Weekend Notes: Dake Earns OW, Nick Kelley Wins Bronze in Reno and More From Around the State

Posted on December 17, 2012 by Urgent Doctor

Dake vs. Caldwell, Phototrens.com

The first ever-wrestling event at Madison Square Garden captured a lot of headlines this weekend. While Cornell and Hofstra both went 0-2, Big Red senior Kyle Dake earned the Outstanding Wrestler Award after his victories over #3 Tyler Caldwell of Oklahoma State and #13 Zach Toal of Missouri. Dake controlled both matches, earning a reversal and riding time in each. Also going undefeated on the day for Cornell was returning NCAA champion Steve Bosak, who made his season debut. The 184-pounder picked up two victories against ranked opponents – #7 Mike Larson of the Tigers and #13 Chris Chionuma of the Cowboys.

For the box scores and descriptions from Cornell and Hofstra, see here and here.

Kelly vs. Ndiaye, Phototrens.com

Fans in attendance in New York City were able to watch some top level high school action in addition to the college duals as the placement matches of the PSAL Holiday tournament took place on Sunday at MSG as well.

Long Branch (NJ) took the team crown at the event, with champions at 138 (Nick Menkin), 145 (Nick George), 160 (Jake George) and 220 (Vincent Roselli). In second place was Section 2’s Columbia, followed by the PSAL’s Brooklyn Tech.

One of the most anticipated finals happened at 113 pounds where two-time state champion Kyle Kelly of Chenango Forks took on 2012 state runner up Cheick Ndiaye of Brooklyn International. Kelly jumped out to an early lead and looked like he might get the pin but Ndiaye fought his way back into the match. However, Kelly closed out a 6-4 victory in a battle between two wrestlers who will be among the top contenders at 113 in Albany in Division I and II, respectively.

Kelly’s teammate Jake Green captured first place in a challenging 126-pound field. Green topped Grand Street’s Keanu Thompson 4-2 in the title bout with multiple time All-American Travis Passaro of Eastport South Manor grabbing third. (Thompson defeated Passaro in Saturday’s semifinals).

Outstanding Wrestler honors went to Tottenville’s Santo Curatolo, who won at 120 pounds by first period fall. That was one of three quick pins for Curatolo in the event. His other victory was a 13-1 major.

The silver medal team from Columbia had a pair of champions, including heavyweight El Shaddai Van Hoesen, who pinned all four of his opponents and was only pushed into the second period once. His teammate Angelo Kress had a similar experience at 152 pounds – four matches and four falls.

The other champions were: John Busiello of Eastport South Manor (99), Noah Malamut of Poly Prep (106), Saidyokub Kahramonov of New Utrecht (132), Adis Radoncic of RKA (170), Matt Roberts of Monsignor Farrell (182) and Kevin Tynes of Brooklyn Tech (220).

For full brackets, see here.

Outside of New York City . . .

While the focus of many wrestling fans was on the Big Apple, there was plenty of quality wrestling featuring New York wrestlers around the state and even in the Pacific Time Zone. Here are a few notes from the weekend:

Wantagh saw its first dual action of the season at the David Bloom Memorial event. The Warriors went 4-0, defeating New Rochelle, Sachem North, East Islip and one of Rhode Island’s top squads, Cumberland.

In one of the significant results of the day, Wantagh’s 182 pounder James Corbett continued his strong start to the season with a 5-2 victory over Gio Santiago of Sachem North, the 2012 Suffolk County champion who was sixth at the state tournament. Corbett had a solid 32-6 season a year ago while wrestling at 160, 170 and 182 pounds and took fourth at the Section 8 tournament. Now 7-0 with five pins and a technical fall, he’ll be a wrestler to watch in the upperweights this season.

Barbaria, Photo by BV

In a matchup of wrestlers with a great chance to travel to Albany in February, New Rochelle’s Nick Barbaria, an All-State wrestler at 99 pounds a year ago, picked up a quality win over NHSCA All-American Kyle Quinn, 5-3 at 113.

And Further Upstate . . .

Spencerport won the Batavia Christmas Tournament on Saturday by almost 30 points over Blairsville, Pennsylvania. Leading the way for Spencerport were champions Kaleb Pascoe (99), Brandon Barrett (113), Trent Englauf (182) and Collin Pittman (195). Elmira was third as Sean McGinley took first at 285 and Charlie Kennedy (120) and Curtis Grant (138) earned second. Royalton Hartland also made its presence felt with a trio of champions – Cameron Swick at 106, Drew Hull at 152 and Alex Jensen at 182.

Schaefer, Photo by BV

The Alexander Green and Gold Tournament in Section 5 showcased a number of state title contenders. Warsaw won the event by a wide margin, with Rush Henrietta second and Fairport third.

Among the champions were All-State grapplers Corey Hollister of Perry (113), Dan Reagan of Lewiston Porter (145), Warsaw’s Burke Paddock (160) and Most Outstanding Wrestler (182) Tim Schaefer and Zack Bacon of Hornell (220). For more detailed results, see here.

Koll and Lapresi Impress In Pennsylvania . . .

Lansing took 23rd at the King of the Mountain tournament at Central Mountain High School in the Keystone State . . . and the Bobcats did it with only two wrestlers entered in the event. 2011 state champion Will Koll dominated his way to the 126 pound title, with pins in his first four bouts before notching a 7-4 decision over Ryan Easter in the championship match. 2012 state titlewinner Connor Lapresi made his mark at 138, putting up bonus points in his first four matches before dropping a 7-2 decision in the title bout.

Kelley, Porter Place at the Reno Tournament of Champions in Nevada

Two Section 2 schools, Shenendehowa and LaSalle, headed out West with a handful of their starters to meet some out of state competition at the Reno Tournament of Champions.

Kelley, Photo by BV

Leading the way for the New Yorkers was Nick Kelley, who took third place at 138 pounds. He began the event on a roll, winning his first four matches by fall, including an 16-second pin in his initial contest. In the semifinals, Kelley lost an 8-6 match in overtime, however, he came back to dominate his next bout 11-4 to take the bronze.

Also making the podium for the Plainsmen was Jesse Porter at 132 pounds. Porter entered the tournament as the 14th seed, but made an impressive run, winning his first two matches before dropping a 1-0 decision to eventual third place finisher Robbie Rizzolino of Easton, Pennsylvania. Porter responded with four victories in the wrestlebacks, including three pins. He won his seventh place tilt 5-2 over Zack Edwards of Broken Arrow High in Oklahoma.

Two Shenendehowa grapplers came within one victory of the medal stand, but took different paths to get there. 182 pounder Levi Ashley dropped his opening match to bronze medalist Ian Baker of California. However, he quickly rebounded, capturing five straight in the consolations before Brock Warren of Broken Arrow ended his run. Meanwhile, David Almaviva, the ninth seed, won his first two contests before losing to Tanner Bailey of Broken Arrow. He rallied with two wins in the wrestlebacks.

Zach Joseph went 3-2 for Shenendehowa at 152 pounds while Corey Ali (2-2) and Kevin Parker both took the mat at 120 for the Plainsmen. Freshman Joseph Clemente turned in a solid showing for LaSalle, with a 3-2 mark at 138 pounds while his teammates Mark Pelton (152), Paul Andreoli (152) and Eric Rider (126) also competed.

Shenendehowa took 21st place as a team in a field of more than 110 squads. Canon McMillan (PA) took the gold overall.

For the full Reno Tournament of Champions bracket, see here.

———————————–

For more results from the weekend, see here.

To report results, e-mail newyorkwrestlingnews@gmail.com

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

Post Hurricane Sandy — Free Workouts Week of Nov 4

Posted on November 5, 2012 by Urgent Doctor

A Message from John Gaglione Following Hurricane Sandy:

First things first. I sincerely hope everyone in the wrestling community is safe and no one was severely harmed during this disaster. During these tough times make sure you let your friends and family know how much you care about them and lend a helping hand whenever possible. Some people get hit worse than others so be considerate and understanding whenever possible and do your part to help others in need especially your loved ones.

I am sure the hurricane has sidelined many of your from being on the mat and getting your training in to get ready for the season.

For those local athletes who have the ability to drive I am also offering free workouts for the next week to help out those athletes in need who do not have access to a gym or training facilities. No questions asked. Just want to lend a helping hand to the wrestling community.

The free workouts will be specifically designed to improve your strength and conditioning on the mat and get you in shape for the upcoming season.

I can only fit so many people at my facility during each time slot while still accommodating my current members so this offer is limited to the first 10 wrestlers who take action and e-mail gaglionestrength@gmail.com to sign up for each session.

Here are the details:

November 4th through November 9th at Gaglione Strength

32 Allen Boulevard Unit D

(Off Route 110 near White Castle, Same lot as TJA Auto Collision)

Farmingdale NY, 11735

Sunday at 12pm

Monday-Friday at 9am and 4pm

E-mail gaglionestrength@gmail.com to sign up

Keep training hard everyone

Stay Safe and Stay Strong

John Gaglione

Results from the Weekend of Oct 13-14: Lions Club Challenge and VHW at PA Duals

Posted on October 16, 2012 by Urgent Doctor

Many of the wrestlers who will star in the CHSAA, PSAL and Long Island this season took the mat for the Lions Club Preseason Challenge over the weekend. Among the notable winners were All-State wrestler TJ Fabian of Shoreham Wading River/X-Cel at 138 pounds and state qualifier Richard Sisti of Monsignor Farrell in the 220-pound class. For full finals results from the high school, schoolboy and novice divisions, see below.

High School:

99 Pounds: Christopher Martorello (VHW) win by forfeit Paco Robles (Park Ridge)

106 Pounds: Jesse Dellavecchia (631 Elite) dec John Busiello (Eastport South Manor), 8-3

113 Pounds: Salvatore Cipolla (East Islip) dec Paul Capobianco (VHW), 2-0

120 Pounds: Santo Curatolo (Tottenville) dec Kyle Quinn (Bigtyme), 5-2

126 Pounds: Mike D’Angelo (Ascend) dec Emmett LiCastri (Iowa Style), 2-0

132 Pounds: Justin Cochran (Apex) dec Donny Donnelly (RaZor), 2-0

138 Pounds: TJ Fabian (X-Cel) fall Oran Revivo (Ascend), 2:50

145 Pounds: CJ Labate (Commack) win by forfeit Anthony Rice (Brearley)

152 Pounds: Richard Luxmore (Ascend) major Jimmy Devine (NY Titans), 9-0

160 Pounds: Konstantin Purfiryev (James Madison) dec Andrew Gray (West Islip), 5-2

170 Pounds: Andrew Voelker (Apex) dec Andrew Psomas (Monsignor Farrell), 4-2

182 Pounds: Christian Araneo (RaZor) fall Devante Orosco (Truman), 1:55

195 Pounds: Roland Zilberman (Brooklyn) dec Tal Granot (Hauppauge), 4-2

220 Pounds: Richard Sisti (Monsignor Farrell) dec Kevin Tynes (Brooklyn Tech), 6-3 (Round Robin)

285 Pounds: Mark Ifraimov (James Madison) fall Joshua Ritchey (Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake)

Schoolboy (Round Robin)

75 Pounds: Tyler Sung (Apex) pin Anthony Sciotto (Rocky Point)

87 Pounds: John DeRidder (VHW) dec Matt McGowan (Jackson), 6-0

95 Pounds: Nick Lombard (Rhino) dec Zach Dobson (Ridge), 6-0

99 Pounds: Nico Mattia (Barn Brawlers) dec Johnny Devine (NY Titans), 5-2

107 Pounds: Garrett Beam (Apex) major Don Albach (Rhino), 8-0

116 Pounds: Stephen Glasglow (Rhino) major Aidan Dunphy (Rhino), 10-1

127 Pounds: Zachary Kornberg (Ascend) major Dave Flynn (Farrell Lions), 9-0

Novice (Round Robin)

67 Pounds: Darren Ketcham (Rocky Point) major Joseph Dulog, 9-0

68 Pounds: Joseph Cangro (Apex) major Drew Doscher (N. Hunterdon), 11-1

76 Pounds: Tyler Sung (Ascend) tech Logan Sciotto (Rocky Point), 22-4

106 Pounds: Carson LiCastri (Iowa Style) win by forfeit Marco Gaita (Long Valley)

127 Pounds: Jacob Cardenas (One) dec Niccolo Colucci (Summit)

VHW Goes 7-2 in Pennsylvania Duals

Vougar Honors Wrestling took a team to Pennsylvania for a pair of duals events – (Bad Karma and Ragin Raisins)*. The squad recorded an impressive 7-2 record, with the two losses coming to Team Quest, 30-14 and Ragin Raisins, 30-21. The team members were:

102 Pounds: Vitali Arujau (undefeated)

108: John Twomey

115: Ben Lamantia

121: Tim Johnson/Mike Berkowitz

128: Joe Russ

132: Mike Lanasa

140: Sam Ward

147: Brendan Dent/Matt Haenel

155: Mike Dusold

171: John Vrasidas

182: Gio Santiago

194: Dan Choi (undefeated)

220: Roman Accetta (undefeated)

No 162 or 285 pounder.

* information provided by VHW

Check out Videos and Results from the Journeymen Wrestling Classic

Posted on September 30, 2012 by Urgent Doctor

On Sunday, Niskayuna High School hosted The Journeymen Classic, which featured some of New York’s best wrestlers as well as competitors from 17 other states in a round robin format.

Check out some videos from the event (more will be added).

RESULTS are at the bottom of the page.

Nick Kelley (Fargo All-American, 2x NYS Placer) vs. Gary Dinmore (NJ State Placer) – 140 Pounds

William Koll (NY State Champion, NHSCA All-American) vs. Travis Passaro (NHSCA All-American) – 125 Pounds

David Almaviva (Fargo All-American, NYS 3rd) vs. Thomas Dutton (Fargo All-American) – 145 Pounds

Vincent DePrez (NY State Runner Up) vs. Scott Delvecchio (NJ State Champion)

Yianni Diakomihalis (Ranked #5 Nationally among Jr High wrestlers) vs. Jesse Dellavecchia (Sachem East)

Louie Hernandez (Section 8 Champion) vs. Brad Drover (New England Runner Up)

Yianni Diakomihalis (Ranked #5 nationally among Jr High wrestlers) vs. Tommy Aloi (All-American)

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

Posted on June 28, 2012 by Urgent Doctor

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

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

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

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

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

Full Results

Pool B:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"All the Motivation and Inspiration in the World": Vinny Vespa Update and Upcoming Events and Fundraisers

Posted on June 12, 2012 by Urgent Doctor

Vinny Vespa Poster by Phototrens

Vinny Vespa wasn’t at the Beat the Streets event in New York City last Thursday, but he was on the minds of those in attendance.

“When people found out I was Vinny’s brother, they approached me and asked about him,” said Michael Vespa, Vinny’s older sibling, mentioning conversations with some well known names in wrestling including Kyle Dake, Dan Gable, Jake Herbert and Logan Steiber.

“So many of them are people my brother would have loved to meet and they were asking about him. I couldn’t believe that five minutes before going on the mat to try to make the Olympic team, Coleman Scott took the time to talk. The support from the wrestling community is amazing.”

“Amazing” is a word Michael Vespa also used to describe Vinny’s handling of his treatments for Stage 4 cancer. While the Times Square wrestling action began, Vinny Vespa was busy finishing up his third session of chemotherapy in the hospital.

“By this time, people usually get really sick with nausea and fatigue,” Michael Vespa said. “But the chemo hasn’t gotten to Vinny as much as we thought. He’s making it easy on everybody else because I don’t think he has complained once or said anything negative about the therapy. He’s doing some lifting and hanging out.”

Of course, he would like to be wrestling. Michael Vespa said his brother was hoping to step on the mat on June 30 at Monroe Woodbury High School for the Victory 4 Vinny Takedown Tournament. While that won’t be possible, Vinny will be in attendance.

“We’re trying to get as many people as possible to be there,” Michael Vespa said. “Vinny won’t be able to go out too much this summer, but that will be one day he’ll be out, interacting with people. We’d love to see a lot of wrestlers participate in the tournament and we’d love to have other people come to support the cause and enjoy the day.”

The event will feature several family fun activities, including face painting and bounce houses for children. And of course, some wrestling.

“I see it as a stress-free tournament and opportunity to get on the mat,” Michael Vespa said. “It’s a round robin with several divisions for all kinds of wrestlers. I’ll be competing in the Open division.”

For Michael Vespa it will serve as a warmup for the fall when he returns in full force to the sport he and his family love, possibly at Nassau. Recent events have moved him to get back on the mat and in the classroom.

“I’m looking to go back to school next year and wrestle,” he said. “I wasn’t satisfied with how I ended my career at Johnson and Wales and I have three and a half years of eligibility left. I feel really inspired. The same day Vinny got diagnosed, a kid I’d been training took a bad fall in a match and was put in a neck brace for 12 weeks. Same day, same hospital. If he and Vinny can’t wrestle, I’ll do it for them. I miss it and I want to get my education. I have all the motivation and inspiration in the world right now.”

Adding to that inspiration was a plaque that Vinny recently received, a familiar one for the Vespa family. At the Monroe Woodbury Awards Dinner, Vinny Vespa was named the school’s Male Freshman Athlete of the Year, an honor Michael received a few years ago.

“It was a great honor, we were all really excited,” Michael Vespa said. “Vinny had a great year and deserved it. Things like that help in a tough time. Our family is trying to make the best of the situation. We’re grateful for all the people who have stepped up and helped. That includes a lot of help from the wrestling community. We believe he’ll get through this.”

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There are several ways to help the Vespa Family. In addition to the June 30 Takedown Tournament, Gaglione Strength is holding a Strength Competition on June 24 in Farmingdale. Please see below for more details and ways to offer assistance:

Victory 4 Vinny Wrestling Strength Challenge at Gaglione Strength June 24, 9 am

When: Sunday June 24th Check in at 9am; Event Starts at 9:15 and will will be finished before 11:45am

Where: Gaglione Strength 32 Allen Boulevard, Farmingdale, NY, 11735 Additional Parking available on Baiting Place road

What: Three Strength Challenges to Support Vinny Vespa

$20 Registration Fee (additional donations will be accepted)

All proceeds will go to aid in Vinny’s fight against cancer

T-Shirts to All Competitors; Prizes for Contest Winners

Limited to the first 40 who sign up

Registration Deadline June 20th

To register or for more details on this event, please go to:

http://www.gaglionestrength.com/2012/05/30/victory-4-vinny-at-gaglione-strength-farmingdale/

Or watch this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkUO5x-5Tfs&feature=youtu.be

Victory 4 Vinny Takedown Tournament at Monroe Woodbury High School June 30, 8 am – 6 pm

The tournament will have elementary, middle school, high school and open divisions and potentially even a masters division. All proceeds will go directly to the Vespa Family to help Vinny in his battle. The registration cost will be $20 (USA Wrestling cards not required). In addition to the wrestling, there will be a Family Fun Day with face painting, cotton candy, bounce castles, etc.

For more information, check out the event flyer: http://www.leaguelineup.com/teamvinnytournament/files/teamvinnypdf.pdf

If you can’t attend the events, consider helping the cause by purchasing Vinny V Items:

Team Vinny V T-Shirts, developed by Forever Fierce, can be purchased by contacting info@foreverfierce.net

Team Vinny V singlets, are available for $80 ($30 goes to the Vespa Family) by contacting Mike Skokos at (845) 416-2337

Vougar Oroudjov Reflects on his World Cup Experience with Team USA

Posted on May 24, 2012 by Urgent Doctor

A little over a week ago, Vougar Oroudjov returned from Baku, Azerbaijan where he was on the staff of the United States team that finished third at the FILA World Cup. The two-time World Champion and Olympic bronze medalist talked to New York Wrestling News about his experience with the USA squad.

What was your role with the team?

Zeke Jones called me about two weeks before the tournament and asked if I could come. I was a Team Leader. I was born in Azerbaijan and speak the language there so I translated when we needed it, dealt with hotels, referees and things like that. I was also at practice and the matches. I did what I could to help the guys. It was great to be a part of it with everyone on the team and the great coaches – Zeke Jones, John Smith, Mark Manning and Brandon Slay. It was my first time with the US Team and I didn’t feel like an outsider at all. We all wanted the same thing – to win. The atmosphere was great.

What did you think about the team’s performance?

The team was very good. The United States keeps making big improvements in freestyle. You saw it at the World Championships and again at the World Cup.

We lost to Iran 4-3, but I wouldn’t say they were much better. Maybe a few tactical things made the difference. In the first match, at 55 kg with Nick Simmons, there were a couple of situations where there were calls that could go either way and they went Iran’s way. Same thing with [Keith] Gavin’s match at 84 kg. It was a good learning experience. I think everyone understands that we have some work to do to be the best team in the world, but we’re getting closer. There is time before the Olympics to focus on our mistakes and fix them.

Who impressed you individually for the United States?

Jordan Burroughs, Coleman Scott and Tervel Dlagnev were all undefeated and wrestled really well.

Burroughs showed why he is the World Champion. He knew exactly what he needed to do against the competition. Dlagnev has the experience on this level and it showed.

It was the first time I saw Coleman Scott wrestle and I was amazed. He was really tough and mentally ready. He wasn’t intimidated about wrestling for the national team, he just went out to win. He never stopped moving; was all the time attacking. I really like his style – he always showed offensive wrestling. He beat some very good wrestlers. I thought 60 kg was one of the toughest weights overall at the tournament. If I were the coach, I’d want him on the Olympic team. Of course, I’m not the coach.

Honestly, there weren’t any guys who didn’t compete well. Take someone like Jake Varner. He lost some matches, but he still wrestled pretty well. He lost to some World finalists. I still think he’s good enough to do very well in London. The Olympics are different than the World Cup. I have several friends who never won anything until they put it together and won the Olympics.

What do you think of the freestyle wrestling you saw at the tournament?

The rules just keep changing. I know I learned a lot because things are different than when I wrestled freestyle. To me, it’s getting so much more tactical. In folkstyle, it’s all about intensity; guys going all out the whole match. In freestyle now, it isn’t like that. A lot of it is getting one pushout or taking one shot or grabbing the right ball out of a bag. I don’t like that. Just go to overtime and see who scores to get the real winner. There also seems to be a lot more questionable calls. But we all know the rules. There are no excuses. We need to train for those rules and those types of matches.

You had a New York wrestler on the team in Cornell’s Kyle Dake. He didn’t compete in the dual competition, but how did he look in training?

Kyle was there to be the training partner for Jordan Burroughs and to possibly give Burroughs a rest if we could during the tournament. That didn’t wind up happening.

But even though he wasn’t in the tournament, I saw Kyle wrestle a lot. Each practice, I was in his corner, watching him. He’s really good and getting better and better in freestyle. The best thing is that he listens. You say something to him and he appreciates it and makes the changes. He was impressive. People would be surprised how good he looked and how he looks against Burroughs.

We also had matches before the tournament where he was wrestling the guys from places like Azerbaijan and Russia. He did very well against them. I definitely think Kyle will make the next Olympics. He’s really progressing in freestyle. He will be a big surprise for everybody in the next Olympic cycle.

What’s next for you?

I will be working with the kids in my club [Vougars Honors Wrestling in Syosset] on freestyle to prepare for Fargo.

Then, we’ll see. The USA coaches invited me to come with the team to the Olympics. It was really hard for me to leave my family for the two weeks for the World Cup, so it would be hard to go for a longer time to London. I missed home. I missed my wrestlers and my club. My son Vitali won the NY Freestyle States while I was away. That’s one of the reasons the decision to go to Baku was so hard – I knew I would have to miss that and the other New York States for Cadets and Juniors. I’m probably 50/50 right now on going to London. I am honored that I was asked and it would be an honor to be there and help and give back to America.

Either way, I wish everyone luck. I’m hoping for some Olympic championships. We definitely have several guys who have shown that they are good enough to do it.

Troy Nickerson Ready to Start Next Chapter as Cyclones Assistant Coach

Posted on May 20, 2012 by Urgent Doctor

By Betsy Veysman

It sounded like Troy Nickerson was talking about Cornell, the way he has for years. A beautiful campus. Great opportunities for outdoor activities like hunting. An unmistakable family atmosphere on the wrestling team.

But on Saturday when being interviewed, he wasn’t describing Ithaca, which he has called home since 2005. He was discussing the place he’ll be starting the next chapter of his career – Ames, Iowa as an assistant coach at Iowa State University.

“I’ve been in New York almost my entire life,” he said. “It will definitely be different living in Iowa, but there are a lot of similarities. I think the opportunity I have out there is a great one.”

The opportunity was one of several available to the four-time NCAA All-American. At different points since graduating from Cornell he considered medical school and a Masters degree, but ultimately decided he couldn’t imagine his life without wrestling, even after a recent challenging time in the sport.

Nickerson spent much of the recent past working on freestyle in preparation for the 2012 Olympic Trials. However, his quest for London didn’t go as planned, as he didn’t qualify for the Trials.

“It was a life experience for me,” he said. “I’m happy that I made the commitment to train. I think I wouldn’t have been satisfied if I didn’t try. I had a lot of setbacks. Health was a factor stopping me from reaching my goals. But I developed great relationships and traveled the world. I learned a lot about myself. I realized how much passion I still have for wrestling and that I still wanted it to be the focus for me. I loved coaching before and decided it was what I wanted in the future.”

Nickerson has previous coaching experience at the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club (FLWC) in Ithaca, where he mentored grapplers ranging from the youth to senior levels after completing his Big Red degree. He was the head coach of the club’s college team in 2010-11.

“The thing I enjoyed most about working at FLWC was helping those guys achieve their goals,” he said. “I got to see their improvement on a daily basis and that’s what excited me. I was able to develop relationships with them and impact their lives – like so many of my coaches have done for me.”

The only wrestler to capture five New York high school state titles said he feels lucky to have been around great leaders who he hopes to emulate in his new position.

“I really admire what Rob Koll and all of the Cornell coaches have done,” he said. “I think the thing that has impressed me most is the atmosphere of family and community that has been cultivated. Whether you’re a top guy or a backup who is unlikely to ever start, the coaches take a value in each person’s life, in wrestling and outside of wrestling. That’s extremely important. It has helped Cornell develop a rich tradition in a short time. I look forward to developing similar relationships at Iowa State.”

Nickerson has that chance with a team that is looking to get back to the top of the college wrestling world after 20th and 35th place finishes at the past two NCAA tournaments.

“There’s a lot of young talent in the room right now,” he said. “When [head coach] Kevin [Jackson] came in, they were really in a rebuilding phase and that continued this past season. But there are some great guys there and some talented recruits coming in. I’ve seen the ability of NCAA qualifers like Ryak Finch and Luke Goettl as well as incoming guys like John Meeks, Destin McCauley and Dakota Bauer, to name just a few. I look forward to working with those guys and making a big impact.”

The 2009 NCAA champion at 125 pounds certainly can relate to the young talent. He joined the Big Red lineup as a true freshman and showed he belonged right away. The Chenango Forks native won his first 18 bouts, earned the first of his three EIWA crowns and reached the NCAA finals in his first season out of high school.

In his 97-8 career with the Big Red, Nickerson had many memorable victories. One of them was a match against a Cyclone – Andrew Long – in early 2010.

It was a high profile tilt for a number of reasons. It was the opening bout of a dual between two top teams – #2 Iowa State and #6 Cornell. It was also being televised live and was part of a fundraising event for the Adam Frey Foundation. Long had been impressive and was ranked fifth in the nation. Nickerson had been struggling with injuries.

It didn’t matter. The Cornellian put on a show for the crowd, albeit a short one. He took Long down soon after the opening whistle and put him on his back. While the Cyclone fought hard to keep the match going, Nickerson earned the first period pin and a victory many Big Red fans still discuss. But Nickerson isn’t one of them.

“That match was in the past,” he said. “I think what you can take away from that win and others is that when you step on the mat, it doesn’t matter who you’re facing or what the environment is like. That’s the kind of mindset I hope to instill.”

“I saw a lot in the past year, traveling internationally and being put way out of my comfort zone,” he continued. “We had to perform in environments where we didn’t have the food, equipment and other amenities we’re used to in the United States. It’s all about being able to adapt. That’s what the guys at Iowa State need to do, just go work hard; don’t worry about who the opponent is. I want to have guys that just compete and believe they’ll win.”

While he talked about not worrying about who the opponent is, Nickerson admitted that he’s happy Cornell is not on the Cyclone schedule this season after three consecutive years of dual meets between the squads.

“I loved my time at Cornell and consider Ithaca home,” he said. “I learned from the best coaches in Division I. I will always be a Big Red fan. I am grateful for the opportunities Cornell has given me. When it comes time to coach against the Big Red at NCAAs or some other tournament down the line, I’m sure it will feel different than against other teams. But I’m excited to be at such a storied program and I’ll do everything I can to bring victory to the Cyclones.”

NYAC & Excel Wrestling Partner for 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials

Posted on April 13, 2012 by Urgent Doctor

Steve Knight (NYAC) works with Olympic Hopefuls Kyle Dake and Mack Lewnes at Cornell University

Every 4 years, one night separates 7 freestyle wrestlers from the rest of the country.

The 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials are right around the corner, beginning April 21 in Iowa City, Iowa. The New York Athletic Club (NYAC) has been a prevalent club on the Olympic Level for years. Although the club is based out of New York City, sponsored wrestlers from all over the country compete with pride in the NYAC singlet. Since most of the wrestlers representing the NYAC do not train in NYC, this means that the athetes are divided amongst the NYAC coaching staff.

For several years, many NYAC wrestlers have been coached by Iowa’s Steve Knight, who is closing in on 20 years of running Excel Wrestling, a USA Wrestling Olympic Development Program that operates throughout the country. Since 2004, Excel Wrestling has partnered with the New York Athletic Club on the US Senior Olympic Freestyle circuit, which is the competition level that prepares post graduate wrestlers to compete internationally.

So how did this Iowa based program ever join forces with the New York Athletic Club? Two words, Sonny Greenhalgh.

Knight, who has served on two Olympic staffs said, “Years back, I think right after the trials in ’04, New York Athletic Club Chairman Sonny Greenhalgh ask me to join the NYAC Freestyle coaching staff. Up to that point, we had competed on the senior level just as Team Excel. Needless to say, eight years later, it is a strong partnership and a long friendship. Sonny has been great to work with over the years along with Dave Foxen. The NYAC is producing some of the best in the country right now.”

Knight has spent this past week working with NYAC wrestlers at Cornell University.

NYAC Wrestlers competing in the Olympic Trials that Knight will be coaching:

Frank Perrelli – Cornell – 55kgs/121lbs
Tyler Graff – Wisconsin – 60kgs/132lbs
Ryan Morningstar – Iowa – 74kgs/163lbs
Kyle Dake – Cornell – 74kgs/163lbs
Mack Lewnes – Cornell – 84kgs/185lbs
Tyrel Todd – Michigan – 84kgs/185lbs
Max Askren – Missouri – 96kgs/211.5lbs
Trevor Brandvold – Wisconsin – 96kg/211.5lbs

The 2012 US Olympic Trials take place in Iowa City, Iowa on April 21st and 22nd. For ticket information, please go to http://iowacitytolondon.com. For more information on the NYAC and Excel Wrestling visit http://excelwrestling.com.

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