Category Archives: Division 1

Back to the Bearcats: Donnie Vinson Discusses His Return to Binghamton and the Push for a National Title

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Donnie Vinson at the 2012 NCAAs; Photo by Boris Veysman

Binghamton’s Donnie Vinson was an All-American for the first time in St. Louis in 2012, and he didn’t take an easy path to get there. After a first round loss to Oklahoma’s Nick Lester, Vinson won seven straight matches to capture third place at 149 pounds.  The 2012 CAA Wrestler of the Year talked to New York Wrestling News about a number of topics, including the departure of Pat Popolizio to the ACC, the impact of new head coach Matt Dernlan, and his final season in a Bearcat singlet.

 

New York Wrestling News (NYWN):  You have one year of wresting eligibility left.  Is it true that you already graduated from Binghamton?

Donnie Vinson (DV): Yes, I got my management degree with a concentration in marketing in four years.  I will be a graduate student at Binghamton next year, going into Administration and hopefully getting into Public Affairs as well.

NYWN: When two of your coaches, Pat Popolizio and Frank Beasley, went to NC State, did you consider leaving Binghamton?

DV: When it first happened, I wanted to wait for things to settle before making a decision.  [Assistant coach] Jasen [Borshoff] told everyone it would be okay with the administration and alumni behind us.  He was great, especially for a guy who didn’t know what would happen with him when the new coach came in. Jasen kept things positive, which is really what we needed at the time.

I also took my role as a leader on the team seriously.  I tried to talk to everyone – members of the team and recruits I could get ahold of, and tried to calm everyone down too. In the end, we only lost one team member, granted a very good one in Nick [Gwiazdowski, who transferred to NC State].  I think a lot of trust got built among the team during that time.

NYWN: Did you wind up looking at other institutions at any point in the process?

DV: I was recruited by a few schools.  I looked a little bit and took one visit.   In the end, I knew I was going to end up doing well at Binghamton in the near future and further out in the future since it’s such a great academic school.  When it came down to it, I started at Binghamton and I plan on finishing here. This is my home.  I’ve been in the area all my life and I guess I don’t like change that much.  It’s the best option for me, especially with all I’ve seen from Coach Dernlan so far.  He has a great thing going.

NYWN: What are your early impressions of the program under Coach Dernlan?

DV: There’s a great mentality in the room.  He has the wrestling background everyone would expect; he really knows his stuff.  After coaching under the Penn State staff for all those years, he’s seen great things and he’s sharing them.  He’s a motivator and he knows what needs to be done at the right times.

The main focus with Pat [Popolizio] was on intensity, which is great.  This summer, instead of being intensity focused, we’re going over a lot of technique, probably more technique in the last three months than all of last year.  It’s been a different approach but I think it’s been great.

NYWN: What were your first interactions like with Coach Dernlan?

DV: When he came in, I wasn’t into grad school yet and the application process was a little messed up.  He helped me through and convinced me to stay.  He told me if I stayed, we’d be a top 15 team again. He also kept Jasen [Borshoff] on board, which was important and kept the team together.

I like his views on leadership.  He’s talked about me being a grad assistant next year.  He’s put a lot of faith in Nate [Scheidel], Cody [Reed] and I as leaders.  Leadership has big meaning with him.  We have a lot of responsibility, running practice at times, which I really like.

NYWN: You mentioned Jasen Borshoff remaining on the staff as an assistant.  What role has he played in your development over the past few years?

DV: Jasen’s a great coach and workout partner for me.  When I’m sucked out and miserable, he’s the one person who will push me and correct me. He makes me work harder.  He may think he has something to prove since his career didn’t end on the greatest note.  He won’t let that happen to me.  He’s my go-to guy when I need to break a barrier or be pushed more.

NYWN: Do you plan to stay at 149 pounds next year?

DV: That’s the plan as of right now.  I think that’s the weight where I have my best shot to win it all.  I’m trying to keep my weight low this summer. I believe I was a contender last year and I gave up my shot early in the tournament with my first round loss, but I expect to be right there again.

NYWN: You mentioned losing your first match at the NCAAs last year.  Most wrestling fans know you then put together seven consecutive wins to take third.  What do you think about that run when you look back at it now? 

DV: It’s still shocking when I think about it.  But I think it makes me more angry than anything else.  I lost to Lester in the first round then majored him in the wrestlebacks.  I knew it shouldn’t have happened the first time.  Obviously, [Penn State national champion] Frank [Molinaro] was the top guy last year but I believed I was a real contender and what I did in the first round really ticked me off.  I let it affect me. In my first wrestleback [against Michigan State’s Dan Osterman], I got put on my back and the referee was close to slapping the mat.  I wound up coming back to pin him, but Jasen really got on me, driving me to get the right mindset.  After that, I got focused and did what I had to do.  I had a goal in mind of being third and I accomplished that.  My sights are set higher for next year. I want to be a national champion.

NYWN: What are you focusing on improving to reach that goal?

DV: I’m looking to fine tune everything.  I gave up a lot of points at the national tournament; lots of points I shouldn’t have.  The third place match [against Ohio State’s Cam Tessari] was a great example.  I need to wrestle smarter, more compact and keep the same intensity throughout.  I can’t give up cheap points at the ends of periods.

I’ll be working on fine-tuning my technique but I’ll also be doing an internship in Panama for a month this summer.  I’ll be trying to develop new marketing plans for my dad’s company down there, which connects hardware and software with a remanufacturing process.  I’m trying to get in touch with the Panamanian national team to train with them and do some freestyle.  I’ll also be doing a lot of cardio and some lifting while I’m there.

NYWN: The 149-pound class returns six All-Americans from 2012.  Is there anyone you are hoping to wrestle before the postseason?

DV: [Boise State’s] Jason Chamberlain and [Minnesota’s] Dylan Ness are two kids I’ve never wrestled in college.  I’d like to see them before nationals to see where I stand.  Chamberlain has proven himself over the years and Ness is a young stud.  I may try to meet him at the Southern Scuffle – our team isn’t going but they may send me down there alone.  If I’m going to be in the hunt at NCAAs, I want to see guys like that before nationals.

NYWN: Before last year, perhaps your biggest win was a dual meet victory over Kyle Dake in Ithaca. Do people ask you about that match with Dake a lot?

DV: Unfortunately, yes.  Our hometowns are about 25 minutes from each other and we both trained at Shamrock with [now Wyoming Seminary head coach] Scott Green when we were growing up.  We were on every team together; spent so many practices together.  We’ve known each other for a while and we’re still friends.  But on the wrestling mat, it’s another story.  He’s a three-time national champ, so he has more credentials than I could ever imagine.  It was a good win for me, but I didn’t want to talk about it much because I didn’t want my whole wrestling career to be based on that one match.  Coming back for third last year finally gave people something else to talk about.

NYWN:  At Shamrock, you did a lot of Freestyle and Greco and you were an accomplished wrestler in the international styles prior to college.  Would you like to get back into those styles after you finish your college career?

DV: I think I could do it.  I put all the international wrestling away when I got here so that I could get better at folk, and it’s paid off.  If I put the same level of attention and focus into those styles I don’t think it would be out of the question to make a World team or something like that.   But honestly, if I stick with wrestling in the future, I think I’ll concentrate on coaching.  If I coach, I want to be focused on helping the kids rather than training myself because the kids need the full attention of the coaches.

NYWN: Binghamton has come a long way as a program since you’ve been there.  What are the changes that really stand out to you?

DV: I was there early enough to see how bad the team was years ago.  Pat [Popolizio] started to recruit guys like Nate Scheidel and me and was able to weed out the people who didn’t really buy into the mentality and the system.  The partying was cut out and the focus on wrestling moved in.  You could see the obvious changes that came.  Everyone bought in, everyone fed off each other and we came together as team.  It’s apparent how far we’ve come with the All-Americans we’ve had and the finish at NCAAs last year.  Hopefully we’ll keep that going.  Coach Dernlan is recruiting really hard right now; he’s been on the phones literally 12 hours a day. The goal is to have a top three recruiting class next year.

NYWN:  Two former NCAA qualifiers, Justin Lister and Matt Kaylor graduated and Nick Gwiazdowski transferred, but you bring back the remainder of last year’s starters.  What are your expectations for next year’s team?

DV: I believe that we can do extremely well at NCAAs, which is the main goal. We’ll be a young team and dual wise, we’re expecting to take some blows.  Lister and Kaylor leave holes to fill, but from what I’m seeing, we’ll have some tough kids coming in who will fight for seven minutes.  I think we’ll have just as many or more All-Americans this year.  We’ll miss the people who left, but we’re moving past that.  We’re happy with what we have here right now and I’m really happy with my decision to be a part of it.

Overcoming Forfeits and Wrangling Snakes: NY Kong Represents the Empire State at Disney Duals

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Team NY Kong, Photo courtesy of Steve Hromada/Anthony Ciolino


There were some twists and turns along the way, but the Empire State’s debut in the All-Star division at the AAU Scholastic Duals (aka Disney Duals) was a success, as Team New York Kong took eighth place in Orlando in a competition that featured teams from all over the country.

“I’m so proud of these kids,” said coach Anthony Ciolino.  “What they did was awesome. To go to a national tournament, one of the toughest I’ve been to, and get to the All-American round is unbelievable, especially when you’re giving up as many points as we had to.”

According to Ciolino, who hadn’t participated in an AAU event before, the rules of the organization in New York limited the number of scoring team members by region of the state.  When he arrived in Florida, Ciolino was informed that some of the grapplers who had made the trip would not be allowed to figure into the scoring and therefore, every dual meet essentially began with a 12-0 deficit.

“We brought a great team – every one of the guys was an All-State wrestler,” Ciolino said. “I couldn’t believe we had to tell wrestlers like [state second placer finishers] Jacob Berkowitz, El Shaddai Van Hoesen and Nicky Hall that they could wrestle but their matches would be scored as forfeits for the other team.  Those guys wrestled very well, but every dual, 182 and 285 didn’t count.”

Early on, that didn’t matter.  The squad opened with four blowout victories over opponents from Ohio, Michigan and Delaware and went 6-1 overall in pool action, with the one setback against Pennsylvania’s Team Diesel, which was the eventual runner up.

The team then won its next two meets against teams from Missouri and Georgia before dropping its final two contests to Keystone Elite (PA) and Michigan’s MYWA Blue, bouts both Ciolino and Cornell-recruit Dylan Palacio felt would have gone differently with a full strength side.

“Looking at it, I think we were the third-best team there,” Palacio said.  “Diesel beat us, no question.  They were just really, really good.  But the other duals we could have won.  At that level, with nationally ranked kids everywhere, giving up 12 points in a dual [and 18 against Michigan with one team member having to leave], there’s no way to come back.  We took the challenge with a grain of salt and made the top eight.”

In the process of making the top eight, many individuals stood out.  Among them was a pair of undefeated wrestlers – Palacio and Frewsburg’s Nick Mitchell.

Palacio topped multiple nationally-ranked foes, including Pennsylvania state champion Garrett Peppelman, in his only close bout.  In fact, Peppelman took an early 5-0 lead, but Palacio chipped away at the deficit, eventually notching back points very late in the third period to get the victory.

“I wasn’t happy with how I wrestled in that match,” Palacio said. “I had to claw my way back.  There was a point in the match where I had to ask myself if I believed I could win.  But there was no going back. I wasn’t tired. I believed I should win every time I wrestled and I got it done.”

Nick Mitchell, Photo by Boris Veysman

Mitchell, who will attend Edinboro in the fall, got the job done as well.

“Nick Mitchell is one of the slickest kids in New York State.  He was really, really good,” Palacio said. “People like to talk about who’s better, D1 or D2 [Division 1 or 2] in New York.  After this weekend, I know that D2 kids are for real.  I might have been skeptical, but they shut me up really quickly.”

According to Ciolino, several other wrestlers registered seven or more victories for NY Kong during the event in addition to Mitchell and Palacio, including Marathon’s Lucas Malmberg, Lansing’s William Koll, Wayne’s Alec Dierna, Shenendehowa’s Nick Kelley, Williamsville East’s Dylan Cohen, Longwood’s Corey Rasheed, Medina’s Tristan Hamner and Niagara Wheatfield’s Max Antone.

“Hamner really battled and beat some very good kids,” Palacio said. “Antone surprised me. He was so athletic, doing flips and cartwheels.  I was in a state of shock.”

A similar state of shock may have been felt by a crowd at the team’s hotel as they saw a large snake on the premises. According to Ciolino, there was Palacio, standing near the lizard, speaking in an Australian accent, instructing people and trying to keep them calm.

“I was acting like the snake wrangler,” he said. “Everyone was listening to me.  That was a funny time, and there were so many others.  There was stuff like that all week. Everyone was funny and laid back.  We became really close – it was like wrestling with my friends and wrestling with family and there’s nothing better than that.”

“I couldn’t believe how the team jelled,” Ciolino agreed. “It didn’t feel like I brought a team from every corner of the state, even though that’s what I did.  It felt like the team was a bunch of guys who went to high school together.  They had a great time at the pool, at Disney World, playing jokes on each other. It was unbelievable.”

Despite some of the initial issues, it’s an experience Ciolino is hoping to repeat again in 2013.

“A lot of the juniors already told me they want to come back,” he said.  “It’s not a hard sell.  It’s a great place to be and you know the kind of competition you’ll see here.  The national exposure is great.  I had college coaches asking me about some of the guys. Now I know the rules and we want to do it again.”

That was a sentiment echoed by Palacio, although he’s headed to college.

“I went with a North Carolina team last year but this was way better,” he said. “I would love to do it all over again.  We took the good with the bad but in the end, I think we showed everyone that New York is for real.”

 

[Ciolino wished to thank Steve Hromada and Kim McClaugherty for all their work during the trip].

Team Members:

Lucas Malmberg, Marathon

Justin Cooksey, MacArthur

Jimmy Overhiser, Corning

William Koll, Lansing

Alec Dierna, Wayne

Nick Kelley, Shenendehowa

Dylan Cohen, Williamsville East

Corey Rasheed, Longwood

Tristan Hamner, Medina

Nicky Hall, Longwood

Dylan Palacio, Long Beach

Nick Mitchell, Frewsburg

Jacob Berkowitz, Scarsdale

Austyn Hayes, Phoenix

Max Antone, Niagara Wheatfield

El Shaddai Van Hoesen, Columbia

 

"Fighting Back": Team New York Battles at Junior Duals in Oklahoma City

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Jim Sutton, who has been coaching the New York Greco and Freestyle Duals teams for over a decade, had high expectations for the group traveling to Oklahoma City last week for the 2012 competition.

“We expected to finish in the top eight in both styles,” he said. “We were seeded second in our pool in both styles and this team had more seeding points overall than we’ve had in years.  We had the points, but the stars and moon didn’t line up correctly for us as far as injury, illness and winning some close matches.”

Despite not making the top eight, the squad finished 6-2 in Greco and 5-3 in Freestyle against some of the toughest competition in the nation.

“Coach talked to us beforehand and told us it had been a while since New York made the All-American round,” said 182-pounder Chris Loew of Wantagh.   “We weren’t able to do it, but we did pretty well.  We lost to some of the best teams in the country but kept fighting back.”

In Greco, the team got off to a strong start with a comfortable 55-14 victory over South Dakota before dropping a one-point dual to Oklahoma Red.

But the New Yorkers rebounded, winning the next two rounds in dominant fashion over Utah and North Dakota before taking three out of four on the second day of action, to earn third in the Bronze/Copper bracket and 11th overall.

“Going 6-2 certainly isn’t bad, but honestly it was a little disappointing considering what we thought we could do prior to the tournament,” Sutton said.

The Empire State had several standout performances in Greco, led by future Columbia wrestler Connor Sutton, who was named to the All-Tournament team after a perfect 8-0 showing at 160 and 170 pounds.   Especially satisfying was a triumph over Oklahoma’s Kyle Ash, an All-American who eliminated Sutton at Fargo a year ago.

“That was a huge win for Connor,” Jim Sutton said.  “It really kept his confidence high and helped him go undefeated the rest of the way in that style.”

“Connor went undefeated and was fantastic,” added Loew, who will be Sutton’s teammate with the Lions in the Ivy League next season. “He really beat up on some guys.”

Also picking up significant points in Greco were 120-pounder Santo Curatolo (7-1), Jessy Williams (6-2 at 132), Matt Greene (5-2 at 145), Loew (5-2 at 182/195) and Dante Salkey (5-0 at heavyweight).

Salkey’s contributions weren’t limited to the mat as he sang the national anthem and, according to Coach Sutton “had everybody laughing the whole tournament as the team entertainer.”

That entertainment came in handy during the first two days, as the team faced some adversity.  Injuries hit Indiana-bound star Quinton Murphy (who made a trip to the hospital) and several other wrestlers.  In addition, a few grapplers had a stomach virus that resulted in large weight losses and an inability to stay on the mat.

Nevertheless, New York went 3-1 in the opening day of Freestyle, soundly beating Minnesota Blue and Indiana twice while falling against Wisconsin 35-25.   Looking back, on the event, Coach Sutton said there were a number of missed opportunities in the bouts against the Badgers.

“We had three matches that we probably should have won in that dual and that would have made the difference,” he said.  “In one match, we were ahead by a point with one second left then got pushed out of bounds to lose.  In another, we were ahead with two seconds left and got thrown.  Then, we were ahead again in another match by a lot, and instead of staying away and circling with a few seconds left, got thrown and pinned. We were right there and we didn’t win some close matches.”

On the second day of Freestyle, the squad split four dual meets, topping Texas Blue and Ohio while losing against Georgia Black and Pennsylvania.  It was a day in which two of the state’s best wrestlers, Brian Realbuto and Murphy, were unable to compete (after having gone a combined 6-0 in Freestyle to that point) and a number of others fell ill.   The team placed 13th/14th overall, 5th/6th in the Bronze/Copper pool.  (The 5th place match wasn’t wrestled).

“Going 2-2 was pretty good, honestly, because we were decimated,” Coach Sutton said. “We had kids okay in the morning who then all of a sudden became sick and couldn’t stay out there.  Also, when you take guys like Realbuto and Murphy out of your Freestyle lineup, you’re in trouble.  Those are two of the best in the country.  We had to change the strategy with weights and styles. But we had guys step in and step up.  Guys who came to just wrestle Greco, took the mat in Freestyle.  Guys wrestled at different weights.  I give everyone a lot of credit – people did whatever they could for the team.  Everyone worked hard.  It was a really good group of kids and coaches.” [Max Askren assisted in Freestyle; Nick Catana did the same in Greco]

The organizers of the event agreed, as Team New York was nominated for the Sportsmanship Award.

“That was pretty important to me,” Jim Sutton said. “Sometimes things don’t go your way, but I was proud of how the team acted.”

He was proud of several performances on the mat as well.

Like in Greco, 120 pounds was an area of strength, as Trey Aslanian of Edgemont racked up a 7-1 record.

“With Santo [Curatolo] in Greco and Trey [Aslanian] in Freestyle, 120 was a really solid weight the whole time.  Those guys both had very good tournaments, losing only one match each.”

Sutton also had high praise for Cheektowoga’s Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer, who was 10-2 overall.

Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer at the 2012 NY States, Photo by Boris Veysman

“Renaldo had a great tournament, both in Greco and Freestyle,” Sutton said. “He wrestled really tough.  He’s young, but very talented. He’s a star. He’s going to be great.”

The coach also mentioned the efforts of wrestlers like Greene, who wrestled more than expected in Freestyle (and up a weight) due to Realbuto’s injury. And Williams, who had primarily practiced Greco leading up to the event, but wrestled Freestyle when the need arose. And Burke Paddock, who lost more than 10 pounds due to sickness, but gutted out several wins for the group.  And Loew, who moved to 195 pounds at times to help the team.  The list went on and on.

“Bumping up is nothing new for me,” Loew said.  “I did it for my high school team the past couple of years. We all did what we needed to for the team.

“It was a great experience,” Loew continued.  “Being together with all those guys, some of the best wrestlers in the state, was really cool.  I thought we were pretty close as a team, especially for a bunch of guys who were enemies a couple of months ago.”

Many of the participants will be teammates again, wearing New York singlets while competing in the international styles at the Junior Nationals at Fargo later in July.

“Looking back on it, it’s too bad because New York had the chance to be top eight or even better and that’s what we were aiming for,” Sutton said.  “But I’m proud of the team and hopefully we can see some great performances at Fargo.”

Results

GRECO

Pool B – 
Match #1 Quarterfinal: New York defeated South Dakota 55-14
100 – Jesse Dellavecchia (New York) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
106 – Nick Cassella (New York) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
113 – Matt Morris (New York) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
120 – Santo Curatolo (New York) over Marshall Swanson (South Dakota) Pin 1-3,0:43
126 – James Ronca (New York) over Gene Trimble (South Dakota) Pin 6-0,0:50
132 – Jessy Williams (New York) over Josh Manning (South Dakota) TF 10-4,6-0
138 – Quinton Murphy (New York) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
145 – Matt Green (New York) over Alex Davies (South Dakota) TF 6-0,8-0
152 – Regan Bye (South Dakota) over James Mclean (New York) Dec 3-3,6-0
160 – Connor Sutton (New York) over Bailey Konvalin (South Dakota) TF 7-0,6-0
170 – Troy Seymour (New York) over CJ Warren (South Dakota) Pin 0:54
182 – Mason Bender (South Dakota) over Chris Loew (New York) Dec 0-3,2-0,3-0
195 – Eugene Martin (South Dakota) over Levi Ashley (New York) TF 6-0,8-0
220 – Nathan Rotert (South Dakota) over Soslar Gularov (New York) Dec 1-2,4-1,6-3
285 – Dante Salkey (New York) over Collin Jensen (South Dakota) Pin 0-3,8-1,1:47

Match #2 Semifinal: Oklahoma Red defeated New York 32-31
100 – Jesse Dellavecchia (New York) over Matt Maxwell (Oklahoma Red) Dec 2-0,4-1
106 – Kaid Brock (Oklahoma Red) over Nick Cassella (New York) Pin 1:03
113 – Cody Karstetter (Oklahoma Red) over Kyle Kelly (New York) Dec 0-1,7-0,1-0
120 – Santo Curatolo (New York) over Joe Smith (Oklahoma Red) Dec 4-0,3-0
126 – Cub Yeager (Oklahoma Red) over James Ronca (New York) Dec 2-1,1-0
132 – Brian Crutchmer (Oklahoma Red) over Jessy Williams (New York) Dec 2-0,0-2,6-1
138 – Dakota Head (Oklahoma Red) over Quinton Murphy (New York) Pin 1:53
145 – Matt Green (New York) over Tanner Bailey (Oklahoma Red) Pin 2-2,0:41
152 – Keilan Torres (Oklahoma Red) over Leland Slawson (New York) Pin 3-0,0:39
160 – Burke Paddock (New York) over Ricky McCarty (Oklahoma Red) TF 7-0,6-0
170 – Connor Sutton (New York) over Kyle Ash (Oklahoma Red) Dec 5-0,6-0
182 – Kyle Crutchmer (Oklahoma Red) over Troy Seymour (New York) TF 7-0,8-0
195 – Nolan Boyd (Oklahoma Red) over Bryce Mazurowski (New York) Dec 6-0,5-0
220 – Soslar Gularov (New York) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
285 – Dante Salkey (New York) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf

Match #3 Cons. Semi: New York defeated Utah 32-16
100 – Brock George (Utah) over Jesse Dellavecchia (New York) Dec 4-0,3-1
106 – Kohl Tolbert (Utah) over Nick Cassella (New York) Dec 5-0,6-0
113 – Kyle Robison (Utah) over Matt Morris (New York) Dec 2-0,3-7,7-0
120 – Santo Curatolo (New York) over Antonio Meikel (Utah) Dec 0-3,5-1,4-3
126 – James Ronca (New York) over Matt Findlay (Utah) Dec 4-6,1-0,3-0
132 – Jessy Williams (New York) over Brenden Turner (Utah) Dec 7-0,5-0
138 – Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (New York) over Morgan Bogue (Utah) Dec 5-0,5-0
145 – Matt Green (New York) over William Chavez (Utah) Pin 1:03
152 – Grant LaMont (Utah) over Leland Slawson (New York) Pin 5-0,1:16
160 – Connor Sutton (New York) over Jesse Carlisle (Utah) Dec 0-7,3-2,2-0
170 – Burke Paddock (New York) over Nick Sorenson (Utah) Dec 5-0,2-0
182 – Jon Wixom (Utah) over Chris Loew (New York) Dec 2-0,1-1
195 – Bryce Mazurowski (New York) over Johnathan Larson (Utah) Dec 4-0,2-0
220 – Soslar Gularov (New York) over Joe Flores (Utah) Dec 1-0,2-0
285 – Dante Salkey (New York) over Roy Nash (Utah) Dec 4-2,0-3,3-2
Utah’s team score was adjusted by -1.000 for unsportsmanlike conduct on a coach

Match #4 3rd Place Match: New York defeated North Dakota 37-23
100 – Austin Rust (North Dakota) over Jesse Dellavecchia (New York) Dec 1-0,0-2,5-4
106 – Kael Knowlen (North Dakota) over Nick Cassella (New York) Dec 4-3,2-1
113 – Kyle Kelly (New York) over Reed Cronin (North Dakota) Dec 3-0,6-0
120 – Santo Curatolo (New York) over Adam Blees (North Dakota) Pin 4-0,0:48
126 – Trevor Kringlie (North Dakota) over James Ronca (New York) Dec 1-0,4-0
132 – Jessy Williams (New York) over Patrick Freeman (North Dakota) Dec 5-3,7-0
138 – Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (New York) over Weston Dobler (North Dakota) Dec 4-0,2-0
145 – Matt Green (New York) over Reed Beckman (North Dakota) TF 7-0,7-0
152 – Leland Slawson (New York) over Zane Braun (North Dakota) Dec 0-1,1-1,2-1
160 – Connor Sutton (New York) over Bryce Fish (North Dakota) Pin 0:37
170 – Troy Seymour (New York) over T.J. Poole (North Dakota) Dec 3-0,1-0
182 – Chris Loew (New York) over Kip Jangula (North Dakota) Dec 2-0,0-6,3-0
195 – Levi Ashley (New York) over Briley Crissler (North Dakota) Dec 3-0,3-1
220 – Brandon Larson (North Dakota) over Soslar Gularov (New York) Pin 7-5,1:18
285 – Tommy Sease (North Dakota) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf

Bronze/Copper Pool – 
Match #1 Round 1: New York defeated Missouri 39-20
100 – Jesse Dellavecchia (New York) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
106 – Nick Cassella (New York) over Matthew Barmann (Missouri) Dec 2-1,6-0
113 – Andrew Wallace (Missouri) over Kyle Kelly (New York) Dec 3-0,9-1
120 – Santo Curatolo (New York) over Noah Teaney (Missouri) Dec 1-3,5-1,1-0
126 – Lemuel Johnson (Missouri) over James Ronca (New York) Dec 1-0,3-0
132 – Tate Robinson (Missouri) over Jessy Williams (New York) Dec 2-1,3-1
138 – Quinton Murphy (New York) over Grant Leeth (Missouri) Dec 3-1,7-0
145 – Matt Green (New York) over Michael Cutberthson (Missouri) Dec 9-3,6-5
152 – Brennan Johnson (Missouri) over Leland Slawson (New York) Dec 3-1,1-0
160 – Connor Sutton (New York) over Trevor Engle (Missouri) Dec 7-0,1-0
170 – Burke Paddock (New York) over Morgan Fitzgerald (Missouri) Dec 7-0,1-0
182 – Chris Loew (New York) over Michael Boyd (Missouri) Dec 4-0,4-0
195 – Bryce Mazurowski (New York) over Daltan Sweet (Missouri) Pin 4-0,0:19
220 – J`Den Cox (Missouri) over Soslar Gularov (New York) TF 7-0,6-0
285 – Dante Salkey (New York) over Jimmy Sellers (Missouri) Pin 6-0,1:14

Match #2 Round 2: California defeated New York 45-15
100 – Sean Nickell (California) over Jesse Dellavecchia (New York) Dec 6-0,3-0
106 – Joey Cisneros (California) over Nick Cassella (New York) TF 6-0,5-0
113 – Matt Morris (New York) over Daniel Ruiz (California) Dec 2-0,0-8,5-1
120 – Zahid Valencia (California) over Santo Curatolo (New York) Dec 1-0,2-0
126 – Tom Yozzo (California) over James Ronca (New York) Dec 2-1,6-0
132 – Jessy Williams (New York) over Adrian Panduro (California) Dec 3-0,5-0
138 – Elijah Davis (California) over Quinton Murphy (New York) 0-1,Inj
145 – Richard Martinez (California) over Matt Green (New York) Pin 1-2,0:44
152 – Mike Longo (California) over David Almaviva (New York) Dec 8-3,6-4
160 – Connor Sutton (New York) over Miguel Ruiz (California) Dec 7-1,1-0
170 – Lukas Basham (California) over Burke Paddock (New York) Dec 5-4,3-0
182 – Chris Loew (New York) over Zach Hanson (California) Dec 2-0,0-3,2-0
195 – Mason Kumashiro (California) over Tim Schaefer (New York) Pin 1-0,0:43
220 – Daniel Chaid (California) over Bryce Mazurowski (New York) Dec 5-0,1-0
285 – Hildev Manzur (California) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf

Match #3 Round 3: New York defeated Texas 31-28
100 – Alex Minor (Texas) over Jesse Dellavecchia (New York) Dec 3-2,6-0
106 – Nick Cassella (New York) over Joseph Gomez (Texas) Dec 1-0,6-1
113 – D`Andre Brumfield (Texas) over Kyle Kelly (New York) Dec 1-0,5-1
120 – Santo Curatolo (New York) over Cody Moss (Texas) Dec 7-0,2-0
126 – Jacob Rubio (Texas) over James Ronca (New York) Dec 2-0,2-0
132 – Jessy Williams (New York) over Gus Kortemeir (Texas) Pin 7-0,0:46
138 – Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (New York) over Colton Stowe (Texas) TF 7-0,7-0
145 – David Almaviva (New York) over Jack Ohlabor (Texas) TF 7-0,7-0
152 – Oliver Pierce (Texas) over James Mclean (New York) Pin 7-0,0:25
160 – Connor Sutton (New York) over Travis Bradford (Texas) TF 6-0,7-0
170 – Burke Paddock (New York) over Julius Holmes (Texas) Dec 4-0,6-0
182 – Greg Wilson (Texas) over Tim Schaefer (New York) Dec 1-0,1-0
195 – Chris Loew (New York) over Cody Lindberg (Texas) Dec 2-0,1-0
220 – Nick Mabry (Texas) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
285 – Ivan De Leon (Texas) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf

Match #4 3rd Place Match: New York defeated North Dakota 48-17
100 – Jesse Dellavecchia (New York) over Austin Rust (North Dakota) Forf
106 – Kael Knowlen (North Dakota) over Nick Cassella (New York) TF 9-0,6-0
113 – Matt Morris (New York) over Adam Blees (North Dakota) Dec 6-1,1-0
120 – Santo Curatolo (New York) over Thomas Walton (North Dakota) Forf
126 – Jordan Sherer (North Dakota) over James Ronca (New York) TF 6-0,6-0
132 – Jessy Williams (New York) over Patrick Freeman (North Dakota) TF 7-0,6-0
138 – Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (New York) over Weston Dobler (North Dakota) Forf
145 – Ryan Blees (North Dakota) over Matt Green (New York) Dec 1-0,4-3
152 – David Almaviva (New York) over Shane Undem (North Dakota) Dec 1-0,6-3
160 – Connor Sutton (New York) over Bryce Fish (North Dakota) Dec 1-0,3-0
170 – T.J. Poole (North Dakota) over Troy Seymour (New York) Dec 0-1,5-0,1-0
182 – Tim Schaefer (New York) over Drew Kary (North Dakota) Forf
195 – Chris Loew (New York) over Briley Crissler (North Dakota) Dec 7-3,2-0
220 – Soslar Gularov (New York) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
285 – Dante Salkey (New York) over Tommy Sease (North Dakota) Forf

FREESTYLE

Pool B – 
Match #1 Quarterfinal: New York defeated Indiana 38-23
100 – Jesse Dellavecchia (New York) over Ethan Briggeman (Indiana) Pin 1-1,0:48
106 – Jake Sinkovics (Indiana) over Nick Cassella (New York) Dec 5-5,4-2
113 – Stevan Micic (Indiana) over Kyle Kelly (New York) TF 8-0,9-3
120 – John Aslanian (New York) over Terrence Kennedy (Indiana) Dec 8-1,5-2
126 – Dylan Realbuto (New York) over Nathan Carmichael (Indiana) Dec 2-0,3-0
132 – Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (New York) over Levi Moss (Indiana) Dec 6-0,3-4,3-1
138 – Tommy Forte (Indiana) over Jessy Williams (New York) Dec 4-0,1-0
145 – Josh Farrell (Indiana) over David Almaviva (New York) Dec 0-1,1-0,2-0
152 – Brian Realbuto (New York) over John Tatum (Indiana) TF 7-0,6-0
160 – Brian Harvey (Indiana) over Connor Sutton (New York) Dec 3-1,6-3
170 – Burke Paddock (New York) over Austin Neibarger (Indiana) Dec 0-2,2-0,7-1
182 – Riley Lefever (Indiana) over Tim Schaefer (New York) Dec 1-2,3-2,3-1
195 – Chris Loew (New York) over Jeff Dixon (Indiana) Pin 7-0,1:48
220 – Soslar Gularov (New York) over Ian Early (Indiana) Dec 6-3,0-1,4-1
285 – Dante Salkey (New York) over Georgio Blades (Indiana) TF 7-0,6-0

Match #2 Semifinal: Wisconsin defeated New York 35-25
100 – Jesse Dellavecchia (New York) over Ian Gioacchini (Wisconsin) Dec 5-0,6-0
106 – Nick Cassella (New York) over JJ McClelland (Wisconsin) Dec 6-0,4-5,2-1
113 – Bill Prochniewski (Wisconsin) over Matt Morris (New York) Dec 4-0,1-0
120 – John Aslanian (New York) over Phillip Opelt (Wisconsin) Dec 3-0,5-4
126 – Andrew Crone (Wisconsin) over Dylan Realbuto (New York) Dec 9-2,7-2
132 – Gabriel Grahek (Wisconsin) over Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (New York) Dec 5-4,0-6,1-1
138 – Quinton Murphy (New York) over Mitchell Friedman (Wisconsin) Dec 6-0,5-4
145 – Jarod Donar (Wisconsin) over David Almaviva (New York) Pin 0-5,4-3,0:22
152 – Brian Realbuto (New York) over Ryan Gartner (Wisconsin) Dec 3-4,2-0,6-0
160 – Nick Becker (Wisconsin) over Connor Sutton (New York) Dec 7-1,7-3
170 – Matt Gray (Wisconsin) over Burke Paddock (New York) Dec 6-0,1-0
182 – Jacob Morrissey (Wisconsin) over Chris Loew (New York) Dec 6-2,4-2
195 – Bryce Mazurowski (New York) over Robby Chubb (Wisconsin) Pin 1:18
220 – Justin Karkula (Wisconsin) over Soslar Gularov (New York) Pin 3-4,0:57
285 – Newton Smerchek (Wisconsin) over Dante Salkey (New York) Dec 1-1,1-0

Match #3 Cons. Semi: New York defeated Minnesota Blue 39-23
100 – Jesse Dellavecchia (New York) over Alex Haynes (Minnesota Blue) Dec 4-2,8-2
106 – Aaron Dick (Minnesota Blue) over Nick Cassella (New York) Dec 6-0,1-0
113 – Ty Johnson (Minnesota Blue) over Kyle Kelly (New York) Pin 5-11,7-1,1:54
120 – John Aslanian (New York) over Tanner Johnshoy (Minnesota Blue) Dec 10-4,1-1
126 – Dylan Realbuto (New York) over Tone Fuenffinger (Minnesota Blue) Dec 5-4,4-4,4-0
132 – Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (New York) over Roman Wundrow (Minnesota Blue) TF 6-0,8-2
138 – Quinton Murphy (New York) over Mitchell Lexvold (Minnesota Blue) Dec 7-3,6-4
145 – David Almaviva (New York) over Wayne Voss (Minnesota Blue) Dec 6-0,4-3
152 – Leland Slawson (New York) over Sam Begin (Minnesota Blue) Dec 4-0,2-1
160 – Burke Paddock (New York) over Luke Schmit (Minnesota Blue) Dec 4-2,2-0
170 – Troy Seymour (New York) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
182 – Tim Schaefer (New York) over Clay Broze (Minnesota Blue) Dec 2-0,2-4,2-1
195 – Bryce Mazurowski (New York) over Alexander Mond (Minnesota Blue) Dec 6-0,1-0
220 – Soslar Gularov (New York) over Tony Reurink (Minnesota Blue) Dec 5-1,6-0
285 – Jerrad Nieland (Minnesota Blue) over Dante Salkey (New York) Pin 0:50

Match #4 3rd Place Match: New York defeated Indiana 44-22
100 – Jesse Dellavecchia (New York) over Ethan Briggeman (Indiana) Dec 3-2,2-1
106 – Nick Cassella (New York) over Jake Sinkovics (Indiana) Pin 0:24
113 – Stevan Micic (Indiana) over Matt Morris (New York) TF 6-0,7-0
120 – John Aslanian (New York) over Terrence Kennedy (Indiana) TF 6-0,10-2
126 – Dylan Realbuto (New York) over Nathan Carmichael (Indiana) Dec 7-0,2-2,4-1
132 – Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (New York) over Levi Moss (Indiana) Dec 6-0,3-7,1-0
138 – Quinton Murphy (New York) over Tommy Forte (Indiana) Pin 6-6,0:00
145 – Josh Farrell (Indiana) over David Almaviva (New York) Dec 4-2,3-0
152 – Matt Green (New York) over John Tatum (Indiana) Pin 1:32
160 – Brian Harvey (Indiana) over Burke Paddock (New York) Pin 1-2,6-0,1:12
170 – Troy Seymour (New York) over Austin Neibarger (Indiana) Dec 0-2,4-0,1-0
182 – Chris Loew (New York) over Riley Lefever (Indiana) Dec 3-6,3-1,2-1
195 – Bryce Mazurowski (New York) over Jeff Dixon (Indiana) Pin 1:33
220 – Soslar Gularov (New York) over Ian Early (Indiana) Dec 2-5,3-2,1-0
285 – Georgio Blades (Indiana) over Dante Salkey (New York) Dec 4-3,0-1,1-0

Bronze/Copper Pool – 
Match #1 Round 1: New York defeated Texas Blue 34-31
100 – Alex Minor (Texas Blue) over Jesse Dellavecchia (New York) Dec 4-2,7-2
106 – Nick Cassella (New York) over Joseph Gomez (Texas Blue) Dec 3-2,4-1
113 – Dammion Heard (Texas Blue) over Kyle Kelly (New York) Dec 8-1,3-1
120 – John Aslanian (New York) over Cody Moss (Texas Blue) Pin 7-0,0:53
126 – Jacob Rubio (Texas Blue) over Dylan Realbuto (New York) TF 8-1,7-0
132 – Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (New York) over Gus Kortemeir (Texas Blue) Dec 6-5,6-0
138 – Quinton Murphy (New York) over AJ Hinkle (Texas Blue) TF 9-2,8-1
145 – Jack Bass (Texas Blue) over David Almaviva (New York) Dec 5-0,4-2
152 – Oliver Pierce (Texas Blue) over Matt Green (New York) Dec 3-0,1-0
160 – Connor Sutton (New York) over Travis Bradford (Texas Blue) TF 7-0,7-0
170 – Troy Seymour (New York) over Julius Holmes (Texas Blue) Dec 1-3,7-0,1-0
182 – Greg Wilson (Texas Blue) over Tim Schaefer (New York) Inj
195 – Chris Loew (New York) over Cody Lindberg (Texas Blue) Pin 2-3,5-2,1:41
220 – Levi Ashley (New York) over Nick Mabry (Texas Blue) Dec 10-2,5-1
285 – Ivan De Leon (Texas Blue) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf

Match #2 Round 2: GA Black defeated New York 31-28
100 – Adam Flatt (GA Black) over Jesse Dellavecchia (New York) Dec 1-0,4-3
106 – Nick Cassella (New York) over Trae Green (GA Black) Dec 3-2,7-0
113 – Hunter Kelley (GA Black) over Matt Morris (New York) TF 1-2,6-0,6-0
120 – Griffin Higginbotham (GA Black) over John Aslanian (New York) Dec 2-0,4-0
126 – Dylan Realbuto (New York) over Madison Martin (GA Black) Dec 5-4,0-7,4-2
132 – Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (New York) over Kamaal Abdushshakur (GA Black) Dec 5-1,6-0
138 – Ryan Mosley (GA Black) over Jessy Williams (New York) Dec 1-5,4-0,7-0
145 – David Almaviva (New York) over Taylor Lujan (GA Black) Dec 1-0,7-0
152 – Matt Green (New York) over Cody Dickerson (GA Black) Pin 0-1,1:38
160 – Hunter Gamble (GA Black) over Burke Paddock (New York) Dec 2-0,0-6,2-1
170 – Jason Grimes (GA Black) over Troy Seymour (New York) Dec 0-1,1-1,1-0
182 – Glenn Climmons (GA Black) over Chris Loew (New York) Dec 4-0,5-1
195 – Boyce Cornwell (GA Black) over Bryce Mazurowski (New York) Dec 4-2,6-0
220 – Chance McClure (GA Black) over Levi Ashley (New York) Dec 4-3,2-1
285 – Soslar Gularov (New York) over Maverick Way (GA Black) Dec 2-0,3-0

Match #3 Round 3: Pennsylvania defeated New York 36-28
100 – Jacob Lizak (Pennsylvania) over Jesse Dellavecchia (New York) Dec 5-0,2-1
106 – Ethan Lizak (Pennsylvania) over Nick Cassella (New York) TF 7-0,6-0
113 – Dominic Forys (Pennsylvania) over Kyle Kelly (New York) TF 6-0,6-0
120 – John Aslanian (New York) over Justin Cummings (Pennsylvania) Dec 0-6,1-0,1-0
126 – Josh DiSanto (Pennsylvania) over Dylan Realbuto (New York) Pin 0:31
132 – Zain Retherford (Pennsylvania) over Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (New York) Dec 5-4,8-2
138 – Jessy Williams (New York) over Bobby Harmon (Pennsylvania) TF 7-0,6-0
145 – David Almaviva (New York) over Tyrel White (Pennsylvania) Dec 1-0,0-1,3-2
152 – Matt Green (New York) over Arthur Watkins (Pennsylvania) Dec 5-0,4-0
160 – Burke Paddock (New York) over Kyle Carson (Pennsylvania) Pin 7-0,1:29
170 – Connor Sutton (New York) over Sam Dickey (Pennsylvania) Pin 1:18
182 – Addison Knepshield (Pennsylvania) over Chris Loew (New York) TF 6-0,8-2
195 – Dennis Atyeh (Pennsylvania) over Levi Ashley (New York) Dec 7-1,3-3
220 – Jake Hart (Pennsylvania) over Soslar Gularov (New York) Dec 3-1,2-0
285 – Brooks Black (Pennsylvania) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf

Exhibition – 
New York defeated Ohio 41-24
100 – Peyton Gutierrez (Ohio) over Jesse Dellavecchia (New York) Dec 6-0,2-1
106 – Nick Cassella (New York) over Luke Nace (Ohio) Dec 0-6,6-0,5-1
113 – Matt Morris (New York) over Brandon Kahlenbeck (Ohio) Dec 6-1,4-2
120 – John Aslanian (New York) over Brad Taton (Ohio) Dec 6-0,5-0
126 – Dylan Realbuto (New York) over Zachary Alvarado (Ohio) Dec 5-1,5-1
132 – Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (New York) over Zane Nelson (Ohio) Dec 6-0,5-4
138 – Neil Roff (Ohio) over Jessy Williams (New York) Dec 4-4,3-3
145 – David Almaviva (New York) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
152 – Nick Weininger (Ohio) over Matt Green (New York) Dec 2-1,4-2
160 – Connor Sutton (New York) over Eric Sullivan (Ohio) Pin 0:57
170 – Tommy Kimbrell (Ohio) over Troy Seymour (New York) Pin 2-0,1:07
182 – Chris Loew (New York) over Lane Louivie (Ohio) Dec 3-2,6-5
195 – Levi Ashley (New York) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
220 – Soslar Gularov (New York) over Ian Czanik (Ohio) Pin 0:18
285 – Chase Henderson (Ohio) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf

Finocchiaro, Ervin Win Titles; Nine Additional NYers Make Podium at Canada Cup Pre-Junior Tournament

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The Empire State boasted a pair of champions, Frank Perrelli and Duke Pickett, on Saturday at the Canada Cup Senior freestyle competition.  On Sunday, in the Pre-Junior freestyle tournament in Ontario, New York was once again well represented on the podium.

A pair of New Yorkers, Brown University-bound Anthony Finocchiaro of Canastota (63 kg) and Vernon-Verona-Sherrill’s Brian Ervin (130 kg) captured titles while another nine grapplers from the Empire State placed in the top six at their respective weights.

The following Empire State wrestlers finished on the medal stand:

Men’s Placers

Jack Buell (Sherburne-Earlville)  – Fourth place at 76 kg

Brian Ervin (Vernon-Verona-Sherrill) – Champion at 130 kg

Anthony Finocchiaro (Canastota) – Champion at 63 kg

Dan Smith – Sixth at 76 kg

Ryan Snow  (General Brown) – Sixth at 54 kg

Women’s Placers:

Alexis Bleau (Schoharie) – Fourth at 49 kg

Rosemary Flores (Curtis) – Third at 60 kg

Kelsey Gray (Fonda-Fultonville) – Sixth at 49 kg

Hanna Grisewood (Warsaw) – Second at 52 kg

Cristta Hartinger (Lancaster) – Fourth at 60 kg

Mary Westman (Cattaraugus-Little Valley) – Second at 70 kg

Big Red's Perrelli and Pickett Capture Canada Cup Titles; Grey Takes Third in Return to Competition

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Before wrestling a single match in a Cornell singlet, Duke Pickett captured an international tournament title on Saturday when he won the 74 kg/163 pound class at the Canada Cup in Ontario.

The Virginia native defeated Daniel Oliver of the Saskatoon Wrestling Club in the freestyle finals.

“Duke did a great job,” said Big Red assistant coach Mike Grey. “He just imposed his will on everyone. He hand fought hard and he’s such a grinder who wears guys out.  His opponents didn’t want to hang with him.”

Pickett spent the last year working with the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club after graduating from Woodberry Forest School.  Grey said his progress has been clear.

“He has absolutely improved in every area,” the coach said. “He’s matured a lot in his wrestling but also in his demeanor.  He’s always been a really hard worker, but now he’s working with more of a purpose, improving on specific areas. All his work is obviously showing with him winning an international tournament like this.”

Pickett, who Grey said will compete at 174 pounds next season as a freshman, wasn’t the only Cornell wrestler on top of the podium.

2012 Big Red graduate Frank Perrelli won the 55 kg weight, going undefeated in round robin action.

“[Perrelli] wrestled really well,” Grey said. “His leg attacks were completely on point.   He’s been training really hard at the Olympic Training Center and it has really paid off.  He seems like he’s getting better and more comfortable every time he goes out there.”

Grey believes that the ability to concentrate solely on freestyle is contributing significantly to Perrelli’s progress.

“Not having the transition between styles is huge,” Grey said. “Every year he made a lot of progress in freestyle after the college season and then transitioning back to folkstyle hurt a little bit.  Now he’s completely focused and he’ll continue to make the gains that will put him in a position to make the World Team.”

Grey has watched Perrelli’s wrestling for a long time, as the two were high school teammates and have trained together for years.  Some of their recent work together contributed to Grey’s return to the mat over the weekend.

The Cornell assistant hadn’t been in a competitive freestyle bout in over two years.  In fact, he hadn’t been in any competitive match since the NCAA tournament in March of 2011.  But, he laced up his shoes in Canada on Saturday.

“It was kind of a spur of the moment thing,” Grey said. “I was going to the tournament anyway to coach and I figured maybe I would wrestle too while I was there.   It was a lot of fun.  I was training a lot of the guys for the University Nationals and I wrestle with Frankie [Perrelli] a good amount, so I thought I had significant enough training to go out there.”

Apparently, he did.  The New Jersey native went 4-1, taking third place at 60 kg/132 pounds, losing only to Cuba’s Olympic team member.

“When you’re coaching, you take a step back and see things a little better,” he said. “I thought I wrestled pretty well.  I didn’t feel any pressure at all, I just enjoyed myself.”

In fact, there was only one part of the experience he didn’t enjoy too much.

“It wasn’t much fun to make weight again, but it actually wasn’t that big of a deal,” he said. “There was a 2 kg allowance, so I had somewhat of a cut, but not too bad.”

It’s something he just may do again.

“I’m focused on coaching, so I don’t know when I’ll wrestle next,” Grey said.  “I definitely won’t be training full time, but I like winging it.  I like spur of the moment decisions.  One of these days, I might enter another tournament just for the fun of it.”

Men’s Results

55 kg/121.25 lbs: Frank Perrelli (USA, Finger Lakes WC) over Aso Palani (Canada) *Round robin

60 kg/132 lbs: Alejandro Valdez (Cuba) over Yowly Bonne Rodriguez (Cuba)

Third: Mike Grey (USA, Finger Lakes WC)

66 kg/145.5 lbs: Haislan Garcia (Canada) over Kevin Iwasa-Madge (Guelph WC)

74 kg/163 lbs: Duke Pickett (USA, Finger Lakes WC) over Daniel Oliver (Saskatoon WC)

84 kg/185 lbs: Humberto Martinez (Cuba) over Yuriesky Torres Queralta (Cuba)

96 kg/211.5 lbs: Jake Varner (USA) over Manjot Sandhu (Canada)

120 kg/265.5 lbs: Les Sigman (USA) over Tony Nelson (USA)

Check Out Videos, Interviews and Photos from the Victory 4 Vinny Vespa Event, Including the "Flying Squirrel"

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Close to 400 wrestlers took the mat on Saturday at Monroe Woodbury High School for the Victory 4 Vinny Takedown Tournament to benefit Crusader freshman Vinny Vespa in his battle with cancer.

One of the many highlights was a match that Vinny was able to watch between his brother Michael Vespa and his high school teammate AJ Voelker in which Michael Vespa utilized the “Flying Squirrel”, made famous by U.S. Olympian Ellis Coleman.

Below, check out videos and photos from the event and video interviews with Vinny Vespa, Michael Vespa, Hofstra starter Jamie Franco and 2012 New York State placer Johnny Stramiello.

And, check out Vespa’s version of the Flying Squirrel here:

 

Interview with Vinny Vespa: “Still Lifting, Still Working Out”

 

For photos of the event, see:

http://newyorkwrestlingnews.com/2012-new-york-state-tournament-photos/?wppa-album=6&wppa-cover=0&wppa-occur=1

 

Full match: Michael Vespa vs. AJ Voelker

 

Exhibition: Jamie Franco vs. Johnny Stramiello

 

Interview with Michael Vespa: “The Turnout is Awesome”

 

Interview with Hofstra’s Jamie Franco: “Everybody Keep Helping Vinny”

 

Jamie Franco vs. Kevin Mannix:

 

Interview with 3x Section 9 Champ and NY State Placer Johnny Stramiello: “Anything for Vinny”

 

Adam Swift vs. Warwick coach Phil Szumlaski

 

Wrestling 4 Vinny's Victory: More Than 350 To Participate in Takedown Tournament To Benefit Vinny Vespa

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Vinny Vespa Poster; Phototrens.com

Last weekend, Vinny Vespa attended the Adam Frey Classic in Pennsylvania where in addition to receiving the Courageous Wrestler Award, he saw some of the nation’s best wrestling talent compete to benefit the Adam Frey Foundation.

On Saturday June 30, he will once again get an opportunity to watch great wrestling, but this time, it will be to support him in his battle with Lymphoma at the Victory 4 Vinny Takedown Tournament at Monroe Woodbury High School, beginning at 8 a.m.

“The thing I’m most excited about is for Vinny to see how many supporters he has,” said Michael Vespa, Vinny’s older brother. “It will be awesome when he walks in and sees how many people came out to benefit him and how many people are on the mats wrestling just for him.”

Indeed, the mats will be busy, as close to 400 wrestlers signed up, according to one of the event’s organizers, Bob Voelker.

“The response has been overwhelming,” Voelker said. “Registration really exploded over the last week – it’s fantastic.”

The registration includes a wide range of competitors.  There are accomplished grapplers like Hofstra’s Jamie Franco, former junior college All-American Nick Rausenberger and at least five 2012 New York State placers.  And on the other end of the spectrum, there are a number of people like Voelker’s son Troy, a former high school football player who doesn’t have experience on the mat.

“Troy hasn’t wrestled before but he wants to help; wants to do something to be a part of the event,” Bob Voelker said.  “There are a bunch of people like that.  They just want to show support to Vinny.”

The variability in registrants goes beyond experience in the sport.  There are youth wrestlers participating as well as seven entrants over the age of 55.  In addition, at least five states will be represented, with one Monroe Woodbury alum flying up from Florida to take part.

While Vinny Vespa won’t wrestle, his brothers Michael and Marco (a NHSCA Middle School National Champion) will.  For Michael, who took some time off after high school, it’s an ideal opportunity to return to competition.

“Honestly, it’s amazing,” Michael Vespa said. “It will be my first time back on the mat in years and it’s for my brother at my high school, wearing a singlet that says my brother’s name on it.  It’s inspiring.”

But the event will offer much more than just wrestling action. There will be family fun activities such as a dunking booth, bounce castles and face painting as well as a barbecue and a number of raffles. In addition, other entities, such as Cookies for Cancer, will be selling goods to benefit the Vespa family.

“The unbelievable amount of support has overwhelmed me,” Voelker said. “It has restored my faith in people.  It amazes me how many people have come forward. The support and love of the wrestling community has been truly remarkable.”

Michael Vespa believes that support and love will be on full display on Saturday.

“I think there will be something for everyone,” he said. “I hope people will come out to see my brother and enjoy a day of fun with some great wrestling.  I know that it will mean a lot to Vinny in his battle.”

For more information, please see the event flyer:

http://www.leaguelineup.com/teamvinnytournament/files/teamvinnypdf.pdf

 

Team New York Earns 6-2 Record at Greco Junior National Duals

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Team New York went 6-2 overall on Wednesday and Thursday at the Greco Roman Junior National Duals in Oklahoma City to capture third place in the Bronze/Copper pool.

Columbia-bound Connor Sutton led the way with a perfect 8-0 record at 160 and 170 pounds while two other wrestlers, Uniondale’s Dante Salkey (5-0) and Cheektowaga’s Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (4-0) were also unbeaten in the competition.  Also picking up at least five victories for the Empire State were Santo Curatolo (7-1), Jessy Williams (6-2), Matt Greene (5-2) and Sutton’s future Ivy League teammate Chris Loew (5-2) of Wantagh.

The squad compiled 3-1 records on both days of the competition.  On Wednesday, the New Yorkers scored convincing wins over South Dakota (55-14), Utah (32-16) and North Dakota (37-23) and a one-point setback to Oklahoma Red (32-31), which led to a third place finish in Pool B.  That performance put the Empire State team into the Bronze/Copper Pool for Thursday’s action.

The team got off to another strong start on Day 2, with a 39-20 triumph over Missouri before falling against California.  However, the group rebounded to win a three-point dual with Texas before defeating North Dakota for the second time at the event, this time for third place in the Bronze/Copper bracket.

The Empire State squad will return to the mat on Friday as the Freestyle tournament begins.

Full Results

Pool B:

Match #1: New York defeated South Dakota 55-14
100 – Jesse Dellavecchia (New York) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
106 – Nick Cassella (New York) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
113 – Matt Morris (New York) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
120 – Santo Curatolo (New York) over Marshall Swanson (South Dakota) Pin 1-3,0:43
126 – James Ronca (New York) over Gene Trimble (South Dakota) Pin 6-0,0:50
132 – Jessy Williams (New York) over Josh Manning (South Dakota) TF 10-4,6-0
138 – Quinton Murphy (New York) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
145 – Matt Green (New York) over Alex Davies (South Dakota) TF 6-0,8-0
152 – Regan Bye (South Dakota) over James Mclean (New York) Dec 3-3,6-0
160 – Connor Sutton (New York) over Bailey Konvalin (South Dakota) TF 7-0,6-0
170 – Troy Seymour (New York) over CJ Warren (South Dakota) Pin 0:54
182 – Mason Bender (South Dakota) over Chris Loew (New York) Dec 0-3,2-0,3-0
195 – Eugene Martin (South Dakota) over Levi Ashley (New York) TF 6-0,8-0
220 – Nathan Rotert (South Dakota) over Soslar Gularov (New York) Dec 1-2,4-1,6-3
285 – Dante Salkey (New York) over Collin Jensen (South Dakota) Pin 0-3,8-1,1:47

Match #2: Oklahoma Red defeated New York 32-31
100 – Jesse Dellavecchia (New York) over Matt Maxwell (Oklahoma Red) Dec 2-0,4-1
106 – Kaid Brock (Oklahoma Red) over Nick Cassella (New York) Pin 1:03
113 – Cody Karstetter (Oklahoma Red) over Kyle Kelly (New York) Dec 0-1,7-0,1-0
120 – Santo Curatolo (New York) over Joe Smith (Oklahoma Red) Dec 4-0,3-0
126 – Cub Yeager (Oklahoma Red) over James Ronca (New York) Dec 2-1,1-0
132 – Brian Crutchmer (Oklahoma Red) over Jessy Williams (New York) Dec 2-0,0-2,6-1
138 – Dakota Head (Oklahoma Red) over Quinton Murphy (New York) Pin 1:53
145 – Matt Green (New York) over Tanner Bailey (Oklahoma Red) Pin 2-2,0:41
152 – Keilan Torres (Oklahoma Red) over Leland Slawson (New York) Pin 3-0,0:39
160 – Burke Paddock (New York) over Ricky McCarty (Oklahoma Red) TF 7-0,6-0
170 – Connor Sutton (New York) over Kyle Ash (Oklahoma Red) Dec 5-0,6-0
182 – Kyle Crutchmer (Oklahoma Red) over Troy Seymour (New York) TF 7-0,8-0
195 – Nolan Boyd (Oklahoma Red) over Bryce Mazurowski (New York) Dec 6-0,5-0
220 – Soslar Gularov (New York) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
285 – Dante Salkey (New York) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf

Match #3: New York defeated Utah 32-16
100 – Brock George (Utah) over Jesse Dellavecchia (New York) Dec 4-0,3-1
106 – Kohl Tolbert (Utah) over Nick Cassella (New York) Dec 5-0,6-0
113 – Kyle Robison (Utah) over Matt Morris (New York) Dec 2-0,3-7,7-0
120 – Santo Curatolo (New York) over Antonio Meikel (Utah) Dec 0-3,5-1,4-3
126 – James Ronca (New York) over Matt Findlay (Utah) Dec 4-6,1-0,3-0
132 – Jessy Williams (New York) over Brenden Turner (Utah) Dec 7-0,5-0
138 – Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (New York) over Morgan Bogue (Utah) Dec 5-0,5-0
145 – Matt Green (New York) over William Chavez (Utah) Pin 1:03
152 – Grant LaMont (Utah) over Leland Slawson (New York) Pin 5-0,1:16
160 – Connor Sutton (New York) over Jesse Carlisle (Utah) Dec 0-7,3-2,2-0
170 – Burke Paddock (New York) over Nick Sorenson (Utah) Dec 5-0,2-0
182 – Jon Wixom (Utah) over Chris Loew (New York) Dec 2-0,1-1
195 – Bryce Mazurowski (New York) over Johnathan Larson (Utah) Dec 4-0,2-0
220 – Soslar Gularov (New York) over Joe Flores (Utah) Dec 1-0,2-0
285 – Dante Salkey (New York) over Roy Nash (Utah) Dec 4-2,0-3,3-2
Utah’s team score was adjusted by -1.000 for unsportsmanlike conduct on a coach

Match #4: New York defeated North Dakota 37-23
100 – Austin Rust (North Dakota) over Jesse Dellavecchia (New York) Dec 1-0,0-2,5-4
106 – Kael Knowlen (North Dakota) over Nick Cassella (New York) Dec 4-3,2-1
113 – Kyle Kelly (New York) over Reed Cronin (North Dakota) Dec 3-0,6-0
120 – Santo Curatolo (New York) over Adam Blees (North Dakota) Pin 4-0,0:48
126 – Trevor Kringlie (North Dakota) over James Ronca (New York) Dec 1-0,4-0
132 – Jessy Williams (New York) over Patrick Freeman (North Dakota) Dec 5-3,7-0
138 – Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (New York) over Weston Dobler (North Dakota) Dec 4-0,2-0
145 – Matt Green (New York) over Reed Beckman (North Dakota) TF 7-0,7-0
152 – Leland Slawson (New York) over Zane Braun (North Dakota) Dec 0-1,1-1,2-1
160 – Connor Sutton (New York) over Bryce Fish (North Dakota) Pin 0:37
170 – Troy Seymour (New York) over T.J. Poole (North Dakota) Dec 3-0,1-0
182 – Chris Loew (New York) over Kip Jangula (North Dakota) Dec 2-0,0-6,3-0
195 – Levi Ashley (New York) over Briley Crissler (North Dakota) Dec 3-0,3-1
220 – Brandon Larson (North Dakota) over Soslar Gularov (New York) Pin 7-5,1:18
285 – Tommy Sease (North Dakota) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf

Bronze/Copper Pool:
Match #1: New York defeated Missouri 39-20
100 – Jesse Dellavecchia (New York) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
106 – Nick Cassella (New York) over Matthew Barmann (Missouri) Dec 2-1,6-0
113 – Andrew Wallace (Missouri) over Kyle Kelly (New York) Dec 3-0,9-1
120 – Santo Curatolo (New York) over Noah Teaney (Missouri) Dec 1-3,5-1,1-0
126 – Lemuel Johnson (Missouri) over James Ronca (New York) Dec 1-0,3-0
132 – Tate Robinson (Missouri) over Jessy Williams (New York) Dec 2-1,3-1
138 – Quinton Murphy (New York) over Grant Leeth (Missouri) Dec 3-1,7-0
145 – Matt Green (New York) over Michael Cutberthson (Missouri) Dec 9-3,6-5
152 – Brennan Johnson (Missouri) over Leland Slawson (New York) Dec 3-1,1-0
160 – Connor Sutton (New York) over Trevor Engle (Missouri) Dec 7-0,1-0
170 – Burke Paddock (New York) over Morgan Fitzgerald (Missouri) Dec 7-0,1-0
182 – Chris Loew (New York) over Michael Boyd (Missouri) Dec 4-0,4-0
195 – Bryce Mazurowski (New York) over Daltan Sweet (Missouri) Pin 4-0,0:19
220 – J`Den Cox (Missouri) over Soslar Gularov (New York) TF 7-0,6-0
285 – Dante Salkey (New York) over Jimmy Sellers (Missouri) Pin 6-0,1:14

Match #2: California defeated New York 45-15
100 – Sean Nickell (California) over Jesse Dellavecchia (New York) Dec 6-0,3-0
106 – Joey Cisneros (California) over Nick Cassella (New York) TF 6-0,5-0
113 – Matt Morris (New York) over Daniel Ruiz (California) Dec 2-0,0-8,5-1
120 – Zahid Valencia (California) over Santo Curatolo (New York) Dec 1-0,2-0
126 – Tommy Yozzo (California) over James Ronca (New York) Dec 2-1,6-0
132 – Jessy Williams (New York) over Adrian Panduro (California) Dec 3-0,5-0
138 – Elijah Davis (California) over Quinton Murphy (New York) 0-1,Inj
145 – Richard Martinez (California) over Matt Green (New York) Pin 1-2,0:44
152 – Mike Longo (California) over David Almaviva (New York) Dec 8-3,6-4
160 – Connor Sutton (New York) over Miguel Ruiz (California) Dec 7-1,1-0
170 – Lukas Basham (California) over Burke Paddock (New York) Dec 5-4,3-0
182 – Chris Loew (New York) over Zach Hanson (California) Dec 2-0,0-3,2-0
195 – Mason Kumashiro (California) over Tim Schaefer (New York) Pin 1-0,0:43
220 – Daniel Chaid (California) over Bryce Mazurowski (New York) Dec 5-0,1-0
285 – Hildev Manzur (California) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf

Match #3: New York defeated Texas 31-28
100 – Alex Minor (Texas) over Jesse Dellavecchia (New York) Dec 3-2,6-0
106 – Nick Cassella (New York) over Joseph Gomez (Texas) Dec 1-0,6-1
113 – D`Andre Brumfield (Texas) over Kyle Kelly (New York) Dec 1-0,5-1
120 – Santo Curatolo (New York) over Cody Moss (Texas) Dec 7-0,2-0
126 – Jacob Rubio (Texas) over James Ronca (New York) Dec 2-0,2-0
132 – Jessy Williams (New York) over Gus Kortemeir (Texas) Pin 7-0,0:46
138 – Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (New York) over Colton Stowe (Texas) TF 7-0,7-0
145 – David Almaviva (New York) over Jack Ohlabor (Texas) TF 7-0,7-0
152 – Oliver Pierce (Texas) over James Mclean (New York) Pin 7-0,0:25
160 – Connor Sutton (New York) over Travis Bradford (Texas) TF 6-0,7-0
170 – Burke Paddock (New York) over Julius Holmes (Texas) Dec 4-0,6-0
182 – Greg Wilson (Texas) over Tim Schaefer (New York) Dec 1-0,1-0
195 – Chris Loew (New York) over Cody Lindberg (Texas) Dec 2-0,1-0
220 – Nick Mabry (Texas) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
285 – Ivan De Leon (Texas) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf

Match #4 3rd Place Match: New York defeated North Dakota 48-17
100 – Jesse Dellavecchia (New York) over Austin Rust (North Dakota) Forf
106 – Kael Knowlen (North Dakota) over Nick Cassella (New York) TF 9-0,6-0
113 – Matt Morris (New York) over Adam Blees (North Dakota) Dec 6-1,1-0
120 – Santo Curatolo (New York) over Thomas Walton (North Dakota) Forf
126 – Jordan Sherer (North Dakota) over James Ronca (New York) TF 6-0,6-0
132 – Jessy Williams (New York) over Patrick Freeman (North Dakota) TF 7-0,6-0
138 – Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (New York) over Weston Dobler (North Dakota) Forf
145 – Ryan Blees (North Dakota) over Matt Green (New York) Dec 1-0,4-3
152 – David Almaviva (New York) over Shane Undem (North Dakota) Dec 1-0,6-3
160 – Connor Sutton (New York) over Bryce Fish (North Dakota) Dec 1-0,3-0
170 – T.J. Poole (North Dakota) over Troy Seymour (New York) Dec 0-1,5-0,1-0
182 – Tim Schaefer (New York) over Drew Kary (North Dakota) Forf
195 – Chris Loew (New York) over Briley Crissler (North Dakota) Dec 7-3,2-0
220 – Soslar Gularov (New York) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
285 – Dante Salkey (New York) over Tommy Sease (North Dakota) Forf

One More Time: Justin Accordino Granted Sixth Year of Eligibility for Hofstra

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Justin Accordino at the 2012 NCAAs; Photo by Boris Veysman

It’s official — Justin Accordino will be in a Hofstra singlet for the 2012-2013 campaign.

“Justin has been approved for his sixth year,” Pride head coach Rob Anspach said on Tuesday.

After redshirting as a true freshman and qualifying for the NCAAs in his second year, the Wilkes Barre, PA native missed nearly two full seasons, 2009-10 and 2010-11, when he suffered knee injuries that required surgery.   Despite the long rehabilitation processes following the procedures, Accordino said there wasn’t any doubt that he would return to the lineup.

“Not coming back was never going through my mind,” Accordino said in an interview during the 2012 NCAA tournament. “This is something I love to do.  The coaches asked me if I wanted to keep wrestling and it was always, yes.  I really worked through my rehab as hard as I could.”

It showed.  Accordino made a successful return to the mats last fall, culminating in All-America honors after a sixth place finish at the NCAAs in St. Louis.  Overall, he compiled a 26-14 record and a second place showing at the CAA tournament in 2011-12.

The Coughlin High School standout said earlier in the week that he expects to remain at 149 pounds.  Six of the eight grapplers that made the podium at that weight in 2012 return, including Dylan Ness (Minnesota, 2nd), Donnie Vinson (Binghamton, 3rd), Cam Tessari (Ohio State, 4th), Accordino, Scott Sakaguchi (Oregon State, 7th) and Nick Lester (Oklahoma, 8th).

After winning his bout at the Adam Frey Classic on Sunday, Accordino said he will spend the summer on the Hofstra campus, training and preparing for another run at the podium and the ultimate goal of a national title.

 

 

–Special thanks to M. Diano

 

Accordino and Nevinger Notch Victories, Discuss the Experience at the Adam Frey Classic

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Justin Accordino at NCAAs 2012, Photo by Boris Veysman

Prior to the fourth annual Adam Frey Classic on Sunday, organizer Josh Liebman (see video below) said he wanted the atmosphere at Grace Hall on the campus of Lehigh to resemble a reunion.  For Hofstra’s Justin Accordino, it was exactly that.

The 149-pound All-American was thrilled to be able to participate in the event, which benefits the Adam Frey Foundation, especially since he and Frey wrestled together years ago.

“I knew Adam pretty well,” Accordino said. “We were on a couple of national teams together.  It was meaningful for me to be part of the event to support the Foundation. I was also happy to see Adam’s parents and his brother because I’ve known them for a long time.”

In addition to catching up with the Freys, Accordino got to spend time with longtime friend Jake O’Hara of Columbia – including five minutes on the mat.

The former youth teammates faced off in one of the 17 main event matches, with Accordino earning a 5-3 victory on the strength of takedowns in the first and third periods.

“We’re pretty good friends,” Accordino said of his opponent. “He’s a tough kid and even though we were on the same elementary school team I think it’s the first time we wrestled in a match.  I think all the guys just wanted to go out and give the crowd a good show.  It was an exhibition match so it was a chance to wrestle and have some fun.”

Accordino had fun taking in the action throughout the afternoon, including viewing the 8-2 victory of Penn State NCAA champion Ed Ruth over Lehigh’s Robert Hamlin in the feature bout.

“It was great watching Ed Ruth.  He’s such a technical wrestler and he looked really good,” Accordino said. “He’s also a kid I’ve known for a while from Pennsylvania.  It was a great chance for me to see so many people I haven’t seen in a while.”

Ruth, Hamlin and Accordino were among the nine All-Americans who took the mat on Sunday.   In a matchup of two 141-pound medalists from the 2012 NCAAs, New York native Mike Nevinger squared off against Cal Poly’s Boris Novachkov, who finished in the top three at nationals twice.

Mike Nevinger vs. Adam Krop at NCAAs, Photo by Boris Veysman

After battling to a 2-2 deadlock in regulation, Nevinger notched the only takedown of the bout in overtime to capture a 4-2 victory.

“There were some good scrambles,” Nevinger said. “It was an exhibition, but I like opportunities to compete against the best guys.  It was great to get a competitive match in the offseason and I’m obviously happy with the win.”

Nevinger was also pleased to get an invite to the event, and while he said he didn’t know Frey personally, he felt a connection with the former Big Red wrestler.

“It was a lot of fun for a good cause,” Nevinger said. “I was really happy to be there to represent Cornell.”

As the only Big Red grappler taking part in the festivities on Sunday, Nevinger had some fun with the crowd, which included a large number of Lehigh and Penn State supporters.

“It was pretty funny when the fans were asking me what the big ‘C’ on my shirt stood for,” he said. “There were some jokes thrown my way, all in good fun.”

When asked about the match that stood out, both Accordino and Nevinger cited the 11-9 overtime tilt won by Kent State’s Ian Miller over Lehigh’s Shane Welsh.

“They both had some throws and there was a lot of action all the way through.  It was great to watch,” Nevinger said.

“There were lots of big moves,” Accordino added. “That match was really entertaining.”

For Liebman, bringing entertainment to the spectators was one of the main goals of the day.

“It was important to Adam when we were setting [the Foundation] up to not only do successful fundraisers but to put on a great wrestling events that promote the sport and do it the right way.  There was a great crowd, great matches.  I was proud to be a part of it.”

To find out more about the Adam Frey Foundation, visit adamfrey.us

Watch Josh Liebman discuss the 2012 Adam Frey Classic:

Results (Wrestlers with NY Ties in Bold)

Chuck Zeisloft (Rider) over Billy Watterson (Brown, John Jay HS)

Vinny Fava (Rider) over Tyler Small (Kent State)

Ian Miller (Kent State) over Shane Welsh (Lehigh)

Mark McKnight (Buffalo/Penn State) over Patrick Hunter (Binghamton)

Justin Accordino (Hofstra) over Jake O’Hara (Columbia)

Joey Napoli (Lehigh) over Lorenzo Thomas (Penn)

BJ Young (Newberry) over CJ Cobb (Penn)

Chance Marstellar (Kennard Dale HS) over Johnny Sebastian (Bergen Catholic HS)

Steve Mytych (Drexel) over Nic Bedelyon (Kent State)

Mike Nevinger (Cornell, Letchworth Central HS) over Boris Novachkov (Cal Poly)

Josh Asper (Maryland) over Nestor Taffor (Boston)

Jim Resnick (Rider) over Nate Brown (Lehigh)

Jimmy Sheptock (Maryland) over Ricky McDonald (Brown)

Andrew Campolattano (Ohio St.) over Christian Boley (Maryland, Brockport HS)

Ryan Tomei (Pitt) over Nick Gwiazdowski (NC State, Duanesburg HS)

Max Wessell (Lehigh) over Cody Reed (Binghamton, Walton HS)

Ed Ruth (Penn State) over Robert Hamlin (Lehigh)