Notes: Jordan Thome recorded his 10th pin of the season … he leads the team in pins and bonus-point victories (11) … Casey Smith posted the first two pins of his career … Jimmy Raffertyrecorded his first pin of the season … Cole Gracey is now tied for second on the team with six pins … Gracey’s 10 bonus-point wins list second on the team as well.

Team Standings
1. Navy 109.5
2. Air Force 105.0
3. The Citadel 81.0
4. ARMY 80.0
5. VMI 24.0
6. Coast Guard 11.5
7. Merchant Marine 10.0
8. Norwich 0.5

125 – Scott Filbert (4th)
Pinned by Navy’s Tyler Sackett (4:51)
Defeated Coast Guard’s Nate Giorgio, 4-0
Pinned by Air Force’s Greg Rinker (1:12)

133 – Jordan Thome (2nd)
Pinned Norwich’s Kyle Brouillette (1:07)
Defeated The Citadel’s Kyle Casaletto, 2-0
Lost Navy’s Aaron Kalil, 4-0

141 – Casey Smith (4th)
Pinned Norwich’s Tyrell Castarphen (2:29)
Lost to Navy’s Dustin Haislip, 3-1
Pinned Merchant Marine’s Bernard Watson (5:36)
Lost to The Citadel’s Jordan Dix, 14-8

149 – Ryan Bilyeu (2nd)
Defeated The Citadel’s Seth Vernon, 12-6
Defeated Navy’s Peyton Walsh, 11-5
Pinned by Air Force’s Cole VonOhlen (2:28)

157 – Jimmy Rafferty (4th)
Defeated Merchant Marine’s Matt Hiltz (Technical Fall 19-4)
Pinned by Air Force’s Josh Kreimier (4:54)
Pinned Norwich’s Nick Smith (0:49)
Lost to The Citadel’s Pierre Frazile, 3-2

165 – Cole Gracey (1st)
Defeated Coast Guard’s Luke Taylor, 3-0
Pinned VMI’s Carry Joseph (5:33)
Defeated Navy’s Mason Bailey, 4-0

174 – Robert Doyle
Lost to VMI’s Matthew Brock, 3-0
Defeated Coast Guard’s Virgil Moreno (Injury Default)
Lost to Navy’s Oscar Huntley (Major Decision 9-1)

184 – Michael Gorman (2nd)
Pinned Norwich’s Sam Kent (2:19)
Defeated VMI’s John Dommert, 8-5
Pinned by Navy’s Luke Rebertus (2:18)

197 – Derek Stanley (1st)
Pinned Merchant Marine’s Tyler Russell (3:35)
Defeated Air Force’s Josh Mohr, 2-1
Defeated The Citadel’s Kelby Smith, 3-2

285 – Christian Botero
Defeated Navy’s Danny Miller, 8-7
Lost to Air Force’s Jared Erickson (Technical Fall 16-0)
Lost to Coast Guard’s Joel Wyman, 6-2

Courtesy of goarmysports.com

 

Cornell Defeats Columbia and Hofstra; Wins 10th Straight Ivy Title

Posted on by
Reply

ITHACA, N.Y.—The No. 4 Big Red wrestling team won its 10th– straight Ivy League title on Saturday afternoon after defeating Columbia 30-9. Cornell then moved to 10-0 overall this season after handing Hofstra its first loss of the season, 22-12 at the Friedman Wrestling Center.  Senior Frank Perrelli notched his 100th career victory with a win over Robert Dyar by a 13-0 major decision. Before the Hofstra dual, Cornell honored its eight seniors including: Lexy Cook, Quin Leith, Maciej Jochym, Frank Perrelli, Warner Phipps, Derek Schreiner, Cam Simaz and Phillip Smith.

Perrelli opened the day off for the Big Red at 125 pounds taking on Dyar of Columbia. Perrelli held a 6-0 lead after the first period with a takedown and two two-point nearfalls. Perrelli increased his advantage to 8-0 with a reversal from his starting down position in the second. Dyar chose to start the third on top and Perrelli reversed him once again. With two more back points and riding time, Perrelli won a 13-0 major decision to earn his 100th career victory.

At 133 pounds, Nick Arujau and Kyle Gilchrist were scoreless after the first period. Arujau escaped from his opening down position in the second for the only point of the period. Gilchrist chose neutral for the third. Arujau took him down 15 seconds into the period and with 1:25 in riding time, won a 4-0 decision.

No. 17 ranked Mike Nevinger faced off against Matt Bystol at 141 pounds. Nevinger held a 6-0 advantage after the first period with a takedown and two two-point nearfalls. Bystol chose neutral for the second. Nevinger took him down once again and added three more back points before the period was over. Nevinger escaped from his opening down position to start the third. With another takedown and 4:16 in riding time, Nevinger won by a 15-0 technical fall.

At 149 pounds, No. 20 Chris Villalonga faced Steve Santos. After a scoreless first period, Villalonga chose down to start the second but was unable to escape. Santos escaped to open the third and with 1:44 in riding time won a 2-0 decision.

No. 1 Kyle Dake took on Jake O’Hara at 157 pounds. With eight seconds left in the first, Dake took a 2-0 lead with a takedown.  O’Hara chose neutral to start the second, but Dake would take him down once again to grab a 4-0 lead. Dake chose top to start the third period. The Big Red junior earned two three-point nearfalls and added 2:53 in riding time to win by an 11-0 major decision.

At 165 pounds, Craig Eifert faced Adam Fondale. After a scoreless first period, Eifert reversed his opponent from his opening down position. Fondale would escape, but Eifert took him down once again. Fondale escaped from his opening down position to start the third period. Fondale took down Eifert to tie the bout, but Eifert escaped to win a 5-4 decision.

Freshman Billy George squared off against Stephen West at 174 pounds. With 22 seconds left in the first, West took a 2-0 lead with a takedown. George was unable to score from his starting down position in the second period. West quickly escaped to start the third period. With a takedown and riding time, West won a 6-0 decision.

At 184 pounds, Michael Alexander took on Shane Hughes. With 10 seconds left in the first period, Hughes took Alexander down right to his back to take a 5-0 lead. Alexander escaped to open the second and with four seconds left on the clock grabbed a takedown to come within two points. Alexander chose to let Hughes up from his opening down position to start the third. With less than a minute left in the bout, Hughes notched another takedown to win an 8-3 decision.

No. 1 ranked Simaz faced Nick Mills at 197 pounds. Simaz notched four takedowns and added three back points to hold an 11-3 advantage after the first period. Mills escaped from his opening down position to start the second. Simaz grabbed two more takedowns and three back points to increase his advantage to 18-5 after two periods. Simaz chose top to start the third period. With a two point nearfall with 1:24 left in the bout, Simaz won by a 20-5 technical fall.

Senior Maciej Jochym hit the mat at heavyweight against Kevin Lester. Midway through the first, Jochym hit a double leg to takedown Lester at the edge of the mat. Lester reversed him 20 seconds later, but Jochym would escape to hold a one point advantage.  Lester escaped to open the second period, but Jochym would take him down once again with less than 30 seconds left in the period. Jochym escaped to open the third period and grabbed a takedown 30 seconds later. Jochym turned Lester to his back to win by fall in 6:00.

After the senior presentations, Perrelli faced No. 14 Steve Bonanno at 125 pounds. Perrelli had a 2-1 advantage after the first period with a takedown from which Bonanno escaped. Bonanno escaped from his opening down position for the only point of the second period. Perrelli escaped to start the third to win a 3-2 decision.

At 133 pounds, Arujau took on Jamie Franco. Franco had a takedown midway through the first period to take a 2-0 lead. Franco chose down to start the second period but was unable to escape. Arujau chose neutral in the third, but was unable to score and Franco won a 2-0 decision.

No. 17 Nevinger was scoreless after the first period at 141 pounds against Luke Vaith. Nevinger escaped to open the second for the only point of the period. Vaith chose neutral to start the third. With three seconds left on the clock, Nevinger scored a takedown to win by a 3-0 decision.

At 149 pounds, No. 20 Villalonga was scoreless against Justin Accordino after the first period. Neither wrestler was able to score from their starting down positions in the second and third periods, sending the match into overtime. Accordino scored a takedown 30 seconds into sudden victory to win a 2-0 decision.

Dake grabbed a takedown midway through the first period at 157 pounds against Tyler Banks. Dake immediately reversed Banks from his starting down position in the second period. He would let Banks up back to neutral, but Dake took him down once again to hold a 6-1 advantage after two periods. Dake let Banks up from his starting down position to open the third period looking to increase his lead.  Dake added two more takedowns and with 4:29 in riding time, the Big Red junior won an 11-3 major decision.

After a 10 minute halftime break, Eifert took on No. 19 PJ Gillespie. Gillespie took Eifert down midway through the period, but Eifert escaped to come within a point. Gillespie escaped from his opening down position in the second for the only point of the period. Eifert escaped to start the third, but with five seconds left on the clock Gillespie added a takedown to win a 5-2 decision.

George was awarded a point early in his bout against Jermaine John at 174 pounds for unnecessary roughness. The Big Red freshman escaped to open the second for the only point of the period. John escaped from his opening down position in the third, but George held strong to come away with a 2-1 decision.

At 184 pounds, No. 3 Steve Bosak took on No. 11 Ben Clymer of Hofstra. After a scoreless first period, Clymer was unable to escape his starting down position in the second. Bosak chose down to start the third, but halfway through the period Clymer caught him and earned two quick back points. Bosak would escape but was unable to score a takedown and Clymer snuck away with a 2-1 decision. With Clymer’s win, Hofstra came within one point of the Big Red with a 13-12 team score.

At 197 pounds, Simaz notched a takedown 20 seconds into the first period against Tim Murphy. Simaz totaled four takedowns to hold an 8-3 lead after the first period. Murphy chose down to start the second period, but Simaz turned him to his back to win by fall in 3:24. With the six team points, Simaz secured the win for the Big Red.

At heavyweight, Jochym and Paul Snyder were scoreless after the first period. Jochym escaped to start the second and added a takedown with 20 seconds left on the clock to take a 3-0 lead. Snyder escaped from his opening down position in the third, but Jochym held strong for a 3-1 decision.

The Big Red will play host to the first round of the NWCA/Cliff Keen Division I Dual Meet Championships on Sunday, Feb. 12. Cornell will welcome Central Michigan, No. 18 Oklahoma, Purdue, No. 21 Illinois and No. 11 American to Newman Arena for duals at 10 a.m., 12 p.m. and the finals at 2 p.m.

No . 4 Cornell 30, Columbia 9
125: No. 5 Frank Perrelli (Cornell) maj. dec  Robert Dyar, 13-0 (Cornell, 4-0)
133: Nick Arujau (Cornell) dec. Kyle Gilchrist, 4-0 (Cornell, 7-0)
141: No. 17 Mike Nevinger (Cornell) tech fall Matt Bystol, 15-0 (Cornell, 12-0)
149: Steve Santos (Columbia) dec. No. 20 Chris Villalonga, 2-0 SV (Cornell, 12-3)
157: No. 1 Kyle Dake (Cornell) maj. dec. Jake O’Hara, 11-0 (Cornell, 16-3)
165: Craig Eifert (Cornell) dec. Adam Fondale, 5-4 (Cornell, 19-3)
174: Stephen West (Columbia) dec. Billy George, 6-0 (Cornell, 19-6)
184: Shane Hughes (Columbia) dec. Michael Alexander, 8-3 (Cornell, 19-9)
197: No. 1 Cam Simaz (Cornell) tech fall Nick Mills, 20-5 (Cornell, 24-9)
HWT: Maciej Jochym (Cornell) win by fall Kevin Lester, 6:00 (Cornell, 30-9)

No. 4 Cornell 22, Hofstra 12
125: No. 5 Frank Perrelli (Cornell) dec. No. 14 Steve Bonanno, 3-2 (Cornell, 3-0)
133: Jamie Franco (Hofstra) dec. Nick Arujau, 2-0 (Tied, 3-3)
141: No. 17 Mike Nevinger (Cornell) dec. Luke Vaith, 3-0 (Cornell, 6-3)
149: Justin Accordino (Hofstra) dec. No. 20 Chris Villalonga, 2-0 (Tied, 6-6)
157: No. 1 Kyle Dake (Cornell) maj. dec. Jake O’Hara, 11-3 (Cornell, 10-6)
165: No. 19 PJ Gillespie (Hofstra) dec. Craig Eifert, 5-2 (Cornell, 10-9)
174: Billy George (Cornell) dec. Jermaine John, 2-1 (Cornell, 13-9)
184: No. 11 Ben Clymer (Hofstra) dec. No. 3 Steve Bosak, 2-1 (Cornell, 13-12)
197: No. 1 Cam Simaz (Cornell) win by fall Tim Murphy, 3:24 (Cornell, 19-12)
HWT: Maciej Jochym (Cornell) dec. Paul Snyder, 3-1 (Cornell, 22-12)

Buffalo Drops Road Contest at #14 Kent State

Posted on by
Reply

KENT, OH – Facing Mid-American Conference rival Kent State for the second time in three weeks, the Buffalo wrestling team dropped its dual Friday night at Kent, losing 26-9. The Bulls earned wins at 157, 165 and 174, and dropped two other tight matches by one point. The loss drops UB to 5-13 (0-3 MAC) while Kent State moves to 11-4 (4-0 MAC).

The Golden Flashes ran out to a 12-0 lead right away thanks to four straight losses. Kevin Smith gained an early 2-1 lead and secured riding time, but a late takedown by Tyler Small in a 2-2 match gave him the 4-3 win at 141 pounds. In the very next match, Blake Roulo fell behind 2-1 in the first period and was unable to muster any offense in a 3-2 loss.

Buffalo responded in the middle weights despite missing key starter Mark Lewandowski. Wally Maziarz broke the team’s string of bad luck in one-point matches with a 3-2 win in his favor over Mallie Shuster at 157. Clay Reeb then came through with a solid 5-2 win over Ross Tice in the 165 bout. Freshman Jake Waste then brought UB within three in the dual with a 4-3 win at 174. With that win, he now has 20 wins this season and 14 in duals, putting him in the program’s top 15 for most dual wins in a single season.

Despite getting the score to 12-9, the host Flashes put the comeback attempt on hold with a sweep of the final three matches for a 26-9 win. The Bulls will now travel to Eastern Michigan in search for its first conference dual win of the season. The two teams will square off in a mid-week matchup on Wednesday for a 7 pm dual.

Results

125         Nicholas Bedelyon (Kent State) won by decision over Max Soria (Buffalo) 5-0
133         Steve Mitcheff (Kent State) won by decision over Taylor Golba (Buffalo) 8-2.
141         Tyler Small (Kent State) won by decision over Kevin Smith (Buffalo) 4-3.
149         Marcel Clopton (Kent State) won by decision over Blake Roulo (Buffalo) 3-2.
157         Wally Maziarz (Buffalo) won by decision over Mallie Shuster (Kent State) 3-2.
165         Clay Reeb (Buffalo) won by decision over Ross Tice (Kent State) 5-2.
174         Jake Waste (Buffalo) won by decision over Brandonn Johnson (Kent State) 4-3.
184         Casey Newburg (Kent State) won by major dec over Dominic Montesanti (Buffalo) 11-3.
197         Keith Witt (Kent State) won by pin over Justin Heisermen (Buffalo) 2:04.
285         Brendan Barlow (Kent State) won by decision over Jedd Mason (Buffalo) 7-4

— Courtesy of buffalobulls.com

No. 18 Binghamton Comes Up Short Against Visiting American

Posted on by
Reply

Contact: John Hartrick (hartrick@binghamton.edu)

VESTAL, N.Y.—Visiting American won six matches – three by a narrow 5-3 decision – and pulled off an 18-15 upset over No. 18 Binghamton (12-4) Friday night from West Gym. Top-ranked heavyweight Ryan Flores posted an 8-1 win to snap a 15-15 team score and give the Eagles (5-6) the decisive points in the final bout of the evening.

The teams traded wins over the first eight matches with neither squad taking more than a three-point lead at any time. Trailing 12-10 entering the match at 184, junior No. 20 Nate Schiedelposted a 24-7 technical fall to push BU ahead 15-12, with two bouts remaining. But American scored a 5-3 win on the back of No. 19 197-pound Daniel Mitchell and with the team score deadlocked, unbeaten and reigning NCAA runnerup Flores was too strong for freshman No. 19 Nick Gwiazdowski.

After dropping the opening match at 125, sophomore 133-pound Patrick Hunter used three back points in the second period to pull away from Corey Borshoff, 13-6. It was Hunter’s 15th win of the season.

At 149, No. 4 Donnie Vinson continued his winning ways with a controlled 7-1 decision. Vinson raised his record to 27-4 overall, 15-1 in duals.

The showcase match was at 157 between two high-ranking foes. Senior No. 10 Justin Lister came up short against No. 3 Ganbayar Sanjaa, 5-3. It was only Lister’s fourth loss of the season (21-4, 13-2 duals).

Senior 165-pound Matt Kaylor gave the Bearcats the lead again with a 19-9 major decision. He scored eight points and compiled riding time in the first period alone and went on to claim his 19th win of the season (19-8, 11-5 duals).

At 174, freshman Caleb Wallace led 4-2 early and was tied at 6 before giving way to his opponent in the third period, 12-6.

At 197, sophomore Cody Reed entered the third period knotted at 3 with Mitchell but gave up a takedown to lose 5-3. American drew even at 15 with the win, setting up the final decision at heavyweight.

The match was a reunion of two former Oklahoma State teammates as sixth-year BU mentor Pat Popolizio brought his Bearcats up against Teague Moore, in his first year at the helm of American. The two were together for three years for the John Smith-coached Cowboys in 1999-01.

Binghamton hosts Bloomsburg at 7 p.m. next Thursday at West Gym.

FINAL RESULTS

American 18, No. 18 Binghamton 15
125: Thomas Williams (American) dec. Derek Steeley (Binghamton); 5-3
133: Patrick Hunter (Binghamton) dec. Corey Borshoff (American); 13-6
141: No. 15 Matt Mariacher (American) dec. Joe Bonaldi (Binghamton); 9-3
149: No. 4 Donnie Vinson (Binghamton) dec. Kevin Tao (American); 7-1
157: No. 3 Ganbayar Sanjaa (American) dec. No. 10 Justin Lister (Binghamton); 5-3
165: Matt Kaylor (Binghamton) major dec. Mark Cirello (American); 19-9
174: Phillip Barreiro (American) dec. Caleb Wallace (Binghamton); 12-6
184: No. 20 Nate Schiedel (Binghamton) tech fall Thomas Barreiro (American); 24-7; 6:00
197: No. 19 Daniel Mitchell (American) dec. Cody Reed (Binghamton); 5-3
285: No. 1 Ryan Flores (American) dec. No. 19 Nick Gwiazdowski (Binghamton); 8-1

Watch Live as #3 Cornell Takes On #23 Hofstra in Meeting of Undefeated Teams

Posted on by
4

WATCH CORNELL FACE COLUMBIA AT 1 P.M. AND HOFSTRA AT 3 P.M. ON SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4, COURTESY OF MARK MORRIS OF PAWRVIDEO.COM

[button link=”http://newyorkwrestlingnews.com/live-video” type=”big” color=”green”] Watch Live[/button]

——————————————————————————————————————————————–

#3 Cornell vs. #23 Hofstra Preview

By Betsy Veysman

A few weeks ago, two ranked New York teams battled down to the wire in Vestal, New York when Cornell edged Binghamton on criteria in a back and forth dual meet.  This weekend in Ithaca, another Empire State dual will take place when two undefeated teams, the third-ranked Big Red and 23rd ranked Hofstra take the mat on Saturday at 3 p.m.  Both squads sport undeafeated dual records for the 2011-12 campaign.

(The Big Red will face Ivy League foe Columbia at 1 p.m.)

The following is a match-by-match preview:

125: #5 Frank Perrelli (CU, 22-4) vs. #14 Steve Bonanno (HU, 21-5)

It’s fair to say that these two know each other well, as they have met twice already this season and on three occasions last year.  While the Big Red grappler has won all five matchups, most have been close.  At the Binghamton Open this past November, Perrelli escaped as time expired to earn a one-point victory over his Hofstra counterpart and then took a 3-1 decision at the Southern Scuffle.  Bonanno has had a very solid campaign, but it’s hard to bet against Perrelli on Senior Day, especially given the recent history between these wrestlers.

133: Nick Arujau (CU, 1-0) vs. Jamie Franco (HU, 15-9)

While they haven’t wrestled as recently as the 125 pounders have, Arujau and Franco did have a high profile meeting in February of 2009.  In the 125 pound Division I New York high school state championship match, Arujau prevailed by a 4-0 score.  Plenty has happened since then and both have had fine seasons.  Franco, who has a win over Army’s Jordan Thome and a Round of 12 finish at the Southern Scuffle, has been praised by the Pride coaching staff for his performance this year.  Arujua has wrestled in a Cornell singlet only once since transferring from American, but while competing for the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club during the first semester, Arujau took second at the Penn State Open and fifth at the Southern Scuffle.  Slight edge to Arujau given a few more quality wins.

141: #17 Mike Nevinger (CU, 22-9) vs. Luke Vaith (HU, 15-7)

The two have not met and results against common opponents aren’t revealing.  Both beat Conor Hanafee and Patrick Hogan, both lost to Tyler Small and Jake Sueflohn.  While Nevinger defeated Frank Cimato twice, Cimato topped Vaith.  On the other hand, Vaith turned in a breakthrough performance last weekend, defeating returning All-American Zach Kemmerer, a wrestler who has defeated Nevinger twice this year.  What does it all mean?  It’s a toss up between grapplers who both scored upset victories last weekend (Vaith over Kemmerer, Nevinger over Iowa State’s Luke Goettl).  It certainly will have important implications for the team score.

149: #20 Chris Villalonga (CU, 19-5) vs. Justin Accordino (HU, 18-8)

Villalonga has recently broken into the rankings on the heels of a victory over top 10 opponent Corey Jantzen of Harvard.  Since moving up from 141 pounds, the New Jersey native has won 18 of 21 matches, with two of his losses to the #1 and #4 grapplers in the land (Penn State’s Frank Molinaro and Binghamton’s Donnie Vinson).  Accordino has rather quietly had a high quality campaign in his return from his second ACL injury.  Since dropping a match in the consolation bracket to Cornell’s Craig Eifert at the Southern Scuffle, Accordino has reeled off eight straight victories.

157: #1 Kyle Dake (CU, 23-0) vs. Tyler Banks (HU, 10-8)

It’s no secret that Dake is the favorite here.  That’s not a knock on Banks; it would be true against any 157-pounder in the nation.  The two-time NCAA champion returned to action at this weight against Iowa State last Sunday after missing time with an injury.  He looks to return to dominant form and pick up bonus points, which he has earned in 13 of 23 matches this year.  Banks has won four of his last five, including two pivotal triumphs in last weekend’s sweep over Rutgers and Penn.

165: Marshall Peppelman (CU, 22-12) vs. #19 PJ Gillespie (HU, 21-5)

The Pride’s returning All-American edged Peppelman 2-1 at the Binghamton Open at the beginning of the campaign.  While both competed at the Vegas Invitational and the Southern Scuffle, they did not meet again.  Gillespie took second at Vegas and fourth at the Scuffle while Peppelman was seventh at the latter tournament.  The Hofstra senior is coming off an undefeated weekend in which he upset then-ninth ranked Scott Winston of Rutgers while the Big Red wrestler suffered a tough loss to fourth-ranked Andrew Sorenson of Iowa State on Saturday.  Gillespie tends to wrestle close matches and will be favored to take this one.

174: Billy George (CU, 13-9) vs. Jermaine John (HU, 7-12)

It’s a matchup of a pair of freshmen who have had their ups and downs throughout the season.  George’s 8-2 decision over John at the Las Vegas Invitational in December makes him the favorite in this bout.

184: #3 Steve Bosak (CU, 24-2) vs. #11 Ben Clymer (HU, 23-6)

Similar to 125, these wrestlers are not strangers.  Bosak defeated Clymer 3-0 in a hard fought bout in the Binghamton Open finals this season in addition to victories the other three times they have met.  The matches have all been fairly close, with scores of 3-0, 4-1 and 3-1.  Both competitors have been on a roll lately, with Bosak winning seven straight and Clymer capturing eight consecutive victories.  However, until proven otherwise, the Cornellian is favored by decision.

197: #1 Cam Simaz (CU, 18-1) vs. Tim Murphy (HU, 10-15)

Simaz puts points on the board.  16 of his 18 wins this year have been by bonus points, including 5 technical falls and 8 pins.  Murphy and Matt Loew have both manned the 197 spot for the Pride this season but the former got the call a week ago against the Scarlet Knights and Quakers. When Simaz takes the mat against almost anyone, expect bonus points for the Big Red.

285: Maciej Jochym (CU, 13-12) vs. Paul Snyder (HU, 15-8)

This looks like another toss up.  These heavyweights met twice at the Binghamton Open.  In the opening round of the tournament, Jochym defeated Snyder, 11–4.  Hours later, Snyder returned the favor in the third place match, coming out on top, 3-2.  Both were eliminated in the Round of 12 at the Southern Scuffle and in the same round at the Las Vegas Invitational. For Hofstra to take the dual, this will be a key bout to win.

—–

The Pride wrestlers have won 13 straight and clearly have a very good dual lineup. However, Cornell matches up well with Hofstra’s strengths.  It’s unlikely that the result will be anything like the 45-0 shutout that the Big Red had against the Pride a year ago in Hempstead, but the Big Red should ride the Senior Day crowd to a comfortable victory in the first duals held at the Friedman Center this season.

Buffalo Wrestling Wins Battles Beyond the Mat; Raises $23,000 for Takedown Cancer

Posted on by
2

By Betsy Veysman

Although the Buffalo wrestling team dropped a 22-18 decision to MAC foe Ohio on January 29 at home, there was an important victory for the Bulls and their fans that day — the team raised over $23,000 during its third annual Takedown Cancer event.

The Takedown Cancer project started three years ago to benefit former Buffalo wrestler Jeff Parker, who was battling melanoma at the time.  The proceeds helped Parker and his family while he was going through treatments for the disease.

Parker passed away in the spring of 2010, but the effort continued.  According to Buffalo head coach Jim Beichner, the team works in concert with Carly’s Club of Western New York to choose a family with a young child going through cancer treatments and then raises money to help that family.

Beichner said that most of the funds raised this year came from raffling off prizes, such as flat screen televisions, at the dual, as well as from donations.  Several high schools also ran their own events and provided their earnings to the cause.

“We felt the Takedown Cancer event was a big success,” Beichner said.  “It was a great crowd.  Of course it was extremely disappointing to lose the dual, but we achieved the goal of raising a substantial amount of money.”

“Being able to compete and raise money means a lot to me and anyone who knew Jeff [Parker],” added senior Kevin Smith, who was a teammate of Parker’s during his freshman year with the Bulls.  “Jeff was a guy that everyone got along with; a guy who was fun to be around.  But he also was involved in a lot of things outside of wrestling.  He won the Chancellor’s Award as the best Scholar-Athlete.  He was a great role model for me, so I am so glad we are continuing the Takedown Cancer cause.”

Those on hand at Alumni Arena were able to witness the impact the cause has had.  Last year’s recipient of the Takedown Cancer funds was at the dual, in full remission despite an unfavorable initial prognosis.  In fact, the young girl performed the coin flip before the match began.

“Our team has been affected by this greatly,” Beichner said. “When we went to give the family the check, the expressions on their faces were incredible.  It was touching in ways I can’t explain.  Having the guys see how they’re touching a life in a positive way is a pretty amazing thing.”

Beichner said the team will once again hold the Takedown Cancer dual next year and urges others to become involved.

“I challenge others to do an event or contribute to ours,” he said.  “We have the road map in place and can point people in the right direction.  I hope more people will participate because it changes your life to help these children and their families.”

 

To find out more about Takedown Cancer or to get involved please contact:

Joe Muscarella, Co-founder at jdm7@buffalo.edu

 

To find out more about the organizations involved in this event:

http://www.jeffparkerfoundation.org/ (Jeff Parker Foundation)

http://giving.roswellpark.org/Page.aspx?pid=310 (Carly’s Club)

 

John Keck Commits to Navy After Offseason Success

Posted on by
8

Some of the top Empire State wrestlers from the Class of 2012 committed to colleges during or before the early signing period in November of 2011, including Brian Realbuto (Cornell), Quinton Murphy (Indiana), Chris Nevinger (Buffalo) and Tony Lock (Buffalo).  However, in the past month, several more standouts have chosen where they will continue both their education and wrestling career next fall.   New York Wrestling News spoke to some of these grapplers and will post the articles throughout the week.  Earlier in the week, we shared the stories of Ryan Fox and Tom Page.  Today, we discuss Shoreham Wading River’s John Keck.

By Betsy Veysman

John Keck’s December commitment to Navy was a long time in the making.

The Shoreham Wading River senior began the arduous process of applying to the Annapolis, Maryland school at the end of last summer.  After letters of recommendation, physical tests, medical clearance exams, essays, forms, interviews and a nomination from Congressman Tim Bishop, Keck was finally able to give his verbal commitment.

“It was a long and involved process,” Keck said. “But it was worth it because I think Navy offers a good balance of everything.  I really like the structure of the school, the great academics and the wrestling.”

In fact, the 152-pounder had Navy at the top of his list even before the wrestling coaches at the school were recruiting him.

Keck’s third place finish at the Super 32 tournament in North Carolina in the fall of 2011 changed everything.  In a field with highly regarded grapplers from all over the country, Keck went 6-1 and defeated Ohio state champion Kyle Burns, Pennsylvania state runner up Garett Hammond and nationally ranked Garrett Peppelman.

“Super 32 was big for me,” he said.  “I had never won my section or been to the state tournament so I didn’t have the credentials to get noticed by colleges.  My main goal for the tournament was to put myself on the map and it worked.”

When he returned from the tournament, Keck sent Coach Bruce Burnett the Flowrestling link to his match against Peppelman.  He said the coach responded quickly and the relationship began.

Other schools contacted Keck as well.  The strong student said he had some interactions with the Coast Guard Academy, the Merchant Marine Academy, American, Cornell, Duke and Virginia.

But Super 32 did more than just put the future Engineering major on the Division I radar.  It also gave him a jumpstart into his final year on the mats for the Wildcats.

“It was a good boost to my confidence,” he said. “Wrestling the best competition in the offseason helps so much during the season.  After I beat state champs and other tough wrestlers, I felt like I should do really well in my senior year back in New York.”

To this point, he has.  Keck has a 37-1 record, with 23 of those wins coming by pin or technical fall.   His one setback was to eventual champion Dylan Palacio of Long Beach during his run to third place at the Eastern States Classic.

“I was really frustrated by that loss, especially since it wasn’t close,” he said. “I didn’t reach my goal of winning the tournament. But otherwise the season has been going well.  Our team clinched the league title and winning as a team, not just as an individual, makes things so much more fun. I’m focusing on getting bonus points for the team and keeping up my technique, even against less competitive kids.”

Keck, who expects to wrestle at 157 pounds in college, has been learning that technique for years.  Although he said he really started focusing on wrestling in seventh grade, he has been around the sport for most of his life as his father and two older brothers wrestled.

He credited his family and several coaches for his development.

“My dad has spent so much time working with me,” he said.  “We have a 10 x 10 mat in the basement and we go down there, watch tape from matches, critique it and then drill for a while.  I wouldn’t be able to do it without him, I’m lucky to have him working with me.”

He also mentioned the contributions of Mike Patrovich at Razor Wrestling Club, Shoreham Wading River coach Joe Condon and Nick Garone, Steve Hromada and Darren Goldstein at X-Cel Wrestling Club.

All of that training will be put to the test in the coming month.

“Last year, I won the league and I was the runner up in the county to Kyle Wade, who wound up winning states. I didn’t have the criteria points for a wildcard, so I was disappointed that I didn’t get to go to the state tournament.  This year, I want to change that.  I want to win the county and then my goal is to win states.”

Three-Time State Placer Tom Page Chooses American University

Posted on by
Reply

Some of the top Empire State wrestlers from the Class of 2012 committed to colleges during or before the early signing period in November of 2011, including Brian Realbuto (Cornell), Quinton Murphy (Indiana), Chris Nevinger (Buffalo) and Tony Lock (Buffalo).  However, in the past month, several more standouts have chosen where they will continue both their education and wrestling career next fall.   New York Wrestling News spoke to some of these grapplers and will post the articles throughout the week.  Yesterday, we shared the story of Ryan Fox.  Today, we discuss Eden High School’s Tom Page.

By Betsy Veysman

Tom Page considered staying in New York after graduation, looking at both Columbia and Buffalo.  But in the end, the Eden High School wrestler, who has moved up to 132 pounds this season, chose American after taking a trip to the Washington, DC based school.

“When I went on the visit down there, I felt like it was a great campus and I liked all the people I met,” he said. “I was really welcomed by the coaches and all the wrestlers on the team.”

The three-time state placewinner plans to focus in Pre-Medicine studies and expects to wrestle at either 133 or 141 pounds for head coach Teague Moore.

This season, the future Eagle has compiled a 41-1 record with 33 victories by bonus points.   He has made the podium on all of his previous trips to Albany, taking fifth as a freshman at 96 and third as a sophomore and junior at 112 and 119 pounds, respectively.  In each of the past two years, he lost to the eventual champion, then fought his way back in the consolation bracket.

Page doesn’t plan to be in the wrestlebacks this year.

“I feel like my season is going very well,” he said.  “I think I’ll be peaking at the right time.  I’ve been putting in all the extra workouts and I’m mentally focused.  I have what it takes to win the state title.”

Standing on the top of the podium on February 25 is most important to Page.  But when the campaign began, he had another goal in mind as well – reaching 200 career victories.  He currently stands less than 10 wins away.

Page’s road to 200 triumphs started back in first grade when he first tried wrestling.  For years, Page wrestled in the winter and played soccer in the fall and summer.   But when he reached seventh grade, he realized he wanted to focus on one sport.

“I feel like I grew into wrestling and started to realize that I loved it,” he said.  “I started to wrestle year round in seventh grade, including freestyle and Greco in the summer.”

He lists his freestyle victory at the Northeast Regional tournament the summer of tenth grade year as one of his most memorable results.  He also mentions his two bronze medal matches at the state tournament, but acknowledges that he wants to be on the biggest stage this year and has the opportunity because of several people who have aided him along the way.

“My dad [Thomas Senior, Eden High School’s head coach] has helped me so much with my wrestling for a long time.  I really want to thank my family for all of their support over the years.”