Monthly Archives: September 2012

Head Coach Carl Fronhofer Previews the 2012-13 Columbia Lions

Posted on by
Reply

In 2011-12, Carl Fronhofer’s first season as head coach, Columbia took third place in the Ivy League (losing a 19-18 nailbiter against second place Penn) and sixth at the EIWA tournament.  The Lions sent three wrestlers to the NCAA tournament, where Steve Santos came within one win of becoming an All-American at 149 and 157-pounder Jake O’Hara and now graduated heavyweight Kevin Lester each won a pair of matches.

What’s next for the Ivy League squad in 2012-13?  Fronhofer gave New York Wrestling News a preview of what to expect in the upcoming campaign, beginning with a weight-by-weight look at the team.

125 Pounds – Former Section 1 standout Penn Gottfried returns after taking last season off with a shoulder injury.  He’ll be in a battle with Robert Dyar, who won 16 matches last year, for the starting role in 2012-13.  Adding depth is California state champion Johnson Mai.

Coach Fronhofer: “Penn and Dyar are pretty competitive in the room and at this point, it’s hard to tell what will happen.  Penn’s rehab went great and his arm is strong.  But, he’s only been back on the mat for a couple of weeks.  I think it’s close enough between those two guys that I’ll remove myself from that situation and see how it plays out. As for Johnson Mai, he’s a tremendous athlete who is very skilled.  He’s good enough to find ways to win.  But he’s probably at least a year away from getting big enough to compete nationally.  It’s similar to Dyar when he first came in – he needed time to grow enough to compete at 125 pounds.”

133 Pounds – The departure of starter Kyle Gilchrist, who went 27-15 a year ago, leaves a spot that several wrestlers are hoping to grab.

Coach Fronhofer: “It’s definitely wide open. We have Andrew Grabfelder, who was a starter earlier in his career.  He took a year off, was injured when he came back and is a senior now.  If he can stay healthy and keep it together, he can do well.  We also have some young guys from Ohio – Ryan Murdock and Angelo Amenta who are pretty talented kids who work hard.  Also add in California freshman Joe Moita.  This is the most wide open race for a starting spot in our lineup this year.”

141 Pounds – Last season, Matt Bystol, Ryan Ponte and Elijah Sullivan all manned the 141-pound spot at times, until Bystol earned the nod down the stretch.  He and Ponte will be back, with Sullivan taking the year off. But it may be a three-way race again as Top 100 recruit Alec Mooradian, a Michigan native, will also look for time.

Coach Fronhofer: “We had several wrestleoffs last year at 141 and it went in circles. When the dust settled, it was Bystol who won the job.  He was really steady and consistent and that’s why he found himself in the lineup at the end of the year.  Ponte will battle with him again and so will Mooradian.  [Mooradian] was a four-time state finalist and a three-time champion and lost only a few matches in his entire high school career.   He’s tough and he’ll be fighting for the spot too.”

149 Pounds – Unlike the first three weights, 149 isn’t up for grabs.  Four-year starter Steve Santos will be back a year after making the Round of 12 at the NCAA tournament.  Santos has racked up several impressive victories during his career, including wins over Mario Mason, Donnie Vinson and Edinboro’s David Habat.  In 2011-12, he compiled a 26-11 record and took fourth at the EIWA tournament before winning three bouts at nationals.

Coach Fronhofer: “Last year, Steve was solid.  When he was a freshman and sophomore, he was a little inconsistent. He took some bad losses here and there.  But if he continues to be consistent, he’s a top 10 guy in the country and is capable of more than that.  I wouldn’t be surprised if he took top four at NCAAs this year.  He has what it takes to be an All-American.”

157 Pounds – Like Santos, fellow senior Jake O’Hara got his hand raised at nationals in 2012.  The Pennsylvania native won two matches in St. Louis to cap off a 30-victory campaign.  According to Fronhofer, he and Santos will be the team captains and are the leaders of the squad who “take care of business inside and outside the room and do everything right”.

Coach Fronhofer: “Jake made a big leap last year.  I think the difference between Jake as a sophomore and as a junior was pretty astronomical.  It’s a credit to him.  He works very hard – he stays the course and gets better every day.  I think having [assistant coach] Adam Hall [an All-American at Boise State] to work with was very beneficial.  Without question, Jake’s goal is to be on the podium in March.  There’s no doubt in my mind that he can do it.  The middle weights are always loaded but you have to show up and wrestle.  He’s capable of placing at the NCAAs.”

165 Pounds – NCAA qualifier Eren Civan graduated and a number of young wrestlers are lining up to take his spot.  Michigan native Josh Houldsworth, who started at 141 as a freshman in 2010-11, is moving up a few weights while 2012 spot starter Adam Fondale is in the mix with sophomore Eric Fajardo.

Coach Fronhofer: “Josh Houldsworth is pretty tall and we always thought he could grow. We’ve gotten such consistent work out of Steve [Santos] and Jake [O’Hara] that we asked Josh to move up and he’s making that move. Fondale won about 20 matches last year, wrestling in duals, opens and all over the place. Fajardo is a super talented kid who did a lot of judo growing up.  He didn’t have the pure wrestling experience of a lot of other guys, but he’s a great athlete who has developed well.  He took second at the FILA Junior Nationals this spring in Greco and has made some big gains in a short time.”

174 Pounds – Stephen West joined the lineup as soon as he arrived at Columbia and is ready to enter his fourth year as a starter.   Despite 33 wins last season, he didn’t receive a bid to the NCAA tournament and looks to qualify for nationals and more in his final season in a Lions singlet.

Coach Fronhofer: “It was almost unbelievable that [West] wasn’t at the tournament last year. It was shocking to me after he qualified a spot for our conference and placed only one spot out [of automatic qualifying]. He had the most wins at the weight in the country.   He was completely devastated – we all were.  But he has the right attitude about the sport and life and he snapped out of it pretty quickly and went back to work in the spring and summer.  He has the right focus.  I assume that in March he’ll be competing at a pretty high level nationally.  He’s shooting to be an All-American. He has the experience, the athleticism and the skill set that makes it possible.”

184 Pounds – Shane Hughes came in as a freshman and racked up 22 wins.  He was an exciting wrestler to watch, recording 11 pins and going for big moves at 184 pounds.  Several other freshmen, such as Zack Hernandez, Austin Coniker and Chris Loew are also listed at the weight.

Coach Fronhofer: “Shane is definitely very dangerous in certain positions.  To make a jump this year, he’ll have to be more consistent and tighten up his game a little bit.  You can’t put the reins on guys like him because part of why he’s good is that he’s so open.  But he’ll have to improve a little on fundamentals and managing matches to take the next step.”

197 Pounds – In 2011, Nick Mills made Second Team All-Ivy at 184 pounds and took fifth at EIWAs.  He began last season at the same weight and then transitioned to 197, going 12-15 overall.

Coach Fronhofer: “Nick had a rough year last year. He puts a lot of pressure on himself and was trying to figure out how to compete that way.  If he does that, he’ll be back in a position to get to the NCAA tournament. He’s a great athlete and physically can compete with anyone.  Chris Manna and Matt Idelson are two other guys who will be at that weight.  They haven’t figured out a way to beat Mills yet, though.”

285 Pounds – Wyatt Baker notched a 13-5 record in his first year with the Lions while backing up NCAA qualifier Kevin Lester.  He was busy in the spring and summer competing in the international styles.  Baker represented the United States at 120 kg in Greco Roman at the Junior World Championships in Thailand, taking 10th place.  The native Californian is looking to make his mark in the EIWA and nationally in his initial campaign as a starter.

Coach Fronhofer: “Wyatt has made a huge leap.  He’s a kid that comes from Servite, a major football factory and he was a big time football player.  He only wrestled a few months of the year.  He has a tremendous attitude – he’s a happy kid that gets the most out of every situation.  I think it’s really hard to start right out of the blocks at heavyweight, so he was in a good position last year to come in and develop with Kevin Lester here.  Having that year of development plus the great summer he earned by making the World Team really benefitted him and we expect him to compete at a high level right away.”

A Few More Questions . . . 

What do you feel were the biggest things you took away from your first year as the head coach?

Coach Fronhofer:  I think I learned about managing the guys.  It’s a bit of a balancing act.  A guy like Stephen West probably wrestled too many matches last year.  He’s just so tough and so consistent, you can lose sight of the fact that he could use some time off.  I think you learn as a head coach when to put the hammer down and when to pull back a little bit; how to manage individuals and keep the team’s best interest in mind.  The decision making process is constantly evolving.

I also got to see that as a head coach you manage to wear a lot of hats at once.  You have responsibilities to the team, the administration, the parents, recruiting, alumni and so on.  You’re constantly learning on the job as you go through different experiences.

What goals have you set for the team for 2012-13?

Coach Fronhofer: I think we’ve done some great work in the offseason.  You saw our guys wrestling a lot of freestyle and Greco.  Our attitude is that if there’s a wrestling tournament, we’re going.  We’re passionate about the Olympic movement in our country and we’re going to wrestle as much as we can.

I think our goal as a team at the EIWA tournament is to finish top 3.  After that, I think we’re capable of sending six-plus wrestlers to the NCAAs.  We have a few guys with very high level individual goals.  They expect to become All-Americans and their goals are to win national titles.  We can achieve some big things this year. I’m always excited in the fall, preparing for what’s coming next.  We’re really looking forward to getting started.

Cornell's Kyle Dake Talks About His Olympic Experience and Wanting a Gold Medal of His Own

Posted on by
Reply

Kyle Dake, Photo by Boris V

Cornell senior Kyle Dake spent a portion of his summer with the United States Olympic Wrestling team.  This included training in Colorado Springs, traveling to Belarus for the pre-Olympic camp and then going to London for the latter stages of the Games.  He briefly talked to New York Wrestling News about the experience.

What was it like to be in London during the Olympics?

Kyle Dake: It was a really great experience.  Honestly, we were mostly training and trying to get the guys as ready as possible for the Olympics, so I didn’t get to spend that much time outside of wrestling.  I got to take a tour in London one day and saw some great things like the Tower of London.

Did you get to attend any events while you were there?

Kyle Dake: I watched all the freestyle and one day of Greco, which got me super motivated.  But I didn’t get a chance to go to any other events in person. We were busy and tickets were pretty expensive.  But there were 30 screens set up at the USA House, where Olympians or past Olympians socialized and watched the events.  I was in London but I basically saw a lot of the Olympics on TV.

Did you meet any celebrities or Olympians at the USA House?

Kyle Dake: I saw some of the female rowers, soccer players and the silver medal beach volleyball team [Jennifer Kessy and April Ross].  I saw Evander Holyfield and got to see his ear, which still looks deformed.  And it was pretty cool to meet the great soccer player Mia Hamm.

Who did you spend most of your time working with in Belarus and London?

Kyle Dake: I was training with [84 kg Olympian] Jake Herbert.  [National freestyle coach] Zeke Jones usually takes an extra person at each weight class as an alternate, just in case.  Jordan Burroughs took Raymond Jordan as his training partner.  [Raymond Jordan] was third at 84 kg at the Olympic Trials, so he was the alternate at 84.  They needed a partner for Jake who could also be an alternate at 74. They chose me.  I had trained with Jake before – at the camps in Colorado and also a little before that.  It was a good experience to work with him.  He has a lot of freestyle experience and I got to see how the bigger guys move.  Jake wrestled well in the tournament.  He had some interesting calls in his matches.

After training with Herbert, do you expect to stay at 74 kg for the next Olympic cycle?  Are you finished with Greco or would you consider that sometime in the future?

Kyle Dake: We’ll see what happens, but right now 74 kg is my weight class.  I’m done with Greco.

What do you think the freestyle training this summer has done for you as you get ready to go for your 4th NCAA title?

Kyle Dake: I think it helped a lot.  It gave me confidence that I could wrestle with the best guys in the world.  Knowing I could hang with Olympians and gold medalists makes me feel really good going into the college season.  My focus is on my fourth NCAA title now and doing whatever I can to help my team win a title too.

What will you remember most about the Olympic experience?

Kyle Dake: It was a huge motivator.  I got really inspired and motivated to get better after watching those guys, especially watching the guys win the gold medals.  I know now how badly I want a gold medal of my own.  After my college career is over, I’ll be shooting for gold.

Team Long Island Dominates on the Way to the Waterway Duals Championship in Pennsylvania

Posted on by
Reply

“Long Island wrestlers have shown lately that we can compete with anyone,” said John Passaro.

This weekend was another confirmation as Team Long Island went to the Waterway Duals in the Keystone State and captured the title in a field of 24 teams from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, Delaware and North Carolina.

The Empire State squad went 4-0 on Saturday, thoroughly dominating the title match, 53-12, against Malvern of Pennsylvania.

“We had a very good finals,” Passaro, one of the team’s coaches, said.  “When we got to the finals, we brought the kids together and told them the tournament really started at that point.  We didn’t want them to do all the work they had done and wrestle well all day and come in second.  It was a good feeling to walk away knowing we got everyone’s best effort in the most important match.”

The team may have given its best effort in the finale, but the efforts were strong throughout the day.  The morning began with a 51-6 victory over Turks Head.  The squad fell behind early but got on the board after a tight 4-3 win by James Szymanski at 115 and rolled from there, coming out on top of 11 matches.

Next up was the quarterfinals meeting with Team Griffin, which proved to be the biggest challenge of the day.  It was a back and forth affair that came down to the last match.  Heavyweight Josh Edmonson, the newest addition to the roster, came through in the clutch, getting the victory to push Long Island to the semis.

“We picked up Josh the day before the tournament and that match was decisive for us,” Passaro said. “He did an outstanding job.  He didn’t have a lot of time to practice.  He had a weight advantage in that match and wore his opponent down.  That was the key win of the weekend.”

From there, Long Island cruised to a 43-19 triumph over Team Pac 10.  While the overall score wasn’t close, some individual bouts were.  One of those featured state champion Nick Piccininni, who was one of the three wrestlers on the New York team that bumped up a weight for the event due to a late lineup change.  Piccininni, who won the Super 32 qualifier a week earlier at 113, competed at 122 against Zack Fuentes and edged the two-time Pennsylvania medalist.

“Nick had a great match,” Passaro said. “He scored his points in the last few seconds of the periods and that’s how you win matches.  He had a takedown with less than 10 seconds left in the first period and then escaped with less than 10 seconds to go in the third to win it.”

It turned out to be the only close contest of the day for the Ward Melville grappler, who went undefeated with falls in his other three bouts.

Piccinnini was one of five unbeaten wrestlers for the squad. Mepham’s Louie Hernandez continued his impressive summer by outscoring his foes 55-10 in his three matches. (He also received a forfeit).

“Louie was an offensive machine,” Passaro said. “I think he only gave up points when he let kids go for escapes.  He was explosive on his feet and just dominant. With Louie and Corey Rasheed, I think we had two of the best 155-pounders in the state on our team.”

Rasheed wrestled at 163 for Team Long Island, sporting a perfect 4-0 mark, including three pins and a six-point decision.

“Corey had a great weekend,” Passaro said.  “When you wrestle in a tournament like this and you’re wrestling up a weight class like Nick [Piccininni], Travis [Passaro] and Corey [Rasheed] did, giving up a lot of weight after weigh-ins the night before, it’s great to do as well as they did.  In the finals, Corey bearhugged a kid and took him right to his back.  It was one of the moments where you just say, ‘Wow.’  It was very impressive.”

Also impressive in winning all of their matches were Johnny Vrasidas and TJ Fabian. (Jackson Mordante, Tommy Dutton, Travis Passaro and James Szymanski all went 3-1).

Vrasidas went 4-0 at 174 pounds, including a pin and a 10-0 victory.  He also earned an important 8-6 decision in the quarterfinals.

TJ Fabian, Photo by Boris V

Meanwhile, Fabian battled with several accomplished opponents, such as Zach Ulerick, a Pennsylvania state placer.  The Shoreham Wading River senior earned a 3-0 win at 133 pounds in that tilt.

“TJ wrestled very tough,” Passaro said. “Being able to win the close ones is the sign of a good wrestler.  He’s had a great offseason, blowing people out.  So it was great to see him come out on the right side of some close ones. Like last season, TJ will be right there at states with the top guys.”

Seeing the top guys was the objective for the weekend, according to Passaro.

“To me, the main goal of going to the Waterway Duals was to get these kids ready for Super 32,” Passaro said. “In order to do that, we wanted to face the best competition possible.  PA is known for hard nosed wrestlers who are great on top.  A lot of these kids wrestled last weekend in Shippensburg and will be going to the Journeymen Classic [September 30] and the Ironhorse event [in October].  That’s a schedule conducive to getting ready to face the best in the nation at Super 32.  This is the only dual event we’re doing in that time, though, so it was great to put it together and win it representing Long Island.”

According to Passaro, it wasn’t just those who traveled to Oxford, Pennsylvania this weekend that made the results possible.  He wished to thank his fellow coaches, Teddy Fabian and Ralph Mordante, as well as Carlos Restrepo.

“People make the difference,” Passaro said. “Our practices were run by Carlos Restrepo whose son originally was going to compete.  But even when he knew his son wasn’t going to be able to wrestle because of an injury, he still ran every single practice and did a magnificent job getting the kids ready.  I had the easy part of putting the team together.  The hard work is done by the high school and club coaches on Long Island.  I don’t want the hard work done by lots of people to go unnoticed.”

Full Results: (courtesy of John Passaro)

Team Long Island 51 Turks Head 6

107 – Jessie Dellavecchia  (L)  4-0 vs Anthony Petril
115 – James Szymanski (W)  4-3 vs Austin Petril (SE Regional Qualifier)
122 – Nick Piccininni (W)  Fall vs Donte McCarthy (4th War, Dist 1 Q)
128 – Travis Passaro (L)   5-0 vs Mike Marino (2x Beast of East Place)
133 – TJ Fabian (W)  4-2 vs Josh Nichter (3rd War at the Shore)
138 – Sam Ward (W)  8-3 vs Gary Pizzuto (19-1)
143 – Tommy Dutton (W)  Fall vs Matt Venit
148 – Jackson Mordante (W)  6-1 vs Sean Lyons
155 – Louie Hernandez (W) 19-1 vs Hazty
163 – Corey Rasheed (W)  Fall vs Zurere
174 – Johnny Vrasidas (W) Fall vs Dan Sauselein (District 1 Qualifier)
194 – Christian Araneo (W) Fall Mark Morey
220 – FFT
290 – Josh Edmonson (W) 10-2 vs Josh Yaboah

QUARTERFINALS
Team Long Island 34 Team Griffin 26

107 – Jessie Dellavecchia (L) 5-3 vs Levi Sterner
115 – James Szymanski (W) 16-3 vs Levi Witmer
122 – Nick Piccininni (W) Fall vs Todd Hauser (PA D3 Qualifier)
128 – Travis Passaro (W) 4-1 vs Zach Clingan (PA D3 Qualifier)
133 – TJ Fabian (W) 3-0 vs Zach Ulerick (6th PA, Beast of East Placer)
138 – Sam Ward (L) 6-1 vs Sam Kilian (Super 32 Placer)
143 – Tommy Dutton (L) 4-1 vs Patrick Duggan (4th PA, Beast & Fargo)
148 – Jackson Mordante (L) 19-2 vs Tyson Dippery (2nd PA, 1st NHSCA)
155 – Louie Hernandez (W) FFT
163 – Corey Rasheed (W) 9-3 vs Steven Cain (PA D3 Qualifier)
174 – Johnny Vrasidas  (W) 8-6 vs Austin Barkey (PA D3 Qualifier)
194 – Christian Araneo (L) Fall vs Stephen Loiseau (PA State Qualifier)
220 – FFT
290 – Josh Edmonsen (W) Fall vs Espinoza

SEMIFINALS
Team Long Island 43 Pac 10 19

107 – Jessie Dellavecchia (L) 3-0 vs Lucas Miller (3rd MAWA)
115 – James Szymanski (W) Fall vs Garret Mauger (2nd War at the Shore)
122 – Nick Piccininni (W) 6-4 vs Zack Fuentes (2x PA State Placer 4/5)
128 – Travis Passaro (W) 5-4 vs Eddie Kritzvky
133 – TJ Fabian (W) Fall vs Hunteer Vogel
138 – Sam Ward (L) 2-1 vs Joe Staley
143 – Tommy Dutton (W) Fall vs Adam Dombrosky
148 – Jackson Mordante (W) 9-1 vs Ruben Maldonando
155 – Louie Hernandez (W) 21-6 vs Greg Harvey
163 – Corey Rasheed (W) Fall vs Garrett Abare
174 – Johnny Vrasidas (W) 10-0 vs Mike Fretz
194 – Christian Araneo (L) 10-2 vs Gordon Bolig (PA State Qualifier)
220 – FFT
290 – Josh Edmonson (L) 7-1 vs Tracey Green

FINALS
Team Long Island 53 Malvern Prep 12

107 – Jessie Dellavecchia (W) vs Nick Lattanze (3rd PJW’s)
115 – James Szymanski (L) Fall vs Wade Cummings (5th PJW’s)
122 – Nick Piccininni (W) Fall vs Matt Lattanze (2nd PJW’s)
128 – Travis Passaro (W) Fall vs Michael Beard (1st PJW’s)
133 – TJ Fabian (W) 4-3 vs Tommy Stokes (1st PJW’s)
138 – Sam Ward (W) 3-2 vs Greg Konezcny (SE Regional Qualifier)
143 – Tommy Dutton (W) 16-5 vs Joseph Galasso (5th PA, 2nd Flo National)
148 – Jackson Mordante (W) 5-0 vs Petrelli
155 – Louie Hernandez (W) 15-3 vs Demetri Darsaneo (SE Regional Qualifer)
163 – Corey Rasheed (W) Fall vs Connor Burns (3rd Prep Nationals)
174 – Johnny Vrasidas (W) FFT
194 – Christian Araneo (W) 6-5 vs Alfredo Ginniccari (7th Prep Nationals)
220 – FFT
290 – FFT

 

Olympic Bronze Medalist Coleman Scott, NCAA Champion Bubba Jenkins Coming to New York in September

Posted on by
Reply

Coleman Scott

Some great clinics are coming to New York in the next few weeks to help wrestlers get ready for the upcoming season.

2012 Olympic Bronze Medalist Coleman Scott will be visiting Brentwood High School on September 22, courtesy of Ascend Wrestling Club, for a four-hour clinic.

The cost will be $50 per person.  Coaches are welcome to attend.

Scott wrestled for Oklahoma State University where he was a 4x All-American and an NCAA Champion in 2008.  He also was a World Cup Champion, Dave Schultz Memorial International Champion and a three-time Pennsylvania state champion.

Session I with Coleman Scott will begin at 9 a.m. and run until 11.  Then, at 11:30, there will be instruction, drilling and live wrestling until 1:30.

For more information, please contact Craig Vitagliano at craig@ascendwrestling.com or see the event flyer:

http://longislandwrestling.org/liwa/camps/2012%20Coleman%20Scott%20Clinic.pdf

On September 15, another NCAA champion will be in the Empire State, as the 2011 157 pound national champ from Arizona State, Bubba Jenkins, will be coming to the Pin2Win Wrestling Club in Phoenix for a clinic from 10-12:30.

With a purchase of a ticket to the clinic, you get a free ticket to the World Kickboxing Associations event Modern Warfare at the Holiday Inn Electronics Blvd in Liverpool that night. Doors open at 6.

Tickets for the clinic are $30. For more information, call Eric Rose at 315-857-6576.

What Was It Like to Be an Olympian? Brandon Escobar Talks About His London Experience

Posted on by
Reply

When we contacted Brandon Escobar, he was, not surprisingly, on his way to wrestling practice.  The 21-year old Suffolk County resident didn’t take much of a break after competing in the 2012 Olympics at 55 kg for Honduras. Now back in the United States, Escobar talks about stepping on the mat in London, sharing a meal with famous athletes and his plans for a long future in the sport.  For more on Escobar’s journey to make the Olympics, see here.

A big part of the Olympic experience is the Opening Ceremonies.  What was it like to be a part of that?

Brandon Escobar: It was really something else.  All of the hype about it made sense.  It was so exciting. I was taking it in, enjoying it.   But after that, it was all business. I wanted to enjoy my time, but I had my goal in mind.  I wanted to get a medal.

After the Opening Ceremonies, you had around two weeks until you competed.  What was your schedule like for that time?

Brandon Escobar: I stayed in London and trained with Team Cuba since I was the only wrestler from Honduras.  Cuba didn’t have anyone at my weight — they had mostly heavier guys so there was no issue with me working out with them.  It was great.  I felt that I was in great shape and ready to go.

Did you get a chance to see any of the other events during that time?

Brandon Escobar: I saw some of the events on TV.  My choice was to either go see an event or rest before my next practice. For me, it was easy to pick resting because I needed to be as ready for practice as possible. Wrestling is a sport where you need to be working harder than the next guy.  Hard work is a confidence booster for me – so to be able to work out 2-3 times a day made me feel better.  So I rested and watched the other sports and used it as downtime before the grind.  It was something I needed for myself.  I watched weightlifting, judo, a little basketball and soccer.  I really enjoyed watching the gymnastics – those girls are amazing.  Mostly, I had to stay focused on my own event.

Did you get to meet any other athletes or celebrities while you were there?

Brandon Escobar: I actually got to meet a lot of the USA men’s basketball team.  I was eating and found myself at the table with them.  I got to talk to LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, James Harding and Anthony Davis.   They were really cool people, good company.  It was cool to see people at that level be humble and just talk to everyone.  That really showed me something.  Even when they were eating, they were doing interviews and taking pictures with people.  They were so smooth about it, so nonchalant.  Everyone knows they’re great athletes but I saw that they were good people too.

After being in London for several weeks, you finally got to wrestle, against Mihran Jaburyan.  (The Armenian won in two periods).  What was it like to be on the mat at the Olympics?

Brandon Escobar: It was really interesting. At first, I wasn’t sure what to expect.  I didn’t know if I should be worried or wrestle cautiously.  But right before I walked out there, I just felt relaxed.  I’ve been doing this for so many years and I thought it would just be doing the same thing on a much bigger stage.  I wanted to beat the guy in front of me and show what I could do.  I went out and attacked and it was definitely a good experience.  Now I know what it’s like to wrestle at that level on that stage.

What’s next for you?  Are you taking any time off from wrestling or are you already back on the mat?

Brandon Escobar: I think I took four days off.  After I finished wrestling, I went out and had a little fun in London.  Then, there was the Closing Ceremonies night and the flight back.  I was really tired.  But the next day, I was back into training.  I haven’t stopped working out.  Right now, I’m running in the mornings, wrestling in the afternoons and lifting in the evenings.  I’ve been wrestling at Rocky Point, Eastport South Manor and anywhere that’s open and has a place for me to roll around.  That’s my day, every day.  I’ll also be working out at the NYAC and might go out to Penn State to the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club.

When do you next wrestle competitively?

Brandon Escobar: There are so many tournaments coming up. In a month, I’m going to Brazil for the first tournament. Then I’ll be in Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Cuba, Europe – all over the place.  I’ll also be in Hondruas every once in a while to stay in touch.  I’ve gotten so much help in Honduras and I’d like to promote the sport of wrestling there and make it bigger.

You wrestled freestyle in the Olympics.  Will you be focusing just in freestyle going forward?

Brandon Escobar: No, I want to do freestyle and Greco.  I want to do both styles at the next Olympics.   My goal right now is to get a gold medal at both styles at every level – the Worlds, Olympics, Pan Americans.

My plan is to go for another 10 years – through the 2022 World Championships.  That gives me two more Olympic cycles and a bunch of Worlds.  In this sport, I’m considered really young (21).  An infant.  There weren’t too many guys my age in Olympic wrestling. I want to see it through, wrestle through my prime, have fun and on top of it all, I want to be #1 in the world.

I understand you got another souvenir to remember the Olympic experience – a tattoo of the Olympic rings.

Brandon Escobar: I got it on my ribs about a week ago. I wanted it there because I knew it would hurt and I wanted it to be something that I remember.  It’s a pain I’m not going to forget just like I won’t forget my first Olympics.

Looking back, what was the best part of the Olympic experience?

Brandon Escobar: I would have to say just being there and being around amazing athletes and seeing the level that they are at.  I got to know what the unknown is a little bit.  I’m familiar with the environment and it will help me out in the future.  I can go the tournaments now with a chip on my shoulder and a new level of confidence.  I know where I have to be to get what I want.  I want to be the guy, to show what I can do.  I’m so fired up right now just thinking about it.

Nick Piccininni, Travis Passaro and Conor O'Hara Win Titles at Super 32 Qualifier in Pennsylvania

Posted on by
Reply

Nick Piccininni, Photo by Boris V

Every year, late in the fall, the Super 32 Challenge in North Carolina features huge brackets full of some of the nation’s top high school wrestlers.  This past weekend, a number of New York competitors qualified for early entry into the event by placing in the top four at the Super 32 Qualifier in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania.  Talent from numerous states, including Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia took the mat and at the end of the day, the Empire State boasted three champions (Nick Piccininni, Travis Passaro and Conor O’Hara) as well as several other placewinners.

Piccininni, a 2012 undefeated state champion from Ward Melville, cruised through his five matches, none of which were close, to win the 113 pound title.  Representing 631 Elite, he opened with a 11-2 major over Eric Hunt of Pennsylvania and proceeded to win his next four bouts by the combined tally of 35-1.  He blanked Tanner Shoap, a multi-time state medalist in Pennsylvania, 10-0 in the final.

In the same bracket, St. Anthony’s Ben Lamantia also placed, taking fourth.  The Friar wrestler earned victories in his first three contests before dropping a one-point decision to Bryan Damon of New Jersey to move into the consolations.   Lamantia recorded a fall and two shutout wins in the wrestlebacks before losing to Damon again by a point in the bronze medal bout.

Piccininni wasn’t 631 Elite’s only champion.  Also winning a title from the Long Island club was Travis Passaro, who earned his crown with a 2-0 triumph in sudden victory at 120 pounds.  The Eastport South Manor wrestler was in control throughout the day, yielding only two points in his five matches, while scoring 18 and registering a pin.  Passaro was joined on the podium at 120 by Technical Edge’s Freddie Dunau, whose four victories included a major and a fall.

The third Empire State champion was Sachem East’s Conor O’Hara.  The Suffolk County grappler won his finals bout handily, 9-0, over Dixon Myers of Pennsylvania to top off a 5-0 day in which he won three bouts by two points or less.

Also making the finals was Journeymen’s Austin Weigel, who outscored his first three foes 14-3 before being edged 5-3 in the title bout by nationally-ranked Garrett Peppelman of Pennsylvania at 170 pounds.

The last New York wrestler to make the top four was Christian Briody of Chaminade and he put in quite an effort to get there, winning eight matches to take third at 106 pounds.  He began his day with a 5-4 victory and followed up with another decision, this time 8-1 over Alex Zangrilli of New Jersey before dropping a 5-3 bout to Triston Law of Pennsylvania.  Briody then faced a long road to make the top four and spent little time getting to work, pinning his first wrestleback opponent in 34 seconds before reeling off five more victories in which he outscored his opponents 25-9.

New York Top Four Placers – Super 32 Qualifier

106: Christian Briody (Chaminade), 3rd Place (8-1)

113: Nick Piccininni (631 Elite), 1st Place (5-0)

113: Ben Lamantia (St. Anthony’s), 4th Place (6-2)

120: Travis Passaro (631 Elite), 1st Place (5-0)

120: Freddie Dunau (Technical Edge), 4th Place (4-2)

132: Conor O’Hara (Sachem East), 1st Place (5-0)

170: Austin Weigel (Journeymen), 2nd Place (3-1)

Update: Nick Kelley Discusses His Commitment to Binghamton (Over Iowa, Among Others) and Working Towards a State Title

Posted on by
Reply

Photo by BV

 

Shenendehowa’s Nick Kelley has achieved quite a bit in his athletic career.  He was a taekwondo national champion when he was 10 and was also successful in judo.  And he has piled up numerous medals in wrestling, ranging from his trips to the podium at the New York state tournament (fourth at 130 in 2011 and third at 132 in 2012) to his All-America performances (third at NHSCA Freshman Nationals at 125, fifth at FloNationals as a sophomore and fourth at Fargo this past summer in freestyle at 132 pounds).  But when asked what he considered to be his best accomplishment to date, he didn’t hesitate.

And he didn’t choose any of the previously mentioned accolades.

“I think it’s committing to great college like Binghamton and getting ready to take the next step,” he said.

The Section 2 star’s verbal to the Bearcats gave Coach Matt Dernlan and his staff the pledges of two of the Empire State’s top seniors, as Canastota’s Zack Zupan committed a few weeks ago.  The competition for Kelley, Intermat’s #93 ranked recruit nationally, was fierce, as he gave consideration to Iowa, Virginia Tech, Rutgers and North Carolina State before informing the Binghamton coaches on Friday that he would be staying in his home state after graduation.

“It’s a really good fit for me,” Kelley said of the CAA institution. “The coaches have the same philosophy as me – working hard and working smart.  I like the campus, the program and the coaches.  Really, I like everything about it. I feel like the staff really cares about the wrestlers.  I know there will be some tough New York kids there and we think we can make some real noise across the country.”

The future Business major is first concerned with making noise for one more season as a member of the Plainsmen.  He emerged on the Empire State wrestling scene as a seventh grader when he qualified for the state tournament.  Over the years, he has won over 200 matches and several Section 2 titles.  In his mind, there’s only one thing missing.

“The main focus is definitely to win states this year,” Kelley said, adding that he will likely compete at 138 pounds. “I am completely focused on winning a state title.”

As a junior, Kelley compiled an impressive 45-1 record, with 40 bonus point wins.  His sole setback was a one-point semifinal defeat in Albany against eventual state champion and Most Outstanding Wrestler Jamel Hudson, now a freshman at Hofstra.

“I think I was good at states, but not my best,” Kelley said.  “I put all my athleticism out there and I wrestled hard, but I could’ve wrestled smarter, especially in the semifinals.  I kept going after him and made some mistakes doing it.”

Going after opponents throughout the match is characteristic of Kelley’s style, one that has been fostered in the Shenendehowa room and at the Journeymen Wrestling Club.

“Our room is so tough and competitive,” Kelley said.  “It has been since seventh grade and it’s helped me so much.  I kept getting better and stronger by wrestling the bigger guys and the older guys and with workout partners like [2012 New York third place finisher and Fargo All-American David] Almaviva. Now, after all these years, I feel like I’m one of the stronger guys.”

He certainly is, but he believes it will take more to reach his ultimate high school goal.

“I’ve been wrestling a ton since the season ended,” Kelley said. “I got a lot of matches at the Disney Duals in Florida and at Fargo and training camps.  I’ve been working with Journeymen and coaches Rob Weeks and Frank Popolizio.  I’ve been running and getting stronger.  I’ve also spent a lot of time focusing on my match strategy.”

Kelley has still found time to paint houses over the summer with Weeks.  And he often finds good spots to engage in another of his favorite activities – fishing.  In fact, he was on the water while answering questions for this story.  But while he said that he loves fishing, few things compare to wrestling.

“My dad got me into combat sports early – I think I started when I was three,” he said. “Taekwondo and judo helped me with balance and core strength and they made me tougher.  But I stopped those other sports by eighth grade to focus on wrestling.  To me, wrestling is the best. It’s harder and requires so much commitment.  You can’t stop working.  I’m doing everything I can to get ready for the season and I can’t wait to do some damage in college.”