Monthly Archives: October 2013

A Look at the Juniors: Who are the 11th Graders to Watch in New York?

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We have been discussing some of the top wrestlers in New York over the past month or so.  We started with our #1 Junior High School grappler in the state, Penfield eighth grader Frankie Gissendanner (see link),then profiled top freshman Yianni Diakomihalis and discussed other ninth graders to watch.  Then, we wrote about the wrestler at the top of the Class of 2016 rankings – Christian Dietrich and other standout sophomores. Next, we discussed stellar junior Nick Piccininni.

Now it’s time to talk about some of the other 11th graders to keep tabs on this season. There were significant differences of opinion on how these wrestlers stack up against each other.  The order of this list could go numerous different ways and will no doubt look different as the season progresses.  For now, however, here’s a look at some of the stars in the Class of 2015.

 

Piccininni, Photo by BV

#1 Nick Piccininni (Ward Melville)– In the eyes of some, Piccininni is the top pound-for-pound wrestler in New York.  The two-time state champion breezed through his sophomore campaign, winning all 43 matches with only four regular decisions.  In a bout many were anticipating the entire season, Piccininni completely dominated multiple-time state titlewinner Kyle Kelly, 14-4, to grab his second gold medal in Albany.  The Ward Melville standout finished second at the FloNationals this spring and went undefeated at the Disney Duals in the summer against top flight competition.  He did the same thing at the Journeymen Classic and the Iron Horse Invitational. Currently ranked #12 among juniors by FloWrestling and #30 by Intermat, Piccininni is a heavy favorite to capture state crown number three.  For more on Piccininni see this link.

#2 Tristan Rifanburg (Norwich) – Rifanburg burst onto the scene several years ago when he grabbed a state championship as a seventh grader.  He has been back to the title bout at the Times Union Center two more times, earning second place in 2011 and 2013, while finishing sixth in 2012.  As a freshman, Rifanburg also earned the silver at the NHSCA National championships. The Section IV standout is ranked as one of the top 100 juniors in the nation by FloWrestling.

#3 Adis Radoncic (Poly Prep) – The PSAL’s first-ever state champion (for RKA) didn’t face an easy path to gold in February, defeating top-seeded Christian Dietrich and multi-time placer Troy Seymour.  In fact, by defeating Dietrich 4-3 in the title bout, Radoncic avenged one of his two losses in a 27-2 campaign.  The three-time state qualifier also came within one win of placing at the state tournament in 2012. Radoncic, who transferred to Poly Prep and confirmed that he will be a junior in 2013-14, was active in the offseason, taking fifth at the NHSCA Nationals in Virginia Beach and competing at Fargo, the Journeymen Classic and the Iron Horse Invitational.

#4 Kyle Quinn (Wantagh) – Quinn had an excellent 36-2 campaign for Wantagh, picking up a state title at 106 pounds.  The multiple-time NHSCA Nationals All-American (third at 106 in 2013) defeated a number of New York state medalists, including Steven Sewkumar and Jon Haas, in the regular season.  In Albany, he pinned All-State wrestler Jimmy Overhiser in the second round before avenging his only two losses of the campaign by beating New Rochelle’s Nick Barbaria, 7-1.  In the state title bout, Quinn came out on top against Westhampton Beach’s Alex Tanzman.  The Nassau County standout also collected victories for Team Kong at the challenging Disney Duals.  His credentials land him high on this list and he will certainly face challenges as a junior, as he may get to face wrestlers who have defeated him in recent weeks – Jesse Dellavecchia, Vito Arujau and Yianni Diakomihalis.

#5 Tommy Dutton (Rocky Point) – Dutton has been competitive at the varsity level for quite some time.  In his 10th grade season, he made his first appearance on the podium in the state capital, taking fourth at 138 pounds after an impressive 50-4 campaign.  The Section 11 star picked up fourth at the Eastern States Classic with his only setbacks coming against an out of state grappler, Derek Arnold of Virginia.  Dutton collected All-American status in 2012, both at the NHSCA Nationals and at Fargo in Freestyle.  He didn’t compete at those events in 2013, but his activity this fall demonstrates that he’s ready to go in his 11th grade campaign.  Dutton took second at the Journeymen Classic up at 152 pounds, losing only to returning state champion Louis Hernandez of Mepham. He then captured the title at the Iron Horse Invitational, including an impressive victory over Gary Dinmore, a two-time New Jersey state runner up who is ranked among the top 100 seniors in the land.

#6 Nick Casella (Locust Valley) – After taking second place at the 2012 New York State championships, Casella earned his way back to the finals in Albany this February where he picked up his second silver medal, this time up at 113.  It was the end of a 39-4 campaign in which half of his losses were to eventual state champion Dillon Stowell of Gouverneur.  Casella followed up the high school season by showing he could compete with some of the nation’s best.  He collected All-America accolades at Virginia Beach and at Fargo, where he took seventh in Greco Roman.  He also competed at the Junior Duals for Team New York in Oklahoma in a busy offseason.

#7 Jesse Porter (Shenendehowa) – Porter has made only one trip to Albany after taking the Section II title as a freshman.  A year ago, he didn’t have the opportunity, as an injury sidelined him after the end of December.  However, he demonstrated clearly this summer that he is formidable wrestler on the national level when he went all the way to the finals in Cadet Greco Roman at Fargo at 152 pounds before placing second.  He followed that showing with a fifth place medal in Freestyle in North Dakota.  Porter looks to be ready for a breakout year in the Empire State.

#8 Nick Gallo (Schalmont) – Gallo grabbed the silver medal at the state tournament in February at 160 pounds, after falling one win shy of the podium as a freshman at 152 (losing to the third and fourth place finishers).  This February, Gallo had a tough path to the finals, besting placers in each of his first three bouts – Gunnar Van Curen (6th), Tyler Silverthorn (5th) and Matt Fisher (3rd).  He went 45-4 as a sophomore in Section II, also making the medal stand at the Eastern States Classic where his losses were in sudden victory to Virginia’s Steven Aiello and 4-2 to the state runner up in Division I, Steve Schneider (and by disqualification).

Garcia, Photo by BV

#9 Frank Garcia (Norwich) – The Division II state runner up at 145 pounds this year also took fifth at the Eastern States Classic in January.  After missing time early in the season, Garcia came back strong, avenging a loss to fellow All-Stater Jordan Torbitt to win the Section IV title and collecting a win against past state medalist Isaiah Riccio along the way. The Norwich grappler was one match from placing at 132 as a freshman where he was edged by eventual state champion Connor Lapresi, 3-2.

#10 Anthony Orefice (Lockport) – The two-time placer from Lockport began last season at 113 pounds, where he notched impressive wins such as a convincing 7-1 triumph over eventual Division II state champion Dillon Stowell.  He transitioned up to 120 as the season progressed and went 41-6 overall. All but one of his losses were to All-State wrestlers – three times to New York runner up Steve Michel as well as to Travis Passaro and Mike D’Angelo. A multiple-time NHSCA All-American, Orefice will likely be right back in the mix in 2013-14.

#11 Sam Ward (Locust Valley) – Ward notched his first appearance on the medal stand at the Times Union Center when he took fifth at 132 pounds.  He compiled a 38-4 mark, including quality wins over state placers Vinny Turano and Ryan Kromer.  Three of his losses were to top three medalists in New York – champion Matt Leshinger (by a 3-2 score), runner up Tristan Rifanburg (by a 3-1 tally) and Clyde Carey.  He has also made his mark on the national stage, capturing All-America status at Fargo in 2012 and in Virginia Beach in 2013.  He recently was second at the Journeymen Classic.

#12 Jesse Dellavecchia (East Islip) The Section 11 grappler had a great year at 99 pounds for East Islip, earning fourth at the state tournament and beating several strong opponents.  He also tacked on a fifth place showing at the NHSCA Nationals tournament and notched a victory over the previously mentioned Kyle Quinn at the Journeymen Classic.  He’ll be moving up in weight, but has the potential to go very high on the podium in Albany once again.

Mike D’Angelo was discussed by a number of contributors to this article as someone who will no doubt move up this list as the season moves forward. In a tough weight in Suffolk County, he had a strong sophomore campaign in which he racked up 40 victories and took fifth in Albany. He was defeated twice by state champion Alex Delacruz and twice by third placer Travis Passaro, but registered solid wins over state qualifiers Joe Russ and Lou DePrez as well as All-Staters John Muldoon, Santo Curatolo and the aforementioned Anthony Orefice.  The previous season, as a freshman, D’Angelo was also stellar as he went 33-3 with all three setbacks coming by decision to Nick Piccininni.

Speaking of accomplished wrestlers, Tony Recco of Lyndonville was a state champion as a freshman, but was injured prior to the postseason as a tenth grader and was unable to go for another title in Albany.  We look forward to seeing him back in the fray.

Another lightweight to consider is Mike Raccioppi of Minisink Valley.  The Section 9 grappler faced many of the Empire State’s best last year and took sixth at the Eastern States as well as winning two matches in Albany to come one win from a medal at 126.  Richie Burke of Ithaca, did the same, capturing two victories at the Times Union Center at 132 while Andrew Shomers of Lewiston Porter also got his hand raised in Albany. While we’re mentioning lightweights, Shoreham Wading River’s James Szymanski put on a show at the Eastern States Classic, taking third at 106 pounds.  He didn’t earn a bid to the state tournament, but will be someone to monitor this year as well.  Another wrestler who notched third at SUNY Sullivan, North Rockland’s Blaise Benderoth, a multiple-time state qualifier, will look to place for the first time.  As will Islip’s Brad Wade, a wrestler with a number of quality wins who looks join three other ‘Wades’ on top of the state podium.

How about some others who did find a spot on the medal stand in 2013?  Monroe Woodbury’s Vinny Vespa earned fifth at 99 pounds while Dolgeville’s Danny Fox grabbed second at 106.  Cody McGregor placed twice in NYS for Tonawanda but didn’t make an appearance on the mats at the Times Union Center this year.  He’ll look to get back in 2014.

One of the wrestlers who has grabbed our attention this offseason is Jakob Restrepo of Sachem East. He and Jordan Bushey of Peru both earned All-American status at Fargo at 145 pounds.  (Connetquot’s Gino Titone also picked up five wins in the same bracket, just missing the podium). In the last few weeks, Restrepo has defeated a trio of state silver medalists – Brandon Lapi and Frank Garcia at the Journeymen Classic and Vincent DePrez at the Iron Horse Invitational.  It looks like he’s ready for a breakout year.

In addition to those victories, Restrepo was also sixth at the NHSCA Nationals in the spring where other New York wrestlers placed.  They are: Brandon Aviles (Newfield), Ben Lamantia (St. Anthony’s), Richie Jones (St. Joseph’s Collegiate), Vincent Feola (Walt Whitman) and Trevor Allard (Mexico).

In the middleweights, Connor Lawrence of Duanesburg came within a match of placing in Albany, defeating another 40-win wrestler, Max Lloyd of Palmyra Macedon along the way. Section 2’s Jake Ashcraft and Geno Brancati also have been mentioned as wrestlers with the potential to make a jump, along with Clarence’s Nathan Schwab, Locust Valley’s Michael Dusold and Indian River’s Nick Toutant.

In the upperweights, Ryan Marszal is another wrestler to keep tabs on in 2013-14. The Unatego wrestler nabbed fifth at 182 pounds in his sophomore campaign in Division II and is the only returning placer in that bracket. Marszal had a 36-win season where he moved between 170 and 182 pounds.  Another 182-pounder to mention is Nathanael Rose of Eagle Academy, who went 0-2 as a freshman in Albany at the Division II tournament, but bounced back this February in the Division I event, coming within one win of placing at 182 pounds.  He also fell just one victory short of medaling at Eastern States.  This could be the year he finds his way onto the podium.

Who else will make their presence felt in Albany in 2014 from the Class of 2015? There are bound to be other juniors ready for outstanding seasons. Send us an e-mail at newyorkwrestlingnews@gmail.com with suggestions.

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Thank you to Mike Carey and Matt Diano for all their hard work to make this article possible and to Kris Harrington for his insights.  Thanks to all of the other contributors around the state – too many to name, but they know who they are.

Teammates Now and in the Future: Newark Valley's Trevor Hoffmier and Derek Holcomb Commit to Buffalo

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BY ZAKKARIAH ROLFE

Trevor Hoffmier and Derek Holcomb have been friends and teammates since they were five years old.  They are entering their senior seasons at Newark Valley, but they recently ensured that they will be on the same squad for several more years, as both committed to the University at Buffalo.

Hoffmier

“It’s going to be great going to college with someone who is one of my teammates and best friends,” Hoffmier said. “It’s someone I’ve always wrestled with and am comfortable with but also someone who I know is dedicated to his studies and will always be focused and helpful in both the academic and athletic aspects.”

Hoffmier, a two-time Section IV champion, was also looking at Bucknell and the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT).  The future 157-pounder was planning to visit the latter school shortly after going to Buffalo, but after touring the Buffalo campus, he knew where he belonged.

“Coach [John] Stutzman made my decision easy,” Hoffmier said. “I love how he coaches and presents himself.  I have a lot of confidence that he can help me become successful.”

Hoffmier has already been successful in his high school career, racking up more than 25 wins as a sophomore and 32 victories as a junior while making appearances at the state tournament both years (and winning a match each time).  In 2013, he got his hand raised in Albany at 145 pounds against Jamiel Stapleton, sandwiched in between a pair of one-point losses to state placers.

Holcomb had a similar path at the Times Union Center after earning his first Section IV crown with an overtime win at 160 pounds over All-State wrestler Alex Francik, a future teammate with the Bulls.  In Albany, Holcomb, who went 35-3 overall as a junior with 25 bonus wins, picked up a victory before losing in extra time to eventual fifth placer Andrew Psomas of Monsignor Farrell.

Holcomb, who projects at 165 or 174 pounds in college, responded well with a standout showing at the NHSCA Nationals in Virginia Beach in the spring, nabbing All-America honors with a seventh place finish at 152 pounds.  He pinned his first opponent before dropping a close decision to Terrence Mason of Nevada in round two.  Holcomb then got to work in the wrestlebacks, collecting five straight victories before beating Mason in a rematch to grab seventh.

Holcomb

It was actually the second consecutive seventh place medal for Holcomb at that event, as he took the same spot at 152 in the NHSCA Sophomore competition in 2012 with a similar run in the consolation bracket.

The strong performances continued at the recent Journeymen Classic as Hoffmier went undefeated at 152 pounds, while Holcomb went 3-1 with a 1-0 victory over NYS champion Adis Radoncic at 170 as well as wins over Pennsylvania state qualifier Johnny Dambro and New England runner up Brad Drover.

Now, the teammates will try to collect some hardware for the Cardinals. According to cnywrestling.com, Newark Valley’s last state champion was Barry Sutter in 1964 and the last placer was in 2000.  Hoffmier and Holcomb look to change the record books before getting their college careers started.

Holcomb called the recruiting process, in which he also considered Binghamton and Bucknell, “very exciting, however very stressful.” In the end, the Buffalo staff won him over.

“I really connected with the coaches and enjoyed the great facilities,” Holcomb said. “I also thought the campus was the best fit for me and my major.”

It didn’t hurt that a familiar face, Hoffmier, had provided his verbal pledge to the MAC institution just a few days before.

“We’ve been partners since five years old,” Holcomb said. “We have molded each other into the wrestlers we are today. I’m happy that everything worked out and we will be able to push for our common goals together.”

Cam Simaz Grabs Championship, $2500 at Inaugural Tour ACW Event; Kyle Borshoff Takes Second

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Simaz, Photo by BV

On Sunday, Cam Simaz was the ‘First 2 ten’ and he earned $2500 in the process.

In the inaugural event of Tour ACW (Association of Career Wrestlers) in the Grand Ballroom at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Pittsburgh, the former Cornell NCAA titlewinner was one of five champions. Each winner received a $2500 check. (Those victors were Daniel Dennis at 135 pounds, Frank Molinaro at 155, Nick Marable at 170, Simaz at 205 and Dom Bradley at 265).

How do you win in Tour ACW?  Quite simply, you score 10 points.  There are no time limits or periods and some freestyle elements, such as a point for a pushout, are combined with typical folkstyle rules.

Simaz had a bye in the first round and then defeated Division III national champion Evan Brown 11-3 in just over four minutes in his first action.  In the title bout, he jumped out to an 8-0 advantage against Deron Winn after just over two minutes with a takedown and a pair of three-point near falls. He closed out a 10-5 victory with two escapes.

In addition to Simaz, there were several other participants with New York ties, including 155-pound runner up Kyle Borshoff.  The Pittsford native, who is currently an assistant coach at American, beat Danny Sheehan and Jake Patacsil before dropping the final against Frank Molinaro at 155 by a 10-1 score.

At 135 pounds, Chris Notte and Jeffrey Streu competed.  Notte attended Nassau Community College while Streu went to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Former Ithaca College standout Jeremy Stierly entered at 155, as did Kirk Landon, a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point.  In addition, former Lehigh grappler Trevor Chinn, a multiple-time New York state champion from Canandaigua, wrestled in that class.

For more on Tour ACW, see touracw.com.

From NY to WY: State Placer Sam Eagan of Churchville-Chili Chooses the Cowboys

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2013 All-State wrestler Sam Eagan has been named either the Overall Player of the Game or the Defensive Player of the Game for the Churchville-Chili football team four times already in the 2013-14 season.  While he likes football, he said his choice for his athletic future is clear.

“I love wrestling,” he said. “Basically, I just enjoy wrestling more.”

He will continue to enjoy wrestling at the University of Wyoming after he completes his senior year, as he made a verbal commitment to Mark Branch and the Cowboys earlier this week after also considering Maryland and Edinboro.  He expects to compete at heavyweight.

Although the school is quite a distance from New York, going there will be a bit of a homecoming for Eagan.

“I’m originally from Salt Lake City, Utah,” he said. “Aside from my immediate family, everyone is out there.  It will be a chance for me to spend more time with a lot of my family.”

Courtesy of Sam Eagan

There were a number of other reasons Eagan chose the Cowboys, including some of the highly accomplished workout partners on the staff.

“It’s a great place for heavier guys to train, with [two-time NCAA champion] Chris Pendleton and [NCAA finalist] Clayton Foster out there,” Eagan said. “I had a gut feeling when I visited that it was the place I wanted to be.  The first thing that struck me was just how tight-knit the team and community in Laramie is.  You have the support of the whole town, especially since wrestling is one of the most successful sports at the school.”

Eagan had success at the state tournament a year ago, as he took fifth place at 220 pounds.  Just getting to Albany was something he appreciated.

“I wasn’t an inherently talented wrestler,” he said. “I really had to work for everything I earned.  I wrestled varsity as a freshman, but it wasn’t a successful season by any means.  I think I was something like 8-13 at heavyweight.”

While he won around 30 matches as a sophomore in the 285-pound class, he felt that a change was necessary to make a bigger splash in his 11th grade year.

“I wasn’t having the kind of success I wanted to at heavyweight,” he said. “Over that summer, I lost about 40 pounds to get to 220.  I actually spent a good portion of the time at camps.  One of those camps was at Wyoming.  For most of August, I wrestled three times a day on a pretty strict diet.”

The result was a breakout 43-5 campaign in which Eagan won his first SuperSectional championship to punch his ticket to the state tournament.  At the Times Union Center, he was slotted into the #16 position in the bracket where his first round opponent was top-seeded Nick Lupi of Huntington, the returning bronze medalist at the weight.

“It was my first time there, but I expected to win,” he said. “I gave him a really close match.  He took me down really quickly off the whistle.  I think I was a little shellshocked from just being there.  I got aggressive –  I was only the second person to take him down that year.  But it was too late.”

After the 6-4 setback, Eagan responded with three consecutive victories in the wrestlebacks, including a pair of pins.  That set up another meeting with Lupi and this time, it took three overtimes for the Long Island wrestler to squeak out a 3-2 victory.

“He wrestled a more conservative match and I was more relaxed the second time,” Eagan said. “It was 2-2 in regulation and we both rode each other out for 30 seconds.  He escaped in the ultimate tiebreaker to win.  It bothered me because I didn’t get a takedown and I like to push the pace more than most upperweights.”

That sent Eagan to the fifth place bout, where he came out on top 5-3 over Jenard Rosemound of Calhoun to end his season on a winning note.

“Before that match, I was just thinking of getting fifth place,” he said.  “Fifth sounds a lot better than sixth.  I did my best to put the last loss out of my mind and luckily, it came out my way.”

In addition to earning him a higher spot on the medal stand, that last victory, his 43rd of the campaign, had additional significance.  It elevated Eagan to the top of the Churchville-Chili list for victories in a single season.

Eagan’s assault on the record books could continue this year, as he is on pace to break the all-time wins mark at the school.

“I had no idea until after the tournament,” Eagan said.  “My coach came over and said, ‘Oh yeah you just broke the school record for wins in a season.’ It was kind of a bonus. I think the school record is 108 or so and I’m sitting on 95.  If all goes well, barring injury, I should break that record.  I try not to think about things like that, but sometimes you can’t help it.  It’s a really good feeling to know you have a part in Churchville-Chili wrestling history.”

There are other ways he’s hoping to cement his spot in the school’s history.  To increase his chances, he sought out top notch competition this summer.

“I spent less times at camps and more time at national tournaments,” Eagan said. “I was in Oklahoma City for the National Duals in Freestyle and Greco and I went to Fargo.  It was wild.  I’d never been to Virginia Beach or FloNationals, so it was my first taste of the national scene.  It was definitely humbling.  You see that compared to some of the guys out there, you’re not that special.”

Eagan has plans to do some special things in his last year in Section 5.  He knows that only one other medalist returns from the Division I 220 pound state bracket – champion Rich Sisti of Monsignor Farrell.

“My biggest accomplishment in wrestling so far was probably placing at the state tournament,” he said. “But I’m not content with that.  I know the champion is back, but I really think I can beat him. I expect to win a state title this year.  That’s my goal and I 100% believe it.”

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Sam Eagan wanted to thank his parents, his “biggest inspirations”. He also wanted to thank Coach Tom Ehmann from Churchville-Chili, Coach Mike Ferris of Brockport, Coach Rich Romeo from Canandaigua, Coach Joe McVige and North Rose Wolcott Coach Jerry DeCausemaker.

Buffalo Bound: Two-Time New York State Placer Alex Smythe Commits to the Bulls

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After placing at the Section 6 championships four times previously, Eden’s Alex Smythe captured his first Section title in February of 2013 inside Alumni Arena on the campus of the University at Buffalo.

Smythe, a two-time New York State medalist, plans to win many more matches in that location as he committed to head coach John Stutzman and the Bulls a few days ago. He expects to begin at 157 pounds and possibly transition to 165 later in his career.

“I really liked the coaches and it’s a great place for college,” Smythe said, adding that he also considered Binghamton and Eastern Michigan. “I think we’re going to do really well in wrestling and I’ll get a great education.  I also liked a lot of the guys on the team.”

He’s already familiar with a number of his future teammates.

“I know a lot of the guys and I know we’ll work well together,” Smythe said. “It was definitely a factor, especially since my best friend, Rocco Russo, is also going to Buffalo and we’ll be roommates.”

Courtesy of Alex Smythe

Smythe has been working with Russo and other local standouts to prepare for his last high school campaign after taking third at 152 pounds at the New York State tournament as a junior.

“I’m focused on being in good shape and winning all my matches this year,” he said. “I did a lot of training in the summer – a lot of wrestling and running.  I worked out with guys like Rocco [Russo], [state champion] Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer and Jake Weber.  I also did a lot of Freestyle and Greco. Fargo was a good experience, wrestling the best guys in the nation.  [He went 2-2 in Freestyle with two technical falls and losses by 11-10 and 12-10 scores]. I was right there, even in the matches I lost.  I was close.”

He had similar sentiments about the state tournament in 2013.  Although Smythe didn’t come into Albany as a high seed, he had a lot of confidence after a season of more than 40 wins, where his only setbacks came in close decisions against state champion Drew Hull and two-time finalist Eric Lewandowski.  Taking first place at the qualifier provided him with a boost as well.

“Finally winning the Section title was a big weight off my shoulders,” he said. “I definitely felt good coming into the state tournament.”

At the Times Union Center, Smythe began with a major decision and followed up with a 3-1 victory over fourth-seeded Tyler Spann to make the semifinals against the bracket’s #1 grappler, Rowdy Prior of Phoenix.  He had a lead in that bout going into the last two minutes before Prior turned the tide.

“I was winning 4-2 in the beginning of the third period when I got caught and pinned,” Smythe said.

He bounced back in the consolations, shutting out Brett Pastore of Irvington and then edging Spann for the second time to nab bronze.  Still, he wasn’t quite satisfied.

“I was a little down because I came in expecting to win,” he said.

He expected to win partially because of the experience he had in his first appearance in Albany as a freshman in 2011.  Smythe lost a 2-0 decision to the eventual champion in round one but rebounded with four victories in the consolations to work his way back to fifth place at 125 pounds in his ninth grade year.

“That was sweet,” Smythe said. “My teammate Tom Page [now wrestling at American] took third that year at 119 and he was a really good partner.  Wrestling with guys like that in the room made me so much better. After I placed as a freshman, I thought I could place every year. I thought I’d make my mark.”

He began his sophomore campaign strong, but midway through that season, he tore his meniscus and wasn’t the same the rest of the way.

“I tried to wrestle but I wasn’t up to par,” he said. “I was losing to guys I beat earlier.  I messed up at the Section 6 tournament and that was really disappointing.”

Smythe had surgery right after the season and worked through the rehab process.  And he followed up with the third place finish in New York.  With all he’s done since February, Smythe believes he “is much better overall and definitely a smarter wrestler.”

Now, he’s ready for a strong finish to his Eden career before making the short journey to Buffalo for college.

“I feel like I should have won a state championship last year,” he said. “But now my goal is to get that off my mind by going undefeated and winning the state title as a senior.”

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Alex Smythe thanked his coaches, Tom Page and Chuck Rizzo, as well as his dad, for his wrestling success.

Binghamton 2013-14 Season Preview: Bearcats Ready for New Conference, New Opportunities

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The Binghamton Bearcats enter their second season under head coach Matt Dernlan with some exciting changes.  There is a new conference, an expanded home schedule and the arrival of a top 25 recruiting class.  Assistant Jasen Borshoff spoke to New York Wrestling News about the upcoming campaign, including the projected lineup and expectations for 2013-14.

New York Wrestling News (NYWN): It will be your first year in the EIWA conference. What does that move mean for the program?

Jasen Borshoff (JB): We couldn’t be happier. The EIWA is a better place to be for us.  There are great teams and we’re more aligned from an academic profile standpoint.  It also helps our travel budget – we can get to so many of the schools within three hours.  There are also more qualifying spots for nationals, which will give our guys a lot of opportunities. We’re really excited to be part of the EIWA.

NYWN: What are some of the highlights of your schedule this year?

JB:  We have seven home matches this year instead of one.  That’s exciting.  For the most part, we’ll be wrestling most of the EIWA teams in duals and we’re excited about the Journeymen/Asics Northeast Duals in Albany.  Going to Midlands is always a good test for the guys.  Right off the bat, we’ll get good gauge of where we are with the Bearcat Open at home.  We typically cut off the field at 300 wrestlers, but this year, we have a goal of 500 kids.  We’ll do 12 mats at the Events Center and there will be a lot of really good wrestlers there.  Cornell usually sends most of the team.  This year, Penn State will be sending guys and so will Ohio State, Lehigh and other really good teams.  It will be big for our team, especially because it will decide a few of our weights for the early season.

NYWN: What are the expectations for the team this year?

JB: We’d like to have half our team qualify for nationals and have some All-Americans.  The way I see it, we can’t do any worse than last year because we didn’t have any All-Americans.  We’re looking to change that this year.

Let’s take a look at the weight-by-weight to see who will try to break through to the podium for the Bearcats in 2013-14:

125 Pounds:

A number of the spots in the lineup have a strong favorite.  This isn’t necessarily one of them.  A pair of wrestlers who racked up large win totals last year – David White and Mike Sardo – continue to battle it out at the lightest weight.  (White redshirted while Sardo took over at 125 when starter Patrick Hunter was injured). White has some experience in the EIWA, having placed sixth at 125 for Army at the conference tournament in his freshman season before transferring.

“This weight is up in the air,” Borshoff said. “Both guys have gotten a lot better over the past year.  Mike had the fourth most wins on the team last year and David also won at least 25 matches.  That will be a weight to watch at the [Bearcat] Open.”

133:

Nick Tighe, Photo by BV

A familiar face to Empire State wrestling fans is likely to man 133 pounds as a true freshman.  New York’s 2013 Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award winner, Nick Tighe of Phoenix, looks to carry over his high school success to the college level after finishing his career with his third straight state title in 2013 (at 138 pounds).

“Nick has gotten his weight down and is a wrecking ball,” Borshoff said. “He’s really tough and hard to wrestle. We’re excited to see how he’ll look at the Open in his first competition.”

141:

While Tighe won the state championship at 138 pounds in Division II a year ago, Nick Kelley accomplished that feat at the same weight in Division I.  Kelley has impressed so far, but will most likely redshirt.  Looking to start at 141 are a trio of grapplers – Dylan Cohen, Dylan Caruana and David Almaviva.

“This will be a very young weight for us,” Borshoff said. “[Caruana] redshirted last year and has put on a lot of size this summer. [Cohen] was pulled out of redshirt during the season last year and is now at a better weight – he struggled to make 133 last year.  [Almaviva] is a true freshman. He may only have one year in him at 141 before moving up, so we’ll see how he does. The question is who will show up most at the Open?  We’re not sure what will happen here yet.”

149:

Joe Bonaldi started last season with a bang.  At the Binghamton Open, he defeated returning All-American Mike Nevinger in his opening bout and won the title, also topping NCAA qualifier Dan Neff.  In the process, he entered the national rankings and looked primed for a breakout campaign.  Unfortunately, an injury prevented that from taking place.  He made a return to the lineup very late in the season, competing just once before the CAA tournament. The Bearcats are excited to have the Rochester native back.

“Joe’s doing really well,” Borshoff said. “He was doing really well last year early on too.  He came back for the CAAs last year, but it was too long of a layoff before that. It will be interesting to see how the move to 149 works – he’ll be tested right away at the Open. He’s a guy to keep an eye on this year. He’s definitely very talented and he gives [assistant coach] Teyon [Ware] trouble in the room and we know how good Teyon is.”

157:

Last year’s starter Jack McKeever will redshirt, and three wrestlers will look to get the nod in this class – Nick Mauriello, Ben Price and Brian Conrad.  Conrad was a spot starter last season, while Mauriello redshirted.  In high school, Mauriello earned fourth in New York as a senior for Hauppauge while Price was a two-time Vermont state champion and Conrad won the Section 8 title, according to the Binghamton athletics website.

165:

Vincent Grella returns after handling the starting duties in 2012-13.  He topped Drexel’s Connor Moran at the CAA championships.

“He got a lot better at the end of last year,” Borshoff said. “He wrestles hard and got some good experience.  We think he’ll have a good year for us.”

174:

In 2011, John Paris was the CAA Rookie of the Year.  But injuries have interrupted him since then. However, he’s expected to be the starter once again after winning the job for the postseason a year ago.

“John’s a talented wrestler but he’s always been plagued by injuries,” Borshoff said. “Last year, John and Caleb Wallace kept flip flopping back and forth as our starter, but John won the final wrestleoff to take the spot.  Bringing in [two-time New York state champion] Zack Zupan, who is doing very well but probably redshirting, has made John a lot better.  He’s been fighting hard – he sees the competition and wants the spot.”

184:

After battling both Paris and injuries last season, Caleb Wallace is ready to take hold of the 184-pound role.  Wallace began the 2012-13 campaign well, defeating eventual EIWA champion Nathaniel Brown of Lehigh in an early dual by fall.

“Caleb is another good wrestler for us who has had trouble staying healthy,” Borshoff said. “We’re excited to see how he does moving up a weight after having a decent cut to make 174 last year.”

197:

Cody Reed is the only projected starter who wrestled at the NCAAs last year.  In fact, he has been to Nationals twice. In 2012, he registered one of the big upsets of the first round in St. Louis when he topped fourth-seeded Christian Boley of Maryland at 197 pounds, before finishing 2-2.  Last season, Reed dropped down to 184 and once again qualified for the “Big Show”, going 0-2 following an 18-win campaign.  Now, he’ll be back at 197 again, looking to win a few more matches on the national stage.

“Cody went down to 184 last year when Nate Schiedel moved up, but Cody’s much better off at 197,” Borshoff said. “He’s very capable – I wouldn’t count him out at Nationals.  He was up and down last year, but got the job done in the qualifier.  He wanted to do better at Nationals, but he has his senior year to look forward to.”

285:

Tyler Deuel moved from 197 to heavyweight before last season and wound up with the third most wins on the team, according to Borshoff.  Now, with a year of experience at the heaviest weight class, the coach thinks he’s ready to show even more.

“Tyler’s a great kid, always working out extra and trying to learn,” Borshoff said. “He had a good year last year and he’ll do even better this year because he’s acclimated to the weight.  This year he’s a very solid 245 pounds – he’s ripped for a heavyweight.”

Borshoff had very positive things to say about the standout rookie class. Some were mentioned above.  Others, such as multiple-time New York State champion Kyle Kelly, NYS placer Robert Person and two-time silver medalist Bryce Mazurowski, will likely redshirt.

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How will the first year in the EIWA go? How many wrestlers will Binghamton qualify for the NCAAs this year?  We’ll find out more as Binghamton opens the season on November 10 at home with the Bearcat Open.

Note: the Bearcat Open has been renamed the Jonathan Kaloust Bearcat Open to honor the memory of Navy Seal (and former Binghamton wrestler) Jonathan Kaloust, who died during a training accident this spring.

 

From Russia to Ithaca: Dake, Simaz, Perrelli to Compete for Team USA in a World-Class Freestyle Dual vs. Russia at Cornell

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You don’t have to go across the globe to see some of the top wrestlers in the world.  On November 17, some of the best will be making the trip to Ithaca, NY.

Some Cornell greats will be involved in the festivities as Kyle Dake, Cam Simaz and Frank Perrelli, who combined for five national championships and nine All-American showings, will get another chance to perform in front of the home crowd.

“They’re all excited,” said head coach Rob Koll.  “They thought their Cornell wrestling days were over, but we just keep bringing them back in.”

The former Big Red stars will take part in a world-class freestyle dual between Team USA and the Russian National Team at 1 p.m. in Bartels Hall on the Cornell campus.

The American squad features a number of standouts, including Perelli (55 kg), Jimmy Kennedy (60 kg), Kellen Russell (66 kg), Dake (74 kg), Clayton Foster (84 kg), Simaz (96 kg) and either Olympian Tervel Dlagnev or Zach Rey at heavyweight.

“For us, it’s a great way to highlight what we have going on in upstate New York,” Koll said. “When we started here at Cornell, to think we’d have three guys who could wrestle at that level would have been a big jump.  It just shows you that you can get an Ivy League education and be training for the highest levels of wrestling in the world.”

Tickets for the event are $10 for general admission and $15 for chair back seats. As part of that price, USA National team coach and Olympic medalist Zeke Jones will be hosting a freestyle clinic from 10-12.

“We would like to sell out Bartels Hall, which holds about 4,500,” Koll said.  “Tickets have only been available for a couple of days and there are already 900 seats accounted for.”

In addition to world-class freestyle wrestling, there will be some high quality folkstyle action one day earlier in Ithaca as well.  On November 16, the Red-White Eliminations (wrestleoffs) will take place, helping to determine the starting lineup for the Big Red in 2013-14.

To purchase tickets, see Cornell Big Red tickets or call (607) 254-2327.

 

 

Moving to the Midwest: State Placer John Muldoon of Pearl River Selects SIUE

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Pearl River’s John Muldoon was really excited to be first.

First for what? The first announced recruit at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville under new head coach Jeremy Spates.

Courtesy of John Muldoon

“That’s a pretty cool thing to be able to say,” Muldoon said. “It felt like a perfect time to go to SIUE. You’re going somewhere you know you’re wanted and you know they’ll be taking care of you.  Coach Spates has been around success wherever he’s been and I’m excited to help him build a program.”

Spates, an All-American at Missouri who recently was an assistant at Oklahoma and Cornell, took over the SIUE program a few months ago, just a year after the team moved into Division I.

Muldoon, who also considered schools like Sacred Heart, didn’t expect the Midwestern institution to be his destination when he began the recruiting process.

“Going in, I really didn’t think I would be going there,” he said. “But on my visit, I met the community and everyone was so friendly and nice.  They are putting so much time and effort into the wrestling program.  There is so much support academically and athletically and the coaches were great.  It’s a little far from home, but it just felt right. It felt like a perfect fit.”

In fact, Muldoon called his college decision the biggest accomplishment he’s had in wrestling to this point.

“Placing at the states [fourth at 120 pounds] was great, but finding a college that fits me is even better,” he said. “All the summers I missed out on vacations and hanging out with friends, all the work – it’s great to see it all pay off.”

It seems that it’s been paying off for years for the Pearl River senior.  As a freshman, he notched third in Section 1 after racking up close to 25 victories.  A year later at 113 pounds, he went 30-5, moving up to second in the Section behind [2013 state gold medalist] Alex Delacruz of Ossining. [It was a loaded bracket, as Dylan Realbuto of Somers, the state champion that season, took third in the Section].

Going into his 2012-13 junior campaign, Muldoon felt that he was ready to take a few more steps forward.

“Before last season, I had teammates, coaches, everyone telling me I could I compete at the highest level in the state of New York,” Muldoon said. “I started believing it myself.  I felt like the sky was the limit.”

He certainly followed through with a breakout year in another brutal weight in Section 1.  [Both the Division I and II state champions at 120 came from Section 1 and between the two divisions, four Section wrestlers placed in Albany].

“There were no slouches,” Muldoon said. “It was pretty cool to see how stacked it was at 120. You knew what to expect when you went to states after wrestling everybody.”

Muldoon said he believes many of those wrestlers will spread out among different weight classes in 2013-14 to make a stronger Section 1 squad at the Times Union Center.  But there’s one familiar opponent he welcomes another battle with this year.

“You could see another Muldoon-Delacruz matchup,” he said. “He might bump up to make it happen. That would make me happy – to get an extra shot at him.”

Muldoon took two of three contests from Delacruz in 2012-13, including a victory by disqualification on the way to a silver medal at the prestigious Eastern States Classic and a triumph in the Section 1 championship bout to earn his first title.

However, at the state tournament, Delacruz captured an overtime win in a semifinal bout on his way to the New York State crown.  Muldoon bounced back strong, winning his first consolation match and earning All-State honors with a fourth place finish.

This year, Muldoon plans to wrestle at 132 pounds, and while he has personal goals, he is focusing just as much on some other things he’d like to see happen before he leaves the Empire State for college.

“Pearl River hasn’t had a winning team record in a while,” he said. “For the coaches and everyone, this would be the year to do it.  I’d like to see more guys from Pearl River make names for themselves in the Section this year – I think we can be good county-wise.  I obviously also want to win a state title, for myself and also for my coaches. Last year, I thought I had a pretty good shot.  Knowing where I’m going to college, now I can focus on the state title. Before I go to SIUE, that’s another goal I want to knock off my list.”

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John Muldoon wanted to thank the Pearl River coaches — Grier Yorks, Billy Allison and Billy Donnelly — as well as the Pearl River alumni who helped to train him – Phil Donnelly and Matt Homenick.  In addition, he wanted to thank Bob Gullo, the Pearl River parents, all of the people that help out with the Michael O’Connell tournament, Athletic Director Mr. Santabarbara and of course, his parents.

Cohen, Raccioppi Take Titles at the Hudson Valley Challenge; Grant, Feola Win at Farrell

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The Iron Horse Invitational wasn’t the only big tournament last weekend.  Numerous New York wrestlers took the mat at Port Jervis High School for the Hudson Valley Challenge where 2013 All-State grappler Golan Cohen of Colonie and state qualifier Mike Raccioppi of Minisink Valley won titles.  Meanwhile, several others competed at the Farrell tournament, where state qualifier Malik Grant (Curtis) and NHSCA All-American Vincent Feola (Walt Whitman) were among the winners.  For results, see below.

Hudson Valley Challenge

99 Pounds: Thomas Cox (631 Elite) over Jon Loew (Wantagh)

106 Pounds: Alfredo Olmedo (Arlington) over Kyle Mock (Huntington)

113 Pounds: Ben Tepperman (Hauppauge) over Edward Lovely (Newtown)

120 Pounds: Gerard Daly (Minisink Valley) over Lamont Wallace (Rugged WC)

126 Pounds: Golan Cohen (NY Titans) over Doug Iadanza (Sachem East)

132 Pounds: Christian Silva (SIR) over Joe Hill (Wantagh)

138 Pounds: Mike Raccioppi (SIR) over Sean O’Hagan

145 Pounds: Tom Murphy (Pope John) over Hussain Hasan (Valley Central)

152 Pounds: Frank Carrozza (Delaware Valley) over Jimmy Devine (NY Titans)

160 Pounds: Nick Vines (Wantagh) over Brad Marvin (Starvin Marvins)

170 Pounds: John Donahue (Hauppauge) over Victor Viera (Cactus)

182 Pounds: Tyler Blasko (Walkill) over Sean Roesing

195 Pounds: Robert Cuomo (Ironmen) over Justin Baker (Wantagh)

220 Pounds: Justin Baker (Wantagh) over Rich Jones (Walkill)

285 Pounds: Sam Weinger (Washingtonville) over Brandon Mascaro (Walkill)

For brackets, see Hudson Valley Challenge.

 

Farrell High School Tournament

99 Pounds: Brian Kelly over Nick O’Byrne

106 Pounds: Malik Grant over Joseph Marino

113 Pounds: Peter Dee (Howell) over PJ Guhn

120 Pounds: Denzel Tovar over Eddie Matyka

126 Pounds: Vincent Concina (Bishop Ahr) over Joseph Ferinde

132 Pounds: Matt Seitz over Mark Gerstacker

138 Pounds: Josh Pierre-Louis (Howell) over Tyler Tepe (Passaic Valley)

145 Pounds: Kevin Jackson over Paul Capaldo

152 Pounds: Dave Nocks (Howell) over Addrian Ferrarie

160 Pounds: Joseph Connolly over Matt Assael

170 Pounds: Ryan Forero over Ryan Gerena (William Floyd)

182 Pounds: No results

195 Pounds: Mike Newman (Lions) over Sean Silverstein (Howell)

220 Pounds: Vincent Feola (VHW) over Steven Flynn

285 Pounds: No results

For brackets, see Farrell.

For results from the novice and schoolboy divisions of the Farrell event, see this link.

 

 

New York Boasts Multiple Champions, Including Repeat Winner Nick Piccininni, at the Iron Horse Invitational

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Last year, two New York wrestlers emerged as champions at the Iron Horse Invitational in New Jersey.  On Sunday, the Empire State boasted many more first place finishers, including a repeat performance by Nick Piccininni.

The Ward Melville grappler went 4-0 on the day, outscoring his opponents 29-1 along the way.  One of his victories was over New Jersey state champion Anthony Cefolo.

In addition to Piccininni, Long Island was well represented in the Garden State with Eastport South Manor’s Jimmy Leach, Rocky Point’s Tommy Dutton, MacArthur’s Steve Schneider and Syosset’s Vito Arujau also collecting crowns.

Steve Schneider, Photo by BV

All four of those wrestlers finished with unblemished records.  Leach, a Section 11 finalist in February, beat 2013 NYS placer Sam Ward 6-3 on his path. Meanwhile, Dutton notched an impressive 3-2 triumph over two-time New Jersey runner up Gary Dinmore, a competitor ranked as one of the top 100 seniors in the land by Intermat and FloWrestling. Schneider bested state champion Adis Radoncic a few weeks after losing to him at the Journeymen Classic, while fellow Nassau representative Arujau notched a trio of victories, including a 4-0 decision over All-Stater Jesse Dellavecchia of East Islip.

There were many more gold showings for New York, including by returning state silver medalists Levi Ashley of Shenendehowa and Christian Dietrich of Greene.  [Ashley’s only setback was to fellow New Yorker Nick Weber of Kings Park, another All-Stater in 2013]. For Dietrich, it was another offseason title after taking first at the Journeymen Classic a few weeks ago.

We haven’t forgotten about Anthony DePrez of Hilton and Brett Perry of John Jay East Fishkill, who also returned to the Empire State on Sunday night as champions.

Quite a few New Yorkers ended the top notch event with second place showings.  John Muldoon of Pearl River was one of them, after going 3-1 with his only loss in overtime to New Jersey medalist Christian Innarella of Delbarton.

Yianni Diakomihalis of Hilton pinned Wantagh’s Kyle Quinn in a meeting of returning state champions and defeated New Jersey’s Nick Santos, before dropping a 5-3 battle to Nick Suriano, the #1 ranked grappler in the land at 113 pounds, to take second.

In addition, Jakob Restrepo continued his stellar offseason with silver, including a 5-4 decision over two-time New York runner up Vincent DePrez of Hilton.  Restrepo wasn’t the only Section 11 wrestler to take second – Greg Chery of Connetquot and Jesse Dellavecchia of East Islip did the same.

To see full results, follow this link.