At the Cornell Regional Training Center clinic on Memorial Day weekend, Nick Arujau talks about his first year with the Big Red and his thoughts about going 125 or 133 next season. Clint Wattenberg discusses the growth of the Cornell Regional Training Center and the new freestyle coaching coming on board.
Nick Arujau
Clint Wattenberg
Kyle Dake discusses topics ranging from his trip to the World Cup in Baku with Team USA, his upcoming match at Beat the Streets, Vinny Vespa and his thoughts on his weight class for next year.
By Betsy Veysman
What do the recruiting classes at Cornell, University at Buffalo and Division III SUNY-Cortland all have in common? It may surprise some, but all boast multiple Empire State wrestlers ranked by Intermat as Top 100 recruits nationally.
Tyler Beckwith, one of the most highly regarded grapplers in the Class of 2010 and Bobby Dierna, a top 100 recruit in 2011, headline a remarkable group of 13 joining Brad Bruhn’s squad in the fall. The group collectively owns five national crowns, four state championships and a bevy of other state placements and accolades.
“We’re really happy with this class,” Bruhn said. “We were thin in the lightweights for one of the first times ever and I think we’ve added depth with some very good kids there as well as throughout the weights. We return nine of our starters from last year and I think the quality returners will be pushed and challenged by this group of guys coming in.”
One wrestler expected to push for a key role early at either 174 or 184 pounds is Beckwith. The four-time champion at the NHSCA Nationals in Virginia Beach attended Binghamton following his graduation from Greene High. According to Bruhn, he redshirted his first campaign and then continued to attend the institution last year, although he was not a member of the team.
“From my conversations with Tyler, he didn’t feel like wrestling at Binghamton was the right fit for him,” the coach said. “He knew some kids on our team and one day, one of my guys told me a friend of his was interested in wrestling at Cortland. When he told me who it was, I was pretty excited. Apparently, one of Tyler’s high school coaches also suggested Cortland to him as a place to look. It’s really exciting for me to know that our program is highly thought of by coaches around the state.”
Those kinds of connections within the high school wrestling world helped Bruhn land the Dierna brothers, Bobby (141/149 pounds) and Alec (125/133). The Dierna pair has combined for eight medals at the New York state tournament, including a championship for each.
“One alum of our program is an assistant at Webster Schroeder,” he said. “He mentioned that Al Dierna was a good, hard working kid. He was considering some D-I programs, but started talking to us as did his teammate Josh Reed (174) and his brother, who redshirted at Mercyhurst last year. They were all excited to be able to wrestle at the next level together. That doesn’t happen for us without having an alum at the right place at the right time. That’s one of the great parts of being part of an education school and having so many graduates out there in the communities and schools. I feel like I have eyes everywhere now and it has helped a lot.”
Al Dierna is one of nine incoming grapplers projected to compete in the lightweights from 125 to 141 pounds. Another accomplished wrestler in that group is Chittenango’s Wes Blanding, a two-time state placer who took third at 132 pounds in Division 2 in February.
“I really liked Wes the first time I saw him,” he said. “He wrestled up at 138 in the beginning of the year and I saw him beat [Canastota’s state runner up Anthony] Finocchiaro, who was one of the better guys in the state. He has very sound fundamentals, solid hand fighting and is good in all three phases. His coaches talk about what a quality kid he is.”
Also taking third this season was Port Byron’s Mitch Janes, who projects at 149 pounds.
“The sleeper in that group might be Mitch Janes,” the coach said. “Very talented, strong, super smart and very driven.”
He used some similar adjectives to describe Joe Cataldo (165/174), an impressive student and wrestler from MacArthur High, who came into the Times Union Center as the number three seed, but suffered an injury early in the state tournament and had to injury default out.
“I find that sometimes the kids who don’t finish with state titles or the places they want come in hungrier or with more of a chip on their shoulders,” Bruhn said. “Of my 20 All-Americans, around half never even qualified for the state tournament. My thought is to keep bringing in quality kids and some will find that next level in college.”
He has without a doubt brought in a lot of quality kids this time, but he isn’t penciling them into the lineup yet. Cortland has plenty of familiar firepower to work with. The Red Dragons finished 10th at the Division III nationals in 2012 with three All-Americans and six other starters returning. Only one regular, 184-pounder Carl Korpi, will not be back. But Korpi’s departure didn’t quite leave a hole in the lineup, as his backup Will Parks sported a 17-2 mark a year ago.
“We have nine guys back and a bunch of seniors next season,” Bruhn said. “The guys coming in have great credentials and talent, but they could still have a hard time getting on the mat. It’s actually a great spot for them to be in. There isn’t too much pressure to win the job right away. They’ll go into the room, train hard and we’ll see who rises to the top. If they’re the best guy, they’ll wrestle. If not, they’ll benefit from the great competitiveness in the room.”
Adding to that competitiveness are additional newcomers Tyler Hall (125), Tony Battista (133), David Occhipinti (133), Anthony Padulo (141), Nick Falco (149) and Mike Bosco (174).
Leading the charge for the Red Dragons in 2012-13 will be Jared Myhrberg, who went 33-1 at 197 pounds last season, taking third at nationals. Rising junior Brian Bistis joined Myhrberg as an All-American, grabbing eighth place at 141 after a 26-9 campaign. Bruhn expects he could do more damage in the future.
“Bistis worked harder this spring than I’ve ever seen him work before,” the coach said. “Getting on the podium gave him a taste of success and he told me he knows he’s better than the eighth best guy in the country. He’s determined to do better this year.”
The third Cortland All-American, Joey Giaramita, was the Empire Collegiate Wrestling Conference’s Rookie of the Year after placing eighth at nationals. However, he will be in a battle with Corey James for the heavyweight role, according to the coach.
“Corey had some family issues that slowed him down last year,” Bruhn said. “His head was sometimes someplace else. Joey won the spot, but before conferences, Corey started doing really well in the room, even dominating at times. I wasn’t always sure who my best heavyweight was. It will be an interesting situation to see who represents us. We have two great options.”
The coach also looks forward to the return of talented lightweight Nigel McNeil (125 pounds, 22-4 last season). McNeil burst on the scene as a freshman, winning two Most Outstanding Wrestler awards in his first three college tournaments, according to his coach.
“Nigel started out really well,” Bruhn said. “He placed in a Division I tournament and then didn’t lose a match until he tried to come back from a shoulder injury. He was ranked in the top three in the country and was dominant. In one stretch he was 18-0 with 16 wins by bonus points. He came in as a complete wrestler with a high level of intensity. He’s having surgery soon and we’re hoping to see him back to form.”
With the return of McNeil and 133-pound starter Sean Kempf, the influx of freshmen and the “addition” of Max Miller, who attended every practice last season despite not being able to wrestle due to injury, Bruhn said he is very excited about the lightweight depth.
However, the coach’s excitement isn’t restricted to the lower weights. He’s enthusiastic about the squad from top to bottom.
“I think we have potential qualifiers or even All-Americans at just about every weight,” he said. “At some weights, I don’t know who the guy will be, but I know we have great guys to choose from. If we can stay healthy, we think we have the talent to make a run at a team trophy at nationals. It’s been a long time coming to really put the amount of depth in the room that I wanted. With this class, I think we’re just about there.”
Cortland’s Postseason Lineup* in 2011-12
125 Nigel McNeil (22-4 overall)
133 Sean Kempf (20-10)
141 Brian Bistis (26-9)
149 Andre Berry (17-10)
157 Troy Sterling (17-7)
165 Jonathan Conroy (32-11)
174 Lou Puca (21-10)
184 Carl Korpi (28-9)
197 Jared Myhrberg (33-1)
285 Joey Giaramita (24-11)
* All records according to team’s website
Cortland’s 2012 Recruiting Class*
Tony Battista (133) Cicero-North Syracuse HS
Tyler Beckwith (174/184) Binghamton/Greene HS
Wes Blanding (133) Chittenango HS
Mike Bosco (174) Nassau CC/John Glenn HS
Joe Cataldo (165/174) MacArthur HS
Alec Dierna (125/133) Webster Schroeder HS
Bob Dierna (141/149) Monroe CC/Mercyhurst/Wayne HS
Nick Falco (149) Nassau CC/East Meadow HS
Tyler Hall (125) Marathon HS
Mitchell Janes (149) Port Byron HS
David Occhipinti (133) Croton-Harmon HS
Anthony Padulo (141) Baruch College HS
Josh Reed (174) Webster-Schroeder HS
* Provided by Cortland
By Betsy Veysman
The most nervous moments for Team X-Cel coach Nick Garone this past weekend, during which the squad captured the championship at the Pop and Flo National Duals, didn’t take place on the mat. Instead, his most nervous moments took place on the water during the team’s celebration.
“The guys dove into the lake after the event,” he said. “It was pretty great to see how excited they were. I took the easy way out, paddling out in a boat. They were messing with me, telling me they were going to tip me over. I begged them not to. It was a lot of fun, which is what the weekend was all about.”
It was also about winning, something the team did in all five of its duals, concluding with a 25-24 triumph over New Jersey’s Apex in the title match. The squads ended the meet deadlocked at 24, but X-Cel earned the crown by virtue of capturing eight of the 15 bouts.
It was a victory that the team felt was for more than just the wrestlers and coaches that made the trip upstate.
“We weren’t just trying to win it for the guys who were there,” said heavyweight Dante Salkey, who went 5-0 on the weekend. “We went out to make a statement about Long Island wrestling. We knew that we were in Lake Placid, a place where history was made. We wanted to bring some of Long Island’s best, upset the top seed (Apex) and win it all. We wanted to show how tough our wrestling is.”
Some of Long Island’s best started things off on the right foot in the finale. A pair of state champions from Section 11, Sean McCabe (130) and Maverick Passaro (135), propelled the squad to a 6-0 lead. McCabe controlled his bout with Apex’s Matt Caputo (an Empire state resident) in a 9-3 decision.
Passaro followed by notching a takedown with less than 30 seconds to go to garner a come-from-behind victory over Richie Lewis. Passaro’s late heroics didn’t go unnoticed by his coach, especially since the Eastport South Manor senior rebounded from a bonus point loss in the previous round.
“That kid’s a champion,” Garone said. “In the semis, he was beaten by a high score. Some guys can’t let that go. It’s like a fighter who gets knocked out – their next fight is the hardest of their life. Maverick got over it. He showed fortitude and heart to bounce back and wrestle with confidence and get that late score. What a great match he wrestled.”
Apex responded with a pair of victories, a decision at 140 and a pin at 145, to take a 9-6 advantage.
In stepped John Glenn’s James Dekrone against a familiar foe, NHSCA National Champion Lenny Richardson. The two have had some tough, close matches in the past and this was no different. After neither competitor scored in neutral in the opening stanza, Dekrone rode his opponent for the entire second period. In the third, it looked like Richardson might return the favor, but Dekrone broke free for an escape and got his hand raised in a 1-0 result, knotting the score at 9.
“It was an unbelievable match,” Garone said. “I knew it would be exciting. Richardson is so dangerous and scary from every tie up and James is a pressure wrestler that keeps coming after you. James just wrestled a perfect match when we needed it.”
X-Cel continued putting points on the board with victories in the next two bouts. At 160, Nicky Hall topped Brandon Keena and at 170 Dylan Palacio bumped up to face All-American Tony Pafumi and came away with an overtime triumph.
“We changed things around a little bit because I thought it gave us an edge,” Garone said. “I knew Nicky Hall was capable of winning at 160 and I thought Palacio could win at either 160 or 170. Obviously, it could have backfired because Pafumi is tough and hardnosed. Dylan’s match came down to OT and we were biting our fingernails. But both Nicky and Dylan got the job done. I thought Dylan might be upset about the change, but he told me it was fine; he’d do whatever it took for the team to win. They were both team players.”
It was a short-lived 15-9 lead for the Empire State group. Apex came out on top in the next three matches and moved ahead 18-15 as the 285 pounders took the mat.
Dante Salkey attacked his opponent, Mike Spencer, almost immediately, scoring off a low single to move ahead 2-0. He extended his lead early in the second with an escape and another takedown before withstanding a comeback attempt by his opponent, New Jersey’s fourth place finisher in 2012, for a narrow victory. After Salkey’s fifth win of the weekend, the score was tied again.
“I knew going in that we were down by the three and I had to get the win,” Salkey said. “I didn’t want it to come down to the last few guys; I wanted to make sure I did my part. I felt that I was a lot quicker than [Spencer], so I went to my offense for the first half of the match. It got closer than I wanted late in the match, but it worked out in the end.”
“Dante was unbelievable the whole weekend,” Garone added. “I get a big grin on my face when I think about it because he’s so funny. He was the team jokester, keeping everyone loose and relaxed by making everyone laugh. On the mat, he wrestles like a lightweight, taking a lot of shots and moving well. I think he could be very, very good at the next level because he’s really nimble on his feet for a big guy. He made huge contributions to the team.”
Also making big contributions were lightweights Jay Rodriguez (105) and Nick Piccininni (113), who came through with wins over Nick Suriano and Joe Travato, respectively to push X-Cel’s lead to 24-18.
Apex fought back, however, capturing the matches at 120 and 126 to deadlock the score until criteria declared the Long Island squad the winners.
“Going to criteria – that’s a true testament to what kind of dual it was,” Garone said. “That’s what you pray for, a battle like that. The Apex coaches had to like how they fought back and tied it by winning the last two matches. My hat is off to those guys over at Apex. They do a great job with those kids every year. They’re a great club.”
Garone also tipped his hat to several others he said played important roles in X-Cel’s achievement.
“Finally we can tell people that Long Island can compete with the best in the country and have proof. I really want to thank Darren Goldstein, my right arm, who would do anything for us and Steve Hromada for helping us train. Anthony Abidin really helped us out, getting the guys warmed up, which is harder for us old guys,” he said, laughing. “All the coaches who had someone represented should be appreciated – they do a great job with the wrestlers for most of the year. Most importantly, I need to thank the guys we brought. Every one of them is great. But they put their egos aside and were willing to do what was best for the team. That’s not typical for a bunch of studs. We had a great time.”
That was a sentiment echoed by everyone involved.
“It felt amazing,” Salkey said. “We had so much fun, celebrating in the lake and on the ride back home. We knew we were good coming in and we thought we could win it, but the competition was good too. We wrestled our best and walked away with the title for us and for Long Island wrestling.”
Team X-Cel, 2012 Pop and Flo National Duals Champions
105 – Jay Rodriguez
113 – Nick Piccininni
120 – Pat Skinner
125 – Travis Passaro
130 – Sean McCabe
135 – Maverick Passaro
140 – Tommy Dutton
145 – Louis Hernandez
152 – James DeKrone
152 – Sam Schwartzapfel
160 – Dylan Palacio
160 – Nick Hall
170 – Zac Mullen
182 – Dylan Seybolt
182 – Colin Gironda
195 – Nick Weber
220 – Kenny Drew
285 – Dante Salkey
Finals: Team X-Cel Over Apex (NJ), 25-24
130 Sean McCabe decision Matt Caputo, 3-0 NY
135 Maverick Passaro decision Richie Lewis, 6-0 NY
140 Jason Estevez decision Thomas Dutton, 6-3 NY
145 BJ Clagon pin Louis Hernandez, 9-6 NJ
152 James Dekrone decision Lenny Richardson, 9-9
160 Nicky Hall decision Brandon Keena, 12-9 NY
170 Dylan Palacio decision Tony Pafumi, 15-9 NY
182 Brian Loughlin decision Dylen Seybolt, 15-12 NY
195 Tyler Rios decision Colin Gironda, 15-15
220 Eric McMullen decision Ken Drew, 18-15 NJ
285 Dante Salkey decision Mike Spencer, 18-18 NY
105 Jay Rodriguez decision Nick Suriano, 21-18 NY
113 Nick Piccinnini decision Joe Travato, 24-18 NY
120 Luis Gonzalez decision Pat Skinner, 24-21 NY
126 Joe Oliva decision Travis Passaro, 24-24 NY
NY Wins on Criteria*, 25-24
*(Most matches won, X-Cel 8, Apex 7)
Semifinals: Team X-Cel Over Dark Knights (PA), 42-22
105 Jay Rodriguez tech fall Tyson Klump, 5-0 NY
113 Nick Piccininni major Tyrone Klump, 9-0 NY
120 Zach Valley Valley major Pat Skinner, 9-4 NY
126 Travis Passaro dec Mason Bryne, 12-4 NY
130 Sean McCabe dec Chase Zemanak, 15-4 NY
135 Tyson Dippery tech fall Maverick Passaro, 15-9 NY
140 Chris Vasser pin Thomas Dutton, 15-15
145 Shyheim Brown dec Louis Hernandez, 18-15 PA
152 James Dekrone dec Zach Ross, 18-18
160 Dylan Palacio dec Garrett Peppelman, 21-18 NY
170 Elliot Riddick maj Zac Mullen, 22-21 PA
182 Dylen Seybolt pin Nick Sevi, 27-22 NY
195 Colin Gironda win by forfeit, 33-22 NY
220 Ken Drew win by forfeit, 39-22 NY
285 Dante Salkey dec Dawson Peck, 42-22 NY
Earlier Round Results
Round 1: Team X-Cel 65, Apex II (NJ) 0
Round 2: Team X-Cel 66, Iowa Style (NY) 3
Round 3: Team X-Cel 42, Triumph (NJ) 13
By Betsy Veysman
It sounded like Troy Nickerson was talking about Cornell, the way he has for years. A beautiful campus. Great opportunities for outdoor activities like hunting. An unmistakable family atmosphere on the wrestling team.
But on Saturday when being interviewed, he wasn’t describing Ithaca, which he has called home since 2005. He was discussing the place he’ll be starting the next chapter of his career – Ames, Iowa as an assistant coach at Iowa State University.
“I’ve been in New York almost my entire life,” he said. “It will definitely be different living in Iowa, but there are a lot of similarities. I think the opportunity I have out there is a great one.”
The opportunity was one of several available to the four-time NCAA All-American. At different points since graduating from Cornell he considered medical school and a Masters degree, but ultimately decided he couldn’t imagine his life without wrestling, even after a recent challenging time in the sport.
Nickerson spent much of the recent past working on freestyle in preparation for the 2012 Olympic Trials. However, his quest for London didn’t go as planned, as he didn’t qualify for the Trials.
“It was a life experience for me,” he said. “I’m happy that I made the commitment to train. I think I wouldn’t have been satisfied if I didn’t try. I had a lot of setbacks. Health was a factor stopping me from reaching my goals. But I developed great relationships and traveled the world. I learned a lot about myself. I realized how much passion I still have for wrestling and that I still wanted it to be the focus for me. I loved coaching before and decided it was what I wanted in the future.”
Nickerson has previous coaching experience at the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club (FLWC) in Ithaca, where he mentored grapplers ranging from the youth to senior levels after completing his Big Red degree. He was the head coach of the club’s college team in 2010-11.
“The thing I enjoyed most about working at FLWC was helping those guys achieve their goals,” he said. “I got to see their improvement on a daily basis and that’s what excited me. I was able to develop relationships with them and impact their lives – like so many of my coaches have done for me.”
The only wrestler to capture five New York high school state titles said he feels lucky to have been around great leaders who he hopes to emulate in his new position.
“I really admire what Rob Koll and all of the Cornell coaches have done,” he said. “I think the thing that has impressed me most is the atmosphere of family and community that has been cultivated. Whether you’re a top guy or a backup who is unlikely to ever start, the coaches take a value in each person’s life, in wrestling and outside of wrestling. That’s extremely important. It has helped Cornell develop a rich tradition in a short time. I look forward to developing similar relationships at Iowa State.”
Nickerson has that chance with a team that is looking to get back to the top of the college wrestling world after 20th and 35th place finishes at the past two NCAA tournaments.
“There’s a lot of young talent in the room right now,” he said. “When [head coach] Kevin [Jackson] came in, they were really in a rebuilding phase and that continued this past season. But there are some great guys there and some talented recruits coming in. I’ve seen the ability of NCAA qualifers like Ryak Finch and Luke Goettl as well as incoming guys like John Meeks, Destin McCauley and Dakota Bauer, to name just a few. I look forward to working with those guys and making a big impact.”
The 2009 NCAA champion at 125 pounds certainly can relate to the young talent. He joined the Big Red lineup as a true freshman and showed he belonged right away. The Chenango Forks native won his first 18 bouts, earned the first of his three EIWA crowns and reached the NCAA finals in his first season out of high school.
In his 97-8 career with the Big Red, Nickerson had many memorable victories. One of them was a match against a Cyclone – Andrew Long – in early 2010.
It was a high profile tilt for a number of reasons. It was the opening bout of a dual between two top teams – #2 Iowa State and #6 Cornell. It was also being televised live and was part of a fundraising event for the Adam Frey Foundation. Long had been impressive and was ranked fifth in the nation. Nickerson had been struggling with injuries.
It didn’t matter. The Cornellian put on a show for the crowd, albeit a short one. He took Long down soon after the opening whistle and put him on his back. While the Cyclone fought hard to keep the match going, Nickerson earned the first period pin and a victory many Big Red fans still discuss. But Nickerson isn’t one of them.
“That match was in the past,” he said. “I think what you can take away from that win and others is that when you step on the mat, it doesn’t matter who you’re facing or what the environment is like. That’s the kind of mindset I hope to instill.”
“I saw a lot in the past year, traveling internationally and being put way out of my comfort zone,” he continued. “We had to perform in environments where we didn’t have the food, equipment and other amenities we’re used to in the United States. It’s all about being able to adapt. That’s what the guys at Iowa State need to do, just go work hard; don’t worry about who the opponent is. I want to have guys that just compete and believe they’ll win.”
While he talked about not worrying about who the opponent is, Nickerson admitted that he’s happy Cornell is not on the Cyclone schedule this season after three consecutive years of dual meets between the squads.
“I loved my time at Cornell and consider Ithaca home,” he said. “I learned from the best coaches in Division I. I will always be a Big Red fan. I am grateful for the opportunities Cornell has given me. When it comes time to coach against the Big Red at NCAAs or some other tournament down the line, I’m sure it will feel different than against other teams. But I’m excited to be at such a storied program and I’ll do everything I can to bring victory to the Cyclones.”
By Betsy Veysman
Matt Dernlan was focused on his Clarion wrestlers at the 2012 NCAA tournament in St. Louis, but like many other coaches and fans, he couldn’t help but notice the performance of Binghamton’s Donnie Vinson.
The 149-pounder dropped his initial bout to Nick Lester of Oklahoma before rattling off seven straight victories to take third place.
“I think it’s the toughest tournament in the world, especially if you lose your first match,” Dernlan said. “It’s not the achievement of third place that was so impressive. It was the resilience and resolve he showed to come back and keep fighting and winning. With that type of character and his talent, he’s got everything it takes to be a national champion.”
Dernlan now has an opportunity to be a part of Vinson’s run at a title in his new position as head coach at Binghamton. In fact, when talking to Dernlan, the phrase “national champion” comes up quite a bit.
The Ohio native has some experience with reaching the pinnacle of the college wrestling world. As the Director of Operations, he was part of Penn State’s NCAA title team in 2011. He witnessed the key ingredients that brought that crown to State College and believes he sees many of the same pieces in place at Binghamton.
“When the job first opened up, it wasn’t something I pursued because there were a lot of good things going on at Clarion,” he said of the institution he coached for nine months. “But Binghamton reached out to me. The more I talked to them, the more I saw all the elements necessary to build a national championship program.”
Those elements, according to Dernlan, go beyond the athletes and coaches.
“Coming from Penn State, I have an understanding of everything that has to come together to get to the top,” he said. “You need to have committed support from everyone – from the President, the athletic department, the alumni and the community. You need to have support systems in place for the student-athletes. I wouldn’t have left a top 20 program with the history and tradition of Clarion if I didn’t think all of that support was here. When I spoke to the President about his vision for the university and to the Athletic Director about his vision and plans for the next five years, I got really excited. Conversations with the alumni made me even more excited. It became an easy decision.”
Another reason the decision was “easy” is the current state of the Bearcat program. When now-North Carolina State head coach Pat Popolizio took the reins six years ago, Binghamton was a winless team. Fast forward to 2011-12, when the Bearcats earned a top 20 dual meet ranking in addition to an 14th place finish at the NCAAs fueled by five qualifiers and a pair of All-Americans (Vinson and freshman heavyweight Nick Gwiazdowski). Dernlan spoke with admiration about the foundation Popolizio developed.
“A lot of credit needs to go to Pat,” Dernlan said. “He did so much to elevate the program to national prominence. He created the right kind of culture. We want to take advantage of that and build on all the momentum.”
To do that, Dernlan will look for a holdover from Popolizio’s staff, Jasen Borshoff, to play a key role.
“I’ve been spending time with Jasen, picking his brain and getting to know him,” he said. “I am very impressed with his intelligence and passion. He’s everything I think college coaching should be about. Retaining Jasen was a priority. He is committed and driven towards the same goals as I am.”
Dernlan said he also would like to utilize the expertise of volunteer assistant Andy Seras, whom he has not spoken to yet in detail in his few days on the job.
“Andy’s resume and track record show that he brings a lot to the table,” he said. “If he wants to continue on, that would be attractive. He has roots in New York.”
New York roots are another topic Dernlan talks about with enthusiasm. He has watched several Empire State grapplers succeed in the postseason over the past several years and believes that homestate wrestlers should form the backbone of the squad.
“It is very appealing to be in New York, which is one of the best scholastic states in the country,” he said. “That’s been proven by performance at the NCAAs. If we can get the talent in this state on our team, I don’t anticipate going outside the borders that much. I believe we can win and win big with New York kids.”
Dernlan knows it won’t always be easy getting those top Empire State grapplers on campus. There aren’t double digit in-state programs competing for talent like in Pennsylvania, but the coach knows that programs such as Cornell, Hofstra and Buffalo are competitors on the recruiting trail — and on the mat.
“Rob Anspach has done a great job at Hofstra,” he said. “They have great tradition and I am sure we will push each other to be great and continue to elevate the stature of CAA wrestling. And I know there’s a team up the road in Ithaca that’s been doing special things. You want to compete against teams like Cornell. Rob Koll is one of the best coaches in the nation and he’s created the standard. We’ve got a bullseye on his team. Having several elite teams in this state can only be a great thing. But our goal is to become the face of New York wrestling. If we can do that, we’ll be contending for national titles because that’s what Cornell is doing now.”
Trying to take that step next year will be a fairly experienced Bearcat team. While longtime standouts Justin Lister and Matt Kaylor have graduated, and heavyweight Nick Gwiazdowski is likely to transfer, Binghamton could return the remainder of its starters, including NCAA qualifiers Vinson, Nate Scheidel and Cody Reed.
“I think we’ve got great experience and a collection of individuals that have gone deep into March and know what that environment is like,” Dernlan said. “Everyone is proud of what Binghamton accomplished last year but now we’re aspiring to go beyond. There’s a lot that goes into that; a lot of intangibles you can’t control at the national tournament. But my expectation is that with the talent we have returning and the incoming guys, we can improve upon last year if we prepare the right way.”
An integral component of that, according to Dernlan, is optimizing the level of competition throughout the campaign.
“We need to elevate our schedule and compete against the best,” he said. “The CAA tournament and Nationals are the two target weeks of the season. We won’t be doing our program or any of our wrestlers favors by padding records heading into the conference tournament. We need to test ourselves early, often and consistently so that when March rolls around, we’re ready for those big moments. We know what the intensity and the fight of March are all about and we need to be prepared.”
Part of that preparation, the coach said, is encouraging an aggressive style of wrestling.
“We want to go out to dominate, put up points and break our opponents,” he said. “If you do that, you build a reputation and it spreads. It creates a tangible element at the national tournament. People step on the mat with you and they already know what they’re in for. They know you won’t back down and you’ll be in their face for seven minutes. That’s what makes you succeed against the best.”
Succeeding against the best is something Dernlan values. When asked about his most memorable match, he almost immediately brings up one of his toughest high school battles in the Buckeye State against fellow state champion John Marchette.
“Competing against him is something I remember to this day because he pushed my limits in every capacity,” he said. “We laugh about it at this point and appreciate and respect each other for pushing each other to new levels. Fortunately, I was the winner, but we were both better for the battle and it helped us both later on.”
Dernlan sees that competitive fire in the Binghamton room. He has spent his first few days meeting the team and laying out the gameplan for the summer and next season. He joked about his endless to-do list, which includes things like figuring out summer camps, talking to this year’s incoming class, selling a house and hiring another assistant coach (Frank Beasley accompanied Popolizio to the ACC), all while shuttling back and forth to Pennsylvania. But he’s enjoying every minute of it and his optimism is obvious.
“[Popolizio] won and he did it the right way,” he said. “He wanted to win with character kids who were a positive reflection on the program. That’s fundamental for me; doing things in a way that the university and the community will be proud of. With what we have in place here, I think Binghamton should be a top 10 team every year. But that won’t be enough for me. I’m driven to win a national title. If we attract the right kids with all we have to offer, I believe we can get there.”
By Betsy Veysman
“There’s a theme with Vinny,” Michael Vespa said on Monday night about his 14-year old brother. “He finds a way to win. That’s the bottom line, no matter how bad it looks, he finds a way to win.”
That’s been true many times over the years. The freshman from Monroe-Woodbury High is a four-time youth New York state champion who also took third in the country at the NHSCA Middle School Nationals.
As a ninth grader wrestling varsity for the third straight time in 2011-12, Vespa went 31-8, was a Sectional runner up and qualified for the state tournament at 99 pounds while routinely weighing in around 94. Despite his hard work, however, the grappler often found himself struggling later in bouts with shortness of breath.
Less than two weeks ago, Vinny Vespa achieved a long-time goal when he took first place at the New York State Cadet Freestyle Championships in Binghamton to earn his spot on the Empire State squad going to the national championships in Fargo, North Dakota in July. He looked forward to the most prestigious event on the summer wrestling calendar, where the competition would be a notch higher than what he has seen before.
However, Vespa will have a far more challenging opponent to face before he steps on the mat again.
“I thought I was going to Fargo to represent New York at nationals,” he said. “I was really excited. But I was still having trouble with breathing so I went to the doctor after I won. That’s when they found the tumor.”
The tumor is believed to be Stage 4 Hodgkins Lymphoma.
“The tumor in Vinny’s lungs compromised his breathing more than 50%, according to the doctors,” his mother said. “We found it because of wrestling. He was having trouble after the first period. The doctor explained that once his respiration got up, he was basically working off one lung. We thought it was a few different things during the season — a new mouthpiece, asthma, bronchitis. Thank God we found it.”
After digesting the news, Vinny quickly moved into fighting mode.
“When he was diagnosed, he was crushed,” Michael Vespa said. “But he’s come back with such a vengeance, just like I knew he would. He’s the type of person that has always been really mature and dedicated. If he wants something, nothing will stop him. He’s really strong.”
Many would agree with that. His varsity coach Steve Fischbein says he’s the strongest pound for pound wrestler that he’s ever seen. At 94 pounds, he squats and deadlifts more than 225 pounds. The student with the 90 average in school also religiously follows the plans set out for him by trainer John Rahn. In fact, Michael Vespa said that even in his hospital bed, Vinny is making sure to follow his meal plans and drink his protein shakes.
He’s also finding other ways to make the hospital time tolerable.
“I’m keeping myself busy,” he said. “[On Monday] 15 people came and we had a little mini party. We went down to the lobby and had pizza and just hung out. I played mini golf at a course right outside the hospital with my mom.”
Vinny mentioned that his family has been great, but wanted to specifically mention his mother.
“She hasn’t left my bedside for the past seven days,” he said. “She’s my number one supporter.”
His extended wrestling family has been there too. That doesn’t include just his friends and teammates. It also includes grapplers from all over the country. Vinny started the @teamvinnyv twitter account on Sunday night and in one day had over 1220 followers.
“I knew I had a lot of support, but it’s been crazy,” he said. “It’s been amazing what the wrestling community has done. [NCAA champion] Bubba Jenkins retweeted something about me. [Former Olympian] Jeff Blatnick called me. It’s amazing how supportive people have been.”
He also singled out a phone call he received from one of his favorite wrestlers from the school he hopes to attend one day, Cornell University.
“[Three-time NCAA champion] Kyle Dake was out of the country at the World Cup,” Michael Vespa said. “But his first tweet when he got back to the United States had my brother in it. And then he called my brother in the hospital. It meant so much.”
The support will keep coming.
This Wednesday, local New York All-Star wrestlers will come together at Delaware Valley High School in Matamoras, Pennsylvania to face squads from the Keystone State and New Jersey. Vinny Vespa was scheduled to compete, but now $2 for each attendee will go to his family.
In addition, a takedown tournament titled “Victory 4 Vinny ” will be held at Monroe-Woodbury High School on June 30 from 8 am – 6 pm. The event will have elementary, middle school, high school and open divisions, with the possibility of a masters division as well. Registration will be $20 and all proceeds will go directly to the Vespa family. In conjunction with the tournament, will be a family fun day event with face painting, cotton candy and more.
Forever Fierce has donated over 1000 specially-designed T-shirts that can soon be purchased at foreverfierce.com. All proceeds will go to helping the Vespas.
Vinny is excited for these fundraising endeavors. He said he expects to be in the hospital for about another week and then will come home to continue his fight.
“Once you’ve wrestled, everything else in life is easy,” he said on Monday night, quoting the legendary Dan Gable. “That’s pretty much what I’m going by right now. I definitely think wrestling puts me in a better position. My trainer [Rahn] has helped me out so much this year. He helped me put on 20 pounds of mostly muscle and that will help me with what I’m going through.”
Michael Vespa believes his brother’s strength and will are the keys.
“In the semifinals at Sections he was wrestling a kid who pinned him at the beginning of the season,” Michael Vespa said. “He was down by a point with about 20 seconds left. I felt okay about it. Not for a split second did I doubt that he would win. Sure enough, with five seconds left, he got the reversal to win.”
He has a similar sense of confidence now in his younger sibling, whom he calls “Cancer’s Nightmare”.
“I guess the best way I can describe my brother is to say that he has more heart than anyone I’ve ever encountered,” Michael Vespa said. “So many people told me that if it had to happen to anyone, it might as well happen to him, because there’s no doubt he’ll get through it. I believe that. Not only that, but he’ll get through it and then go out and win a national title.”
———————————————————————————————————————————————————-
For an update on Vinny Vespa prior to the 2012-13 wrestling season, see here.
Binghamton University has hired Clarion head coach Matt Dernlan as the new leader of the Bearcat program.
Dernlan takes the reins of the CAA squad following the departure of Pat Popolizio, who took over a winless program and in six years, built Binghamton into a nationally-ranked team.
An Ohio native, Dernlan held the top position at Clarion for one season, leading the Golden Eagles to an 18th place finish at the NCAA tournament with two All-Americans.
Prior to his stint at Clarion, Dernlan spent six years at Penn State, first as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator and then as the director of operations for the Nittany Lions. In addition, he has held positions at Ohio Northern University, Jeff Jordan Champ Camps and St. Paris Graham High School.
On the mat, Dernlan was a three-time Ohio State Champion who amassed a 154-4 record. He wrestled for Liberty University and was an NCAA qualifier.
2011-12 was a banner year for the Bearcats, who went 15-4 in dual meets and finished 14th at the NCAA tournament with a pair of All-Americans (true freshman Nick Gwiazdowski at 285 and 149-pounder Donnie Vinson). The squad also swept the major CAA awards with Popolizio capturing Coach of the Year honors, Vinson nabbing Wrestler of the Year and Gwiazdowski earning the conference’s top rookie award.
–Betsy Veysman
Check out videos for the finals from the New York State Championships (Fargo Qualifier) on May 5 in Binghamton.
160 Pounds: Dylan Palacio (Ascend) vs. Burke Paddock (Team Ten)
182 Pounds: McZiggy Richards (Beat the Streets) vs. Jeffrey Day (Genessee Valley WC)
170 Pounds: Rrok Ndokaj (Beat the Streets) vs. Sher Mohammad (Beat the Streets)
138 Pounds: Tom Page (NYSS) vs. Vincent Turano (Ascend)
126 Pounds: Keanu Thompson (Beat the Streets) vs. Oral Allen (Ascend)
132 Pounds: Jessy Williams (Team Worldwide) vs. James Ronca (Journeymen)
145 Pounds: Matt Greene (Columbia) vs. Justin Boone (Copiague)
152 Pounds: Tial Thang (MVWC) vs Leland Slawson (MVWC)
220 Pounds: Soslan Gularov (Steeplechase) vs Jonathan Babson (Happy Yo)
195 Pounds: Pat Nasoni (MVWC) vs Alex Moss (MVWC)
In late April, Kyle Dake, Mack Lewnes and Frank Perrelli, representing the U.S. Regional Training Center (RTC) at Cornell, competed with the best freestyle wrestlers in the country at the 2012 Olympic Trials.
On May 25-26, Dake, Lewnes and Perrelli will come to three locations (Askren Wrestling Academy, Luthern High School and Eastport-South Manor High) for the Cornell RTC Long Island training camp. They will be bringing some of the nation’s best with them, as NCAA champions Steve Bosak, Troy Nickerson and Cam Simaz will be on hand as clinicians as will coaches Rob Koll, Damion Hahn, Mike Grey and Clint Wattenberg.
“We are looking to put on a great clinic in a part of the state that has excellent wrestling, while also making our presence more visible in downstate New York,” Cornell head coach Rob Koll said. “I’m not sure many people are aware that we are building our RTC in Ithaca. We are doing more than just molding student-athletes to be All-Americans and NCAA champions at Cornell, we are also developing the RTC to help make Olympic dreams come true.”
Lewnes was one of the first to take advantage. When he first arrived in Ithaca as a freshman in the fall of 2007, he thought he would have to go elsewhere to pursue his freestyle goals after completing his collegiate career. However, by the time he graduated in 2011, the RTC was up and running and he was able to stay at Cornell to work on freestyle and prepare for the Olympic Trials.
The three-time All-American spent the 2011-12 campaign training with a number of individuals accomplished in the international styles at the RTC, including Olympic alternates Hahn and Wattenberg, World Championships placer Koll as well as members of the Big Red team.
“I got fantastic support and had an amazing year,” Lewnes said. “We’ve only been designated as a Regional Training Center for a few years and things are developing so fast; it’s great. It’s only going to keep growing, especially as we bring in a freestyle coach.”
While the RTC sent three grapplers to the Olympic Trials in 2012, Lewnes and Koll expect that to change.
“We were able to support Mack, Frank and Kyle, and we’re looking to support and train more athletes over the next few years,” Koll said. “Our goal is to help more and more people move up the ladder and work for their Olympic aspirations. Next time the Olympic Trials roll around in 2016, we want to make sure we don’t have three guys competing, but more like 10.”
Some of those future Olympic hopefuls will be at the clinic on May 25-26. All staff members will rotate among the three sites (Askren Wrestling Academy in Somers, Luthern High School in Brookville and Eastport South Manor High in Manorville).
On Friday the 25th, the event will take place from 6-8:15 p.m. The following day, the camp will have sessions from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 3. Lunch will be included for all on Saturday. Registration costs $90 in advance and $100 at the door. For group discounts please call Rob Koll directly at 607-255-7307.
[button link=”http://www.flwrestlingclub.org/RTC_LongIslandCamp_flyer.pdf” type=”big” color=”red” newwindow=”yes”] Camp Flyer[/button]
For further information or to sign up, please visit flwrestlingclub.org/rtc.htm
–Betsy Veysman
New York Wrestling News 2012-2013 Archive 