Monthly Archives: April 2012

State Champ Steven Rodrigues Wins FILA Junior Freestyle Title; FLWC Places Four

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By Betsy Veysman

Steven Rodrigues ended his high school career at Fox Lane with a state championship.

This weekend, at the FILA Juniors, he added a national title to his resume.

“Going into any tournament, my expectation is to win,” he said.  “Whether it’s a local tournament back home or a tournament like FILA Juniors, I’m looking to perform my best and win it.”

The University of Illinois freshman did just that at 63 kg (138.75 pounds), going 5-0 on the day.

He began with a 3-2, 3-0 victory over Zach Stepan of the Minnesota Storm before dropping the first period to Badger Wrestling Club’s Tommy Glenn in his next bout.  However, Rodrigues dominated the remainder of the match with the Wisconsin wrestler, winning the final two periods 5-2 and 6-0 to move on to the quarterfinals where he faced Jack Clark of Raw 241.

“I got off to a slow start [against Clark], like I did in a lot of my matches,” he said. “I knew if I just kept my pace going, guys weren’t going to be able to hang around.  I won in the clinch in the second and then got to my offense and got a takedown to win it in the third.”

After that 1-1, 1-0, 1-0 triumph, Rodrigues topped Old Dominion’s Taylor Moeder to earn a berth in the title bout against Northwestern’s Jameson Oster.

The Wildcat grappler took the lead early, but Rodrigues responded, picking up two points for exposure in a scramble to capture the first period.  The second stanza had a similar beginning as Oster grabbed a 1-0 advantage, but the former Section I star took his opponent down with less than 15 seconds remaining to earn the victory, 2-2, 1-1. (The wrestler to score last wins a tied period in freestyle in most cases).

“I knew he was really funky,” Rodrigues said. “I knew he did a lot of crotch lifts and tried to stay away from that as much as possible. I fell behind both times and knew I had to keep attacking.  I didn’t think he could handle my pace.”

The winners of the seven Olympic weight classes earned automatic bids into the best of three finals of the FILA World Team Trails on May 25 in Colorado Springs.   The champions of those seven classes were: Joey Dance (55 kg), Mark Grey (60 kg), Destin McCauley (66 kg), Nazar Kulchytskyy (74 kg), Pat Downey (84 kg), Andrew Campolattano (96 kg) and Austin Marsden (120 kg).

63 kg is not one of those Olympic weights, so Rodrigues did not get an automatic finals berth.  However, he still plans to battle for a spot on the Junior World Team.

“I wanted to see how I would feel at 63 kg first and I felt pretty good,” he said. “I’m definitely going to the World Team Trials, either at 60 or 66 kg. The Trials are about six weeks away, and I will decide with my coaches which weight will be best for me and give me the best chance to make this World Team. Both weights are really tough, so I’ll have to prepare hard for this.  But I love to wrestle and compete and freestyle is really fun for me.  It’s something I’ve worked on the last couple of years, back in New York with Max Askren and Brian Realbuto.”

Rodrigues has continued that training in the Midwest and feels that the environment in the Illini room has already helped him step up his game since transferring in from Rutgers for the second semester.

“It’s been great at Illinois,” he said.  “I idolized [Associate Head Coach] Mark Perry growing up, watching him as a Hawkeye.  Wrestling in the Big 10 at a big time program really caught my eye.  I get along great with the team and the coaches and I’ve gotten a lot better.  But there’s still lots more to go.”

Rodrigues said he will compete at either 133 or 141 pounds as a redshirt freshman for Illinois next season.  But his freestyle goals are most important right now.

“[FILA Juniors] was great competition,” Rodrigues said.  “It was definitely a stepping stone in the right direction for me.  It was great to get my first national title and hopefully there are more to come in the future.”

Empire State Makes Its Presence Felt

Rodrigues wasn’t the only wrestler with Empire State connections to stand on the podium this weekend, as several grapplers who will suit up for New York colleges also had successful tournaments.

Four future Cornell wrestlers, who spent this campaign at the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club (FLWC), earned medals in freestyle.

At 55 kg (121.25 pounds), two candidates to join the Big Red’s lightweight corps in 2012-13, Caleb Richardson and Nahshon Garrett, took fourth and sixth, respectively.  The future teammates met in the consolation semifinals, with Richardson earning the three-period victory.

Also making the trip from Ithaca was Chris Dowdy, who notched fourth at 70 kg (154.25 lbs) with both of his losses coming to Isaac Jordan of Ohio.  His FLWC teammate Duke Pickett went 6-2 on the day and stood fifth at 74 kg (163 pounds) in a bracket with nearly 50 competitors.

While not Empire State residents yet, 2012 high school graduates Mark Grey (Cornell) and Dwight Howes (Hofstra) had impressive showings.

Grey, who was fifth at the Junior World Championships a year ago at 55 kg, earned the championship at 60 kg (132.25 lbs).  The Blair Academy wrestler won all five of his bouts in straight periods.

Howes, a Colorado native, took third at 84 kg (185 pounds) with a 5-1 mark.  Four of his wins were by bonus as he registered a forfeit, a pin and two technical falls.

On Sunday, five current Columbia wrestlers made the podium in the Greco Roman competition while representing the New York Athletic Club.  Eric Fajardo was the highest placer of the Lion wrestlers, taking second at 74 kg/163 pounds.

In addition, multiple New York high school wrestlers placed, including a runner up showing from Jessy Williams (Windsor) at 60 kg (132.25 lbs).

New York Placewinners – FILA Juniors Freestyle

 55kg/121.5 lbs:

Fourth place – Caleb Richardson, Finger Lakes Wrestling Club (Ithaca, NY)

Sixth place – Nahshon Garrett, Finger Lakes Wrestling Club (Ithaca, NY)

60 kg/132.25 lbs:

Champion – Mark Grey, Blair Academy (Cornell recruit)

63 kg/138.75 lbs:

Champion – Steven Rodrigues, Illini Wrestling Club (Fox Lane High School)

70 kg/154.25 lbs:

Fourth place: Chris Dowdy, Finger Lakes Wrestling Club (Ithaca, NY)

74 kg/163 lbs:

Fifth place: Duke Pickett, Finger Lakes Wrestling Club (Ithaca, NY)

84 kg/185 lbs:

Third place – Dwight Howes, Colorado (Hofstra recruit)

New York Placewinners – FILA Juniors Greco Roman

60 kg/132.25 lbs:

Second place – Jessy Williams (USOEC)

Fourth place – Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (Buffalo Grapplers)

Seventh place – Jason Chudzinski (ATWA/USOEC)

Eighth place – Jesse Holton (Shamrock)

63 kg/138.75 lbs:

Second place – Tyrel White (Shamrock)

66 kg/145.5 lbs:

Fifth place – Matt Bystol (NYAC) – Columbia

74 kg/163 lbs:

Second place – Eric Fajardo (NYAC) – Columbia

Seventh place – Connor Sutton (Happy Yo)

79 kg/174 lbs:

Fourth place – Drew Rebling (NYAC) – Columbia

96 kg/211.5 lbs:

Sixth place – Matt Idelson (NYAC) – Columbia

120 kg/264.5 lbs:

Third place: Wyatt Baker (NYAC) – Columbia

NYAC & Excel Wrestling Partner for 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials

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Steve Knight (NYAC) works with Olympic Hopefuls Kyle Dake and Mack Lewnes at Cornell University

 

Every 4 years, one night separates 7 freestyle wrestlers from the rest of the country.

The 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials are right around the corner, beginning April 21 in Iowa City, Iowa.  The New York Athletic Club (NYAC) has been a prevalent club on the Olympic Level for years.  Although the club is based out of New York City, sponsored wrestlers from all over the country compete with pride in the NYAC singlet.  Since most of the wrestlers representing the NYAC do not train in NYC, this means that the athetes are divided amongst the NYAC coaching staff.

For several years, many NYAC wrestlers have been coached by Iowa’s Steve Knight, who is closing in on 20 years of running Excel Wrestling, a USA Wrestling Olympic Development Program that operates throughout the country.  Since 2004, Excel Wrestling has partnered with the New York Athletic Club on the US Senior Olympic Freestyle circuit, which is the competition level that prepares post graduate wrestlers to compete internationally.

So how did this Iowa based program ever join forces with the New York Athletic Club?  Two words, Sonny Greenhalgh.

Knight, who has served on two Olympic staffs said, “Years back, I think right after the trials in ’04, New York Athletic Club Chairman Sonny Greenhalgh ask me to join the NYAC Freestyle coaching staff. Up to that point, we had competed on the senior level just as Team Excel. Needless to say, eight years later, it is a strong partnership and a long friendship. Sonny has been great to work with over the years along with Dave Foxen. The NYAC is producing some of the best in the country right now.”

Knight has spent this past week working with NYAC wrestlers at Cornell University.

NYAC Wrestlers competing in the Olympic Trials that Knight will be coaching:

Frank Perrelli – Cornell – 55kgs/121lbs
Tyler Graff – Wisconsin – 60kgs/132lbs
Ryan Morningstar – Iowa – 74kgs/163lbs
Kyle Dake – Cornell – 74kgs/163lbs
Mack Lewnes – Cornell – 84kgs/185lbs
Tyrel Todd – Michigan – 84kgs/185lbs
Max Askren – Missouri – 96kgs/211.5lbs
Trevor Brandvold – Wisconsin – 96kg/211.5lbs

The 2012 US Olympic Trials take place in Iowa City, Iowa on April 21st and 22nd. For ticket information, please go to http://iowacitytolondon.com.  For more information on the NYAC and Excel Wrestling visit http://excelwrestling.com.

After Overcoming Injuries to Win Two State Titles, Jimmy Kloc Chooses Buffalo

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By Betsy Veysman

When Jimmy Kloc takes the mat in the future for the University at Buffalo, he knows it will be different than most of his high school bouts.

“Every match in college is tougher than a state finals match,” he said.

After what Kloc has gone through to win his New York State championships the past two seasons, that’s saying something.

As a junior, the Iroquois wrestler defeated Matt Ross 4-3 to win his first crown at 145 pounds despite tearing tendons in his finger during the bout.

“That was tough but I didn’t even notice how bad it was until after the match,” Kloc said. “To tell you the truth, I was in a lot more pain this year.”

Four days before defending his crown at the 2012 tournament, Kloc hyperextended his left elbow.

“I couldn’t straighten my arm to save my life,” he said.

Despite the injury, the all-time leader in victories for Iroquois was able to begin the event with a quick pin over Matt Matouzzi of Kellenberg before things got worse in his 14-11 quarterfinal victory over JT Romagnoli of Jamesville-Dewitt.

Kloc said he suffered a tear in his left shoulder during the bout.  Still, he battled to a 3-2 victory over Evan Wallace of Columbia in the semis before ending his career with a 7-4 decision over Corey Rasheed of Longwood in Saturday night’s finale.

“The injuries were on the same side, so basically my left arm was useless,” he said.  “I had to wrestle three matches like that but I was able to pull off the state title.   This year I was expected to win everything and I really didn’t want to mess that up.   I don’t think I’ll forget that last match.”

Another thing Kloc didn’t forget was his connection with Buffalo, especially as he went through his college decision-making process.

“I felt like I belonged at Buffalo because I spent so much time there when I was younger,” he said, adding that he plans to compete at 141 or 149 pounds. “I wrestled in the Super Six youth program, starting in seventh or eighth grade and that’s when I really started to get pretty good at wrestling.  I know a lot of guys on the team now and feel comfortable there.”

He also knows some of the other incoming Buffalo recruits, including undefeated state champions Tony Lock of Pioneer High and Chris Nevinger of Letchworth Central.

Both Lock and Nevinger went undefeated in the 2011-12 campaign and between them own four state titles and three NHSCA national championships.

Besides all standing on top of the podium in Albany in 2012, Kloc, Nevinger and Lock have something else in common other than their college destination – all were standouts on the gridiron as well.

Kloc, a running back who rushed for 1100 yards as a senior and made the Class A South team, will miss putting on the shoulder pads.

“I am going to miss every second of it,” Kloc said.  “I love football, but I’m just not the tallest man in the world.”

Not the tallest, but plenty tough, as his last two trips to the Times Union Center have proven.

 

Joining Kloc at Buffalo:

133/141        Erik Galloway (University of Pittsburgh transfer)

141/149        John Northrup (Rush Henrietta)

184                 Tony Lock (Pioneer)

157/165        Chris Nevinger (Letchworth Central)

184/197        Jarred Lux (North Allegheny)

Stevo Poulin Takes Third (and First) Like a Champ at Gene Mills Eastern Nationals

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By Betsy Veysman

It looked like a simple mistake.  The registration for the Gene Mills Eastern Nationals listed Stevo Poulin’s name twice – in the Midget division at 54 pounds and in the Juniors at 60.

It wasn’t an error.

After three titles in the event in the past, the nine-year old was looking for a few additional tough matches.

“Sometimes the younger division isn’t that much of a challenge,” Stevo said. “I wanted a bigger challenge.  I’ve done it before [wrestling in two brackets] at local tournaments. I wanted to try it again.”

Although he had to shuttle back and forth between mats and on more than one occasion had to literally run from the final whistle of one match to his next bout, the Schuylerville native went 8-1 overall.

“I knew I would win the [Midget],” he said. “I thought I had a chance with the older kids because they weren’t much heavier.  I was kind of close to winning.”

Poulin, who weighed in at 53 pounds, breezed through the Midget bracket and into the finals with three victories.  There, he thought he might face an opponent from Maryland who he had beaten in a close match earlier in the year.  However, he instead faced his practice partner, Joey Scheeren, in the title bout and came out on top by major decision.

“They were out there almost laughing in the finals. It was almost like they were telling each other knock-knock jokes,” said Steve Poulin, Stevo’s father.  “We traveled with them to the tournament and [Joey and Stevo] are friends.”

Things were a bit more serious in the 60-pound division.  Poulin won his first two before facing Pennsylvania’s Luke Rex.  The bout went into overtime, where Poulin was penalized for scissoring the head, resulting in a victory for Rex.

Poulin bounced back to take third place, to earn two medals on the day.  But that wasn’t what Steve Poulin wanted to talk about.

“When he lost, he didn’t get upset,” the father said.  “He ran right over to his next match.  I overheard one of the other parents saying that every kid should learn from Stevo’s match.  I thought they were going to say something bad about Stevo or about the scissoring call.  But instead they said other kids should learn from how he walked off the mat, held his head high and knew how to handle the loss. He handled himself really well and that made me feel really good.”

It was the first time Poulin had lost at the Eastern Nationals, an event he has enjoyed attending for several years.

“It was the first big national tournament I ever went to,” Stevo Poulin said. “I like it because Gene Mills is there and I like the awards [which are signed by Mills].  I have good luck there.”

Poulin hopes for more good luck next week at the Brute Empire Nationals (dual and individual) in Brockport.   He will compete for Journeymen and he looks forward to a possible rematch with Ryan Crookham, who defeated him 4-0 last summer.

There’s also something else on his mind as the weekend approaches.

“Stevo is six wins away from 400,” his father said. “Hopefully, he’ll get there this weekend.”

If it doesn’t happen this time, there will be plenty of other opportunities as the Ohio Tournament of Champions, the Minimen Nationals and several other events are on the horizon.

“It will be a busy spring and summer,” Steve Poulin said. “But we’ll still make time for soccer and other things Stevo wants to do.”

One thing Stevo wanted to do was acknowledge another victory in the family at the Gene Mills tournament.   His cousin, Orion Anderson, another outstanding youth wrestler, was the champion at 70 pounds.

A full list of Gene Mills Eastern Nationals champions will be posted when available.  For more information on the tournament, see http://www.cnypin2win.com/

Pat Popolizio Takes Head Coaching Job at NC State

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2012 CAA Coach of the Year Pat Popolizio has been named the head coach at North Carolina State University after resigning from his post at Binghamton.

In his six years at the helm of the Bearcats, Popolizio built the squad into a top 20 program, which enjoyed perhaps its finest year in 2011-12.  In addition to a program-best 14th place finish at the NCAA tournament in St. Louis, the team boasted a pair of All-Americans for the first time in junior Donnie Vinson (third at 149) and freshman Nick Gwiazdowski (eighth at 285).  The team also went 15-4 in dual meets and swept the CAA Conference awards with Coach of the Year (Popolizio), Wrestler of the Year (Vinson) and Rookie of the Year (Gwiazdowski).

“The last six years have been, by far, the most exciting and rewarding in my life and I am very thankful for all of the support that everyone associated with this program has given,” Popolizio said in a message to Binghamton alumni, family and friends on Tuesday morning.

Binghamton Director of Athletics Patrick Elliott said that a national search will begin right away to find Popolizio’s successor.

“We wish Pat well in his new position,” Elliott said in the Binghamton press release. “He’s done an outstanding job here, building our program into one of the premier wrestling programs in the country.  I want to thank him for his hard work and commitment to our student-athletes over the past six years.”

Popolizio believes the Bearcat program remains in good hands.

“With the current student-athletes and the new administration, I am confident that Binghamton’s future remains bright,” Popolizio said. “Pat Elliott showed his support and devotion by attending and cheering on the Bearcats at the NCAA tournament this year.  Ed Scott, the Associate Director of Athletics for Student Services, will be supervising the wrestling program next year and I believe in his and Pat’s abilities to continue the success of this program.”

Popolizio, who coached 21 NCAA qualifiers and four All-Americans in his time in the CAA, takes over a Wolfpack program that was fourth in the Atlantic Coast Conference a year ago with one All-American.

The former Oklahoma State wrestler cited “the tremendous facilities, strong tradition and huge potential” of the NC State program as some of the reasons for accepting the new position.

 

 

 

 

Who's going to make the Olympic Team?

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Let’s hear your picks!  Comment below!

[one_half]55 kg/121 pounds

Nick Simmons, Corvallis, Ore. (Sunkist Kids)

Sam Hazewinkel, Norman, Okla. (Sunkist Kids)

Obe Blanc, Stillwater, Okla. (Gator WC)

Ben Kjar, Orem, Utah (Utah Valley)

Angel Escobedo, Columbus, Ohio (New York AC)

Brandon Precin, Evanston, Ill. (New York AC)

Mark McKnight, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC)

Shawn Contos, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC)

Earl Hall, Homestead, Fla. (New York AC)

Zach Sanders, Lauderdale, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)

Michael Martinez, Pagosa Springs, Colo. (Cowboy WC)

Henry Cejudo, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Danny Felix, Morgantown, W.Va.

Matt McDonough, Marion, Iowa (Hawkeye WC)

Frank Perrelli, Hackettstown, N.J. (New York AC)

 

60 kg/132 pounds

Note: This weight is not yet qualified for the Olympics

Reece Humphrey, Columbus, Ohio (New York AC)

Shawn Bunch, Columbus, Ohio (Gator WC)

Coleman Scott, Stillwater, Okla. (Gator WC)

Derek Moore, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)

Matt Valenti, Philadelphia, Pa. (Lehigh Valley AC)

Tyler Graff, Loveland, Colo. (New York AC)

Martin Berberyan, Valley Village, Calif. (SK Golden Boys)

James Kennedy, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC)

Justin Pearch, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)

Drew Headlee, Morgantown, W.Va. (Sunkist Kids)

Andrew Hochstrasser, Boise, Idaho (Bronco WC)

Mike Zadick, Solon, Iowa (Gator WC)

Logan Stieber, Monroeville, Ohio (New York AC)

Jordan Oliver, Easton, Pa. (Gator WC)

Kellen Russell, High Bridge, N.J. (Cliff Keen WC)

 

66 kg/145.5 pounds

Teyon Ware, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC)

Brent Metcalf, Iowa City, Iowa (New York AC)

Josh Churella, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC)

Jared Frayer, Norman, Okla. (Gator WC)

Kevin Levalley, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)

Adam Hall, Boise, Idaho (New York AC)

Jason Chamberlain, Boise, Idaho (Bronco WC)

Chase Pami, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)

Todd Meneely, Omaha, Neb. (OTC)

Joe Johnston, Columbia, Mo. (Gator WC)

Zack Bailey, Kansas City, Mo. (Victory Wrestling)

Cary Kolat, Chapel Hill, N.C. (North Carolina RTC)

Phillip Simpson, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)

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74 kg/163 pounds

Jordan Burroughs, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids)

Andrew Howe, Cedar Lake, Ind. (New York AC)

Nick Marable, Columbia, Mo. (Sunkist Kids)

Lloyd Rogers, Iowa City, Iowa (Hawkeye WC)

Ryan Morningstar, Iowa City, Iowa (New York AC)

Colton Sponseller, Glenmont, Ohio (New York AC)

Tyler Caldwell, Wichita, Kan. (Sunkist Kids)

Moza Fay, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)

Mike Poeta, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC)

Matt Brown, West Valley City, Utah (Nittany Lion WC)

Trent Paulson, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids)

Dustin Schlatter, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)

Travis Paulson, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids)

David Taylor, St. Paris, Ohio (Nittany Lion WC)

Kyle Dake, Ithaca, N.Y. (New York AC)

 

84 kg/185 pounds

Jake Herbert, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC)

Keith Gavin, Bethlehem, Pa. (Lehigh Valley AC)

Raymond Jordan, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids)

Phil Keddy, Iowa City, Iowa (Hawkeye WC)

Jon Reader, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids)

Mack Lewnes, Ithaca, N.Y. (New York AC)

Bryce Hasseman, Stillwater, Okla. (Gator WC)

Deron Winn, Liberty, Mo. (unattached)

Tyrel Todd, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC)

Joe LeBlanc, Meeker, Colo. (Cowboy WC)

Quentin Wright, Wingate, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC)

Ed Ruth, Harrisburg, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC)

 

96 kg/211.5 pounds

Jake Varner, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC)

Chad Hanke, Dayton, Ore. (NWRTC)

Dustin Kilgore, Berea, Ohio (Sunkist Kids)

Wynn Michalak, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)

Craig Brester, Lincoln, Neb. (NWTC)

Trevor Brandvold, Verona, Wis. (New York AC)

Tanner Hall, Meridian, Idaho (New York AC)

Chris Pendleton, Laramie, Wyo. (Gator WC)

Max Askren, Somers, N.Y. (New York AC)

Kurt Angle, Pittsburgh, Pa.

J. D. Bergman, Columbus, Ohio (New York AC)

 

120 kg/264.5 pounds

Tervel Dlagnev, Columbus, Ohio (Sunkist Kids)

Steve Mocco, Bethlehem, Pa. (New York AC)

Dom Bradley, Blue Springs, Mo. (Sunkist Kids)

Charles Fish, Camp LeJeune, N.C. (U.S. Marines)

Jarod Trice, Highland Park, Mich. (Gator WC)

David Zabriskie, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids)

Brent Jones, Colorado Springs, Colo. (OTC)

James Friedrich, Los Angeles, Calif. (Checkmate)

John Helgerson, West Union, Iowa (Wartburg)

Justin Grant, Easton, Pa. (Husky WC)

Tommy Rowlands, Hilliard, Ohio (Sunkist Kids)

Les Sigman, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC)

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New York Wrestlers Earn Titles at the War at the Shore

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Close to 1800 wrestlers traveled to Wildwood, New Jersey this holiday weekend for the 9th Annual War at the Shore Folkstyle Nationals.  Some of New York’s finest were among the grapplers in attendance, battling with opponents from up and down the East Coast and around the country.

Six Empire State participants won individual titles on Saturday with more than 30 placing fourth or better in their weights.

Darien resident Dane Heberlein continued his winning ways after earning a national title at the NHSCA Middle School tournament in Virginia Beach the previous Saturday (and a NYWAY State Championship the weekend before). Heberlein cruised to five straight wins, including a 4-2 decision in the finals over Trevor Tarsi of Nazareth, PA at 85 pounds in Division 4.

A pair of representatives from 631 Elite stood on top of the podium in Division 3, as Adam Busiello took the 77-pound crown and Peter Pappas prevailed in the 82-pound class.  Busiello outscored his opponents 49-7 over his five bouts while Pappas opened with three commanding victories before coming out on top in one-point matches in the semis and finals. 631 Elite had a strong tournament overall, with eight competitors finishing in the top four at the event.

Another Suffolk resident atop the podium was Sachem East’s Jakob Restrepo, who was the victor at 140 pounds in Division 4.  Restrepo, who was 28-1 during the high school season at 120 and 126 pounds according to the NWCA Scorebook, yielded just two points in his five matches while notching a pin and a major decision.  He defeated Delaware’s Lucas Monson 5-0 for the championship.

Benny Baker of Newark Valley took the title at 83 pounds while representing JGold.  The NYWAY State Champion made quick work of his first two foes, winning by fall in less than two minutes in both bouts.  He then followed with a 4-1 semifinal triumph and a 4-0 victory over 631 Elite’s Ryan Burgbacher in the finale.

The final New York champion was Kevin Mulligan of the Olympic Club, who took his first three bouts by a combined score of 20-0 at 165 pounds before topping Will Lang of Utah 7-2 to earn the title.

For a list of top four medalists from New York*, see below:

 

Champions

Benny Baker (JGold) – 83 Pounds, Division 2

Adam Busiello (631 Elite) – 77 Pounds, Division 3

Dane Heberlein (Viper Garage Elite) – 85 Pounds, Division 4

Kevin Mulligan (Olympic) – 165 Pounds, Division 4

Peter Pappas (631 Elite) – 82 Pounds, Division 3

Jakob Restrepo (Sachem East) – 140 Pounds, Division 4

 

Second Place

David Berkovich (Elite Wrestling Academy) – 78 Pounds, Division 2

Ryan Burgbacher (631 Elite) – 83 Pounds, Division 2

Nicholas Casella (Covert) – 102 Pounds, Division 4

Billy Ciccarelli (West Point WC) – 125 Pounds, Division 3

Justin Corradino (Olympic) – 127 Pounds, Division 5

Thomas Cox (631 Elite) – 75 Pounds, Division 4

Joey Gates (Suffolk) – 137 Pounds, Division 5

Josh Logiudice (Guilderland) – 95 Pounds, Division 5

Cody Phillips (Cobra) – 90 Pounds, Division 1

Jose Rodriguez (Ascend) – 107 Pounds, Division 5

Dylan Rider (631 Elite) – 67 Pounds, Division 3

 

Third Place

CJ Archer (Rocky Point Elite) – 90 Pounds, Division 4

Timothy Castillo (Port Wrestling) – 140 Pounds, Division 3

Jesse Dellavecchia (East Islip) – 96 Pounds, Division 4

Tyler Joseph (Olympic) – 70 Pounds, Division 1

Jake Murphy (Wantagh) – 56 Pounds, Division 1

Nicholas Pagnotta (Rocky Point Elite) – 80 Pounds, Division 4

Sean Romanski (NY Titan) – 137 Pounds, Division 5

Jake Silverstein (631 Elite) – 82 Pounds, Division 3

Sam Ward (VHW) – 128 pounds, Division 4

 

Fourth Place

Vitali Arujau (VHW) – 99 Pounds, Division 3

Nick Bernardo (VHW) – 200 Pounds, Division 3

AJ Burkhart (IWC) – 82 Pounds, Division 3

Christian Gannone (631 Elite) – 62 Pounds, Division 3

Ethan Mackie (Lindenhurst), 75 Pounds, Division 1

Sean Miller (Connetquot) – 90 Pounds, Division 4

Mathew Seitz (Apex) – 102 Pounds, Division 4

Gino Titone (Connetquot) – 140 Pounds, Division 4

Jordon Wellington (631 Elite) – 58 Pounds, Division 2

Dale White (John Jay) – 162 Pounds, Division 5

 

*Some results were not complete. If you notice a missing top four placewinner, please contact us.

Ryan Cooley Discusses the Addition of Wrestling at Mount Saint Vincent

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Wrestling programs have been dropping at an alarming rate over the past few years.  However, there will be a new program in New York state next year as the College of Mount Saint Vincent will begin competing.

Head coach Ryan Cooley talks about the new program, what he is looking for in recruits and what he’s doing to build in anticipation of November’s opening dual.

 

Pioneer's Tony Lock Completes Perfect Season With a National Championship

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By Betsy Veysman

If you’re looking for Tony Lock, there are many places to search.

He could be at the Middle School, helping a young student with homework and goal setting in a mentorship program.

Or he could be at a local church, assisting elderly attendees and helping to serve dinner and wash dishes.

Or if it’s 5:30 a.m. and a weekday, you can find him in the weight room at his school, where he religiously appears to get some early morning strength and conditioning work completed.

This past Sunday night, however, he wasn’t in any of those locations.  Instead, the Pioneer High senior was on top of the podium in Virginia Beach as he received his award as the 182-pound NHSCA National Champion.

In a field that boasted six wrestlers ranked in the top 20 nationally, the unranked Lock earned gold with a 5-4 victory in the tiebreakers over Oklahoma’s Nolan Boyd.

“It felt great,” Lock said. “I wasn’t really expecting it when I first got there. It was such a tough tournament.  Every match was a fight right up to the end.  I had to keep battling in every match.”

“It was probably one of the best feelings ever,” added Pioneer head coach Chris Edwards. “He’s such a great  young man and I couldn’t be happier for him.  I’m so proud of him.  His hard work paid off.”

In the semifinals, Lock faced Reece Wright-Conklin of Kansas.  The New York wrestler trailed 3-2 late in the bout but was in his best position — on top.  Lock went to work and was able to turn his opponent twice for a 6-3 decision.

“We felt Tony was the best conditioned 182 pounder there,” Edwards said. “Later in the matches, he could be more physical and we liked his chances.  You could see the surprise on his opponent’s face when he got tilted by Tony late in the match in the semis.  [Wright-Conklin] told us afterward that he hadn’t been tilted in two years.”

The victory sent Lock into the championship match against Boyd, ranked #16 in the country by WIN Magazine.

After both grapplers earned a reversal and an escape during regulation, the title bout went into overtime.  There was no scoring in sudden victory and Lock chose bottom in the first tiebreaker.

“When it came down to overtime, I felt pretty confident,” Lock said. “I knew I conditioned really well and was prepared.  Getting a takedown would have been nice, but once it went to the mat, I felt great.  I thought I could escape and since I scored first in the match, I would get choice if it went to the ultimate tiebreaker.”

It didn’t get to that juncture as Lock picked up an escape and a locked hands call on his opponent to move ahead 5-3.  When it was Boyd’s turn in the down position, Lock started with a strong ride and then locked up a cradle.  However, as time ticked off the clock, Boyd began to break the grip and Lock cut him for the 5-4 final.

“We felt that Tony could wear [Boyd] down and Tony executed perfectly,” Edwards said. “He pushed the pace and made it happen in the third overtime.  He had that cradle locked up for about 15 seconds, which actually felt like three hours to me.  He did the right thing to let him go and not risk a reversal or a scramble.  It was amazing.”

In winning the championship, Lock exceeded his goal of simply earning All-American status in Virginia Beach.  He also ended his high school career with his winning streak intact, having registered a 51-0 record in the Empire State this season on his way to his first state title.

However, if not for a very persistent coach, none of it would have happened. Because Tony Lock was far more interested in playing a different sport.

“When I was in seventh grade, the modified coach begged me to try wrestling every single day,” he said. “He saw that I was an athlete who didn’t play any sports at the time.  I really wanted to play basketball.  I finally said I would do a year of wrestling and then switch to basketball, but he persuaded me to stay.”

It’s easy to see why the coach pushed so hard.  In seventh grade, his first-ever year as a wrestler, Lock went undefeated at 145 pounds.  He jumped to the varsity level the following campaign.

Despite his late start in the sport, he rapidly improved, taking fourth in New York as a sophomore at 171 pounds, and he followed that up with a runner up finish a year ago.  This season, he was completely dominant, not allowing a single takedown and breezing through the state tournament without yielding any points.

“Tony works harder than any other kid I’ve been around and I have coached three different sports in 15 years,” said Edwards, who is also Lock’s football coach.  “His drive and focus are just unbelievable.”

This is one of the reasons Edwards believes Lock will make a smooth transition to college wrestling, where he will compete for the University at Buffalo, likely at 184 pounds.

“He hasn’t been wrestling for that long and he’s just taken off,” Edwards said. “He has such a high ceiling.  Coach [Jim] Beichner got quite a steal with Tony.  He’s going to be great.”

Lock believes that the Bulls program will provide him with all that he needs to be successful at the next level.

“When I went on my visit there, I saw the new room and all the new technology,” he said.  “I think all of the new things they have will help me excel.  I also was really excited about working out with Coach [Matt] Lackey.”

Before he moves on to college, Lock will spend the summer working on his strength training and competing in some folkstyle dual meet tournaments.  He’ll also continue with his various community service activities.

“I’m so proud of Tony,” Edwards said.  “I have three daughters, but if I had a son, I would want him to be like Tony.  On or off the football field or the wrestling mat, he’s just an awesome kid to be around.”

Except, according to Lock, when he starts to talk about one of his other passions.

“I love fishing,” Lock said. “When I get into my fishing stories, [coaches and teammates] try to end them fast.  They tune me out.”

After this weekend, the wrestling world and the national rankers are unlikely to tune out national champion Tony Lock.