Category Archives: Division 1

Palacio Earns Triple Crown; Ndokaj, Koll, Gularov, Livernash Win Double Titles at NY States

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By Betsy Veysman

The first thing Dylan Palacio told Long Beach head coach Ray Adams after winning the Greco and Freestyle New York State titles this past weekend was that he’s not done yet.

While the Cornell-bound senior, who competed for Ascend in Binghamton, won’t consider himself finished with his high school goals until he competes for national championships in Freestyle and Greco in North Dakota this summer, he did achieve something significant this weekend – the New York State Triple Crown.  (He won the Empire State folkstyle title at the NYPHSAA Division I tournament in Albany in February).

None of the results have come as a surprise to Adams.

“Going into the season, I thought he could have all the success he’s had,” the coach said. “He just missed on a lot of these goals in the past – finishing third at States and at the Nationals in Virginia Beach.  He just came up a little short and was knocking at the door.  After all he’s done, it was just his time.”

Adams believes that both Palacio’s mindset and the work he put in prior to this season made the difference.

“Dylan really improved his technique all around, but especially on his feet where he developed more of an arsenal.  He opened up and put a lot of points on the board,” Adams said. “He also had a one-track mind this year; he was 100% driven.  His mental toughness and refusal to lose have really shown.  He’s really stubborn with his goals.”

At Fargo in 2011, Palacio went 4-2 in Freestyle and took eighth in Greco.  He has made it clear that he expects to be on the top of the podium this time.

“You obviously have to be really good to win at Fargo and you need a little luck too,” Adams said. “Dylan knows he can win there.  If he continues to train hard, I think he has a very legitimate shot at winning in both styles.”

Another wrestler looking forward to a return trip to North Dakota is Rrok Ndokaj.   The Monsignor Farrell senior didn’t place there a year ago, but clinched a spot on the Empire State squad with his titles in both Freestyle and Greco over the weekend while wrestling for Beat the Streets.

“I felt confident going in,” Ndokaj said. “I felt like there shouldn’t be anything standing in my way.”

The titles were a continuation of Ndokaj’s postseason success in 2012.  After falling one round short of the podium at the state tournament in 2011, the Catholic League champ took fourth place at the Times Union Center this time at 170.

“It was a little bittersweet at States,” he said. “I came in seeded second and wanted to make the finals, but I guess I can’t be too upset about placing.”

The Staten Island native followed up his performance in Albany with an All-American finish (eighth) at FloNationals in Philadelphia down at 160.

Back at 170 pounds this weekend, the future Bloomsburg grappler won 13 matches, dropping a total of just two periods, to capture both the Freestyle and Greco Roman New York state titles.

“Wrestling at Fargo last year was definitely a great experience, being in that arena wrestling at a national level,” Ndokaj said. “I want to go back and try to do something better.  A national championship is my goal. It’s the only goal you can set.”

Joining Palacio and Ndokaj as double champions at Broome Community College on Saturday and Sunday were Team Worldwide’s Ethan Livernash (100 pounds), Finger Lakes Wrestling Club’s William Koll (120) and Soslan Gularov of Team Steeplechase (220).

Koll won both Freestyle and Greco titles at this event a year ago, but didn’t make the trip to Fargo in 2011.  He will make his debut in North Dakota after breezing through the competition in the Empire State, winning by pin or technical fall in eight of his 11 bouts, dropping just one period along the way.

Livernash swept Andy Martinez to win both of his titles while Gularov won 10 of his 11 bouts in straight periods.  The only opponent to take him to the limit was Team Worldwide’s Matthew Abbott in the Freestyle finals, however Gularov took the third stanza of that match in dominating fashion, 6-0.

Ndokaj was one of the champions for Beat the Streets, which showed its strength across the Cadet, Junior and Women’s brackets.  The New York City based club took first in both Freestyle and Greco in the Junior division and second and third, respectively, in Cadet Greco and Freestyle.

MVWC came out on top in both styles in the Cadet competition, while Ascend was top three in three of the events (second in Cadet FS and Junior Greco; third in Junior FS). (Team points weren’t available for Women’s Freestyle).

In addition to the double winners in the Junior division, there were also several wrestlers victorious in both styles at the Cadet level: Matthew Morris (ATWA, 113 pounds), Freddie Dunau (Technical Edge, 120), Mike Dusold (VHW, 152), Daniel Smith (MVWC, 170) and Joe Nasoni (MVWC, 195).

For full results for Cadet, Junior and Women’s competition, please see the following links:

http://newyorkwrestlingnews.com/sundays-updated-results-from-new-york-freestyle-and-greco-states/

http://newyorkwrestlingnews.com/results-from-ny-freestyle-and-greco-states/

Fox Lane's Joe Amuso Named New York State Coach of the Year

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By Betsy Veysman

Joe Amuso will be on the floor of the Times Union Center in Albany during the New York State Championships next year after all.

The coach, who retired this spring from his head coaching job at Fox Lane High School after 41 years, was planning to attend the tournament to watch some of his former wrestlers from the stands.

However, he will be called out to the mat area prior to the finals to receive the New York State Coach of the Year Award, an accomplishment that was announced by the National Wrestling Coaches Association earlier this week.

“It is truly an honor,” said Amuso, who registered 406 dual meet wins. “I had no idea it was coming.  Like most coaches, I wasn’t in it for personal goals.  I just went to work, did my job and hoped for the best for our team.”

His squads boasted many achievements.  Over 230 All-League and 125 All-Section performances.  More than 20 All-State wrestlers and 35 Section 1 winners.  A state championship for Steven Rodrigues in 2011 and three medalists (Sam Speno, Matt Pasqualini, Dan Ventura) in 2012.

But more than the individual successes, Amuso fondly remembers his team’s effort this February to win its fourth Section 1 title in five years.

“That tournament certainly stands out for me,” he said. “We were behind going into the last session.  We had four kids in the finals and they all had to win their matches for our team to win the title.  They [Speno, Pasqualini, Ventura and Tom Grippi] accomplished that.  But it wasn’t just the kids in the finals – our entire team did an outstanding job, contributing important points in the tournament.  It was a very satisfying last championship.”

“Satisfying” is a word he used several times to describe his experience at the helm of the program.

“What’s been most enjoyable and satisfying for me is seeing the kids improve over the course of the years on the team,” he said. “There’s a lot of satisfaction of seeing them attain their goals, whether it be to win a section championship or just improve an aspect of their wrestling.  It’s been a pleasure to watch them grow and develop over the years.”

Several of Amuso’s grapplers have taken or will be taking those lessons to the college wrestling ranks, including Rodrigues (Illinois), Speno (Binghamton) and Pasqualini (Michigan State).

“It is gratifying to see kids continue wrestling at the next level,” he said. “But I think the values kids learn in wrestling like hard work and dedication can be used after high school whether kids wrestle or not.  Those lessons make them into better students or help in any job.”

As for his job, Amuso said he was 95% sure he was going to retire after the season ended, but gave it a little more time and thought before making an official announcement at the team’s dinner.

“I thought the previous year would be my last, but I didn’t announce it at the dinner that year and time went by and I was asked to come back for one more year.  I’m glad I did, but I knew if I didn’t announce it at the dinner this year, I might get talked into staying again.  It had to come to an end sometime.  I’ve been involved in Fox Lane wrestling since I was a student a million years ago,” he said with a laugh.  “I love it, but I’m pleased with my decision. I think it was time.”

He won’t completely walk away.  He said he looks forward to watching the team from the stands at matches and tournaments.  And he will be on hand to see the state qualifiers in Albany in February 2013 when he will receive an award for all he has contributed to Section 1 wrestling and his alma mater.

“I am excited about this honor,” he said. “But coaching is about the kids and I’ve been blessed with fantastic kids to work with over the years that made my job so much easier and enjoyable.”

New York Well Represented on NWCA Division I All-Academic Team

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On Tuesday, the National Wrestling Coaches Association released the 2011-12 All-Academic Team, which included several wrestlers who went to high school in New York or who wrestle for teams based in the Empire State.  Congratulations to those Division I competitors.

 

Steve Bonanno, Hofstra, Accounting (Wantagh, NY)

Kyle Dake, Cornell, Development Sociology (Ithaca, NY)

Nick Gwiazdowski, Binghamton, Undeclared (Delanson, NY)

Matt Kaylor, Binghamton, Master of Arts in Teaching (Ballston Spa, NY)

Steven Keith, Harvard, Economics (Shoreham, NY)

Ryan LeBlanc, Indiana, Fitness Specialist (Morrisville, NY)

Matt Mariacher, American, Public Communication (Buffalo, NY)

Mike Nevinger, Cornell, Engineering (Perry, NY)

Jake O’Hara, Columbia, Financial Economics (Mountaintop, PA)

James Rafferty, Army, Int’l and Comparative Legal Studies (Haddon Heights, NJ)

Steve Santos, Columbia, Financial Economics (Brick, NJ)

Kevin Smith, Buffalo, Physical Therapy (Mexico, NY)

Billy Watterson, Brown, Economics (Pound Ridge, NY)

 

The full list can be found at:

Click to access 2012-individual-all-academic-team.pdf

Stephen Dutton Receives Release from Lehigh; Considering Michigan and Hofstra

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When he was going through the recruiting process, two-time NCAA qualifier Stephen Dutton developed a strong relationship with Donny Pritzlaff, then an assistant coach at Wisconsin.  He strongly considered becoming a Badger, but ultimately decided that he didn’t want to move so far from home and chose to attend Lehigh.

However, wrestling for Pritzlaff (now at Michigan) is a possibility again as the former Rocky Point High standout recently received a full release from the Mountain Hawks.

Dutton will visit Ann Arbor this weekend and then choose whether to continue his career for the Wolverines or at Hofstra.

A number of factors went into the decision to leave Lehigh, according to Dutton’s father, Steve.

“Stephen had a tough year,” Steve Dutton said of his son. “He lost his lightweight coach [Jason Kutz] and also another workout partner when Frank Cagnina left. [Cagnina will wrestle for Nebraska next year].   He spent a lot of last year hurt.  He decided it was best to move on.”

In addition to the connection to Pritzlaff, Mr. Dutton said Michigan is appealing for some other reasons.

“Michigan might be a good spot for him,” he said. “He’s wrestled with [Wolverine assistant] Sean Bormet and he feels confident that with the coaches and workout partners there, he can reach all his goals.  Hofstra is also a possibility, especially because it is so close to home.”

Dutton compiled a 42-21 record in his two years with the Mountain Hawks, taking fourth place in the EIWA as a freshman and third as a sophomore.  He qualified for the NCAA tournament in both of his campaigns, making the Round of 12 in his rookie season.

Mr. Dutton said that his son will likely make his decision within the next week.

 

–Betsy Veysman

Sunday's Updated Results from New York Freestyle and Greco States

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Junior Freestyle Results

100 Pounds: Ethan Livernash (Team Worldwide) over Andy Martinez (Beat the Streets)

106 Pounds: Kyle Kelly (Team Worldwide) over Golan Cohen (Titan Worldwide)

Third: Nicco Riccio (Journeymen)

113 Pounds: Lucas Malmberg (Finger Lakes Wrestling Club) over Josh Antoine (Beat the Streets)

Third: Allan McNeil (Titans NY)

120 Pounds: William Koll (Finger Lakes Wrestling Club) dec Santo Curatolo (Beat the Streets), 2-0, 1-0

Third: Freddy Medina (Ascend)

126 Pounds: Rocco Russo (NYSS) dec Oral Allen (Ascend), 5-6, 8-7, 5-0

Third: Blake Retell (Journeymen)

132 Pounds: Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (Buffalo Grapplers) pin James Ronca (Journeymen), 6-0, 1:05

Third: Abubakarr Sow (Beat the Streets)

138 Pounds: Nick Kelley (Journeymen) dec Tom Page (NYSS), 2-0, 3-2

Third: Emin Aliyev (Beat the Streets)

145 Pounds: David Almaviva (Journeymen) dec Quinton Murphy (Team Miron), 6-3, 5-4

Third: Justin Boone (Copiague)

152 Pounds: Tial Thang (MVWC) dec Andrew Paulsen (Buffalo Grapplers) 3-0, 9-1

Third: Leland Slawson (Team Worldwide)

160 Pounds: Dylan Palacio (Ascend) dec Tyler Grimaldi (631 Elite), 5-0, 5-0

Third: Burke Paddock (Teamten)

170 Pounds: Rrok Ndokaj (Beat the Streets) dec Austin Weigel (Journeymen) 1-0, 3-0

Third: David Bunn (Copiague)

182 Pounds: Tim Schaefer (Teamten) dec Tom Murray (Askren Wrestling Academy), 1-0, 2-1

Third: McZiggy Richards (Beat the Streets)

195 Pounds: Reggie Williams (Johnson City) TF Spencer Morton (MVWC), 4-6, 6-0, 10-4

Third: Levi Ashley (Journeymen)

220 Pounds: Soslan Gularov (Steplechase) dec Matthew Abbott (Team Worldwide), 2-0, 0-5, 6-0

Third: Josh Langley (MVWC)

285 Pounds: El Shaddai Vantbesen (Titan Worldwide) dec Quasar Hampton (Beat the Streets), 2-0, 2-1

Third: Dante Salkey (Ascend)

 

Cadet Greco Roman

 

88 Pounds: David Ciciarelli (MVWC)

94 Pounds: Sean Miller (Connetquot)

100 Pounds: Dolan McColgan (Beat the Streets) over Bryan Arroyo (Beat the Streets)

Third: Ray Sorensen (MVWC)

106 Pounds: Nicholas Casella (VHW) dec Donny McCoy (Section Six Freestyle), 8-4, 4-0

Third: Dandre Norman (MVWC)

113 Pounds: Matthew Morris (ATWA) dec Travis Alexander (Ascend) 7-3, 7-0

Third: Carter Merecki (Journeymen)

120 Pounds: Freddie Dunau (Technical Edge) pin Ian Lupole (Team Worldwide), 0:13

Third: Zack Barker (Titans Wrestling Club)

126 Pounds: Ryan Snow (MVWC) TF Tom Stobe (Clarke), 6-0, 7-0

Third: Anthony Nunziata Jr (Sachem North)

132 Pounds: Jesse Porter (Journeymen) pin Sam Ward (VHW), 1-0, 1:31

Third: Sean O’Hagan (Sachem North)

138 Pounds: Jordan Bushey (Celler Dwellers) dec Jay Oakes (ATWA), 2-0, 4-4

Third: Matthew Marino (Sachem North)

145 Pounds: Nicholas Forget (Celler Dwellers) dec Skylar Kropman (Titan Worldwide), 6-4, 6-0

Third: Jordan Torbitt (Finger Lakes Wrestling Club)

152 Pounds: Mike Dusold (VHW) pin Conner Halladay (Johnson City), 6-0, 0:04

Third: Jacob Ashcraft (Journeymen)

160 Pounds: Gregory Kleinsmith (Team Worldwide) TF Travis Eberley (MVWC), 6-0, 7-0

Third: Angelo Kress (Journeymen)

170 Pounds: Daniel Smith (MVWC) pin Jack Buell (MVWC), 1-0, 1:45

Third: Aidan Mathews (Askren Wrestling Academy)

182 Pounds: Steven Lee (Journey) pin James Bethel (Dark Corner), 1:38

Third: Aaron Paddock (Team X)

195 Pounds: Joe Nasoni (MVWC) pin Chris Tangora (NY Titans) 4-1, 1-6, 0:25

Third: Nick Weber (Journey)

220 Pounds: Matthew St. Onge (Clarkstown South)

285 Pounds: Mark Ifraimov (Beat the Streets) over Mazen Hassen (Beat the Streets)

Third: Mason Cross (Titans Wrestling Club)

 

For Saturday’s results, see: http://newyorkwrestlingnews.com/results-from-ny-freestyle-and-greco-states/


Results from New York Freestyle and Greco States

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Junior Greco Roman Results

100 Pounds: Ethan Livernash (Team Worldwide) over Andy Martinez (Beat the Streets)

106 Pounds: Golan Cohen (Titan Worldwide) inj def Kyle Kelly (Team Worldwide)

Third: Nicco Riccio (Journeymen)

113 Pounds: Josh Antoine (Beat the Streets) pin Lucas Malmberg (Finger Lakes Wrestling Club), 0-7, 0:51

Third: Allan McNeil (Titans NY)

120 Pounds: William Koll (Finger Lakes Wrestling Club) TF Cheick Ndiaye (Beat the Streets), 6-0, 7-0

Third: Santo Curatolo (Beat the Streets)

126 Pounds: Keanu Thompson (Beat the Streets) TF Oral Allen (Ascend), 7-1, 6-0

Third: Rocco Russo (NYSS)

132 Pounds: Jessy Williams (Team Worldwide) Fall James Ronca (Journeymen), 0-4, 6-0, 1:29

Third: Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (Buffalo Grapplers)

138 Pounds: Tom Page (NYSS) dec Vincent Turano (Ascend) 2-0, 6-4

Third: Emin Aliyev (Beat the Streets)

145 Pounds: Matt Greene (Columbia) fall Justin Boone (Copiague), 0-1, 0:54

Third: Brendan Morgan (Journeymen)

152 Pounds: Tial Thang (MVWC) dec Leland Slawson (Team Worldwide), 0-3, 4-1, 1-0

Third: Barry Hart (Beat the Streets)

160 Pounds: Dylan Palacio (Ascend) pin Burke Paddock (Teamten) 0-1, 0:48

Third: Connor Sutton (Happy-Yo)

170 Pounds: Rrok Ndokaj (Beat the Streets) dec Sher Mohammad (Beat the Streets) 2-1, 5-2

Third: Ahmed Elsayed (Beat the Streets)

182 Pounds: McZiggy Richards (Beat the Streets) dec Jeffrey Day (Genesee Valley), 4-1, 1-1

Third: Christopher Loew (Ascend)

195 Pounds: Pat Nasoni (MVWC) pin Alex Moss (MVWC), 3-3, 1:33

Third: Angel Ortiz (Curtis)

220 Pounds: Soslan Gularov (Steplechase) dec Jonathan Babson (Happy-Yo) 4-0, 3-0

Third: Paul Okeke (Clarkstown South)

285 Pounds: Dante Salkey (Ascend) pin Terrence Cheeks (Newburgh WC), 1:18

Third: Jeff Urbina (Copiague)

 

Cadet Freestyle Results

88 Pounds: Joey DiPalma (Islip) TF David Ciciarelli (MVWC)

94 Pounds: Vincent Vespa (Eclipse) dec Sean Miller (Connetquot), 3-2, 8-6

Third: Tony Novotny (Connetquot)

100 Pounds: Chris Donnelly (Ascend) dec Josh LoGiudice (Journeymen), 3-0, 2-2, 6-0

Third: Dolan McColgan (Beat the Streets)

106 Pounds: Jose Rodriguez (Ascend) dec Nicholas Casella (VHW), 8-0, 2-5, 5-1

Third: Donny McCoy (Section Six Freestyle)

113 Pounds: Matthew Morris (ATWA) dec Johnny DiPalma (Islip) 7-1, 2-2

Third: Dominic Inzana (Journeymen)

120 Pounds: Freddie Dunau (Technical Edge) pin Ian Lupole (Team Worldwide), 7-1, 1:15

Third: Zack Barker (Titan)

126 Pounds: Thomas Reina (Ascend) dec Ryan Snow (MVWC), 1-0, 5-0

Third: Mike D’Angelo (Ascend)

132 Pounds: Samuel Ward (VHW) dec Jesse Porter (Journeymen), 1-0, 0-3, 1-0

Third: Sean O’Hagan (Sachem North)

138 Pounds: Thomas Dutton (Rocky Point) TF Jakob Restrepo (Sachem WC), 7-0, 8-1

Third: Brandon Aviles (Huntington)

145 Pounds: Nick Vines (Ascend) dec Nicholas Forget (Celler Dwellers), 4-1, 5-0

Third: Jordan Torbitt (Finger Lakes Wrestling Club)

152 Pounds: Mike Dusold (VHW) pin Louis Hernandez (Ascend), 4-11, 5-5, 0:54

Third: Konstantin Parfiryev (Beat the Streets)

160 Pounds: Angelo Kress (Journeymen) dec Gregory Kleinsmith (Team Worldwide), 5-1, 5-5

Third: Jerrett Norton (MVWC)

170 Pounds: Daniel Smith (MVWC) dec Jack Buell (MVWC), 2-0, 7-1

Third: Sam O’Malley (Smithtown)

182 Pounds: Ben Honis (MVWC) pin Steven Lee (Journey), 3-0, 0:32

Third: Nathanael Rose (Beat the Streets)

195 Pounds: Joe Nasoni (MVWC) TF Chris Tangora (NY Titans), 7-0, 10-3

Third: Nick Weber (Journey)

220 Pounds: Richard Sisti (Beat the Streets) over Matthew St. Onge (Clarkstown South)

285 Pounds: Peter Strassfield (Southhampton) pin Mason Cross (Titan), 1:15

Third: Mark Ifraimov (Beat the Streets)

 

Women’s Freestyle Results

97 Pounds: Kimberly Cardenas (Beat the Streets) over Eleni Sardina (Beat the Streets), 6-0, 5-0

Third: Estrella Velez (Beat the Streets)

105 Pounds: Lissette Ruiz (Beat the Streets) over Lisbeth Pena (Beat the Streets)

112 Pounds: Nyasa Bakker (Beat the Streets) over Kelsey Gray (Genesee Valley), 0-1, 5-1, 6-1

Third: Jennifer Juarez (Beat the Streets)

121 Pounds: Sara Andresen (Beat the Streets) over Sum Yuet Wu (Beat the Streets), 0-7, 0:28

Third: Sarah Tortorici (Beat the Streets)

125 Pounds: Kendra Kenyon (Genesee Valley) over Karen Koag (Beat the Streets), 6-0, 1:47

Third: Kass Rodriguez-Urbas (Beat the Streets)

130 Pounds: Amanda Jackson (Beat the Streets) over Natalie Kuang (Beat the Streets), 5-4, 3-3, 5-1

Third: Kimberly Abudullah (Beat the Streets)

139 Pounds: Alexis Porter (Journeymen) over Rosemary Flores (Beat the Streets), 3-0, 4-1

Third: Manenfy Tavarez (Beat the Streets)

149/159 Pounds: Mary Westman (Genesee Valley) over Lia Heintjes (Beat the Streets)

159/172 Pounds: Mary Westman (Genesee Valley) over Yuneris Diaz (Beat the Streets)

217 Pounds: Laura Zomchick (Beat the Streets)

Big Red Bound: State Champion Dylan Palacio Chooses Cornell

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By Betsy Veysman

Before participating in the NY/NJ Charity Challenge in late March, Dylan Palacio was discussing his college decision-making process.  He said he was undecided but volunteered that “the Cornell coaches feel like family.”

With the importance Palacio places on family, it’s no surprise that he announced after a trip to Ithaca this weekend that he has chosen the Big Red for his academic and wrestling future.

“I felt like I belonged there,” he said. “There’s definitely a feeling that I won’t be just another wrestler.  I’m a family member.  All the coaches  – they care about me and want me to thrive. Besides, what’s not to love about Cornell?  It’s a beautiful campus with great academics and people.  It felt like home to me.”

The Long Beach senior comes from a long line of successful wrestlers.  His father Leo was a county title winner.  His uncle Al (a teammate of Rob Koll at North Carolina) was a three-time state champion and a two-time NCAA All-American for the Tar Heels, while his uncle Luis also earned All-State honors and was a multi-time league champion.

“I wrestle with them all the time and sometimes we don’t talk for weeks it’s so competitive,” he said.  “When I was in the state finals, I looked at my family.  That’s who prepared me; that’s who made me a champion.  I had to win for them.”

Palacio did a lot of winning in 2011-12.  In fact, he was an undefeated state champion, topping fellow Big Red recruit Brian Realbuto to win the Eastern States title in January at 152 pounds.

He steadily climbed the national rankings with a dominant campaign, going 41-0 with 37 bonus victories.  If his 11-4 triumph over Tyler Grimaldi in the 160 pound title bout in Albany wasn’t enough, Palacio followed it up with a pin over unbeaten New Jersey champion Raamiah Bethea in the Charity Challenge and then a National Title at the NHSCA tournament in Virginia Beach.

Now, Intermat’s #64 recruit in the nation will turn his focus to a new challenge – the Junior Nationals in Freestyle and Greco in Fargo, North Dakota in July.

While he has made the podium there in the past, he is looking to do more than that this time around.

“I’m humble about Fargo, but very hungry,” he said.  “I’m not going out there to place.  I want to be under the spotlight with New York on my back, adding championships in Greco and Freestyle to the one I won in Virginia Beach.”

According to a recent article in WIN Magazine, Cornell has the #2 recruiting class in the country this year (before Palacio’s commitment).  The Big Red will bring in highly regarded talents such as Blair Academy’s Mark Grey, four-time California state finalist Alex Cisneros, three-time Empire State victor Realbuto, and state champions from Illinois (Steve Congenie and Angelo Silvestro) and Michigan (Gabe Dean and Taylor Simaz).

Palacio is excited to be joining such a distinguished group.

“I think we’ll be like murderers row,” he said. “I think we’re the best class in the country and I’m not afraid to say it.”

The All-State soccer player will enroll at Cornell in the fall of 2013, spending the next year training with the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club in Ithaca under the tutelage of coaches such as All-Americans Clint Wattenberg, Cam Simaz and Frank Perrelli and competing in open tournaments.

He came into his final high school campaign with goals of winning at both the state and national levels.  He accomplished those things and said he’s sure of what he hopes to achieve wearing a Big Red singlet.

“My next dream is to be a national champ in college,” he said.  “I know it’s a totally different world in college.  I know I’m at the bottom and I’ll need to climb back to the top.  I know I’ll have to earn every win I get.  But I’ve told myself, ‘don’t get bitter, just get better’ and I’ve lived by that. I believe I’ll outwork everyone.  I’m willing to put in the blood, sweat and tears to get to my goals like I did this year.”

It’s unclear at what weight class he will attempt to make his mark.

“I never lifted weights in my life.  I could wake up next year and be wrestling at heavyweight,” he said with a laugh. “Who knows where I’ll end up?”

Whatever weight it turns out to be, Dylan Palacio feels confident that he will be spending his next several years among family.

 

——————————————————————————————

Palacio was the second 2012 New York State champion to commit to a Division I program in the last week, with Phoenix’s Tyler Button making a pledge to Edinboro a few days ago.

Here are the college destinations of the graduating 2012 New York State titlewinners:

Buffalo: James Kloc (DI-145), Chris Nevinger (DII-160), Tony Lock (DII-182)

Cornell: Dylan Palacio (DI-160), Brian Realbuto (DI-152)

Drexel: Kyle Stanton (DII-220)

Hofstra: Jamel Hudson (DI-132), Dan Spurgeon (DI-170)

Indiana: Quinton Murphy (DII-138)

Edinboro: Tyler Button (DII-145), Sam Recco (DII-120)

Lehigh: Zack Diekel (DII-195), Ben Haas (DII-152)

Rutgers: Sean McCabe (DI-120), Maverick Passaro (DI-126)

Football: Tony Fusco (DI-195, Albany), Evan Kappatos (DI-285, Princeton)

Lacrosse: Nick Bellanza (DI-182, Jacksonville)

Video Coverage of the Suffolk vs. Nassau All-Star Freestyle Dual

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Check out match videos and interviews from the 32-31 Suffolk victory over Nassau on Tuesday night at Bay Shore High School.

 

The videos can also be found at:  http://newyorkwrestlingnews.com/vids/

 

Tyler Grimaldi (S) vs Dan McDevitt (N) 160

 

Gio Santiago (S) vs John Luxmore (N) 182

 

Jose Rodriguez (N) vs Alex Tanzman (S) 106

 

Dan Tracy (N) vs Zak Mullen (S) 170

 

Chris Araoz (N) vs Connor O’Hara (S) 132

 

Mark Raghunandan (N) vs Eric Orellana (S) 120

 

Dante Salkey (N) vs Mike Hughes (S)

 

Krishna Sewkumar (N) vs Joe Calderone (S) 113

 

Jakob Restrepo (S) vs Quinn Knauer (N)

 

Chris Loew (N) vs Zach Connor (S) 195

 

Mike D’Angelo (S) vs Jack Reina (N)

 

Andrew Cole (N) vs Ken Drew (S)

 

Jesse Dellavecchia (S) vs Chris Donnelly (N) 100

 

Craig Vitagliano After the Dual

 

Alex Tanzman With the Big Pin

 

Tyler Grimaldi Excited for Fargo and a State Title Run

 

Dan Tracy Steps in and Gets the Win

 

Army-Bound Justin Paradiso Gets the Fall

Suffolk Edges Nassau in All-Star Freestyle Dual

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By Betsy Veysman

When he was a student at Plainedge High, Craig Vitagliano remembers getting really excited for the All-Star dual between Nassau and Suffolk after the scholastic season.

“It was a premier event when I was in high school,” he said.  “We definitely all looked forward to getting out and wrestling the Suffolk guys.”

After an absence of a few years, the competition returned Tuesday night at Bay Shore High School as the Suffolk wrestlers edged their Long Island neighbors in freestyle action, 32-31.

Although the Section 8 team won eight of the 15 bouts, Suffolk was sparked to victory by a pair of pins courtesy of Westhampton Beach’s Alex Tanzman at 106 pounds and Sachem North’s Gio Santiago at 182.

The event began at 100 pounds where Jesse Dellavechia of East Islip got Suffolk out to a 3-1 lead with a three period victory over Chris Donnelly.

Then it was time for Tanzman and Jose Rodriguez to take the mat.

The two had met in the semifinals of the state tournament in Albany at 99 pounds, with the Wantagh freshman earning a 6-1 win on his way to a runner up finish.  After the loss, Tanzman rebounded to take third and he was excited about another chance against Rodriguez.

“I wrestled okay at states but I felt like I didn’t wrestle to my fullest potential and I could have done better against him,” Tanzman said.  “I really was looking forward to a rematch.”

Rodriguez asserted himself early with a quick takedown and exposure for a 3-0 advantage.  But Tanzman responded with a headlock and throw for a first period pin to give Suffolk an 8-1 lead in the team score.

Next up at 113 pounds was a pair of 2012 state placers, Krishna Sewkumar of Long Beach for Nassau and Joe Calderone for Suffolk.  After splitting the first two periods, Sewkumar took control in the final stanza, with a quick point off a duck under.  He added a takedown with less than 15 seconds to go to pull Section 8 within 9-4.

The score became 10-7 after former Fargo freestyle runner up Mark Raghunandan (Nassau) defeated Eric Orellana in two periods.  The Long Beach wrestler scored late in the first and fought off a late charge from Orellana to win 2-1.  In the second, Raghunandan got a go behind takedown and several turns to cruise 6-0.

The teams then alternated victories over the next four bouts.  For Suffolk, Mike D’Angelo won a tough three period battle over Jack Reina at 126 and Jacob Restrepo swept Quinn Knauer at 138.  For Nassau, Chris Araoz topped Connor O’Hara 3-0, 2-1 at 132 while Justin Paradiso pinned Thomas Dutton.

In that 145 pound bout, Dutton got on the board first with a 3-0 lead just 30 seconds into the match.  Paradiso, who was injured in Section 8 finals this year, answered with three to tie things up with a minute to go and then hit a big throw to get the fall and knot the team score at 17 apiece.

“I knew he was as a younger kid, so there’s a pride thing. I didn’t want to lose to him,” Paradiso said.  “He scored the first three points on me and I needed to step up. I felt him leaning and my last shot was just there.”

“Justin’s a competitor,” Vitagliano added. “He tore his ankle at counties and came back two weeks ago at the Wyoming Seminary duals and went 3-0.  Dutton’s a good wrestler. At the end of the day I thought Justin would win, but I wouldn’t have predicted a fall.”

So after eight matches, it was tied.  But thanks to James Dekrone, Suffolk took the lead for good at 152 pounds.  The John Glenn 138-pound state champion beat Lou Hernandez of Mepham in a tight three period match, which was followed by another Section 11 victory, this time by state runner up Tyler Grimaldi over one of his current training partners, Dan McDevitt, to make the score 23-19.

With the late scratch of Dylan Palacio, McDevitt moved into the 160 slot and Dan Tracy stepped in at 170.  Tracy, who agreed to participate the morning of the event, got Nassau back on track with a triumph over Zak Mullen, who took fourth at the state tournament.  Mullen dominated the first period, but Tracy responded in the last two stanzas.  He overcame a deficit in the third to win 7-2 and tighten the overall score to 24-22.

“Dan was literally a last minute fill in,” Vitagliano said. “He didn’t really practice this week because of other commitments and it was impressive that he went out and beat a state placer.”

Just two points separated the teams, but only briefly, as Gio Santiago made sure that gap widened quickly.  The Sachem North junior hit a big move for a fall to put Section 11 ahead 29-22.

It was the last win for Suffolk, however.  Chris Loew (195), Andrew Cole (220) and Dante Salkey (285) all earned victories for Nassau in the final three matches.

In fact, going into the heavyweight bout, Section 11 led 31-28 with Salkey taking on Mike Hughes in a rematch of the fifth place tilt in Albany.  Salkey earned the victory, as he did at the Times Union Center, but since Hughes scored during the match, he earned a team point as well, leading to the 32-31 final.

While he was disappointed with the outcome, Vitagliano felt that the level of competitiveness was high.

“I think for Nassau it’s a moral victory,” he said.  “It was so close and we actually won one more match.  Suffolk is the perennial champs; the best in the state.  But I think we’re closing the gap on them, breathing down their necks and [the event] is evidence of that.”

On top of the rivalry, Vitagliano felt that the event promoted the development of freestyle on Long Island.

“The goal is to create exposure for freestyle,” he said. “It’s all about getting the kids more matches and hopefully getting them out to Fargo.  Kids get better when they’re wrestling better competition.  It gives the kids a break from the grind of folkstyle and teaches new throws, new techniques. These days, if they want exposure to college coaches, wrestling freestyle is really important.”

Vitagliano wished to thank the many people who put the event together in a short two weeks, including Marcia Haise, Mike Leonard, Paul Gillespie, Ted DePasquale and several high school coaches in both Nassau and Suffolk counties.

Match-by-Match Results

100    Jesse Dellavecchia (S) over Chris Donnelly (N) in 3 periods

106    Alex Tanzman (S) over Jose Rodriguez (N) by fall

113    Krishna Sewkumar (N) over Joe Calderone (S) in 3 periods

120    Mark Raghunandan (N) over Eric Orellana (S)

126    Mike D’Angelo (S) over Jack Reina (N) in 3 periods

132    Chris Araoz (N) over Connor O’Hara (S)

138    Jacob Restrepo (S) over Quinn Knauer (N)

145    Justin Paradiso (N) over Thomas Dutton (S) by fall

152    James Dekrone (S) over Lou Hernandez (N) in 3 periods

160    Tyler Grimaldi (S) over Dan McDevitt (N)

170    Dan Tracy (N) over Zak Mullen (S) in 3 periods

182    Gio Santiago (S) over John Luxmore (N) by fall

195    Chris Loew (N) over Zach Connor (S)

220    Andrew Cole (N) over Ken Drew (S)

285    Dante Salkey (N) over Mike Hughes (S)

 

Alberti, Devlin Among Empire State Title Winners at Ohio Tournament of Champions

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By Betsy Veysman

At eight years old, Carson Alberti knows how to take charge.

“Even though he’s young, he still likes to think that he’s running practice,” said Cobra Wrestling Academy Executive Director Keith Maute. “Even when we’re doing warmups with the high school kids, he calls out the routine and tells everyone what to do next.  It’s pretty funny.  He’s not at all intimidated by the older kids.”

He isn’t intimidated by his peers on the mat, either.

This weekend, Alberti added to his ever-growing trophy collection when he won the prestigious Ohio Tournament of Champions in the 52-pound Bantam division.

Alberti has become very familiar with the top of the podium after winning titles at the NYWAY State Championships, the Gene Mills Eastern Nationals and the Empire Nationals over the past month.  But despite all that success, he was targeting the crown in Columbus.

“One of his biggest goals was winning the Ohio Tournament of Champions,” Maute said. “He took third there last year.  The winner, Jake Craig from Smitty’s Barn in New Hampshire, was quite a bit better than him a year ago. With all the work he put in, he has moved up to another level.”

Alberti demonstrated that progress throughout the spring, but according to Maute, his improvement was most clear in his one loss.  Craig defeated him in the dual portion of the Empire Nationals, but unlike their three meetings last season (two pins by Craig), it was a nailbiter.

“Craig beat him pretty badly last year three times,” Maute said. “This time, he fell behind 5-0 and wound up losing 5-4.  He controlled most of the match, but there wasn’t enough time left.  Actually, Carson put [Craig] on his back and got a one-count as time expired.  One more second and he would have won the match.  It showed he’s come a long way.  It was a loss but it was actually a confidence booster for Carson.”

Alberti looked confident throughout the day in Columbus, taking his quarterfinal match by a 4-2 score but otherwise dominating the field.  Maute said Alberti notched major decisions in both the semifinals and finals.

According to Maute, this is only Alberti’s second full year of wrestling.  However, the coach marvels at how well the youngster soaks up the sport and picks up new skills with ease.

“You show him something and he understands it right away,” Maute said. “He just gets it.  Obviously there’s also a lot of natural ability there. He always seems like he’s having fun.  He trains hard and listens really well.”

One of the people he listens to is fellow member of the Cobra Wrestling Academy, eighth grader Kellen Devlin.

Like Alberti, Devlin took third the last time he competed at the Ohio Tournament of Champions, back in 2010.   In that tournament, Devlin lost a first round overtime battle with the eventual champion, Billy Bowlen of Pennsylvania, before winning at least eight matches in a row to grab the bronze.

This time, Devlin cruised through the bracket before winning a 2-1 bout in the finals over Kaleb Romero of Ohio.

“His matches weren’t very close until the last one,” Maute said.  “But he was in control of it. He got the takedown and the other kid wasn’t ever close to scoring.”

The victory continued a successful run for Devlin, who was the NYWAY State Champion at 120 pounds and the third place medalist at the NHSCA Middle School Nationals in Virginia Beach at 119.

“I knew he would do really well at nationals,” Maute said.  “To be honest, I was a little surprised he got beat because there aren’t many kids his age that can beat him.  That loss was the only one for him this season. He’s really gifted and really fun to watch.  When he’s in the room, I have him demonstrating the moves because he understands everything we’re trying to do.”

His spring success comes on the heels of a 34-5 campaign as an eighth grader for Amherst High School, where he won the Section 6 title and a bid to the State Championships in Albany.

“At states, he basically had his first match won but then made a mistake with about 20 seconds left on top where he got reversed to his back.  He controlled 5:40 of the match and wasn’t in any danger.  I almost felt that in his first time at states, he was a little nervous and it affected him.”

After that result, Devlin moved to the consolation bracket where he dropped a decision to top-seeded Mark Raghunandan, who had been upset in the first round.

“Kellen learned from it, I’m sure, and the next four years will be different,” he said. “He’s looked great.  He’s more than a great wrestler.  He is one of the idols for the little kids at our club.  They know he’s been there and they see how hard he works.  He’s really likeable and he plays around with the kids.  He and Carson have a good relationship.  I think Carson reminds Kellen of himself when he was little.  They’re pretty similar.”

Last Saturday, they were certainly similar in one way – both captured first place at the Ohio Tournament of Champions.

JR Colom of Dunkirk, new to Cobra, also took gold in the event in the Junior division at 90 pounds.

In addition, G2 Wrestling Academy was well represented in the Buckeye State, with Frankie Gissendanner (Junior 125 pounds) and Yianni Diakomihalis (Schoolboy 96 pounds) continuing their winning streaks with championships.  Stay tuned for more on them in the near future.

The Empire State put many wrestlers on the podium on Saturday.  See the full list below.

 

Champions:

Carson Alberti (East Aurora) Bantam 52

Kellen Devlin (Amherst) Schoolboy 120

Yianni Diakomihalis (Rochester) Schoolboy 96

JR Colom (Dunkirk) Junior 90

DJ Giancola (Niagara Falls) Open 175

Frankie Gissendanner (Rochester) Junior 125

Jason Goldman (Binghamton) Open 135

Trevor Hoffmier (Newark Valley) Cadet 140

Stevo Poulin (Schuylerville) Midget 52

 

Second Place:

Tito Colom (Dunkirk) Schoolboy 104

Greg Diakomihalis (Rochester) Junior 56

Troy Keller (North Tonawanda) Schoolboy 92

Kelan McKenna (New Hartford) Cadet 92

Carter Schubert (Marion) Bantam 52

Jake Silverstein (Smithtown) Junior 82

 

Third Place:

Cooper Kropman (Rochester) Midget 80

Anthony Orefice (Niagara Falls) Cadet 115

Randy Sisenstein (Johnson City) Open 145

Darren Snead (Niagara Falls) Open 285

 

Fourth Place:

Tim Barnard (Tonawanda) Cadet 136

Brock DelSignore (South Glens Falls) Midget 64

Richie Jones (Tonawanda) Cadet 152

Donny McCoy (Niagara Falls) Cadet 100

Dillan Palaszewski (Galway) Junior 79

Travis Race (Fulton) Schoolboy 160

Logan Ramadan (Grand Island) Bantam 95

Trent Reid (Sanborn) Bantam 56

 

Fifth Place:

Jahad Ali (Niagara Falls) Open 135

Justin McDougald (Niagara Falls) Midget 70

Leonard Merkin (Brooklyn) Schoolboy 126

 

Sixth Place:

Jake Ashcraft (Glenville) Cadet 152

Tyler Benjamin (Candor) Midget 100

Zach Bierfeldt (Limestone) Schoolboy 116

Ethan Ferro (Whitney Point) Midget 64

Jordan Kayes (Olean) Schoolboy 126

Parker Kropman (Rochester) Schoolboy 92

Willie McDougald (Niagara Falls) Junior 82

Frank Shomers (Niagara Falls) Elite 285

Bryson Solomon (Niagara Falls) Midget 85

Anthony Stewart (Addison) Junior 64

 

Seventh Place:

David Berkovich (Brooklyn) Junior 79

Ethan Gallo (Slate Hill) Bantam 80

Bryce Rowe (Ripley) Junior 95

Derek St.  James (Rochester) Schoolboy 88

Ethan Stotler (Waverly) Midget 70

Charlie Tibbits (Chadwicks) Midget 92

 

Eighth Place:

Shane Broad (Alden) Junior 64

Trey Duvall (Corning) Cadet 160

Jonathan Earl (Fulton) Schoolboy 116

David Fales (Corning) Junior 56

Bryan Ruggeri (Fairport) Elite 112