Category Archives: Section 10

New York State Rankings #2 for 2012-13 Season

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We said the first set of rankings of the year would probably be the toughest. We were wrong. These were much tougher.

However, after much discussion and debate, here are the current opinions of those who collaborated on this project. We will once again consider all of your feedback . . . as long as it’s done respectfully.

So, here you go . . .

Photo by BV

99 Pounds:

  1. Yianni Diakomihalis, Hilton (5)
  2. Vito Arujau, Syosset (8)
  3. Jesse Dellavecchia, East Islip (11)
  4. Ryan O’Rourke, Adirondack (3)
  5. John Arceri, Huntington (11)
  6. Chris Cuccolo, Pine Bush (9)
  7. Jake Yankloski, Wayne (5)
  8. Garrett Baugher, St. Joseph’s Collegiate (C)

A Few Notes: Diakomihalis remains at number one despite winning a tournament title up at 106 over Jonathan Haas this weekend.  The Eastern States Classic featured some close bouts at this weight, including Cuccolo’s overtime triumph over Yankloski for the title. That came one round after Yankloski’s extra time victory over Eastport South Manor’s John Busiello in the semis. There’s no doubt that Busiello will be heard from in the postseason as well.

106 Pounds:

  1. Alex Tanzman, Westhampton Beach (11)
  2. Nick Barbaria, New Rochelle (1)
  3. Kyle Quinn, Wantagh (8)
  4. James Szymanski, Shoreham Wading River (11)
  5. Jimmy Overhiser, Corning (4)
  6. Golan Cohen, Colonie (2)
  7. Jonathan Haas, Spencerport (5)
  8. Tony Recco, Lyndonville (5)
A Few Notes: Tanzman remains in the top spot, followed by Barbaria. The New Rochelle wrestler had an impressive Eastern States, earning the crown with victories over Overhiser and Quinn in tight matches in the semis and finals. Szymanski and Cohen enter the rankings after taking third and fourth at that event, featuring several quality victories.

Photo by BV

113 Pounds:

  1. Nick Piccininni, Ward Melville (11)
  2. Kyle Kelly, Chenango Forks (4)
  3. Anthony Orefice, Lockport (6)
  4. Dillon Stowell, Gouverneur (10)
  5. Bryan Lantry, Wayne (5)
  6. Joe Calderone, Walt Whitman (11)
  7. Johnny Stramiello, Pine Bush (9)
  8. Cheick Ndiaye, Brooklyn International (P)

A Few Notes: The makeup of the top 8 here hasn’t undergone too much change since the last rankings. (Barbaria, previously here, moved down to 106 and Calderone joined the list while Orefice has spent some time up at 120).  Piccininni dominated at the Eastern States while Kelly did the same the previous week at the Union-Endicott Duals.

120 Pounds:

  1. Alex Delacruz, Ossining (1)
  2. Mike D’Angelo, Commack (11)
  3. John Muldoon, Pearl River (1)
  4. Blaise Benderoth, North Rockland (1)
  5. Travis Passaro, Eastport South Manor (11)
  6. Nick Tolli, Arlington (1)
  7. Blake Retell, Shaker (2)
  8. Sean Peacock, Midlakes (5)

A Few Notes: This weight took more time than most of the others combined. What has changed? Honestly, what hasn’t? The Eastern States tournament was loaded at this class and a number of highly accomplished wrestlers, including the #2, 3, 4 and 5 seeds at the event didn’t place. Why this arrangement? Yes, Delacruz was disqualified while trailing during his semis bout with Muldoon. However, looking at the matches that have taken place among these wrestlers this season, Delacruz pinned D’Angelo, who in turn beat Muldoon earlier this year.  Muldoon topped Benderoth, who defeated Passaro for bronze at SUNY Sullivan. (Passaro won their meeting the previous day by fall).

Tolli and Retell turned in strong performances in Loch Sheldrake as well, with Tolli topping Steve Michel and Chris Cataldo on his way to fifth while Retell also placed after beating Santo Curatolo, Cataldo and two-time state runner up Trey Aslanian.

Photo by Josh Conklin

126 Pounds:

  1. TJ Fabian, Shoreham Wading River (11)
  2. Dylan Realbuto, Somers (1)
  3. Chris Araoz, Wantagh (8)
  4. Mark West, Hauppauge (11)
  5. Corey Jamison, Huntington (11)
  6. William Koll, Lansing (4)
  7. Dakota Gardner, Fredonia (6)
  8. Mike Raccioppi, Minisink Valley (9)

A Few Notes:  Most of the names are the same here with the order slightly rearranged. Fabian’s championship over the weekend, in which he defeated Realbuto and Koll, puts him on top. Realbuto beat Araoz, who topped Koll.  One of the new additions to the list is Mark West, a former state champion who was fourth at Eastern States and will be no doubt be a factor in the postseason. Islip’s Brad Wade is among the many others to keep an eye on.  He recently avenged two early season losses and has solid wins over Jamison and state runner up Justin Cooksey.

132 Pounds:

  1. Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer, Cheektowoga (6)
  2. Tristan Rifanburg, Norwich (4)
  3. Sam Melikian, Fordham Prep (C)
  4. Matt Leshinger, Sayville (11)
  5. Vinny Turano, Wantagh (8)
  6. Brandon Lapi, Amsterdam (2)
  7. Conor O’Hara, Sachem East (11)
  8. Jacob Sepor, Pavilion (5)

A Few Notes: Rodriguez-Spencer has continued to roll but there was a little shakeup behind him. Two-time state finalist Rifanburg takes the second slot after winning Eastern States this weekend, while the wrestler he defeated for the title, Melikian, is next. Then comes bronze finisher Leshinger, who split contests with Turano at SUNY Sullivan. O’Hara has been on a tear since moving down to 132 pounds.

Photo by BV

138 Pounds:

  1. Nick Kelley, Shenendehowa (2)
  2. Nick Tighe, Phoenix (3)
  3. Connor Lapresi, Lansing (4)
  4. Tom Dutton, Rocky Point (11)
  5. Vincent DePrez, Hilton (5)
  6. Dan Reagan, Lewiston Porter (6)
  7. Derrick Gray, Indian River (3)
  8. Skylar Kropman, Penfield (5)

A Few Notes: While the match many were hoping to see, Kelley vs. Tighe, didn’t materialize (Tighe forfeited in the semis), Kelley reinforced his hold on #1 with his outstanding showing. Joining the fray is Penfield’s Skylar Kropman after making the medal stand from an unseeded spot in the bracket at Eastern States.

145 Pounds:

  1. Louis Hernandez, Mepham (8)
  2. David Almaviva, Shenendehowa (2)
  3. Drew Hull, Royalton Hartland (6)
  4. Eric Lewandowski, Lancaster (6)
  5. Tom Grippi, Fox Lane (1)
  6. Jackson Mordente, Sachem East (11)
  7. Frank Garcia, Norwich (4)
  8. Jude Gardner, Fredonia (6)

A Few Notes: Hernandez is the new #1 here after leading the way at the Eastern States. The Mepham wrestler was in great form over the weekend, beating Almaviva in the semifinals before taking out the tournament’s top seed in the finals. State runner up Hull enters the 145 pound rankings after moving down from 152.  Garcia missed a portion of the season with an injury but has made an effective return, including a podium showing at the Eastern States. While not presently included, Anthony DePrez is putting together a very solid season for Hilton.

Photo by BV

152 Pounds:

  1. Corey Rasheed, Longwood (11)
  2. Tyler Spann, Adirondack (3)
  3. Angelo Kress, Columbia (2)
  4. Chris Koo, Great Neck South (8)
  5. Rowdy Prior, Phoenix (3)
  6. Brendan Goldup, LaSalle (2)
  7. Dan DeCarlo, Port Jervis (9)
  8. Joe Mastro, Yorktown (1)

A Few Notes: Corey Rasheed made a strong statement about who the best in New York is at 152 by rolling through the tournament at SUNY Sullivan, which included a number of ranked opponents. DeCarlo and Mastro made the list after their performances over the weekend as well. Kyle Halliday of Chenango Valley also continues to have a strong campaign, with his only loss coming up a weight to Vestal’s Alex Francik, a wrestler who was strongly considered at 160.

160 Pounds:

  1. Burke Paddock, Warsaw (5)
  2. Tyler Grimaldi, HHHW (11)
  3. Steven Schneider, MacArthur (8)
  4. Mike Beckwith, Greene (4)
  5. Jake Weber, Clarence (6)
  6. Andrew Psomas, Monsignor Farrell (C)
  7. Austin Weigel, Onteora (9)
  8. Nick Gallo, Schalmont (2)

A Few Notes: Paddock captured the battle of the top wrestlers at this weight over Grimaldi. Two of the fastest risers in the rankings were MacArthur’s Schneider and Monsignor Farrell’s Psomas, who battled for third at the Eastern States. Schneider also beat Weber the previous week at the Union-Endicott Duals.

170 Pounds:

  1. Dan McDevitt, Wantagh (8)
  2. Carlos Toribio, Brentwood (11)
  3. Christian Dietrich, Greene (4)
  4. Joe Piccolo, Half Hollow Hills West (11)
  5. Troy Seymour, Peru (7)
  6. Zack Buckley, Fredonia (6)
  7. Johnny Vrasidas, St. Anthony’s (C)
  8. Brett Perry, John Jay EF (1)

 A Few Notes: Another weight with a new #1. McDevitt takes over after coming out on top in a field full of stellar wrestlers and keeping his unbeaten streak as an upperweight alive. Dietrich and Piccolo both defeated Seymour on Saturday while Toribio, Buckley and Vrasidas have continued to wrestle well. Perry got the nod for the eighth spot but Brockport’s Jared Mesiti is also one to look out for at this weight class as is Mike Green of Cobleskill-Richmondville and the previously ranked AJ Voelker of Monroe Woodbury.

182 Pounds:

  1. Zack Zupan, Canastota (3)
  2. Shayne Brady, Carthage (3)
  3. Tim Schaefer, Warsaw (5)
  4. Trent Egenlauf, Spencerport (5)
  5. James Corbett, Wantagh (8)
  6. Levi Ashley, Shenendehowa (2)
  7. James Benjamin, Vestal (4)
  8. Gio Santiago, Sachem North (11)

A Few Notes: Zupan does have some blemishes on his record – a loss while wrestling up at 195 (he was winning at the time of the fall) and a disqualification. However, the former state champion demonstrated that he is the wrestler to beat with his showing at the Eastern States, including a championship win over Schaefer. Egenlauf defeated Corbett at Union-Endicott duals while the Wantagh wrestler responded at SUNY Sullivan by taking third with a win over Ashley. Section 6’s Anthony Liberatore, who wrestled well in Albany last year, continues to impress.

Photo by BV

195 Pounds:

  1. Reggie Williams, Johnson City (4)
  2. Bryce Mazurowski, Avon (5)
  3. Colton Kells, Fairport (5)
  4. Chris Chambers, East Islip (11)
  5. Steven Sabella, Yorktown (1)
  6. Joe Nasoni, Baldwinsville (3)
  7. Nick Weber, Kings Park (11)
  8. Dan Choi, Syosset (8)

A Few Notes: Sabella and Nasoni enter after picking up some solid victories as does Chambers after beating Weber (who beat Choi). According to the NWCA Scorebook, Chambers has won every match this year by bonus points (and has 17 first period falls). Reggie Williams stays on top after his weekend title while Mazurowski remains in the second slot as the favorite in Division II. Both Hunter Ayen of Gouverneur and Ben Honis of Jamesville-Dewitt/CBA put on strong showings at the Eastern States and will be threats in February along with Collin Pittman of Spencerport and Tyler Morris of Salem.

220 Pounds:

  1. Zack Bacon, Hornell (5)
  2. Ryan Wolcott, Waverly (4)
  3. Dan Breit, Nanuet (1)
  4. Nick Lupi, Huntington (11)
  5. Mike Silvis, Holley (5)
  6. Chris Saden, Fredonia (6)
  7. Richard Sisti, Monsignor Farrell (C)
  8. Joe Sprung, Berne Knox (2)

A Few Notes: Breit and Silvis traded positions after the Nanuet wrestler defeated the Holley grappler for the Eastern States crown. Minisink Valley’s Josh Bonneau made a statement with his bronze placement at the same tournament and is one we will keep close tabs on, along with Islip’s Ryan Hughes.

Photo by BV

285 Pounds:

  1. El Shaddai Van Hoesen, Columbia (2)
  2. Mike Hughes, Smithtown West (11)
  3. Matt Montesanti, Medina (6)
  4. Alex Soutiere, Ravena (2)
  5. Brandon Fayle, Lowville (3)
  6. James O’Hagan, Seaford (8)
  7. Austin DiCerbo, Colonie (2)
  8. David Varian, Yorktown (1)

A Few Notes: The top six didn’t change after the last set of rankings, however, DiCerbo makes his debut after pinning Varian for the bronze at Eastern States. It was one of four falls for the Colonie wrestler at the tournament.

Special thanks to Mike Carey for his tremendous work on these rankings.

* Results based on NWCA Scorebook

Eastern States Recap: The Champions and Other Highlights from the Weekend in Section 9

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Another Eastern States Classic is in the books. Wrestling fans were treated to a tremendous weekend of many of the best New York (and a few other states) have to offer.  Wantagh won the team title, led by heavyweight Most Outstanding Wrestler (MOW) Dan McDevitt, the champion at 170 pounds.  Also taking MOW honors were Shenendehowa’s Nick Kelley (middleweights) and Shoreham-Wading River’s TJ Fabian (lightweights).  Fabian had more hardware to take home as well as he captured Champion of Champions honors after winning an absolutely loaded bracket at 126 pounds.

There were many highlights over the two days. Let’s take a look at some of them.

99 Pounds:

Champion: Chris Cuccolo of Pine Bush came into the event as the second ranked wrestler in his weight . . . in Section 9. (He took fifth in the section in 2012).  Cuccolo has had success on the national level in the international styles and came up with a huge weekend in folk, outscoring his opponents 14-4 plus a pin.

And Also . . .  The semifinal matchup between Jake Yankloski of Wayne and John Busiello of Eastport South Manor looked like a battle between two wrestlers we will hear from in the postseason.  (Yankloski won in the tiebreakers). Yankloski began the season dominant up at 106 and has continued to look good at 99 while Busiello won his first three matches by technical fall or pin before a solid win over top seed Andrew Flanagan for third.

106 Pounds:

Photo by Josh Conklin

Champion: Nick Barbaria of New Rochelle was stingy on his path to the championship. After a first round technical fall, he shut out his next two opponents and defeated Wantagh’s Kyle Quinn in the title bout. Barbaria repeated victories over two of the state’s top grapplers  – Quinn and Corning’s Jimmy Overhiser on his way to gold.  He had defeated Quinn a few weeks ago and Overhiser at the Journeymen Classic.

And Also . . . Shoreham-Wading River’s James Szymanski, the eighth seed, impressed throughout the tournament, taking third.  He dropped a 3-2 battle to top-ranked Tony Recco in the quarterfinals but earned four straight wins in the wrestlebacks, including a pin against Overhiser and a major decision over Golan Cohen for bronze.  Cohen, the #10 seed from Colonie, also had a strong run in the consolations to take fourth.

113 Pounds:

Champion: Nick Piccininni began the event as the favorite and showed why as he cruised through a bracket filled with former state placers with a pair of technical falls, a pin, a major and a 5-0 victory in the finals against Gouverneur’s Dillon Stowell.

And Also . . .  There was only one wrestler on the podium at Eastern States who wasn’t All-State in 2012. Rafael Mateo of Midlakes, who made the medal stand in Loch Sheldrake after being seeded 14th, tallied four pins over the weekend and took eighth.

120 Pounds:

Photo by Josh Conklin

Champion: Danbury’s Kevin Jack was an Eastern States Classic champion for the second straight year, this time at 120.

And Also . . .  It’s clear that Section 1 is stacked at 120 pounds as three of the four semifinalists – John Muldoon, Alex Delacruz and Nick Tolli were from that area. Muldoon went all the way to the finals while Tolli was fifth after making an early statement by defeating highly regarded Steve Michel of Lancaster.  Delacruz was in medal position before being disqualified. But that wasn’t all.  Blaise Benderoth, the ninth seed, grabbed third with an 8-1 showing. The North Rockland wrestler was pinned by Eastport South Manor’s Travis Passaro in the Round of 16 but then responded with six consecutive victories, including a win over state champion Sean Peacock and a 7-2 triumph over Passaro in the third place bout. Throw two-time state runner up Trey Aslanian of Edgemont and Nanuet’s Anthony Calvano into the mix (both were at the tournament) and it should be a very interesting postseason for Section 1 at this weight.

126 Pounds:

Champion: When the #8 seed is a recent national champion (Wantagh’s Chris Araoz), you know you have a tough bracket. Emerging above the rest in a field with a plethora of accomplished wrestlers was Shoreham-Wading River’s TJ Fabian, a fourth place finisher at the state tournament in 2012.  Fabian demonstrated his outstanding mat wrestling and his ability to come through in close matches on his way to the title.  He topped former state champions in both the semis and finals (William Koll and Dylan Realbuto, respectively).

And Also . . . There was a lot of talk about seventh grader Frankie Gissendanner of Penfield, and with good reason.  He placed at 126 pounds in a deep weight in which multiple All-State wrestlers didn’t make the medal stand. Gissendanner, who has made a rapid adjustment to the varsity level, reached the quarterfinals before losing to Koll.  He bounced back like a veteran, beating Grand Street’s Keanu Thompson (who was top 8 in Albany last year) in the consolations before edging 2012 state runner up Justin Cooksey to take seventh.  For more on Gissendanner, from an article we published back in May, see here.

132 Pounds:

Champion: Tristan Rifanburg, the number two seed, controlled his matches on the way to the crown. He picked up an opening round fall before outscoring his next three foes 20-0.  In the finals, he defeated Sam Melikian of Fordham Prep, 8-5.

And Also . . . Melikian came within one victory of placing in the state capital last year.  However, he seems to have taken his wrestling to the next level, dominating in his first five bouts before dropping the finals contest to Rifanburg.

138 Pounds:

Champion: Nick Kelley of Shenendehowa repeated as a champion at this event after winning at 132 last season.  Westfield’s Derek Arnold gave Kelley a battle in the semis (a 3-2 Kelley victory), but otherwise, the future Binghamton Bearcat cruised.  He notched pins in his first three bouts and recorded a 9-1 major over Lansing state champion Connor Lapresi for the title.

And Also . . . Unseeded Skylar Kropman of Penfield took fifth place, including victories over the number six and eight seeds, John Diekel of Whitehall and Joey Butler of Burnt Hills.  Rocky Point’s Tom Dutton, an All-American at both the NHSCAs and Fargo this offseason, once again was impressive to watch.  He took fourth after a pair of losses to Arnold, the Virginia native.

145 Pounds:

Champion: One of the matches we were looking forward to after the brackets were released was Mepham’s Louis Hernandez versus Shenendehowa’s David Almaviva, two of the best in the state.  Hernandez not only beat the number two seed Almaviva 4-2 in that match but also top-ranked Beau Donahue of Westfield, 7-3, to win the championship.  Hernandez came into the event seeded seventh, but will be a force in Albany.  A year ago, he went 1-2 wrestling with a significant injury at the Times Union Center.  This time, he expects much more.

And Also . . . There could be some great matches in late February between wrestlers who looked very good this weekend – Hernandez, Almaviva, Lancaster’s Eric Lewandowski and Fox Lane’s Tom Grippi. On the Division 2 side, Frank Garcia of Norwich, who came within a match of placing last year as a freshman, took fifth.  He had missed a chunk of the season with an injury but has made a nice return.

152 Pounds:

Champion: Not much doubt about the top wrestler here. Corey Rasheed of Longwood pinned his first three opponents, then won 15-4 and 13-0 to earn gold.  He has racked up numerous honors, including three All-State medals, in his career and is the favorite to win his first state title next month.

And Also . . . Although he lost to Rasheed in his last bout, Phoenix’s Rowdy Prior showed that he takes the “Pin2win” mentality of his head coach Gene Mills to heart. Prior registered falls in all four of his matches prior to the finals, including over the sixth and seventh seeds, Dan DeCarlo of Port Jervis and Zach Joseph of Shenendehowa.

160 Pounds:

Photo by Josh Conklin

Warsaw’s Burke Paddock positioned himself for a run at his first state title when he dispatched two top small school opponents in Mike Beckwith and Austin Weigel and then defeated Division I returning runner up Tyler Grimaldi of Half Hollow Hills, 8-4.

And Also . . . While some New York fans may have been surprised by MacArthur’s Steve Schneider’s third place finish, those on Long Island certainly weren’t. The Nassau County wrestler lost to Grimaldi for the second time in the past few weeks, but captured his other six bouts and showed his ability to win the close ones.  All four of his consolation victories came by two points or less, including over the fifth-seed Nick Gallo and the sixth-seed Mike Beckwith.  The performance of Schneider’s third place match opponent, Andrew Psomas of Monsignor Farrell, should also be mentioned.  Psomas was unseeded coming into the event and went all the way to fourth, including victories over four seeded grapplers (Tyler Silverthorn, Stephen Aiello, Austin Weigel and Nate Bomysoad).

170 Pounds:  

Champion: If anyone was unsure whether Dan McDevitt could make the leap from 138 pounds to 170 and stay among the state’s elite, this weekend provided the answer. The Wantagh wrestler showed he belongs in the upperweights, topping Christian Dietrich of Greene 6-2 for the title. He also defeated the third and fifth place finishers, Joe Piccolo and Brett Perry.

And Also . . . Both Dietrich and Piccolo defeated top-ranked Troy Seymour, boosting their stock for the rest of the season.  It wouldn’t be very surprising to see a rematch of Dietrich’s 3-2 semifinal win over Seymour in the Saturday night finals in Albany for Division II gold.

 

182 Pounds:

Champion: Zack Zupan was in charge all the way through.  We may get to see him wrestle multi-time state placer Tim Schaefer again in Albany, after Zupan earned a 5-2 win over the Warsaw grappler in the championship tilt.

And Also. . . Several wrestlers outperformed their seeds.  Yorktown’s Thomas Murray was in the eighth spot in the bracket but came in fifth, with his losses to Zupan and in the tiebreakers to Shenendehowa’s Levi Ashley.  Speaking of Ashley, the Shenendehowa wrestler topped unseeded Andrew Grella from Beacon in the first round, 8-6, but Grella then won five straight to eventually grab sixth.  Also making a solid run was #15 Christian Araneo of Ward Melville, a freshman, who took eighth after three consolation wins.

195 Pounds:

Williams, Photo by BV

Champion: Reggie Williams had a very exciting and interesting weekend. He had two matches come down to the wire – his opening bout against Garrett Duval, which he won 12-11, and a 7-5 victory over Steven Sabella in which he scored the winning points close to the buzzer.  The Johnson City star also won two bouts by fall, including his title victory over Gouverneur’s Hunter Ayen.

And Also. . .  Ben Honis of Jamesville-Dewitt/CBA made a statement this summer when he earned All-America status at Fargo. He made another statement over the weekend when he took third place, including a win over All-Stater Tyler Smith of Midlakes. The only loss for Honis was a default in the semis against Ayen.

The opening round match between #15 seed Dan Fowler of Chaminade and Jeff Senecal of Duanesburg probably didn’t get much attention (Fowler won by fall).  However, both wrestlers made the medal stand, with Fowler defeating seeded wrestlers Deon Edmond and Scott Wymbs to take fifth and Senecal beating Wymbs and Canastota’s Wyatt Albanese to notch seventh.

220 Pounds:

Champion: Dan Breit of Nanuet breezed through the competition early with big wins in his first three bouts and then won close ones late, picking up 3-2 victories in the semis and finals against Dillon Hurlbert of Marathon and Mike Silvis of Holley, respectively.

And Also . . . During our Pick Your Champions contest, Minisink Valley’s Josh Bonneau received quite a few votes.  The #15 seed showed why. He lost to Breit in his first bout but then picked up six consecutive wins to finish third. Among the wrestlers he beat were Alex Ortiz of Middletown, Hurlbert and Holland Patent’s Josh Langley.

285 Pounds:

Van Hoesen, Photo by BV

Champion: El Shaddai Van Hoesen continued his winning ways.  It’s become customary for him to pin nearly everyone in his path and he did record three falls, including over Alex Soutiere in the title bout.  He also had an 8-1 decision and a 1-0 victory over Rocky Point’s Brennan Strovink.

And Also . . . Strovink proved that his close match with Van Hoesen wasn’t a fluke when the #16 seed made the podium in the sixth position after a solid tournament.  We also saw that the quality 285 pounders in Section 2 go beyond Van Hoesen and Soutiere. Austin DiCerbo of Colonie was pinned by Van Hoesen but picked up four falls of his own, including over Yorktown’s David Varian, on his way to third place.

Team: It was another great weekend for Wantagh. After capturing the Union-Endicott Duals last Sunday, the Warriors again finished on top with 138.5 points.  Shenendehowa was second with 111.5 while Westfield, Virginia (102.5) and Danbury, Connecticut (77) were next.  Tied for fifth were Colonie and Eastport South Manor with 73.5 points.

For full results, see here.

The results of our Pick Your Champions Contest will be released soon.

Congratulations to the Friends of Section 9 Wrestling, including Tournament Director Jeff Cuilty and the many others involved, who made this an outstanding event.  Thank you to SUNY Sullivan, especially Director of Athletics Chris DePew, for assistance with our live coverage.

And a huge thank you to Matt Diano for his incredible work on the live coverage on Saturday!

UPDATED: Brackets Posted (and Seeds for the 2013 Eastern States Classic)

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Brackets have been posted.  You can find them here.

Check back at escapesports.com during the day for bracket updates. (Click on Escape tournaments, then 2012-13, then High School, then Eastern States).

 

Here are the seeds for the 2013 Eastern States Classic:

99 Pounds: 

1. Andrew Flanagan, Holley

2. Vinny Vespa, M-W

3. Jake Yankloski, Wayne

4. Parker Kropman, Penfield

5. Chris Cuccolo, Pine Bush

6. Alfredo Olmedo, Arlington

7. John Busiello, Eastport South Manor

8. Brandon Fay, Fox Lane

9. CJ Archer, Rocky Point

10 Chris Martorello, Fordham Prep

11. Tommy Michel, Lancaster

12. Tristan Almeter, Iroquois

106 Pounds: 

1. Tony Recco, Lyndonville

2. Jimmy Overhiser, Corning

3. Nick Barbaria, New Rochelle

4. Kyle Quinn, Wantagh

5. Anthony Donofrio, Longwood

6. Matt Grippi, Fox Lane

7. Kevin Rodriguez, Port Chester

8. James Szymanski, SWR

9. Hunter Dusold, Locust Valley

10 Golan Cohen, Colonie

11. Nick Robbins, Queensbury

12. Jon Errico, Bynam Hills

13. Evan Barczak, M-W

14. Paulo Friedas, Danbury

15. Chris Velazquez, Amsterdam

16. Nicky Garone, ESM

113 Pounds: 

1. Nick Piccininni, Ward Melville

2. Dillon Stowell, Gouverneur

3. Austin Keough, Warsaw

4. Bryan Lantry, Wayne

5. John Stramiello, Pine Bush

6. Cheick Ndiaye, Brooklyn International

7. Nick Casella, Locust Valley

8. Steve Sewkumar, Long Beach

9. Corey Ali, Shenendehowa

10. Austin Ingraham, Highland

11. Hunter Richard, Holland Patent

12. Tyler Hartinger, Lancaster

13. Dylan Booth, Port Jervis

14. Rafael Mateo, Midlakes

15. Kyler Agoney, Peru

16. Christian Briody, Chaminade

120 Pounds: 

1. Kevin Jack, Danbury

2. Sean Peacock, Midlakes

3. Trey Aslanian, Edgemont

4. Robert Person, Bellmore JFK

5. Steve Michel, Lancaster

6. John Muldoon, Pearl River

7. Alex Delacruz, Ossining

8. Travis Passaro, ESM

9. Blaise Benderoth, N Rockland

10. Kevin Parker, Shenendehowa

11. Blake Retell, Shaker

12. Nick Tolli, Arlington

13. Chris Cataldo, MacArthur

14. Santo Curatolo, Tottenville

15. Anthony Calvano, Nanuet

16. Austin Acquard, Iroquois

126 Pounds: 

1. Dylan Realbuto, Somers

2. Will Koll, Lansing

3. TJ Fabian, SWR

4. Mark West, Hauppauge

5. Justin Cooksey, MacArthur

6. Ryan Snow, General Brown

7. Steve Giampapa, Burlington

8. Chris Araoz, Wantagh

9. Keanu Thompson, Grand Street

10. Alex Herringshaw, Holland Patent

11. Mike Raccioppi, Minisink Valley

12. Rocco Russo, Frontier

13. Antonio DeLuco, Rome Free Academy

14. Joe Ginley, Warwick Valley

15. Joe Dillon, Nanuet

16. John McHugh, Columbia

132 Pounds: 

1. Matt Leshinger, Sayviile

2. Tristan Rifanburg, Norwich

3. Brandon Lapi, Amsterdam

4. Sam Melikian, Fordham Prep

5. Johnny Do, Framingham

6. Chris Mauriello, Hauppauge

7. Zach Ayen, Gouverneur

8. Jake DiMarsico, N Rockland

9. Vinny Turano, Wantagh

10. Eric Harley, Penfield

11. Kyle Greene, Columbia

12. Donald Brown, Middletown

13. Dan Murphy, Ketcham

14. Jack Reina, Garden City

15. Liam Erickson, Brewster

16. Sam Ward, Locust Valley

138 Pounds: 

1. Nick Kelley, Shenendehowa

2. Nick Tighe, Phoenix

3. Connor Lapresi, Lansing

4. Tom Dutton, Rocky Point

5. Derek Arnold, Westfield

6. John Diekel, Whitehall

7. Drew Longo, Ardsley

8. Joey Butler, Burnt Hills

9. Colby Kash, Clarkstown N

10. Matt Caputo, N Rockland

11. Jordan Bushey, Peru

12. Zach Tepper, Danbury

13. Thomas Wightman, Warwick Valley

14. Freddy Pechette, Ravena

15. Matt Dillon, Nanuet

16. Brett Johnson, Cornwall

145 Pounds: 

1. Beau Donahue, Westfield

2. David Almaviva, Shenendehowa

3. Isaiah Riccio, Beaver River

4. Eric Lewandowski, Lancaster

5. Tom Grippi, Fox Lane

6. Frank Garcia, Norwich

7. Louis Hernandez, Mepham

8. JT Romagnoli, JD-CBA

9. Matt Schmelzinger, Garden City

10. Brad Marvin, Ketcham

11. Noah Phillips, Peru

12. Zach Lugo, Deer Park

13. Shane Jennings, Danbury

14. Mike Dusold, Locust Valley

15. Nick Accardi, Rocky Point

16. Brandon Aviles, Newfield

152 Pounds: 

1. Corey Rasheed, Longwood

2. Dan Dickman, Greene

3. Rowdy Prior, Phoenix

4. Angelo Kress, Columbia

5. Brendan Goldup, La Salle

6. Joe Mastro, Yorktown

7. Dan DeCarlo, Port Jervis

8. Zach Joseph, Shenenedehowa

9. Zach Colgan, Johnson City

10. Drake Barczak, M-W

11. Luke Nigro, Burlington

12. Jake Ashcraft, Burnt Hills

13. Mark Stucke, Kenmore West

14. Connor Lawrence, Duanesburg

15. Nik Hansen, Oxford

16. Steve Azzano, Wayne

160 Pounds:

1. Tyler Grimaldi, HHHW

2. Burke Paddock, Warsaw

3. Tyler Silverthorn, Gen Brown

4. Stephen Aiello, Westfield

5. Nick Gallo, Schalmont

6. Mike Beckwith, Greene

7. Austin Weigel, Onteora

8. Danny Tracy, Mepham

9. Steven Schneider, MacArthur

10. Joe Koshakow, Scarsdale

11. JP Vandercliff, M-W

12. Travis Edwards, Port Jervis

13. James Marquez, Amsterdam

14. Nate Bomysoad, U-E

15. Johnny Garcia, Danbury

16. Keith Langdon, Penfield

170 Pounds:

1. Troy Seymour, Peru

2. Danny McDevitt, Wantagh

3. Joe Piccolo, HHHW

4. Christian Dietrich, Greene

5. Adis Radoncic, RKA

6. AJ Voelker, M-W

7. Jack Hatton, Burnt Hills

8. Collin Fox, Midlakes

9. Brett Perry, JJEF

10. Kyle McGuire, Newburgh

11. Matt Guerrisi, Rocky Point

12. John Messinger, Putnam Valley

13. Geno Brancati, Hudson Falls

14. Franky Nassivera, Queensbury

15. Anatoliy Anchakov, Grand Street

16. Greg Kleinsmith, Johnson City

182 Pounds:

1. Zack Zupan, Canastota

2. Tim Schaefer, Warsaw

3. Levi Ashley, Shen

4. James Corbett, Wantagh

5. Connor Leavell, Warwick Valley

6. Matt Roberts, Msgr Farrell

7. Zeki Yazak, Rocky Point

8. Thomas Murray, Yorktown

9. Steve Lambert, Mepham

10. Nathanael Rose, Eagle Academy

11. Jagger Rebozo, HHHW

12. Andy Martinez, Liberty

13. Randy Wilson, Port Jervis

14. Tyler Morson, Westfield

15. Christian Araneo, Ward Melville

16. AJ Buchanan, Highland

195 Pounds:

1. Reggie Williams, Johnson City

2. Tyler Smith, Midlakes

3. Hunter Ayen, Gouverneur

4. Steven Sabella, Yorktown

5. Deon Edmond, Kingston

6. Andrew Maxam, Glens Falls

7. Ben Honis, JD-CBA

8. Race Viedt, Burnt Hills

9. Scott Wymbs, Horace Greeley

10. Xavier Carmona, Hackley

11. Wyatt Albanese, Canastota

12. Kevin Tynes, Brooklyn Tech

13. Wayne Burt, Colonie

14. Kevin Brundage, Nanuet

15. Dan Fowler, Chaminade

16. Garrett Duval, Sherburne-Earlville

220 Pounds

1. Mike Silvis, Holley

2. Dan Breit, Nanuet

3. Dillon Hurlbert, Marathon

4. Jason Johnson, Colonie

5. Josh Langley, Holland Patent

6. Rich Sisti, Msgr Farrell

7. Rob Kelly, M-W

8. Corey Gaffney, General Brown

9. Lucas Depofi, U-E

10. Alex Ortiz, Middletown

11. Luke McKee, Peru

12. Nico Fragale, Burnt Hills

13. Robert James, Longwood

14. TJ Ragusa, Wantagh

15. Sean Fergerson, Rocky Point

16. Josh Bonneau, Minisink Valley

285 Pounds:

1. El Shaddai Van Hoesen, Columbia

2. Alex Soutiere, Ravena

3. David Varian, Yorktown

4. Terrence Cheeks, Newburgh

5. Austin DiCerbo, Colonie

6. Brent Lobien, Horace Greeley

7. Justin Douglas, New Rochelle

8. Matt Vitale, Garden City

9. Tim Wade, Middletown

10. Jacob Morris, Canastota

11. Steve Kerrigan, Susquehanna Valley

12. Mazen Hassan, Msgr Farrell

13. Mason Cross, Penfield

14. Anthony Tufano, New Paltz

15. Shaquille Williams, Brooklyn Tech

16. Ethan Smith, JJCR

17. Brennan Strovink, Rocky Point

Eastern States Pick Your Champions Contest!

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The Eastern States Classic is nearly here.  Over 115 teams will be represented from four states. 13 former state champions are in the field, as are 60 state placers.  The competition will be fierce at every weight.

Can you correctly pick the most champions?  Enter our Eastern States Pick Your Champions Contest and find out. The winner receives an iTunes card.

To participate in the contest, Click Here. (THE CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. WE WILL ANNOUNCE THE WINNER NEXT WEEK).

Weekend Recap: Windsor, Teike Bernabi, Massapequa and So Much More

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There has been a tremendous amount of high quality wrestling around the Empire State over the past few days. For a quick recap of some of the many events, read on.

 

Kelly Earns Fourth Windsor Crown, Jamison Picks Up OW Honors as Huntington Wins Team Title

Chenango Forks senior Kyle Kelly joined an exclusive club on Friday when he earned his fourth Windsor Christmas Tournament championship. He didn’t waste any time getting his hand raised, winning by fall in the first period against Dylan Wood of Walton.

Huntington traveled from Long Island to Section 4 and the trip was worthwhile as the Suffolk squad won the team title  with four champions.  Leading the way was 126 pounder Corey Jamison, who took home Outstanding Wrestler honors for the second consecutive year at this event.  He defeated Lansing’s William Koll 3-1 in the title bout in one of the deepest brackets.  (The other Huntington titlewinners were John Arceri at 99, Brandon Mendez at 145 and Anthony Puca at 285).

In addition to 126, another weight with a lot of firepower was 220. Waverly’s Ryan Wolcott continued his strong start to the season by upsetting Huntington’s nationally-ranked Nick Lupi 2-1 for the crown.

Photo by BV

Greene, which finished in second place overall, boasted a pair of champions in Christian Dietrich at 170 and Mike Beckwith at 160. Beckwith was one of five repeat champions from 2011, along with Kelly, Jamison, Puca and Norwich’s Tristan Rifanburg, who completed a dominant tournament with a first period pin in the 132 pound finals.

Host Windsor put a wrestler on top of the podium as Nate Hayes won a 4-0 decision at 120 pounds. Additional champions included Corning’s Jimmy Overhiser (106), Lansing’s Connor Lapresi (138), Chenango Valley’s Kyle Halliday (152), Walton’s Mike Beers (182) and BGA’s Mark Viviano (195).

For more information, see here.

 

Connetquot Captures Massapequa Holiday Tournament; Koo Grabs MOW Honors

Vespa, Phototrens.com

The second oldest holiday tournament in the state (after Windsor) also finished up on Friday and Suffolk County’s Connetquot took home the Massapequa Holiday Tournament title, led by four champions.

120 pounder Steven Bulzomi edged Hauppauge’s Austin Munro 1-0 to notch first place and after Munro’s teammate Mark West took the crown at 126, Connetquot won three championships in a row – Gino Titone at 132, Greg Chery at 138 and Brendan Dent at 145. In fact, the squad had another finalist at 152, however, the tournament’s MOW, Chris Koo of Great Neck South, ended the T-Birds streak of gold medals when he defeated Steve Schmit by 20-5 technical fall.

Finishing in second was Section 9’s Monroe Woodbury which continues to show strength throughout its lineup. The Crusaders featured four titlewinners – Vinny Vespa (99), Evan Barczak (106), JP Vandercliff (160) and AJ Voelker (170).

Long Beach sported a pair of champions (Steven Sewkumar at 113 and Zamarr Allen at 195), as did Section 5’s Pittsford (Chad Howard at 182 and Tyler Schaefer at 220). Host Massapequa also was represented at the top of the podium as Tim Gungor captured the heavyweight crown.

For more information, see here

 

Shenendehowa Wins Teike-Bernabi With Four Champs; Spencerport Boasts Three Title Winners

With seven finalists and four champions, Shenendehowa cruised to the team title at the Teike-Bernabi Tournament hosted by Spencerport.  The Plainsmen were led by co-Most Outstanding Wrestler Nick Kelley (138) as well as fellow gold medalists David Almaviva (145), Zach Joseph (152) and Ali Hashimee (170).

Taking runner up honors for the Section 2 school were Kevin Parker (120), Jesse Porter (132) and Justin Noble (182).

Sharing OW accolades with Kelley was Lockport’s 113 pounder Anthony Orefice, who won a battle of state placers with Gouverneur’s Dillon Stowell, 7-1.

Williams, Photo by BV

Orefice wasn’t the only Lockport grappler to make the top of the podium. Teammate Marshall Taylor grabbed the 220 pound crown. In addition, a number of fellow Section 6 wrestlers won titles, including Clarence teammates Jake Weber (160) and Brandon Glaubner (126) as well as Cheektowoga returning state runner up Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (132), Lancaster’s Steve Michel (120) and St. Joseph’s Collegiate’s Garrett Baugher (99 – CHSAA).

The hosts from Spencerport were led to third place in the team standings by a trio of champions – Jon Haas at 106, Trent Egenlauf at 182 and Austin Coleman at 285.  Another Rangers wrestler, Collin Pittman, also made it to the finals but dropped a tight contest to two-time All-Stater Reggie Williams of Johnson City at 195.

For more information, see here.

 

Also in Section 5 . . . Midlakes Unbeaten at Dick Vincent Duals, Edges Warsaw 43-42

Peacock, Photo by BV

At the Dick Vincent Duals at Letchworth High, two teams stood above the rest. In the end, one point separated them. Midlakes finished the event 9-0 while Warsaw compiled an 8-1 mark with the difference being the Screaming Eagles 43-42 dual victory over the Tigers.

Interestingly, 12 of the 15 bouts in the dual were decided by pin. For Midlakes, it was Cody Maher at 152, Jeryd Graham at 182, Hammond Raes at 99, Rafael Mateo at 120, Sean Peacock at 126 and Derian Woodard at 132 who picked up six points with falls. Tyler Smith won by major at 220 and Will Raes by decision at 106.

Palmyra Macedon went 7-2 during the event.

 

Three Teams Go 7-1 at the Holley Holiday Duals; Devlin and DePrez Get Top Billing

A trio of squads – Brockport, Hilton and Webster Schroeder all finished the Holley Holiday Duals at 7-1. Brockport was declared the event’s winner based on tiebreaking criteria. The first place team’s loss was to Webster Schroeder, whose only loss was to Hilton. In turn, Hilton was defeated by Brockport.

Kellen Devlin of Amherst and Vincent DePrez of Hilton were named “MVP”s in the tournament summary. For the dual scores and the All-Tournament Team, see here.

 

Fairport Dominates Kenneth Haines Memorial Tournament With Six Champions

Section 5’s Fairport traveled to SUNY Oswego and put on an impressive performance in taking the team title at the Kenneth Haines Memorial Tournament. The Red Raiders finished almost 100 points ahead of runner up Fulton. Fairport had 10 finalists and six champions, including five straight winners from 106 to 132 pounds (Bryan Ruggeri, Zach Barker, Andy Pieri, AJ Pesci and Les Brown). Colton Kells added the last crown at 195 pounds.

While Fairport took control in the lightweights, Mexico did the same in the middleweights, capturing titles at 138 (Jay Kisselstein), 145 (CJ Loomis), 152 (Trevor Allard) and 170 (Jacob Woolson). Derek Owen (220) and Brennan Roberge (285) earned first place for runner up Fulton.

For more on the tournament, see here

Penfield Goes Undefeated at the Mountain Duals; Nasoni Notches Upset Victory 

Penfield went 8-0 at the 16-team Mountain Duals at Dolgeville. Two of the many wrestlers to lead the way were 120 pounder Matt Langenskamp and seventh grade standout Frankie Gissendanner (126/132). In the eighth round of action, Penfield topped General Brown 37-27, handing the Lions their only loss of the event.  Also going 7-1 was Burnt Hills (which lost to General Brown).

While Penfield’s performance was a headline from a team perspective, another discussion topic was the upset victory of Baldwinsville’s Joe Nasoni over Canastota’s Zack Zupan by fall. Canastota’s returning state champion was wrestling up a weight against Nasoni and held a lead at the time of the fall. However, Nasoni continued his impressive start to the season and showed he is one to watch in the upperweights this year.

For more information, see here.

Sachem East Wins Five at the Long Island Challenge

Sachem East swept five opponents at the Long Island Challenge at MacArthur High. The squad picked up wins over Clarkstown South, Kellenberg, Half Hollow Hills West, MacArthur and Islip with the smallest margin of victory a 12-point win over the host Generals. A number of videos from that dual, as well as some other battles between top Long Island wrestlers such as Tyler Grimaldi vs. Steven Schneider at 160 and Carlos Toribio vs. Joe Piccolo at 170, are available here.

Leading the way for Sachem East were Conor O’Hara (138), Jackson Mordente (145), Cristian Nunez (220) and Josh Edmondson (285), who were unbeaten during the event.

Islip went 5-1 while Brentwood put up a 4-1 mark.

Commack Takes Six Titles at the Sal DiFazio Holiday Tournament at Half Hollow Hills East

Tanzman, Photo by 27east.com

Commack was the big winner at Half Hollow Hills East with six champions and a team title by over 60 points.  The Cougar titlewinners were Champion of Champions CJ Labate (145), Mike D’Angelo (126), Brian Gully (113), Mark Milo (152), Dan Fiorvanti (182) and Ali Halimi (285). A number of wrestlers ranked in our first New York State rankings for the 2012-13 season also took titles, including 106 pounder Alex Tanzman of Westhampton Beach, 120 pounder Robert Person of Bellmore JFK and 132 pounder Matt Leshinger of Sayville.

For more information, see here.

John Glenn Comes Out on Top at the Raider Invitational 

A young team from John Glenn captured the title at the Raider Invitational at Patchogue-Medford, with Wantagh taking second.

John Glenn was paced by champions Zach Ancewicz (99), Matt Porrello (145) and Anthony Pino (195) as well as runners up Chris D’Amico (120), Arman Akhund (132) and Bryan Smith (220).

Wantagh’s Chris Araoz was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler and he was joined on top of the medal stand by teammates Kyle Quinn (113), Vinny Turano (138), Connor Contorno (152), Dan McDevitt (170), James Corbett (182) and TJ Ragusa (220).

 

Sachem North Undefeated at Joe Davidson Memorial Duals

On their home turf, the Sachem North wrestlers went unbeaten at the Joe Davidson Memorial Duals, an event that included 10 teams. The Flaming Arrows were led by 182 pounder Gio Santiago and 132 pounder Sean O’Hagan, who both picked up victories in each of the duals.

Yorktown Captures Mid-Hudson Tournament With Four Champions

Yorktown came out on top at the Mid-Hudson Tournament with championship showings by Joseph Mastro (152), Thomas Murray (182), Steven Sabella (195) and David Varian (285).  A number of teams had a pair of titlewinners. For Pine Bush, it was Chris Cuccolo (99) and Johnny Stramiello (113), for Ketcham it was Danny Murphy (132) and Brad Marvin (145) and for Ossining it was Alex Delacruz (126) and Trent Lofaro (220).

For more on the tournament, see here.

 

Phoenix Represents the Empire State; Takes Fifth in Louisiana

Tighe, Photo by BV

While there was a lot of great action in the Empire State, Phoenix traveled to Louisiana for the Deep South Bayou Duals.  On the first day, the squad cruised to first place in Pool A, defeating teams from the host state plus Florida and Oklahoma.  The closest meet was a 33-point win by the Firebirds over Fontainbleau, Louisiana.

Then, it was on to the championship bracket. After a 36-33 loss to Jesuit, the New York team won three in a row to earn fifth place and an overall 7-1 mark.  Nick Tighe, Rowdy Prior and Justin Rhodes led the way on Day 2, combining for 12 wins – 11 by pin and one by technical fall.

 

More results to be added . . . to report results e-mail newyorkwrestlingnews@gmail.com

New York State Rankings #1 for 2012-13 Season

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Here we go . . . the first and probably most difficult rankings of the year.  Soon, wrestlers will settle into their weights, more top wrestlers will go head to head and others will be back from injuries. Rankings, especially at this time of year, are subjective and we’re sure there are some wrestlers not included who will make an impact.  They are the opinions of those who collaborated on this project and are meant to generate conversation. We will seriously consider all of your feedback . . . as long as it’s done respectfully.  So, have at it.

Special thanks to Mike Carey for his incredible work to make these rankings happen.

Diakomihalis, Photo by BV

99 Pounds:

  1. Yianni Diakomihalis, Hilton (5)
  2. Vito Arujau, Syosset (8)
  3. Jesse Dellavecchia, East Islip (11)
  4. Peter Pappas, Plainview (8)
  5. Ryan Hetrick, Southwestern (6)
  6. John Arceri, Huntington (11)
  7. John Busiello, Eastport South Manor (11)
  8. Vinny Vespa, Monroe Woodbury (9)

A Few Notes: There are some terrific young wrestlers in this weight, but #1 is Hilton’s Yianni Diakomihalis, who has been extremely impressive not only on the mat for Hilton thus far but all over the country over the past several months.  Before this high school campaign began, he captured the Junior High Championship at the Super 32 Challenge in North Carolina. On his way to that title, Diakomihalis defeated Syosset eighth grader Vito Arujau (who took third). Arujau has been dominant thus far, both at 106 and 99. Suffolk county will have quite a battle in this class.  Over the holidays, Jesse Dellevecchia edged John Busiello in a very close and entertaining match while Arceri won the Windsor Christmas Tournament with a technical fall in the title bout.

106 Pounds:

  1. Alex Tanzman, Westhampton Beach (11)
  2. Jimmy Overhiser, Corning (4)
  3. Tony Recco, Lyndonville (5)
  4. Andrew Flanagan, Holley (5)
  5. Kyle Quinn, Wantagh (8)
  6. Jake Yankloski, Wayne (5)
  7. Jonathan Haas, Spencerport (5)
  8. Steven Lee, West Babylon (11)
A Few Notes: Tanzman took bronze at 99 a year ago, and started the season up at 113 (where he dropped a decision to state champion Nick Piccininni). Overhiser took fourth at this weight a year ago and has picked up where he left off, including a title at the Windsor Christmas Tournament.  Recco, a state champion in 2012, and Flanagan, a placer, have done well up a weight after competing at 99 a year ago. Yankloski caught our attention when he defeated qualifier Bryan Ruggeri of Fairport by technical fall early in the year.  He won his first 16 bouts.

 

Piccininni, Photo by BV

113 Pounds:

  1. Nick Piccininni Ward Melville (11)
  2. Kyle Kelly, Chenango Forks (4)
  3. Anthony Orefice, Lockport (6)
  4. Bryan Lantry, Wayne (5)
  5. Dillon Stowell, Gouverneur (10)
  6. Nick Barbaria, New Rochelle (1)
  7. Johnny Stramiello, Pine Bush (9)
  8. Cheick Ndiaye, Brooklyn International (P)

A Few Notes: This is one of two weights where there was a lot of back and forth on who is #1 and who is essentially 1A. We expect Piccininni and Kelly to settle things on the mat in the finals at the Times Union Center.  Two years ago, Kelly defeated Piccininni in the state semifinals and neither has lost in the state of New York since.  The Ward Melville wrestler’s outstanding performances against top competition outside the state, and a victory over the nation’s top sophomore, Zahid Valencia, gave him the edge.  Of course, Kelly’s many achievements are extremely impressive, including two state titles and placements at Fargo and Virginia Beach.  Anthony Orefice also has had a lot of success both inside and outside of the Empire State.  He was 40-2 a year ago, with his losses coming to Piccininni and Jimmy Overhiser (by default) and he registered a solid 7-1 win over Stowell over the holidays. Like Orefice, Bryan Lantry was fifth in 2012 in the state capital.  After a slow start at the Madison Square Garden title bout, Ndiaye gave Kelly a tough match a few weeks ago, dropping a two point decision.

Person, Photo by BV

120 Pounds:

  1. Robert Person, Bellmore JFK (8)
  2. Rocco Russo, Frontier (6)
  3. Steve Michel, Lancaster (6)
  4. Mike D’Angelo, Commack (11)
  5. Sean Peacock, Midlakes (5)
  6. Trey Aslanian, Edgemont (1)
  7. Kellen Devlin, Amherst (6)
  8. John Muldoon, Pearl River (1)

A Few Notes: Person, a two-time placer out of Section 8 is looking to make the finals for the first time after placing multiple times in the past. A number of these wrestlers have met this year.  Russo defeated Michel early on and then Michel beat Peacock.  Meanwhile, in last year’s state finals at 113, Peacock topped Aslanian.  The Edgemont grappler, headed to Princeton, is on a mission to win a state title after two runner up finishes in Albany.  Mike D’Angelo may not be a familiar name to those outside of Long Island but he suffered only three losses last year – all to Nick Piccininni.  In fact, Piccininni had only four regular decisions prior to Albany and three were against D’Angelo.  Truthfully, D’Angelo won’t have an easy time in Section 11 this year, because a pair of wrestlers who made it to the Round of 12 at the Super 32, Connetquot’s Steven Bulzomi and Eastport South Manor’s Travis Passaro, are also very strong.

Realbuto, Photo by BV

126 Pounds:

  1. Dylan Realbuto, Somers (1)
  2. TJ Fabian, Shoreham Wading River (11)
  3. Chris Araoz, Wantagh (8)
  4. Corey Jamison, Huntington (11)
  5. William Koll, Lansing (4)
  6. Blake Retell, Shaker (2)
  7. Dakota Gardner, Fredonia (6)
  8. Antonio DeLuco, Rome Free Academy (3)

A Few Notes:  Realbuto captured a state title a year ago and will have a challenging group to beat to repeat. Fabian took fourth last season at a deep 120 pound weight and has impressed so far for Shoreham Wading River, as he did while winning seven straight after an opening round loss at the Super 32.  Chris Araoz knows about long winning streaks at national events as he took the 120 pound NHSCA National title last spring. Meanwhile, former state gold medalist William Koll has made the move up a few weights.  He took second this weekend at the Windsor Christmas Tournament behind Corey Jamison, who came into Albany as the number two seed last year but didn’t compete the second day.

Rodriguez-Spencer, Photo by BV

132 Pounds:

  1. Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer, Cheektowoga (6)
  2. Matt Leshinger, Sayville (11)
  3. Tristan Rifanburg, Norwich (4)
  4. Sam Melikian, Fordham Prep (C)
  5. Cody McGregor, Tonawanda (6)
  6. Brandon Lapi, Amsterdam (2)
  7. Vinny Turano, Wantagh (8)
  8. Ben Ettlinger, Fox Lane (1)

A Few Notes: Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer is currently ranked nationally at this weight and has a boatload of achievements in the international styles. Last year, he took second in Albany behind Nick Tighe in an entertaining, back and forth, match. Future Columbia Lion Matt Leshinger of Sayville, a returning bronze medalist, went through one of the state’s toughest brackets (Section 11, 120 pounds) just to get to the Times Union Center last season.  Rifanburg, McGregor and Lapi have made a number of appearances on the medal stand and Melikian came within one match of joining them a year ago.

Kelley, Photo by BV

138 Pounds:

  1. Nick Kelley, Shenendehowa (2)
  2. Nick Tighe, Phoenix (3)
  3. Connor Lapresi, Lansing (4)
  4. Tom Dutton, Rocky Point (11)
  5. Vincent DePrez, Hilton (5)
  6. Eric Lewandowski, Lancaster (6)
  7. Codie Gillette, Saranac (7)
  8. Derrick Gray, Indian River (3)

A Few Notes: A pair of Binghamton-bound wrestlers are the favorites to capture titles at this weight in 2013. On the Division I side it’s Kelley, who is looking for his first crown to cap off a terrific career. On the other hand, Tighe is aiming for his third straight championship in Albany. Tighe may have to battle returning 132 pound gold medalist Connor Lapresi, who will wrestle for Bucknell in the future. On the large school side, Tom Dutton had a stellar offseason, placing at both the NHSCA Nationals and Fargo after a successful regular season in Section 11. DePrez and Lewandowski have both competed in the Saturday night finals in the past and will look to get back there this February.

Almaviva, Photo courtesy of Anthony Almaviva

145 Pounds:

  1. David Almaviva, Shenendehowa (2)
  2. Louis Hernandez, Mepham (8)
  3. Isaiah Riccio, Beaver River (3)
  4. Dan Reagan, Lewiston Porter (6)
  5. Jude Gardner, Fredonia (6)
  6. Joey Butler, Burnt Hills (2)
  7. Jackson Mordente, Sachem East (11)
  8. Colby Kash, Clarkstown North (1)

A Few Notes: Almaviva, an All-American, lost some matches this year but did so while making the Round of 12 at the prestigious Reno Tournament of Champions. After taking bronze in Albany last year, he’ll be looking to get to the finals this time. A number of other wrestlers on this list have solid experience at the Times Union Center, such as All-Staters Riccio, Reagan and Gardner. Hernandez made the trip to the state capital last year and wrestled with a severe injury. Now back in form, he dominated tough competition in and outside of the Empire State in the offseason and is looking for big things in a return trip.

Rasheed, Photo by BV

152 Pounds:

  1. Corey Rasheed, Longwood (11)
  2. Tom Grippi, Fox Lane (1)
  3. Drew Hull, Royalton Hartland (6)
  4. Angelo Kress, Columbia (2)
  5. Tyler Spann, Adirondack (3)
  6. Chris Koo, Great Neck South (8)
  7. Rowdy Prior, Phoenix (3)
  8. Kyle Halliday, Chenango Valley (4)

A Few Notes: Rasheed is a three-time placer and two-time runner up going into his junior year.  He took second at 145 in D-I last season while Drew Hull, a two-time medal winner, was the silver placer in the small school tournament.  Tom Grippi handed our #1 at 145 David Almaviva his only loss in Albany last year and finished one match from placing.  He already has over 20 wins.  Kress pinned his way through the PSAL Holiday tournament and racked up a number of wins in offseason events in the international styles. At the state tournament last season, he lost to nationally ranked Nicky Hall in the opening round before winning three straight in the consolations.  Chris Koo has been an All-American twice in Virginia Beach but has yet to travel to the state capital.  He has the ability to not only qualify but go far at the Times Union Center. He most recently was the Outstanding Wrestler at the Massapequa Holiday Tournament. Prior had a 32-3 season last year but two of his setbacks came in the Section 3 tournament (including to Spann).  He has been on fire this year thus far.

Grimaldi, Photo by BV

160 Pounds:

  1. Tyler Grimaldi, HHHW (11)
  2. Burke Paddock, Warsaw (5)
  3. Brendan Goldup, LaSalle (2)
  4. Jake Weber, Clarence (6)
  5. Mike Beckwith, Greene (4)
  6. Nick Gallo, Schalmont (2)
  7. Tyler Silverthorn, General Brown (3)
  8. Austin Weigel, Onteora (9)

A Few Notes: Speaking of 1 and 1A back at 113, Grimaldi and Paddock are both in the national rankings.  Some have Grimaldi higher and some have the reverse. We expect both to stand on top of the podium in Albany in their respective divisions.  Why do we have Grimaldi higher?  He defeated Paddock at the New York State Freestyle championships this year and placed at Fargo while both were in the same bracket. Needless to say, Paddock has a plethora of achievements over the years and will be difficult to beat. Mike Beckwith encountered a number of setbacks a year ago but with very little practice under his belt won Section 4 and a match in Albany.  He has blistered through the competition this year. Silverthorn was one of the few non-senior medalists in either division at 160 in 2012. Gallo came within a bout of the podium as a freshman and Goldup, a former All-Stater, is off to a great start. Weigel was one bout from the All-State status at 170 and will be a handful down at 160. [Dale White has been out injured].

170 Pounds:

  1. Troy Seymour, Peru (7)
  2. Dan McDevitt, Wantagh (8)
  3. Carlos Toribio, Brentwood (11)
  4. Zack Buckley, Fredonia (6)
  5. Christian Dietrich, Greene (4)
  6. Johnny Vrasidas, St. Anthony’s (C)
  7. Joe Piccolo, Half Hollow Hills West (11)
  8. Andrew Voelker, Monroe Woodbury (9)

Seymour, a national runner up and fourth placer at the state tournament last year, stands on top of 170.  Behind him are a number of talented competitors, none of whom have tasted the podium yet at 170.  However, McDevitt was on the medal stand as a fifth placer in 2012 — down at 138. After a growth spurt, he is up several classes and after beating some tough customers this summer, he’s looking like a solid bet to medal again. Johnny Vrasidas made it to the top 8 in Albany in February.  Toribio has started off the year on fire in Section 11, beating All-Stater Gio Santiago and returning qualifier Matt Roberts, both while wrestling up a weight. He also handled Piccolo this past week at the Long Island Challenge. An interesting wildcard is Deitrich, who medaled at 152 as a seventh grader in 2011 and who looked overpowering as he cruised to the Windsor Christmas Tournament title.

Zupan, Photo by BV

182 Pounds:

  1. Zack Zupan, Canastota (3)
  2. Shayne Brady, Carthage (3)
  3. Tim Schaefer, Warsaw (5)
  4. James Corbett, Wantagh (8)
  5. James Benjamin, Vestal (4)
  6. Trent Egenlauf, Spencerport (5)
  7. Gio Santiago, Sachem North (11)
  8. Levi Ashley, Shenendehowa (2)

A Few Notes: Zack Zupan, the top ranked recruit in New York, stands at #1 while fellow Section 3 wrestler Shayne Brady, the Division I runner up a year ago comes in at #2.  The two met in the finals of the Herkimer Invitational, which ended quickly after some good early action when Brady injury defaulted.  Tim Schaefer, a multi-time state placer, is off to another great start for Warsaw after taking third at this weight in 2012.  Benjamin is back after his All-State showing out of Section 4 and fellow medalist Gio Santiago returns to the rankings. Above him is Wantagh’s James Corbett, who has impressed during his undefeated start, including a solid win over the Sachem North wrestler. Egenlauf has won multiple tournaments so far this campaign including the Teike Bernabi.

Williams, Photo by BV

195 Pounds:

  1. Reggie Williams, Johnson City (4)
  2. Bryce Mazurowski, Avon (5)
  3. Dan Choi, Syosset (8)
  4. Tyler Smith, Midlakes (5)
  5. Colton Kells, Fairport (5)
  6. Tyler Morris, Salem (2)
  7. Collin Pittman, Spencerport (5)
  8. Nick Weber, Kings Park (11)

A Few Notes: Reggie Williams conquered all challengers as a sophomore at 195 with the exception of four losses to state champion (and now graduated) Tony Fusco of Shenendehowa. Williams is the favorite to win his first state title.  Next up is another state silver medalist, Bryce Mazurowski of Avon, a future member of the Binghamton Bearcats.  Two 2012 fourth placers also sit here, Tyler Smith of Midlakes (at 195) and Tyler Morris of Salem (at 182). Colton Kells finished in the top 8 in Division I at 195 a year ago while Choi did the same at 182. Pittman gave Williams a lot to handle in the finals of the Teike Bernabi tournament despite a previous setback.

 

Bacon, Photo by BV

220 Pounds:

  1. Zack Bacon, Hornell (5)
  2. Ryan Wolcott, Waverly (4)
  3. Mike Silvis, Holley (5)
  4. Nick Lupi, Huntington (11)
  5. Dan Breit, Nanuet (1)
  6. Chris Saden, Fredonia (6)
  7. Joe Sprung, Berne Knox (2)
  8. Richard Sisti, Monsignor Farrell (C)

A Few Notes: Zack Bacon of Hornell, currently ranked #16 in the country by Intermat, leads the way. Bacon is familiar with Silvis and they are sure to meet this year again. Lupi also earned a spot in the national polls (by Amateur Wrestling News). The Huntington wrestler was upset in the Windsor Christmas Tournament finals by Ryan Wolcott, a returning Top 8 wrestler (at 170). Breit, Sprung and Sisti all made appearances at the Times Union Center in 2012.

Van Hoesen, Photo by BV

285 Pounds:

  1. El Shaddai Van Hoesen, Columbia (2)
  2. Mike Hughes, Smithtown West (11)
  3. Matt Montesanti, Medina (6)
  4. Alex Soutiere, Ravena (2)
  5. Brandon Fayle, Lowville (3)
  6. James O’Hagan, Seaford (8)
  7. David Varian, Yorktown (1)
  8. Anthony Puca, Huntington (11)

El Shaddai Van Hoesen earns the top spot with his absolute dominance thus far as a senior after taking second in 2012.  Another silver medalist, Alex Soutiere, has followed up his run at the Times Union Center with an unbeaten start.  A pair of sixth place finishers are also included, with Smithtown West’s Mike Hughes and Medina’s Matt Montesanti in control just about every time they’ve stepped on the mat.  Brandon Fayle of Lowville fell one bout short of placing in 2012 and has put up solid results again, with the one blemish on his record via disqualification.  Rounding out the rankings are Seaford’s James O’Hagan, an NHSCA Nationals third place finisher who went 31-3 last year and who has lost only to Hughes this campaign (the only match Hughes hasn’t won by fall).  Anthony Puca of Huntington and David Varian of Yorktown, a qualifier out of Section 1, round things out.

* Results based on NWCA Scorebook

Grapplers from All Over NY (Plus Michigan, Ohio and PA) Gearing Up for the NYWAY Kickoff Classic on Jan 6

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Last year, the inaugural NYWAY Kickoff Classic brought several hundred youth wrestlers from five to 14 years old to the campus of Cornell University.  Many of the standouts from that event continued to make names for themselves throughout the season, including some at the varsity level.

A few examples: Penfield’s Frankie Gissendanner was named MOW at his first varsity tournament and won the prestigious Top Hat event in Pennsylvania at 126 pounds– as a seventh grader.  Alexander’s Dane Heberlein has already made an impact at 99 pounds in Section 5 while Michigan’s Devin Schroder, who won the NYWAY Kickoff a year ago at 105-110 pounds, went on to take All-America honors at the FloNationals in April at 106 as an eighth grader.

The second annual NYWAY Kickoff Classic on January 6 promises to be another top notch event, this time at Niagara County Community College (NCCC) in Sanborn, New York.  NCCC head coach Keith Maute, who is also the Director of Cobra Wrestling Academy, will serve as Tournament Director.

Around 100 wrestlers from Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania have already committed to attend and enrollment from New York has been strong.  In fact, the expectation is that over 400 youth wrestlers between the ages of five and 14 will compete.

“We are hoping to make this a true New York state championship with registration from all around the state,” said Kevin Lucinski, NYWAY’s Far Western Director. “Having top kids from other states just adds to the competition.  We want people to know that it will be professionally paired with New York certified referees and full mats.  We’re hoping it will be a flagship event for NYWAY and Section 6.”

The champion in each of the 59 weight classes will receive custom Cage Fighter shorts (pictured) and the top four finishers in each bracket will earn medals.

Lucinski notes that there has been a change to the registration process.  Rather than signing up online, all registration must be done using the mail-in form, which is here: 2013-NYWAY-KICK3

Please send the registration to:

Cobra Wrestling Academy

351 Pine St

Lockport, NY 14094

If you have already registered and paid online, please confirm your registration by e-mailing Kevin Lucinski at kslucinski@yahoo.com.

 

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

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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

 

 

 

 

Weekend Notes: High School State Finalists Battle; Binghamton Picks Up First Two Victories and Much More

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Here are a few news and notes from some of the college and high school action around the state this weekend . . .

Binghamton Goes 2-for-2, Army Tops Drexel

Donnie Vinson, Photo by BV

After dropping the first six duals of the season against a tough schedule that included ranked teams such as Cornell, Illinois, Oklahoma and Lehigh, Binghamton began a winning streak this weekend.  On Friday night, Matt Dernlan picked up his first victory as the leader of the Bearcats program as the CAA squad defeated Princeton, 23-12.  On Sunday, Binghamton followed up by capturing six of the 10 contests against league foe Boston to win 26-13.  Going unbeaten on the weekend were nationally ranked wrestlers Donnie Vinson (#3 at 149 pounds) and Nate Schiedel (#6 at 197 pounds) as well as Patrick Hunter (125), Vin Grella (165) and Cody Reed (184).  The Bearcats return to action at the Midlands in Illinois on December 29.

Army also was victorious, earning a 22-15 triumph over Drexel on Thursday night.  The Black Knights once again received key wins from 165-pounder Paul Hancock, who recorded a fall, as well as 141-pounder Connor Hanafee and 184-pounder Collin Wittmeyer in pivotal matches.  The squad will take the mat again on January 1 at the Southern Scuffle.

In the first dual meet action of the season for Buffalo, the Bulls were defeated by Central Michigan, 28-7. Six of the 10 bouts were decided by two points or less and unfortunately for Buffalo, the Chippewas came out on top in five of those six close matches.  Winning for the New York squad were Angelo Malvestuto at 197 and John-Martin Cannon, in his return to the mat after missing a few weeks with injury.

All-State Wrestlers and State Finalists Square Off 

A year ago, the dual between Wantagh and Shenendehowa at the Civil War Duals ended in a tie, with the Nassau County team earning the win on criteria.  With both squads going undefeated the remainder of the year, that result was instrumental in Wantagh earning the award as the state’s #1 Dual Meet team.   The powerhouses are both loaded again this year and were set to meet this weekend in Clifton Park as part of the 2012 Civil War Duals.  However, due to a tragic accident in which two Shenendehowa students were killed, the event was appropriately postponed.

However, there were still some top notch matchups this weekend as the 2012-13 season picked up steam.

Drew Hull, Photo by BV

In a dual meet in Section 6, two podium finishers from February took the mat at 152 pounds.  Two-time All-Stater Drew Hull of Royalton Hartland, who captured second place in Albany at 145 pounds a year ago, topped fourth place finisher (at 138) Dan Reagan of Lewiston Porter by the score of 6-0.  (However, Lewiston Porter won the dual 48-30).

At the Herkimer Invitational, a pair of state finalists, Canastota’s Zack Zupan and Carthage’s Shayne Brady sat on different sides of the 182-pound bracket.  The two cruised into the finals, setting up a meeting in the title bout.  However, that match didn’t go the distance, as Brady suffered an injury and defaulted.  (Zupan had taken the early lead).  We hope to see the runner up from Carthage back on the mat soon.

Another Section 3 standout, two-time state champion Nick Tighe of Phoenix, also met a state runner up this weekend, Hilton’s Vincent DePrez, in the 138-pound championship contest of the Matthew Marino Tournament at Webster Schroeder High.   The Binghamton-bound Tighe dominated, grabbing a 16-3 major decision.  It is worth noting that DePrez was one of three second placers for his squad – and for the DePrez family.  His brothers Anthony (145) and Lou (120) also took silver while nationally-ranked teammate Yianni Diakomihalis was the victor at 99 pounds.

In the team race at the Matthew Marino event, which featured strong entrants from Sections 3, 4, 5 and 6, Vermont’s Mount Anthony High took first.  Earning second place was Section 6’s Fredonia, led by four gold medalists — returning state placers Dakota Gardner (126 pounds) and Jude Gardner (145) as well as Zach Buckley (170) and Christian Saden (220).  Buckley had a solid win over Section 5 champion Jared Mesiti, 7-4.

Also taking top billing were state qualifier Colton Kells of Fairport at 195 and state placer Bryan Lantry of Wayne at 113.  Lantry’s teammate Jake Yankloski registered an impressive bonus point victory in the 106 title match against 2012 qualifier Bryan Ruggeri of Fairport.

More Contenders in Action

Matt Leshinger, Photo by BV

In the first weekend of action for Section 11, the Sayville tournament showcased several state title contenders.  Among them were Ivy League-bound seniors Tyler Grimaldi of Half Hollow Hills West (Harvard) and the host school’s Matt Leshinger (Columbia).  Grimaldi, who was second in the state at 160 a year ago, captured Most Outstanding Wrestler honors in Sayville after cruising at 160 pounds.  Meanwhile, Leshinger, who took bronze at 120 in February, had a solid debut up a few weights as he won the tournament at 138 pounds.

Another strong event on Long Island was the Bruins Cup at Baldwin, which provided another opportunity to see a number of strong wrestlers ramp up their seasons.

Steven Sewkumar of Long Beach collected Most Outstanding Wrestler honors for the second consecutive weekend as he took the 113 pound title in a close match against St. Anthony’s Ben Lamantia.  St. Anthony’s celebrated a number of champions, including former All-State grappler Freddie Dunau (126) and 2012 qualifier Johnny Vrasidas (170) as well as Joe Russ (120).

Vito Arujau, Photo by BV

Syosset’s Dan Choi, who came within one match of the medal stand at the Times Union Center in Albany registered four pins on the way to the 195-pound crown while his teammates Joe Scholl (182) and Vito Arujau (106) also made the top of the podium.  Arujau looked dominant for the second straight tournament, earning the title by technical fall.

Led by champions Anthony Messina (132), Jackson Mordente (145) and John Vigh (220) and runners up Conor O’Hara (138), Mike Pistone (152), Mark Tracy (170) and Josh Edmonsen (285), Sachem East took the team title by over 50 points, with Longwood next.

 

MacArthur Takes First at the Mahopac Duals

While multiple Section 8 teams wrestled at the tournaments listed above, MacArthur traveled to Section 1 for the Mahopac Duals.  The Generals were impressive throughout the competition, including a 42-25 victory over Section 4’s Johnson City in the title tilt.  The host team from Mahopac was fourth.

And From the Midwest . . .

While Empire State teams can’t compete at some of the large in-season national events, a pair of 2012 New York State silver medalists made the podium at one of the most challenging tournaments in the country this weekend —  the Walsh Ironman in Ohio.  Jose Rodriguez, who took second at 99 pounds last season while competing for Wantagh, was the runner up at 106 pounds at the Ironman behind Eli Stuckley of St. Paris Graham.  Rodriguez now attends Massillon Perry in the Buckeye State.

Former Longwood star Nicky Hall notched seventh place on Saturday while representing Wyoming Seminary.  Hall is a two-time New York medalist, including a second place showing at 152 pounds in 2012.

For more dual meet results from around the state, see here

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