Section 6 Preview: 10 All-State Wrestlers from 2012 Return, Led by Finalists Hull and Rodriguez-Spencer

Posted on November 28, 2012 by Urgent Doctor

Division I

Returning State Placewinners from 2012

Anthony Orefice, Lockport, 106 Pounds, Fifth Place

Steve Michel, Lancaster, 120 Pounds, Sixth Place

Additional Returning State Qualifiers from 2012

99 Pounds: Tyler Hartinger, Lancaster

113 Pounds: Ron Duguay, Kenmore West

113 Pounds: Kellen Devlin, Amherst

120 Pounds: Rocco Russo, Frontier

132 Pounds: Eric Lewandowski, Lancaster

160 Pounds: Jake Weber, Clarence

170 Pounds: Anthony Liberatore, Williamsville South

Seniors to Watch

Eric Lewandowski (Lancaster) – Lewandowski, who took second in New York as a 96-pound sophomore in 2010, had another strong year in 2011-12, registering a 43-10 record at 132 pounds. He captured the Section 6 title with a 7-1 victory over eventual state runner up Dylan Cohen before going 2-2 in Albany with losses to champion Jamel Hudson and fourth place finisher Nick Mauriello. He will look to return to the podium as a senior.

Anthony Liberatore (Williamsville South) – The senior cruised through Sectionals with a pair of falls and a major decision at 170 pounds. In Albany, he picked up where he left off in his opening match, earning a first period pin against Cody Smith of Section 10. He went 2-2 overall to cap off a 40-5 season, coming within one win of making All-State. That will clearly be on his to-do list for 2013.

Ron Duguay, Photo by Boris V

Ron Duguay (Kenmore West) – After taking second in the Section, Duguay notched an impressive upset in the first round of the state tournament, defeating top-seeded Mark Raghunandan by a 5-3 score. The road didn’t get much easier after that victory, as Duguay next took the mat against All-State wrestler Robert Person and number two seed Corey Jamison to end his run. However, Duguay has a lot to build on, including his big victory and a 39-5 overall season.

Who Else is A Threat to Place In Albany?

Of course, the conversation has to start with two wrestlers who were on the medal stand in 2012 in the state capital – Lockport’s Anthony Orefice and Lancaster’s Steve Michel. Orefice is very familiar with the podium. In 2011, he took fourth at 96 pounds and last season he was fifth at 106 on the heels of a 40-2 campaign. Orefice had wins over All-State wrestlers Drew Marra of Olean (twice), Freddie Dunau (a 2011 medalist from St. Anthony’s) and Johnny Stramiello of Pine Bush. His only losses of the season were at the Times Union Center — 11-8 to state gold medalist Nick Piccininni and to Corning’s Jimmy Overhiser (by default). Orefice’s accomplishments stretch beyond the Empire State. He has been an All-American at the NHSCA Nationals multiple times.

Meanwhile, Michel began the state tournament with a pair of victories over Section 1 champion Jake DiMarsico and PSAL representative Keanu Thompson before losing to state champion Sean McCabe of Section 11 and forfeiting to sixth. He will be looking for more in 2013.

Although he was a state placer, Michel didn’t win the Section 6 crown in 2012, dropping the title bout to Frontier’s Rocco Russo. Russo went 43-3 with his only regular season setback coming against Michel. In Russo’s second appearance in Albany, he went 1-2 but stayed active in the offseason, including a trip to Fargo.

Jake Weber (Clarence) – As a sophomore, Weber was 35-6 at 160 pounds. At the state tournament, he drew eventual runner up Tyler Grimaldi of Section 11 in round one and dropped his first wrestleback match. However, he demonstrated the ability to put opponents on their backs, with 21 pins and just five regular decisions. And he also has national credentials, having placed at the NHSCA Nationals in Virginia Beach. With that experience, he can be expected to get his hand raised in Albany this year.

Austin Acquard (Iroquois) – Acquard won a match in Albany in 2011 at 96 pounds however he didn’t get a return trip back to the Times Union Center after a fourth place Sectional finish at 113. According to Niagara County Community College coach Keith Maute, he was a small 113 pounder who was caught between weight classes. Having grown into the weight more, he will have a chance to go back to the state capital.

Kellen Devlin had a lot of success as an eighth grader. Who are some of the other young guns to watch?

Nate Schwab has to be near the top of the list. As a freshman at 152 pounds, he went 38-9 with seven of his losses to seniors. At the Section 6 tournament, Schwab lost to state qualifier Luke Falzone 1-0 and then came back to take third. He has also made his presence felt beyond the New York borders, taking seventh at 152 pounds at the NHSCA Freshman Nationals tournament this past spring. Also worthy of mention is his teammate Ryan Burns, also a sophomore, who recently demonstrated his skills at one of the most challenging tournaments on the high school calendar – the Super 32 in North Carolina. In a loaded 106-pound bracket, he compiled a 4-2 record after his 40-5 ninth grade campaign for the Red Devils.

Matt Kloc of Iroquois, another sophomore, took third in a tough 120-pound weight behind Michel and Russo. He lost his first bout 1-0 and then captured three consecutive victories for third to complete a 33-10 season. The younger brother of two-time state champion Jimmy (now wrestling at Buffalo), will look for his first bid to the state tournament.

Tyler Hartinger of Lancaster racked up a 36-9 mark as a freshman 99-pounder. He had a difficult first match in his opener in Albany – losing to two-time state champion Kyle Kelly of Chenango Forks, but he came back to earn a victory in his next bout. Hartinger was joined by a number of talented youngsters at 99 pounds a year ago, including fellow sophomore Donny McCoy of Niagara Falls, who was second in the Section and 34-7 overall (1-3 against Hartinger).

Hector and Tito Colom of Dunkirk are likely to both be at 99 pounds this year. The brothers have earned some quality results, both making the finals at the Ohio Tournament of Champions while Hector took seventh at the Middle School Super 32 Classic. According to Maute, both will make an impact this year, with Tito having the potential to not only make it to Albany but win several matches there.

A Few More to Keep an Eye On . . .

Luke Catalano (Lake Shore) – As a tenth grader, Catalano was second in Section 6, compiling a 31-7 mark while splitting time between 220 and 285 pounds.

Marshall Taylor (Lockport) – As a 195 pounder a year ago, he was third in the Section, racking up close to 30 wins and recording over 20 pins.

Danny Graham (West Seneca East) – Graham has placed third in the Section multiple times. He sported a 34-5 record in 2011-12, defeating All-State wrestler Cody McGregor and topping former state qualifier Austin Acquard three times. According to Maute, Graham has a very good chance to make the trip to the state tournament this year, possibly up several weight classes at 138 or 145.

Jose Pagan (Lockport) – Pagan took second at 145 pounds in the Section 6 tournament last year, losing the title bout to two-time state champion Jimmy Kloc of Iroquois. The Lockport grappler won over 30 matches a year ago and the wrestlers who handed him more than half of his losses (Jake Baer, Michael Roman, Luke Falzone and Kloc), all graduated. Look for him to make an impact in the middleweights in his senior season.

William Brady (Williamsville East) – Brady is the highest returning placer in the 220 pound class after taking fourth as a junior. He notched over 30 victories in 2011-12, including 21 by fall, and was mentioned as a wrestler to watch in the upperweights in the upcoming campaign.

Team Race:

Kenmore West won the title in 2012 by an eight-point margin over Lockport, with Clarence not far behind in third. Those three squads look like they’ll once again be battling for the Division I crown.

While Clarence was the bronze team in February, Maute believes they may have the upper hand this time around, especially with seven returning team members that finished in the top 6 in the Section tournament a year ago. While the Red Devils said goodbye to several placers, they return 160-pound runner up Jake Weber, 152-pound bronze medalist Nate Schwab, fourth placers Ryan Burns and Nate Ward as well as Brandan Glauber (fifth at 120), Austin Czaja (sixth at 113) and Austin Krawczyk (sixth at 126).

But, of course, last year’s top two teams, Lockport and Kenmore West, both bring back plenty of firepower. Lockport has three finalists on the roster, led by All-State wrestler Anthony Orefice. Section silver medalists Brad Feeney (126) and Jose Pagan (145) will look to move one step higher on the podium while Marshall Taylor (third at 195) and Marcellus Hinton (fifth at 285) will be threats as well. Wrestlers such as Josh Steinman and Seth Anderson didn’t get on the medal stand a year ago, but will look to pick up some points to compensate for the losses of Mike Feeney (champion at 138) and Joe Sansone (third at 182).

While Lockport will miss Feeney and Sansone, Kenmore West will be without the services of graduates such as Section champions Dylan Caruana and Brandon Lathrop as well as second place finishers Zach Skiba and Nicolas Burgos. Leading the way in 2012-13 will be 113-pound runner up Ron Duguay, fifth place medalist Christian Bauman (106) and sixth placers Anthony Argentieri (99) and Mark Stucke (138). Adding some experience will be Shane Currey and Jon Szurczynksi in the upperweights.

Iroquois brings quite a few top notch wrestlers to the table, especially in the light and middleweights. Returning placers Jacob Slade (third), Austin Acquard (fourth), Matt Kloc (third) and Eric McEvoy (fourth) will lead the charge for the Chiefs in the postseason.

Division II

Returning State Placewinners from 2012

106 Pounds: Drew Marra, Olean, Fourth Place

113 Pounds: Cody McGregor, Tonawanda, Fifth Place

120 Pounds: Dakota Gardner, Fredonia, Sixth Place

126 Pounds: Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer, Cheektowoga, Second Place

138 Pounds: Dan Reagan, Lewiston-Porter, Fourth Place

138 Pounds: Jude Gardner, Fredonia, Sixth Place

145 Pounds: Drew Hull, Royalton-Hartland, Second Place

285 Pounds: Matt Montesanti, Medina, Sixth Place

Additional Returning State Qualifiers from 2012

99 Pounds: Dylan Lundmark, Southwestern

113 Pounds: Pat McCarthy, Fredonia

113 Pounds: Ryan Kromer, Lewiston-Porter

120 Pounds: Andrew Lazickas, East Aurora

160 Pounds: Zach Buckley, Fredonia

Top Seniors

There’s no question that there are a large number of impact twelfth graders in Division II this year, including four returning All-State wrestlers.

Drew Hull, Photo by Boris V

Drew Hull has twice been on the podium in Albany. Last year, he went all the way to the state finals, dropping a one-point decision to Tyler Button at 145 pounds. He followed that up by competing at the NHSCA Nationals in Virginia Beach where he was an All-American in the past. Hull has been active in the offseason and is capable of not only making his third appearance on the medal stand, but standing on the top step.

Dan Reagan and Jude Gardner aren’t strangers on the mat. They went 2-2 against each other as juniors in the midst of highly successful seasons. (Gardner was 46-9 overall, while Reagan was 45-6). They met twice in the postseason with Gardner winning by fall in the Section 6 championship bout and Reagan capturing a 4-1 victory at the state tournament on his way to fourth place. Meanwhile, Gardner took sixth. The two could battle a few more times in 2012-13.

Matt Montesanti, Photo by Boris V

Matt Montesanti was 30-3 with 17 pins entering the Times Union Center, where he won his first two bouts at 285 pounds. The Medina senior then lost to eventual state champion Hayden Head of Beekmantown and forfeited his remaining two matches to take sixth. One of only two placers to return at heavyweight, his sights are set on a title.

Fredonia teammates Zach Buckley and Pat McCarthy both went 1-2 in Albany to conclude seasons in which they won over 40 bouts and registered some quality victories over state qualifiers. Joining them at the Times Union Center was East Aurora’s Andrew Lazickas, who also notched a win. Can they end their careers with a few more wins in Albany?

Who Else is A Threat to Place In Albany?

Like in Division I, there are some obvious answers to this question as Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer, Cody McGregor, Dakota Gardner and Drew Marra already demonstrated their ability to place last year.

Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer, Photo by Boris V

Rodriguez-Spencer was the silver medalist in a difficult weight featuring past state champions like Nick Tighe and Tristan Rifanburg as well as multiple-time placer Corey Dake. He showed resolve, winning both his second round and semifinal matches in overtime (including an 8-6 win over Rifanburg). He also shined in the spring and summer in the international styles, which he has done for years. In 2012 alone, he placed in a number of elite Greco-Roman events, including Junior Nationals in Fargo, FILA Cadets and FILA Juniors.

Marra went 3-2 at the Times Union Center to cap off a 42-7 sophomore campaign in which he was fourth in New York at 106. Cody McGregor, a fourth place finisher in 2011 as an eighth grader at 96 pounds, made his way onto the medal stand again, this time taking fifth at 113. He’ll go for his third All-State showing this season, looking to climb his way up the podium.

An opponent McGregor was very familiar with is Lewiston Porter’s Ryan Kromer. Kromer went to Albany as the Section 6 winner after beating McGregor 1-0 in the semifinals. They met again at the Times Union Center and McGregor came out on top in the ultimate tiebreaker by the same 1-0 score to eliminate Kromer one victory shy of the podium. It was Kromer’s second trip to Albany. He’s looking for the third time to be a charm.

Like McGregor, Dakota Gardner was ready to wrestle some of the state’s best, capping off a strong season by grabbing sixth in the final tournament of the season. He followed that performance off with a third place showing at the NHSCA Middle School Nationals at 127 pounds.

As an eighth grader, Kellen Devlin of Amherst was impressive, notching a 34-5 record, including a dominant performance at the Section 6 tournament on his way to the title (in Division I). He outscored his opponents 18-1 and defeated Duguay in the championship bout. It looked like he was on his way to victory in his first match at the Times Union Center against All-Stater Robert Person of Nassau County, however, he was reversed to his back with less than 30 seconds left. Devlin quickly rebounded after his 0-2 showing in the state capital, winning a number of spring and summer events, including the Ohio Tournament of Champions. He will be a lightweight to track closely this year, but according to Ross Conti, it will be in Division II this time.

Also Keep an Eye On . . .

DJ Marshall (Lewiston Porter) – Marshall went 33-10 at 120 pounds with a number of his setbacks at the hands of Section 6’s top wrestlers (Dylan Caruana, Dakota Gardner, Andrew Lazickas). He rebounded from a loss to state qualifier Lazickas in the semifinals to take third place in the Section.

Eddie Hutschenreuter (Alden) – The junior enters the season as a two-time state qualifier who won a match at the state tournament in both 2010 and 2011. However, he didn’t have an opportunity to make it three years in a row in Albany after he suffered a season-ending injury in December of 2011. According to Maute, the Alden wrestler has returned to the mat and “is definitely a threat to place; in fact, I think he should place this year.”

Alex Smythe (Eden) – Smythe is familiar with the medal stand on the state level. He took fifth at 125 pounds in 2011 at the Times Union Center. Last year, he was fourth in the Section at 145 pounds after amassing a 31-7 mark, with two of the losses to an out of state wrestler and three others to All-State opponents. Smythe will look to return to Albany.

Zach Bickle (Royalton Hartland) – Bickle is a two-time state qualifier, who came within one win of making All-State in 2011 at 103 pounds. He will look for his third journey to Albany as a senior after winning more than 30 matches as a junior. Bickle registered quality wins over Kellen Devlin, Pat McCarthy and Ryan Kromer a year ago.

Austin Lynn (Frewsburg) – Frewsburg’s Nick Mitchell had a terrific season a year ago, with his only loss coming in the state finals at 170 pounds. Lynn is another Bears upperweight who is primed for a strong season. He went 33-8 as a junior, taking second in the Sectionals at 182 pounds.

Andrew Shomers (Lewiston Porter) – Shomers, who wrestled at Niagara Falls last season, was second behind Anthony Orefice at 106 in the Section. In fact, four of his six losses came against Orefice with one other against qualifier Bryan Ruggeri from Fairport. Shomers certainly knows how to finish a match – he notched 29 victories with 21 of them coming by pin. He should be an impact player for his new team.

Kyle Blake (Falconer) – Blake was 31-9 in 2011-12 at 99 pounds with a second place showing at the Section 6 tournament.

“He was really impressive last year,” said Ross Conti. “He lost by a point in the [Section 6] finals and he really came on as the season went on. He’s a kid that has the look of someone who will definitely do really well.”

Brandon Dallavia, who racked up a 35-4 record at 132 pounds for Lewiston Porter as an eighth grader, has left the Empire State for Blair Academy. However, there are other young grapplers to watch, including Depew’s Philip Calandra, who according to Maute, has a good chance of winning Division II this year in the lightest weight class.

Team Race

Lewiston Porter won the Division II race a year ago by an incredibly slim margin of 1.5 points over Fredonia. The two teams look poised to be at the head of the class again with a slew of returning placers.

Fredonia’s lineup looks very tough heading into 2012-13 as the Hillbillies bring back six Section 6 medalists, including champions Dakota Gardner (120), Jude Gardner (138) and Zach Buckley (160). In addition, Pat McCarthy returns for his senior year as do fourth placers Tyler Cassidy (132) and Christian Saden (195).

Dan Reagan, Photo by Boris V

Lewiston Porter will challenge, however, with 113-pound champion Ryan Kromer back, along with All-State wrestler Dan Reagan and Section bronze winner DJ Marshall (120). Garrett Rath (fifth at 285) will look for a move up the podium to help offset the lost production of graduates Jason Kromer and Kevin McMurray and the departure of Brandon Dallavia. The addition of Andrew Shomers will add another top wrestler to the mix.

Royalton Hartland, third in 2012, will put a number of wrestlers on the podium as well, beginning with Drew Hull who was the runner up in the Section as well as in the state. Taking third a year ago were Garrett Baugher as an eighth grader at 99 pounds (who has since departed for St. Joseph’s of the CHSAA) and Alex Jensen at 220. Cameron Swick and Zach Bickle also took top 5 spots for the Raiders.

According to Ross Conti, there are a few other teams to keep an eye on in Division II. Conti said Falconer was the top ranked small school dual team a year ago and will be worth watching again.

“[Falconer] usually has a good wrestler in every weight class, although they don’t have a lot of stars,” he said. “Fredonia sent four to states and had other kids on the bubble, yet Faulkner beat Fredonia in a dual meet. They lost a few guys, but they always have solid numbers and a very good coaching staff. Those kids seem to get better in a hurry. They’ll be tough, especially in duals.”

Another team Conti mentioned was Ripley.

“I think Ripley might have been the smallest wrestling school in the whole state,” he said. “For years, Ripley’s been a good team with state representatives and placers. But it’s hard to have depth as such a small school. Now that they are merging with Westfield and Chautauqua Lake, I think they’ll be a team to watch out for.”

Special thanks to all of the contributors to this article, especially Keith Maute and Ross Conti.

More Season Preview Articles:

Section 11 Preview

Features:

Section 1 Feature: Aslanian and Realbuto, All-State Wrestlers and Workout Partners, Seek to End Their Careers on Top of the Podium

Section 4 Feature: Looking for “Number Nine”: Reggie Williams Aims to Make History at Johnson City

Section 5 Feature: The “Miracle” Continues: The Return of Aaron Paddock

Section 9 Feature: Unstoppable: Vinny Vespa Wrestles Again After Confronting Cancer

Section 11 Feature: Nick Piccininni Looks to Continue Winning Streak

Northeast Duals Recap: From Cornell Victories to Standout Performances to Celebrating Jeff Blatnick

Posted on November 25, 2012 by Urgent Doctor

By Matt Diano

On an afternoon that marked the 10th anniversary of its creation, the 2012 edition of the Journeymen/ASICS Northeast Duals did not fail to live up to the purposes of its origin. Seeking to establish an event which would both capture the ambiance and intensity of the classic Iowa/Oklahoma State showdowns (which he had been exposed to while watching his brother, Pat, compete for John Smith’s Cowboys) as well as promote the world’s oldest and greatest sport to the upstate community, Frank Popolizio has seen his brainchild grow from being hosted in the Niskayuna High School gymnasium to being considered one of, if not the, preeminent early season clash of the titans.

While still relatively young in age, the NE Duals are, and continue to be, an environment where magic happens. Yesterday would prove no different as the field of 14 teams (seven of which are nationally ranked by at least one major poll) would put it all on the line in the ultimate war for bragging rights in which the real winners were not as much the victorious teams, but rather, the masses of people sitting in the stands of the Hudson Valley Community College Athletic Center. All were treated to nine hours of the most exhilarating action found on the planet Earth. Whether “your team” went 3-0 or 0-4, you walked to your car with an ear-to-ear grin, because you knew you had just spent the 24th in the company of warriors.

Big Red Emerge as the Mighty
Posting an unblemished 3-0 record for the day, if you had to single out a specific program that rose to the occasion, there would be no better choice than the Rob Koll-led Big Red crowd favorites. Round-by-round, the Cornell wrestlers found themselves running the gauntlet, having to best a pair of top-12 teams in back-to-back duals in order to keep “the 0” intact.

Jace Bennett, Photo by BV

As expected, sitting at the head of the table in this effort was three-time NCAA Champion Kyle Dake, who was his dominant self, surrendering a mere two points total in his three matches. Perhaps the Lansing native’s biggest win was the only one in which he did not score bonus points, a 5-0 decision over #8 ranked Bubby Graham of the University of Oklahoma. Having watched his teammates drop three bouts in a row to knot the match at 10 apiece, the seasoned veteran knew that in order for the Big Red to regain the momentum, he needed to come up big. And, as he has done countless times before, he delivered in grand fashion, controlling the action for the full seven minutes in pitching the shutout against the Sooner. The win would serve as a catalyst as Cornell would win three of the final four matches of the dual, including Jace Bennett‘s clincher at 197 when he pinned OU’s Brad Johnson half a minute into the second period to provide the Empire State powerhouse with an insurmountable nine point lead. For good measure, big man Stryker Lane would close out the 25-13 dual win with a 5-2 decision over previously nationally-ranked Keldrick Hall. Nick Arujau‘s 34 second pin of the Sooners’ Cody Brewer in a match-up of the #12 vs. #13 ranked wrestlers in the nation would also stand out. Countering a deep shot from his OU opponent, Arujau would lock up a tight cradle and in the blink of an eye, it was goodnight for Mr. Brewer.

Nahshon Garrett, Photo by BV

In a contest that pitted the #8 Big Red against the #9 Chippewas of Central Michigan, it would be Dake (a 14-2 major decision winner over Mike Ottinger), Bennett and freshman Nahshon Garrett taking care of business, with the latter getting Cornell off on the proper footing with a 6-3 decision over #12 Christian Cullinan. Additional key victories would come from the 141/149 duo of returning All-American Mike Nevinger (2-0 over Scott Mattingly) and Chris Villalonga (5-1 over Donnie Corby). As nice and pertinent as these wins might have been in ultimately propelling the EIWA powerhouse to the eventual 17-15 dual victory, the biggest performance might have come in a losing effort when Lane pushed the #3 ranked heavyweight, Jarod Trice, to the second tiebreaker before dropping a 2-1 decision. Because 285 has been a spot in recent times where the Big Red has struggled to find that hammer at the back-end to complement the rest of the lineup, this hard fought win has given Koll and his staff reason to feel optimistic about what the future may hold for them at heavyweight.

In their first dual of the day, the Cornell wrestlers would go 10-for-10, goose-egging the Dragons of Drexel (coached by former Cornell assistant, Matt Azevedo), 40-0.

Illini And Scarlet Knights Also Finish with the Perfecto
Joining the Big Red as the only other teams to avoid the bitter taste of defeat was the #6 ranked University of Illinois and Rutgers University. While neither program wrestled the same caliber of opposition as Cornell, there was no mistaking their dominance as the Illini outscored Binghamton, Princeton, and Maryland 117-16. Head coach Scott Goodale’s Scarlet Knights were not far behind, tallying an 86-27 edge over a common opponent in the BU Bearcats, as well as fellow New York institutions, Columbia University and the United States Military Academy at West Point (Army).

Opening up the morning with a 46-0 drubbing of the Tigers, the tone was set for the kind of day it would be for the Big 10 conference member. Simply put, anything and everything that could go the way of the Illini did. 125 pound All-American Jesse Delgado would beat Maryland’s Shane Gentry, Daryl Thomas would get his hand raised over Geoff Alexander, BJ Futrell would pin Binghamton’s Joe Bonaldi, etc. As the day continued to progress, one had to wonder if an Illinois wrestler would ever lose a bout pitting nationally ranked competitors against one another. While Tony Dallago would eventually lose to Maryland’s Jimmy Sheptock, it would come only after Illinois posted the biggest individual win of the day when #6 Jordan Blanton avenged his loss from a few weeks ago at the NWCA All-Star Classic, beating #3 Josh Asper of the Terps 3-1 in a fight among the nation’s creme de la creme.

Stephen West, Photo by BV

Spearheading Rutgers to an undefeated record would be upperclassmen — #14 Scott Winston (157), #10 Greg Zannetti (174), and #13 Dan Rinaldi (184). Each tallying at least one victory over a fellow nationally ranked opponent, this trio would be among the seven Scarlet Knight wrestlers to go 3-0. Winning a pair of rather low scoring affairs, it would be the former two who really “did work” against EIWA rival Columbia, as they etched out 3-1 and 1-0 decisions over #11 Jake O’Hara and #13 Stephen West, respectively, en route to the team’s 30-6 victory. Rinaldi, would earn his signature “w” one dual later when he doubled up Binghamton’s Cody Reed 4-2, one of eight wins for the Garden State school in yet another 30-6 final. In their swan song, the Scarlet Knights would have their closest dual on paper (26-15) against Army, but that would be slightly misleading as they forfeited the 149-pound weight class and inserted a backup at 165 pounds. Rinaldi’s 6-2 victory over Collin Wittmeyer constituted the most significant individual result. Senior Mario Mason, the once highly touted recruit out of Blair Academy, continued to struggle, dropping both of his matches to ranked opponents, 10-2 to the Bearcats’ Donnie Vinson (ranked as high as #1 in some polls; as low as #4 in others) and 4-3 to #10 Steve Santos from Columbia. Santos remains undefeated this season.

Burning Down the House: Dual of the Day Goes to Maryland/Purdue
In a dual that may have gone overlooked by many because of its location on a far mat in the corner of the HVCC Athletic Center, unofficial honors for “Dual of the Day” unquestionably goes to the back-and-forth slugfest between Maryland and Purdue. A dual of mini streaks, each team would take a turn running off a series of consecutive wins, commencing with the Kerry McCoy-guided Terps jumping out to the early 6-0 lead behind the efforts of Shane Gentry and Geoff Alexander. Ranked towards the bottom of a few polls, each would enter their respective bouts as underdogs on paper. However, as a testament to the cliche about why matches are not wrestled on paper, the two lightweights would find a way to get the job done, as they peeled off back-to-back wins over the #19 and #8 wrestlers in the land, Camden Eppert and Cashe Quiroga by the respective scores of 5-4 and 9-3 to give their team the initial lead.

Unwilling to lie down and play dead, the Boilermakers would waste no time in striking back; and when they attacked, they bit hard, stringing together four straight wins from 141-165 (including two bonus point victories) to launch themselves to the 16-6 lead with only four matches remaining. Playing a prominent role in this rally would be Brandon Nelsen and Tommy Churchard, whose pin and major decision efforts at 141 and 157 would put the Indiana-based program in the driver’s seat.

But alas, you don’t win “Dual of the Day” honors on the strength of one lead change. Nope, with backs against the wall, it would be Maryland’s turn to go streaking, beginning with Asper’s 16-4 major decision against Purdue freshman Chad Welch. Sheptock posted a nearly identical score in his bout against Patrick Kissel, surrendering one extra point (16-5) to bring the ACC contender without a two point margin, 16-14. But again, I say to you, what fun would it be if Maryland simply just came back to win? Instead, drama would ensue when Braden Atwood channeled his inner Cael Sanderson, leading #10 Christian Boley, 11-0 in the third period. Knowing that a major decision would make it impossible for his team to win in regulation, Boley was keenly aware that he would need to get things done in the last two minutes. He responded to the pressure, darn near pulling a rabbit out of his hat when he locked up a tight cradle in the third period, causing the Terp loyalists to go crazy in the stands. While Boley would be unable to earn the fall (Maryland fans might disagree), the five point move would prove to be the difference between victory and defeat. By keeping the bout to a regular decision, the former stud from Brockport High School, would set the stage for what would come next. Needing a technical fall to force criteria or a pin for the win, Maryland big man, Carl Buchholz apparently did not get paid by the hour as he came out like a man on a mission, quickly putting his Purdue opponent on his back and sticking him 24 seconds into the first period to secure the 20-19 win.

#10 Sooners Defeat #11 Chippewas
Unlike the wild dual cited above, when the Mark Cody-coached University of Oklahoma made a move early into the dual against Central Michigan, there would be no looking back as the murderer’s row of Cody Brewer, #1 Kendric Maple, the Lester twins (#8 Nick @149; #12 Matt @157), and Bubby Graham, turned a 3-0 deficit at the onset of the match into a 21-3 advantage late in the dual. Igniting the spark with first period pins in consecutive matches would be Brewer (who did not face #3 Scotti Sentes as originally planned) and Maple, giving the Big 12 school the 12-3 lead. Because everything they do has to bare some resemblance, the Lesters would make it a family affair by etching out back-to-back wins in sudden victory, with Nick getting 4-2 decision over Corby and Matt breaking a 0-0 deadlock with a takedown against Lucas Smith. Adding that always appreciated extra insurance would be Graham who toppled Ottinger 4-1, making it perhaps the toughest day in the wrestling career of the CMU sophomore (lost early to top-ranked Dake).

Central Michigan would get within 10 pouts following a pair of major decisions out of Craig Kelliher and three-time All-American Ben Bennett, but any hopes of a come-from-behind victory would be dashed at 197 when Sooner Brad Johnson reversed his fortune a bit and went from being the goat (loss by fall to Jace Bennett in Cornell dual) to hero when he put the team win on ice with a 6-5 decision over Jackson Lewis. Big Daddy extraordinaire, Trice, would close out the dual with a 7-2 win over Hall in a losing effort for CMU.

Honoring Blatnick; Video Tribute Fitting For the Local Legend

Jeff Blatnick

In what was the most emotional and soul satisfying portion of the afternoon, tournament organizers would awe the crowd with a beautiful video tribute to Section II icon, Jeff Blatnick, who passed away on October 24th from complications following heart surgery. A cancer survivor who would go on to win the gold medal at the 1984 Olympic Games, Blatnick never strayed far from his roots as a Niskayuna graduate who got his start on the mat under the tutelage of iconic coach Joe Bena, and reached levels that most of us only dream of, belonging to an exclusive company of men who have won a state title, an NCAA title (for Springfield College), and the Olympic hardware. Only 55 when he passed, Blatnick was coaching at Burnt Hills High School at the time of his death. (For more tributes to Blatnick, see here).

Immediately following the glowing tribute which featured highlights from the gold medal match, as well as interviews/recollections from Bena and Dan Gable, donations were taken to assist the family. And, in the spirit of generosity in which Blatnick lived his life, when it came time to give back, those in attendance did so without hesitation, in some instances actually chasing down the individuals holding the donation cups to make sure they had the privilege of contributing to the cause. It was the most selfless act I have ever seen in my decade plus of going to and covering wrestling matches; it was befitting of Mr. Blatnick and would have made him proud the way he did for the us so many times prior.

Full results from yesterday’s action can be accessed by clicking here:

George, Grey, Cisneros and Realbuto Capture Titles at the Mat Town Open

Posted on November 25, 2012 by Urgent Doctor

Billy George, Photo by BV

There’s no doubt that Cornell had a successful weekend at the Northeast Duals in Troy, N.Y., defeating Drexel and a pair of top 12 teams, Central Michigan and Oklahoma. However, current and future members of the Big Red also racked up wins at another event on Saturday – the Mat Town Open in Pennsylvania.

Four Ithaca residents won championships – Cornell sophomore Billy George at 197 pounds as well as three wrestlers who committed to the Big Red and currently represent the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club (FLWC) – Mark Grey (133), Alex Cisneros (149) and Brian Realbuto (157).

George, who previously took fourth and third at the Binghamton Open and New York States, respectively, went 4-0 on the day, outscoring his opponents 26-11 along the way.

As for the Finger Lakes trio, all three notched at least two bonus point victories on the way to first place. For Realbuto, it was the second tournament crown of the season, as he previously captured the Binghamton Open gold. He recorded two pins and a major, including a fall in the finals against Virginia Tech’s Matt Stephens. He is now 15-1 overall.

For Grey and Cisneros, the championships were the first of their college careers. Grey took second at the Binghamton Open and also claimed fifth at the Buffalo Invitational. He was 4-0 with a pin and a major.

Cisneros, wrestling up several weight classes after finishing his stellar high school career at 132 pounds, also had a fall and a major as he took top billing at 149.

The champions weren’t the only New York representatives on the podium. For Cornell, Marshall Peppelman grabbed third at 174 pounds while FLWC’s Angelo Silvestro (fifth at 141), Gabe Dean (fourth at 184) and Oney Snyder (fourth at 285) also made the medal stand.

Northeast Duals Preview – What to Watch for As Cornell, Hofstra, Columbia, Binghamton and Army Take the Mat

Posted on November 23, 2012 by Urgent Doctor

Five of the six Division I New York teams will compete at the Northeast Duals on Saturday in Troy. The following provides a preview for each team, including matches to keep an eye on during the event.

Cornell: vs Drexel, Central Michigan and Oklahoma

The Big Red opened with a convincing 30-7 victory over Binghamton without starters Nick Arujau, Chris Villalonga, Craig Eifert/Jesse Shanaman and Steve Bosak. Arujau and Villalonga are expected back for what should be strong tests, especially from the Chippewas and the Sooners. It will be the first time Drexel head coach Matt Azevedo faces Cornell, where he was an assistant before taking over the Dragons program.

Matches to Watch:

#9 Nahshon Garrett vs. Christian Cullinan/Joe Roth (Central Michigan) – Garrett entered the 125-pound rankings this week after getting off to a 10-0 start with titles at the Binghamton Open and the New York States. After defeating #10 Steve Bonanno in his last match, he’ll face either Cullinan, who has a quality win over Sean Boyle of Michigan this season or #12 Roth, who was a mainstay in the national rankings last season.

#12 Nick Arujau vs. #2 Scotti Sentes (Central Michigan) and #13 Cody Brewer (Oklahoma) – After missing a weekend of action, Arujau won’t be able to ease his way back into the lineup as he has a pair of acclaimed foes to battle – an experienced multiple-time All-American in Sentes and a highly touted freshman in Brewer.

Mike Nevinger, Photo by BV

#9 Mike Nevinger vs. #1 Kendric Maple (Oklahoma) – The seventh and fourth place finishers at last year’s NCAA met in the second round in St. Louis with Maple coming away with the victory. After a solid run last weekend at the New York States we’ll see what adjustments Nevinger has made for his second bout with the nation’s top ranked grappler.

Chris Villalonga vs. #8 Nick Lester (Oklahoma) – Villalonga won his first two bouts of the year before defaulting out of the Binghamton Open. He will get his first major test of the campaign when he takes on the Oklahoma All-American who is stellar on top.

#1 Kyle Dake vs. #12 Joe Booth (Drexel), #18 Mike Ottinger (Central Michigan) and #7 Bubby Graham (Oklahoma) – Booth may not be in the lineup, but if he is Dake will be the only Big Red wrestler scheduled to meet three ranked opponents. With the Ithaca native in his last year of college competition, every one of his matches is “one to watch”, that is, if you like viewing one of the greats.

#2 Steve Bosak vs. #5 Ben Bennett would be a headliner, but it won’t take place with the 2012 184-pound NCAA champion unlikely to be back on the mat. In Bosak’s place, freshman Craig Scott has been very effective. How will he fare against the multi-time All-American Bennett?

Jace Bennett vs. #19 Brandon Palik (Drexel) – Bennett was totally dominant at the New York States last Saturday, with three pins and a major. He’ll look to keep things going against a wrestler considered to be among the top 20 nationally.

Hofstra: vs. Bloomsburg, Oklahoma, Central Michigan and Purdue

Hofstra has already faced two top 25 teams in road duals and the Pride will match up against another three ranked teams – Oklahoma, Central Michigan and Purdue on Saturday as they look for their first victory of the season. A talented Bloomsburg squad is also on the docket for this weekend.

Matches to Watch:

Steve Bonanno, Photo by BV

#10 Steve Bonanno vs. Christian Cullinan/Joe Roth and #19 Camden Eppert (Purdue) – Bonanno has faced a challenging early slate with Minnesota’s David Thorn and Cornell’s Garrett. Cullinan/Roth and Eppert will provide additional tough battles.

#17 Jamie Franco vs #2 Scotti Sentes (Central Michigan), #13 Cody Brewer (Oklahoma) and #8 Cashe Quiroga (Purdue) – There’s no rest for Franco after taking third at the New York States. He’ll have a great opportunity to wrestle some of the nation’s top competitors and move up higher in the top 20. His fourth opponent, New York native Nick Wilcox of Bloomsburg, isn’t in the Intermat rankings, but is #20 according to Amateur Wrestling News.

#10 Luke Vaith vs. #1 Kendric Maple (Oklahoma) and Brandon Nelsen (Purdue) – Vaith has looked tough this season, defeating Nick Dardanes of Minnesota and losing squeakers to returning All-Americans Tyler Graff and Mike Nevinger. He’ll get another medalist in the nation’s #1 141-pounder, Maple, and the solid Brandon Nelsen.

Justin Accordino hasn’t taken the mat yet this season but if he does, he’ll be welcomed back by #8 Nick Lester of the Sooners, #14 Ivan Lopouchanski of Purdue and Bloomsburg’s Josh Roosa.

Paul Snyder vs. #4 Jarod Trice (Central Michigan) and #17 Justin Grant (Bloomsburg) – Snyder won the New York State crown last weekend and will look to carry that momentum to Troy. Grant recently cracked the top 20, while Trice is a top 5 heavyweight nationally.

Binghamton vs. Army, Rutgers and Illinois

Binghamton opened the campaign with duals against EIWA squads Lehigh and Cornell. The Bearcats are looking to earn first-year head coach Matt Dernlan’s initial victory when they take on two other EIWA foes – Rutgers and Army – as well as the Big 10’s Illinois.

Matches to Watch:

Joe Bonaldi vs. #3 BJ Futrell (Illinois) and Trevor Melde (Rutgers) – Bonaldi broke into the rankings during the Binghamton Open when he topped a number of heralded wrestlers on his way to first place. It is unclear whether he will take the mat after sitting out last week with an injury, but if he does, he will face tough tests in All-American Futrell and Melde.

#4 Donnie Vinson vs. #20 Daniel Young (Army) and Mario Mason (Rutgers) – Young made some noise early in the campaign when he defeated returning NCAA fourth place finisher Cam Tessari of Ohio State. Vinson looked on last weekend as Young took second at the New York States. This week, the Bearcat 149-pounder will have his chance against the Army wrestler and against the talented Scarlet Knight Mason.

Cody Reed vs. Collin Wittmeyer (Army), #13 Dan Rinaldi (Rutgers) and #11 Tony Dallago (Illinois) – There will be an air of familiarity in Reed’s first bout, as he’ll take on Wittmeyer. The two wrestled for third place at the New York States last weekend, with the Army grappler taking the bronze. They’ll compete again in Round 1 before Reed faces top 15 competitors Rinaldi and Dallago.

#7 Nate Schiedel vs. #6 Mario Gonzalez (Illinois) – Schiedel’s transition to 197 pounds has been smooth so far, as he sports a 6-0 mark with a victory over All-American Micah Burak of Penn. This should be another good one between two strong podium contenders for 2012-13.

Army vs. Purdue, Binghamton and Rutgers

The Black Knights have been busy in the early season with the Buffalo Invitational, Brockport/Oklahoma Gold and the New York States, but they will participate in their first duals this weekend against Purdue, Binghamton and Rutgers.

Matches to Watch:

Injuries have left some interesting matches in doubt. Jordan Thome, who won a pair of bouts at the NCAA tournament last year, could get a shot at former All-American Cashe Quiroga of Purdue. However, Thome defaulted out of the New York States due to injury and goarmysports.com doesn’t list him as the starter.

As discussed above, Joe Bonaldi missed last weekend’s action for Binghamton, but if he returns to the mat, he’ll have a meeting with Connor Hanafee, who has placed fourth and fifth at the Oklahoma Gold and New York States, respectively. Hanafee will be busy with tough matches as he’s also set to face Brandon Nelsen of Purdue and Trevor Melde of Rutgers.

The match between #20 Daniel Young and #4 Donnie Vinson was discussed above, but Young will get another challenge from a ranked grappler – #14 Ivan Lopouchanski of Purdue. Also already mentioned in the Binghamton section was the match between Collin Wittmeyer and Cody Reed. In addition to Reed, Wittmeyer should see Scarlet Knight Dan Rinaldi, currently 13th nationally.

If Coleman Gracey makes his debut at 174 pounds, he’ll take on Greg Zannetti of Rutgers, currently #11 according to Intermat.

Freshman Bryce Barnes has already faced top 10 foes in his rookie campaign – dropping close decisions to Ohio State’s Andrew Campolattano and Maryland’s Christian Boley. He’ll see how he measures up against #7 Schiedel and Purdue’s NCAA qualifier Braden Atwood, currently ranked 18th.

Columbia vs. Maryland, Rutgers and Drexel

The Lions had strong performances at the MSU Open and the New York States, with a trio of wrestlers – Steve Santos, Jake O’Hara and Stephen West earning titles at both events. They’ll seek to keep their undefeated streaks going against some solid competition.

Matches to Watch:

#15 Steve Santos vs. Mario Mason (Rutgers) Mason isn’t in the current rankings but has been in the top 5 in the past and was one of the nation’s top recruits when he was at Blair Academy. Santos handed Mason a loss a few years ago and will look to do so again.

Jake O'Hara, Photo by BV

#13 Jake O’Hara vs. #9 Scott Winston (Rutgers) – O’Hara is unbeaten in his eight bouts. In comes Winston, who has risen to ninth in the country. Who will keep their undefeated run alive?

#18 Stephen West vs. #11 Greg Zannetti (Rutgers) and #3 Josh Asper (Maryland) – West is 9-0. A good weekend against two highly touted wrestlers will certainly move him up further in the national picture.

Nick Mills vs. #10 Christian Boley (Maryland) and #19 Brandon Palik (Drexel) – Mills earned silver at the New York States and will look to continue his improved wrestling against two experienced and ranked foes.

***Individual rankings from Intermat

Section 10 Preview: Three-Time Placer Dillon Stowell and Four-Time Qualifier Isaiah Perry Seek Podium Spots for Section 10

Posted on November 20, 2012 by Urgent Doctor

Photos of Stowell and Ayen by Kelly Ayen

Division I

Returning State Qualifiers (from 2012)

99 Pounds: Ryan Brown, Canton

113 Pounds: Skyler Cameron, Massena

120 Pounds: Codey Bond, Canton

126 Pounds: Isaiah Perry, Massena

138 Pounds: Jamiel Stapleton, Malone

170 Pounds: Cody Smith, Malone

195 Pounds: Jeremy Malone, Massena

285 Pounds: Nolan Terrance, Massena

Some Wrestlers to Watch

Isaiah Perry (Massena) – Perry has been to the state championships the last four years and is gearing up for one last run at All-State honors. He came closest in 2010 at 103 pounds when he was within one win of placing. In 2012, Perry collided with state runner up Sam Speno of Fox Lane and eventual fourth place finisher Giovanni Sanchez following a 34-5 season in which he notched 23 bonus point triumphs (15 pins). On his way, he defeated several others who competed in Albany, such as Ryan Spinner, Skyler Way, Jordan Bushey and Curtis Barney.

“Perry is very well seasoned and he travels outside the area to seek out good competition,” Gouverneur coach Joel Baer said. “He’s a very tough kid who will contend to place at states again.”

Nathan Marshall (Massena) would be a threat to make an impact in the postseason after his 29-3 campaign at 106 pounds a year ago with two of his three losses to wrestlers that finished high in Albany (Division II’s fourth placer Dillon Stowell and 1-0 to Division I bronze medalist Krishna Sewkumar of Long Beach). However, according to Massena coach Scott Perrine, Marshall is overseas this year, but is expected to return next year.

In the interim, Perrine believes good things can be expected from Canton’s Ryan Brown, who racked up a 25-9 record as an eighth grader at 99 pounds and made a trip to the state tournament. Brown registered two victories over state qualifier Tanner Lapiene (after losing to Lapiene the first two times they met) and also had a solid victory over Josh Logiudice of Section 2. Brown didn’t get his hand raised in Albany, but looks to do so as a freshman. Another young wrestler to keep an eye on is Nolan Terrance of Massena, who also competed at the Times Union Center as a ninth grader at 285. Perrine has high hopes for Terrance as well as his teammate Landon Laughlin, who the coach said is “looking really good” as the season approaches.

Team Race …

In 2012, Canton-Potsdam topped Massena in an eight-point race to win the Division I title. While Canton returns a pair of champions in Ryan Brown and Codey Bond, the squad will miss other titlewinners such as EB Foote, Curtis Barney, Cody Dominique and Adam Widener.

The team that took second, Massena, looks poised to move into the top spot. Four state qualifiers return to the lineup, including the aforementioned Isaiah Perry and Nolan Terrance as well as Skyler Cameron and Jeremy Malone.

Division II

Returning State Placewinners (from 2012)

Fourth Place: Dillon Stowell (12) Gouverneur, 113 Pounds

Fifth Place: Zach Ayen (10) Gouverneur, 120 Pounds

Additional Returning State Qualifiers (from 2012)

99 Pounds: Tanner Lapiene (8) Ogdensburg Free Academy

106 Pounds: Aaron Bush (10) Gouverneur

132 Pounds: Joey Love (11) Gouverneur

138 Pounds: Nathan Murdock (11) Ogdensburg Free Academy

152 Pounds: Curtis Fuller (12) Gouverneur

170 Pounds: Andrew Cole (12) Ogdensburg Free Academy

195 Pounds: Hunter Ayen (12) Gouverneur

285 Pounds: Nate Sarkin (12) Ogdensburg Free Academy

Seniors to Watch

Dillon Stowell (Gouverneur) – Stowell has been a regular on the podium in the postseason, taking spots in the top four the past three seasons, including two bronze finishes (at 96 pounds in 2010 and at 103 pounds in 2011). He was fourth a year ago in a stacked 113-pound bracket in which he lost to a pair of state champions (Sean Peacock and William Koll) while defeating medalists such as Laken Cook and Austin Keough. His 2012 finish came on the heels of a 43-5 campaign in which only six of his victories were by regular decision. He will be expected to be All-State again but the question is whether he will top his career off with a state crown.

“I think Dillon has physically matured this summer,” said Gouverneur coach Joel Baer. “He said his goal is to be at 113 again and that’s where he needs to be. He’s seeking out good competition, going to the Journeymen tournament before the season. His goal is to win the state title at 113 and I think he’ll be in the mix with a new crop of kids.”

Hunter Ayen, Courtesy of Kelly Ayen

Hunter Ayen (Gouverneur) – The upperweight posted a 33-9 mark in 2011-12, with several victories over New York qualifiers such as Adam Widener, Nathanael Rose, Jeremy Malone (twice) and Richard Sisti. Seven of his losses came to wrestlers among the state’s best, including two to undefeated national champion Tony Lock (now at Buffalo), two to fourth place finisher Tyler Smith and one each to Empire State runner up Austyn Hayes, third place medalist Derrek Dalton and sixth place medalist Ben Perry. Ayen has demonstrated the ability to compete with and beat good talent and will try to join his brother Zach on the medal stand in 2013.

“We’re expecting big things from Hunter,” Baer said. “He may be back at 195 or he may move up to 220. He has great athleticism. If he were to go up to 220, even if he was giving up some weight, he would be very quick and athletic. Wherever he is, I think the podium is very realistic.”

Also Keep an Eye On …

Junior Zach Ayen of Gouverneur, who in his third trip to Albany in 2012, earned All-State honors after taking fifth at 120. Ayen notched two pins during the state tournament after a season in which he had 22 additional falls in a 34-win season. He is a threat to once again represent Section 10 on the podium, most likely up several weights.

“We expect another strong season from Zach,” Baer said. “He grew and hit the weight room and will probably be at 138. Part of his success was from his strength and physical maturity. It will be an adjustment to a higher weight where he’ll still be able to ride good kids, but it will be much harder to turn them. The potential is there to get on the podium again but there’s some work to do.”

Andrew Cole (Ogdensberg Free Academy) – Cole went 26-7 as a junior at 170 pounds, with 14 bonus point wins. Both of his losses in Albany were by two points – the latter in overtime. Baer believes he’s ready to take the next step in 2013.

“[Cole] has wrestled in a lot of offseason tournaments,” Baer said. “He was in some close matches at states. He’s put a lot of work in and looks really good. I think he will be tough this year.”

Team Race . . .

Gouverneur ran away with the Division II crown in 2012 and will be the favorite again on the strength of several returning state qualifiers, including three standouts mentioned above – Stowell and the Ayen brothers. They will be joined by Aaron Bush, Joey Love and Curtis Fuller. Ogdensburg Free Academy looks to be the top challenger with four returners who wrestled in Albany last year – seniors Andrew Cole and Nate Sarkin, junior Nathan Murdock and eighth grader Tanner Lapiene.

Special thanks to those who contributed to this article, especially Joel Baer and Scott Perrine.

More Season Preview Articles:

Section 11 Preview

Features:

Section 1 Feature: Aslanian and Realbuto, All-State Wrestlers and Workout Partners, Seek to End Their Careers on Top of the Podium

Section 4 Feature: Looking for “Number Nine”: Reggie Williams Aims to Make History at Johnson City

Section 5 Feature: The “Miracle” Continues: The Return of Aaron Paddock

Section 9 Feature: Unstoppable: Vinny Vespa Wrestles Again After Confronting Cancer

Section 11 Feature: Nick Piccininni Looks to Continue Winning Streak

Section 5 Preview: More Than 10 All-State Wrestlers Return, Including 2012 Finalists Recco, Peacock, DePrez, Mazurowski and Bacon

Posted on November 19, 2012 by Urgent Doctor

Division I

Returning State Placewinners

Fifth Place: Bryan Lantry, Wayne, 99 Pounds

Second Place: Vincent Deprez, Hilton, 113 Pounds

Additional Returning Qualifiers

99 Pounds: Jon Haas, Spencerport

106 Pounds: Bryan Ruggeri, Fairport

106 Pounds: Barton Peters, Brockport

170 Pounds: Jared Mesiti, Brockport

195 Pounds: Colton Kells, Fairport

Seniors to Watch

Colton Kells (Fairport) – The Red Raiders crowned the first state champion in school history in 2012 when Josh Lackey took the 220-pound title. Kells, a fellow Fairport upperweight, looks to make it two years in a row. He came within one victory of making the medal stand as a junior as he won a pair of bouts in Albany. His 35-8 campaign included a victory over bronze medalist Jake Kelly of Niagara Wheatfield and all but one of his losses came against wrestlers that have now graduated.

Bryan Ruggeri (Fairport) – Like his teammate Kells, Ruggeri made the trip to the state tournament. He had a difficult draw, losing to undefeated champion Nick Piccininni of Ward Melville and fourth place finisher Jimmy Overhiser of Corning. However, he showed his ability in a 35-win season that included a win over All-State grappler Corey Hollister. He’ll be looking for more in 2013.

Jared Mesiti (Brockport) – Mesiti went 36-9 at 170 pounds a year ago, making an appearance at the Times Union Center after winning the Section 5 title by a point over Jessi Kimmerli. The victory was significant because the Spencerport grappler had defeated Mesiti the first three times they met in 2011-12. (Kimmerli earned fifth in Albany). Now that he’s had a taste of the state tournament, Mesiti is looking to get his hand raised at the event as a senior.

Austin Coleman (Spencerport) – Coleman, the returning Section 5 runner up, had a number of quality wins at 285 a year ago, including over state silver medalist El Shaddai Van Hoesen of Columbia, and looks to punch his ticket to Albany in 2013. He’s favored to do just that as opposing coaches such as Brockport’s Mike Ferris believe he’s the wrestler to beat at heavyweight this season.

Also Keep an Eye On . . .

Vincent DePrez, Photo by BV

Vincent DePrez (Hilton) – Deprez had a nearly perfect season as a sophomore that ended just short of a state title. He went 49-1 at 113 pounds, with his only setback coming on a takedown at the buzzer in the state championship bout against Dylan Realbuto of Somers. He racked up a collection of impressive triumphs, including wins over Sean Peacock (Division II state champion) and additional placers Cody McGregor, Pat Skinner and Robert Person. He will be up several weight classes but will be among the favorites to stand on top of the podium in late February.

Barton Peters (Brockport) – Peters is already a two-time Section 5 champion, including the 106 pound title in 2012. During his 39-win sophomore campaign, he tallied several quality victories, including a pin against Fairport’s Bryan Ruggeri in the first period of the Section championship bout.

Lightweights Jonathan Haas (Spencerport) and Bryan Lantry (Wayne) know each other pretty well. Two of the top 99-pounders in the state last season, they met three times in February. Haas came out on top on the first two occasions, including in overtime in the SuperSectional final. However, when they met in Albany, with a place on the podium on the line, Lantry (45-5) captured a 5-1 victory on his way to fifth. Both will once again be in the running at the end of the year.

Although the following wrestlers didn’t take the mat at the state tournament last year, they will certainly be in the mix to do so this time around.

Anthony DePrez (Hilton) – As a tenth grader, he went 41-6 with three of his losses to state runner up Brady Baron. The last of those defeats came by a slim 4-3 margin in the SuperSectional title bout. DePrez had 11 pins and another 17 bonus wins. Not to be outdone by his brothers Vincent and Anthony, Lou DePrez piled up 29 wins as a seventh grader at 106 and will another important part of the Hilton lineup.

Jacob Pincus (Pittsford) – Pincus took second at the SuperSectionals behind Angelo DeAngelis after a 35-4 campaign. He registered 20 pins and defeated NHSCA All-American Derek Holcomb of Newark Valley.

Vinny Romeo (Canandaigua Academy) – Romeo took third in Section 5 to cap off a season in which he won 38 matches at 126 pounds, including 16 pins. His bronze medal match victory at SuperSectionals came against Jacob Boice of Honeoye Falls-Lima, another wrestler to keep an eye on. Boice had defeated Romeo multiple times earlier in the campaign.

Peter Armbruster (Webster Schroeder) – Armbruster was 40-9 in 2011-12, taking third place in Section 5 behind a pair of state qualifiers Jessi Kimmerli and Jared Mesiti. He registered some solid wins, such as a victory over Josh Maier of Brockport, and looks to make an appearance in Albany.

Collin Pittman (Spencerport) – Like Armbruster, Pittman was a bronze medalist at the SuperSectionals behind two wrestlers that earned bids to the state capital – Colton Kells and Jesse Kozub. After his successful junior season at 195 pounds, Pittman will look to make an impact not only in the Section but at the state level in the upperweights.

Youth Movement . . .

Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton) – Diakomihalis captured trophy after trophy in the spring and summer as he won several events in various states, including the Ohio Tournament of Champions, the Empire Nationals and the NYWAY State championships. As a seventh grader, he went 35-3 with his losses coming to Haas (twice) and Lantry. Intermat currently has him pegged as the sixth best Junior High School wrestler in the nation.

He demonstrated yet again that he’ll be a force to be reckoned with in New York this year at the Journeymen Classic at the beginning of October where he went undefeated and won his bracket in convincing fashion, including victories over Suffolk County’s Jesse Dellavecchia and All-American Tommy Aloi of Virginia. For an encore performance, he won the Middle School national crown at the Super 32 in October.

“He is the closest thing I’ve seen to a young Quinton Murphy,” said Section 5 Class Chairman and Byron-Bergen Athletic Director Rich Hannan. “He’s really special. He doesn’t get rattled and he doesn’t care who he’s wrestling. He just does his thing and stays composed.”

Parker Kropman (Penfield) – Kropman was another seventh grader who produced good results at 99 pounds, with more than 30 wins. He lost a one-point decision to state champion Tony Recco of Lyndonville and also dropped matches against Diakomihalis (twice) and state placer Nick Barbaria of New Rochelle. He and brothers Skylar and Cooper will rack up many victories over the years for Penfield. Teammate Frankie Gissendanner will be in his first year of varsity eligibility and is a wrestler to keep tabs on. He had a highly successful offseason, winning titles at just about every event he entered, including the Ohio Tournament of Champions.

Team Race

“The team race will be more interesting than it’s been in years,” Hannan said. “Brockport has been inching closer and closer to Spencerport each year. Last year, the team race wasn’t locked up until somewhere close to 220 pounds and that was unusual. Several teams will be fighting it out this year.”

Brockport coach Mike Ferris agrees that it will be an intriguing race in 2013, naming a number of squads he thinks can contend, such as Spencerport, Brockport, Hilton, Webster Schroeder, Penfield, Fairport and Pittsford.

“It’s always exciting to see how coaches prepare their teams for the final tournament of the year,” Ferris said. “It seems that this year more than ever, any one of those teams has the ability to finish on top. The team that finishes hot at the end of the season will prove to be Section 5’s best.”

Let’s take a look at some of those teams.

Spencerport, which finished fourth in the state polls last year, is of course a team that will be in the thick of things. The squad graduated a fair bit of firepower with state qualifiers Steve Maier, Angelo DeAngelis and Jessi Kimmerli moving on. But Jon Haas, Austin Coleman and Collin Pittman will be back to form a strong core for the always-tough Rangers.

Brockport, eighth in the state a year ago, is in a similar situation, welcoming back Section 5 champions Mesiti, Peters and Class A Section champion Ryan Mattison, but losing a large group of solid competitors in Joe Carter, Jesse Kozub, Alex Love, Josh Maier, Mark Nesbitt, Owen Peters, Jimmy Porteus and CJ White.

“It is always difficult to say goodbye to a special group of seniors like we had last season,” Ferris said, mentioning that his squad sent a Division I team record of six athletes to the state tournament. “However, like every year, it is important to build off of the successes of past athletes to build the future. I am confident our team will be ready to go when it matters the most.”

As always the highly anticipated Brockport vs. Spencerport dual is circled on the calendar for Section 5 wrestling fans. January 24^th will be sure to draw a crowd as the Blue Devils host the Rangers in what is typically a battle.

Don’t forget about Fairport. The team’s first-ever state champion Josh Lackey now suits up for North Carolina State and his classmates Dakota Taylor and Pat Van Bortle aren’t wearing Red Raider singlets anymore. But James Arao, Zack Barker, Colton Kells, Andrew Pieri and Bryan Ruggeri will give Fairport a tough squad to beat.

“Fairport always finds ways to replace talent with young tough kids,” Ferris said. “I’m sure Coach Kohl has his Raiders ready to contend for an AA sectional title once again.”

Other teams that will make their mark include Penfield, which returns Keith Langdon, Parker Kropman, Skylar Kropman and Eric Harley and Hilton which offers a standout lightweight group of the three DePrez brothers (Vincent, Anthony and Lou) as well as Diakomihalis.

Pittsford will be in the mix despite the loss of state runner up Brady Baron with a core made up of Jeff Gould, Tyler Gross, Rob Klotz, Jacob Pincus and Tyler Schaefer.

And while Webster Schroeder said goodbye to Section 5 finalists Alec Dierna, Josh Reed, Andrew Wightman and Mike DeMarco, they are a team to keep tabs on as well, led by returning placers Armbruster and Rosario Venniro.

“Webster Schreoder lost a solid core of athletes but it wouldn’t be a surprise if Coach Salvaggio competes for a AA championship again this year,” Ferris said. “He has some tough kids returning on his team.”

Division II

Returning State Placewinners

99 Pounds: Andrew Flanagan, Holley, Fourth Place

99 Pounds: Tony Recco, Lyndonville, State Champion

106 Pounds: Corey Hollister, Perry, Fifth Place

113 Pounds: Sean Peacock, Midlakes, State Champion

113 Pounds: Austin Keough, Warsaw, Sixth Place

170 Pounds: Burke Paddock, Warsaw, Third Place

182 Pounds: Tim Schaefer, Warsaw, Third Place

195 Pounds: Bryce Mazurowski, Avon, Second Place

195 Pounds: Tyler Smith, Midlakes, Fourth Place

220 Pounds: Zack Bacon, Hornell, Second Place

220 Pounds: Mike Silvis, Holley, Fifth Place

Additional Returning Qualifiers

106 Pounds: Matt Boyle, Batavia

126 Pounds: Jake Nicholson, Waterloo

132 Pounds: Clyde Carey, Addison

145 Pounds: Austin Hedges Letchworth

182 Pounds: Jeff Day, Letchworth

Some of the Wrestlers to Watch . . .

Section 5 was the big winner in Division II in Albany and although outstanding state champions Sam Recco, Quinton Murphy and Chris Nevinger have graduated, as have medalists such as Jeff O’Lena and Kacee Sauer, the Section still returns a host of qualifiers that will account for a large number of points again in February. In fact, 16 wrestlers who represented the section in 2012 will be back.

Tony Recco, Photo by Boris V

Tony Recco made a tremendous debut at the state tournament, earning a championship to match the one his brother Sam (now at Edinboro), captured. On his title run in Albany, Recco defeated fellow Section 5 star Andrew Flanagan, who also made All-State.

A few minutes after Tony Recco earned his title, Sean Peacock completed a 49-2 campaign with a crown of his own in one of the brackets most densely packed with former All-State grapplers. One blemish on his record was a SuperSectionals finals loss to Austin Keough, who was sixth at the states. Recco, Peacock and Keough will once again be threats to earn gold in 2013.

Bryce Mazurowski, Photo Boris V

A pair of upperweights also stepped on the mat for the Saturday night title bouts in Albany, with both Avon’s Bryce Mazurowski and Hornell’s Zack Bacon coming up just one match short of being state champions themselves. Mazurowski racked up a 46-2 record a year ago (including a victory over Bacon up at 220) and may be the preseason favorite statewide. To win the Section 5 crown, Mazurowski defeated Tyler Smith of Midlakes, who took fourth at the state tournament. They could meet again during the season . . . or in Albany.

Bacon and Mike Silvis may be on a collision course to meet not only to determine the best in Section 5 but also the best in the Empire State. Bacon was dominant a year ago, with all but one of his victories by bonus points coming into the state tournament. When they met in Albany, Silvis gave Bacon one of his toughest bouts in a 4-1 decision. Look for some more battles, as according to Hannan, Silvis put in significant work in the offseason, including attending the 28-day J Robinson camp, and is getting serious looks from several Division I college programs.

Two other wrestlers looking to win it all this season are Warsaw’s Tim Schaefer and Burke Paddock. The pair has combined to make the medal stand seven times, but neither has reached the top yet. Both hope to change that in 2013.

Also Keep an Eye On . . .

Here are some wrestlers who didn’t make the drive to wrestle in Albany last year, but have a solid chance to do so this year.

Lightweights:

At 99 pounds, Hannan pointed to a pair of wrestlers who could break through this year, Tyler Hamsher of Wayland-Cohocton and Jason Charlette of Midlakes (34-13), the third and fourth place finishers at Supers. They split a pair of close, late season matches.

“I think both Charlette and Hamsher will be very good,” Hannan said. “Hamsher lost a tight 3-1 match to [state champion] Tony Recco in the semis at the Supers. I think both are right there at the state level if they’re back at 99.”

Another bonus name to remember over the next few seasons is Dane Heberlein. The Alexander wrestler made the varsity squad last year as a seventh grader but didn’t meet the minimum weight requirement to compete. However, he has proven himself in a number of events around the country, including winning an NHSCA Middle School National championship in the spring. According to a number of coaches, Heberlein will be dangerous, especially once his weight is high enough.

In the 106/113 range, keep tabs on Matt Boyle of Batavia, who went 34-7 with 11 pins as a sophomore 106 pounder. He dropped a 2-1 decision to state placer Corey Hollister and would like to join the Perry grappler in the Times Union Center in 2013. In addition, don’t lose sight of Hunter Taylor of Byron Bergen, who captured 33 bouts as a freshman 113-pounder and took fourth at the SuperSectionals. Interestingly, Taylor has wrestling in his family as he often watches his uncle, Tim Taylor compete in Greco Roman at high profile events. Tim Taylor has been second on the Olympic ladder behind Dremiel Byers for a number of years.

While two familiar faces, Sam Recco and Jeff O’Lena, the top two finishers in the state a year ago, are no longer in high school, Section 5 will still be tough at 120 pounds. The top returner, Rafael Mateo of Midlakes, piled up 42 victories as a tenth grader, including wins over state medalists Zach Ayen of Gouverneur (by major) and Dakota Gardner of Fredonia. He faced a tough schedule, battling Recco and O’Lena twice each as well as Dylan Rifenburg. That experience should help him as a junior.

At 126 pounds, Jake Nicholson of Waterloo came so close to going to Albany in 2012, losing by a point in triple overtime to state placer Dylan Rifenburg at 126 in the SuperSectionals. In his 33-3 campaign, he lost only to state silver medalist Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer and Rifenburg twice (although he also beat Rifenburg) and recorded 21 pins.

“126 last year was a bag of rattlesnakes,” Hannan said. “I didn’t know who was going to come out of it. Nicholson wrestled well and won it. He’s very athletic on the mat.”

Speaking of 126 pounds, two wrestlers to monitor this year are Jake Sepor of Pavilion and Derek Draper of York, although one or both may move up to 132. Draper placed at the SuperSectionals in 2011, according to Hannan, and a top three finish in 2013 could result in a trip to Albany. Draper has overcome some obstacles to get back on the mat and will be someone to cheer for in his final campaign.

“I’ll be very surprised if Sepor doesn’t make it to states this year. He’s definitely good enough to do it,” Hannan said. “As for Draper, he came up with the [Bobby and Alec] Diernas and Quinton Murphy and was right there as a young guy. He’s had some serious medical issues and at times looks like a shell of his former self but you can still see the glimpses of really great wrestling. If he puts it together, he may be at states and that would be a gigantic victory.”

If either Sepor or Draper are at 132, they might face Addison’s Clyde Carey, who was one victory from placing in Albany last year. A few things should be noted about that performance. One, his losses were to eventual state champion Connor Lapresi in the first round and then to bronze finisher Tom Page of Eden by a 4-3 score. Second, while many compete at less than 100% at the end of the campaign, Carey was far less than that.

“Clyde wrestled with a broken collarbone at the end of the year,” Hannan said. “You could see he was hurting in the semis and finals of the Supers, but he did what he had to do. He gutted it out. He actually wrestled well at states, but you’re not going to be able to get away with being that injured and still win at that level. He doesn’t stop moving. He’s technically very good. He beat up on some kids in Section 5 that I thought were very good wrestlers. I’m excited to see what he can do when he’s healthy.”

Middle/Upperweights:

Moving on to the middle and upperweights, Collin Fox of Midlakes is one to keep tabs on this year. The numbers were very good for Fox as he was 46-2 with 25 pins and a bronze medal at SuperSectionals a year ago. He also defeated qualifier Austin Hedges of Letchworth and hopes to take a few steps forward in the postseason.

Austin Baker from Canisteo-Greenwood was 40-10 at 160 pounds with four losses to New York state medalists (champions Chris Nevinger and Ben Haas and third placer Hayden Wagner) and another four to now-graduated Corey Vail of Pioneer. He defeated state qualifier Conner Fox of Midlakes and “will be very good” according to Hannan.

At 170 pounds, Nick Winkley, who took fourth at Supers last year is back, and another name to keep an eye on is a grappler who didn’t participate in the postseason after a 32-7 record — Byron Bergen’s Jon Levchuk.

“I think Jon could have been in the finals against Burke Paddock last year in the SuperSectionals if he had wrestled,” Hannan said. “He had a fantastic year and will make some noise this year, even possibly at the state level.”

Yet another upperweight who will be a breakout threat is Penn Yan’s John Martisch. As a sophomore in 2011-12, Martisch went 43-6 with five of his losses to state placers (four to Tyler Smith and one, a 6-5 decision to Jesse Kozub). He registered 32 pins along the way.

“He had Kozub on the ropes. A call went Kozub’s way late in the match but Martisch had him beat. He’s big and well put together and he can definitely wrestle,” Hannan said. “Little mistakes cost him last year but if he cleans them up, he can be one of the top guys in the state, that’s for sure. No one in the state knows his name, kind of like [current Binghamton wrestler] Tyler Deuel a few years ago. We saw Deuel coming but he surprised a lot of people in New York. Martisch is the same way and is even built like him.”

Team Race

Holley won the team title in 2012 for the first time since 2008, less than 10 points ahead of Midlakes and about 20 in front of Warsaw. Each of those squads returns multiple SuperSectional placers, but Midlakes may be the preseason favorite, according to Hannan, as the Screaming Eagles bring back a large number of top performers.

State champion Sean Peacock and All-Stater Tyler Smith lead the charge for Midlakes while Collin Fox, Rafael Mateo, Hammond Raes and Jason Charlette, who all finished in the top six at SuperSectionals, will put plenty of points on the board as well. “I think Midlakes will be very tough to beat. They have to be at the forefront because of what they did last year,” Hannan said.

Challenging for top billing will be Warsaw, which welcomes back Burke Paddock and Tim Schaefer who are among the best in New York as well as multiple-time state medalist Austin Keough and Colin Royce, who was fourth in the Section a year ago. Of course, the return of Aaron Paddock strengthens the team on the mat and serves as an inspiration to wrestlers throughout the state and the country. For our recent story on the Paddock family, see here.

Holley can’t be discounted in its bid to repeat despite the losses of four-time state champion Quinton Murphy and multiple-time All-Stater Kacee Sauer. Andrew Flanagan and Mike Silvis both made the podium at the Times Union Center and Nick Winkley is set to come back after a fourth place SuperSectional showing.

“Holley will be solid,” Hannan said. “No one in Section 5 reloads better than [head coach] John Grillo. One year, they had seven seniors in the finals of the SuperSectionals and the next year, after all those guys graduated, they scored more points with a new team. You can’t count Holley out.”

Also offering strong squads will be Canisteo-Greenwood as well as typically tough Palymra-Macedon. Byron Bergen has a solid group of returning starters such as Hunter Taylor, Jon Levchuk, Warren Oderkirk and Austin Yockel. “There’s a nice mix of veterans and a really good group of youth wrestlers at Byron Bergen,” Hannan said. “The future looks pretty bright.”

Special thanks to all of the contributors to this article, especially Mike Ferris and Rich Hannan.

More Season Preview Articles:

Section 11 Preview

Features:

Section 1 Feature: Aslanian and Realbuto, All-State Wrestlers and Workout Partners, Seek to End Their Careers on Top of the Podium

Section 4 Feature: Looking for “Number Nine”: Reggie Williams Aims to Make History at Johnson City

Section 5 Feature: The “Miracle” Continues: The Return of Aaron Paddock

Section 9 Feature: Unstoppable: Vinny Vespa Wrestles Again After Confronting Cancer

Section 11 Feature: Nick Piccininni Looks to Continue Winning Streak

Weekend Recap: Garrett Earns MOW as Cornell Wins New York State Collegiate Title; Columbia Crowns Three Champions

Posted on November 18, 2012 by Urgent Doctor

This weekend, the focus of New York college wrestling was in Ithaca.

First, on Friday night, Cornell defeated Binghamton 30-7 in a rematch of the dual won on criteria by the Big Red a year ago in Vestal. For full results of the meet between the Big Red and the Bearcats, see here.

On Saturday and Sunday, most of the Empire State’s squads across all divisions competed in the New York State Championships, with the varsity competition on the first day and the “B” event on Sunday.

For final brackets from Saturday’s event, see:

NYS Tournament Final Brackets

To watch a video replay of the championship matches, see here.

Here are a few quick observations from Saturday’s action:

Cornell Freshmen Didn’t Look Like Rookies

Craig Scott, Photo by BV

Without two defending NCAA champions (Kyle Dake and Steve Bosak) and a number of other starters, the Big Red won the team title on Saturday by more than 30 points. Contributing significantly were freshmen such as Nahshon Garrett, Chris Dowdy and Craig Scott. All three won their debuts in a Cornell singlet against the Bearcats on Friday night and they all followed up with strong showings in the tournament.

Nahshon Garrett, Photo by Boris V

Garrett earned Most Outstanding Wrestler honors after capturing the 125-pound title with a 13-9 victory over returning All-American Steve Bonanno of Hofstra. It was the second week in a row on top of the podium for the California native, who won the Binghamton Open during the season’s opening weekend.

Scott beat NCAA qualifier Cody Reed of the Bearcats in the dual on Friday and then did it again, by a larger margin, on Saturday. That victory put him in the finals, where he upended Tyler Beckwith to win the tournament a week after taking second at the Binghamton Open.

The finals of the Cornell wrestle-offs at 157 pounds featured Craig Eifert and Jesse Shanaman, but with both out due to injuries, Chris Dowdy made sure the Big Red remained strong at the weight class. Dowdy notched a convincing 5-0 shutout in the meet against Binghamton and then fought his way to the finals on Saturday, where he took silver behind NCAA qualifier Jake O’Hara of Columbia.

The performances of the three first-year Cornell students bodes well for the future of the Ivy League squad, as does the work of 141-pounder Mike Nevinger who didn’t yield a point all day. He recorded three pins and outscored his opponents 13-0 in his other two bouts to win the tournament. Similarly dominant was 197-pounder Jace Bennett, who pinned his way to the championship match, where he notched a major decision.

Champions from Columbia

The Lions led the team race for portions of the day on Saturday and boasted three champions – Steve Santos (149), Jake O’Hara (157) and Stephen West (174). There’s no question that the trio will make the Lions tough in the middleweights in 2012-13. Santos and O’Hara both won multiple matches at the NCAA tournament last year and West was on the verge of receiving an at large bid. All three were in control throughout the day, but they weren’t alone in excelling for the Lions. The New York City-based team also had other top four finishers — Penn Gottfried (fourth at 125), Joe Moita (fourth at 133), Josh Houldsworth (third at 165) and Nick Mills (second at 197).

Hofstra Takes Third

Luke Vaith, Photo by Boris V

Hofstra had one champion on the way to third place in the team competition, but it wasn’t one of the Pride’s returning 2012 NCAA qualifiers. It was Paul Snyder, who breezed through the early rounds before a 3-1 decision over Buffalo’s Justin Heiserman in the title match. Rob Anspach’s squad had five other representatives earn top four spots, with Steve Bonanno (125) and Jermaine John (174) taking second; Jamie Franco (133) and Luke Vaith (141) grabbing third; and Nick Terdick notching fourth.

Standout Performances for Cortland

Tyler Beckwith, Photo by Boris V

Only one non-Division I wrestler made the finals – Tyler Beckwith of Cortland at 184 pounds. But Beckwith wasn’t the only grappler from the Red Dragons to impress. Bobby Dierna took third at 149 with his only loss coming by a point to champion Steve Santos. Jared Myhrberg was fourth at 197 and Corey James rebounded from a first round loss to take fourth at 285. Brad Bruhn’s squad finished sixth in the team standings, the highest finish for a non-Division I team.

Another DIII team, Ithaca, had some strong showings, including bronze finishes for both Jules Doliscar at 174 and Ricardo Gomez at 125.

Mark Lewandowski Knows How to Pile Up the Points

Photo by Boris V

You could say Lewandowski was dominant on his way to the crown at 165 pounds. In his first four matches, he outscored his opponents by a combined 62-1 tally, winning each bout by technical fall. Two of the matches ended in less than one period. His prowess in winning by at least 15 points wasn’t surprising – he had the most technical falls in the nation last year. But we saw first hand that if you look away for too long, you can miss a lot of points when the Buffalo senior is on the mat. (He won 12-6 in the finals).

Lewandowski’s teammates Andrew Schutt and Justin Heiserman also went to the championship bout before taking second. None of Schutt’s matches went the distance. He won his first three by fall and then was pinned in the finale by Cornell’s Mike Nevinger.

The “B” Tournament

Cornell had four champions on Saturday and another three on Sunday in the “B” tournament. Ryan Dunphy (149), Michael Alexander (174) and Jacob Aiken-Phillips (285) all captured first place for the Big Red.

In addition, two more more Ithaca-based grapplers earned gold with Taylor Simaz (157) and Gabe Dean (184) winning for the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club.

Buffalo and Columbia each boasted a pair of victors. Sean Walton (133) and Dominic Montesanti (165) won for the Bulls while Robert Dyar (125) and Matt Idelson (197) were champions for the Lions. Army’s Tyler Rauenzahn rounded out the champions as he stood on top of the medal stand at 141 pounds.

Final brackets for the “B” tournament are here.

Watch LIVE on Saturday – The Finals of the New York State Intercollegiate Championships from Cornell

Posted on November 16, 2012 by Urgent Doctor

On Saturday, the Empire State’s top college programs will meet on the Cornell campus for the 44th New York State Intercollegiate Championships. All of New York’s Division I teams – Army, Binghamton, Buffalo, Columbia, Cornell and Hofstra will be there, as will squads from Alfred State, Brockport, Cortland, Hunter, Ithaca, Jamestown, Mt. St. Vincent, Nassau, NYU, Niagara, Oneonta, Oswego, RIT, USMMA and Yeshiva.

We will be streaming the championship bouts LIVE on Saturday afternoon, starting at approximately 6 p.m..

The live stream will be at this link:

NY State Championships at Cornell

Two-Time State Finalist Trey Aslanian of Edgemont Picks Princeton

Posted on November 16, 2012 by Urgent Doctor

Trey Aslanian, Photo by Boris V

The 2012-13 Princeton roster includes three New York wrestlers.

There will be at least one more next fall as Edgemont’s Trey Aslanian gave a verbal commitment to the Tigers on Thursday after also considering Harvard and Penn.

“Princeton is such a good academic school and that was important to me,” he said. “But what really separated Princeton was that I fell in love with the coaches. I felt really comfortable around them and I think they can take me to that next level.”

The Tigers have had recent success in the lower weight classes. Last season, the squad sent Garrett Frey (125 pounds) and Adam Krop (141) to the NCAA tournament and in the offseason two-time NCAA champion Joe Dubuque joined the staff.

“It’s definitely a great environment for lightweights,” he said, adding that he plans to compete at 125 pounds. “I loved the intensity that I saw. What really stood out to me was that the team was like a family. Everyone is so close to each other yet they were able to push each other during practice. I could see myself fitting in really well.”

The future Economics major said he’s happy to have made his decision so he can fully direct his attention to his goal of winning his first state title after making the podium in New York each of the past three seasons (in addition to earning All-America honors at Fargo).

“Now I can focus that much more on getting better,” he said. “I’ve been putting a lot of time in on the mat, rolling around with my brothers, [Cornell recruit] Dylan Realbuto and working with Vougar Oroudjov. I’m just sharpening my skills, getting ready.”

He’s getting ready to make a run at the top of the medal stand at 120 pounds after taking second at 103 and 113 the past two campaigns. And then, it’s off to New Jersey.

“I definitely want to thank my parents who have helped me every step along the way,” he said. “Also, [Princeton head coach Chris] Ayers, who has been very welcoming and has helped throughout the process. I’m really happy with my decision. Once I took my visit to Princeton, I knew it was where I wanted to be.”

For more on Trey Aslanian, see this article from earlier in the fall.

New York Youth Stars Excel in Vegas and California on NYWAY Trips

Posted on November 15, 2012 by Urgent Doctor

This story covers recent NYWAY trips to both California and Nevada. To read only about the Las Vegas trip, please skip down to Section 2 of the article.

Alcatraz.

When Michael LaPorte, the leader of the NYWAY trip to California last weekend followed up with the families of some of the team members over the past few days, the word ‘Alcatraz’ kept coming up.

“I called several of the parents to make sure everyone was doing okay,” LaPorte said. “The parents who weren’t on the trip all said their kids couldn’t stop talking about how cool the trip to Alcatraz was and how they wanted to go back. But they all said the wrestling was good too.”

Indeed, it was. For the second straight year a group of middle school/junior high New York wrestlers traveled to the Golden State through the NYWAY organization to meet some of the best in the West in both a dual meet event and an individual tournament (the Junior Mid Cals).

The squad began the journey by going 1-3 in the dual meets after forfeiting two weights due to injuries. However, day two was a different story, according to LaPorte.

“On the first day, I think there was a little bit of an adjustment and we were getting used to each other as coaches and wrestlers since a lot of us hadn’t worked together before,” he said. “On the second day, everyone really turned it up and wrestled great. I was extremely happy with how everyone competed.”

In fact, the squad came away with a third place finish at the Junior Mid Cals.

Courtesy of Michael LaPorte

Leading the way with 26 team points was a grappler who was very familiar with the tournament. Alexander’s Dane Heberlein was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler at the event last year and his return visit was successful as well as he took second place at 90 pounds after winning three of his four bouts.

“Dane was undefeated overall on both days going into the finals,” LaPorte said. “He had a couple of really good matches on the first day but came out on top every time. He was winning in the finals pretty handily after the first period but seemed to run out of gas and the kid caught him and pinned him. I think Dane was the better wrestler in the finals, but I guess it wasn’t meant to be.”

Also earning the silver medal for New York was 160-pounder Antonio Cutrie.

“Antonio did a great job throughout,” LaPorte said. “He went up against a really tough kid in the finals who was a Middle School National champion in Greco Roman. But he knew he wrestled well and he got us a lot of team points.”

When it came to team points, only Heberlein scored more than 85-pounder Dillan Palaszewski, who notched multiple pins on his way to third place.

“Dillan was like that silent killer. His demeanor is so quiet, but he just goes on the mat and does his thing,” LaPorte said. “He’s a very methodical, patient wrestler who is very gifted. He was 9-2 on the weekend and the two losses were to the same kid (who won the tournament). On the first day, he took a bit of a beating from the kid and on the second day it was a close match. He’s fun to coach and watch for sure.”

Joining Palaszewski in third were returning champion Orion Anderson (4-1 at 80 pounds) and Grant Cuomo (95 pounds).

“Orion lost a really, really tough one in the semis to the eventual champion,” LaPorte said. “He was up by two going into the third and got caught in a move and got put on his back. He wound up losing by a point. It was a heartbreaker. The first day he had a tough go of it, losing a few times, but he showed great resilience in coming back and wrestling great on the second day. Other teams definitely did their homework on him. He was heavily watched throughout – a lot of people were asking about him because they knew how good he is.”

Meanwhile, Cuomo tallied a 3-1 mark on the way to his bronze.

“Grant’s father gave me a little cheat sheet on him which helped me a lot in coaching him,” LaPorte said. “He was a little tentative on the first day, but totally different on day two. He let himself go and was relaxed on the mat and looked tough.”

Making the podium in fourth position was Anthony Cirillo at 100 pounds, who earned a technical fall and pin along the way. Also competing at that weight was Steven Kapuscinski, who picked up a victory.

“Cirillo wrestled really well. He had a lot of matches on the second day,” LaPorte said. “He wrestled tough, even toward the end where he was getting a little worn down. And Steven Kapucsinski – he’s a fighter. Conditioning wise, he was definitely one of the best on the team. It was amazing – he was as fresh in the third period as he was in the first every time.”

A pair of New Yorkers grabbed fifth, with Isaiah Bailey (105 pounds) and Zachary Kornberg (115) notching identical 3-2 marks in their respective brackets.

“Isaiah is one of the more mature wrestlers I’ve been around,” LaPorte said. “He’s traveled quite a bit and he’s a super respectful kid. He’s a really talented athlete and he showed maturity in how he handled his losses. He’s very cerebral in the sport.”

As for Kornberg, LaPorte was impressed with how he dealt with adversity.

“Zach had a great time. He was the one kid on our team from Long Island and so much was going on there with the hurricane,” LaPorte said. “I think the tournament was a good distraction for him. On the mat, he has a totally different style than most of the kids, but it was obviously effective. He had a lot of energy and heart.”

The same could be said for Connor Fredericks, who wrestled at 120 pounds.

“Connor went up against tough kids, never complained and was ready to go every time,” LaPorte said. “He fought hard and enjoyed everything. That’s all I could ask for.”

In his second trip to the Northern California event, Matthew LaPorte went 2-2 at 70 pounds while Michael Gonyea did the same at 75. The two often wrestle against each other in events in the Empire State and the tournament was an opportunity for them to be teammates, instead of opponents.

“Matthew and Michael were in two of the largest and toughest brackets, with multiple state and national champions,” LaPorte said. “They have a very unique situation and they are very competitive with each other, so the fact that they bonded on this trip meant a lot to me. They both stepped up and were in every match against excellent competition.”

Their efforts didn’t go unnoticed. In fact, Matthew LaPorte earned the tournament’s Coaches Award.

Matthew LaPorte with his award

“That meant a lot to me,” Michael LaPorte said. “I had no idea it was coming. The award was for showing respect and good stewardship for the sport and for wrestling tough. I was very proud. If any of the kids on our team got that award, it would have been the highlight of the trip for me, but I was of course super excited that my son won. It fit with what I kept hearing from people there. They kept saying our kids were animals on the mat but polite and respectful off the mat to boot.”

Of course, there was another trophy – the third place team award, which LaPorte attributed to not only the team members, but the parents who came along.

“We were hoping to have a better showing than last year and I believe we did, especially with the team trophy,” LaPorte said. “The parents who were there deserve so much credit and recognition for taking time out of their schedules and helping so much. Thank you to Anthony Cirillo, Jason Hoffman, Mary Palaszewski, Jeff Gonyea and Jerry and Julie Kapuscinski. Without them, we couldn’t have done what we did in wrestling and outside of it.”

Although they didn’t have too much time outside of wrestling, they certainly took advantage, spending time at the Fisherman’s Wharf, Lombard Street, Muir Woods, as well as other parts of San Francisco and, of course, Alcatraz.

“I think the kids got so much out of the sightseeing,” LaPorte said. “They really enjoyed that experience. The kids made new friends and that alone was worth the trip. I think the thing that stands out was that people said we left a really positive impression and that we represented New York State well. It was a blast.”

Vegas!

On November 1, another group of young wrestlers flew to Nevada as part of a separate NYWAY trip to compete at the NUWAY Southwest Kickoff. Included was a pair of New York wrestlers who were looking for great competition from the West Coast . . . and wound up facing each other in the finals.

In the 55-pound bracket (7/8 year old division), Carson Alberti and Carter Schubert met for the title. The two Empire State residents aren’t strangers. They’ve wrestled a number of times, with Alberti coming out on top several times in the spring. However, this time, Schubert earned the 2-0 victory and the championship after dominating his first several matches.

He began the tournament with a pin and then outscored his opponents 12-2 the rest of the way.

“When Carson and Carter wrestle, it’s always a tough match. It usually comes down to one takedown,” said Kevin Lucinski, who led the trip. “I think that’s the first time Carter has beaten him, but it was another great match between them.”

Also making the finals for Team New York was Michael Gonyea at 70 pounds in the 11/12 year old division. Gonyea began the event with two first period pins and then recorded an 8-1 decision before dropping the title bout to take second place.

“Mike wrestled really well,” Lucinski said. “He got caught in a pancake and that one move decided the match. I think he learned something from that match and he showed that he’s a really good wrestler.”

Andy Lucinski won a pair of decisions on the way to a fourth place finish in the 9/10 year old competition at 61 pounds while Justin Hoffman was eighth at 100-110 pounds in the same age group. Another Lucinski – Jakob – took the mat in the 5/6 year old competition at 37-40 pounds.

“Andy beat a NUWAY National Champion from Colorado in his first match and wrestled really tough, especially early on,” Kevin Lucinski said. “As for Justin, he was expecting to wrestle at 100 pounds but it became a 100-110 bracket, which was a little bit of a tough break. But he wrestled really hard. Jakob’s a first year wrestler who might have been the lightest kid in the tournament at about 35 pounds. I liked the way he went out and battled.”

Meanwhile, Caiden Mondore earned a 9-0 major decision in his opening contest at 80 pounds (11/12 year old). Also competing at the 11/12 year old age group was Josh Gill at 70 pounds and in the 7/8 group Garrett Skeens took the mat and earned a major at 52 pounds.

In the 13/15 year old group, AJ Burkhart and Mitch Seaver both wrestled at 89 pounds, with Burkhart picking up a victory in his first match before dropping two close decisions. Jason Hoffman, who wrestled for the varsity at Hadley Luzerne-Lake George as a seventh grader, lost his initial bout at 145 pounds but rallied to win four of his final five matches, including three pins, on his way to fifth.

“Jason battled all the way back,” Lucinski said. “It wasn’t easy – his bracket was loaded. Actually, the 13/15 division was insane; just stacked top to bottom with absolute monsters. At 89 pounds, both AJ and Mitch wrestled really well. They were beaten by very good kids – they only lost to placers. In AJ’s first loss, he battled hard against one of the top kids in the country, Zander Silva, and was in good position the whole time. It was 1-0 late in the match.”

There was a point at which the trip seemed to be in doubt. With the impact of Hurricane Sandy, it wasn’t clear that the wrestlers would get to Nevada in time.

“We didn’t know what to expect, but we really didn’t have any issues,” Lucinski said. “Half the kids flew from Buffalo to Washington and we were worried the flights would be cancelled. But ours was one of the first flights they let out, so we were lucky.”

Once in Sin City, the group did more than just wrestle. They had a great time visiting the aquarium, Mandalay Bay and walking around with some of the parents. The M&M store was also a big hit.

“We had a great time. The wrestling was great and so was everything else,” Lucinski said. “I would definitely want to do it again.”

New York Wrestling News 2012-2013 Archive

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Category Archives: Division 2

Section 6 Preview: 10 All-State Wrestlers from 2012 Return, Led by Finalists Hull and Rodriguez-Spencer

Division I

Division II

Northeast Duals Recap: From Cornell Victories to Standout Performances to Celebrating Jeff Blatnick

George, Grey, Cisneros and Realbuto Capture Titles at the Mat Town Open

Northeast Duals Preview – What to Watch for As Cornell, Hofstra, Columbia, Binghamton and Army Take the Mat

Section 10 Preview: Three-Time Placer Dillon Stowell and Four-Time Qualifier Isaiah Perry Seek Podium Spots for Section 10

Division I

Division II

Section 5 Preview: More Than 10 All-State Wrestlers Return, Including 2012 Finalists Recco, Peacock, DePrez, Mazurowski and Bacon

Division I

Division II

Weekend Recap: Garrett Earns MOW as Cornell Wins New York State Collegiate Title; Columbia Crowns Three Champions

Watch LIVE on Saturday – The Finals of the New York State Intercollegiate Championships from Cornell

Two-Time State Finalist Trey Aslanian of Edgemont Picks Princeton

New York Youth Stars Excel in Vegas and California on NYWAY Trips