Monthly Archives: November 2013

Weekend Recap: News and Notes from Brockport, the NYAC International, Hofstra's Trip to Virginia and Much More

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The following is some of the action that took place this weekend involving New York teams.  It was a busy weekend inside the Empire State borders, with events such as the Brockport/Oklahoma Invitational, the Jonathan Kaloust Bearcat Open, the NYAC Holiday International and the Ithaca Invitational.  And it was also action-packed outside the state, as several New York teams took the mat elsewhere, including Virginia and Michigan.

The recap for the Jonathan Kaloust Bearcat Open is here.

Brockport/Oklahoma Invitational: Tompkins Wins for Army; NCAA Champion Kendric Maple Upset

For the 15th consecutive year, Oklahoma took the title at the Brockport/Oklahoma Invitational.  The Sooners won on the strength of six champions.  However, perhaps the biggest story for the Big 12 school was one of the first big upsets of the college wrestling season.  2013 NCAA champion Kendric Maple was defeated 5-3 in overtime in the 149-pound title bout by Bloomsburg’s Bryce Busler.

Busler, named the event’s Outstanding Wrestler, was one of two titlewinners for the Huskies.  Several of his teammates finished high on the medal stand Saturday, including three who did their high school wrestling in New York.  Josh Veltre won the 165-pound bracket, while Greene graduate Nick Wilcox was second at 133 and Monsignor Farrell’s Kevin Hartnett notched third at 157.

The New York teams at the event — Army, Buffalo and Brockport — finished third, fourth and sixth overall.  The Black Knights were led by 184-pound champion Ryan Tompkins as well as second placers Paul Hancock (157) and Brian Harvey (174) and bronze medalists Logan Everett (133) and Chandler Smith (165).  Meanwhile, Buffalo received solid performances from Nick Flannery and Tony Lock (second at 141 and 184, respectively) as well as Max Soria (third at 125).  The host squad from Brockport had four placers, led by Cole Tristram, who was fourth at heavyweight.

 

Simaz, Francois and Burkert Take Third, Perrelli Grabs Fourth at the NYAC Holiday International

There was more than just folkstyle competition in New York this weekend.  Wrestlers from around the world came to take the mat at the 2013 NYAC Holiday International tournament.

Simaz, Photo by BV

On Saturday, a pair of former Cornell stars made the top four at the event.  Cam Simaz capped off a 4-1 day with an 8-1 victory over Jack Jensen for bronze at 96 kg.  Simaz recorded a fall and his other three wins were all by at least a seven-point margin.  Frank Perrelli lost his first contest to eventual champion Samat Nadyrbek Uulu from Kyrgyzstan, but rebounded with four straight consolation victories over tough foes before dropping the third place bout to Kyle Hutter.  On his winning streak, he topped Mark McKnight, Zach Sanders, Steven Takahashi and Olympian Sam Hazewinkel.

At 84 kg, Army assistant coach Enock Francois earned bronze with a 3-1 record.  His only loss came against the champion, Raymond Jordan.  He outscored his opponents 16-2 in his three victories.

On the first day of action on Friday, Long Island native Jenna Burkert notched third at 63 kg in women’s freestyle competition after going 5-1.  She lost to the first place finisher Yurika Itou in round two, but then finished strong with two falls and two 8-0 wins on the backside.

 

Hofstra Splits Four Duals in Virginia; Ends on a High Note With a Win Over #22 North Carolina

There was quite a bit of action within the New York borders, however, some New York squads went elsewhere over the weekend, including Hofstra.

Vaith, Photo by BV

The Pride traveled to Virginia, where they began with a dual on Friday against nationally-ranked Virginia Tech.  Freshman Jamel Hudson (133), Nick Terdick (157) and Joe Booth (165) all won, however, the Hokies came out on top 28-9.

On Sunday, Hofstra resumed action with a trio of meets.  While Luke Vaith (141) and Dwight Howes (184) picked up major decisions in the opener against Tennessee-Chattanooga, the Mocs captured a 19-14 victory.

The Pride turned things around in a big way in their next competition, besting VMI, 43-3.  The first eight wrestlers in the lineup scored bonus points for head coach Rob Anspach’s squad, giving the team its first dual triumph of the season.

And the momentum continued later in the day, when Hofstra improved to 2-3 for the year with a 25-15 win over #22 North Carolina.  After falling behind 3-0, Hudson tied things up with an overtime victory and then Vaith followed with an extra session win of his own – over #5 Evan Henderson, to put Hofstra in the lead for good.

The Pride returns to the mat next weekend at #5 Oklahoma.

 

Matt Bystol Takes Second, Josh Houldsworth Nabs Third for Columbia at the Michigan State Open; Zach Hernandez Wins the Freshman/Sophomore Division

While Hofstra went South, much of Columbia’s roster traveled to the Wolverine State for the Michigan State Open.  In the Open division, Matt Bystol went to the finals at 141, taking second behind Zach Horan of Central Michigan with a 4-1 mark on the day. Fellow NCAA qualifier Josh Houldsworth also had a strong performance, nabbing third at 165.

Also losing just once at the event was freshman Markus Schiedel, who had a strong debut at 157, taking fifth (only semifinal losers can enter the third place match at the event).  In his last bout, Schiedel beat Edinboro’s Johnny Greisheimer, a nationally ranked opponent (and Wantagh native) by a point.  Another New York high school wrestler, Ernest James of Edinboro, was fifth at heavyweight.

The Michigan State Open also offers a Freshman/Sophomore division and Columbia grapplers saw success there as well, including a championship showing by 184-pounder Zach Hernandez.  He was joined on the podium by a pair of 141 pounders – Ryan Murdock (second) and Matt Leshinger (fourth) as well as fifth placers Britain Carter (125) and Troy Hembury (184).  In addition, Frewsburg High School graduate Nick Mitchell (Edinboro) was the runner up at 174.

 

Also in Michigan . . .

Speaking of Michigan, Jamestown Community College and Niagara CCC traveled there as well.  Jamestown swept a pair of duals on Friday night over Triton (Illinois) and Mott (Michigan), led by Mike Southwick, Austin Lynn, Jake Nicholson, Pat McCarthy and Kevin Mulcahy, who each won twice. At the Ben McMullen Open in Muskegon, Niagara featured a number of placers, including champions Kevin Strong and El Shaddai Van Hoesen (285). Tyler Bruce grabbed second, Eric Velez was third and a trio of grapplers – Jude Gardner, Max Antone and Shane Currey, were fourth.

 

Bombers Win The Ithaca Invitational With Five Champions

Ithaca started the season off strong at home, capturing first in the standings with five champions at the Ithaca Invitational.  Earning first for the host squad were Alex Gomez (133), Dominick Giacolone (141), Kris Schimek (165), Carlos Toribio (174) and Mathew Booth (197). Both Gomez and Giacolone are currently nationally ranked while Schimek was an All-American last season for Niagara County Community College. Freshmen Toribio and Booth were both All-State wrestlers in high school in 2013 – Toribio a state champion for Brentwood and Booth a third place finisher for Cattaraugus Little Valley.

Last year’s team champion, Johnson & Wales, nabbed second with a pair of titlewinners –  Everet Desilets (157) and Colin Lenhardt (184), while Springfield was third with Tom Casper (125) and Irakli Kakauridze (285) capturing their brackets.  Former PSAL wrestler Abubakarr Sow of Oswego won the 149 pound class.

NYU took fourth, while Oswego (fifth), Alfred State (seventh) and Sullivan (eighth) also competed.

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For full results from the Jonathan Kaloust Bearcat Open, Brockport/Oklahoma Invitational, NYAC Holiday International, Michigan State Open and Ithaca Invitational, see http://www.trackwrestling.com and search for those tournament names.

To report results, e-mail newyorkwrestlingnews@gmail.com

 

Burkert Takes Third at the NYAC Holiday Invitational; Results from Day 1

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The NYAC Holiday International began on Friday, with action in Greco Roman and Women’s Freestyle.  Long Island native Jenna Burkert took third place at 63 kg.

The results from Day 1 are below.  Saturday will feature the Men’s Freestyle competition.  The brackets include wrestlers with New York ties such as Cornell graduates Frank Perrelli and Cam Simaz and current assistant coaches at Army (Enock Francois) and Hofstra (Dan Vallimont).  In addition, wrestlers who competed in high school on Long Island – Brandon Escobar and Steven Keith –  are listed.

 

GR – 55 KG
1st Place – Spenser Mango of Army (WCAP)
2nd Place – Seunghak Kim of Korea
3rd Place – Tsuyoshi Yoshida of Japan
4th Place – Nate Engel of Army (WCAP)

GR – 60 KG
1st Place – Joseph Betterman of Army (WCAP)
2nd Place – Hokil Kim of Korea
3rd Place – Hayanobu Shimizu of Japan
4th Place – German Diaz of Puerto Rico

GR – 66 KG
1st Place – Takeshi Izumi of Japan
2nd Place – Thrasher Porcher of USOEC
3rd Place – Marco Lara of Army (WCAP)
4th Place – Devin Scott of minnesota storm

GR – 74 KG
1st Place – Andrew Bisek of minnesota storm
2nd Place – Neulpuleunsan Jeon of Korea
3rd Place – Tanner Andrews of NYAC/USOEC
4th Place – Kangseok Oh of Korea

GR – 84 KG
1st Place – Ben Provisor of NYAC
2nd Place – Josef Rau of minnesota storm
3rd Place – Ryou Itou of Japan
4th Place – Mark Stenberg of NYAC/USOEC

GR – 96 KG
1st Place – Kevin Mejia Castillo of Honduras
2nd Place – Pete (Panagiotys) Gounaridis of Army (WCAP)
3rd Place – Davi Jose Albino of CBLA
4th Place – Ruslan Mukhamadiyarov of Russia

GR – 120 KG
1st Place – Robert Smith of NYAC/USOEC
2nd Place – Erik Nye of Army (WCAP)
3rd Place – Jarod Trice of Titan Mercury Wrestling Club
4th Place – Parker Betts of minnesota storm

WM FS – 48 KG
1st Place – Yuki Irie of Japan
2nd Place – Jasmine Mian of Canada Dinos
3rd Place – Victoria Anthony of Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club
4th Place – Genevieve Morrison of Canada Dinos

WM FS – 51 KG
1st Place – Vanessa Brown of Canada Dinos
2nd Place – Jessica MacDonald of Brock WC
3rd Place – Arisa Tanaka of Japan
4th Place – Katherine Fulp-allen of NYAC/USOEC

WM FS – 55 KG
1st Place – Sarah Hildebrandt of King
2nd Place – Yuuki Ikegame of Japan
3rd Place – Samanta Stewart of Canada Black Bears
4th Place – Brianne Barry of Canada London-Western

WM FS – 59 KG
1st Place – Alli Ragan of NYAC/King College
2nd Place – Michelle Fazzari of Brock WC
3rd Place – Jazmyne Barker of Canada Dinos
4th Place – Joice Souza Da Silva of Brazil

WM FS – 63 KG
1st Place – Yurika Itou of Japan
2nd Place – Amanda Hendey of Titan Mercury Wrestling Club
3rd Place – Jenna Burkert of NYAC/USOEC
4th Place – Dailane Gomes Dos Reis of Brazil

WM FS – 67 KG
1st Place – Dorothy Yeats of Canada QWA
2nd Place – Randi Miller of Army (WCAP)
3rd Place – Erin Clodgo of Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club
4th Place – Jackie Cataline of Titan Mercury Wrestling Club

WM FS – 72 KG
1st Place – Hiroe Suzuki of Japan
2nd Place – Adeline Gray of NYAC/USOEC
3rd Place – Erica Wiebe of Canada Dinos
4th Place – Aline Da Silva Ferreira of Brazil
5th Place – Shana Prifte of Lindenwood Belleville

Weekend Preview: Looking at the Binghamton Open, Brockport/Oklahoma Invitational and More

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Top notch wrestling in the Empire State kicked off on Friday with the 2013 NYAC Holiday Invitational.  But that high level Freestyle and Greco event is just the start of great action in many parts of New York this weekend.

As the college season continues to ramp up, Binghamton welcomes nearly 400 wrestlers, including close to the full rosters from two of the nation’s best squads – Penn State and Cornell – for Sunday’s Jonathan Kaloust Bearcat Open. Meanwhile, Empire State teams such as Army and Buffalo will compete at Brockport, along with #5 Oklahoma and others.  In addition, Ithaca College will host the always tough Ithaca Invitational.

Let’s take a look at the Binghamton Open in more detail.

125 Pounds:

The Frontrunners: Nahshon Garrett made his Cornell debut last season at this event and made a splash right off the bat, winning the title. This year, Garrett, currently ranked third in the country, could face #2 Nico Megaludis of Penn State.  Those wrestlers met at the Southern Scuffle last season, with Megaludis picking up a 3-1 decision.

Who else will look to challenge? Bricker Dixon of the Big Red was fourth at this tournament last year, while the Binghamton duo of David White and Mike Sardo will look for some big wins at home.

New York Note: Welcome to college wrestling! A number of recent New York high school stars are scheduled to compete as freshmen this weekend, including state champions Kyle Kelly (Chenango Forks, Binghamton) and Trey Aslanian (Edgemont, Princeton) as well finalist Cheick Ndiaye (Brooklyn International, Finger Lakes Wrestling Club).  In addition, Jacob Green (Chenango Forks, Cortland), Lewis Yablans (Jericho, Boston), Mike Parise (Brewster, Maryland) and Mat Bradice (William Floyd, Cortland) are some of the other recent Empire State graduates in the field. (Sean McCabe of Rutgers, a redshirt freshman from Connetquot and Nassau Community College transfer John Pellegrino of West Virginia will also take the mat in this class).

133 Pounds: 

The Frontrunners: In 2012, the Bearcat Open featured a number of young, talented wrestlers at 133. Lehigh’s Mason Beckman came out on top, defeating Mark Grey for the title. (Grey, now a freshman at Cornell ranked #8 nationally, rebounded to beat Beckman in their other two meetings last year).  Nabbing third in 2012 was Penn State’s Jimmy Gulibon, while 2013 EIWA champion Randy Cruz was sixth.

Grey and Gulibon could be headed for another battle after two overtime matches last season (won by the Nittany Lion). They will be joined by several other contenders, such as Maryland’s Geoff Alexander (ranked 16th nationally) and NCAA qualifiers Dane Harlowe of Boston, Jordan Conaway of Penn State and Nathan Pennesi of West Virginia. In addition, two of last year’s Bearcat Open placers at 125, Harvard’s Jeff Ott and Lock Haven’s Bobby Rehm, will compete in this class.

New York Note: Like at 125, a number of accomplished members of the New York high school class of 2013 are scheduled to take the mat, including state champions Nick Tighe (Phoenix, Binghamton), TJ Fabian (Shoreham Wading River, Sacred Heart) and Dylan Realbuto (Somers, Finger Lakes Wrestling Club) as well as NYS placer Robert Person (Bellmore-JFK, Binghamton).

141 Pounds:

The Frontrunners: The field includes two-time All-American Mike Nevinger as well as last year’s Bearcat Open third place finisher Dan Neff of Lock Haven. They are at #6 and #16 nationally, respectively.  This weight also offers some highly regarded young talent such as Penn State’s Zain Retherford and Rutgers true freshmen Anthony Ashnault, Tyson Dippery and Corey Stasenko. Their Scarlet Knight teammate Ken Theobold was sixth in Binghamton a year ago and is registered at this weight. In addition, Princeton NCAA qualifier Adam Krop makes his return after missing last season. West Virginia’s Colin Johnston is someone to keep an eye on, as is Division III All-American Brian Bistis of Cortland.

New York Note: The battle for the 141-pound starting job for Binghamton could continue with Dylan Caruana, Dylan Cohen and Brian Conrad all in the field. In addition, former Lansing High teammates Connor Lapresi (Bucknell) and Corey Dake (Cornell) will see college action close to home, while NYC wrestler CJ Rodriguez takes the mat for the FLWC.

149 Pounds:

The Frontrunners: Joe Bonaldi of Binghamton made waves at this event in 2012 when he captured the 141 pound class, beginning with an upset of Nevinger in round one.  After missing most of last season, he’s back and looking to make an impact at 149. Who will be the contenders at this weight, along with Bonaldi? Cornell’s Chris Villalonga, Penn State’s James English, Harvard’s Todd Preston and last year’s Bearcat Open runner up Mac Maldarelli of Lock Haven are some possibilities.  Also, watch out for Cortland’s Bobby Dierna, the bronze medalist at the Division III championships in 2012.

New York Note: Former Section II wrestler Brendan Goldup will make his first college appearance for Sacred Heart.

157 Pounds:

The Frontrunners: Last year, Brian Realbuto captured the Bearcat Open title in a class that included 2013 All-Star Classic participant Nestor Taffur of Boston, two-time All-American Walter Peppelman of Harvard and Penn State’s James Vollrath, among others.  Now a Cornell freshman, Realbuto will look for a repeat performance.  Looking to stand in his way could be wrestlers such as Taffur and Vollrath as well Anthony Perrotti of Rutgers.

New York Note: Another set of 2013 New York State champions will see their first college action in Binghamton.  Half Hollow Hills West’s Tyler Grimaldi will take the mat for Harvard, while Unatego’s Kevin Thayer will do the same for Alfred State.  Also competing is freshman Brendan Dent (Cortland), who was All-State last season for Connetquot.

165 Pounds:

The Frontrunners: The heavy favorite will be Penn State’s David Taylor.  Who might the three-time NCAA finalist face? Boston’s Mitch Wightman was a placer at this event last year, as was Cornell’s Marshall Peppelman (at 174).  Nick Visicaro of Rutgers, Jake Kemerer of Lock Haven, Dylan Palacio and Craig Eifert of Cornell, Vincent Grella of Binghamton and Harvard’s Devon Gobbo are some others to watch.

New York Note: After winning FILA Juniors in the spring, the previously mentioned Palacio will take the mat for the Big Red for the first time.  Meanwhile, multi-time NYS placer and Peru graduate Troy Seymour is scheduled to wrestle, representing Wyoming Seminary.

174 Pounds:

The Frontrunners: Like at 165, an NCAA finalist headlines the weight. In this case, it’s Penn State’s Matt Brown. A year ago, Cornell’s Duke Pickett placed at the Bearcat Open.  He’s in competition for the Big Red starting role with Owen Scott and Jesse Shanaman, who are registered to compete as are Binghamton’s John Paris and Jack McKeever, EIWA placer Ryan Callahan of Princeton, Division III All-American Lou Puca of Cortland and highly regarded rookie Eric Morris of Harvard.

New York Note: Two-time state champion Zack Zupan of Canastota will see his initial college competition in his redshirt year.

184 Pounds:

The Frontrunners: Nittany Lion Ed Ruth is coming off a totally dominant campaign and a second straight NCAA championship.  He didn’t wrestle at the All-Star Classic last weekend, but is signed up for Sunday.  Gabe Dean returns as a Big Red freshman after taking fourth at this tournament for the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club in 2012.  Caleb Wallace of the Bearcats, Lock Haven’s Fred Garcia and Dan Seidenberg of Rutgers will be in the mix.

New York Note: There are a number of New York wrestlers competing in their home state in their first year of college wrestling. They include Cortland teammates Jagger Rebozo (Half Hollow Hills West) and 2012 state champ Nick Bellanza (John Glenn) as well as Tom Filipkowski (Mattituck, Sacred Heart). McZiggy Richards is also taking the mat for the FLWC.

197 Pounds:

The Frontrunners:

Morgan McIntosh of Penn State (third) and Jace Bennett of Cornell (sixth) return after placing at least season’s Bearcat Open.  Both are ranked nationally. Look for two-time NCAA qualifier Cody Reed of Binghamton to also contend.

New York Note: Division III All-American Joe Giaramita is one to watch, as is the debut of Cornell’s Steve Congenie, a highly regarded freshman who missed last season with injuries.

285 Pounds:

The Frontrunners:

A trio of nationally-ranked wrestlers are set to compete on Sunday – Billy Smith of Rutgers, Jimmy Lawson of Penn State and Kevin Innis of Boston.

Several other notables to track include NCAA qualifiers Riley Shaw of Cleveland State, Jacob Kettler of George Mason and Stryker Lane of Cornell as well as Binghamton’s Tyler Deuel, Cornell’s Craig Scott and Jacob Aiken-Phillips, Harvard’s David Ng and Nick Gajdzik and West Virginia’s AJ Vizcarrondo.

New York Note: Long Island natives Dan Hayden (East Islip) and Nick Lupi (Huntington) will take the mat for Sacred Heart in their first college action.  In addition, Cornell’s Craig Scott earned second at this event last year – at 184.  He has put on significant weight and will make his heavyweight debut.

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A few hours away from Binghamton, the Brockport/Oklahoma Invitational will take place on Saturday.  Last year, the event included the host school plus American, Army, Buffalo, Maryland and Oklahoma.  With the exception of the Terrapins, those teams are expected back and Bloomsburg will be joining the field.  Returning champions from the 2012 version of the event are:

Cody Brewer, Oklahoma (133)

Kendric Maple, Oklahoma (141, now at 149)

Nick Lester, Oklahoma (149, now at 141)

Blake Herrin, American (285)

Army is off to a 2-0 start after dual victories over Franklin & Marshall and Stevens Tech.  This tournament will be the first action for Buffalo under new head coach John Stutzman.

Check back for updates and results from these events.  Results from the NYAC Holiday Invitational and other events will also be posted.

2013-14 Section 10 Preview: After Crowning Two State Champs in 2012, Who Will Challenge in Albany This Season?

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Last year, we previewed each Section prior to the start of the high school season.  We began with Section III earlier this week.  Now, here’s a look at Section 10.

Only one school in New York had multiple state champions at the Times Union Center in February.  It was Section 10’s Gouverneur, which saw a pair of seniors – Dillon Stowell (113) and Hunter Ayen (195) – win it all in Albany to end their high school careers on top.

“It was awesome,” said Gouverneur coach Joel Baer.  “It took a while after the season was over to even digest it and believe it.  It was wild, with one champion in the lightweights and one on the other end.  For Dillon [Stowell], it was his fourth time placing. He came into the year expecting to be a state champ.  Hunter [Ayen] seemed to come out of nowhere and surprised a lot of people.  We expected he would do really well this year but he wasn’t as well known around the state. He’s someone that didn’t even have 100 career matches – forget about 100 wins. His body matured later – he grew four or five inches later on and the next thing you knew – wow.”

‘Wow’ described Ayen’s state tournament performance.  He pinned his first three opponents, but then fell behind 6-0 in the championship match against returning finalist Bryce Mazurowski of Avon.  He stormed back, however, to capture a 9-6 decision.

“I’ll never forget his comeback,” Baer said. “To fall behind 6-0 and look like you’re out of the match and come back the way he did was crazy.  I thought he had the pin and four matches and four falls at the state tournament would have been amazing, but Hunter told me he was happy to win the way he did.”

Another Ayen, Hunter’s cousin Zach, will look to follow up with a memorable senior year of his own.  Zach Ayen is no stranger to the medal stand – he took fifth in Albany in 2012.  Last season, he competed at the Times Union Center at 132 pounds.

“Zach has definitely put in the time,” Baer said. “This is his last go round and he saw what the others had to endure and put in to become champions.  He did lots of freestyle in the spring and early summer and did a lot of lifting. He won some matches in Virginia Beach. I definitely think he has the potential to place again. He had two heartbreaking losses at the state tournament, in the first round to the kid who went on to take third.  He knows he’s not far away and he’s capable of having a great last year.”

Lapiene, courtesy of Dylan Morrison/North Country Sports

Ayen isn’t the only Section 10 wrestler with All-State accolades.  Ogdensburg Free Academy’s Tanner Lapiene earned fourth at 99 pounds as an eighth grader with a strong showing in the state capital.  He began with a 14-0 major in his opening bout before upsetting the bracket’s top seed, Hunter Olena of East Rochester, by a 3-1 score.  After being edged by Port Jefferson’s Matteo Devincenzo in the semifinals, he bounced back to grab fourth.

According to Baer, Lapiene will be a contender again as a freshman, although most likely at either 106 or 113.

“Tanner will be right there,” Baer said. “He has a unique style of wrestling.  He’s a grinder, with really good hips and he likes to scramble and get funky. He’s a tough kid.”

According to Baer, Lapiene was the first Ogdensburg Free Academy wrestler to ever place at the state tournament.  Baer added that one of Lapiene’s training partners, Brody Sheppard “has a lot of potential” and is someone to watch this year.

Sheppard qualified for the state tournament last season at 106 pounds as a seventh grader.  Those two lightweights will be joined by three other returning Section champions for Ogdensburg– Josh Wangler, Alex Cole and Cody-Allen David.

So while Gouverneur has been the team to beat in the Section in Division II, Baer believes things could be interesting when the squads collide in 2013-14.

“I think we’ll probably be the favorite,” he said of his team. “But [Ogdensburg] has a bunch of guys that we probably won’t beat and it may come down to who gets pinned.  I expect it to be a competitive dual – the most competitive dual we have in the Section.”

Other than Ayen, who will win a lot of matches for Gouverneur this year?  Joey Love, Aaron Bush and Mike Mandigo all went to the state tournament a year ago.

“We’ve had some success and we’re hoping to bring our kids along to keep improving,” Baer said.  “As a Section we were pretty happy to place where we did last year, scoring 69 points.  We don’t have numbers, so it was pretty neat for us.  We’re hoping to get some more people on the podium this year again.”

Division I

There will certainly be experience back in Division I this year.  12 of the 15 wrestlers who represented Section 10 at the state tournament in 2013 are scheduled to return.  Who can break through for some victories and a shot at a medal?

One wrestler to certainly keep tabs on is Massena’s Nathan Marshall, who did not compete a year ago, as he was abroad.  In 2011-12, however, he went 29-3 at 106 pounds, including a major decision at the Times Union Center.

“[Marshall] wrestled with us at the 1000 Islands Duals in August and he looked good,” Baer said. “He said when he was in Brazil he didn’t wrestle at all, but he looked pretty tough for his first time on the mat in a while.  He may be a 113-pound senior and he could wrestle his way onto the podium.  I know that’s his goal.”

Terrance, Courtesy of Dylan Morrison/North Country Sports

Marshall is unlikely to be the only Massena wrestler to challenge in Albany.  In fact, seven other returning grapplers from that school wore the Section 10 singlet at the state event in 2013.  One of them, heavyweight Nolan Terrance, is one to watch.  He saw success in the offseason with second place showings in both Freestyle and Greco at the New York State tournament in May.

“[Terrance] has wrestled everywhere,” Baer said. “He was at Fargo, up in Canada at the Canadian Games – all over.  He did a lot of freestyle and Greco and wrestled non-stop.  He’s a big kid and he definitely had a good offseason.”

Also having a good offseason was Malone’s Jamiel Stapleton, a multi-time New York qualifier.

“[Stapleton] had a great summer,” Baer said. “He got better and better.  He went to wrestling camps and to dual tournaments and he beat some good kids. He’s tough.”

Another wrestler who comes back with over 20 wins and more than one trip to Albany is Canton’s Ryan Brown.  The lightweight has beaten Lapiene in the past (although Lapiene came out on top three out of four times last season). Could this be the breakthrough season for Brown?

“If he can get certified for one of the lightest weights, he’ll be hard to handle,” Baer said. “He’s good, but he’s always been too light. Now, he’s gotten taller and filled out.  He’s older and has more confidence.  He could do very well.”

With the significant number of returning Section champions, Massena appears to have the upper hand in the team race.

Thank you to the contributors to this article, especially coach Joel Baer.

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A year after boasting two state champions, can wrestlers from Section 10 do it again?  We’ll have to wait until 2014 to find out, but here are the grapplers returning with 2013 Albany experience.

Division I

Returning Qualifiers from 2013

Ryan Brown, Canton 99

Michael Brown, Massena 106

Skyler Cameron, Massena 113

Konner German, Massena 120

Austin Learned, Malone 126

Jamiel Stapleton, Malone 145

Hunter Perrine, Massena 152

Jared Cascanette, Canton 160

Nate Moose, Canton 170

Joseph Ferrera, Massena 182

Jeremy Malone, Massena 195

Nolan Terrance, Massena 285


Division II

Returning Placer from 2013

Tanner Lapiene, Ogdensburg Free Academy 99, 4th

Returning Qualifiers from 2013

Brody Sheppard, Ogdensburg Free Academy, 106

Aaron Bush, Gouverneur, 120

Josh Wangler, Ogdensburg Free Academy, 126

Zach Ayen, Gouverneur, 132

Joey Love, Gouverneur, 138

Cody-Allen David, Ogdensburg Free Academy, 160

Alex Cole, Ogdensburg Free Academy, 182

Mike Mandigo, Gouverneur, 220


 

Destination, Buffalo: Shaker's Blake Retell Picks the Bulls

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Wrestling has taken Shaker’s Blake Retell to numerous places in the United States.  This summer, the sport took him even further, as he traveled to Italy and Austria with the Journeymen Wrestling Club.

Now, wrestling will lead Retell to another location – Buffalo – as the three-time state qualifier committed to head coach John Stutzman and the Bulls.

“I really liked Coach Stutzman and his philosophy on the program,” Retell said. “I like the style of wrestling and what it leads to. The campus was really nice and so was the wrestling room.”

Photo courtesy of the Retell family

Retell, who projects to wrestle at 133 pounds in college, has been around wrestling rooms since first grade, when he first ventured into the sport.  He said he joined Journeymen while in elementary school and spends two to three days per week at the club year round.

“Every day I can go there, I go,” he said.  “I’ve been able to learn from some of the best coaches and wrestlers in the world.  It’s really made me a better wrestler, especially technique-wise.”

A few years after starting club wrestling, Retell began his career at Shaker High, where he competed at 96 pounds as a seventh grader.

“My high school coach Dan Gibson picked me up in the mornings and really pushed me when I first started on varsity,” Retell said. “He got me mentally better, in shape and stronger.”

It showed as he piled up victories.  In his eighth and ninth grade years, Retell combined to win over 80 matches with just eight losses at 103 and 112 pounds, respectively. Both times, he qualified for the state tournament and won a match.

It looked like he was headed for the Times Union Center to compete again as a sophomore at 120 pounds before his season was cut short.

“I broke my hand the week before the qualifiers,” Retell said. “I went to the state tournament and watched a little, but it was so tough to watch because I couldn’t wrestle.”

He bounced back with another strong campaign as a junior, notching over 40 wins at 120.  He nabbed seventh at the Eastern States Classic in January, pinning eventual Division II state champion Trey Aslanian of Edgemont and topping All-State grappler Santo Curatolo of Tottenville.

In his third trip to the NYS championships this past February, Retell recorded a pair of pins and fell one win shy of making the podium.

“I felt like I should have wrestled better,” he said. “I messed up a couple of times. Not big mistakes, but little mistakes that cost me matches.”

A few weeks later, Retell again advanced to the placement round at a big event, this time the NHSCA Junior Nationals in Virginia Beach, where he went 4-2 at 126 pounds, just missing All-America status.

The Section 2 competitor was far from done, however. He finished in the top three in both Freestyle and Greco at the New York States in May, wrestled against European grapplers on the July trip with his club and also competed at the Iron Horse Invitational.

But after his journeys, Retell said there’s only place he’s interested in being on the first day of March – the Times Union Center.

“This year, I’m looking to win a state championship,” he said, noting that he’s currently targeting 126 pounds but may be at 132. “It’s all about how you end.”

He hopes to end high on the podium in the state capital.  And after that and all his travels, his destination will be Buffalo.

Army Moves to 2-0 With Home Victory Over Stevens Tech

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Army got off to a 2-0 start with a 30-6 victory over Stevens Tech at home on Wednesday night.  The Black Knights won eight of the 10 matches, including bonus points in five of their wins. The squad will return to the mat this weekend at the Oklahoma Gold event at Brockport.

Army 30, Stevens Tech 6
125: Hunter Wood (Army) maj Rob Murray, 23-10
133: Logan Everett (Army) maj Ryan Wilson, 18-7
141: Tyler Rauenzahn (Army) maj Ricky Perrine, 19-8
149: Mike Polizzi dec Ryan Bilyeu (Army), 11-9
157: Paul Hancock (Army) maj Leo Wortman, 18-8
165: Chandler Smith (Army) dec Colin Navickas, 12-5
174: Alex Smith (Army) dec Ryan Dormann, 5-2
184: Ryan Tompkins (Army) dec Damian Murberg, 5-3
197: Bryce Barnes (Army) tech fall Alex Moreno, 20-4 (6:13)
285: Chris Florek dec David Farr (Army), 5-1

Who's #1? Yianni Diakomihalis Ascends to the Top of the National Rankings at 106; 10 NYers Included in the Polls

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Diakomihalis, Photo by BV

It may not be a surprise after he captured the Super 32 Challenge title in a loaded field.  But on Wednesday, it became official.  Hilton’s Yianni Diakomihalis is the top ranked wrestler in the country at 106 pounds (according to FloWrestling).

Diakomihalis defeated the now-#2 grappler, Gage Curry of Pennsylvania, in the championship match in Greensboro, North Carolina and also beat current #3, Tyler Warner of Ohio, by a 14-3 score in the semifinals at the Super 32.  He’ll look to capture his second consecutive New York state crown in 2013-14 after winning gold at 99 pounds as an eighth grader last year.

Diakomihalis is one of 10 Empire State wrestlers in the rankings, including six others in the top 10 at their respective weights. Here’s the list of New Yorkers:

Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton, Freshman, Section 5) – 1st at 106

Nick Piccininni (Ward Melville, Junior, Section 11) – 6th at 120

Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (Cheektowaga, Senior, Section 6) – 5th at 138

Tristan Rifanburg (Norwich, Junior, Section 4) – 20th at 138

Louis Hernandez (Mepham, Senior, Section 8 ) – 6th at 152

Corey Rasheed (Longwood, Senior, Section 11) – 8th at 160

Burke Paddock (Warsaw, Senior, Section 5) – 9th at 160

Christian Dietrich (Greene, Sophomore, Section 4) – 14th at 182

Rich Sisti (Monsignor Farrell, Senior, CHSAA) – 15th at 220

James O’Hagan (Seaford, Senior, Section 8 ) – 8th at 285

Section III Preview: State Champion Derek Spann and Runner Up Danny Fox Among the Title Contenders in 2013-14

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Last year, New York Wrestling News previewed each Section prior to the start of the high school season.  To kick things off this fall, here’s a look at Section 3.

Special thanks to John Drew of  cnywrestling.com for his significant contributions to this article.

For the past two years, Nick Tighe of Phoenix, Zack Zupan of Canastota and Shayne Brady of Carthage have represented Section III in the finals at the state tournament. Tighe won three New York State championships, while Zupan added two and Brady one.  Now, with all three on rosters at Division I schools, who will be next to represent Section III on Saturday night at the Times Union Center?

Spann, Photo courtesy of cnywrestling.com

You don’t have to look far in Division II, as a pair of finalists return (champion Derek Spann of Adirondack and runner up Danny Fox of Dolgeville), in addition to numerous other medalists.  In Division I, New Hartford’s Kelan McKenna is back after earning All-State honors for the first time.  Let’s take a glance and see what Section III has to offer for 2013-14.

Division I

Seniors to Watch

Ben Honis of Jamesville-Dewitt picked up a bevy of quality victories last season at 195 pounds after making a name for himself nationally with All-America honors at Fargo in the summer of 2012.  Honis brought a 39-3 mark into the state tournament after defeating eventual Division II state champion Hunter Ayen and returning placer Tyler Smith during the season.  He also took third at the prestigious Eastern States Classic. However, he suffered an injury while capturing gold at the Section III championships and as the number three seed, dropped his first bout in Albany to eventual runner up Levi Ashley of Shenendehowa before defaulting out of the tournament.  In his last season, he has the capability to finish high on the medal stand.

Multiple 12th graders won a bout at the Times Union Center in 2013 and will look to win a few more this time around –  Thomas Hill of Fulton in the lightweights and Carthage heavyweight Trevor Gibbons. (Kevin Paul of Baldwinsville also wore the Section III singlet in Albany for the second time).

While Joe Nasoni of Baldwinsville and Patrick Quinlan of Fayetteville-Manlius haven’t had a shot at the state championships yet, this could be their chance.  Nasoni has been third at the qualifier the past two seasons and had a stellar 41-3 campaign at 195 pounds as a junior, including a December pin over two-time state champion Zack Zupan of Canastota (who bumped up in weight for the match).  Quinlan, the Section runner up at 132, won more than 30 bouts, including multiple victories against state qualifiers.  In fact, he defeated Connor Grome of West Genesee, who represented Section III in Albany, three out of four times, with the only loss coming at the Section championships.

Who Else is Ready to Make a Run?

Clearly, Kelan McKenna knows the feeling of earning All-State status.  He began with a loss in the state capital, but responded with three consecutive consolation victories to make the podium with a sixth place showing.  Now, he’ll be looking to climb higher on the ladder.

In his first taste of state tournament action, Sonny McPherson recorded a pin over Suffolk County’s Joe Piccolo at 170.  McPherson, a Section champion as a freshman in 2013, followed up with All-America honors at the NHSCA tournament in Virginia Beach.  The future looks bright for the Indian River grappler as well as his teammate Nick Toutant, who faced a tough road after topping seventh grade phenom Frankie Gissendanner in his opening bout at the Times Union Center at 126 pounds. Toutant picked up close to 40 victories and has what it takes get his hand raised plenty of times again this year.  The same could be said for Fulton’s Mitchell Woodworth, who notched a win at the state tournament as a sophomore at 106 and looks for more after collecting more than 30 victories.

Dempsey King of New Hartford is no stranger to Albany, as he competed in 2012 at the state tournament.  Last season, he compiled over 30 wins at 113 pounds, but didn’t get a return ticket.  He hopes to change that in February.

King faced Andrew McFarland three times last year and the Carthage grappler won each time.  McFarland recorded 33 total wins, including one against state qualifier Thomas Hill (although Hill returned the favor at the Section III event).  In addition, McFarland continued his winning ways after the season, becoming an All-American at the NHSCA Nationals in Virginia Beach.

Jerrett Norton of Cicero North Syracuse, a transfer from Central Square, had 31 wins last year before sustaining a season-ending injury at the CNY tournament in January.  At that time, he looked to be on course to contend for a Section title. He recently wrestled at the Super 32 Challenge and according to John Drew, he’ll be among the favorites at the state qualifier this time around.

Mike Mills of Liverpool had quite a summer.  According to Drew, he defeated multiple All-State wrestlers at summer dual meet events.  He’ll have a chance to translate that success onto the mats for the Warriors this season.

Team Race

Baldwinsville won the Section tournament last season with a slim, two-point margin over Fulton.  Around 30 points behind was third place CBA/Jamesville-Dewitt.  Who will step up to the top this year?

Baldwinsville should have a strong foundation and a lot of returning points as one of the squad’s two champions (Kevin Paul) is back as are bronze medalists Connor Ross, Chad McArdell and Joe Nasoni and fourth placer Gunnar Sutphen.

As for Fulton, champions Mitchell Woodworth and Thomas Hill should be in the lineup again, although finalist Brennan Roberge graduated. Third placer Brandon Hill and fourth placer Joe Abelgore also should pick up significant victories for the Red Raiders.

Keep an eye on Fayetteville-Manlius, a team on the rise that could contend for a top three finish at the Sectionals, according to Drew.

Division II

Seven placewinners return in the small school division, including five top four finishers.  Leading the way is Adirondack’s Derek Spann, who went all the way to state gold in a one-loss season.  Spann actually split 99-pound duties with Ryan O’Rourke for part of the season until the latter wrestler moved up to 106.  O’Rourke seemed to handle the transition just fine, as he went on to take fourth in New York at the higher weight.

Fox, Photo courtesy of cnywrestling.com

Both Spann and O’Rourke shared the podium with fellow Section III grapplers in Albany.  Theo Powers of Mexico nabbed sixth at 99 and Dolgeville’s Danny Fox was the runner up at 106.  All four lightweights are threats to win big again in 2013-14.

Seniors to Watch

Ryan Snow has been a fixture at the state tournament.  The General Brown senior has taken second, third and fourth in his career.  Can he get over the hump to grab the top prize in his last high school season?

His teammate, Tyler Silverthorn, will be looking to do the same thing.  A sixth place finisher in 2012 at 160 pounds, Silverthorn moved up to fifth as a junior and is looking to progress a few more spots. Silverthorn has shown the ability to compete at the national level, earning All-America accolades in Virginia Beach on multiple occasions.

Like Silverthorn and Snow, Laken Cook of Ilion (Central Valley) is familiar with the podium in Albany, having placed twice earlier in his career (as an eighth grader and as a freshman).  He entered last year’s tournament as the number two seed at 126 pounds, but was unable to get back to medal status.  Can he return to the podium one more time?

Nick Koelmel emerged as a contender last year, bringing an undefeated mark into the state tournament at 145 pounds.  He ultimately grabbed fourth after garnering a 3-2 record at the Times Union Center, however, he has another chance to go for gold for Immaculate Heart Central.

Daniel Smith of South Jefferson has shown he can go with some of the nation’s elite with victories over wrestlers such as Fargo All-Americans Ryan Preisch (PA) and Christian Stackhouse (NJ).  Now, he wants to translate that to state glory.  The University at Buffalo recruit has kept very active in the offseason, including a fall appearance at the Iron Horse Invitational, and looks to make it count while moving up in weight.  His teammate Logan LaFlamme has placed behind Zack Zupan in the Section the past few years, but earned a wildcard to Albany in 2013 where he registered a pin in less than a minute in his first wrestleback contest.  He will look for his first title at the qualifier and more.

And speaking of upperweights that got their hand raised in Albany, Lane Frost (VVS) rode the momentum of his 195-pound triumph at the Section 3 championships to a 12-0 major decision in his opener at the NYS tournament.

Wyatt Morris of Morrisville Eaton will begin the season as one of the top heavyweight prospects in Division II.  He won a pair of bouts in Albany last season, coming within one victory of placing. All of his matches in the state capital were nailbiters – a 3-2 opener, an overtime loss to eventual runner up Matt Montesanti in round two, a double overtime triumph and a 1-0 setback against former finalist Alex Soutiere.  He’ll aim to turn those close losses into victories as a senior.  But he’ll have some notable challengers in the Section, including Canastota senior Jacob Morris, who had 35 victories a year ago and has a Class championship on his resume.  Also look out for Tyler Havener of Oneida.

Also Keep an Eye On . . .

Alex Herringshaw of Holland Patent collected All-State honors in eighth grade.  He moved up several weights to 132 a year ago and again qualified for the tournament, but didn’t make it back onto the podium.  He’ll have another chance as a sophomore to do so.  His teammate, Hunter Richard, is another young wrestler to watch. As an eighth grader in 2013, he won the Section and made his Albany debut.  He kept active in the offseason, including an 11-2 combined record in Freestyle and Greco at the Schoolboy Nationals in Indianapolis.

How about Dolgeville’s Noah Handy?  He racked up over 30 wins, a tournament title (Class D) as well as several second and third place showings in the lightweights.  According to Drew, he’s right on the cusp of breaking into the next level after his third place finish in the Section in 2013.  And speaking of Dolgeville, after a narrow 4-3 loss in the semifinals to eventual champion Mike Boyle at 120 pounds a year ago, junior Ben Nastovski should make noise.  He had more than 30 wins and nearly 20 pins a year ago.

Onondoga junior Tyler Field rolled to a 36-3 mark and four tournament titles a year ago.  After a 5-2 semifinal defeat at the hands of Ryan Snow in the 126-pound semifinals at Sectionals, he’s itching to get back on the mat in 2013-14.

Mexico’s Trevor Allard and Jacob Woolson both had successful seasons in 2012-13 with at least 40 wins.  Woolson finished second in the Section at 170 behind the previously mentioned Daniel Smith, with four of his seven losses coming to the South Jefferson wrestler.  Allard saw success in the offseason, collecting All-America honors at the NHSCA Nationals in Virginia Beach with a seventh place showing at 160.

In addition to Allard’s podium finish, Section III was well represented in that tournament. The appearances of Sonny McPherson and Andrew McFarland on the medal stand were already discussed.  Additionally, Owen Albanese of Canastota (220), William Hilliard of Phoenix (170) and Riccardo Dawkins of General Brown (182) earned All-America status.

Team Race

South Jefferson had a magical ride in 2012-13, winning the Section both in the dual and tournament formats.

Two of three finalists for the Spartans will take the mat again, as Daniel Smith and Logan LaFlamme will man the upperweights while lightweight placers Caleb Beach and Jared Carroll will look to move higher.  According to Drew, the squad should be tough in tournaments and duals once again.

Don’t count out General Brown, which returns the bulk of the lineup from last year’s 20-plus win team that made a deep run at the Section III Dual championship.  The star-studded upperweights, featuring Tyler Silverthorn, Colton Erb, Riccardo Dawkins and Zech Pitre should carry the Lions far again this year.

Mexico returns a number of studs, including the previously mentioned Trevor Allard, Theo Powers and Jacob Woolson.  Those wrestlers form the nucleus of the most powerful Tigers lineup in recent memory, according to Drew.

You can never forget about Phoenix.  The Firebirds lost a pair of state finalists to graduation (Nick Tighe and Rowdy Prior), however, the squad has the potential to score a lot of tournament points with returning fourth placer Brad Dietz as well as medalists William Hilliard and Tim Gandino, among others.

Looking for a darkhorse?  According to Drew, Dolgeville may be a good place to look.  The Blue Devils boast one of the best lightweight lineups in the Section with Noah Handy, Danny Fox and Ben Nastovski and when you throw in 40-match winner Triston Engle and class champs Richard Lyon and Kasey Foster, it’s easy to see the squad piling up dual and tournament victories.

Returning Qualifiers from 2013 – Division I

Kelan McKenna, New Hartford (99) – 6th Place

Mitchell Woodworth, Fulton (106)

Thomas Hill, Fulton (113)

Kevin Paul, Baldwinsville (120)

Nick Toutant, Indian River (126)

Sonny McPherson, Indian River (170)

Ben Honis, Jamesville-Dewitt (195)

Trevor Gibbons, Carthage (285)

Returning Qualifiers from 2013 – Division II

Derek Spann, Adirondack (99) – Champion

Theo Powers, Mexico (99) – Sixth

Danny Fox, Dolgeville (106) – Second

Ryan O’Rourke, Adirondack (106) – Fourth

Hunter Richard, Holland Patent (113)

Ryan Snow, General Brown (126) – Fourth

Laken Cook, Ilion (126)

Alex Herringshaw, Holland Patent (132)

Nick Koelmel, IHC (145) – Fourth

Tyler Silverthorn, General Brown (160) – Fifth

Daniel Smith, South Jefferson (170)

Logan LaFlamme, South Jefferson (182)

Lane Frost, VVS (195)

Wyatt Morris, Morrisville Eaton (285)

 

Family Affair: Beacon's Andrew Grella Joins Binghamton's Recruiting Class

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Thoughts of attending Binghamton entered Andrew Grella’s mind as soon as his older brother Vincent, the squad’s current 165-pound starter, decided to become a Bearcat a few years ago.

“I’m close with my brother, and I’ve always wanted to do what he does,” Andrew Grella said. “I thought it would be a good place because of my brother and because it’s such a good school.”

If the future 197-pounder wasn’t already convinced, he became sure of his decision when he made his official visit to campus.

“It was a really fun time,” he said. “We went out to dinner and lunches and played paintball. It was cool to be a part of that team bonding.  I walked around campus and went fishing with a bunch of the guys, which was great.”

Indeed, for Grella, who wants to study environmental science, the opportunity to pursue outdoor activities was a big selling point.

“I’m a really big outdoors guy. One of the first questions I asked when I got there was whether there were good spots for hunting and fishing around there,” he said. “They just laughed.”

Grella’s road to Division I wrestling is slightly atypical.  After enduring a difficult season as a ninth grader at 152 pounds, Grella said he didn’t compete during his sophomore year at Beacon High School.

“I got my butt kicked as a freshman as a middleweight,” he said. “I wasn’t strong enough and wrestled a lot of tough seniors. My brother was at 152 too, so I didn’t even get that many matches.  I decided to take a year and focus on getting really strong, getting in great shape and improving my technique.”

Photo by Dawn Sela, Courtesy of Andrew Grella

His work seemed to pay dividends when he took the mat at the NHSCA Sophomore Nationals in Virginia Beach at 170 pounds, coming within one win of All-America status at the event.

Then, it was time to return to New York high school action.  He did so with a flourish, racking up a 27-3 mark at 182 pounds (prior to Sectionals) as a junior in 2012-13. All of his losses were to wrestlers who finished in the top four at the New York state tournament, including a pair of silver medalists.

In fact, his first bout at the Eastern States Classic in January was against eventual 195-pound NYS second place finisher Levi Ashley of Shenendehowa.  In a hard fought contest, Ashley came out on top 8-6.

“I didn’t have credentials or seeding criteria, so I knew I’d probably get a great wrestler right off the bat,” Grella said. “I knew it would be a tight match and he hit me with the same move twice to beat me.  It was disappointing.”

He rebounded well, however, capturing five straight matches in the wrestlebacks, including over state placers Andrew Martinez of Liberty and Matt Roberts of Monsignor Farrell as well as qualifier Nathanael Rose of Eagle Academy.  His streak was stopped by 182-pound state finalist James Corbett of Wantagh and he later forfeited to take sixth.

“I had a hip injury after my first two wins,” he said. “I wrapped it up and won a few more after that.  I could barely walk back to the center of the mat without falling over.  It was bad. But I showed I could compete with some very good wrestlers.”

He continued to pile up wins before dropping the Section 1 championship bout to Thomas Murray of Yorktown, 3-0. [Murray went on to take fourth in Albany in 2013, a year after losing a close match in the Section 1 title bout and not getting a bid to the Times Union Center].

Murray’s path of second in Section 1 to All-State status a year later is one that Grella hopes to emulate – at least somewhat.

“That’s the plan I want to follow, except I plan to win it all,” he said.  “I expect to do big things this year, including winning a 195-pound state championship.”

And if he needs a tough partner to work with, he knows he can find one whenever his brother returns from Binghamton.

“Whenever he’s home, we wrestle,” Andrew Grella said. “Someone’s always bleeding.  I’d say I get the best of it, but if you ask him, you’ll get a different answer.”

Soon enough, the Grella brothers will have more opportunities to “bleed” together, as teammates for the Bearcats.

———————————————————————————-

Andrew Grella thanked his parents and acknowledged the significant contributions of the Olympic Wrestling Club in New Jersey.

Weekend Happenings: NYers Win at All-Star Weekend, Army Opens With a Victory, Austin Meys Returns to the Mat and More

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Wrestling season has officially arrived!  Action began in many parts of the country this weekend.  Here are some of the stories related to the Empire State.

New Yorkers Come Out on Top at the NWCA All-Star Classic

At last year’s NWCA All-Star Classic, Nahshon Garrett attended as Redman, Cornell’s mascot, and watched Kyle Dake defeat Penn State’s David Taylor.  Garrett said afterwards that he wanted to come back to the event in 2013 – as a participant (see article from 2012). The third-ranked Garrett did just that, taking the mat at 125 pounds on Saturday evening against Oklahoma All-American Jarrod Patterson (#5 nationally).

After regulation, the bout was knotted at 1.  In sudden victory, Patterson, who hadn’t initiated much offense to that point, got in on a deep shot. However, Garrett was able to fight off the attempt, beginning a scramble that ended with a takedown, three near fall points and a 6-1 victory for the Big Red sophomore.

Stevo Poulin with NCAA champion Logan Stieber

That wasn’t New York’s only involvement in All-Star weekend.  On Friday night, in the WIBN Middle School All-Star Meet, a pair of Empire State wrestlers also were victorious at George Mason University in Virginia.  According to Steve Poulin, Eastport South Manor seventh grader Adam Busiello followed up his Super 32 championship performance last weekend by blanking two-time Pennsylvania state titlewinner Cameron DeLucia 5-0 while Stevo Poulin of Schuylerville topped Maryland state champion Meyer Shapiro by a commanding 21-3 score.

The Middle School All-Star participants also had the opportunity to sit matside for the main event and had the chance to meet a number of the top college grapplers in the country.  One of the highlights for Stevo Poulin was meeting two-time NCAA champion Logan Stieber of Ohio State (see right), who bested fellow national titlewinner Kendric Maple in the final match on Saturday night.

Army Begins On a Winning Note Against Franklin & Marshall

The Black Knights were dominant in their opening action of the campaign, topping Franklin & Marshall 34-4 on Saturday night.  Army won nine of the 10 bouts, including a pin by Coleman Gracey at 165 and a technical fall by Bryce Barnes at 197.  Also picking up bonus points were Paul Hancock and Alex Smith, at 157 and 174, respectively.  The squad returns to action against Stevens Tech on Wednesday, November 6. For more from goarmysports.com, see here.

Rutgers Edges Hofstra on Criteria

The Pride’s first dual of the season, against Rutgers, came down to the wire and was tied at 21 after the 10 bouts were complete.  It was the visiting Scarlet Knights that picked up the victory, as they captured the meet 22-21 on criteria on Sunday.

Hofstra got off to a strong start, with senior Luke Vaith recording a technical fall at 141 and Cody Ruggirello following with a pin at 149 for an 11-0 advantage.  The squads traded decisions over the next three contests, with Joe Booth getting his hand raised at 165 for the Pride to make the score 14-6 at intermission.

Rutgers came out on fire after the break with a two-point victory by Dan Seidenberg over Dwight Howes at 184 and pins by Hayden Hrymack and Billy Smith at 197 and heavyweight to grab a 21-14 lead.  Hofstra fought back, however, with Jamie Franco topping Scott Delvecchio 5-1 at 125 and Jamel Hudson picking up a major decision over 2012 New York State champion Sean McCabe at 133 to make it 21-21.  Rutgers picked up the win by virtue of more pins.

The Pride will travel to Virginia next weekend for duals with Virginia Tech, Tennessee-Chattanooga, Virginia Military Institute and North Carolina.

With Three Champions, Cortland Wins Monarch Tournament

At the 2013 Monarch Tournament, Cortland convincingly won the team title, led by three champions and three second place finishers.  The Red Dragons tallied 105.5 points, winning by more than 15.  Other New York teams to participate were Oneonta State (fourth), RIT (fifth) and the College of Mount St. Vincent (12th).

Picking up crowns for Cortland were Brian Bistis (141), Lou Puca (174) and Joey Giaramita (197), while their teammates Jacob Green (125), Sean Kempf (133) and Brian Bulger (184) all finished in the runner up spot.  Additional finalists from Empire State squads were Brad Mayville of RIT (second at 149) and Shaun Gillen of Oneonta State (second at 165).

Brockport and Niagara CCC Feature Four Champions Each at the Golden Eagle Invitational

At the Golden Eagle Invitational at Brockport, a number of wrestlers from the host school picked up titles – 2013 NYS champion from Gouverneur Dillon Stowell (125), Sam Emburgio (149), Josh Powell (165) and Roy Daniels (174).  Also earning first place were Niagara teammates Eric Velez (133), Tyler Bruce (157), Cedrick Stephens (184) and El Shaddai Van Hoesen (285).  In addition, Jamestown’s Chris Broccoli (141) and Alfred State’s Matt Sowers (197) nabbed titles.

Austin Meys Makes His Return at the Clarion Open

While a number of wrestlers began their seasons with championships at the Clarion Open on Sunday, one of the biggest stories at the event came from a wrestler who competed in just two bouts.  Former Shenendehowa standout Austin Meys of Lehigh returned to action and did so in fine form – recording a pair of pins before forfeiting out of the tournament.  (Rumor had it Meys would wrestle only a few matches in his comeback event). After a highly successful redshirt season and then a 21-win campaign in 2010-11 for Lehigh, Meys battled an illness and was unable to compete for the Mountain Hawks for the past two years.    It was fantastic to see Meys back in action.

These were some of the stories from the weekend. Please e-mail newyorkwrestlingnews@gmail.com with further results.