Monthly Archives: July 2012

Porter, Cuccolo, Ward and Honis Place in Cadet Greco; Four Remain Unbeaten in Junior Greco

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Day 3 at Fargo was all about Greco Roman wrestling with the conclusion of the Cadet competition and the beginning of the Junior action.

At the end of the day, four Empire State wrestlers stood on the podium as Cadet Greco All-Americans.  At 132 pounds, Jesse Porter of Ballston Lake took fourth after going 6-2 overall, while St. Anthony’s Sam Ward (6-2) grabbed seventh at the same weight after defeating Marshall Osborne of Missouri in his final bout.

Chris Cuccolo earned fifth in his third straight event in Fargo, this time at 94 pounds.  In July of 2011, he was fifth in both Greco and Freestyle in the 84-pound class.  The Pine Bush wrestler topped Tanner Cox of Utah 1-0, 4-0 in the fifth place match on Monday.

In the upperweights, Benjamin Honis ended his tournament in seventh position at 182 pounds after a 1-0, 2-0 victory over Minnesota’s Wyatt Richardson.

All four of the All-Americans are currently registered to compete in the Cadet Freestyle event, beginning on Wednesday.

Junior Greco Roman Begins

The Junior Greco Roman competition got underway and after the first day of action, a number of New York wrestlers remained unbeaten.

McZiggy Richards, Photo by Boris Veysman

At 132 pounds, both Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer and Jessy Williams won all five of their bouts.

After going 8-0 at the Junior Duals a few weeks ago in Greco, Connor Sutton kept the momentum going with a 5-0 mark at 160 pounds.  McZiggy Richards also had an unblemished performance, with five victories at 182.

Also remaining in the hunt from the Empire State are two-time state champion Kyle Kelly (106), Josh Antoine (113), Santo Curatolo (120), Brendan Goldup (152) and Chris Loew (182).

Junior Greco wrestling resumes on Tuesday, while the Junior Women’s Freestyle tournament will take place as well.

2012 New York All-Americans

Cadet

94 Pounds: Chris Cuccolo, Cadet Greco 5th

132 Pounds: Jesse Porter, Cadet Greco 4th

132 Pounds: Sam Ward, Cadet Greco 7th

182 Pounds: Benjamin Honis, Cadet Greco 7th

Women

143 Pounds: Alexis Porter, Cadet Freestyle Champion

143 Pounds: Kennedie Eddings, Cadet Freestyle 6th

172 Pounds: Yuneris Diaz, Cadet Freestyle 3rd

NY Wrestlers Clinch Spots on the Podium During Day 1 of Cadet Greco Nationals

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After watching his sister Alexis win a National Championship on Saturday, Jesse Porter went undefeated as well during the first day of Cadet Greco Roman action at Fargo, North Dakota.  Porter was 5-0 at 132 pounds, as was fellow New Yorker Sam Ward of St. Anthony’s.  Both Porter and Ward have clinched spots on the podium and will face each other in the next round on Monday.

Two other New York wrestlers are guaranteed All-America honors. Chris Cuccolo, who took fifth in this event in 2011, notched four victories and will place no lower than sixth at 94 pounds.  Meanwhile, Benjamin Honis of Jamesville-Dewitt will wrestle for seventh place against Wyatt Richardson of Minnesota at 182 pounds tomorrow.

Eden’s Alexander Smythe tallied a 4-1 record on the day at 152 pounds and will take on Ricky Regas of Texas in his next bout.

For full results on these Empire State grapplers for the Cadet Greco Roman competition, see below:

94 Pounds: Chris Cuccolo (Pine Bush)

Match #1 Chris Cuccolo (New York) over Tanner Tidswell (Tennessee) Fall 2-0,1:15
Match #2 Paul Fitterer (Minnesota) over Chris Cuccolo (New York) Dec 3-0,3-0
Match #3 Chris Cuccolo (New York) over Bridger Carpenter (Idaho) Dec 1-0,4-0
Match #4 Chris Cuccolo (New York) over Jacob Gardiner (California) Fall 3-0,1:12
Match #5 Chris Cuccolo (New York) received a bye.
Match #6 Chris Cuccolo (New York) over Jon Gabriel (Pennsylvania) Dec 1-1,6-4

132 Pounds: Jesse Porter (Shenendehowa)

Match #1 Jesse Porter (New York) over Brandon Arteaga (Illinois) Dec 1-2,4-0,2-0
Match #2 Jesse Porter (New York) received a bye.
Match #3 Jesse Porter (New York) over Grant Bolduan (Minnesota) TF 6-0,6-0
Match #4 Jesse Porter (New York) over Austin Kraisser (Maryland) Dec 6-0,2-1
Match #5 Jesse Porter (New York) over Troy Wilson (Washington) Dec 6-0,5-1
Match #6 Jesse Porter (New York) over John Kenyon (Idaho) Dec 4-0,1-0

132 Pounds: Sam Ward (St. Anthony’s)

Match #1 Sam Ward (New York) over Jacob Johnson (Minnesota) Dec 1-0,6-
Match #2 Sam Ward (New York) over Griffin Rose (Illinois) Fall 1-0,1:12
Match #3 Sam Ward (New York) over Maxwell Meddings (Ohio) Dec 3-0,3-1
Match #4 Sam Ward (New York) over Joseph Hayek (Nebraska) Dec 1-0,3-0
Match #5 Sam Ward (New York) over Troy Vandall (Arizona) Dec 2-0,1-0
Match #6 Sam Ward (New York) received a bye.

152 Pounds: Alexander Smythe (Eden)

Match #1 Alexander Smythe (New York) over Andy Hinrichs (Virginia) Dec 6-0,4-1
Match #2 Alexander Smythe (New York) over Jeric Kasunic (Pennsylvania) Dec 2-0,1-0
Match #3 Alexander Smythe (New York) over CJ McKinnis (Oregon) Dec 2-0,3-0
Match #4 Bobby Reece (Washington) over Alexander Smythe (New York) Dec 3-0,3-2
Match #5 Alexander Smythe (New York) over David Witczak (Illinois) Dec 5-0,1-0

182 Pounds: Benjamin Honis (Jamesville-Dewitt) – will be in the 7th place match vs. Wyatt Richardson (Minnesota)

Match #1 Benjamin Honis (New York) over Andrew Fenton (Ohio) Dec 2-1,3-1
Match #2 Benjamin Honis (New York) over Hunter Dunn (Michigan) Dec 4-2,2-1
Match #3 Benjamin Honis (New York) over Samuel Colbray (Oregon) Dec 3-2,0-6,1-0
Match #4 Tim Grote (Illinois) over Benjamin Honis (New York) Dec 0-1,1-0,3-0
Match #5 Benjamin Honis (New York) received a bye.
Match #6 Nick Osowski (Wisconsin) over Benjamin Honis (New York) Dec 2-1,4-1

Alexis Porter Discusses Her National Championship at Fargo and Her Quest for More

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Before she competes, Alexis Porter likes to visualize her matches.   But even she didn’t imagine winning a National Championship with a first period pin.

“That wasn’t really in my plan,” Porter said from Fargo on Sunday. “But the opportunity was there and I had to take it.  I was a little surprised.  I didn’t expect it to be that short of a match.”

It was short – 1:32 to be exact.  That’s how long it took for the Ballston Lake native to notch an early takedown and a pair of throws, leading to the fall over California’s Anna Naylor and a Cadet Women’s Freestyle National Title at 143 pounds.

The victory came a year after a successful debut in North Dakota, during which Porter earned All-America honors in both the Cadet (third place) and Junior (fourth) divisions.

“Last year was a little difficult because it was my first time and I wasn’t sure what to expect,” she said. “Considering it was my first time, I was okay with how I finished. It left me with something to do because I knew I hadn’t given it everything I had.  I wanted to work harder and get first place this year.”

She was able to achieve that, and will look for another appearance on top of the podium when she takes the mat on Tuesday in the Junior division at 138 pounds, closer to her actual weight.

But before she does that, she’ll watch another member of her family, her brother Jesse, in Cadet Greco action.

Wrestling is truly a family affair for the Porters.  Her father, Jesse, introduced the whole clan to the sport, including her mother Melovee.  Alexis was learning wrestling even prior to officially stepping on the mat.

“I was always my brother’s practice partner,” Porter said.  “Even before I knew much about wrestling.”

At age nine, she made a decision to delve deeper into the sport as more than just a hobby.

“When I first started, it was just a fun thing to do and a good way to stay active.  I didn’t care that much about winning and losing,” she said. “But as I got older, I started to take it seriously.  I dropped other sports (track and field, skiing and gymnastics) and made wrestling a priority. I fell in love with the sport and I set a lot of goals for myself.”

She has reached quite a few of them with the help of great workout environments both inside and outside her household.

The grappler trains not only with her family, but with Journeymen Wrestling with coaches such as Frank Popolizio and Jeff Blatnick, among others.  She is also part of one of the Empire State’s best high school programs at Shenendehowa with head coach Rob Weeks.

In fact, during the season with the Plainsmen, Porter found herself in an excellent situation, practicing with a pair of 2012 New York State bronze medalists, Nick Kelley (132) and David Almaviva (138).

“We have one of the toughest rooms in the state,” Porter said.  “It’s definitely helped me.  I get pushed further than I think I can go.  I get pounded by the boys at times, but I’m glad they beat me up a little bit.  It helps me a lot when I get out there in touraments like Fargo.”

So when it comes down to it, does she like wrestling with the boys or girls better?

“Wrestling with the boys is a challenge that helps me get better,” she said.  “But I like to win and I don’t do that as often with the boys.”

She has done a lot of winning, including titles at the Gene Mills Eastern Nationals and New York Freestyle and Greco States, among others.  She is grateful to those who have assisted her on her path.

“I definitely want to thank my parents,” she said. “They are the most supportive people in my life. They’ve done so much for me. Ever since I started, they’ve put time, money and energy into it with me, hoping one day I’d get here.”

But it doesn’t end in Fargo.  Porter, who wants to wrestle at the collegiate level, has her sights set on another medal stand in the future.

“I’d say, if you’re doing something, do it with your whole heart,” she said. “Dream big, whether it seems realistic or not, dream big.  Yesterday’s championship [at Fargo] is my biggest accomplishment so far as far as Freestyle goes.  But I’m going to keep working because I want to win an Olympic medal someday.”

Alexis Porter Wins National Title at 143 Pounds on Opening Day at Fargo

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Alexis Porter of Ballston Lake made sure New York didn’t have to wait long to capture a National Title at Fargo, winning the 143-pound championship in the first day of competition in the Women’s Cadet division.

The Shenendehowa grappler made quick work of her finals opponent, Anna Naylor of California, earning a first period fall after building up a large lead.  Porter opened the scoring with an early takedown and followed with a three-point throw for a 4-0 advantage.  Shortly afterwards, Porter picked up the pin after another big throw.

It was an impressive ending to a dominant day for Porter, who was a double medalist in Fargo in 2011. The Section 2 wrestler was in control all day, defeating her first foe, Washington’s Vanessa Dixon by technical fall before pinning Alyssa Hernandez of California.  She then topped Marlie Gillis of Wisconsin in straight periods to garner her spot in the finals.

Porter wasn’t the only Empire State placewinner at 143 pounds.  Kennedie Eddings, a returning medalist, once again made the podium, taking sixth at that weight.

Also making the medal stand for New York was Yuneris Diaz, who was third in round robin action at 172 pounds.

Women’s Cadet Freestyle – New York All-Americans

Alexis Porter (Shenendehowa), 143 Pounds, Champion

Finals: Pin Anna Naylor (California), 1:32

Porter TF Vanessa Dixon (Washington), 6-0, 6-0

Porter Pin Alyssa Hernandez (California), 3-0, 0:51

Porter D Marlie Gillis (Wisconsin), 7-0, 3-2

 

Kennedie Eddings (Niagara Falls), 143 Pounds, 6th Place

Fifth Place Match: LBF Alyssa Hernandez (California), 1-4, 1:55

Pin Leslie Hernandez (Georgia), 2-0, 1:00

L Anna Naylor (California), 0-3, 3-0, 0-1

LBF Hannah Gladded (Alabama)

 

Yuneris Diaz (Bathgate), 172 Pounds, 3rd Place

LBF Kaitlyn Hill (Michigan)

D 1-0, 7-1 Alana Quackenbush (Wisconsin)

LBF Azusenna Molina (California)

Over 90 New York Wrestlers To Compete at Fargo; Realbuto and Flores Look to Repeat as Champions

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The biggest tournament of the summer is here as competition begins in Fargo, North Dakota on Saturday.  Here are a few of the New York storylines to watch.

Will the champions repeat?

Rosemary Flores had a tremendous tournament in 2011, capturing titles in both the Cadet and Junior divisions while winning eight of her nine bouts by pin.  She has enjoyed sustained success throughout the year, earning a spot on the ASICS Girls All-American First Team and taking second at a number of prestigious tournaments including the Cadet Pan Am Championships and the Body Bar Women’s National tournament.  The New York City standout will be back for another run, this time at 130 pounds.

Last summer, Brian Realbuto became the first Men’s Freestyle title winner from the Empire State since Troy Nickerson won double titles back in 2004.  The 145-pound class that Realbuto won was loaded with top tier talent, such as Jake Sueflohn, who won 25 matches as a true freshman at Nebraska last season and top 20 recruits such as Brandon Kingsley, Oliver Pierce and Brian Murphy.  The Somers star wrestled only in a pair of matches at the Junior Duals in Oklahoma City, but is registered to compete at 152 pounds this week where he will once again be challenged by a plethora of formidable opponents such as Ohio’s Anthony Collica, New Jersey’s Dylan Milonas, Murphy, Pierce and a familiar face, Long Beach’s Dylan Palacio.

Speaking of Palacio, can he keep his unbeaten streak alive?

It’s been quite a year for the Nassau County wrestler.  Palacio had an unblemished record during the high school campaign to win his first state championship, then went on to earn gold at the NHSCA Nationals in Virginia Beach.  He followed that with dominant performances at the New York Freestyle and Greco States, taking the top spot in both, and then went undefeated at the Disney Duals, beating nationally-ranked grapplers such as Garrett Peppelman and Taylor Simaz.  While he has placed at Fargo in the past (8th in Greco a year ago), he has made it clear that he is looking to reach the top of the podium in North Dakota before beginning his college career in Ithaca.

Which other returning placers are gearing up for a title run?

Juniors

Four-time state champion Quinton Murphy readily admits that while he has had success in folkstyle throughout his career, he prefers Freestyle.  He has proven his capabilities in the international styles as well, including an fourth place at the Youth Olympics Games in 2010.  In 2011, he took bronze at Fargo at 135 pounds, handing the eventual winner Ben Whitford of Michigan his only loss.  Murphy went undefeated in limited action at the Junior Duals in Freestyle a few weeks ago and will be among the favorites at 138 pounds, where he could again meet Whitford.

The 160-pound Junior competition may be of interest to New York fans as several accomplished grapplers take the mat.  Burke Paddock of Warsaw has a long list of achievements, including earning sixth in 2011 in Greco at the same weight and capturing the Junior Greco World Duals event this spring.   Columbia-bound Connor Sutton placed at FILA Juniors in Greco and comes into the week with a lot of momentum.  In fact, WIN Magazine picked Sutton to make the finals at Fargo following his All-Tournament team performance at the Junior Duals in late June where he went 8-0 in the style.

Cadets

Chris Cuccolo was a double medalist in 2011, taking fifth in both styles at 84 pounds in the Cadet division.  The Pine Bush wrestler returns to the Cadet competition, this time at 94 pounds where Intermat has labeled him the favorite on the Greco side.

Shenendehowa’s Jesse Porter has a track record of success in the international styles, including a 2011 Schoolboy National Championship at 105 pounds in Greco.  He is one to watch in Cadet Greco action at 132 pounds.

Women

Mary Westman made the finals in 2011 at 148 pounds, registering three wins by fall, and looks to finish one rung higher on the ladder in the 159-pound class this week.  Alexis Porter wrestled in both divisions in 2011, garnering third (Cadet) and fourth (Junior) in the 124/125 weight classes.  She is currently registered at 143 pounds in the Cadet competition and should be a contender.  In addition, two returning sixth place finishers, Kendra Kenyon and Kennedie Eddings, will look to climb to the top of the podium.

Which wrestlers will make a smooth transition from the Cadet to Junior competition?

There are several wrestlers on Team New York who appear ready to make the jump.  Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer of Cheektowoga was fourth at 125 pounds in Freestyle and has placed in a number of national events in both Greco and Freestyle.  At the Junior Duals, he went 10-2 overall and looks poised to represent the Empire State well following his runner up performance in Albany in February.

Another New York state finalist, Reggie Williams of Johnson City, stood fifth on the podium last year at 215 as a Cadet and will try to repeat that success at the Junior level, this time at 195 pounds.

What other state placers should be watched closely?

A large number of medalists from Albany in 2012 will be fighting for All-America status, including state champions Kyle Kelly of Chenango Forks (7th in Greco in 2011 at Fargo) and Dylan Realbuto (126) of Somers.  In addition, several other top four finishers at the Times Union Center such as Columbia’s El Shaddai Gilmore-Van Hoesen (285), McZiggy Richards (182), Troy Seymour (170), Tyler Grimaldi (160), David Almaviva (145) and Nick Kelley (132), Ryan Snow (126), William Koll (120), Nick Casella (100) and Trey Aslanian will look for podium positions.  Aslanian, a two-time folkstyle silver medalist in New York, went an impressive 7-1 at the Junior Duals.

Which of the New York State Freestyle and Greco title double winners will be taking the mat?

In addition to Palacio and Koll, 220-pounder Soslan Gularov was a double champion who is registered.  On the Cadet side, a handful of double titlists will represent the Empire State – Matthew Morris (113 pounds), Freddie Dunau (120), Mike Dusold (152) and Daniel Smith (170).  Josh Antoine was the 113-pound champion in both Freestyle and Greco at the Northeast Regional qualifier as well.

Many wrestlers were mentioned and there are sure to be others who stand out on one of the sport’s biggest stages.

Stay tuned and check back for updates and interviews throughout the week.

 

 2011 Fargo All-Americans from New York

Junior Freestyle

105 – Lucas Malmberg (Marathon), 6th

112 – John Aslanian (Edgemont), 8th

135 – Quinton Murphy (Holley), 3rd and Steven Rodrigues (Fox Lane), 5th

145 – Brian Realbuto (Somers), Champion

Junior Greco

98 – Kyle Kelly (Chenango Forks), 7th

135 – Patrick Hogan (Peru), 8th

152 – Dylan Palacio (Long Beach), 8th

160 – Burke Paddock (Warsaw), 6th

Cadet Freestyle

84 – Chris Cuccolo (Pine Bush), 5th

125 – Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (Cheektowoga), 4th

130 – Jonathan Craft, 8th

215 – Reggie Williams (Johnson City), 5th

Cadet Greco

84 – Chris Cuccolo (Pine Bush), 5th

Junior Women’s Freestyle

105 – Hanna Grisewood (Warsaw), 5th

125 – Rosemary Flores (Curtis), Champion, Alexis Porter (Shenendehowa), 4th

148 – Mary Westman, 2nd

Cadet Women’s Freestyle

88 – Kim Cardenas (Petrides), 4th

101 – Leah Taylor (Alexander), 8th

115 – Kendra Kenyon (Warsaw), 6th

124 – Rosemary Flores (Curtis), Champion, Alexis Porter (Shenendehowa), 3rd

143 – Keneddii Eddings (Niagara Falls), 6th

Friday Night Lights Coming to Massapequa and Fulton This Weekend

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Action at the Freestyle and Greco Nationals in Fargo, North Dakota begins on Saturday with the Women’s Cadet tournament. But plenty of wrestling will take place much closer to home in the Empire State this weekend, from Long Island to Fulton to Rochester.

On July 13, a pair of Takedown Tournaments will take place different parts of the state.   Friends of Massapequa Wrestling will host “Friday Night Lights” in John Burns Park beginning at 5 p.m..  The event will continue for several hours, featuring competition in seven divisions, from Intermediate to Masters.  Up to 400 grapplers have taken the mat at this event in the past.

For more information on the Massapequa Friday Night Lights, see the flyer:

Click to access 2012MassapequaTakedown.pdf

The success of this event on Long Island in recent years caught the eye of some in the upstate area and resulted in the first “Friday Night Lights” event held by the Friends of Section 3 Wrestling in 2011.  The second edition will also be held on July 13, at Fulton High School’s Athletic Complex, starting at 6 p.m.

“We saw the event in Massapequa and thought it would be a perfect fit up here as well,” said John Drew, one of the organizers. “Vito Mundo, who runs it down there in Long Island was very supportive and instrumental in getting us off the ground.”

In last year’s inaugural event, Drew said 327 wrestlers participated, from five different states.  This year, a group from Canada will add an international component.  According to Drew, pre-registration is well ahead of where it was in 2011 and he expects to reach 400 grapplers, which is the maximum that can be accommodated.

“We had a bracket with four state placers in it last year, so it’s not all just for fun – we definitely have kids who really want to come out and win it,” Drew said.  “But overall, we like to call it a wrestling festival rather than a wrestling tournament, with vendors, concessions and sprinklers for the kids.  It’s a family-friendly atmosphere and a fun night for everyone.”

For more information on the Section 3 “Friday Night Lights”, please see the flyer:

Click to access fnl.pdf

For those who prefer wrestling on the sand, Ontario Beach Park in Rochester will be the place to be on July 14-15.  On Saturday, the US Beach National Championships will occur in six divisions and on Sunday the Senior Beach World Team Trials will take place, with the winners advancing to the World Beach championships in September.  In addition, Sunday’s action will include the National High School Beach Duals.

Cornell's Damion Hahn on 3 NCAA Champs, Next Year's Lineup and "Letting the Cat Out of the Bag"

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Cornell assistant coach Damion Hahn stopped to talk about the Big Red’s three NCAA title winners and his thoughts on next year’s starting lineup, including where he sees returning champions Kyle Dake and Steve Bosak.

 

Back to the Bearcats: Donnie Vinson Discusses His Return to Binghamton and the Push for a National Title

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Donnie Vinson at the 2012 NCAAs; Photo by Boris Veysman

Binghamton’s Donnie Vinson was an All-American for the first time in St. Louis in 2012, and he didn’t take an easy path to get there. After a first round loss to Oklahoma’s Nick Lester, Vinson won seven straight matches to capture third place at 149 pounds.  The 2012 CAA Wrestler of the Year talked to New York Wrestling News about a number of topics, including the departure of Pat Popolizio to the ACC, the impact of new head coach Matt Dernlan, and his final season in a Bearcat singlet.

 

New York Wrestling News (NYWN):  You have one year of wresting eligibility left.  Is it true that you already graduated from Binghamton?

Donnie Vinson (DV): Yes, I got my management degree with a concentration in marketing in four years.  I will be a graduate student at Binghamton next year, going into Administration and hopefully getting into Public Affairs as well.

NYWN: When two of your coaches, Pat Popolizio and Frank Beasley, went to NC State, did you consider leaving Binghamton?

DV: When it first happened, I wanted to wait for things to settle before making a decision.  [Assistant coach] Jasen [Borshoff] told everyone it would be okay with the administration and alumni behind us.  He was great, especially for a guy who didn’t know what would happen with him when the new coach came in. Jasen kept things positive, which is really what we needed at the time.

I also took my role as a leader on the team seriously.  I tried to talk to everyone – members of the team and recruits I could get ahold of, and tried to calm everyone down too. In the end, we only lost one team member, granted a very good one in Nick [Gwiazdowski, who transferred to NC State].  I think a lot of trust got built among the team during that time.

NYWN: Did you wind up looking at other institutions at any point in the process?

DV: I was recruited by a few schools.  I looked a little bit and took one visit.   In the end, I knew I was going to end up doing well at Binghamton in the near future and further out in the future since it’s such a great academic school.  When it came down to it, I started at Binghamton and I plan on finishing here. This is my home.  I’ve been in the area all my life and I guess I don’t like change that much.  It’s the best option for me, especially with all I’ve seen from Coach Dernlan so far.  He has a great thing going.

NYWN: What are your early impressions of the program under Coach Dernlan?

DV: There’s a great mentality in the room.  He has the wrestling background everyone would expect; he really knows his stuff.  After coaching under the Penn State staff for all those years, he’s seen great things and he’s sharing them.  He’s a motivator and he knows what needs to be done at the right times.

The main focus with Pat [Popolizio] was on intensity, which is great.  This summer, instead of being intensity focused, we’re going over a lot of technique, probably more technique in the last three months than all of last year.  It’s been a different approach but I think it’s been great.

NYWN: What were your first interactions like with Coach Dernlan?

DV: When he came in, I wasn’t into grad school yet and the application process was a little messed up.  He helped me through and convinced me to stay.  He told me if I stayed, we’d be a top 15 team again. He also kept Jasen [Borshoff] on board, which was important and kept the team together.

I like his views on leadership.  He’s talked about me being a grad assistant next year.  He’s put a lot of faith in Nate [Scheidel], Cody [Reed] and I as leaders.  Leadership has big meaning with him.  We have a lot of responsibility, running practice at times, which I really like.

NYWN: You mentioned Jasen Borshoff remaining on the staff as an assistant.  What role has he played in your development over the past few years?

DV: Jasen’s a great coach and workout partner for me.  When I’m sucked out and miserable, he’s the one person who will push me and correct me. He makes me work harder.  He may think he has something to prove since his career didn’t end on the greatest note.  He won’t let that happen to me.  He’s my go-to guy when I need to break a barrier or be pushed more.

NYWN: Do you plan to stay at 149 pounds next year?

DV: That’s the plan as of right now.  I think that’s the weight where I have my best shot to win it all.  I’m trying to keep my weight low this summer. I believe I was a contender last year and I gave up my shot early in the tournament with my first round loss, but I expect to be right there again.

NYWN: You mentioned losing your first match at the NCAAs last year.  Most wrestling fans know you then put together seven consecutive wins to take third.  What do you think about that run when you look back at it now? 

DV: It’s still shocking when I think about it.  But I think it makes me more angry than anything else.  I lost to Lester in the first round then majored him in the wrestlebacks.  I knew it shouldn’t have happened the first time.  Obviously, [Penn State national champion] Frank [Molinaro] was the top guy last year but I believed I was a real contender and what I did in the first round really ticked me off.  I let it affect me. In my first wrestleback [against Michigan State’s Dan Osterman], I got put on my back and the referee was close to slapping the mat.  I wound up coming back to pin him, but Jasen really got on me, driving me to get the right mindset.  After that, I got focused and did what I had to do.  I had a goal in mind of being third and I accomplished that.  My sights are set higher for next year. I want to be a national champion.

NYWN: What are you focusing on improving to reach that goal?

DV: I’m looking to fine tune everything.  I gave up a lot of points at the national tournament; lots of points I shouldn’t have.  The third place match [against Ohio State’s Cam Tessari] was a great example.  I need to wrestle smarter, more compact and keep the same intensity throughout.  I can’t give up cheap points at the ends of periods.

I’ll be working on fine-tuning my technique but I’ll also be doing an internship in Panama for a month this summer.  I’ll be trying to develop new marketing plans for my dad’s company down there, which connects hardware and software with a remanufacturing process.  I’m trying to get in touch with the Panamanian national team to train with them and do some freestyle.  I’ll also be doing a lot of cardio and some lifting while I’m there.

NYWN: The 149-pound class returns six All-Americans from 2012.  Is there anyone you are hoping to wrestle before the postseason?

DV: [Boise State’s] Jason Chamberlain and [Minnesota’s] Dylan Ness are two kids I’ve never wrestled in college.  I’d like to see them before nationals to see where I stand.  Chamberlain has proven himself over the years and Ness is a young stud.  I may try to meet him at the Southern Scuffle – our team isn’t going but they may send me down there alone.  If I’m going to be in the hunt at NCAAs, I want to see guys like that before nationals.

NYWN: Before last year, perhaps your biggest win was a dual meet victory over Kyle Dake in Ithaca. Do people ask you about that match with Dake a lot?

DV: Unfortunately, yes.  Our hometowns are about 25 minutes from each other and we both trained at Shamrock with [now Wyoming Seminary head coach] Scott Green when we were growing up.  We were on every team together; spent so many practices together.  We’ve known each other for a while and we’re still friends.  But on the wrestling mat, it’s another story.  He’s a three-time national champ, so he has more credentials than I could ever imagine.  It was a good win for me, but I didn’t want to talk about it much because I didn’t want my whole wrestling career to be based on that one match.  Coming back for third last year finally gave people something else to talk about.

NYWN:  At Shamrock, you did a lot of Freestyle and Greco and you were an accomplished wrestler in the international styles prior to college.  Would you like to get back into those styles after you finish your college career?

DV: I think I could do it.  I put all the international wrestling away when I got here so that I could get better at folk, and it’s paid off.  If I put the same level of attention and focus into those styles I don’t think it would be out of the question to make a World team or something like that.   But honestly, if I stick with wrestling in the future, I think I’ll concentrate on coaching.  If I coach, I want to be focused on helping the kids rather than training myself because the kids need the full attention of the coaches.

NYWN: Binghamton has come a long way as a program since you’ve been there.  What are the changes that really stand out to you?

DV: I was there early enough to see how bad the team was years ago.  Pat [Popolizio] started to recruit guys like Nate Scheidel and me and was able to weed out the people who didn’t really buy into the mentality and the system.  The partying was cut out and the focus on wrestling moved in.  You could see the obvious changes that came.  Everyone bought in, everyone fed off each other and we came together as team.  It’s apparent how far we’ve come with the All-Americans we’ve had and the finish at NCAAs last year.  Hopefully we’ll keep that going.  Coach Dernlan is recruiting really hard right now; he’s been on the phones literally 12 hours a day. The goal is to have a top three recruiting class next year.

NYWN:  Two former NCAA qualifiers, Justin Lister and Matt Kaylor graduated and Nick Gwiazdowski transferred, but you bring back the remainder of last year’s starters.  What are your expectations for next year’s team?

DV: I believe that we can do extremely well at NCAAs, which is the main goal. We’ll be a young team and dual wise, we’re expecting to take some blows.  Lister and Kaylor leave holes to fill, but from what I’m seeing, we’ll have some tough kids coming in who will fight for seven minutes.  I think we’ll have just as many or more All-Americans this year.  We’ll miss the people who left, but we’re moving past that.  We’re happy with what we have here right now and I’m really happy with my decision to be a part of it.

Overcoming Forfeits and Wrangling Snakes: NY Kong Represents the Empire State at Disney Duals

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Team NY Kong, Photo courtesy of Steve Hromada/Anthony Ciolino


There were some twists and turns along the way, but the Empire State’s debut in the All-Star division at the AAU Scholastic Duals (aka Disney Duals) was a success, as Team New York Kong took eighth place in Orlando in a competition that featured teams from all over the country.

“I’m so proud of these kids,” said coach Anthony Ciolino.  “What they did was awesome. To go to a national tournament, one of the toughest I’ve been to, and get to the All-American round is unbelievable, especially when you’re giving up as many points as we had to.”

According to Ciolino, who hadn’t participated in an AAU event before, the rules of the organization in New York limited the number of scoring team members by region of the state.  When he arrived in Florida, Ciolino was informed that some of the grapplers who had made the trip would not be allowed to figure into the scoring and therefore, every dual meet essentially began with a 12-0 deficit.

“We brought a great team – every one of the guys was an All-State wrestler,” Ciolino said. “I couldn’t believe we had to tell wrestlers like [state second placer finishers] Jacob Berkowitz, El Shaddai Van Hoesen and Nicky Hall that they could wrestle but their matches would be scored as forfeits for the other team.  Those guys wrestled very well, but every dual, 182 and 285 didn’t count.”

Early on, that didn’t matter.  The squad opened with four blowout victories over opponents from Ohio, Michigan and Delaware and went 6-1 overall in pool action, with the one setback against Pennsylvania’s Team Diesel, which was the eventual runner up.

The team then won its next two meets against teams from Missouri and Georgia before dropping its final two contests to Keystone Elite (PA) and Michigan’s MYWA Blue, bouts both Ciolino and Cornell-recruit Dylan Palacio felt would have gone differently with a full strength side.

“Looking at it, I think we were the third-best team there,” Palacio said.  “Diesel beat us, no question.  They were just really, really good.  But the other duals we could have won.  At that level, with nationally ranked kids everywhere, giving up 12 points in a dual [and 18 against Michigan with one team member having to leave], there’s no way to come back.  We took the challenge with a grain of salt and made the top eight.”

In the process of making the top eight, many individuals stood out.  Among them was a pair of undefeated wrestlers – Palacio and Frewsburg’s Nick Mitchell.

Palacio topped multiple nationally-ranked foes, including Pennsylvania state champion Garrett Peppelman, in his only close bout.  In fact, Peppelman took an early 5-0 lead, but Palacio chipped away at the deficit, eventually notching back points very late in the third period to get the victory.

“I wasn’t happy with how I wrestled in that match,” Palacio said. “I had to claw my way back.  There was a point in the match where I had to ask myself if I believed I could win.  But there was no going back. I wasn’t tired. I believed I should win every time I wrestled and I got it done.”

Nick Mitchell, Photo by Boris Veysman

Mitchell, who will attend Edinboro in the fall, got the job done as well.

“Nick Mitchell is one of the slickest kids in New York State.  He was really, really good,” Palacio said. “People like to talk about who’s better, D1 or D2 [Division 1 or 2] in New York.  After this weekend, I know that D2 kids are for real.  I might have been skeptical, but they shut me up really quickly.”

According to Ciolino, several other wrestlers registered seven or more victories for NY Kong during the event in addition to Mitchell and Palacio, including Marathon’s Lucas Malmberg, Lansing’s William Koll, Wayne’s Alec Dierna, Shenendehowa’s Nick Kelley, Williamsville East’s Dylan Cohen, Longwood’s Corey Rasheed, Medina’s Tristan Hamner and Niagara Wheatfield’s Max Antone.

“Hamner really battled and beat some very good kids,” Palacio said. “Antone surprised me. He was so athletic, doing flips and cartwheels.  I was in a state of shock.”

A similar state of shock may have been felt by a crowd at the team’s hotel as they saw a large snake on the premises. According to Ciolino, there was Palacio, standing near the lizard, speaking in an Australian accent, instructing people and trying to keep them calm.

“I was acting like the snake wrangler,” he said. “Everyone was listening to me.  That was a funny time, and there were so many others.  There was stuff like that all week. Everyone was funny and laid back.  We became really close – it was like wrestling with my friends and wrestling with family and there’s nothing better than that.”

“I couldn’t believe how the team jelled,” Ciolino agreed. “It didn’t feel like I brought a team from every corner of the state, even though that’s what I did.  It felt like the team was a bunch of guys who went to high school together.  They had a great time at the pool, at Disney World, playing jokes on each other. It was unbelievable.”

Despite some of the initial issues, it’s an experience Ciolino is hoping to repeat again in 2013.

“A lot of the juniors already told me they want to come back,” he said.  “It’s not a hard sell.  It’s a great place to be and you know the kind of competition you’ll see here.  The national exposure is great.  I had college coaches asking me about some of the guys. Now I know the rules and we want to do it again.”

That was a sentiment echoed by Palacio, although he’s headed to college.

“I went with a North Carolina team last year but this was way better,” he said. “I would love to do it all over again.  We took the good with the bad but in the end, I think we showed everyone that New York is for real.”

 

[Ciolino wished to thank Steve Hromada and Kim McClaugherty for all their work during the trip].

Team Members:

Lucas Malmberg, Marathon

Justin Cooksey, MacArthur

Jimmy Overhiser, Corning

William Koll, Lansing

Alec Dierna, Wayne

Nick Kelley, Shenendehowa

Dylan Cohen, Williamsville East

Corey Rasheed, Longwood

Tristan Hamner, Medina

Nicky Hall, Longwood

Dylan Palacio, Long Beach

Nick Mitchell, Frewsburg

Jacob Berkowitz, Scarsdale

Austyn Hayes, Phoenix

Max Antone, Niagara Wheatfield

El Shaddai Van Hoesen, Columbia

 

"Fighting Back": Team New York Battles at Junior Duals in Oklahoma City

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Jim Sutton, who has been coaching the New York Greco and Freestyle Duals teams for over a decade, had high expectations for the group traveling to Oklahoma City last week for the 2012 competition.

“We expected to finish in the top eight in both styles,” he said. “We were seeded second in our pool in both styles and this team had more seeding points overall than we’ve had in years.  We had the points, but the stars and moon didn’t line up correctly for us as far as injury, illness and winning some close matches.”

Despite not making the top eight, the squad finished 6-2 in Greco and 5-3 in Freestyle against some of the toughest competition in the nation.

“Coach talked to us beforehand and told us it had been a while since New York made the All-American round,” said 182-pounder Chris Loew of Wantagh.   “We weren’t able to do it, but we did pretty well.  We lost to some of the best teams in the country but kept fighting back.”

In Greco, the team got off to a strong start with a comfortable 55-14 victory over South Dakota before dropping a one-point dual to Oklahoma Red.

But the New Yorkers rebounded, winning the next two rounds in dominant fashion over Utah and North Dakota before taking three out of four on the second day of action, to earn third in the Bronze/Copper bracket and 11th overall.

“Going 6-2 certainly isn’t bad, but honestly it was a little disappointing considering what we thought we could do prior to the tournament,” Sutton said.

The Empire State had several standout performances in Greco, led by future Columbia wrestler Connor Sutton, who was named to the All-Tournament team after a perfect 8-0 showing at 160 and 170 pounds.   Especially satisfying was a triumph over Oklahoma’s Kyle Ash, an All-American who eliminated Sutton at Fargo a year ago.

“That was a huge win for Connor,” Jim Sutton said.  “It really kept his confidence high and helped him go undefeated the rest of the way in that style.”

“Connor went undefeated and was fantastic,” added Loew, who will be Sutton’s teammate with the Lions in the Ivy League next season. “He really beat up on some guys.”

Also picking up significant points in Greco were 120-pounder Santo Curatolo (7-1), Jessy Williams (6-2 at 132), Matt Greene (5-2 at 145), Loew (5-2 at 182/195) and Dante Salkey (5-0 at heavyweight).

Salkey’s contributions weren’t limited to the mat as he sang the national anthem and, according to Coach Sutton “had everybody laughing the whole tournament as the team entertainer.”

That entertainment came in handy during the first two days, as the team faced some adversity.  Injuries hit Indiana-bound star Quinton Murphy (who made a trip to the hospital) and several other wrestlers.  In addition, a few grapplers had a stomach virus that resulted in large weight losses and an inability to stay on the mat.

Nevertheless, New York went 3-1 in the opening day of Freestyle, soundly beating Minnesota Blue and Indiana twice while falling against Wisconsin 35-25.   Looking back, on the event, Coach Sutton said there were a number of missed opportunities in the bouts against the Badgers.

“We had three matches that we probably should have won in that dual and that would have made the difference,” he said.  “In one match, we were ahead by a point with one second left then got pushed out of bounds to lose.  In another, we were ahead with two seconds left and got thrown.  Then, we were ahead again in another match by a lot, and instead of staying away and circling with a few seconds left, got thrown and pinned. We were right there and we didn’t win some close matches.”

On the second day of Freestyle, the squad split four dual meets, topping Texas Blue and Ohio while losing against Georgia Black and Pennsylvania.  It was a day in which two of the state’s best wrestlers, Brian Realbuto and Murphy, were unable to compete (after having gone a combined 6-0 in Freestyle to that point) and a number of others fell ill.   The team placed 13th/14th overall, 5th/6th in the Bronze/Copper pool.  (The 5th place match wasn’t wrestled).

“Going 2-2 was pretty good, honestly, because we were decimated,” Coach Sutton said. “We had kids okay in the morning who then all of a sudden became sick and couldn’t stay out there.  Also, when you take guys like Realbuto and Murphy out of your Freestyle lineup, you’re in trouble.  Those are two of the best in the country.  We had to change the strategy with weights and styles. But we had guys step in and step up.  Guys who came to just wrestle Greco, took the mat in Freestyle.  Guys wrestled at different weights.  I give everyone a lot of credit – people did whatever they could for the team.  Everyone worked hard.  It was a really good group of kids and coaches.” [Max Askren assisted in Freestyle; Nick Catana did the same in Greco]

The organizers of the event agreed, as Team New York was nominated for the Sportsmanship Award.

“That was pretty important to me,” Jim Sutton said. “Sometimes things don’t go your way, but I was proud of how the team acted.”

He was proud of several performances on the mat as well.

Like in Greco, 120 pounds was an area of strength, as Trey Aslanian of Edgemont racked up a 7-1 record.

“With Santo [Curatolo] in Greco and Trey [Aslanian] in Freestyle, 120 was a really solid weight the whole time.  Those guys both had very good tournaments, losing only one match each.”

Sutton also had high praise for Cheektowoga’s Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer, who was 10-2 overall.

Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer at the 2012 NY States, Photo by Boris Veysman

“Renaldo had a great tournament, both in Greco and Freestyle,” Sutton said. “He wrestled really tough.  He’s young, but very talented. He’s a star. He’s going to be great.”

The coach also mentioned the efforts of wrestlers like Greene, who wrestled more than expected in Freestyle (and up a weight) due to Realbuto’s injury. And Williams, who had primarily practiced Greco leading up to the event, but wrestled Freestyle when the need arose. And Burke Paddock, who lost more than 10 pounds due to sickness, but gutted out several wins for the group.  And Loew, who moved to 195 pounds at times to help the team.  The list went on and on.

“Bumping up is nothing new for me,” Loew said.  “I did it for my high school team the past couple of years. We all did what we needed to for the team.

“It was a great experience,” Loew continued.  “Being together with all those guys, some of the best wrestlers in the state, was really cool.  I thought we were pretty close as a team, especially for a bunch of guys who were enemies a couple of months ago.”

Many of the participants will be teammates again, wearing New York singlets while competing in the international styles at the Junior Nationals at Fargo later in July.

“Looking back on it, it’s too bad because New York had the chance to be top eight or even better and that’s what we were aiming for,” Sutton said.  “But I’m proud of the team and hopefully we can see some great performances at Fargo.”

Results

GRECO

Pool B – 
Match #1 Quarterfinal: New York defeated South Dakota 55-14
100 – Jesse Dellavecchia (New York) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
106 – Nick Cassella (New York) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
113 – Matt Morris (New York) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
120 – Santo Curatolo (New York) over Marshall Swanson (South Dakota) Pin 1-3,0:43
126 – James Ronca (New York) over Gene Trimble (South Dakota) Pin 6-0,0:50
132 – Jessy Williams (New York) over Josh Manning (South Dakota) TF 10-4,6-0
138 – Quinton Murphy (New York) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
145 – Matt Green (New York) over Alex Davies (South Dakota) TF 6-0,8-0
152 – Regan Bye (South Dakota) over James Mclean (New York) Dec 3-3,6-0
160 – Connor Sutton (New York) over Bailey Konvalin (South Dakota) TF 7-0,6-0
170 – Troy Seymour (New York) over CJ Warren (South Dakota) Pin 0:54
182 – Mason Bender (South Dakota) over Chris Loew (New York) Dec 0-3,2-0,3-0
195 – Eugene Martin (South Dakota) over Levi Ashley (New York) TF 6-0,8-0
220 – Nathan Rotert (South Dakota) over Soslar Gularov (New York) Dec 1-2,4-1,6-3
285 – Dante Salkey (New York) over Collin Jensen (South Dakota) Pin 0-3,8-1,1:47

Match #2 Semifinal: Oklahoma Red defeated New York 32-31
100 – Jesse Dellavecchia (New York) over Matt Maxwell (Oklahoma Red) Dec 2-0,4-1
106 – Kaid Brock (Oklahoma Red) over Nick Cassella (New York) Pin 1:03
113 – Cody Karstetter (Oklahoma Red) over Kyle Kelly (New York) Dec 0-1,7-0,1-0
120 – Santo Curatolo (New York) over Joe Smith (Oklahoma Red) Dec 4-0,3-0
126 – Cub Yeager (Oklahoma Red) over James Ronca (New York) Dec 2-1,1-0
132 – Brian Crutchmer (Oklahoma Red) over Jessy Williams (New York) Dec 2-0,0-2,6-1
138 – Dakota Head (Oklahoma Red) over Quinton Murphy (New York) Pin 1:53
145 – Matt Green (New York) over Tanner Bailey (Oklahoma Red) Pin 2-2,0:41
152 – Keilan Torres (Oklahoma Red) over Leland Slawson (New York) Pin 3-0,0:39
160 – Burke Paddock (New York) over Ricky McCarty (Oklahoma Red) TF 7-0,6-0
170 – Connor Sutton (New York) over Kyle Ash (Oklahoma Red) Dec 5-0,6-0
182 – Kyle Crutchmer (Oklahoma Red) over Troy Seymour (New York) TF 7-0,8-0
195 – Nolan Boyd (Oklahoma Red) over Bryce Mazurowski (New York) Dec 6-0,5-0
220 – Soslar Gularov (New York) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
285 – Dante Salkey (New York) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf

Match #3 Cons. Semi: New York defeated Utah 32-16
100 – Brock George (Utah) over Jesse Dellavecchia (New York) Dec 4-0,3-1
106 – Kohl Tolbert (Utah) over Nick Cassella (New York) Dec 5-0,6-0
113 – Kyle Robison (Utah) over Matt Morris (New York) Dec 2-0,3-7,7-0
120 – Santo Curatolo (New York) over Antonio Meikel (Utah) Dec 0-3,5-1,4-3
126 – James Ronca (New York) over Matt Findlay (Utah) Dec 4-6,1-0,3-0
132 – Jessy Williams (New York) over Brenden Turner (Utah) Dec 7-0,5-0
138 – Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (New York) over Morgan Bogue (Utah) Dec 5-0,5-0
145 – Matt Green (New York) over William Chavez (Utah) Pin 1:03
152 – Grant LaMont (Utah) over Leland Slawson (New York) Pin 5-0,1:16
160 – Connor Sutton (New York) over Jesse Carlisle (Utah) Dec 0-7,3-2,2-0
170 – Burke Paddock (New York) over Nick Sorenson (Utah) Dec 5-0,2-0
182 – Jon Wixom (Utah) over Chris Loew (New York) Dec 2-0,1-1
195 – Bryce Mazurowski (New York) over Johnathan Larson (Utah) Dec 4-0,2-0
220 – Soslar Gularov (New York) over Joe Flores (Utah) Dec 1-0,2-0
285 – Dante Salkey (New York) over Roy Nash (Utah) Dec 4-2,0-3,3-2
Utah’s team score was adjusted by -1.000 for unsportsmanlike conduct on a coach

Match #4 3rd Place Match: New York defeated North Dakota 37-23
100 – Austin Rust (North Dakota) over Jesse Dellavecchia (New York) Dec 1-0,0-2,5-4
106 – Kael Knowlen (North Dakota) over Nick Cassella (New York) Dec 4-3,2-1
113 – Kyle Kelly (New York) over Reed Cronin (North Dakota) Dec 3-0,6-0
120 – Santo Curatolo (New York) over Adam Blees (North Dakota) Pin 4-0,0:48
126 – Trevor Kringlie (North Dakota) over James Ronca (New York) Dec 1-0,4-0
132 – Jessy Williams (New York) over Patrick Freeman (North Dakota) Dec 5-3,7-0
138 – Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (New York) over Weston Dobler (North Dakota) Dec 4-0,2-0
145 – Matt Green (New York) over Reed Beckman (North Dakota) TF 7-0,7-0
152 – Leland Slawson (New York) over Zane Braun (North Dakota) Dec 0-1,1-1,2-1
160 – Connor Sutton (New York) over Bryce Fish (North Dakota) Pin 0:37
170 – Troy Seymour (New York) over T.J. Poole (North Dakota) Dec 3-0,1-0
182 – Chris Loew (New York) over Kip Jangula (North Dakota) Dec 2-0,0-6,3-0
195 – Levi Ashley (New York) over Briley Crissler (North Dakota) Dec 3-0,3-1
220 – Brandon Larson (North Dakota) over Soslar Gularov (New York) Pin 7-5,1:18
285 – Tommy Sease (North Dakota) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf

Bronze/Copper Pool – 
Match #1 Round 1: New York defeated Missouri 39-20
100 – Jesse Dellavecchia (New York) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
106 – Nick Cassella (New York) over Matthew Barmann (Missouri) Dec 2-1,6-0
113 – Andrew Wallace (Missouri) over Kyle Kelly (New York) Dec 3-0,9-1
120 – Santo Curatolo (New York) over Noah Teaney (Missouri) Dec 1-3,5-1,1-0
126 – Lemuel Johnson (Missouri) over James Ronca (New York) Dec 1-0,3-0
132 – Tate Robinson (Missouri) over Jessy Williams (New York) Dec 2-1,3-1
138 – Quinton Murphy (New York) over Grant Leeth (Missouri) Dec 3-1,7-0
145 – Matt Green (New York) over Michael Cutberthson (Missouri) Dec 9-3,6-5
152 – Brennan Johnson (Missouri) over Leland Slawson (New York) Dec 3-1,1-0
160 – Connor Sutton (New York) over Trevor Engle (Missouri) Dec 7-0,1-0
170 – Burke Paddock (New York) over Morgan Fitzgerald (Missouri) Dec 7-0,1-0
182 – Chris Loew (New York) over Michael Boyd (Missouri) Dec 4-0,4-0
195 – Bryce Mazurowski (New York) over Daltan Sweet (Missouri) Pin 4-0,0:19
220 – J`Den Cox (Missouri) over Soslar Gularov (New York) TF 7-0,6-0
285 – Dante Salkey (New York) over Jimmy Sellers (Missouri) Pin 6-0,1:14

Match #2 Round 2: California defeated New York 45-15
100 – Sean Nickell (California) over Jesse Dellavecchia (New York) Dec 6-0,3-0
106 – Joey Cisneros (California) over Nick Cassella (New York) TF 6-0,5-0
113 – Matt Morris (New York) over Daniel Ruiz (California) Dec 2-0,0-8,5-1
120 – Zahid Valencia (California) over Santo Curatolo (New York) Dec 1-0,2-0
126 – Tom Yozzo (California) over James Ronca (New York) Dec 2-1,6-0
132 – Jessy Williams (New York) over Adrian Panduro (California) Dec 3-0,5-0
138 – Elijah Davis (California) over Quinton Murphy (New York) 0-1,Inj
145 – Richard Martinez (California) over Matt Green (New York) Pin 1-2,0:44
152 – Mike Longo (California) over David Almaviva (New York) Dec 8-3,6-4
160 – Connor Sutton (New York) over Miguel Ruiz (California) Dec 7-1,1-0
170 – Lukas Basham (California) over Burke Paddock (New York) Dec 5-4,3-0
182 – Chris Loew (New York) over Zach Hanson (California) Dec 2-0,0-3,2-0
195 – Mason Kumashiro (California) over Tim Schaefer (New York) Pin 1-0,0:43
220 – Daniel Chaid (California) over Bryce Mazurowski (New York) Dec 5-0,1-0
285 – Hildev Manzur (California) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf

Match #3 Round 3: New York defeated Texas 31-28
100 – Alex Minor (Texas) over Jesse Dellavecchia (New York) Dec 3-2,6-0
106 – Nick Cassella (New York) over Joseph Gomez (Texas) Dec 1-0,6-1
113 – D`Andre Brumfield (Texas) over Kyle Kelly (New York) Dec 1-0,5-1
120 – Santo Curatolo (New York) over Cody Moss (Texas) Dec 7-0,2-0
126 – Jacob Rubio (Texas) over James Ronca (New York) Dec 2-0,2-0
132 – Jessy Williams (New York) over Gus Kortemeir (Texas) Pin 7-0,0:46
138 – Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (New York) over Colton Stowe (Texas) TF 7-0,7-0
145 – David Almaviva (New York) over Jack Ohlabor (Texas) TF 7-0,7-0
152 – Oliver Pierce (Texas) over James Mclean (New York) Pin 7-0,0:25
160 – Connor Sutton (New York) over Travis Bradford (Texas) TF 6-0,7-0
170 – Burke Paddock (New York) over Julius Holmes (Texas) Dec 4-0,6-0
182 – Greg Wilson (Texas) over Tim Schaefer (New York) Dec 1-0,1-0
195 – Chris Loew (New York) over Cody Lindberg (Texas) Dec 2-0,1-0
220 – Nick Mabry (Texas) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
285 – Ivan De Leon (Texas) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf

Match #4 3rd Place Match: New York defeated North Dakota 48-17
100 – Jesse Dellavecchia (New York) over Austin Rust (North Dakota) Forf
106 – Kael Knowlen (North Dakota) over Nick Cassella (New York) TF 9-0,6-0
113 – Matt Morris (New York) over Adam Blees (North Dakota) Dec 6-1,1-0
120 – Santo Curatolo (New York) over Thomas Walton (North Dakota) Forf
126 – Jordan Sherer (North Dakota) over James Ronca (New York) TF 6-0,6-0
132 – Jessy Williams (New York) over Patrick Freeman (North Dakota) TF 7-0,6-0
138 – Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (New York) over Weston Dobler (North Dakota) Forf
145 – Ryan Blees (North Dakota) over Matt Green (New York) Dec 1-0,4-3
152 – David Almaviva (New York) over Shane Undem (North Dakota) Dec 1-0,6-3
160 – Connor Sutton (New York) over Bryce Fish (North Dakota) Dec 1-0,3-0
170 – T.J. Poole (North Dakota) over Troy Seymour (New York) Dec 0-1,5-0,1-0
182 – Tim Schaefer (New York) over Drew Kary (North Dakota) Forf
195 – Chris Loew (New York) over Briley Crissler (North Dakota) Dec 7-3,2-0
220 – Soslar Gularov (New York) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
285 – Dante Salkey (New York) over Tommy Sease (North Dakota) Forf

FREESTYLE

Pool B – 
Match #1 Quarterfinal: New York defeated Indiana 38-23
100 – Jesse Dellavecchia (New York) over Ethan Briggeman (Indiana) Pin 1-1,0:48
106 – Jake Sinkovics (Indiana) over Nick Cassella (New York) Dec 5-5,4-2
113 – Stevan Micic (Indiana) over Kyle Kelly (New York) TF 8-0,9-3
120 – John Aslanian (New York) over Terrence Kennedy (Indiana) Dec 8-1,5-2
126 – Dylan Realbuto (New York) over Nathan Carmichael (Indiana) Dec 2-0,3-0
132 – Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (New York) over Levi Moss (Indiana) Dec 6-0,3-4,3-1
138 – Tommy Forte (Indiana) over Jessy Williams (New York) Dec 4-0,1-0
145 – Josh Farrell (Indiana) over David Almaviva (New York) Dec 0-1,1-0,2-0
152 – Brian Realbuto (New York) over John Tatum (Indiana) TF 7-0,6-0
160 – Brian Harvey (Indiana) over Connor Sutton (New York) Dec 3-1,6-3
170 – Burke Paddock (New York) over Austin Neibarger (Indiana) Dec 0-2,2-0,7-1
182 – Riley Lefever (Indiana) over Tim Schaefer (New York) Dec 1-2,3-2,3-1
195 – Chris Loew (New York) over Jeff Dixon (Indiana) Pin 7-0,1:48
220 – Soslar Gularov (New York) over Ian Early (Indiana) Dec 6-3,0-1,4-1
285 – Dante Salkey (New York) over Georgio Blades (Indiana) TF 7-0,6-0

Match #2 Semifinal: Wisconsin defeated New York 35-25
100 – Jesse Dellavecchia (New York) over Ian Gioacchini (Wisconsin) Dec 5-0,6-0
106 – Nick Cassella (New York) over JJ McClelland (Wisconsin) Dec 6-0,4-5,2-1
113 – Bill Prochniewski (Wisconsin) over Matt Morris (New York) Dec 4-0,1-0
120 – John Aslanian (New York) over Phillip Opelt (Wisconsin) Dec 3-0,5-4
126 – Andrew Crone (Wisconsin) over Dylan Realbuto (New York) Dec 9-2,7-2
132 – Gabriel Grahek (Wisconsin) over Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (New York) Dec 5-4,0-6,1-1
138 – Quinton Murphy (New York) over Mitchell Friedman (Wisconsin) Dec 6-0,5-4
145 – Jarod Donar (Wisconsin) over David Almaviva (New York) Pin 0-5,4-3,0:22
152 – Brian Realbuto (New York) over Ryan Gartner (Wisconsin) Dec 3-4,2-0,6-0
160 – Nick Becker (Wisconsin) over Connor Sutton (New York) Dec 7-1,7-3
170 – Matt Gray (Wisconsin) over Burke Paddock (New York) Dec 6-0,1-0
182 – Jacob Morrissey (Wisconsin) over Chris Loew (New York) Dec 6-2,4-2
195 – Bryce Mazurowski (New York) over Robby Chubb (Wisconsin) Pin 1:18
220 – Justin Karkula (Wisconsin) over Soslar Gularov (New York) Pin 3-4,0:57
285 – Newton Smerchek (Wisconsin) over Dante Salkey (New York) Dec 1-1,1-0

Match #3 Cons. Semi: New York defeated Minnesota Blue 39-23
100 – Jesse Dellavecchia (New York) over Alex Haynes (Minnesota Blue) Dec 4-2,8-2
106 – Aaron Dick (Minnesota Blue) over Nick Cassella (New York) Dec 6-0,1-0
113 – Ty Johnson (Minnesota Blue) over Kyle Kelly (New York) Pin 5-11,7-1,1:54
120 – John Aslanian (New York) over Tanner Johnshoy (Minnesota Blue) Dec 10-4,1-1
126 – Dylan Realbuto (New York) over Tone Fuenffinger (Minnesota Blue) Dec 5-4,4-4,4-0
132 – Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (New York) over Roman Wundrow (Minnesota Blue) TF 6-0,8-2
138 – Quinton Murphy (New York) over Mitchell Lexvold (Minnesota Blue) Dec 7-3,6-4
145 – David Almaviva (New York) over Wayne Voss (Minnesota Blue) Dec 6-0,4-3
152 – Leland Slawson (New York) over Sam Begin (Minnesota Blue) Dec 4-0,2-1
160 – Burke Paddock (New York) over Luke Schmit (Minnesota Blue) Dec 4-2,2-0
170 – Troy Seymour (New York) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
182 – Tim Schaefer (New York) over Clay Broze (Minnesota Blue) Dec 2-0,2-4,2-1
195 – Bryce Mazurowski (New York) over Alexander Mond (Minnesota Blue) Dec 6-0,1-0
220 – Soslar Gularov (New York) over Tony Reurink (Minnesota Blue) Dec 5-1,6-0
285 – Jerrad Nieland (Minnesota Blue) over Dante Salkey (New York) Pin 0:50

Match #4 3rd Place Match: New York defeated Indiana 44-22
100 – Jesse Dellavecchia (New York) over Ethan Briggeman (Indiana) Dec 3-2,2-1
106 – Nick Cassella (New York) over Jake Sinkovics (Indiana) Pin 0:24
113 – Stevan Micic (Indiana) over Matt Morris (New York) TF 6-0,7-0
120 – John Aslanian (New York) over Terrence Kennedy (Indiana) TF 6-0,10-2
126 – Dylan Realbuto (New York) over Nathan Carmichael (Indiana) Dec 7-0,2-2,4-1
132 – Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (New York) over Levi Moss (Indiana) Dec 6-0,3-7,1-0
138 – Quinton Murphy (New York) over Tommy Forte (Indiana) Pin 6-6,0:00
145 – Josh Farrell (Indiana) over David Almaviva (New York) Dec 4-2,3-0
152 – Matt Green (New York) over John Tatum (Indiana) Pin 1:32
160 – Brian Harvey (Indiana) over Burke Paddock (New York) Pin 1-2,6-0,1:12
170 – Troy Seymour (New York) over Austin Neibarger (Indiana) Dec 0-2,4-0,1-0
182 – Chris Loew (New York) over Riley Lefever (Indiana) Dec 3-6,3-1,2-1
195 – Bryce Mazurowski (New York) over Jeff Dixon (Indiana) Pin 1:33
220 – Soslar Gularov (New York) over Ian Early (Indiana) Dec 2-5,3-2,1-0
285 – Georgio Blades (Indiana) over Dante Salkey (New York) Dec 4-3,0-1,1-0

Bronze/Copper Pool – 
Match #1 Round 1: New York defeated Texas Blue 34-31
100 – Alex Minor (Texas Blue) over Jesse Dellavecchia (New York) Dec 4-2,7-2
106 – Nick Cassella (New York) over Joseph Gomez (Texas Blue) Dec 3-2,4-1
113 – Dammion Heard (Texas Blue) over Kyle Kelly (New York) Dec 8-1,3-1
120 – John Aslanian (New York) over Cody Moss (Texas Blue) Pin 7-0,0:53
126 – Jacob Rubio (Texas Blue) over Dylan Realbuto (New York) TF 8-1,7-0
132 – Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (New York) over Gus Kortemeir (Texas Blue) Dec 6-5,6-0
138 – Quinton Murphy (New York) over AJ Hinkle (Texas Blue) TF 9-2,8-1
145 – Jack Bass (Texas Blue) over David Almaviva (New York) Dec 5-0,4-2
152 – Oliver Pierce (Texas Blue) over Matt Green (New York) Dec 3-0,1-0
160 – Connor Sutton (New York) over Travis Bradford (Texas Blue) TF 7-0,7-0
170 – Troy Seymour (New York) over Julius Holmes (Texas Blue) Dec 1-3,7-0,1-0
182 – Greg Wilson (Texas Blue) over Tim Schaefer (New York) Inj
195 – Chris Loew (New York) over Cody Lindberg (Texas Blue) Pin 2-3,5-2,1:41
220 – Levi Ashley (New York) over Nick Mabry (Texas Blue) Dec 10-2,5-1
285 – Ivan De Leon (Texas Blue) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf

Match #2 Round 2: GA Black defeated New York 31-28
100 – Adam Flatt (GA Black) over Jesse Dellavecchia (New York) Dec 1-0,4-3
106 – Nick Cassella (New York) over Trae Green (GA Black) Dec 3-2,7-0
113 – Hunter Kelley (GA Black) over Matt Morris (New York) TF 1-2,6-0,6-0
120 – Griffin Higginbotham (GA Black) over John Aslanian (New York) Dec 2-0,4-0
126 – Dylan Realbuto (New York) over Madison Martin (GA Black) Dec 5-4,0-7,4-2
132 – Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (New York) over Kamaal Abdushshakur (GA Black) Dec 5-1,6-0
138 – Ryan Mosley (GA Black) over Jessy Williams (New York) Dec 1-5,4-0,7-0
145 – David Almaviva (New York) over Taylor Lujan (GA Black) Dec 1-0,7-0
152 – Matt Green (New York) over Cody Dickerson (GA Black) Pin 0-1,1:38
160 – Hunter Gamble (GA Black) over Burke Paddock (New York) Dec 2-0,0-6,2-1
170 – Jason Grimes (GA Black) over Troy Seymour (New York) Dec 0-1,1-1,1-0
182 – Glenn Climmons (GA Black) over Chris Loew (New York) Dec 4-0,5-1
195 – Boyce Cornwell (GA Black) over Bryce Mazurowski (New York) Dec 4-2,6-0
220 – Chance McClure (GA Black) over Levi Ashley (New York) Dec 4-3,2-1
285 – Soslar Gularov (New York) over Maverick Way (GA Black) Dec 2-0,3-0

Match #3 Round 3: Pennsylvania defeated New York 36-28
100 – Jacob Lizak (Pennsylvania) over Jesse Dellavecchia (New York) Dec 5-0,2-1
106 – Ethan Lizak (Pennsylvania) over Nick Cassella (New York) TF 7-0,6-0
113 – Dominic Forys (Pennsylvania) over Kyle Kelly (New York) TF 6-0,6-0
120 – John Aslanian (New York) over Justin Cummings (Pennsylvania) Dec 0-6,1-0,1-0
126 – Josh DiSanto (Pennsylvania) over Dylan Realbuto (New York) Pin 0:31
132 – Zain Retherford (Pennsylvania) over Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (New York) Dec 5-4,8-2
138 – Jessy Williams (New York) over Bobby Harmon (Pennsylvania) TF 7-0,6-0
145 – David Almaviva (New York) over Tyrel White (Pennsylvania) Dec 1-0,0-1,3-2
152 – Matt Green (New York) over Arthur Watkins (Pennsylvania) Dec 5-0,4-0
160 – Burke Paddock (New York) over Kyle Carson (Pennsylvania) Pin 7-0,1:29
170 – Connor Sutton (New York) over Sam Dickey (Pennsylvania) Pin 1:18
182 – Addison Knepshield (Pennsylvania) over Chris Loew (New York) TF 6-0,8-2
195 – Dennis Atyeh (Pennsylvania) over Levi Ashley (New York) Dec 7-1,3-3
220 – Jake Hart (Pennsylvania) over Soslar Gularov (New York) Dec 3-1,2-0
285 – Brooks Black (Pennsylvania) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf

Exhibition – 
New York defeated Ohio 41-24
100 – Peyton Gutierrez (Ohio) over Jesse Dellavecchia (New York) Dec 6-0,2-1
106 – Nick Cassella (New York) over Luke Nace (Ohio) Dec 0-6,6-0,5-1
113 – Matt Morris (New York) over Brandon Kahlenbeck (Ohio) Dec 6-1,4-2
120 – John Aslanian (New York) over Brad Taton (Ohio) Dec 6-0,5-0
126 – Dylan Realbuto (New York) over Zachary Alvarado (Ohio) Dec 5-1,5-1
132 – Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (New York) over Zane Nelson (Ohio) Dec 6-0,5-4
138 – Neil Roff (Ohio) over Jessy Williams (New York) Dec 4-4,3-3
145 – David Almaviva (New York) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
152 – Nick Weininger (Ohio) over Matt Green (New York) Dec 2-1,4-2
160 – Connor Sutton (New York) over Eric Sullivan (Ohio) Pin 0:57
170 – Tommy Kimbrell (Ohio) over Troy Seymour (New York) Pin 2-0,1:07
182 – Chris Loew (New York) over Lane Louivie (Ohio) Dec 3-2,6-5
195 – Levi Ashley (New York) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
220 – Soslar Gularov (New York) over Ian Czanik (Ohio) Pin 0:18
285 – Chase Henderson (Ohio) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf