Category Archives: College Commitments

Binghamton Lands Another Top NY Wrestler as Two-Time State Champ Kyle Kelly Commits to the Bearcats

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Kyle Kelly, Photo by Boris V

Kyle Kelly took visits to schools like Bucknell, North Carolina State and the University of North Carolina, but in the end, he decided there was no place like home.

The two-time state champion and Fargo All-American committed to Binghamton on Thursday, joining a star-studded recruiting class that includes a number of the Empire State’s top seniors, such as Zack Zupan, Nick Kelley, Nick Tighe and David Almaviva.

“I don’t know most of those guys personally, but it’s like being on a New York All-Star team,” Kelly said.  “It’s pretty cool to be a part of it.”

But that wasn’t the only reason that the Chenango Forks standout chose the Bearcats.

“It’s a great wrestling program and a great school,” Kelly said.  “It’s close to home and the distance is a pro for me, because my dad’s health is a factor.”

Kelly’s father, Mike, has had a significant impact on Kyle’s life and wrestling.

“My father raised me with that wrestling mentality to be tough,” he said. “He took me to tournaments every weekend in my youth career and raised me to be the wrestler I am today.  I couldn’t have done it without him.”

He isn’t the only relative to influence Kelly on the mat.

“I feel really lucky to have [Cornell NCAA champion and five-time New York state champion] Troy Nickerson in my family,” he said. “Watching a great wrestler like him compete and accomplish so much was great.  I’ve been surrounded by great wrestlers.”

Kelly said he is looking to implement one of the keys to Nickerson’s success as he embarks upon his senior campaign.

“I’m starting to work a lot more on my front headlock series,” he said.  “Troy worked that a lot in high school and college and I’m studying his matches and talking to him about it.  I want to have it in my arsenal.”

Judging from his success, there’s already plenty in Kelly’s arsenal.  He took fourth place as a freshman and won the state championship as a sophomore and junior at 96/99 pounds.  This year, he’s looking for the same end of year result, but at a higher weight class.

“I definitely want to get back to the top of the podium,” he said.  “That’s my main goal and what I’m working for all the time, but I also want to improve my technique and get mentally tougher for college. Certifications are next week and I’m still thinking about what I’ll do.  I may certify at 106, but I’m thinking that I’ll go 113.”

If Kelly does wrestle at that weight, he may have a rematch with Ward Melville’s Nick Piccininni, a state champion at 106 last year who is now nationally ranked.  Piccininni’s last high school loss was in the semifinals at the Times Union Center in 2011 – to Kelly.

“I would definitely like to have another shot with Piccininni,” Kelly said. “He’s a great opponent who has been doing really well.  It would be a fun one and the kind of great match up at states that you want to see.”

Kelly knows a lot about great matches in Albany.  In each of the past two years, he has trailed in the title bout only to win by earning late back points.

“The first time [in 2011 against Dylan Realbuto] I was losing 4-1 at the end of the first period and I thought to myself that I’d worked too hard and wasn’t going to lose,” he said.  “At that point, I turned it around and wound up turning the kid in the third to win the match. The same thing happened in the third period last year [against Wantagh’s Jose Rodriguez].  My strongest point as a wrestler is definitely on top.  I feel like I’m in control all the time.”

With the help of many people, he’ll look to continue his dominance as a senior, after a 37-0 campaign in 2011-12.  He especially wanted to thank his family, Chenango Forks coach Rick Gumble and training partner Jake Green.

The future 125-pounder will be able to see those individuals often as he moves just 15 minutes down the road to the CAA campus.

“I’m really excited about Binghamton,” he said.  “The guys on the team have that work ethic to them that brings success.  I really want to be a part of that.”

 

Somers State Champion Dylan Realbuto Selects Cornell

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Dylan Realbuto, Photo by Boris V

The 2012-13 Cornell wrestling roster has three sets of brothers – the Bosaks, the Davids and the Scotts.  In the future, there will be at least one more to add as state champion Dylan Realbuto committed to join his brother Brian with the Big Red.  (Brian is currently taking a greyshirt year with the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club).

“Having Brian there was a big factor for me,” Dylan Realbuto said. “He never pushed me towards Cornell – he let me make my own decision.  But he always made sure to tell me that he would like if I came to Cornell too.  There were a lot of reasons for my decision.   I really like the school and the campus.  The entire feel I get when I’m there is great – it reminds me of home.  I also know that the training set up is really good.  There are so many good wrestlers between 125 and 141 to train with.”

Realbuto, who chose Cornell over Columbia and North Carolina State, said he plans to compete at either 133 or 141 pounds in college.

As for this season, Realbuto is shooting for a third straight appearance in the state finals in Albany.  As a 96-pound sophomore, he was the runner up to two-time champion Kyle Kelly of Chenango Forks.  This past February, he grabbed the gold medal at 113 pounds in what might have been the tournament’s most dramatic ending.   Realbuto earned a takedown as time expired in the third period against previously undefeated Vincent Deprez of Hilton High to capture an 8-7 victory.

“There were four seconds left on the clock and we had a restart.  I remember thinking that I just couldn’t lose,” he said. “When we got on the starting line, I was nervous but I never doubted myself.  I thought I could win that title.”

He attributes part of that belief to Max Askren, who has coached him closely over the past few years.

“Max has helped me tremendously,” he said. “Before he got here, I talked about winning a state championship, but he made me believe it was really possible.  He inspired me to take my wrestling to the next level.”

He’s now striving to make it two titles in a row, either at 126 or 132 pounds.  Then, he looks forward to moving up to Ithaca.

“I’ve gone to visit Brian a couple of times,” he said.  “I was actually there this past weekend and then went up to Buffalo with him [for the Buffalo Invitational, where Brian took third, dominating in his victories and losing only to champion Josh Demas of Ohio State in multiple overtimes].  I think he wrestled well. Brian’s style hasn’t really changed much, but he’s improved so much over the past few months.”

Dylan Realbuto feels that he’s improved as well.  He looks to prove it not only at the Times Union Center in late February but at several events in the spring and summer.

“I want to win states again this year,” he said.  “But I also want to go to NHSCAs in Virginia Beach for the first time and win a title there.  Then I want to go and win Fargo.  I want to end my career ranked and as an All-American before I go to Cornell.”

For more on Dylan Realbuto, see this story, from earlier in the fall.

Columbia Lands Top 100 Recruit Garrett Ryan of Wyoming Seminary

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By Matt Diano

While most of the East Coast spent the early hours today fretting the impending damages that will accompany the wrath of Hurricane Sandy, one man, Columbia University head coach Carl Fronhofer, was no doubt smiling ear to ear this morning when he received word that premier big man, Garrett Ryan, had opted to verbally commit to the Lions as a part of their 2013 recruiting class.  The addition of Ryan comes less than one week after the Ivy League Institution landed 2012 NHSCA Junior National Champion, Chris Araoz, to bolster the lineup down low.  Now with Ryan on board, EIWA foes have every reason in the world to fear Columbia’s bookends for years to come.  While still very early in the recruiting season, as the #76 overall prospect in the current senior class, it is possible that the Scottsdale, Arizona native will end up being the crown jewel of the class.

The 170-pound 2012 Arizona state champion, after posting a pair of fifth place showings in his first two years on the Horizon High School varsity at 145 and 160 pounds, respectively, Ryan made the decision prior to the start of his senior campaign to transfer to Pennsylvania prep powerhouse,Wyoming Seminary for the 2012/2013 season. He cited the quality of workout partners and the more competitive national schedule among other factors in expressing his sentiments that the Scott Green-led program will best position/prepare him for success on the next level.  His commitment to Columbia is the second huge one in the past four days for the Blue Knights, as teammate Eric Morris (the #21 rated senior) decided upon Harvard as his future destination late last week.  In doing so, Ryan became the third blue chipper this fall to select the New York City based school, joining the aforementioned Araoz and 2012 120-pound NYS DI bronze medalist Matt Leshinger in representing the first wave of talented student-athletes flocking to the EIWA conference member.

Experiencing something of a David Taylor growth spurt (in reference to Penn State’s current returning national champion who jumped several weights in a short period of time and still enjoyed unmatched success), the bigger Ryan gets, the better he seems to perform.  In fact, despite the 50 pound difference in weight classes, Ryan would complement his state title last season by becoming a double All-American on the Junior level, finishing fourth in Greco-Roman and fifth in Freestyle at 220 pounds.  He would also earn gold medals in both international styles at the FILA Cadet National Tournament, affording him the privilege of representing the Red, White, and Blue at the FILA Cadet World Tournament this past August in Baku, Azerbaijan.  Here, he would add one final bullet point to a successful summer resume, finishing fifth in FS.  Ryan will head into his swan song as the #5 ranked wrestler in the country at his weight class, per FloWrestling.

A 3.97 student with monster scores on the the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), as that special breed of dual threat (killing it in the classroom as well as on the wrestling mat), Ryan had his pick of top notch academic colleges/universities, choosing Columbia over the likes of fellow Ivy League members, UPenn and Princeton, as fellow as nationally acclaimed universities Cal Poly and Northwestern.   With 2012 Junior World representative (finished 10th), Wyatt Baker, only a sophomore, already on the Lion roster, the path to the starting lineup will not be an easy one for Ryan.  However, in much the same way that the move to Wyoming Seminary fit his interests from a developmental standpoint, so too will the opportunity to go toe-to-toe with Baker and Columbia assistant, Hudson Taylor (3x NCAA All-American for the University of Maryland).

This article was originally published on http://www.gothamcitywrestling.com

National Champion Chris Araoz of Wantagh Chooses Columbia

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Photo courtesy of the Araoz family

 

By Irwin Loew

Chris Araoz, the reigning NHSCA Junior Nationals champion from Wantagh announced today that he will be attending Columbia University of the Ivy League in New York City next year.  Araoz will be joining forces with head coach Carl Fronhofer, a former NCAA finalist at Pittsburgh, as well as his former high school teammate Chris Loew (now a freshman at Columbia) and Suffolk County standout Matt Leshinger of Sayville, who made his decision a few weeks ago.  Wantagh has had a good run over the last several years, sending wrestlers into Division I programs such as Harvard, Hofstra, Binghamton and Edinboro.

Araoz went on several recruiting visits and was looking at West Point, University of Pennsylvania and Princeton.  He had several reasons for choosing Columbia, including feeling very comfortable with the diverse coaching staff of Fronhofer (NCAA finalist), Roman Fleszar (two-time All-American at Hofstra), Adam Hall (two-time NCAA All-American at Boise State) and Hudson Taylor (three-time All-American at Maryland).  He loved the feeling of being in the Big Apple and that he will be close to home and to his brother who attends Fordham in the Bronx.  And, he felt that getting a Columbia education and competing in New York will be a great experience.

After placing second at the Section 8 tournament as a junior, Araoz had a great offseason, capturing the national title at 120 pounds at Virginia Beach. With that performance, he became the first Wantagh wrestler, as well as the first Section 8 and Nassau County grappler to achieve this feat. Keep in mind, this comes from a program that graduated current Ohio State head coach Tom Ryan, a former All-American at Iowa under the legendary Dan Gable.

After that championship, Araoz continued to work extremely hard this offseason, attending practices at the Wantagh 3 Style Wrestling Club several times per week under the tutelage of current head coach and Hall of Famer Paul Gillespie and assistant Reggie Jones, who was recently voted in as a National Hall of Fame member.  He also wrestles at the Ascend Wrestling Club with Craig Vitagliano.

Araoz competed at Fargo over the summer and more recently wrestled at the Iron Horse Invitational in New Jersey where he finished with two wins and two losses in a bracket that contained four nationally-ranked wrestlers.  He also won three matches at the Super 32 Challenge.

Gillespie holds Araoz in very high esteem, saying that he loves the intensity of his senior co-captain, who is as focused as any wrestler he has coached over the last 30 years.  He emphasized that Aroaz works hard seven days per week and is the first one in the room and the last one out.  The coach further stated that Araoz is very coachable and picks up everything, and finished by saying that he wished he had a hundred more kids like Araoz.

Araoz has been an important part of Wantagh’s team success during this career.  During his tenure as a Warrior, the team finished first in the New York State tournament, was crowned the Dual Meet champions in 2011-12 and won three out of the last four Section 8 titles in Division I.  On an individual note, Araoz will be one of the favorites to win a state championship at 132 pounds this year.

The newest Columbia recruit acknowledged wrestlers that came before him and set the bar high at Wantagh (and who also come back to visit and help) such as Paul Liguori, Steve Bonanno, Joe Barbato, John Greisheimer, Nick Fitzmaurice and Chris Loew.

He would like to compete at the next level at either 133 or 141 pounds.

Araoz answered some questions about his commitment . . . and a few other topics.

What were the main reasons you chose Columbia ?

Chris Araoz (CA): It’s the fourth best school for academics in the nation.  I loved being in New York City and I really liked the team and the coaches.

What stood out to you on your official visit? 

CA: The first thing I did when I got there was watch the team lift and they were all really into it and worked together well. Also, I loved that it was only an hour train ride to get there from my home.

What were some of the other schools you seriously considered?

CA: West Point, Princeton, and UPenn.

What weight do you expect to wrestle in college?

CA: Either 133 or 141

Are there any particular workout partners you look forward to wrestling with in college?

CA: I definitely look forward to wrestling with assistant coach Adam Hall.

Did the fact that several other NY wrestlers you may know picked Columbia have an impact on your decision?

CA: Not really.  For the most part, I knew people on all the teams I was looking at, but it is nice to know that there are some other New York guys on the team.

After the County finals [Araoz finished second and didn’t receive a bid to the state tournament], what did it mean to you to win the NHSCA Nationals?

CA: It meant everything. It gave me another chance to really show how I can wrestle and it felt good to win something big after such a disappointment.

Did you get a lot of recruiting attention after that win?

CA: Yes, almost all of the schools I considered contacted me after the tournament.

What are your goals for yourself in your senior season?

CA: To win a county, state, and national title.

What have you done over the spring and summer to prepare for this year?

CA: Just a lot of wrestling, big tournaments and lifting.

What areas do you think you’ve most improved on?

CA: I think my neutral wrestling has gotten way better since last season.

Who are some of the people who have most influenced your wrestling over the years?

CA: Definitely all of my coaches but also some of the older Wantagh guys like Joe Barbato [now at Harvard] and Steve Bonnano [All-American at Hofstra]. Both were former Wantagh wrestlers.

What’s something wrestling followers might not know about you?

CA: I lost almost every match I wrestled in 8th grade.

Any idea about what you’re interesting in studying in college?

CA: Probably Economics

Who are your favorite college wrestlers to watch now and why ?

CA: Kyle Dake and David Taylor because they’re so dominant and I’m really excited to see them go at it this year.

What was your most memorable high school wrestling event?

CA: When we beat MacArthur in my eighth grade season

What motivates you?

CA: I just love winning and knowing I had to work hard for it.

What type of music do you listen to before you wrestle?

Just about anything, but mostly rock or rap.

What was the last movie you saw?

Shooter

What was the last book you read?

Beowulf

What’s something people would not know about you?

I was voted biggest flirt in school.

 

Going Ivy: All-American Tyler Grimaldi of Half Hollow Hills West Commits to Harvard

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By Matt Diano

Photo by Boris V

In a story that we have been waiting two weeks to bring to you, today it is both our distinct honor and privilege to break the news that Half Hollow Hills West senior Tyler Grimaldi has committed to Harvard University.   Grimaldi, the #4 rated prospect in the Empire State’s class of 2013 becomes the first student-athlete this recruiting season to select coach Jay Weiss’s Crimson program.  He also becomes the second Suffolk County wrestler in less than a week to solidify his future by accepting the invitation to attend an Ivy League institution, joining Sayville’s Matt Leshinger who selected Columbia last Wednesday.

Praised by Hills West Coach, former two-time NCAA Division I All-American Mike Patrovich, as “the entire package,” Tyler enjoyed one of the biggest breakout years in the history of New York State, seemingly seeing his stock rise with each passing week and/or tournament. Mustering a 6th place finish as a sophomore at the Section XI tournament, Grimaldi entered his junior season perhaps a bit overlooked.  By the end of the season, his was name that was on the tongues of every coach, recruiter, and NYS wrestling aficionado on the planet.  2012 did not witness this young man get better, it watched him explode, going from the previously cited statistic of sixth in his own section in 2011 to second in New York State as a junior.  And, most remarkable of all was that the best was still to come, as Grimaldi would put an exclamation mark on his junior campaign by notching not one, but a pair of All-American honors, finishing fourth in Virginia Beach at the NHSCA Junior National tournament, before making his summer vacation a memorable and rewarding one with a top-6 showing under the Fargo Dome at the USA Wrestling Junior National Freestyle Championships.

Ranked as the #16 wrestler in the land at the 160-pound weight in the latest Flowrestling polls, the individual that Patrovich “built his program around,” has shown himself to be jack of all trades, master of all, as in addition to his keen wrestling prowess, Grimaldi prides himself as being a true scholar, leader, and role model.  Positioned near the top of his senior class academically, it was quite apparent the love and respect the student body had for the future Cambridge, Massachusetts resident when they named him to the Homecoming Court earlier this week.    It is not an overstatement to say that Tyler genuinely falls into that rare .5 percent of special individuals that one cannot help but root for and embrace.

Pursued by just about every U.S. News & World Report top-25 national university with a wrestling team (#2 Princeton, #4 Columbia, #6 UPenn, #15 Cornell, and #24 Virginia among others), Grimaldi would opt for nothing but the best, choosing the top-ranked school.

In discussing his decision, Tyler said the following about why he felt Harvard was ultimately the best option for him, “What drew me to Harvard, aside from the amazing coaching staff, was that I felt that it was the one place where I could truly make the most of myself in every aspect of life.  Both on and off the mat I will be able to accomplish things that most couldn’t even dream of.  Ever since I was a little kid I promised myself and my parents that I would go to Harvard and now that dream has finally come to fruition.”

Speaking on behalf of the family, like any proud parent, Grimaldi’s father, Frank, was overtaken by the emotions of such a priceless moment, expressing the following sentiments, “I cannot even express in words the feelings that our family is dealing with.  From when Tyler was a baby in my arms, Renee and I dreamed of our son going to Harvard, never in a million years expecting it to actually happen. Tyler is an amazing young man who has made his entire family proud. Our son has worked incredibly hard on the mat, but more importantly in the classroom and into developing into the fine young man he has become.  God has truly blessed us. Many thanks to Coach Weiss for believing in Tyler. Also coach Mike Patrovich is the reason why we are talking. He discovered Tyler as an 8th grade football player and molded him into a Harvard student. We could never ever thank him enough.”

Tyler, about as humble and selfless a person as you will ever encounter, echoed his father’s eloquent words, pointing at Patrovich as a primary reason for his success.  Addressing the impact of his wrestling mentor, Grimaldi said, “I would be nowhere if it wasn’t for coach Mike Patrovich and his family.”

Projected as either a 157 or 165-pounder on the next level, Grimaldi will join a Crimson squad that is ripe with quality workout partners, including fellow NYer, former 4x New York Champion/2010 NCAA National Champion, J.P. O’Connor, and NCAA All-American Muzaffar Abdurakhmanov who both serve on Weiss’s staff, as well as 2012 blue chip recruit, Devon Gobbo.  Just like the 1961 World Series Champion, New York Yankees had their “M&M” boys, the addition of Grimaldi makes one wonder, how soon till the G&G are wrecking havoc on the nation?

Join us at New York Wrestling News in congratulating both Tyler, his family, and the Hills West program on the magnitude of this feat!

All-State Wrestler Matt Leshinger of Sayville Selects Columbia University

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By Matt Diano

Today, it was announced that second-year Columbia University Head Coach Carl Fronhofer picked up his first recruit from the class of 2013 when he landed returning NYS DI place-winner (3rd @120) Matt Leshinger out of Sayville High School in Suffolk County.  The news came on the heels of the super senior’s Honorable Mention selection to the NYS-10 list, a segment of the series published annually by InterMat Wrestling.

Projected as a 133-pounder in college, the addition of Leshinger further bolsters the strong stable of lightweight talent that Fronhofer has built in his short tenure at the helm of the Ivy League program.  Last season, it was Joey Moita (a multiple-time All-American in the international styles, as well as 2x State place-winner) and Johnson Mai (2x State finalist/2011 Champion, who also won the 2011 Junior National Greco-Roman title), both of California, leading the strong surge of young 125/133 pounders flocking to the Upper Manhattan based campus.

Photo by Boris V

Leshinger is also the fourth native Empire Stater in the past three years to commit to the Lions.  He joins current freshmen Chris Loew (184) and Connor Sutton (165), as well as sophomore Ben Villaret (also a 165-pounder) in making up a strong nucleus of in-state studs looking to take the EIWA conference member to the next level.

A much heralded student-athlete since his days competing as a Schoolboy, it was evident from a very early stage that Leshinger was going to be a special talent. A late starter in some respects (his first year competing was in 7th grade), it did not take long for the future Lion to demonstrate the vastness of his ceiling when he was a 2009 double All-American, placing 8th in both international styles. From here, the legend was born. And, with each passing year, like a fine wine, the product just seems to get better with age. A two-time All-Suffolk wrestler heading into his junior year (finishing 4th @96 in 2010 and 6th in 2011 @113), Leshinger would enjoy a breakout campaign last season, compiling a record of 44-6 en route to winning his first sectional crown, as well as earning the aforementioned spot on the podium at the NYS DI tournament in Albany. Included among this plethora of wins was a victory over eventual 2012 State Champion, Sean McCabe (currently a freshman at Rutgers), 3-2 in the Section XI quarterfinals. He would post an identical score the following round, besting 2009 State Champion, Mark West, before ultimately taking the title with a 5-4 double overtime win against fellow 2013 Honorable Mention, TJ Fabian (who he also defeated in the state bronze medal match a few weeks later) in the finals. So incredible was this run to the title that Leshinger joined a very exclusive company of individuals to be voted as both the Most Outstanding Wrestler and the Champion of Champions at the County Tournament. He heads into his swan song as the favorite to win the one piece of hardware that has escaped him during his scholastic career, the NYS title.

As gifted in the classroom as he is on the wrestling mat, prior to his commitment, Leshinger had been something of a hot commodity on the recruiting market, attracting the attention of the likes of Dave Amato (Brown), Chris Ayres (Princeton), Pat Santoro (Lehigh), Dan Wirnsberger (Bucknell), and Pat Popolizio (NC State) among the collection of suitors. With older brother, Steven, currently a sophomore on Ayres’s Tiger roster, today will certainly set up a battle for Ivy bragging rights in the Leshinger household.

Congratulations to Matt, his family, and the Sayville wrestling program on this tremendous accomplishment! On behalf of the entire NYS wrestling community, we look forward to seeing this young man do huge things in the Columbia Blue and White !

This article was originally published on http://www.gothamcitywrestling.com

Two-Time State Champion Nick Tighe Discusses His Commitment to Binghamton

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Photo by Boris V

Nick Tighe had an abbreviated official visit to Binghamton due to a family commitment.  As a result, he wasn’t there for a lot of the recruiting activities, including playing paintball.

“I know I missed a lot of the really fun things,” Tighe said. “I basically just ate and walked around a little bit.”

It turns out, it didn’t matter that he missed the special events. The two-time state champion from Phoenix High knew Binghamton was the place he wanted to be already. (He chose the Bearcats over Rutgers).

“I had seen the campus before on an unofficial trip over the summer,” Tighe said. “I really got along with the guys and the coaches.  I guess the best way to say it is that I could really see myself there for the next four or five years.  I think they’re doing the right things with the program and they’re bringing in a lot of good guys.”

Those “good guys” include fellow top New York seniors such as Canastota’s Zack Zupan and Shenendehowa teammates Nick Kelley and David Almaviva.

“Having two guys like Kelley and Almaviva to train with for the next four or five years is definitely exciting,” Tighe said. “Also, having [assistant coach] Teyon Ware to work with is a huge deal for me.”

Tighe, who expects to begin his college career at 133 pounds, is accustomed to having quality partners, including Phoenix coach Tim Boda.  And of course, he has benefitted from the influence of Firebirds head coach Gene Mills.

“Coach Boda works out with me all the time, even when he’s hurt,” Tighe said. “I want to thank him for wrestling live with me and preparing me.  And Coach Mills has given me so much and done so much for me over the years.  He’s always there for me.  He’s taught me attention to detail and technique, but also so many more things.  It’s hard to even describe it all.”

One thing he has certainly passed along to Tighe is the ability to put opponents on their backs.

“Coach Mills has the national pin record and he’s all about pinning people,” Tighe said.

Some would say that’s what Tighe is about as well.

During his 47-2 junior campaign, he recorded 31 falls and won just six bouts by decision, according to the NWCA scorebook.  In fact, he pinned three of his four foes in Albany on his way to his second state crown (at 126 pounds).  He was the 119-pound champion in 2011 and took fifth as a freshman.

However, it’s the two contests that he didn’t win last year that drive him as he enters his final season in Section 3.

“I was terrible at Eastern States last year,” he said. “Unfortunately, the two wrestlers I lost to [Maverick Passaro and Sam Speno] graduated, so I can’t get another chance at them, but I am looking to win the Eastern States this year.”

In addition to atoning for his two losses, Tighe said his focus is on getting ready for the style of wrestling he will see with the Bearcats.

“I want this year to be about preparing for college,” he said. “I want to work on the things that will make me ready to compete when I get to Binghamton.  But obviously, that’s all part of preparing for the state tournament where I want to win another title.”

If Tighe does stand on top of the podium in late February at the Times Union Center, he will become only the second Section 3 wrestler to win three state crowns (Dan Hunt of West Genesee was the first), a feat Tighe admits is in the back of his mind.

“It would be awesome to be able to achieve that,” he said. “It would be the perfect way to end my high school career.”

Lansing State Champion Connor Lapresi Chooses Bucknell

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Connor Lapresi couldn’t stand it.  After suffering a high ankle sprain during his state championship victory at 132 pounds in February, the Lansing grappler was forced to take some time off from wrestling.

“It’s simply the greatest sport in the world,” he said. “I love it and it’s a huge part of me.  If I don’t wrestle for more than a week or two, I feel like something’s wrong.  When I was out after states, I was emotionally distraught.  It’s kind of unhealthy.  It was a good thing it was the NCAA tournament so I got to watch a lot of matches and afterwards, I watched a lot of youtube videos.”

He also continued mulling his college options.  He’s had a strong connection with Cornell for a long time.  In fact, he said he thought about attending the Ivy League institution since he was in sixth or seventh grade.  But after a parent of a teammate, a Bucknell alum, started talking about the Pennsylvania-based school, he slowly began to consider leaving the Ithaca area.  And after taking an official visit and making a detailed pros and cons list, Lapresi recently gave his verbal commitment to Coach Dan Wirnsberger and the Bison.  He hopes to compete at 141 or 149 pounds without redshirting the first year.

“If I’m not putting on a singlet and stepping out on the mat to represent my team, I’m not happy,” he said. “I can’t just practice.  Cornell was the only college I cared about for a long time.  I’ve been wrestling in the Friedman Center with the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club for years – a lot of the guys there watched me grow up.  But I was surprised when I visited Bucknell how much I liked it. It’s an awesome place. I really liked the coaches and the campus.  The biggest factor was that I think I have the opportunity to be a four-year starter at Bucknell while at Cornell there are highly ranked guys everywhere.  Unless you’re Kyle Dake, you may have to sit.  I love wrestling and competing and I want to be where I can wrestle.  That’s what will make me happiest.”

Lapresi was often happy during his 41-1 junior campaign in which he earned the state crown.  The highlight moment for him, however, took place in the state semifinals where he faced Chittenango’s Wesley Blanding, the top seed in the bracket who had handed Lapresi his only loss of the season in overtime.

The rematch in Albany also went to an extra session.  But this time, it was the Lansing wrestler that came out on top, notching a takedown with just three seconds remaining to earn a 3-1 decision.

“Blanding beat me in the Windsor Tournament.  It was heartbreaking, but I knew I could beat him if we wrestled again,” Lapresi said. “With very little time left, I did a snap down, go behind.  It was like a peewee move; it was amazing.  As the referee was putting his hand up to show the two [points], the time expired.  After a big win like that, I believed I could do anything.  I felt like the sky was the limit at that point.”

That confidence showed when Lapresi came out and immediately took control of the title bout against Duanesburg’s Curt Rowley.  With 20 seconds to go in the second period, Lapresi took his opponent down to take a 5-0 lead, but suffered a third-degree high ankle sprain in the process.  He said it was extremely painful but he knew he still had more than a full period to go to achieve his goal.

“It actually still hurts now,” he said.  “I did absolutely nothing the entire third period.  I could barely stand.  I spent the entire time thinking that I wasn’t letting this injury stop me from getting that championship, but every single movement hurt.  Every third period seems like the longest two minutes of my life, but this one was really long.”

The physical pain was intense but almost as painful was the fact that he gave up a takedown in the final stanza on his way to a 6-3 victory.  It was the only time Lapresi gave up offensive points the entire season.

“It was a little annoying to give up a takedown after not allowing anyone to take me down all year,” he said. “But it gives me something to aim for this year.  State champion.  Undefeated.  No takedowns or back points allowed. That’s about the best you can do and that’s what I want to do.”

He also wants to be part of what he calls Lansing’s “dynamic duo” with junior teammate William Koll, a state champion in 2011 and third place finisher last season.   Lapresi wished to thank his parents and the rest of his family for all of their contributions to his success and he also credited a large portion of his achievements to Koll and a few others in the Bobcat room.

“I wouldn’t be half the wrestler I am without William Koll, Corey Dake and coach Doug Dake,” he said. “The three of them have helped me get so far ahead of where I used to be.  [Lapresi moved to Lansing before his sophomore year]. Part of it is the mentality and just being with people who want to win every bit as much as I do.  They’ve been like a family for me.”

With that family still behind him, Lapresi looks forward to his final season as a Section 4 star.  However, he first will finish up his defensive duties for the football team before getting back to his favorite sport full time.

“In football, it’s fun to tackle but then they blow the whistle and you have to wait another play to try to do it again.  But in wrestling, you take a kid down, get a big mat return, smash their hip on the mat, get a tight tilt and watch the referee award back points.  Nothing beats that.  I can’t wait for wrestling season.”

He said he hopes to be a key player in the continuing rise of the Bucknell program.  But he isn’t losing sight of more immediate goals.

“A lot of seniors fade after they make their college decision,” he said. “They lose the drive and get upset at states.  I want to do great things in college. But I’m focusing on one day at a time.  November 8 is the day it all gets started again.  And on February 22 and 23 [the state tournament] I want to finish high school wrestling the right way.”

Big 10 Bound: National Champion Anthony Abidin Talks About His Commitment to Wrestle for Nebraska

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Anthony Abidin will face top-notch competition when he takes the mat in the Big 10 for Nebraska, at 133 or 141 pounds, beginning in 2013-14.  But it’s unlikely that he’ll be intimidated by the impressive credentials of his opponents.

Last year, while wrestling for Nassau Community College, he finished the season ranked 12th at 133 pounds, but defeated several higher-seeded foes to reach the NJCAA national championship bout against Brandon Wright of Iowa Central.   When it came time for the introductions, Abidin listened while the announcer seemingly went on and on about Wright’s achievements.

“I had a good laugh about that,” Abidin said. “My intro was pretty quick, a few tournament results and a New York state championship.  And then with Wright, it was all these national championships, multiple state championships, open tournament championships.  It was like, is this over yet?”

When it came down to it, resumes didn’t matter.  The match was knotted at 4 in the third period, but the Long Island native earned the key takedown and rideout to prevail 7-4.  He was a national champion.

“I am always in it to win,” Abidin said. “I wasn’t expected to place by most people, but I came into the tournament with a goal of at least being top three.  I promised myself that I worked harder than anyone else in the bracket and if I lost it simply wasn’t meant to be.  I was on my game that whole weekend and I didn’t give up an inch.  I surprised myself in the end.”

His impressive showing a year after completing his high school career atop the podium at the New York States at 125 pounds got the attention of several Division I programs.  In fact, he first was interested in attending nearby Hofstra.  However, after a trip to Cornhusker country this past weekend, he gave his commitment to Nebraska.

“I realized that I don’t want to stay home for college.  I want to get away and experience new places and new things,” he said.  “On my visit to Lincoln, I fell in love with the atmosphere right away.  It was a perfect fit for me.  The coaches were nice and straight shooters.  I got to see the football game, wrestling practice and spent time with the team.  I really like how the team was – everyone’s focus was on getting better and helping the rest of the guys get better.”

There have been several people who have helped Abidin get better over the years.  He mentioned Steve Hromada, who played an integral role in transforming him into a state champion at Half Hollow Hills East High.  And he said he has spent countless hours working with Vougar Oroudjov, both in high school and while at Nassau, improving all aspects of his wrestling.

“I can’t thank Steve Hromada enough for all he’s done for me,” Abidin said. “And I feel the same way about Vougar.  I think I’ve developed so much.  I finally picked up the college wrestling style – being aggressive but being smart and knowing how to wrestle well on top.  I’ve gotten better at all of those things.”

Abidin will redshirt this season at Nassau and have three years of eligibility left with the Huskers.  He will no doubt put the next year to good use, including spending time on an activity that was foreign to him until recently.

“I finally started to do something called lifting,” he said with a laugh.  “I never did it in high school.   I really just started lifting this summer.  I will put in another good year of hard work and will do everything I possibly can.”

He’s known for that.  In his semifinal match against Martin Gonzalez at the NJCAA National Championships, Abidin trailed 7-2 late in the second period.  He was frustrated by his opponent backing up and the fact that there was a 20 minute stop in the action as the referees and coaches tried to sort out a dispute.

“That match just about gave me a heart attack,” he said. “After the long break, I was really aggravated because I felt like my conditioning advantage was going away.  I was down by five and I knew I had a lot of work to do.  I kept attacking and even though I wasn’t scoring off my shots, I got three stalling points.  Finally, I hit a throw-by with one second left and scored two points to win it at the buzzer 8-7. It was amazing.”

Amazing.  Just like going from sixth in the county as a high school sophomore to a scholarship athlete in the Big 10 in just a few short years.

Cornell's First Class of 2013 Recruit: FloNationals Champion Jacob Taylor Commits to the Big Red

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Courtesy of Bald Eagle Area High School website

When Jake Taylor decided it was time to look at colleges, he approached it like he does everything else.

“Jake goes all out with everything he does,” said his father Doug Taylor. “He put a pin on a map within a certain radius of home and got to work, figuring out all the options.  Cornell stood out right away.  It’s a fantastic educational institution and the wrestling speaks for itself.  It turned out to be a pretty easy decision.”

That’s saying something for Taylor.  While he looked at Harvard, Lehigh, Virginia and Virginia Tech, he gave very strong consideration to West Virginia, a school that has been a part of his family for much of his life.

Jake’s father Doug was an All-American for the Mountaineers.  Two of his uncles also competed for the squad and his older brother Nicholas is a member of the West Virginia team now.

“I feel like Cornell is the right place for me,” Jake Taylor said. “I like the coaches and what they’re doing with the program. I love the area. I’ve been impressed with how the guys perform in the postseason. You can’t beat the mix of academics and wrestling and I know that there’s life after wrestling, so education is very important.”

Indeed, the academic component was key for Taylor, who according to his father “has never gotten anything other than an ‘A’ in high school” and has aspirations of being a dentist.

“24 guys have gone on to become doctors and dentists under [Cornell head coach] Rob Koll and that’s something that was very appealing,” Doug Taylor said.

The Big Red’s wrestling success was appealing as well.  Taylor, Intermat’s #50 recruit nationally, will fit right in.  After compiling a 33-3 record in his sophomore campaign for Bald Eagle Area High School in Pennsylvania, Taylor began his junior season with a fourth place showing at the ultra-competitive Super 32 tournament in North Carolina at 170 pounds.  He followed with a 38-2 mark during the high school campaign, taking third at the state championships.

Taylor kept the momentum going in the spring and summer, winning the FloNationals title at 170 pounds, besting a field of nearly 40 grapplers.  That championship run included an overtime victory over Zach Nevills, a California state champion (and four-time Golden State placer) now at Stanford.  For good measure, Taylor also defeated some highly touted foes at the Disney Duals while wrestling for Team Young Guns, including nationally-ranked Brett Harner of Norristown Area High.

With his college decision made, Taylor is focused on winning his first state title.  He said he will likely wrestle at 182 pounds. (He is currently ranked sixth nationally at that weight).

“States are always important and I didn’t quite do as well as I hoped last year,” Jake Taylor said.  “I’m focused on winning this year.  I’ve wanted to be on top of that podium since elementary school and it would mean a lot to finish that way.”

And when that’s over, he is looking forward to beginning the next step in Ithaca, at a weight that will be defined later.

“One of the first things every coach we visited said to Jake was, ‘wow, you’re tall’,” Doug Taylor said.  “I was recruited as a 126 pounder and wound up at 158, so it’s hard to say where Jake will be.  He may start at 174 but I wouldn’t be surprised if he ended up at 184 or even higher.”

Wherever he ends up, he’s excited to be joining the Big Red.

“I’ve liked watching the Cornell wrestlers on TV the last few years – obviously Kyle Dake, Mack Lewnes, Cam Simaz and a lot of others,” Jake Taylor said.  “They wrestled well when it counted. I can’t wait to be a part of it and see where I stand.”