Monthly Archives: October 2013

Rob Koll Previews the 2013-14 Season for the Cornell Big Red

Posted on by
Reply

BY ROB KOLL

[For a PDF version of Rob Koll’s newsletter, see Cornell newsletter Fall].

We pride ourselves on consistency within the program.  If we recruit hard, and work harder, then there is no reason to ever suffer through a “rebuilding” year.  This year that philosophy will be put to the test.  It’s been seven years since we started a season without the services of one or more national champions.  In addition, in the last two years we have lost four national champions to graduation.  Despite these facts there is reason for optimism in the Cornell camp!

The 2013-2014 team ushers in a new era.  No more Dake, Bosak and Simaz to the rescue.  We need to find, and develop, the next Cornell wrestling legends.  The good news is that within our wrestling room nebula I am confident we have the material and conditions to incubate future wrestling stars!

Although I cry youth, the truth is we are in the enviable position of possessing two not-so-secret weapons in Nahshon Garrett (125 pounds, third at last year’s NCAAs) and Mike Nevinger (141 pounds, seventh and fifth at the last two NCAAs). In addition to these two we have past NCAA qualifiers in Chris Villalonga (149), Marshall Peppelman (165), Jace Bennett (197) and Stryker Lane (285).  These returning starters give us a good base, but we have a few openings that will need to be filled.

 

Garrett, Photo by BV

125: Nahshon Garrett returns for his sophomore year with the intent, and ability, to claim the first of multiple NCAA championship titles.  Nahshon is vastly improved, and he wasn’t too shabby last year!  Bricker Dixon will move down to challenge Nahshon.  These two provide us with amazing depth.  Ryan Radwanski, a freshman from Bridgewater, NJ will also challenge for a spot.

 

133: Freshman Mark Grey, the self-proclaimed better looking and more intelligent Grey brother, will make an immediate impact at this weight.  Sophomore Logan David and senior Josh Kennedy will also complete for the role.  Last year, David had six wins wrestling at 125 and 133, while Kennedy went 4-6. Former NCAA qualifier Nick Arujau will either compete at 133 or 141.

 

141: Mike Nevinger comes back for his senior year with the goal of making it to the top of the podium.  Mike always works hard, but this summer, he was particularly focused and intense. Mike has enjoyed a spectacular Cornell career, ranking 20th on the all-time wins list with 99 victories. Challenging Mike for the spot will be sophomore Joe Rendina (9-5 last year), Nik Peña,  (11-11 two years ago), as well as a host of outstanding freshmen including Corey Dake (Lansing, NY), Eli Bienstock, (Gaithersburg, MD) and three-time California state champion, Alex Cisneros.

 

149: Junior Chris Villalonga has amassed 58 victories and two trips to the NCAA tournament during his career. Despite this impressive resume, we expect significantly more out of him this year.  Chris has grown into a full sized 149-pound wrestler and will no longer be overpowered by anyone.  If Chris gets banged up, we can fall back on the services of seniors Ryan Dunphy and Conner David.

 

157: Two outstanding freshmen, Brian Realbuto and Taylor Simaz, will take over this weight class.  Realbuto is a three-time New York state champion and Fargo National Champion who placed third at the FILA Junior World Team Trials over the summer.  Simaz, whose brother Cam won a national title for the Big Red in 2012, was a two-time Michigan state champion.

 

165: Marshall Peppelman, Craig Eifert and Dylan Palacio make this our most hotly contested weight.  Any one of the three could make the team and I expect the person who ultimately prevails will compete for All-American honors in March.  Also battling for the spot is freshman Jake George.  Jake is Billy’s younger, and naturally better looking and smarter, brother.

 

174: This is another weight class with a great deal of talent.  Sophomores Duke Pickett and Owen Scott will battle it out with junior Jesse Shanaman.  Pickett started for half of last year and racked up an 18-15 record.  Jesse has bumped up two weight classes.  Last year he struggled with injuries but still managed to grind out 12 victories against 10 defeats.  Owen Scott missed all of last year due to injury.

 

184: Billy George wrestled 197 last year and 174 as a freshman, so it only seemed appropriate to move to 184 this year.  Last season, Billy finished with a 19-11 record.  Billy will be challenged by freshman Gabe Dean, who was first and second at the Michigan state championships and senior Mike Alexander.

 

197: A beefed up Jace Bennett returned to campus ready to improve on last year’s impressive 31 victories. Pushing Jace will be Steve Congenie, a two-time Illinois state champion, and 2013 New York state titlewinner, Daniel Choi.

 

285: Stryker Lane, who has a 68-38 career record, returns for his senior year hoping to finally get on the podium in Oklahoma City.  Pushing Stryker will be sophomore Jacob Aiken-Phillips (15-8 last year), George Famutimi and former 184 pounder (now 235 pounds and growing), Craig Scott.

Here are a few other notes about the upcoming season:

Nahshon Garrett at the All-Star Classic:

Before our season officially kicks off, you can see Nahshon Garrett in action at the All-Star Classic, where he will face All-American Jarrod Patterson of Oklahoma at 125 pounds.   The event, which features a number of the nation’s top wrestlers, will take place on November 2 at 7:15 p.m. on the campus of George Mason University.

To purchase tickets, visit the Ticketmaster website.  For more information on the All-Star Classic, visit the NWCA website.

2013-2014 Schedule:

We have put together another challenging schedule this year.  You can take a look at the following link: http://cornellbigred.com/schedule.aspx?path=wrest& or here.

 

Team USA vs. Team Russia in Ithaca!

On November 17, join us in Bartels Hall for a 1 p.m. dual between the Russian national team and a USA squad featuring former Big Red stars Kyle Dake, Cam Simaz and Frank Perrelli as well as Kellen Russell, Clayton Foster, Jimmy Kennedy and Tervel Dlagnev /Zach Rey.   As part of the ticket price, national team coach Zeke Jones will host a freestyle clinic from 10-12.  I hope you will be able to support our team!

 

New Book!

Former Cornell wrestler Jamie Moffatt recently released his latest work on the fight to save Olympic wrestling.  Please check it out at: https://www.facebook.com/SavingWrestlingBook

 

By Lindsey Mechalik

 

 

Iron Horse Invitational: Elite New York Wrestlers Ready for Top Notch Competition in New Jersey

Posted on by
Reply

The ninth annual Iron Horse Invitational will take place on Sunday in East Hanover, New Jersey.  The event features some of the very best from the host state as well as representatives from Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia, Florida, Maryland and of course, New York.

Last year Ward Melville’s Nick Piccininni and Pearl River’s John Muldoon won their brackets at the event, and both are back to try to make it two in a row.

Who will come out on top this weekend? Here are some of the New Yorkers scheduled to participate*:

Vito Arujau, Syosset
Jake Ashcraft, Burnt Hills
Levi Ashley, Shenendehowa
Brandon Aviles, Newfield
Nick Casella, Locast Valley
Greg Chery, Connetquot
Mike D’Angelo, Commack
Jesse Dellavecchia, East Islip
Anthony DePrez, Hilton
Vincent DePrez, Hilton
Matteo DeVincenzo, Port Jefferson
Yianni Diakomihalis, Hilton
Christian Dietrich, Greene
Tommy Dutton, Rocky Point
Ken Gallagher, Northport
Louis Hernandez, Mepham
Jimmy Leach, Eastport South Manor
Chris Mauriello, Huappauge
John Muldoon, Pearl River
Kevin Parker, Shenendehowa
Travis Passaro, Eastport South Manor
Brett Perry, John Jay East Fishkill
Nick Piccininni, Ward Melville
Jesse Porter, Shenendehowa
Kyle Quinn, Wantagh
Adis Radoncic, Poly Prep
Jakob Restrepo, Sachem East
Blake Retell, Shaker
Rafal Rokosz, Southhampton
Steve Schneider, MacArthur
Tyler Silverthorn, General Brown
Daniel Smith, South Jefferson
Ryan Snow, General Brown
Sam Ward, Locust Valley
Nick Weber, Kings Park

 

*Participation subject to change

The Newest Bearcat: After Beating a National Champ, Connor Calkins Commits to Binghamton

Posted on by
5

A national champion [Vermont’s Jesse Webb] stood in front of Alfred-Almond’s Connor Calkins in the 285-pound title bout at the Journeymen Classic at the end of September.  Webb was also the defending gold medalist at the Journeymen event.

Calkins didn’t allow him to repeat as he captured a 6-3 victory and the crown.

“I scouted him out and knew what he does,” Calkins said. “He’s a grinder and he likes to go for the bear hug.  I was able to score off that bear hug attempt myself. It turned out to be a really good match. I absolutely, 100% expected to beat him.  Wrestling is a mental game and I’ve been training so hard.  It was a good win to pick up.”

Calkins vs. Jesse Webb

Calkins has recently made a habit of big wins.  After securing a wildcard bid to the New York State championships in February, the Section 5 senior entered the 16-person heavyweight bracket as the #16 seed.

In round one, he was set to face returning finalist Alex Soutiere.   As is often the case in the opening match for the top seed, the match wasn’t close.  However, it was Calkins who took control, building a sizable lead before recording a pin with just seconds remaining in the third period to score the upset.

“When I watched video on [Soutiere], I knew he finished second in the state the year before, but I really thought I could win,” Calkins said.

He wasn’t done winning.  In the next round, he notched a 9-1 major decision over Byron Bergen’s Mike Saxman, a grappler who finished ahead of him at the SuperSectional qualifier (although they didn’t meet there).

Things got a little more difficult, however, as Calkins dropped his semifinal contest to eventual champion Matt Abbott.  In the process, he suffered an injury that led him to forfeit his first consolation bout, sending him to the fifth place match.

“I hyperextended my elbow and hurt my bicep in the semis,” he said. “When I saw that it was the same guy [Saxman], I talked to my coach and said I had to wrestle.  It would be important to get points for next year’s seeding and to finish as high as I could.  I felt like I showed some heart going out there and gutting it out.”

His efforts paid off, as he topped Saxman 6-2 to earn a fifth place medal.

It didn’t always look like Calkins was destined for All-State status.  Back in eighth grade, he said his record was around .500.  However, he came back to take a Class B Sectional title as a freshman at 160 pounds and was determined to keep climbing the ladder.

“I sat down with my dad to have a serious talk,” Calkins said.  “He asked me what I wanted to do and I said I wanted to take my wrestling to a whole new level.  I dedicated myself to that.”

According to Calkins, his father Richard, a former wrestler, fully understood what dedication to the sport entailed.  Now, father and son have yet another thing in common – being Bearcats.

Earlier this week, Connor Calkins committed to Binghamton University.  He said that while his father went there as well, there were many other reasons for his decision.

“When I took my official visit, I had one of those gut feelings that it was right,” he said, adding that he also considered Buffalo and Cornell. “Everything felt right to me. I really liked all the coaches – they seemed really loyal to me.  The coaches and wrestlers seemed like the kind of people I want to be surrounded by.  Having so many New York wrestlers there was actually a really big factor.  I felt comfortable because I know a lot of them from the state tournament.”

The state tournament came up often and is definitely on his mind.  While his trip to the Times Union Center ended well with the previously mentioned fifth place showing, Calkins didn’t have an easy path as a junior despite a strong 38-4 mark with 20 pins.

He suffered an injury to his dominant hand in late October of 2012, which he said slowed him down for much of the campaign.  And he moved up to the 285-pound class in February despite weighing about 210. [His workout partner, Zack Bacon of Hornell, was the state champion at 220].

Calkins said he’s nowhere near that weight now.  In fact, with the training schedule he has in place, he mentioned that he’s closer to 240 pounds.

“Honestly, I felt sorry for myself after losing in the semifinals [at the state tournament] last year, but that will never happen again.  It made me want to push hard and I have been.  I’ve made major gains. I’ve been wrestling twice a week at the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club and I lift and work out every single day.  I make sure I do something every day to make myself better.”

Given that, he feels that his best performances are ahead of him.

“I just beat a top kid in the nation,” he said of the triumph over Webb. “There’s still a lot I want to do.  Committing to Binghamton makes me want to work harder.  Now I don’t have to think about college coaches calling me. I can just focus on winning a state title.”

————————

Connor Calkins wanted to his parents (Richard and Kirsten Calkins), his head wrestling coach (Greg Cook) and his trainer (Chris Gorman).

Working for #1: New York's Top Junior Nick Piccininni Looks to Add A National Championship to His Resume

Posted on by
Reply

We have been discussing some of the top wrestlers in New York over the past few weeks.  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 additional tenth graders to watch. Now, here’s more about the #1 junior in New York, Nick Piccininni.

———————————————

It was the match that people were waiting to see. Even before the 2013-2013 season started, there was buzz about a possible clash of champions at 113 pounds at the state tournament.  Fans were excited about the possibility of watching 2012 gold medalist Nick Piccininni against the last wrestler to beat him in New York (in 2011) – two-time NYS title winner Kyle Kelly of Chenango Forks.

The matchup came to fruition and both Piccininni and Kelly were unbeaten entering the 2013 state final. But the Ward Melville star said he wasn’t thinking about simply winning the bout. He was determined to make a statement.

“I definitely wanted to dominate and show everybody that I was on another level,” Piccininni said.  “I was looking to come out and dominate right away.”

Photo by BV

He did. The Suffolk County grappler took control from the start and didn’t stop until the final whistle. In the end it was a 14-4 major and a second state crown.

And that was just the start of a string of big victories for Piccininni. He followed up with a second place showing at the FloNationals, dropping a 2-1 bout in the championship contest to Nathan Boston. However, on his way to the title match, he defeated some quality foes, including Oklahoma’s Markus Simmons [ranked 11th in the nation] in a match he trailed 4-0 early on before storming back for an 8-5 decision.

“The competition was tough during that whole tournament,” Piccininni said.  “I did pretty good up until the finals. Then I don’t know what happened. It was a tough match and I just slipped up a little.”

If he “slipped up”, he quickly rebounded. At the Disney Duals in Orlando, he earned “Gold” Status after sporting a perfect record against top-notch opposition. He and the New York Kong squad went all the way to the championship match of the prestigious event where they faced Young Guns, a team from Pennsylvania.  While the Keystone State group captured the dual, Piccininni stood out, registering a 7-5 victory over Luke Pletcher.  WIN Magazine called that victory the biggest win of the offseason at 113 pounds anywhere in the United States.

“I knew [Pletcher] was tough,” Piccininni said. “He was actually on my team the week before at the NHSCA National Duals, so we’re friends.  We were joking around about having to wrestle each other.  I knew going into the match that I was older and had more experience. I thought I had something over him in the match, even though he’s a national champ and I’m not yet.”

Piccininni continued to excel throughout the offseason with undefeated performances at the Waterway Duals and the Journeymen Classic. In fact, he took on another national champ, Florida’s Radley Gillis, for first place at the Journeymen event and cruised to a 10-2 major. He nabbed Outstanding Wrestler honors … and did it all at far less than 100 percent.

“It was tough because I actually strained my hamstring in my second match,” Piccininni said about his Journeymen Classic experience. “I wrestled uncomfortably in the rest of my matches.  I won, but I actually wish I did a little bit better.”

It’s hard to see how much better he can do, but he’ll have a chance at the Iron Horse Invitational in New Jersey and then at the Super 32 Challenge in North Carolina. The latter is an event Piccininni has waited to get another chance at after missing the podium by one win a year ago despite defeating the nation’s #1 ranked wrestler at the time, Zahid Valencia of California.  (The two met twice and split the bouts).

“My goal is to win Super 32 this year. That’s what I’m going there for,” he said. “I would like to face [the nation’s top ranked 120 pounder] Sean Russell again but I’m ready for anyone I’ll face there.” [Russell defeated Piccininni on the way to a runner up finish at the Super 32 last year].

Russell is one of many heralded grapplers registered for the Super 32. In fact, at least 10 of the top 20 120 pounders in the land are listed in the field, including, of course, #4 ranked Piccininni.

He relishes the competition, as do his favorite wrestlers – Matt McDonough, David Taylor, Tony Ramos, Logan Stieber, Kyle Dake and Jordan Burroughs.  Piccininni also said he admires Derek Jeter, who he calls a hard worker and a respectable person.

All those athletes have something in common – spending significant time at the top.  That’s something Piccininni is looking to accomplish on the national level after two consecutive undefeated state championship seasons in New York.

“I don’t think about the rankings much,” Piccininni said.  “But no one wants to be #4 or #2 or anything but #1.  I’m definitely working to get the #1 spot.  I’m going to keep doing everything I’ve been doing since eighth and ninth grade.  I’m keeping my work ethic up and I’m not stopping.  I want to be an undefeated state champ again and an undefeated national champ.”

Niagara CCC Adds Impact Newcomers (Including State and National Champs) to Strong Group of Returners; Looks For Big Year

Posted on by
2

Which New York college team could start a Fargo National champion, a three-time state champion and a two-time New York titlewinner in the middleweights this year?

If you answered Niagara County Community College, you’re correct.

The squad accomplished quite a bit during last season, collecting conference and region titles and a fourth place showing at the NJCAA National Duals, according to head coach Keith Maute.  With some quality returners and talented newcomers, expectations are once again high.

“We did some really good things last year,” Maute said. “We didn’t have a great national tournament, but ended up with two All-Americans.”

Those All-Americans, Kris Schimek and Irvin Buck, won’t be in the lineup for the Thunderwolves this year.  But there will still be plenty of threats to make the podium at the end of the campaign.

One will be Kevin Strong (149), who fell just one win shy of being on the medal stand a year ago.  According to Maute, Strong faced a tough road at the Nationals, losing by a point to the eventual champion and then in the Round of 12 to the bronze medalist.

In addition, Max Antone and Gunner Thomas, both regional champions in 2013, will return, but in different spots.  Antone will move from heavyweight to 197, while Thomas will transition from 197 to 184.  (Maute said Cedrick Stephens, a New York State qualifier, will also contend at 184). Meanwhile, Tyler Bruce will get a chance to show what he can do.  Maute said Bruce won close to 30 matches last year, but couldn’t consistently break into the starting group.

Bruce, a 157-pounder, could be surrounded in the lineup by some of the incoming talent.  A pair of transfers from Buffalo, Chris Nevinger (a three-time state champion from Letchworth Central) and Jimmy Kloc (a 2011 and 2012 gold medalist from Iroquois), both look to win big right out of the gate.  Nevinger will be at 165 while Kloc could compete at 141 or 149. (Maute mentioned that Barry Hart and Michael Carson add great depth in the middleweights and are working extremely hard).

In addition, Mark Havers, the aforementioned Fargo National champion, joined Niagara from Clarion.  The two-time Pennsylvania state finalist will take the mat at 174 for NCCC this winter.

“I expect all of those guys to do very well,” Maute said. “They’re all really good wrestlers who are ready to contribute.”

They all certainly came in with strong credentials.  The same could be said at the heavyweight spot, where Maute has a plethora of options.  Fans in Albany have seen Aaron Kroll, El Shaddai Van Hoesen, Kacee Sauer and Matt Montesanti wrestle in the state finals over the past few years. They’re all on the roster, as is Jim Donner, another formidable big man.

“They’re all pretty good,” Maute said. “Donner’s a little older and he wrestled Division I a few years ago.  It’s hard to pick just one to talk about.  There will definitely be interesting wrestleoffs for that heavyweight spot.  We’ll see who comes out on top and some will probably redshirt.”

In the lightweights, Cody Carberry returns after competing as a bit of an undersized 125 for NCCC a year ago.  Maute said Eric Velez, Marcus Popp, Jude Gardner and Lance Compton will be in the mix for starting roles.

“Eric Velez is going to be very good,” the coach said. “Out of high school he went to Brockport and he’s been working, taking care of his family.  He did some MMA, stayed in good shape.  I’m looking forward to seeing him.  We have a lot of good guys who can step in across the lineup.  We feel like we have a really nice roster.”

That roster will once again look to make an impact at the National Duals.  But first Maute said he looks forward to competing with all the other Empire State teams at the New York State Intercollegiates in November in Ithaca.

“We’re really excited about the team we have,” Maute said. “We have to get everyone in the right weights, stay healthy and stay on the right path academically and we’ll be ok.  This is the long part – the preseason. We’re looking forward to getting on the mat with some competition and seeing how this all plays out.”

NCCC Roster (As Provided by Keith Maute)

NAME WEIGHT
CODY CARBERRY 125
ERIC VELEZ 125/33
DOMINIC RICCIO 125
ADAM ARENA 125
JORDAN JACKSON 125
JOE DOWDALL 125/33
MARCUS POPP 133/41
LANCE COMPTON 133/41
JUDE GARDNER 141/49
NICK ROBERTS 141/49
JIM KLOC 141/49
KEVIN STRONG 149
TIAL THANG 149
STEPHEN LEIBLER 149
CARMEN ODONNELL 141/149
BARRY HART 149
TJ ACKER 149
CONNOR KLEITZ 149
TYLER BRUCE 157
MICHAEL CARSON 157
THOMAS CONFER 165/74
AXIL JAKUBOWSKI 157
CHRIS NEVINGER 165
MARK HAVERS 165/74
JOE MCGRATH 165
NOAH JONES 165
TY CHRISTOPHER 174
JUSTIN STEVENSON 174
SHANE CURREY 174
TREY BRUNI 184
GUNNER THOMAS 184
CEDRICK STEPHENS 184
MAX ANTONE 197
BRIAN KERWIN 197
NICO BURGOS 197
STEVE WARTHLING 197
JIM DONNER 285
KACEE SAUER 285
EL SHADAI VANHOESSEN 285
AARON KROLL 285
FRANK SHOMERS 285
MATT MONTESANTI 285
RION ELSON 285

Roar of the Lions: Columbia Looks to Build Upon Historic Year (The 2013-14 Season Preview)

Posted on by
Reply

One of the loudest ovations during the Saturday morning medal rounds at the 2013 NCAA Championships came after Steve Santos topped Dylan Ness for third place at 149 pounds. The announcer told the crowd that the bronze medal showing by Santos was the highest finish in the history of Columbia wrestling.

Matt Bystol, Courtesy of Brock Malone

That stellar performance by Santos in Des Moines was one of the many highlights for the Lions in 2012-13.  The squad sent five wrestlers to Nationals and had three EIWA finalists. Santos won the conference title while Matt Bystol (133) and Josh Houldsworth (165) nabbed silver.

Santos, Jake O’Hara (157) and Stephen West (174), all longtime starters and leaders for the Ivy League program, have graduated, but their final season with Columbia set the tone going forward.

“I think what happened last year paves the way for the younger guys,” said head coach Carl Fronhofer. “The expectations are now higher as a result.  It’s a good thing – we don’t have to preach it all the time because the guys saw what was accomplished and they know what’s expected here.  There’s a higher bar to jump over now.”

The squad will look to jump over that bar during a challenging schedule.

“Early in the year we’ll have some pretty big matches at the Northeast Duals,” Fronhofer said. “Midlands is obviously always a huge test – a good measuring stick.  We have a solid dual schedule in February – Ivy duals are always exciting and important to us.  We’ll be ready to go by the end of the year.”

What does he expect the team to accomplish after last year’s achievements?

“Our goals really don’t change,” he said. “We’ll be a younger team this year, but we always are trying to win the Ivy League title, the EIWA title and be a top 10 team nationally.  We’ve put a lot of pieces in place to do that.  We’ll be young and exciting this year with some fresh faces.”

Those fresh faces include a rookie group that has made an impact already in the room.

“We’re really excited about the freshman class that’s getting after it with a great work ethic and attitude,” Fronhofer said. “They’ve bonded really well.  We’ll have a lot of spots up for grabs this year and there will be an opportunity for some of those freshmen to get into the lineup.  We only started one freshman last year [Alec Mooradian at 141], but I’ll be pretty surprised if that happens again this year.”

The following is a weight-by-weight look at the Lions for the upcoming campaign:

125:

Penn Gottfried has been the starter at this weight for multiple seasons.  A year ago, he posted eight victories.  Fronhofer expects Gottfried to be challenged in the room, but believes the Section 1 native has made significant strides going into the 2013-14 campaign.

“Penn looks good and strong,” Fronhofer said. “I expect him to make a jump this year. I’ll be really surprised if we don’t see better results.  He does everything right and eventually that pays off for you.  He will be pushed by a couple of guys.  Johnson Mai, a California state champ and double Fargo finalist, made some improvements and put on some size last year.  He’s still a little small at the weight, but he has the ability to win a bunch of matches at Open tournaments this year.”

133:

Last year, Matt Bystol began the season at 141.  However, in the second semester, Bystol made the transition down to 133, where he went on an impressive run, making the EIWA finals and qualifying for the NCAA tournament (He won a match in Des Moines over Davidson’s Anthony Elias).  The same approach may be on tap again this year.

“The current plan is to follow a similar strategy,” Fronhofer said. “He’s big for 133, so he’ll probably start the year at 141.  If he’s winning at a high level, he might consider staying, but the plan now is to have him be ready to get down to ‘33’ by Midlands.  We have a few guys in the room who could see time at this weight.  Joey Moita is also big for the weight, but he looks pretty good this preseason.  We have two freshmen from Long Island, Chris Araoz and Matt Leshinger, who could see some time here.”

141:

Alec Mooradian took over the 141-pound job in his first year as a Lion, picking up dual victories in Ivy action against Princeton and Brown.  As mentioned earlier, Matt Bystol will likely be in this class initially as well.

“When all is said and done, I think we’ll see Alec at 141, at least in the second semester. He’s definitely a competitor.  [Matt] Leshinger might find himself here as well.  People keep asking me what the lineup will look like and I say – your guess is as good as mine,” Fronhofer said jokingly. “That’s a good thing because we have lots of guys competing hard in the room and lots of talented wrestlers.”

149:

Taking over for the highest placer in school history (Steve Santos) won’t be an easy task. But both Ryan Ponte and Connor Sutton are looking to take on the challenge.

“Ponte had a great summer, put on some mass and trained really hard,” Fronhofer said. “Connor Sutton was at 157 last year but was small at that weight. He’ll be competitive for the spot as well.”

157:

Longtime starter and multi-time NCAA qualifier Jake O’Hara graduated, leaving an open battle for the 157 slot.  According to Fronhofer, there is a line of candidates looking to get the nod.

“We probably have 4-5 guys competing for that spot,” the coach said. “We have some guys who have been in the room for a while and have collegiate experience.  They couldn’t break into the lineup because of Santos or O’Hara but they’re good kids who work hard and want their chance. I’m talking about guys like Chad Ryan, Jake Kazimir, Kevin Brown and Ben Villaret. We also have freshman Markus Scheidel [2013 Fargo Freestyle National Champion], who will be competitive right out of the gate.  He has a big gas tank and will make the transition quickly. We’re going to hold a mini tournament and see what happens and then go to MSU Open and see what happens there. We have options.”

165:

Josh Houldsworth had a breakthrough season in 2012-13, winning 20 bouts and taking second at the EIWA championships.  He made his first appearance at the NCAA tournament and looks for another leap in performance this year.

“Josh had an awesome summer and put more mass on,” Fronhofer said.  “Obviously, he made a big move from 149 to 165 last year and he has continued to fill into the weight.  We expect a lot of big things out of him and he’s thinking the same way. His freshman year we needed a ’41’ pounder and he struggled with cutting so much weight.  His sophomore year he was behind Santos at 149.  We always knew he could wrestle and the potential was there.  Last year, he didn’t have to worry about the weight and with growing and lifting he was able to do the things he did. He’s done some critical work this summer and I think you’ll see another big jump out of him.”

174:

Like Santos and O’Hara, Stephen West was a mainstay in the Columbia lineup, starting for years at 174 pounds.  His departure leaves an opportunity for wrestlers such as Adam Fondale, Eric Fajardo and Drew Rebling to see significant time.

“This is another place where we have a bunch of guys looking to step in,” Fronhofer said. “Adam Fondale has been in the room for three years. A few years ago he did a really good job as a backup ’65’ pounder – winning about 20 matches and placing at good tournaments like the Penn State Open.  He’s grown into a 174. Eric Fajardo is coming off a medical redshirt. He’s a pretty talented guy – a good athlete who will certainly compete. Drew Rebling started for us at 184 last year, but he was never big enough for 184. We just needed him there.  He’ll be a factor as well.  We have some other guys who will wrestle off at 184 but will certify at 174 and be possibilities too.”

184:

With Rebling going to 174, the next weight has an opening.  A pair of returners and a fresh face will be among those looking to take the mat in that position for the Lions.

“Zack Hernandez is a great kid and great athlete who came in pretty inexperienced as a wrestler,” Fronhofer said. “He made some big jumps in the room last year as a freshman and will be in the mix. Shane Hughes is getting back to form. He started two years ago, but struggled a little last year. He seems focused and ready to go. Freshman Troy Hembury will certainly make things interesting. He’s very competitive in the room already.”

197:

Nick Mills has been the 197-pounder for Columbia in recent years, but with his graduation, two Keystone State natives are among the contenders to take over.

“Matt Idelson has been in the room for two years and has some experience for us,” Fronhofer said. “Another freshman from Pennsylvania, Mike Fetchet, was a ‘70’ pounder this year in high school.  But he hit a huge growth spurt and will battle it out with Matt for the spot.”

285:

2012 Greco Roman Junior World Team member Wyatt Baker returns for the Lions, looking to be a regular for the first time. As a freshman, he trained while sitting behind NCAA qualifier Kevin Lester.  A year ago, he battled injuries and senior Chris Manna.  A transfer from Bucknell will also be available in the second semester.

“I thought Wyatt Baker would be in the lineup last year, but he really couldn’t stay healthy,” Fronhofer said. “He missed almost all of preseason, was pretty banged up and went into wrestleoffs with very little training. This spring and summer has been different – he’s had a long stretch of training consistently and stayed healthy.  He looks better than he’s ever looked.”

Can Columbia send five or more qualifiers to the NCAA tournament again?  Will the Lions once again have an EIWA champion? How many freshmen will break through to the starting lineup? We’ll find out when the Lions begin the campaign on November 9 at the Michigan State Open in East Lansing.

Super Sophomores: Take a Look at Tenth Graders to Watch in New York in 2013-14

Posted on by
Reply

We have been discussing some of the top wrestlers in New York over the past few weeks.  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. 

Now it’s time to talk about some of the other sophomores 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 2016.

Top Sophomores

Photo by BV

#1 Christian Dietrich (Greene) – Dietrich made a splash when he finished on the New York state podium (6th) as a seventh grader at 152 pounds.  While he spent the following season recovering from an injury, his return as a freshman was stellar.  He cruised through the year with a 39-3 record, taking second at the Eastern States Classic and picking up runner up honors in Albany.  Those achievements were impressive, but he solidified his spot in the national spotlight with a fourth place showing at the FloNationals in the spring, including wins over state champions from Michigan, California and Ohio. Currently listed as the 10th best grappler in the land at 170 pounds by Flowrestling, Dietrich is also highly ranked in the Class of 2016.  Intermat has him #12 in the nation for sophomores, while Flo has him 15th.  He went up to 195 pounds recently for the Journeymen Classic and won the title there. For more on Dietrich, see this link.

#2 Kellen Devlin (Amherst) – A very impressive freshman year catapulted Devlin up the charts. In his second trip to the state tournament, he looked sharp, taking third at 120 pounds.  He went 5-1 with a pin, a tech fall and two major decisions while defeating multiple All-State wrestlers. And in his sole loss, he led eventual champion Trey Aslanian for most of the match before the current Princeton Tiger from Section 1 came back for a 4-3 victory. The bronze showing was a strong end of the season for Devlin, who sported a 46-3 mark with his only other losses coming to Division I runner up Steve Michel by one point.  He also made his mark nationally, taking second at the NHSCA Nationals in Virginia Beach (after earning third the year before at the same event).

#3 Jordan Torbitt (Whitney Point) – Torbitt has been a national champion two years in a row at the NHSCAs in Virginia Beach.  He captured the Middle School crown in 2012 and followed up with gold at the Freshman event this spring. The latter performance came after he earned All-State recognition in 2013 at 145 pounds, following a 39-2 regular season.  He split matches with New York State silver medalist Frank Garcia, defeating the Norwich standout 7-0 in early February.  In Albany, Torbitt was edged 5-4 in his opening contest, however, he rebounded with three consecutive wins in the consolations before injury defaulting his final two bouts to place sixth.

Photo by BV

#4 Chris Mauriello (Hauppauge) – Like Torbitt, Chris Mauriello collected national championships in Virginia Beach in 2012 and 2013.  (He defeated Kellen Devlin on the way to that first title). Ranked in Intermat’s Top 50 in the Class of 2016, Mauriello had a highly successful season at 132 pounds in ultra-competitive Suffolk County.  The state qualifier racked up 42 wins and four of his six losses were to top-five New York state medalists – (Matt Leshinger, Brandon Lapi, Vinny Turano and Marcus Popp).  He recently took fourth at the Journeymen Classic, defeating state runner up Justin Cooksey in the process.

#5 Dakota Gardner (Fredonia) – Already a two-time state placer, Gardner went from sixth in New York as a 120-pound eighth grader to runner up at 126 as a freshman.  In a 46-2 year, Gardner picked up 36 bonus point wins with his lone setbacks against fellow All-Stater Brandon Muntz of Falconer (now wrestling at Buffalo) and two-time champion William Koll.   He also took bronze at the NHSCA Nationals in 2012.

#6 Derek Spann (Adirondack) – Other than a late December loss to Wayne’s Jacob Yankloski, Spann had a perfect ninth grade year, going 45-1 and winning a state championship at 99 pounds.  He recorded 18 pins along the way. His tough mat wrestling was on display in the finals at the Times Union Center as he made up for an early deficit with strong top work to earn gold.

#7 Matteo DeVincenzo (Port Jefferson) – There was a lot of talk about the tough 99-pound bracket in Division I in Suffolk County, but the small school champion in Section 11 had a terrific year as well.  DeVincenzo went 35-2 and grabbed second place at the state tournament, with his only setbacks coming against Division I state finalist Vito Arujau and the previously mentioned Derek Spann.  DeVincenzo had some solid offseason results as well, including winning a bracket full of state placers at the NUWAY Nationals in New Jersey, and following up with first place at the Journeymen Classic in a talented field.

#8 John Arceri (Huntington) – Arceri came into the state tournament as the top seed at 99 pounds in Division I after winning a deep weight class at the Section 11 championships.  While he went 2-2 in Albany, Arceri proved himself to be among the best in New York with victories over a number of All-Staters during the campaign, including John Busiello (twice), Jesse Dellavecchia and Vinny Vespa. He also defeated Eastern States champion Chris Cuccolo.

#9 Leonard Merkin (Poly Prep) – As a private school wrestler, Merkin won’t be competing at the New York State tournament.  However, he looks to make noise again after winning the New York Prep title in 2013 at 132 pounds, defeating defending champion Thomas McLoughlin, before earning a victory at the National Preps. (He drew Joey McKenna of Blair, one of the top 10 wrestlers in the Class of 2014, in round one of that tournament). Merkin makes the list not only because of his folkstyle prowess, but also because of his work in the international styles.  He went unbeaten for Team New York at the Cadet National Duals in Freestyle and then earned All-American honors at the FILA Cadet Nationals in Greco.  Merkin just missed the podium at Fargo in both styles, but responded by winning all three of his bouts recently at the Journeymen Classic. [On the topic of international styles, another sophomore, Alexis Bleau of Schoharie, a 2012 New York state qualifier, placed second and fourth nationally in women’s freestyle at Fargo this summer and will no doubt continue to represent the Empire State well].

#10 Owen Bachelder (Hewlett) – Bachelder didn’t get the friendliest draw at the state tournament, first facing two-time finalist/2012 state champion Dylan Realbuto before squaring off with eventual fourth placer Jake Green of Chenango Forks at 126 pounds.  However, it was his run to a Nassau County title that really put him on the radar.  He caught fire at the Section 8 championships, going 5-0 with three pins, including wins over 2012 NHSCA Junior National champion Chris Araoz (currently in the midst of his freshman year at Columbia University) and Manhasset state qualifier Michael Fera, on the way to the crown.

The final few spots were discussed quite a bit and some other candidates are likely to have great campaigns as 10th graders as well.  New Hartford’s Kelan McKenna earned his first podium finish at the NYS tournament when he was sixth at 99 pounds in Division I.  The Section 3 standout missed time with an injury early on, however, he got into the swing of things as the campaign progressed to make the medal stand.  In his first round match in Albany, however, McKenna was topped 3-0 by Garrett Baugher (St. Joseph’s Collegiate), a wrestler who was dominant throughout the year, notching 40 wins (35 of which came by bonus points).  At the Times Union Center, Baugher led eventual third placer John Busiello [now at Wyoming Seminary] early on in the quarterfinals before he injury defaulted out of the event.  Those performances came after Baugher racked up more than 30 wins as an eighth grader for Royalton Hartland, taking third in Section 6 that year.  Baugher will be moving up in weight this year but will be someone to keep track of this season.  Also of note –  Theo Powers of Mexico, who picked up All-State accolades in 2013, registered quality wins this summer and will be formidable in the lightweights.

Who are some other sophomores to watch?

Well, there are additional wrestlers that placed at the state tournament last year: Ryan Hetrick of Southwestern (third at 99), Ryan O’Rourke of Adirondack (fourth at 106), Chris Cirigliano (sixth at 106) and Brad Bihler of Maple Grove (third at 106). [Bihler was defeated by Dunkirk’s Tito Colom three times a year ago and after an impressive performance at the Journeymen Classic, Colom is one to keep tabs on as well].

Another lightweight on the radar is Penfield’s Parker Kropman, who had a solid 34-8 year at 99 in 2012-13 with two of those losses out of state (at 106) and three more to eventual state champions (Yianni Diakomihalis and Derek Spann). Fellow Section 5 grappler Hunter Olena of East Rochester was the top seed in Division II at the Times Union Center at 99.  Peru’s Ethan Feazelle has twice won a match in Albany and is looking to put together a string of a few more victories this time around, as is Noah Kelvas who got his hand raised in 2013 in the state capital. We haven’t forgotten about Shenendehowa’s Kevin Parker, a former Section 2 champion, who had multiple victories over state qualifiers last season.

Aaron Paddock was a lightweight in 2011 when he placed 6th at 103.  After his amazing return to the mat, he won 40 matches all the way up at 170 pounds in 2012-13. Speaking of 170 pounds, Sonny McPherson of Indian River did well at that weight a year ago and was the only ninth grader to win a Division I Sectional title above 152 last season. He followed up with All-American honors in Virginia Beach — and he wasn’t the only one to make the podium there.

A pair of Suffolk grapplers were national finalists at the NHSCA event after registering over 30 wins in Section 11 in the upperweights as freshmen — Ward Melville’s Christian Araneo at 182 and John Glenn’s Edwin Rubio at 285.  Araneo also made the medal stand at the Eastern States Classic, notching eighth. And the talent in Suffolk isn’t limited to those wrestlers.  There are others to keep an eye on, including CJ Archer of Rocky Point, who won over 30 times as a ninth grader.

Other NHSCA All-Americans from the Class of 2016 at Virginia Beach were: Owen Albanese (Canastota, 220), Wil Hillard (Phoenix, 170), Ricardo Dawkins (General Brown, 182), Andrew McFarland (Carthage, 113), Anthony Argentieri (Kenmore West, 106) and Freddy Eckles (Lake Shore, 132).  Eckles had some stellar offseason results and will make some noise this year.

One final wrestler who commanded our attention as he looks to return to All-State form is Holland Patent’s Alex Herringshaw. Joining Dakota Gardner as the only other 2012 state placewinner on this list (6th at 99 pounds), the Golden Knight jumped up several weight classes during his freshman campaign.  Victorious in his first 20-plus bouts of 2012-2013 while competing predominantly at 126, when Herringshaw moved up even higher to the 132 pound class, he was met with mixed results, finishing the season with an overall record of 37-10. That included a runner up finish at the Section III tournament and a 1-2 record at the “Big Dance.”

We appreciate the additional names sent in after our freshman article.  Once again, this list isn’t all-inclusive.  There will always be some new faces who have breakout performances.  Feel free to send us more sophomores to look out for at newyorkwrestlingnews@gmail.com.

—————-

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 – too many to name, but they know who they are.

Jason Goldman Completes Veteran World Championships With Gold and Silver Medals

Posted on by
Reply

Now, you can call Jason Goldman a World Champion and a World Runner Up.  The former Binghamton All-American finished competition at the Veteran World Championships on Sunday, taking second place at 58 kg in Greco Roman.  He began the day with victories over Pierre Vierling of Germany and Abdulhamid Manafol of Azerbaijan before dropping the finals bout against France’s Grigori Buliga to pick up silver.

That performance came just a few days after Goldman captured a World title, going 3-0 in Freestyle at 58 kg.

For more on Goldman’s championship showing, see Goldman wins World Championship link.  To read more about Goldman and his preparation for the tournament, see this link.

World Champion! Jason Goldman Wins Veteran Freestyle Title in Sarajevo on Thursday

Posted on by
Reply

Jason Goldman said a few weeks ago that he was hoping to bring home two gold medals from the Veteran World Championships in Sarajevo (see article here).

He’s halfway there.

The former Binghamton All-American captured his first World title on Thursday at 58 kg in Freestyle after winning all three of his bouts, including victories over an opponent from Azerbaijan and two against competitors from Russia.

Goldman isn’t finished pursuing gold.  In a few days, he will take the mat again in Greco Roman, looking to carry more hardware back to New York.

Congratulations to Jason Goldman, World Champion!

Jason Goldman (center)

A New Start: Jamestown CC Brings in More Than 25 Recruits and Looks to Compete With the Best

Posted on by
1

When Rob Waddington was hired as the head coach at Jamestown Community College, he was very clear about the direction of the program.

“I told the Athletic Director when he hired me that because of where we sit between Sections 4, 5 and 6 in New York and Pennsylvania and Ohio, there’s no reason not be be in the top 10 in the nation.  Our first goal was to build a team and get some depth.  We’ve accomplished that.”

Indeed, it seems that first goal has been achieved. Waddington said that when he took the reins of the team in August of 2012, the squad had 13 wrestlers, 11 of whom were eligible.  As such, every dual meet started with a huge deficit, as Jamestown had to forfeit three weight classes.

But that shouldn’t be an issue this year as a large group of wrestlers has been brought into the fold.

“[Al Rossetti] did an outstanding job with recruiting this year,” Waddington said. “Most of the kids are here because of all the work he did, including finding out where they were wrestling, allowing us to watch them all wrestle.”

The recruiting efforts were concentrated in the Empire State, however, they weren’t limited to the New York borders.  A three-time top four finisher in North Carolina (Robbie Gladwell) will join the squad as will a solid competitor from Ohio (Ja’von Tolliver).  And of course, there are plenty of familiar names, including 2013 state placers Jake Nicholson and Austin Lynn.  (The full list of recruits is at the end of the article).

“It was definitely a goal to bring in a big group,” Waddington said. “30 was my number and we hit it. I thought we could get into Pennsylvania a little bit and it didn’t work out this year.  But we did well all over New York, including some kids from the city.”

During the process, Waddington said certain qualities were emphasized.

“We were looking for kids that were coming in for the education,” Waddington said. “I stress that without education, wrestling means nothing to you. We also were looking for the tough, hard working kids.  We asked the high school coaches who the hardest workers in the room were and that was important to us. We want the kids who want to compete and are willing to learn.”

So Jamestown will go from a squad that couldn’t field a full dual lineup last year to one that Waddington believes will be competitive throughout the season. Providing assistance will be Rossetti as well as Dylan Freedman and Ryan Guynup, who was a bright spot for the Jayhawks in 2012-13, falling one round short of being an All-American.

“We’re just getting started, but it’s a great room,” Waddington said. “It’s a really hard working bunch of kids.  We’re excited and they’re excited.”

They’ll have the chance to compete in a mixture of open tournaments and dual meets.  One of the early tests will be at the New York State Intercollegiates at Cornell in the first month of the season.

“That’s a great tournament to have in November,” Waddington said. “You can see where you’re at and what you need to work on.  If you can place there, you’re right there to be an All-American at the Junior College level.”

Waddington believes that All-Americans are possible with the new class coming in, but he’s not getting too far ahead of himself.

“Our region is really tough,” he said. “Last year was a great learning experience.  My goal is to make everyone in that room better.  I came in here because I felt as though I could bring in a team that’s competitive with the best Junior College teams.  We’ve brought in a lot of guys and we’re excited to see what happens this year.”

Jamestown CC – Freshmen (as provided by Jamestown staff)

125
Pat McCarthy – Fredonia, NY
Edwin Prada – Heritage HS, NYC
Tysean Wilson –  Bedford-Stuyvesant NYC

133
Jake Nicholson – Waterloo, NY 3rd States at 125
Sean Caruso – Shawsheen Valley, Mass

133/141
Kyle Mulcahy – Corinth, NY Sect 2 champ 145

141
Chris Broccoli – Massepequa, NY
Austin Schwab – Cassadaga, NY

149
Robbie Gladwell – Croatan, NC 4th, 3rd and 2nd states
Billy Sischo – Cassadaga, NY

157
Mike Southwick – Jamestown, NY
Nick Wagenbaugh – Schenectady, NY
Sean Labadie – Allegheny, NY
Chris Buroltz – Randolph, NY
Ben Narraway – Fredonia, NY

165
Ja’von Tolliver – Shaker Heights, Cleveland
Jerrel White – Schenectady, NY
Jimmy Carr – Randolph, NY
Matt Stebbins – Fredonia, NY

174/184
Austin Lynn – Frewsburg, NY 4th NYS
Bryan McCoy – Dunkirk, NY
Ryan Richter – Gowanda, NY
John Piazza – Williamson, NY

197
Greg Burroughs – Fredonia, NY 5th NYS (2011)
Emanual Zamora – Schenectady, NY

285
Javen Newman – Falconer, NY
Jared Hallberg – Maple Grove, NY