Photo courtesy of beat-the-streets.org
Brooklyn Tech captured the PSAL Dual Meet Championship on Tuesday night at FDR High School, topping Cardozo 52-14. It was the second title for the Engineers in the past three years.
For more information, see the recap on Gotham City Wrestling here and/or the Beat the Streets coverage here.
Sectional singlets are back.
It appeared that all wrestlers would wear their school colors at the state tournament in February for the first time in recent memory after the NYSPHSAA Executive Committee decided in May of 2012 to eliminate Sectional uniforms for all sports.
Today, that changed. According to NYSPHSAA Executive Director Robert Zayas, a 12-10 Committee vote dictated that Sectional uniforms will be allowed in all individual state championship sports “as long as no cost is incurred by the student, school or Section*.” In addition, he emphasized that the ruling means that Sectional singlets are permitted, but are not required.
The close vote was preceded by what Zayas called “a high quality discussion” which touched on a number of topics, including cost, tradition and the spectator experience at state championship events. In addition, there was talk about the need, particularly in wrestling, for a referee to be able to quickly identify what Sections the wrestlers are from to see whether he can officiate the match.
“I think all the different aspects of the uniform decision were discussed and everyone truly understood all the issues involved,” Zayas said. “In the end, it was a very close vote. I think it’s a vote that will be received very positively by the wrestling community. I enjoyed seeing the passion in New York for wrestling and the strength and interest of the wrestling community.”
That strength and interest was demonstrated by the petition started in December by Tim Herman, the Editor of armdrag.com. Discussions of that petition can be found here and here. Ultimately, close to 1300 people signed the online document.
“When I heard the uniform issue was back on the table, I knew that there was a good chance it’d be overturned,” Herman said. “I’m not sure if the petition had anything to do with it, but it certainly spread like wildfire and must’ve turned some heads. Thanks to a passionate wrestling community, we reached 1,000 signatures within a few days. Not long after, rumors of a revote began to circulate. I’m optimistic that all Sections will find a way to provide their wrestlers singlets, but we’ll have to wait and see. I realize that money is an issue for some, but where there’s a will, there’s a way. Some Sections already have a solution in place where cost is not an issue. Let’s hope others will follow suit and that we’re not revisiting this issue year after year.”
Whether the Sections decide to wear their traditional state tournament uniforms or have their wrestlers compete in their school singlets remains to be seen. But on Tuesday, a number of wrestlers expressed excitement about the outcome of the NYSPHSAA meeting.
“It was disappointing to everyone [when the decision was announced] because wearing that Sectional singlet and getting that Sectional gear is something that everyone looks forward to,” said returning state champion Nick Piccininni of Ward Melville. “It’s really exciting now.”
“It means a lot to me to represent Section 4,” added Johnson City junior Reggie Williams, the top ranked 195-pounder in the state, echoing the sentiments of several others. “Anyone can wear a school singlet but wearing the Sectional singlet means a lot more. I was really upset when I heard we wouldn’t be able to wear the Section singlets and I’m really happy that changed.”
————–
* When asked about the cost stipulation mentioned above, Zayas said that there would likely be some questions or discussion on what is and isn’t permissible.
As the postseason draws closer, the action continues to heat up. Over the past few days, fans were treated to previews of some of the key matchups we’ll see at state qualifiers in the coming weeks. We also saw teams like Wantagh, Johnson City and South Jefferson pick up additional trophies, as well as a plethora of other results. Here are some of the highlights (and more may be added):
For more on some of these stories, read on:
Another Title for Wantagh . . .
Quinn, Photo by Josh Conklin
Wantagh has continued to win week in and week out. The state’s top-ranked squad captured the Union-Endicott Duals, the team title at the Eastern States Classic and, on Saturday, the Nassau County dual championship. The Warriors cruised through the event, beginning with a 51-18 pounding of Island Trees. They followed with a 57-12 win over Division, a 50-18 semifinal result against Mepham and a 45-16 triumph in the finals against MacArthur. Leading the way were wrestlers ranked among the top 8 in the state – Danny McDevitt (170), Chris Araoz (126), Vinny Turano (132), Kyle Quinn (106) and James Corbett (182), who combined for eight pins and eight technical falls.
Johnson City Picks Up More Hardware
Williams, Photo by Josh Conklin
Johnson City followed up last weekend’s Section 4 Duals title with another crown – this time at the STAC. The Wildcats piled up 232.5 points to outdistance runner up Vestal and third place squad Union-Endicott. Johnson City was propelled by four champions (Isaiah Colgan at 106, Joseph Hamdan at 145, Zach Colgan at 152 and Reggie Williams at 195) as well as silver medalists Tyler Brazinski (99), Nick Bidwell (138), Conner Halladay (160) and Dominic Taylor (170).
Vestal’s run was highlighted by 182-pound champion James Benjamin, a returning All-State wrestler who won his title by fall in less than 30 seconds.
Benjamin will be in the mix in Albany for another spot on the podium. Also prominently figuring into the title picture at the Times Union Center will be two-time state champion Kyle Kelly. The Chenango Forks star earned a pin in the 113-pound finals against returning state placer Jimmy Overhiser of Corning, who bumped up from his usual weight. Another clash of contenders happened at 126 pounds, where Kelly’s teammate Jake Green edged Ithaca’s Richie Burke, 3-2 in the tiebreakers. Former state champion Tristan Rifanburg of Norwich also earned gold with a technical fall at 132 pounds.
For more results, see STAC here.
Also in Section 4 . . . BGA Takes the MAC
Also in Section 4, Bainbridge-Guilford/Afton won the MAC tournament at Unadilla Valley. Leading the way for BGA were a trio of titlewinners, Jesse Griswold (132), Justin Cirigliano (138) and Mark Viviano (195). Second place Unatego was very strong in the middleweights, boasting winners in three consecutive classes – Codie Nichols (145), Kevin Thayer (152) and Leland Slawson (160).
For more results, see here.
South Jefferson Keeps the Momentum Going
South Jefferson and General Brown have seen a lot of each other lately. The Spartans won a regular season dual against the Lions and then defeated them again for the Section 3 dual meet title a few days later. On Saturday, South Jefferson added another trophy with the Frontier League championship, won by over 30 points over General Brown.
Jared Carroll (99), Caleb Beach (106), Jon Crast (132), Daniel Smith (170) and Ryan Charlebois (195) took gold for South Jefferson while Nick Toutant of Indian River was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler after defeating Ryan Snow for the 126 pound crown.
For more results, see here.
Also in Section 3 . . . Holland Patent and Phoenix Victorious
At the Center States tournament, the top three teams finished within seven points of one another, with Holland Patent taking first, followed by Dolgeville and Canastota. The top squad featured a pair of champions – Hunter Richard at 113 and Josh Langley at 220.
The state’s top ranked 182-pounder, Zach Zupan of Canastota, breezed to the championship with a pin, while his teammates Jesse Puchales (170) and Wyatt Albanese (195) also won titles.
In matches featuring wrestlers who could figure into the picture at the Times Union Center, Ilion’s Laken Cook picked up a 3-1 decision over Rome Free Academy’s Antonio DeLuco at 126 pounds. In addition, highly regarded 99-pounder Ryan O’Rourke of Adirondack won a 2-0 battle against New Hartford’s Kelan McKenna while his teammates Derek Spann (106) and Tyler Spann (160) were named the event’s Most Outstanding Wrestlers. In a bout between previous state qualifiers, Tyler Spann edged Oneida’s Matt Fisher.
In the Liberty/Patriot tournament, Phoenix was first by a margin of more than 25 points. Nick Tighe dominated his way to the 138 pound crown while teammates Rowdy Prior (152) and Justin Rhodes (160) joined him on top of the podium.
For more results, see Center States and Liberty/Patriot.
West Seneca West, Rodriguez-Spencer Shine at the Ken Ton Tournament
The Ken-Ton Invitational included some of the best in Section 6, including Cheektowoga’s Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer. The returning state runner up cruised through the competition at 132 pounds, including a technical fall, a first period pin and a 15-6 major over All-State grappler Cody McGregor of Tonawanda. West Seneca West was the 7.5 point winner of the event over second place Kenmore West.
For more on the event, see here.
Reagan, Photo by BV
A number of other standouts from the same area took part in the Peter Rao Memorial. Lewiston Porter grabbed top billing, with Lockport next. Lew Port’s Dan Reagan earned MOW honors after two pins and a major on his way to the 138 pound title. Other notable winners included Lockport’s Anthony Orefice, an All-Stater who stood atop the podium at 120 pounds.
Rockland County Championships and Super 16 Feature Section 1 Standouts
Muldoon, Photo by Josh Conklin
In Section 1, a pair of tough tournaments took place over the weekend – the Rockland County Championships and the Super 16. Among the finals bouts that stood out at the RCCs was the 120 pound contest between Pearl River’s John Muldoon and Nanuet’s Anthony Calvano. Muldoon avenged a recent overtime loss to Calvano with a convincing victory. Just to reach the title bout, the Pearl River wrestler had to beat the very tough Blaise Benderoth of North Rockland. Another intriguing contest took place at 138 pounds where Benderoth’s teammate Matt Caputo topped Colby Kash, 9-2.
Among the champions at the Super 16 tournament were multi-time state placer Drew Longo of Ardsley (138) and Yorktown’s Thomas Murray (182), who has had a very strong season.
For an in depth look at these events, see here.
Who is the Best in the City? Mayor’s Cup Results
Who is the best in the City? That question was answered this weekend as the best from the five boroughs gathered at the Armory in Manhattan for the Mayor’s Cup.
Monsignor Farrell was the overall winner with 225 points, with Brooklyn Tech second (212 points) and Poly Prep third (168).
Farrell’s victory was fueled by dominant performances from a number of champions. At 160 pounds, Andrew Psomas earned a pin or a technical fall in all five of his bouts on the path to the title. Similarly, teammates Richard Sisti (220) and Matt Roberts (182) won by bonus points in all but one of their matches on the way to first place. The final gold medalist for Farrell was 138-pounder Karl Weisner, who topped teammate Blaise Rufo, 7-4, in the championship tilt.
Brooklyn Tech was paced by upperweights Shaquille Williams and Kevin Tynes. Williams defeated Quasar Hampton 1-0 but otherwise stuck all of his opponents at heavyweight while Tynes recorded a trio of falls in addition to his 3-1 title victory at 195.
Melikian, Photo by Josh Conklin
Poly Prep’s Noah Malamut put on an impressive show, pinning his way to the top of the 106-pound podium. Also demonstrating complete control were a number of wrestlers who competed in Albany last season. These included returning state runner up Cheick Ndiaye of Brooklyn International at 113, Sam Melikian of Fordham Prep at 132 and Nigel Williams of Eagle Academy at 145. A highly anticipated showdown between Tottenville’s Santo Curatolo and Grand Street’s Keanu Thompson didn’t come to fruition in the 126 pound final as Curatolo got the win by default.
For the full results, see here.
In the female competition, Curtis had champions in three consecutive weights – Leslie Schoberl at 120, Rosemary Flores at 126 and Shannon Henry at 132.
For the results of the girls competition, see here.
To report results, e-mail newyorkwrestlingnews@gmail.com
By Matt Diano
This weekend, the finest talent from the PSAL, CHSAA, and NYS Private League with ties to the five boroughs will again gather into the Harlem Armory for the ultimate battle of bragging rights known as the Mayor’s Cup. A celebration of the immense skill that not so long ago remained untapped, the Mayor’s Cup is the singular event where a student-athlete earns the right to call himself the King of the Apple. Slated to begin Saturday morning at 9 a.m., this year’s edition of the premier wrestling tournament in the world’s most famous city will feature as deep a field as any in years past. Led by six defending champions, seven returning runners-up, and a multitude of placewinners from last season, if there is one certainty, it is that no one is going to have an easy route to the hardware. Then again, with 500 of the best-of-the-best under one roof year-in and year-out, is there ever an easy path to Title Town? I think not!
99 Pounds
Martorello, Courtesy of gothamcitywrestling.com
A 3rd place finisher at the 2012 Mayor’s Cup, losing only to the eventual champion, Josh Antoine (formerly of Grand Street Campus; currently attending Edinboro University), Fordham Prep sophomore Chris Martorello will enter this year’s festivities among the favorites to go all the way in the lightest of all the weight classes. A bronze medalist at the 2012 Catholic State Tournament last season at this same weight, there has been no jinx for the Ram student-athlete thus far in 2013 as he has won 20+ matches, placing in the top-4 of the Shoreline Invitational, as well as just missing finishing in the top-8 at the Eastern States Classic a few weeks ago, falling one victory short. Last weekend, Martorello went 4-1 at the CHSAA Duals, scoring bonus points in all of his victories, and with his only loss coming at the hands of St. Joseph Collegiate’s Garrett Baugher, a wrestler who many are projecting to make the podium at the NYS DI tournament next month in Albany.
Another returning placewinner from last season who figures prominently again in 2013 is Petrides junior Dolan McColgan, the defending PSAL DII Champion who finished 5th in 2012 at the Armory. Sporting a 29-1 record thus far this season, McColgan will be considered a heavy favorite to head back to the state capital where he hopes to improve upon the 1-2 record he posted in his first trip to the Times Union Center. With the small school division not offering much of a challenge to the Staten Island product, Saturday/Sunday might represent the true test of where he stands.
Also back to contend for gold in 2013 will be the wrestler that McColgan pinned in 5th place bout, fellow Staten Islander Malik Grant of Curtis. A third place finisher at the 2012 PSAL Large School tournament as a freshman in 2012, Grant takes to the mat this weekend as the #1 ranked wrestler at 106 in the PSAL DI rankings per Gotham City. Dropping down to 99, Grant’s 25-2 record makes him one to watch.
Representing the youth movement will be 8th-grader John Luke DeStefano, of Poly Prep. A product of the Farrell Lions Club that has produced countless champions at the Mayor’s Cup, despite his youthful age, DeStefano has had an immediate impact at the Brooklyn-based school. Placing in just about every tournament he has entered this season, the 3x Beat-the-Streets Youth Champion has compiled a 21-7 overall record. He is expected to be the top-seed at the NYS Private School Championship tournament as he seeks the first of a potential five private school titles in his scholastic career. While seeds have not yet been determined, it should be noted that if they were to meet in the semifinal round, McColgan did pin DeStefano in the 5th place match of the 2012 PSAL Holiday Tournament, held at Madison Square Garden.
Finally, one can never overlook Patrick Aguda of Towsend Harris. A senior who has mustered a 10-2 overall record thus far in 2012/2013, Aguda just missed placing last season at the PSAL DI tournament at 106 pounds, falling a single victory short of the podium. An 8th place finisher at the Mayor’s Cup at the higher weight class in 2012, one can expect that Aguda might enjoy a size advantage over his foes. He finished 2nd at the Goddard Tournament this season, proving that he is capable of hanging with the upper tier of guys in the five boroughs.
106:
A Mayor’s Cup runner-up last season at 99 pounds, Poly Prep‘s Noah Malamut has been a juggernaut during his junior campaign, winning just about everything he has entered, including the title at the 2012 PSAL Holiday Tournament. The owner of a 21-1 record in 2012-2013, Malamut is looking more and more like a surefire bet to win his second straight Private School title. Last season, despite giving away nearly seven pounds to his foes, Malamut managed to win two matches at the National Prep Tournament, a very impressive accomplishment when you consider the caliber of opponents he was facing.
The wrestler who many expect to be opposite Malamut in the finals is returning 106-pound PSAL DI runner-up, Bohang Liu of Towsend Harris. Going 2-2 at this tournament last year as a junior, after finishing 6th as a sophomore in 2011, Liu brings a wealth of maturity and experience to the mat with him this weekend. He has fared pretty well in his scholastic swan song, compiling a 17-3 record this season, including finishing in the top 6 of the Long Beach Tournament on talent-rich Long Island. Gotham City has Liu ranked as the #1 wrestler at 113 pounds.
Also looking to add another bullet point to his resume after finishing as a PSAL DI runner-up last season (at 99) will be Long Island City junior Oscar Estudillo. Carrying a 14-4 record into the weekend, Estudillo has proven how dangerous he can be when he also finished high at the Long Beach Tournament, taking 5th against some of Nassau and Suffolk’s top dogs. 2013 will mark the first time that Estudillo will be competing at the Mayor’s Cup as in years past, his school has only sent a handful of participants.
The pattern of returning PSAL runners-up continues with Brooklyn International’s Alpha Diallo. A wrestler who selflessly wrestled up at 113 last season, Diallo could have very well been a returning DII City Champion at 106 if not for the presence of his teammate, 2012 NYS DII runner-up, Cheick Ndiaye, occupying the starting spot. Now, having flip flopped weights, putting the senior from Brooklyn at a more natural class, Diallo entered 2012-2013 as the favorite to win his first City title in his final attempt. He has not disappointed, posting a 14-7 record, winning the Wingate Tournament and finishing 5th at the PSAL Holiday Tournament among other feats. In his only previous appearance at the Mayor’s Cup, Diallo went 0-2 in 2011.
Joseph Donohue will be looking to make his introduction to the Mayor’s Cup tradition an impressive one. The freshman from Xaverian has posted a 17-3 record in his rookie season, winning the Goddard Tournament and placing 2nd to Diallo at the Wingate Tournament. Aguda is ranked #4 in this weight class in the latest GCW polls.
To read the previews for the rest of the weight classes, see the original article here on Gotham City wrestling.
CAA teams Hofstra and Binghamton both took the mat on Friday night after winning two of three duals last weekend in Virginia. The Pride defeated American at home, 21-9. After dropping two of the first three matches against the Eagles, Hofstra responded with five consecutive victories, beginning with a decision by Tim Murphy at 197.
Meanwhile, Binghamton lost a 21-18 dual at conference rival Old Dominion. The Bearcats trailed 21-6 after six bouts but mounted a comeback, winning the last four matches.
One of the highlights for the Bearcats came in the 149-pound match when senior Donnie Vinson pinned Brennan Brumley. The victory for Vinson was the 124th of his career, making him Binghamton’s all-time wins leader.
Hofstra 21 American 9
165: Phillip Barreiro (American) dec Nick Terdick (Hofstra), 7-5
174: Jermaine John (Hofstra) dec Keithan Cast (American), 8-3
184: Thomas Barreiro (American) dec Victor Pozsonyi (Hofstra), 4-1
197: Tim Murphy (Hofstra) dec Devon Bradley (American), 6-3
285: Paul Snyder (Hofstra) dec Blake Herrin (American), 3-1 SV
125: Steve Bonnano (Hofstra) dec David Terao (American), 13-6
133: Jamie Franco (Hofstra) dec Esteban Gomez-Rivera (American), 2-0
141: Luke Vaith (Hofstra) dec John Boyle (American), 6-1
149: Kevin Tao (American) dec Cody Ruggirello (Hofstra), 7-4
157: Tyler Banks (Hofstra) dec Mark Cirello (American), 3-1
Old Dominion 21 Binghamton 18
125: Rob Deutsch (ODU) tech fall Mike Sardo (Binghamton)
133: Scott Festejo (ODU) dec Derek Steeley (Binghamton), 6-4
141: Justin LaValle (ODU) maj Dan Riggi (Binghamton), 10-0
149: Donnie Vinson (Binghamton) pin Brennan Brumley (ODU)
157: John Nicholson (ODU) pin Jack McKeever (Binghamton)
165: Brett Miller (ODU) dec Vincent Grella (Binghamton), 4-3
174: John Paris (Binghamton) dec Marcus Johnson (ODU), 4-2
184: Cody Reed (Binghamton) dec Austin Coburn (ODU), 5-3 SV
197: Nate Schiedel (Binghamton) dec Jacob Henderson (ODU), 4-1
285: Tyler Deuel (Binghamton) dec Matt Tourdot (ODU), 11-5
No matter what time of year it is, you’ll find Fairport’s Colton Kells immersed in a contact sport . . . (or two, or even three).
“Colton is always passionately doing something athletic,” said head wrestling coach Michael Kohl. “He loves sports, especially those of a physical nature. He just loves to lift and work out and especially to compete.”
An All-State linebacker this fall on the gridiron, Kells also suits up for the school’s rugby team in the spring. And of course, the senior is a standout on the mat where he is currently ranked third in New York after an undefeated start to the 2012-13 campaign.
Courtesy of Colton Kells
Kells said that to “stay sharp”, he does some work in all three sports year round. And for good measure, he adds some additional exercise to his regimen through his work at a local greenhouse, doing things like moving the plants, and through his summer job which involved lifting furniture.
Of all his endeavors, Kells didn’t hesitate when asked what he found most physically demanding.
“Wrestling is definitely the most intense,” he said. “There are four quarters of football and 80 minutes of rugby but the six minutes in a wrestling match are the toughest.”
So far in his senior season, Kells hasn’t had to wrestle the full six minutes very often. Only eight of his first 38 matches went the distance.
However, last weekend, he was on the mat even longer than three periods in a contest that was significant for a number of reasons.
In the title bout of the Monroe County championships, Kells took on Spencerport’s Collin Pittman, a wrestler he defeated several times last year and 5-1 earlier this season. After knotting the score late in the third period on a stalling point, the Fairport grappler got the 5-3 victory on a takedown in overtime.
“Colton stayed focused throughout the match and kept hustling,” Kohl said. “He was rewarded for his hustle and ultimately found a way to win.”
“[Pittman] has improved a lot over the past year,” Kells added. “You can see each of our matches gets closer and closer if you look at the scores. In [overtime], he shot in, I sprawled and I ended up on top after we scrambled for a little bit. It was a very physical match; the closest one we’ve had so far.”
It didn’t just mean a championship for Kells. It also was the 100th victory of his career.
“Once I realized I was getting close [to 100 wins], I started keeping track,” he said. “I knew going into the weekend that the finals could be my 100th win and I thought it would be cool to get it there.”
Hitting the century mark wasn’t the only reason the weekend was special, however. Kells was an important contributor to his team’s first-ever county championship, breaking the hold that Spencerport had on the title for more than 20 years.
“It meant a lot and it was great to do our senior year,” Kells said. “We’ve been together for years, working hard together. We felt pretty confident coming in that we could win but you never know what will happen with a lot of tough teams there.”
“It was very exciting for us,” Kohl added. “It was a compilation of a lot of hard work and I know the boys take a lot of pride in the way they performed and that they were the first to win the county for our school.”
New achievements have been piling up for the Red Raiders. A year ago, Josh Lackey, now a freshman at North Carolina State, became Fairport’s first individual state champion when he put together an unbeaten campaign to capture the 220-pound crown in Albany. Lackey said in an interview last summer that he hoped his showing would lead to more future championships for Fairport.
“Watching him win was actually a great inspiration for me,” Kells said. “We worked out most of last year. We were drill partners; we lifted together. Josh was great to work with. He never lets up. He never stops pushing forward. It was amazing to see him win the title and it inspired me.”
The truth is, Kells wasn’t too far from joining Lackey on the medal stand last year. After dropping a number of matches to All-State wrestler Jesse Kozub as a sophomore and early in his junior campaign, Kells broke through and defeated the Brockport wrestler at the county tournament in 2012, a win that gave him a boost going into the latter stages of the season.
“Jesse had placed in the state the previous year and I knew after beating him that I could go with anyone. It gave me a lot of confidence.”
Kohl agreed.
“I thought that was the turning point last season for Colton,” Kohl said. “I think he realized that he could wrestle with the elite kids. He realized that there wasn’t a question of whether he was capable or not, it was all about how he performed.”
He performed well enough in his first trip to state tournament to win a pair of matches and come within one victory of making the podium.
And after he was finished competing, Kells took the floor at the Times Union Center to help Lackey warm up and prepare for his finals bout with Max Antone of Niagara Wheatfield.
It’s a place Kells hopes to visit again on February 23, 2013. And the two-time captain is doing all the right things to get there, according to his coach.
“He’s not a flashy kid – he does everything the old fashioned way, through hard work and determination. He’s extremely disciplined and does all the extra things. Kids like him, when you ask them to jump, they ask how high? If you asked him to run through a wall, he would. He has that determined look in his eye this year and very high expectations for himself.”
Those expectations for success at the highest levels in New York won’t end in February.
“A couple days after states, I’ll be back in rugby,” he said. “We made it to the state finals the last two years and won once. Hopefully we can get back there again and win.”
After all, every season is sports season for Kells. Pity the obstacles in his way.
The NCAA revealed the first Coaches Panel Rankings for the 2012-13 campaign on Thursday. 25 wrestlers from the six Division I programs in New York were included.
There will be two more sets of these rankings this season and the final version will be used as one of the key components of the selection process for the NCAA tournament, along with winning percentage and rating percentage index (RPI).
Here are the wrestlers currently included:
125:
Nahshon Garrett, Cornell (6th)
Steve Bonanno, Hofstra (19th)
133:
Jamie Franco, Hofstra (Tie 27th)
Derek Steeley, Binghamton (Tie 27th)
Jordan Thome, Army (33rd)
141:
Photo by BV
Mike Nevinger, Cornell (6th)
Luke Vaith, Hofstra (17th)
Connor Hanafee, Army (30th)
149:
Donnie Vinson, Binghamton (3rd)
Steve Santos, Columbia (8th)
Chris Villalonga, Cornell (15th)
Daniel Young, Army (18th)
157:
Jake O’Hara, Columbia (17th)
Jesse Shanaman, Cornell (30th)
165:
Kyle Dake, Cornell (1st)
Mark Lewandowski, Buffalo (17th)
Paul Hancock, Army (22nd)
174:
John-Martin Cannon, Buffalo (16th)
Stephen West, Columbia (22nd)
Coleman Gracey, Army (33rd)
184:
Steve Bosak, Cornell (4th)
197:
Nate Schiedel, Binghamton (5th)
Jace Bennett, Cornell (24th)
285:
Paul Snyder, Hofstra (25th)
Stryker Lane, Cornell (27th)
For the full rankings, see here.
For years, SUNY Sullivan has welcomed some of the best wrestlers in New York to its Loch Sheldrake campus for a weekend in January for the Eastern States Classic.
And grapplers have again ascended on the campus in the summertime for top-notch camps, including the J Robinson Intensive Camp in 2012, run by the longtime University of Minnesota head coach.
Now, wrestling will be a fixture at SUNY Sullivan year round, as President Dr. William Murabito and Director of Athletics Christopher DePew announced earlier this month that wrestling will be one of two sports added, beginning this fall. (Women’s volleyball is the other).
According to DePew, the move to bring wrestling to Loch Sheldrake was in the making for some time, as he and the institution have become more and more connected to the sport over the years.
“We have developed very strong relationships with the Friends of Section 9 wrestling and also with members of Beat the Streets such as Al Bevilacqua and Bill Crum,” DePew said. “Those individuals have been suggesting starting a wrestling program here for a while.”
DePew began to look at the possibility but was uncertain whether some of the start up costs, like new mats, might be prohibitive.
But when a new mat arrived, courtesy of Beat the Streets wrestling, the enthusiasm continued to grow.
And when DePew presented the proposal to add wrestling, as well as women’s volleyball, to the leaders of the institution, the Board not only approved it, but demanded that it go forward as part of the college’s five-year growth strategy.
It is believed that the programs will be an important recruitment tool for up to 40 new students in the next year and will be the first step of an overall plan to add four more athletic programs by 2015.
In addition to meeting the strategic needs of the institution, DePew believes there will also be a profound impact on the wrestling community.
“There are limited opportunities for wrestlers on the collegiate level and we’re happy to be providing a great option,” he said. “We believe we offer a unique opportunity for New York kids to get away from home and have the true college experience, but still be close enough to get home if they need to. There is a bus from the Port Authority in New York City that goes to the flagpole at our school. We know there are so many good high school wrestlers in the state of New York, including in the Beat the Streets program, and we want to offer them a place to continue wrestling.”
There are of course some things currently being worked out. Student housing is currently at capacity and there is an ongoing initiative to expand on-campus living.
And the leader of the program is still being determined, with the search for the head coach underway. According to DePew, a number of candidates have already expressed interest and he is hoping to have the coach on board by mid February.
Even without the staff in place, the enthusiasm for the sport came through in conversations with DePew and was very clear during the Eastern States Classic. In fact, DePew worked in the concession stand from the opening of the tournament in the morning through its close on both Friday and Saturday. His excitement about making wrestling events a bigger fixture at the Paul Gerry Fieldhouse was palpable.
“I think this is a great opportunity for SUNY Sullivan and for the New York wrestling community,” he said. “We have some work to do, and I would say I’m cautiously optimistic. We have seen NJCAA programs like Nassau and Niagara do very well in New York and we expect that we can have that kind of success as well. This fits in well with our continued quest to be the very best Junior College Athletic Program in the country. I believe that the success of our current programs will breed immediate success for our future programs. We expect to become a national Junior College power in year one.”
It had been three years for South Jefferson and a decade for Johnson City, but the wait is over for both. The squads captured the Section 3 and 4 Dual Meet titles, respectively, after living up to their number one seeds.
For South Jefferson, the run had a lot of similarities to the one in 2010. In that year, the Spartans came into the Section 3 dual tournament undefeated and left as champions.
But the path wasn’t all the same, according to head coach Pat Conners.
“This was a new role for our program,” Conners said. “Instead of being the underdog this year, we were the favorite. That definitely wasn’t how it was three years ago. No one believed then that we could beat Fulton in the dual meet finals. I had people tell me if we even made the finals, it would be great for us. Then we knocked off Fulton to win it. There were people who felt that was an ‘on any given day’ kind of thing where the better team doesn’t always win. This weekend was different because I think our team proved that we are the best in Section 3 this year.”
It certainly looked that way. Prior to the tournament, (last Thursday) South Jefferson faced off with General Brown in a battle of teams ranked in the latest New York State dual meet poll. The lower-ranked Spartans came out on top, 40-25.
“Having that huge dual and knocking off General Brown only a few days before actually made me a little nervous,” Conners said. “We were confident going into the weekend, but sometimes it’s tough to get everyone refocused and ready so soon after a big win. But our team has a good mix of veterans and young kids and our six seniors did a nice job of leading.”
Things started off a little slow, according to Conners, in the first meet against Cicero-North Syracuse but the Spartans emerged with a 51-23 victory and followed that up with a 58-22 win over Cazenovia.
The next round brought Baldwinsville. The Bees took a 10-3 lead after three bouts, but South Jefferson responded, recording falls in four of the next five matches to take a commanding advantage. Registering pins were Trevor Cowles (160), Daniel Smith (170), Logan LaFlamme (182) and Ryan Charlebois (up a weight at 220). Despite forfeiting the last bout, the Spartans punched their ticket to the finals with a 43-31 result.
“In that case, the 160 to 195 pounders did the job,” Conners said. “They are all good wrestlers and when we get there, we count on bonus points. We’ve had solid balance all the way through the lineup this year, though. Our 99 and 106 pounders (Jared Carroll and Caleb Beach) are a combined 62-4. [132 pounder] Jon Crast has made a nice comeback from surgery. Many other guys have wrestled very well. What’s been really great to see as a coach this year is that the bigger our matches have been, the better the kids have wrestled. Our top wrestlers have won with bonus points and the kids who aren’t our top wrestlers have wrestled hard and given up only three points.”
That was true as South Jefferson topped squads such as Northern Adirondack, Victor and Cortland earlier in the campaign. And it held true in the finals when the Spartans met General Brown for the second time of the week.
In the championship dual, the Lions won five of the first eight matches. However, all five victories were by decision and with South Jefferson’s two pins and a decision, the score was knotted at 15. That was the last time it was close.
“Losing five matches but all of them only three point losses was big,” Conners said. “When you wrestle the other team’s top kids and keep it close, it’s as important as a big win on your side. We were tied and in good shape. And then we got on a roll and poured on points after that. We only lost one match the rest of the day.”
So a 15-15 tie turned into a 45-19 rout.
“Each week, we’ve been challenging the kids and they’ve stepped up stronger and stronger,” Conners said. “It’s rare to have a team wrestle well every weekend without real letdowns but this group did that. It was a total team effort and our depth played a big role. We had some guys stepping on the mat for the first time in the semis or finals while other teams were exhausted.”
That was one of the reasons Conners cited for the lopsided scores in the event.
“Our goal was to win the duals,” the coach said. “But I never, ever thought we would be as dominant as we were because of the caliber of teams in Section 3. I was not surprised that we won but very pleasantly surprised that our kids were as dominant as they were.”
Dominant enough to stand atop Section 3. But will that translate to the top of New York State?
Conners said he might reach out to Midlakes coach Steve Howcroft to see if a dual between the unbeaten Division II powerhouses could be arranged. (Midlakes is ranked first among small school teams). But whether that happens or not, it’s been a great ride for the Spartans as they demonstrated that they are among the Empire State’s elite.
Johnson City’s Return to the Top
Being among the elite is something Johnson City head coach Jordan Glenn can relate to very well. When he was a competitor for the Wildcats, he remembers his team being among New York’s best every season.
“In our heyday, from the early 90s to mid 2000s, there was a stretch where we didn’t lose to a Section 4 team for 10 years,” Glenn said. “I don’t think we finished outside the top 5 at the state tournament very often. Winning this weekend is absolutely a big deal for us because this is the first event we’ve won as a team in recent years. The last time we won Section 4 Duals was in 2003. This builds a good foundation for us and with a team full of juniors and younger wrestlers, we think we can raise the bar for next year and continue to excel.”
They excelled this weekend, beginning with a dominant 50-24 victory over Sidney in the first round of the event. The Wildcats got out to a 31-6 advantage and never looked back. The second dual was similar, in a 42-27 triumph over Vestal.
“In those first two matches, we were in control most of the way,” Glenn said. “We never take anything lightly because with duals it can come down to matchups and a coin flip. We knew those teams had potential to match up with us, but we were solid all the way through. Our depth also was important. We had a couple of guys injured and we were fortunate to have some other guys fill in and do very well.”
That was the case in the finals match against Union-Endicott. With the loss of state qualifier Greg Kleinsmith to injury, Johnson City bumped a number of wrestlers up a weight and adjusted the lineup.
One of the wrestlers stepping in was one of the squad’s few seniors, Ben Fay. With his team trailing 6-0 (Johnson City forfeited at 132), he took the mat for his first action of the tournament against Xavian Hughes, the top-ranked wrestler in the Section. He held the Tiger wrestler to a decision.
“Ben hasn’t necessarily been one of the guys competing for individual championships, but he had a solid performance. He filled a void and allowed maneuverability that we otherwise wouldn’t have had,” Glenn said. “He preserved points when we needed him to.”
Facing a 9-0 deficit, Johnson City took over, capturing the next six bouts. It started with a decision by Nick Bidwell at 145 and was followed by another three points for Joseph Hamdan at 152.
“Joe Hamdan was out of the lineup for the better part of a month with injury,” Glenn said. “This was his first competition back and he came through with three wins. The first two were by pin. In the finals, it was tougher. The lack of mat time got to him a little. But he found a way to win a close match in overtime. That turned out to be huge.”
Photo by BV
Also huge were the flurry of bonus points the Wildcats racked up next with pins by Zach Colgan (160), Dominic Taylor (182) and Reggie Williams (195). Added into the mix was a technical fall by Conner Halladay at 170.
“When you have anchors you can count on like Zach Colgan and Reggie Williams, it sets the tone,” Glenn said. “We have a very strong core from 138 to 195 and those guys really came through for us.”
After Williams stuck his opponent at 195, Johnson City had a 29-9 lead.
Union-Endicott mounted a comeback, with Lucas Depofi and Andrew Brinser coming out on top at 220 and 285 to cut the team score to 29-18.
But lightweights Tyler Brazinski (99 pounds) and Isaiah Colgan (106) picked up victories by technical fall and pin, respectively, to put their team up 40-18 and clinch the championship.
“Tyler has had a really good week,” Glenn said. “He was bumped out of lineup last year and didn’t place in the section. But he came back ready this year and this past week alone he’s beaten three of the four top ranked kids in the Section. He didn’t get scored on by any of them. And Isaiah Colgan has been really solid all year. He won three matches at Eastern States and is certainly on a level where he can compete for a Section championship, as he did last year.”
Union-Endicott finished strong as Mikey Carr, Anthony Noce and Zack Bendick recorded falls in the final three matches of the dual to make the final score 40-36.
“We had the dual meet clinched, but their 113, 120 and 126 wrestled really well with three pins in a row,” Glenn said. “We did our jobs to have the lead that we did. We were talking [Saturday] night that we’re starting to develop a little bit of a rivalry with U-E after they beat us in the semis last year at this tournament. We know they are getting better and developing; you can see the progression with their wrestlers. As for us, we set lofty goals this year and even though we didn’t do as well as we hoped at U-E Duals [in early January], we are excited to be back as the top Dual Meet team in Section 4 this year.”
Back at the top. South Jefferson and Johnson City earned it after their performances this weekend.
What a weekend. From dual meet championship tournaments to tough individual events, there were great matchups all over the state. The following touches upon some of the notable results and more may be added later.
South Jefferson and Johnson City captured Dual Meet Championships in Section 3 and 4, respectively. The Spartans dominated their finals matchup with General Brown while the Wildcats won a four-point dual over Union-Endicott.
In individual tournament action:
• Shenendehowa won its own event with five champions, with St. Anthony’s and Yorktown taking second and third. Among the titlewinners for the Plainsmen were highly ranked Nick Kelley, David Almaviva and Levi Ashley.
• Monroe County in Section 5 has a new champion for the first time in 22 years. Spencerport had captured the last 21 titles, but this weekend it was Fairport earning that school’s first county championship. A number of wrestlers who appear in our latest state rankings won titles at this event, including Colton Kells of the champion Red Raiders, who topped Spencerport’s Collin Pittman in overtime at 195.
• At the Islip Cup, a pair of New York contenders at 170 pounds, Joe Piccolo of Half Hollow Hills West and Carlos Toribio of Brentwood, squared off for the second time this season. Toribio took the first meeting by decision but in the rematch, Piccolo recorded an early pin. It continues a strong run by Piccolo, who was third at the Eastern States Classic last Saturday.
• Huntington took first at the Kohl Invitational with five titlewinners, including Most Outstanding Wrestler Joseph Puca at 152 pounds. Puca upset state ranked Dan DeCarlo of Port Jervis.
• Edgemont, led by 120-pound winner Trey Aslanian, was the team champion at its tournament over the weekend, finishing ahead of Section 1 foe Pearl River.
• Clarence took the ECIC Championship, led by champions Ryan Burns (106), Jake Weber (160) and Nate Ward (285). Taking MOW honors was Cheektowoga’s Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer, who won the 132 pound class with a pin.
• At the Beacon, Valley Central won a close team race by three points over Arlington. Leading the way was top ranked Alex Delacruz of Ossining, who notched a technical fall in the finals.
For more details on these stories, read on:
Section 3 and 4 Dual Meet Championships
Johnson City, the top seed in Section 4, opened with a 50-24 victory over Sidney before defeating Vestal by a 42-27 score in the semifinals. In the championship dual, Johnson City took a commanding lead, clinching the dual with three matches remaining. Union-Endicott’s late rally made the final score 40-36.
In Section 3, the conclusion lacked drama. Top seeded South Jefferson, ranked seventh in the latest state dual poll, looked like one of New York’s elite squads throughout the competition. The Spartans began with a 51-23 result against Cicero-North Syracuse before topping Cazenovia 58-22. In the semifinals, the team had its closest meet of the event, 43-31, over Baldwinsville. In the finals, South Jefferson left little to chance, emerging with a dominant 45-19 score.
Earning wins in the opening three duals for the champions were Jared Carroll (99), Caleb Beach (106), Trevor Cowles (160), Dan Smith (170), Logan LaFlamme (182) and Ryan Charlebois (220).
For more on the championships by Johnson City and South Jefferson, check back tomorrow for a more detailed story.
Shenendehowa Tournament
The host team collected 209.5 points, well ahead of St. Anthony’s at 149 and Yorktown’s 95. The Plainsmen received championship performances from five grapplers – Kevin Parker (120), Nick Kelley (138), David Almaviva (145), Chris Naccarato (160) and Levi Ashley (195).
A host of additional wrestlers ranked statewide took the mat in Section 2. At 113 pounds, returning state runner up Cheick Ndiaye edged St. Anthony’s Ben Lamantia 3-2 and Joe Mastro of Yorktown grabbed gold at 152.
A pair of ranked wrestlers were upended in the finals – Luis Weirebach of Hoosick Falls topped Eastern States medalist Golan Cohen of Colonie at 106 while Elliot Antler of Xavier edged St. Anthony’s Johnny Vrasidas at 170. In a battle of 182-pound wrestlers we expect to make some waves in Albany, Thomas Murray of Yorktown topped Hoosick Falls’s Brad Burns.
For further results from the event, see here.
Monroe County Tournament
As mentioned previously, Fairport won its first Monroe County league title after 21 consecutive years of championships for Spencerport. The Red Raiders had a large number of placers, including titlewinners Colton Kells at 195 and Jordan Seidel at 170.
Courtesy of Jason DePrez
This event featured a number of grapplers who are featured prominently in the latest individual state rankings. Among them were top 99 pounder, Yianni Diakomihalis of Hilton, who earned a major in the title match and took lightweight Most Outstanding Wrestler honors. He was joined on top of the podium by teammates Vincent DePrez (138), Anthony DePrez (145) and Mike Spallina (152), an eighth grader. Spallina wasn’t the only young wrestler to take top billing. After impressing nearly everyone in attendance at the Eastern States last weekend, seventh grader Frankie Gissendanner of Penfield put up another outstanding performance, taking the 126-pound crown over top seed Rosario Venniro, 3-1.
Spencerport was well represented among the titlewinners as well, with champions Jonathan Haas at 106, Trent Egenlauf at 182 and Austin Coleman at heavyweight. Grabbing heavyweight MOW honors was 160-pound champion Josh Powell of Churchville-Chili.
For more details, see here.
Islip Cup
Brentwood sat atop the team standings at the Kris McDonald Islip Cup, ahead of Sachem North and Islip. Leading the way for the top squad were champions Alex Romero (145), Luis Rodriguez (152) and David Rodriguez (285).
Photo by BV
Several state title contenders also picked up first place as the Half Hollow Hills West duo of Tyler Grimaldi (160) and Joe Piccolo (170) were victorious. As mentioned earlier, Piccolo avenged an earlier season loss to Brentwood’s Carlos Toribio with a first period pin. Both will be in the podium picture in Albany. Sachem North’s Gio Santiago has experience on the medal stand at the Times Union Center, as he took sixth a year ago. He continued his solid campaign with a fall over Jagger Rebozo in the 182-pound final.
For more results, see here.
Kohl Tournament
Huntington racked up 268 points, outdistancing Monroe Woodbury (201.5) and Port Jervis (166) for the title. The Blue Devils were led by Most Outstanding Wrestler Joseph Puca, who upset state-ranked Dan DeCarlo of Port Jervis for the 152-pound crown, 1-0. Also making the top of the podium for Huntington were John Arceri (99), Corey Jamison (126), Nick Lupi (220) and Anthony Puca (285).
For full brackets, see here.
Edgemont Panther Tournament
Photo by BV
Edgemont won its own tournament by five points over Pearl River on Saturday, spurred by champion Trey Aslanian at 120 pounds. Also making the finals for the host team were Kyle Aslanian (99), Chris Kim (170) and Jason Worobow (182). One of the top 145 pounders in the Empire State, Tom Grippi of Fox Lane, pinned his way to the title.
For more results, see 2013 Edgemont Bracket FINAL RESULTS
ECIC Championships
In Section 6, Clarence won the title by almost 100 points over Lancaster. Clarence had eight finalists, including three title winners. For full results, see here.
Beacon
In addition to the dominance of Ossining’s Alex Delacruz, there were many standout showings at this tournament. One of those was the 195-pound championship for Horace Greeley’s Scott Wymbs. When Wymbs, named the Outstanding Wrestler, beat Kingston’s Deon Edmond for the title, he became his school’s all-time wins leader.
Dual Meets
For additional dual meet results from the weekend, see here.
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