We’re less than two days away from the first whistle at the NYPHSAA Championships. Here’s a weight-by-weight look at what could happen this weekend in Division I.

99

Kyle Kelly, undefeated this season at 33-0, is the favorite to repeat at New York’s lightest weight class.  Among his victories this year was a technical fall over second-seeded Jonathan Haas of Spencerport (35-1).  To meet Kelly again, Haas will potentially have to get past 42-1 junior Alex Tanzman as well as an impressive freshman from Section 8, Jose Rodriguez.  The Wantagh wrestler sports an unblemished 41-0 record and has been dominant throughout the season, including winning an Eastern States title.

Prediction: Kelly gets back-to-back titles with a hard fought win over the outstanding ninth grader Rodriguez.

 

106

Unlike at 99 pounds, neither of last year’s finalists return to 106, but the bronze medalist, Nick Piccininni is back.   The Ward Melville wrestler is unbeaten this year and has been held to a decision on only three occasions, but there is no shortage of experienced medalists ready to challenge this weekend.  In fact, last year’s fourth, fifth and sixth place finishers at 96, Lockport’s Anthony Orefice, St. Anthony’s Freddy Dunau and Fairport’s Bryan Ruggeri all sit in the top half of the bracket with Piccinnini. Mike Parise of Brewster, who dropped from 113 at the beginning of 2012 and has put up some impressive results, including third at Eastern States, joins them.  (Ruggeri and Piccinnini meet in the first round).

On the other side, MacArthur’s Justin Cooksey has compiled a 40-3 mark and a runner up finish at Eastern States.  He defeated Krishna Sewkumar three times, including in the Section final.  Seeded second and third, they could meet again in the semifinals.

Prediction: Piccininni moves two spots higher on the podium with a victory over Cooksey.

 

113

Both Mark Raghunandan of Long Beach and Dylan Realbuto of Somers took second place in Albany a year ago, at 103 and 96, respectively.  They met in the finals at the Eastern States Classic in January in a match won 7-6 by the Long Beach wrestler. Another meeting on the evening of February 25 for the state title wouldn’t be a surprise, although Realbuto’s loss during the Section 1 tournament put him a difficult position where he could potentially meet Corey Jamison of Huntington in the second round.

Jamison (38-1) has had a strong season, with solid victories over contenders such as William Koll of Lansing (top seed in Division II) and Brandon Lapi of Amsterdam, the number three seed and a possible semifinal opponent.

Among those potentially in Raghunandan’s path is fourth seeded Vincent DePrez of Hilton (fourth at 103 in 2011), who is 46-0.   He’ll match up with Pat Skinner of Kellenberg (sixth at 103 in 2011) in the opening round.

Prediction: Realbuto fights back to reach the finals, but Raghunandan gets his title as a senior.

 

120

Matt Leshinger earned the top spot in the bracket after an impressive run through the Suffolk County tournament, during which he beat Sean McCabe of Connetquot (third at 119 last year), Mark West of Hauppauge (2010 State champion) and TJ Fabian of Shoreham-Wading River in succession.  McCabe battled back to take third in Section XI and with a 37-2 record, is in the number two spot.  If he is victorious in his first match, the “reward” could be facing a familiar foe in Fabian (43-4).  Also a threat out of the bottom half is Frontier’s Rocco Russo (42-1).

No stranger to tough bouts, Leshinger will be tested right off the bat with Roslyn’s John Lanzillotti, the Section 8 winner, who is 37-1.  Also waiting is Pittsford’s Brady Baron (37-1) whose only setback was to two-time state finalist in Division II, Tristan Rifanburg.

Prediction: Section XI featured incredible competition at 120 this year with former state champion West not even qualifying for the tournament.  McCabe had valuable experience in Albany last season and avenges his county loss with a state finals victory over Leshinger.

 

126

Fox Lane’s Sam Speno was a runner up in 2011 at 112 pounds but will be the favorite to finish one spot higher this time around.  He has followed up his finals appearance with a 42-1 season in which he has racked up a number of quality victories this season, including over Division II standouts Nick Tighe and Drew Longo as well as the third and fourth seeds in the class, Dylan Caruana of Kenmore West and Al Dierna of Webster Schroeder, respectively.  Speno’s only loss came at the hands of nationally ranked Dom Malone of Wyoming Seminary at Eastern States.

Grabbing second at that event was Maverick Passaro of Eastport-South Manor, who is the two seed after a 46-3 campaign.  Passaro topped Caruana (sixth at 125 in 2011) at the Eastern States and a rematch could occur this weekend in the semis.

Prediction: Speno continues his success against Empire State wrestlers, beating Passaro on the biggest stage.

 

132

Some would argue that the top three performers at 132 in New York in 2011-12 are in the bottom bracket together.  Nick Kelley of Shenendehowa was fourth a year ago at 130 and has looked very good all year while earning 41 wins in as many matches.  He cruised to the title at Eastern States, defeating Nick Mauriello of Hauppauge, 10-4.  The two could see a rematch in the second round. Mauriello came back from life threatening illness last year to have an inspirational 39-2 campaign and capture a Suffolk County championship.

St. Anthony’s Jamel Hudson, who raised some eyebrows with several wins over nationally ranked opponents at the Super 32 tournament in North Carolina last fall, has continued rolling with a 31-1 mark this year. The only loss came against out of state opponent Shyheim Brown of Central Dauphin in Pennsylvania. He has pinned 11 of his last 12 foes and would meet the Kelley/Mauriello victor in the semifinals should all advance.

Dan Ventura of Fox Lane notched the top spot after a 42-4 campaign in which took fourth at Eastern States. (He lost to Mauriello during that event).  Ventura has big match experience after his runner up finish at 119 in 2011.  Set to challenge him in the top half of the bracket is Jimmy Porteus of Brockport, who is 21-1 with his only setback against Kelley.

Prediction: Whoever survives the gauntlet on the bottom of the bracket takes the title.   It’s a tough one to pick, but we’ll say Hudson sends Ventura to his second consecutive silver medal.

 

138

James Dekrone of John Glenn finished second last year in Albany, losing the championship match at 130 pounds by one point.  He followed that up with a 41-4 season, but his path to back to the feature match on Saturday night won’t be easy.  If he wins in round one, he’ll face the winner of Shenendehowa’s David Almaviva, a returning placer who has won 11 in a row, and Fox Lane’s Tom Grippi, who has captured 43 victories.  Also in the same section of the bracket is top seed Danny McDevitt of Wantagh (40-5) who defeated Dekrone early in the campaign.

Dekrone is the fourth seed because he took third at the Section XI tournament behind Longwood’s Malik Rasheed and Brentwood’s Alexis Blanco.  They competed three times during the season, with Rasheed taking the last two bouts, including the one for the Suffolk crown.  Warwick Valley’s Shane Connolly is among those trying to stop a fourth meeting between Rasheed and Blanco from happening this weekend.

Predictions: Dekrone bounces back and earns the hardware with a victory over Rasheed.

 

145

James Kloc will try to make it two in a row at 145 after his 4-3 triumph over Rocky Point’s Matt Ross last February earned him his first state title.   Undefeated Evan Wallace of Columbia (47-0) resides in the top of the bracket as does fourth seed John Northrup of Rush-Henrietta, who has the tough Louis Hernandez of Mepham (25-2) in the first round.

Longwood’s Corey Rasheed was fifth at 112 last season.  He jumped up to 145 and has adjusted to the increase in weight well with a 32-2 mark, including 17 consecutive victories to end the regular season.  Rasheed could meet up with Mike Caputo of North Rockland for the third time after splitting matches during the campaign, but Caputo would first have to face the winner of a bout between Eastern State medalists Dale White of John Jay East Fishkill and Bret Sauschuck of Port Jervis.

Prediction:  Two in a row for Kloc, but Rasheed makes it difficult.

 

152

Brian Realbuto of Somers will look to notch his third state title at a third weight.  He has rolled over the competition throughout this season with the exception of his Eastern States finals bout against Dylan Palacio of Long Beach.   A rematch would have been a can’t miss bout to watch, but with Palacio at 160 for the postseason, Realbuto’s main competition in the top half of the bracket could come from Steve Maier of Spencerport, who has beaten multiple qualifiers in his 39-2 campaign.  Maier’s two losses were to two-time state champion Chris Nevinger up at 160 and in sudden victory to Tristan Hamner.

Returning fourth place medalist Nick Hall of Longwood (32-2) sits in the number two slot, with Suffolk rival John Keck of Shoreham-Wading River (44-2) at number three.  The two have split bouts this season and could meet for the tiebreaker in the semifinals.

Prediction: Realbuto gets ready for his collegiate career at Cornell by beating future EIWA opponent Keck (Navy).

 

160

Dylan Palacio has shown all season long that he is one of the state’s best wrestlers.  He is on a mission to win his first title after previous finishes of third and fourth. The Long Beach senior has had no trouble with the opposition this campaign, going 37-0.  Among those trying to prevent him from making the showcase match on Saturday night could be last year’s 140-pound titlist Connor Sutton of LaSalle or Wayne’s Eastern States champion Frank Affronti.

On the other side, Tyler Grimaldi of Half Hollow Hills West is 45-1 as a junior and has beaten a pair of tough Long Island wresters who are in the same part of the bracket — Joe Cataldo and Zak Mullen (twice).   Mullen starts with Jorge Jiminez, who put together a successful 35-1 campaign.

Prediction: Palacio gets the title missing from his resume, handing Grimaldi his second setback.

 

170

Dan Spurgeon of Plainedge is a perfect 46-0 this year, including an early win over the wrestler all the way on the other side of the bracket – Rrok Ndokaj of Monsignor Farrell.  The Catholic league grappler is 39-5 and if he wins his first round bout, he may face Dylen Seybolt.  Seybolt is 31-3 on the year, with losses to one of the nation’s best, Eric Morris of Wyoming Seminary, as well as Gio Santiago and Joe Piccolo. (He came back to beat Piccolo in mid February).  Shayne Brady of Carthage also resides in the bottom half of the bracket as the three-seed after a 35-1 campaign.

Senior Stephen Lumley of South Glens Falls, the number four seed, will be among those to challenge Spurgeon on the top side.

Prediction: Spurgeon runs the table, beating upset-minded Seybolt.

 

182

McZiggy Richards of Wingate is 34-1 and the favorite in the class.  Jacob Berkowitz of Scarsdale has had a very strong season as well, going 48-2 with only one of his losses coming to an in-state wrestler, a 2-1 decision to Tim Schaefer of Warsaw.  Richards and Berkowitz will be the favorites to meet in the semifinals.

On the other side, Matt Lashway comes back after a runner up finish at 171 in 2011 with hopes of getting to the top of the podium.  The Queensbury wrestler’s only loss on the mat this year came in a 3-2 decision to Richards.  Joining Lashway is Plainedge’s Andrew Jones, who lost three of his first five matches and then reeled off 38 in a row to conclude the season.  A pair of familiar foes, Gio Santiago and Nick Bellanza could also make a run.

Prediction: Richards brings a title to the PSAL with his second tight victory over Lashway this year.

 

195

Tony Fusco has been the top ranked grappler at 195 throughout the season.  The Shenendehowa senior was fourth a year ago at 189 and hasn’t skipped a beat this year, with an unblemished 33-0 record.  Kingston’s Deon Edmond sits on Fusco’s side of the bracket, after a 40-1 year, where his only loss was a default against one of the top Division II wrestlers at the weight, Austyn Hayes.

Johnson City sophomore Reggie Williams, a sixth place medalist as a freshman, cruised through the season at 37-2 with both of his setbacks coming against Fusco, once in December and again at the Eastern States.  Another returning medalist in the field is Brockport’s Jesse Kozub, who moved between 195 and 220 throughout the season, posting a 41-2 mark.  He avenged his only loss at 195 in the Sectional final against Fairport’s Colton Kells.  The two Section V grapplers could met in the second round, although Kells matches up in his first bout against Eastern States placer Mike Spinelli of Mahopac, who went 42-3 with two losses to Williams.

Prediction: This has been Fusco’s year and it will continue to be.  The Shenendehowa senior beats Williams for the third time.

 

220

There aren’t any returning placers from 2011 at this class but there are a number of wrestlers who medaled at the Eastern States in January.  On the top side, LaSalle’s Jon Babson (fourth at Eastern States) could meet Patrick Kopcynski (fifth at Eastern States) of Brooklyn Tech in the second round.   Also in that portion of the bracket is top seeded Josh Lackey of Fairport who has compiled a 36-1 record this year, losing only to Shenendehowa’s Fusco.  Lackey has had a number of solid wins, including a pin of the second seed in Division II, Nick Talcott, and two victories over Max Antone of Niagara Wheatfield, who is positioned on the opposite side of the bracket as the two seed.

Antone (35-3) has a number of challengers in the bottom half.  In his second bout, he could face the winner of a battle between Eastern States placers Tyler Lilly of New Rochelle and Alex Pontiff of Queensbury.  The number three seed Dom DeVita of Somers begins with Nick Lupi of Huntington (28-4), who could be a sleeper at the weight.  Derrek Dalton (40-1), a dangerous returning qualifier, lost his only bout of the season up at 285 pounds.

Prediction: Josh Lackey takes a championship back to Fairport after topping DeVita.

 

285

Cole Lampman is the sole returning heavyweight placer from 2011, when he was fifth.  He comes in as the third seed after losing in the Section II final against Cory Quintana of Mohonasen in overtime on a last second reversal.  The two could compete again in the semifinals, as Quintana earned the two seed.

On the other side, Ethan Stanley of Saugerties is in the top position after a 36-2 season in which he took third at Eastern States and had multiple wins over another competitor he could see, Seth Stauble of Kingston.  Stauble faces a tough first round bout with Evan Kappatos of Syosset who was 41-1, suffering his only setback of the season in the Sectional final against Dante Salkey (36-2). Union-Endicott’s Tyler Bayer got the four seed after going 43-5 with a pair of losses to Stanley.

Prediction: Lampman avenges his last defeat in the semis and takes the title in his final high school bout against Kappatos.

 

–Betsy Veysman

By Betsy Veysman

Every year, Shenendehowa head coach Rob Weeks challenges his team at the start of the season to be the best team he’s ever had.

That’s a pretty tall order for a program that has been among New York’s best for years.  The Plainsmen have finished atop the team points race at the State Championships multiple times, captured the Dual Meet title in 2011 and have won their Section every year since 2005.

But according to the coach, this year’s squad is doing its part.

At the Glens Falls Civic Center last weekend, six Shenendehowa wrestlers won Section titles and punched their tickets to the State Championships February 24-25 in Albany.  They will be joined by two additional teammates who were granted wildcard spots. That topped the five automatic qualifiers (and seven overall entrants) from a year ago.

“We have a great group of kids who have had success throughout the season,” Weeks said.  “Our expectations are high and they keep performing up to them.  What we need to do now is get some of our individuals to become state champions.”

Leading the way has been a pair of undefeated grapplers ranked number one at their weights in the state, junior 132-pounder Nick Kelley and senior Tony Fusco (195).  Both placed fourth in Albany in 2011 (Kelley at 130 and Fusco at 189).

Kelley has cruised through the season without a loss, recently picking up his 200^th career victory during the Sectional event.

“Nick is a pretty grounded kid who doesn’t talk about himself at all,” Weeks said.  “You have to tell him about milestones like that before he acknowledges them.  200 wins is a big milestone and he has already achieved a lot in the sport.  But in reality he’s focused on one objective, and that’s being a state champ.”

The junior may be the favorite to do so, having defeated some of the top contenders in the Empire State while capturing the Eastern States crown in January.

“Nick has wrestled exceptionally well when he’s needed to,” Weeks said.  “He’s had a few good wins against high caliber wrestlers, and he has placed at states a few times, so he won’t be overwhelmed at the big event.  He’s always been a really hard worker and we’re hoping he’ll come home with the hardware he’s been working for.”

While Kelley has a lot of wrestling in front of him, senior teammate Fusco is looking to end his wrestling career on top of the podium for the first time.  The undefeated 195-pounder signed with Albany to play football next year.

“Tony is a talented kid,” Weeks said. “He’s an elite athlete but also is very likable and engaging. He has a different kind of pressure because if he wants to finish on top in wrestling, it has to be in Albany [this] week.  That’s a big motivator for him.  He wants to do whatever it takes to win a state title.”

Also looking for titles will be the squad’s other four Section champions, eighth grader Kevin Parker (99), Corey Ali (106), Zach Joseph (120) and David Almaviva (138).  It was the first Section crown for each of the four, but it won’t be the first trip to Albany for one them.  Almaviva had a taste of the Albany experience last season when he took sixth at 135 pounds.

“He is peaking at the right time,” Weeks said. “He had some hiccups at Eastern States [where he sustained two of his three season losses] but wrestled great caliber kids there in close matches.  I think he’s a much improved wrestler since then, if not physically, then mentally.  I think he has a legitimate shot of not only placing high but winning the state title.”

The same holds true for senior Cole Lampman, who took fifth at heavyweight last season at the state tournament but was upset this year in the Section final against Cory Quintana in overtime.  It was just his second setback of the season and the first against an Empire State wrestler. He has been ranked at or near the top of the 285 class all year and received a wildcard invitation to the state tournament. (113-pounder Jesse Porter was granted an at-large bid as well).

“We knew Quintana is very athletic and hard working,” Weeks said.  “We knew going in it was going to be a match decided by a couple of points.  Quintana was exceptional.  I could see them meeting again at states.”

Regardless of the outcome in Albany, the heavyweight has a bright future both athletically and academically.  He will attend Princeton next fall.

“Cole is a very, very intelligent kid,” he said. “He really fits the mold of a ‘Princeton guy’, Ivy League all the way through.  He’s a great athlete and also a great kid.”

Weeks, who won his 200^th career match in December and was named the New York State Coach of the Year last season, attributes the success of the Shenendehowa program to a number of factors.  He praises the work of assistant coaches Frank Popolizio and John Meys, junior varsity coach Chris Capezzuti and modified coaches Ryan Fenton and James Ward.  He thanks the booster club, the parents and school district for giving necessary support.  And he believes the combination of sports and scholastics exemplified by participants like Lampman play a tremendous role.

“This is a good academic school,” he said. “Kids here are academically driven and success breeds success in the sport of wrestling.  I’ve been around situations where there were good athletes who weren’t such good kids.  A lot of babysitting was needed.  And I’ve seen places with good kids who weren’t such good athletes.  Here we’re blessed to have good athletes who are also good kids.”

Colleges have taken notice.  There is an extensive list of recent Shenenedehowa alumni competing at the next level including, but not limited to: Hunter Meys (Boston University), Austin Meys and Jim Carucci (Lehigh), Seth Hazleton (Princeton), TJ Popolizio (Brown), John Belanger (Army), Max Miller (Cortland), and Mike Almaviva (Oneonta State).

“Colleges respect history and we’ve proven that kids that come out of here are qualified to wrestle at the next level whether it’s Division I or Division III,” he said. “We’ve been fortunate to send kids to prestigious schools.  The unwritten goal of a head coach is to see kids be successful in high school and move on to the college level, whether they wrestle or not.  Wrestling teaches them and reinforces so many things that help them be successful in their lives.”

At this point, the team is narrowing its lens on short-term success.  While Shenendehowa may be the favorite to win the Division I team points race in Albany, the coach believes that success for the remainder of the campaign will come from focus on the individuals.

“We’ve won the team state title a couple of times and it’s a nice reward for the kids and the program,” he said.  “But that’s almost a secondary goal now.  The objective now is to focus on the individual.  If each of our guys achieves what they are capable of, the team title will come.”

In a few days, the 2011-12 Plainsmen may stake a claim to being the best team Weeks has ever coached, but even if they don’t, Weeks has only good things to say about them.

“I know I’m blessed to have a group like this,” Weeks said. “I don’t know if I can replace this group and this team.  It is a constant pleasure to show up and coach them. They make it easy. Hopefully we’ll have success [at States].  Then, I’ll challenge next year’s team to be the best one we’ve ever had again.”

 

99 Pounds (By Section)

1: Nick Barbaria (New Rochelle)

2: Kevin Parker (Shenendehowa)

3: Dempsey King (New Hartford)

4: Kyle Kelley (Chenango Forks)

5: Jon Haas (Spencerport)

6: Tyler Hartinger (Lancaster)

8: Jose Rodriguez (Wantagh)

9: Gerald Daly (Minisink Valley)

10: Ryan Brown (Canton)

11: Alex Tanzman (West Beach)

C: John Twomey (St. Anthony’s)

P: Josh Antoine (Grand Street)

A1: Vinny Vespa (Monroe Woodbury)

A2: Bryan Lantry (Wayne)

A3: Joe Calderone (Walt Whitman)

A4: Steven Lee (West Babylon)

 

106 Pounds (By Section)

1: Mike Parise (Brewster)

2: Corey Ali (Shenendehowa)

3. Kevin Paul (Baldwinsville)

4: Jimmy Overhiser (Corning)

5: Barton Peters (Brockport)

6. Anthony Orefice (Lockport)

8: Justin Cooksey (MacArthur)

9: John Stramiello (Pine Bush)

10: Nate Marshall (Messina)

11: Nick Piccininni (Ward Melville)

C: Freddy Dunau (St. Anthony’s)

P: Zin Htoo (Brooklyn Tech)

A1: Krishna Sewkumar (Long Beach)

A2: Bryan Ruggeri (Fairport)

A3: Dominic Inzana (Saratoga)

A4: Michael Raccioppi (Minisink Valley)

 

113 Pounds (By Section)

1: Alex Delacruz (Ossining)

2: Brandon Lapi (Amsterdam)

3: Thomas Hill (Fulton)

4: Jacob Green (Chenango Forks)

5: Vincent DePrez (Hilton)

6: Kellen Devlin (Amherst)

8: Mark Raghunandan (Long Beach)

9: T.J. Kreider (Cornwall)

10: Skyler Cameron (Massena)

11: Corey Jamison (Huntington)

C: Patrick Skinner (Kellenburg)

P: Santo Curatolo (Tottenville)

A1: Dylan Realbuto (Somers)

A2: Robert Person (Bellmore JFK)

A3: Jesse Porter (Shenendehowa)

A4: Ron Duguay (Kenmore West)

 

120 Pounds (By Section)

1: Jake DiMarsico (North Rockland)

2: Zach Joseph (Shenendehowa)

3. Derrick Gray (Indian River)

4: Richard Burke (Ithaca)

5: Brady Baron (Pittsford)

6: Rocco Russo (Frontier)

8: John Lanzillotti (Roslyn)

9: Justin Corradino (Warwick)

10: Cody Bond (Canton)

11: Matt Leshinger (Sayville)

C: Blaise Rufo (Monsignor Farrell)

P: Keanu Thompson (Grand Street)

A1: Sean McCabe (Connetquot)

A2: Steve Michel (Lancaster)

A3: TJ Fabian (Shoreham-Wading River)

A4: Casey Jones (Queensbury)

 

126 Pounds (By Section)

1: Sam Speno (Fox Lane)

2: Matt Greene (Columbia)

3: Antonio DeLuco (Roman Free Academy)

4: Brock Post (Maine-Endwell)

5: Alec Dierna (Webster Schroeder)

6: Dylan Caruana (Kenmore)

8: Mike Lofrese (Garden City)

9: Tom Murphy (Monroe-Woodbury)

10: Isaiah Perry (Massena)

11: Maverick Passaro (Eastport South Manor)

C: Sam Melikian (Fordham Prep)

P: Michael Gannone (Tottenville)

A1: Matt Caputo (North Rockland)

A2: Josh St. John (Queensbury)

A3: Giovanni Sanchez (Central Islip)

A4: Drew Oligney (Lansingburgh)

 

132 Pounds (By Section)

1: Danny Ventura (Fox Lane)

2: Nick Kelley (Shenendehowa)

3: Connor Grome (West Genessee)

4: Curtis Grant (Elmira)

5: Jimmy Porteus (Brockport)

6. Eric Lewandowski (Lancaster)

8: Maurice Irby (Freeport)

9: Luke Roth (Cornwall)

10: Curtis Barney (Canton)

11: Nick Mauriello (Hauppauge)

C: Jamel Hudson (St. Anthony’s)

P: Ahmed Elsayed (Wingate)

A1: Joey Butler (Burnt Hills)

A2: Brendan Morgan (Columbia)

A3: Nick Cegelski (Penfield)

A4: Dylan Cohen (Williamsville East)

 

138 Pounds (By Section)

1: Tom Grippi (Fox Lane)

2: David Almaviva (Shenendehowa)

3: Aaron Benedict (CBA/Jamesville-Dewitt)

4: Trevor Hoffmeir (Newark Valley)

5. Angelo DeAngelis (Spencerport)

6: Mike Feeney (Lockport)

8: Dan McDevitt (Wantagh)

9: Shane Connolly (Warwick)

10: Jamel Steapleton (Malone)

11: Malik Rasheed (Longwood)

C: Timmy McCann (Monsignor Farrell)

P: Camilo Rodriquez (Curtis)

A1: Gus Clark (Schenectady)

A2: Adam Wallace (Fulton)

A3: Alexis Blanco (Brentwood)

A4: James Dekrone (John Glenn)

 

145 Pounds (By Section)

1: Mike Caputo (North Rockland)

2: Evan Wallace (Columbia)

3: JT Romagnoli (CBA/Jamesville-Dewitt)

4: Richie Lupo (Union-Endicott)

5: John Northrup (Rush-Henrietta)

6: James Kloc (Iroquois)

8: Louis Hernandez (Mepham)

9: Kyle Wierzbicki (Warwick)

10: Ryan Spinner (Malone)

11. Corey Rasheed (Longwood)

C: Matt Matouzzi (Kellenburg)

P: Emin Aliyev (Abraham Lincoln)

A1: Dale White (John Jay East Fishkill)

A2: Bret Sauschuck (Port Jervis)

A3: Anthony Pistone (Sachem East)

A4: Mike Roman (Spencerport)

 

152 Pounds (By Section)

1: Brian Realbuto (Somers)

2: Angelo Kress (Columbia)

3: Tony Torrese (Fulton)

4: Greg Kleinsmith (Johnson City)

5: Steve Maier (Spencerport)

6: Luke Falzone (Williamsville South)

8: Danny Tracy (Mepham)

9: Ryan Bedross (Warwick)

10. Ed Foote (Canton)

11. Nick Hall (Longwood)

C: Matt Szilagyi (St. Anthony’s)

P: Cristian Masaya (Brooklyn Tech)

A1: John Keck (Shoreham-Wading River)

A2: Thomas Carta (South Glens Falls)

A3: Zach Skiba (Kenmore West)

A4: Josh Maier (Brockport)

 

160 Pounds (By Section)

1: Matt Pasqualini (Fox Lane)

2: Connor Sutton (LaSalle)

3: Nick Woodworth (Fulton)

4: Zach Colgan (Johnson City)

5: Frank Affronti (Wayne)

6: Joseph Catalano (Lake Shore)

8: Dylan Palacio (Long Beach)

9: Dan DeCarlo (Port Jervis)

10: Cody Dominque (Canton)

11: Tyler Grimaldi (HHHW)

C: John Vrasidas (St. Anthony’s)

P: Jorje Jimenez (Grand Street)

A1: Joe Cataldo (MacArthur)

A2: Mike Garrison (Amsterdam)

A3: Zak Mullen (Shoreham-Wading River)

A4: Jake Weber (Clarence)

 

170 Pounds (By Section)

1: Steven Sabella (Yorktown)

2: Stephen Lumley (South Glens Falls)

3: Shayne Brady (Carthage)

4: Dillon Franco (Corning)

5: Jared Mesiti (Brockport)

6: Anthony Liberatore (Williamsville South)

8: Dan Spurgeon (Plainedge)

9: Colin Casey (Washingtonville)

10: Cody Smith (Malone)

11: Dylen Seybolt (Longwood)

C: Rrok Ndokaj (MF)

P: Anatoliy Anchakov (Grand Street)

A1: Mike Hewitt (Queensbury)

A2: Jacob Gullo (Jamestown)

A3: Joe DiFrancesco (Niagara Falls)

A4: Jessi Kimmerli (Spencerport)

 

182 Pounds (By Section)

1: Jacob Berkowitz (Scarsdale)

2: Matt Lashway (Queensbury)

3: Garrick Cook (Indian River)

4: James Benjamin (Vestal)

5: Josh Reed (Webster Schroeder)

6: Will Bickelmann (Williamsville East)

8: Andrew Jones (Plainedge)

9: Bilal Hasan (Valley Central)

10: Jacob Moose (Canton)

11: Gio Santiago (Sachem North)

C: Matt Roberts (Monsignor Farrell)

P: McZiggy Richards (Wingate)

A1: Josef Carter (Brockport)

A2: Nick Bellanza (John Glenn)

A3: Anthony Sannella (Minisink Valley)

A4: John Luxmore (Bellmore JFK)

 

195 Pounds (By Section)

1: Mike Spinelli (Mahopac)

2: Tony Fusco (Shenendehowa)

3: Patrick Nasoni (Baldwinsville)

4: Reggie Williams (Johnson City)

5: Jesse Kozub (Brockport)

6: Jake Kelly (Niagara Wheatfield)

8. Rob Zorn (Sewanhaka East)

9: Deon Edmond (Kingston)

10: Jerry Malone (Massena)

11: Zack Conner (Islip)

C: Rich Sisti (Monsignor Farrell)

P: Andreas Kokkoros (Brooklyn Tech)

A1: Pavel Gorelov (Warwick Valley)

A2: Ryan Kelly (Miller Place)

A3: Colton Kells (Fairport)

A4: Daquan Rodriguez (Orchard Park)

 

220 Pounds (By Section)

1: Dom DeVita (Somers)

2: Jon Babson (LaSalle)

3: Derrek Dalton (Indian River)

4: Anthony Osman (Vestal)

5: Josh Lackey (Fairport)

6: Max Antone (Niagara Wheatfield)

8: Andrew Cole (Uniondale)

9: Connor Leavell (Warwick)

10: Adam Weidner (Canton)

11: David Rubino (Commack)

C: Andrew Auriemma (St. Anthony’s)

P: Patryk Kopczynski (Brooklyn Tech)

A1: Nick Lupi (Huntington)

A2: Tyler Lilly (New Rochelle)

A3: Alex Pontiff (Queensbury)

A4: Nicolas Burgos (Kenmore West)

 

285 Pounds (By Section)

1: David Varian (Yorktown)

2: Cory Quintana (Mohonasen)

3: Pat Carroll-Marsh (Liverpool)

4:Tyler Bayer (Union-Endicott)

5: Jake Debuyser (Greece Olympia)

6: Brandon Lathrop (Kenmore West)

8: Dante Salkey (Uniondale)

9: Ethan Stanley (Saugerties)

10: Nolan Terrance (Massena)

11: Michael Hughes (Smithtown West)

C: Kyle DiPirro (St. Mary’s)

P: Leon Gonzalez (Franklin Roosevelt)

A1: Cole Lampman (Shenendehowa)

A2: Seth Stauble (Kingston)

A3: Evan Kappatos (Syosset)

A4: El Shaddai Gilmore-VanHoesen (Columbia)

***(Only wildcards A1-A4 listed)

By Matt Diano

If you are an avid follower of the Long Island scholastic wrestling scene, surely you already know the name Craig Vitagliano.  The accolades earned by this Nassau native are sure to command your attention: three-time Nassau County Champion, the 1990 New York State Champion for Plainedge High School, four-time varsity letterman at Harvard University and University National Freestyle Champion, among others.

But perhaps you don’t know him from his competitive days on the mat.  Maybe instead you know him as “The Guru” on Flowrestling, a devout student of international competition armed with one of the most extensive video libraries in the world.  If you are one of the 60 kids (and growing) that belong to the Ascend Wrestling Club based out of Hicksville, you might simply know him as “Coach.”  But, the question remains, who really is Craig Vitagliano?

While cognizant of all that he has accomplished in the sport in a short period of time, he much prefers to talk about the student-athletes who have brought a new sense of joy and pride into his life.  Once you get him talking about his wrestlers, you should be prepared to allocate the rest of the day to that conversation; that is how passionately he feels about working with the next generation of Long Island wrestling royalty.  This characteristic is seemingly contagious because when approached, his wrestlers could not say enough about how much the coach has helped them both on the mat and in life.  Thus, in fitting fashion, don’t let me be the one who tells you who Craig Vitagliano is, let’s us hear it directly from the mouth of his disciples.  (Excerpts, full quotes can be found at: http://ascendwrestling.com/testimonials.html).

“Every time Craig and I get together I learn something from him. He is honestly one of the best technicians I’ve ever been around. I haven’t met anyone else who cares for me and this sport as much as Craig. Not only is he a father figure to me but he’s my inspiration.”

–Mark Raghunandan (2011 NYS Runner-up, 2010 Fargo Runner-up)

“Since joining Ascend Wrestling Club and Craig Vitagliano after my sophomore year in high school everything started clicking. Before joining the club I was a pretty average wrestler with a ton of potential and no real technique. Along with my coaches at St John the Baptist I truly owe all my success to Coach Craig. He was able to take this potential and turn it into productivity. Without his desire and determination to make everyone in our room better none of us would be where we are today.”

–Jimmy Gill (2x CHSAA runner-up)

“Craig has drastically improved my wrestling, because he focuses on every little aspect and detail of technique. Craig simply watches you wrestle and in seconds is able to fine tune your every move and put forth some of the moves he knows that he thinks will best suit you.”

— Pat Skinner (2x CHSAA State Champion; 2011 NYS placewinner)

“One of the best things about Craig is he will show you moves that best fit your style. He won’t try to make you into a wrestler you’re not.  All you need to do is show him you want to learn and he will do everything he possibly can for you. He is a very affable person and one of the best technicians I’ve ever met.”

 –Danny McDevitt (2011 Nassau County runner-up)

“The technique that Craig shows is unmatched by any other coach that I have seen. Every single part of the move he is showing is put into specific detail; sometimes it would take him 15 minutes to go over a single move. If you look at the wrestlers that Craig has coached you can see that he has truly influenced every wrestler that goes to his club.”

–Christian Dluginski (2011 Nassau County Champion)

“Craig has not just been a coach for me, but a mentor for all different aspects that I’ve been involved with. He helped me through the recruiting process, dieting and controlling my weight, and transformed my wrestling abilities to where they are today, and I think the biggest impact that he’s had on me is that I’m now really a student of the sport.”

–Chris Perez (2x Nassau County Champion; NHSCA Senior National runner-up; current Princeton Freshman)

“Craig has made a huge impact on my life.  That is what makes a true champion, the person behind the champion, the person who stuck through it with them to the end and never gave up on them, the true champion is the one who trains the champion.  Craig is definitely a person in my book that I will always look up to and be thankful to forever.”

–Ryan Singh (2011 Nassau County Champion)

Such heartfelt sentiments are precisely what Vitagliano was aiming for when deciding to start the Ascend Wrestling club two years ago.  When he returned to the sport circa 2004 it was not necessarily Vitagliano’s plan to form a club.  However, it just happened that way.  Two kids became four, then eight, then 16, and so forth. But now that the wheels have been set in motion, Craig has remained loyal to his vision of what a wrestling club should entail: a spot that not only offers student-athletes the opportunity to train 12 months a year, but also allows them to establish relationships and friendships with peers who will not only enhance them as wrestlers, but as people as well.

“Where else are you going to find the opportunity for a Mark Raghunandan to train with a Pat Skinner, Ryan Singh, or Robert Person?” Vitagliano said.  “It just would not happen if not for the existence of clubs like Ascend.  My goal is to expose these kids to the best workout opportunities possible.  As has become the USA Wrestling motto, steel really does strengthen steel.  Therefore, I do everything I can to make it happen.”

As successful as the results have been on the mat since the inception of the club, Vitagliano is very quick to point out that Ascend stands for much more than just winning matches.  Instead, what he gives him the greatest satisfaction is preparing these high school students for the real world.  The discipline, commitment to craft, and camaraderie that one encounters when stepping into the Ascend Wrestling room are values and attributes that extend behind wrestling. They have purpose in the outside world. Wrestling is the method by which greater qualities and traits are instilled.

From a strictly wrestling standpoint, Vitagliano, ever modest, is the first to tell you that he does not have all of the answers.  He recognizes that there are certain techniques and approaches that he is not as adept at teaching.  Rather than allowing this to be an obstacle, Vitagliano does whatever is required to arrange for guest clinicians to work with his developing wrestlers.   Already, Ascend has welcomed former NCAA Champion Mitch “Make it Happen” Clark to teach leg riding, Long Island icon/4x NYS Champion/NCAA Champion Jesse Jantzen to teach the crab ride, and 2010 NCAA Champion/2012 Olympic hopeful, Max Askren, to give a tutorial on funk and scramble positions, to name just a few.

“Having all of these great guys come into the room is not just valuable to the high school kids; I also learn something from it,” he said. “As good a coach as I may be, I am always learning and looking to improve.  My objective is to help the kids develop a full repertoire as a result of their involvement with Ascend.  I don’t want them to just know how to execute moves.  I want them to incorporate the cerebral elements with the physical actions.  It is just as important to be a student of the sport and understand why a certain technique or strategy will work at a specific moment as it is to be able to hit the move flawlessly.  Wrestling is like chess; it’s a thinking person’s game.  Bringing in the best of the best just reaffirms this message.”

Vitagliano is hesitant to say too much on the growth of club training and personalized coaching, emphasizing that what’s most important is molding and changing the lives of the kids.  Vitagliano wants to work with everyone and thinks that we all have a stake in helping kids to grow as wrestlers.  In his own career, he cited at least a dozen names of people who cultivated him as a wrestler (coaches Terry Haise, Al Bevilacqua, Paul Gillespie Sr., John Hamilton, Ron Abbatelli, John Walter, as well as peers Brett Gould, Eddie Leonard, Tom Sinacore, just a sampling). He believes the club system is just one tool in getting the desired outcomes.  And, from where he is standing, other sports (baseball, tennis, golf) have demonstrated that this nature of instruction is invaluable to facilitating the greatest amount of improvement.  Supporting him in this belief is legendary wrestler/coach John Smith of Oklahoma State.  In sharing a conversation he had with the former six-time World Champion, Vitagliano indicated that according to Smith, thanks to clubs, “Kids are better today than they were 20 years ago. And, regions and certain states that were once weak are now flourishing.”  The club system may be new to the Empire State, but it has been around wrestling for decades.  Hence, if other states have shown the effectiveness of the approach, why not embrace it?

When asked to reflect on what his time at Ascend has meant to him, Vitagliano paused before saying, “It’s made me a happier man, as well as a better husband and father to my two young girls.  Professionally, I was doing quite well while working in New York City.  But, you can’t put a price tag or a value on the emotions that overcome you when you see a kid like Ryan Singh make such dramatic sacrifices to achieve his dream, or when you watch as [Chris] Perez reads his acceptance letter to Princeton.   You can’t make enough money to replace these feelings.  And, best of all, I know there will be many awaiting me in the future.”

So who is Craig Vitagliano?  He is the selfless, never tiring, enthusiastic gentleman who cares more about your success than he does his own.  He is the man who will sit with you in the wrestling room till midnight so that you make weight the next morning.  He is the man who may be able to teach you more about life than he will about takedowns or tilts and, he is the man who if given the chance, can make you a better wrestler than you ever thought you could be.   Before our interview, I had never met Craig Vitagliano; now I consider him a man who I will go to bat for any day of the week and twice on Sundays.  He’s the kind of man you’d be lucky to have mentoring your son or daughter.

By Betsy Veysman

Matt Leshinger was voted the Champion of Champions at the Suffolk County Championships on Saturday night on the campus of Stony Brook University.  According to his coach Gary Pesko, he didn’t vote for himself, but he was in the minority, as his performance clearly impressed his fellow title winners.

The unseeded Sayville junior also attracted the attention of the coaches, who named him the Most Outstanding Wrestler (MOW).

“I wasn’t sure whether the wrestlers would vote for him for Champion of Champions because you don’t know what the kids are going to do,” Pesko said. “But I knew that if he didn’t get MOW, something was wrong.  There were other tough weight classes at the tournament, but no one else had to go through what Matt did this weekend to win a title.”

To capture the 120-pound crown, Leshinger defeated three of the top eight ranked grapplers in the Empire State.  The gauntlet started in the quarterfinal round when he faced Sean McCabe, who took third at the state tournament in 2011 at 112 pounds.  The Connetquot senior was 32-1 coming into the weekend and was the top seed.

“I knew he was a great wrestler and I had to be at my best to beat him,” Leshinger said. “He beat me in the semifinals at this tournament last year.”

This time, Leshinger turned the tables, securing a takedown on a high crotch late in the third period to earn a 3-2 victory.

It didn’t get easier from there for Leshinger as he next squared off against Mark West of Hauppauge, the 2010 state champion at 96 pounds.   At the Eastern States in January, West topped Leshinger 5-3.

Once again, Leshinger avenged a defeat, edging West 3-2 on another third period takedown to move on to the finals.

In the championship bout, the Sayville grappler faced a familiar foe, TJ Fabian of Shoreham-Wading River.  The two wrestlers split a pair of one-point decisions this season, including Fabian’s 3-2 triumph over Leshinger a week ago.  On Saturday night, it was another tight bout, which Leshinger captured in double overtime.

“I knew it would be another tough match against him,” Leshinger said.  “I was down 3-2 in the third period but I knew eventually, if I kept shooting, I would take him down.”

Leshinger did just that, but Fabian was able to escape to send the bout to the extra session.

In the tiebreakers, Leshinger rode Fabian for the entire 30 seconds and then was able to escape to grab the 5-4 victory.

“We knew [Fabian] is tough in all positions,” Pesko said. “Matt did a great job riding him.  [Fabian] never was in a position that was close to getting out.  I think Matt tired him out a little bit which allowed him to get the escape when he needed to.  It was really exciting.”

“It was probably the greatest feeling in my wrestling career,” Leshinger added. “I want to thank my coaches and my family for helping for me through.”

The work doesn’t stop now for Leshinger with his first trip to Albany for the state championships approaching.

“I’m very excited,” Leshinger said.  “I wrestled the best I have all season this weekend and I’m hoping to wrestle that way again at states.”

“It was the best he’s ever wrestled in his life,” Pesko agreed. “He’s always been a competitor but to put it all together in the toughest weight class this weekend was amazing.  It was quite an accomplishment. Now there are two weeks to recover and build back up and get ready for great competition again.  He has already proven himself against some of the better guys in the state.  If he wrestles the way he did this weekend, anything is possible.  If he does that, we expect him to come out as a state champ.”

WATCH CORNELL FACE COLUMBIA AT 1 P.M. AND HOFSTRA AT 3 P.M. ON SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4, COURTESY OF MARK MORRIS OF PAWRVIDEO.COM

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#3 Cornell vs. #23 Hofstra Preview

By Betsy Veysman

A few weeks ago, two ranked New York teams battled down to the wire in Vestal, New York when Cornell edged Binghamton on criteria in a back and forth dual meet.  This weekend in Ithaca, another Empire State dual will take place when two undefeated teams, the third-ranked Big Red and 23^rd ranked Hofstra take the mat on Saturday at 3 p.m.  Both squads sport undeafeated dual records for the 2011-12 campaign.

(The Big Red will face Ivy League foe Columbia at 1 p.m.)

The following is a match-by-match preview:

125: #5 Frank Perrelli (CU, 22-4) vs. #14 Steve Bonanno (HU, 21-5)

It’s fair to say that these two know each other well, as they have met twice already this season and on three occasions last year.  While the Big Red grappler has won all five matchups, most have been close.  At the Binghamton Open this past November, Perrelli escaped as time expired to earn a one-point victory over his Hofstra counterpart and then took a 3-1 decision at the Southern Scuffle.  Bonanno has had a very solid campaign, but it’s hard to bet against Perrelli on Senior Day, especially given the recent history between these wrestlers.

133: Nick Arujau (CU, 1-0) vs. Jamie Franco (HU, 15-9)

While they haven’t wrestled as recently as the 125 pounders have, Arujau and Franco did have a high profile meeting in February of 2009.  In the 125 pound Division I New York high school state championship match, Arujau prevailed by a 4-0 score.  Plenty has happened since then and both have had fine seasons.  Franco, who has a win over Army’s Jordan Thome and a Round of 12 finish at the Southern Scuffle, has been praised by the Pride coaching staff for his performance this year.  Arujua has wrestled in a Cornell singlet only once since transferring from American, but while competing for the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club during the first semester, Arujau took second at the Penn State Open and fifth at the Southern Scuffle.  Slight edge to Arujau given a few more quality wins.

141: #17 Mike Nevinger (CU, 22-9) vs. Luke Vaith (HU, 15-7)

The two have not met and results against common opponents aren’t revealing.  Both beat Conor Hanafee and Patrick Hogan, both lost to Tyler Small and Jake Sueflohn.  While Nevinger defeated Frank Cimato twice, Cimato topped Vaith.  On the other hand, Vaith turned in a breakthrough performance last weekend, defeating returning All-American Zach Kemmerer, a wrestler who has defeated Nevinger twice this year.  What does it all mean?  It’s a toss up between grapplers who both scored upset victories last weekend (Vaith over Kemmerer, Nevinger over Iowa State’s Luke Goettl).  It certainly will have important implications for the team score.

149: #20 Chris Villalonga (CU, 19-5) vs. Justin Accordino (HU, 18-8)

Villalonga has recently broken into the rankings on the heels of a victory over top 10 opponent Corey Jantzen of Harvard.  Since moving up from 141 pounds, the New Jersey native has won 18 of 21 matches, with two of his losses to the #1 and #4 grapplers in the land (Penn State’s Frank Molinaro and Binghamton’s Donnie Vinson).  Accordino has rather quietly had a high quality campaign in his return from his second ACL injury.  Since dropping a match in the consolation bracket to Cornell’s Craig Eifert at the Southern Scuffle, Accordino has reeled off eight straight victories.

157: #1 Kyle Dake (CU, 23-0) vs. Tyler Banks (HU, 10-8)

It’s no secret that Dake is the favorite here.  That’s not a knock on Banks; it would be true against any 157-pounder in the nation.  The two-time NCAA champion returned to action at this weight against Iowa State last Sunday after missing time with an injury.  He looks to return to dominant form and pick up bonus points, which he has earned in 13 of 23 matches this year.  Banks has won four of his last five, including two pivotal triumphs in last weekend’s sweep over Rutgers and Penn.

165: Marshall Peppelman (CU, 22-12) vs. #19 PJ Gillespie (HU, 21-5)

The Pride’s returning All-American edged Peppelman 2-1 at the Binghamton Open at the beginning of the campaign.  While both competed at the Vegas Invitational and the Southern Scuffle, they did not meet again.  Gillespie took second at Vegas and fourth at the Scuffle while Peppelman was seventh at the latter tournament.  The Hofstra senior is coming off an undefeated weekend in which he upset then-ninth ranked Scott Winston of Rutgers while the Big Red wrestler suffered a tough loss to fourth-ranked Andrew Sorenson of Iowa State on Saturday.  Gillespie tends to wrestle close matches and will be favored to take this one.

174: Billy George (CU, 13-9) vs. Jermaine John (HU, 7-12)

It’s a matchup of a pair of freshmen who have had their ups and downs throughout the season.  George’s 8-2 decision over John at the Las Vegas Invitational in December makes him the favorite in this bout.

184: #3 Steve Bosak (CU, 24-2) vs. #11 Ben Clymer (HU, 23-6)

Similar to 125, these wrestlers are not strangers.  Bosak defeated Clymer 3-0 in a hard fought bout in the Binghamton Open finals this season in addition to victories the other three times they have met.  The matches have all been fairly close, with scores of 3-0, 4-1 and 3-1.  Both competitors have been on a roll lately, with Bosak winning seven straight and Clymer capturing eight consecutive victories.  However, until proven otherwise, the Cornellian is favored by decision.

197: #1 Cam Simaz (CU, 18-1) vs. Tim Murphy (HU, 10-15)

Simaz puts points on the board.  16 of his 18 wins this year have been by bonus points, including 5 technical falls and 8 pins.  Murphy and Matt Loew have both manned the 197 spot for the Pride this season but the former got the call a week ago against the Scarlet Knights and Quakers. When Simaz takes the mat against almost anyone, expect bonus points for the Big Red.

285: Maciej Jochym (CU, 13-12) vs. Paul Snyder (HU, 15-8)

This looks like another toss up.  These heavyweights met twice at the Binghamton Open.  In the opening round of the tournament, Jochym defeated Snyder, 11–4.  Hours later, Snyder returned the favor in the third place match, coming out on top, 3-2.  Both were eliminated in the Round of 12 at the Southern Scuffle and in the same round at the Las Vegas Invitational. For Hofstra to take the dual, this will be a key bout to win.

—–

The Pride wrestlers have won 13 straight and clearly have a very good dual lineup. However, Cornell matches up well with Hofstra’s strengths.  It’s unlikely that the result will be anything like the 45-0 shutout that the Big Red had against the Pride a year ago in Hempstead, but the Big Red should ride the Senior Day crowd to a comfortable victory in the first duals held at the Friedman Center this season.