By Betsy Veysman

The NCAA season ended last Saturday night, but there was still plenty of high level wrestling on the campus of Cornell University this weekend as nearly 650 grapplers took the mat in the first ever NYWAY State Championships.

There were many champions crowned, from the lightest weight (37 pounder James Leuer Jr. of Lockport Kids Club) to the high school 220-pound victor (Corey Gaffney). There was a well-known youth wrestler (Stevo Poulin at 55 pounds). There were winners in deep classes, such as the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club’s Lucas Malmberg topping a field at 112 pounds that contained three other state placers from Albany.  And there was even a pair of NYPHSAA state finalists battling for the 125-pound trophy, as 2011 state champion William Koll decisioned 2012 runner up Vincent Deprez.

Few champions were as dominant, however, as the ones from the top two teams in the tournament, G2 World Wrestling Academy from Rochester (five champions) and Cobra Wrestling Academy from Depew (four champions).

G2 came out on top of the team race with 219.5 points.  Cobra was right behind with 214, with Finger Lakes Wrestling Club in bronze position with 200.5.

“I didn’t think too much about the team portion of it initially,” said G2 head coach Adam Burgos.  “I was focused on the kids individually, doing what they’ve been training for.  About halfway through the day, I heard the team scores and realized we were right up there.  Then when we heard we won, we were ecstatic.  This will be the premier youth event in the state, so to win the first year is huge.”

Presenting team awards rather than just individual medals was a relatively late addition to the event after it was suggested by Cobra Executive Director and Niagara County Community College coach Keith Maute.

“All the kids love team events and wrestling when there’s something at stake for the group,” Maute said. “Adding a team race to mimic the high school states and even the college level was a great thing that gets them used to what they’ll see as they get older.  I like them to understand the points system and especially what getting bonus points means to your team.”

The combined nine champions from G2 and Cobra certainly seemed to understand the concept of extra points very well.

For G2, Frankie Gissendanner (D4, 120 pounds), Yianni Diakomihalis (D4, 100 pounds) and Ryan Burgos (D3, 70) all went undefeated on Sunday and only one of their matches went the distance.

Gissendanner spent less than three minutes on the mat in each of his matches, winning a trio of bouts by fall to capture the title.

“Frankie is a phenomenal athlete,” Burgos said.  “He’s easy to watch and even easier to coach because once you present something to him, he goes out and executes it.”

He and eighth grade teammate Diakomihalis benefit from working out together.  Diakomihalis won the 100-pound class on the strength of two pins and a technical fall.

“Both Frankie and Yianni work extremely hard,” the coach said. “Their futures are extremely bright in this sport.  They go so hard in practice that when they get to the matches, they seem like they’re at a different speed than their opponents.”

After a close first round match, Ryan Burgos registered three pins in the event, and he did it on his terms.

“Ryan put it all together this weekend,” Coach Burgos said of his son. “He had a really tough semifinals opponent, Elijah Rodriguez from Norwich.  I was telling him to stick to the plan, keep good head position.  He said he really wanted to try a spladle.  Sure enough, he was behind 2-0 in the second and hit a spladle and got the pin.  He said he saw [Rodriguez’s] match earlier and thought it would work.  I don’t know how he saw it; he’s just 10 years old.  I’m very proud of him.”

Burgos was also proud of another pair of wrestlers who took gold in Division 2 for his squad – Jayden Scott (65 pounds) and Cooper Kropman (80 pounds).

“I think I had the most fun watching [Scott] wrestle,” Burgos said.  “His dad is so animated.  He wasn’t that familiar with wrestling at first and now they’re hooked. Jayden’s had success at an early age and without much experience.”

Wrestling has been a big part of Cooper Kropman’s family, with two of his siblings also competing on Sunday.  According to Burgos, Kropman is a “phenomenal little wrestler” who strikes a resemblance to another talented grappler.

“Cooper is part of a terrific wrestling family that will do big things,” Burgos said.  “He puts together sophisticated moves at such a young age. If you squint your eyes, with his blonde hair, he looks a little like [Cornell’s three-time NCAA champion] Kyle Dake. Cooper always has the biggest smile on his face and is walking around talking to people.  You saw Kyle Dake there this weekend, smiling, talking to everyone too.”

NYWAY State President Clint Wattenberg felt that having members of the Cornell program on hand strengthened the event.

“It’s a pretty special thing to be able integrate top New York wrestlers that are five years old and college age,” Wattenberg said.  “The kids can look up to someone like Kyle Dake, who is a product of New York.  That helps to bring things full circle and show the kids that one day they can achieve dreams beyond youth wrestling.”

In addition, Burgos noted that he’s never been part of a tournament before where “you need to relieve the timekeeper [Dake] because everyone is getting autographs and taking pictures with him.  But [Dake] seemed to be enjoying it.”

Team Cobra enjoyed the event as well, with more than 20 placewinners. (Team scoring only took 10 wrestlers into account).

Leading away for Cobra were four competitors who went a combined 14-0 with 14 bonus point wins.

Carson Alberti (D2, 50 pounds) and his cousin Dane Heberlein (D5, 85 pounds) rolled over the competition all day long, combining for three pins, a tech fall and two majors.

“They’re the kinds of kids that you show them something once and they get it automatically,” Maute said.  “They just understand it and perfect it.  They both have a ton of natural athletic ability.  I joke with their fathers that it must come from their mothers’ side since their mothers are related.  They were very dominant.”

Also very dominant was D5 120 pound winner Kellen Devlin.  The eighth grader racked up two pins, a technical fall and an 11-0 major decision after qualifying for the New York state tournament this winter for Amherst High School.

“It’s really hard to find people Kellen’s age that can beat him,” Maute said. “He probably should have placed at states; he was caught in between weight classes.  He’s so good that to be honest, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s a two or three time state champion in high school before he’s done.”

Philip Calandra earned his title at 90 pounds in Division 4 after taking third at the regional qualifier.  He looked like a champion this weekend, with three pins and a technical fall in four bouts despite a hurdle that emerged along the way.

“It was a tough weight and Philip had to beat some familiar guys,” Maute said. “Our club took 1-2-3 in that bracket.  In the semifinals, Philip broke his hand in the first 30 seconds of the match.  At the time, we didn’t know it was broken.  He got taped up, went back out there and got the pin.  Then he got another pin in the finals. Now he’s in a cast.  He definitely showed determination, not letting anything get in his way.”

The NYWAY organization has taken a similar approach in its initial season. Wattenberg acknowledged that there were challenges, especially from a logistical standpoint, during the first year of operation.  But he and the others in attendance on Sunday believe that the inaugural state championships and the campaign as a whole have been very successful.

“I was happy with about 90% of the things that happened this weekend,” Wattenberg said. “The other 10% was managed effectively, helped by some really good people, including our head pairers Jon Gregory and Phil Yoder, who were responsible for the day going so smooth.”

“I thought they did a great job with this tournament,” Maute agreed. “With so many kids, we were finished by about 6:30, which was great.  The competition was tough and I think it will only continue to get better.”

The coaches expressed optimism that the offerings of NYWAY will also only continue to get better from a good starting point.

“The most positive thing I saw was the step of getting the state organized,” Burgos said. “Not to knock other organizations, but there wasn’t a lot of organizational reachout at the state level before NYWAY.  NYWAY tried to organize regions and get people involved.  At the local level, I think the competition has increased with NYWAY.  You have clubs and families that want youth wrestling to grow and I think it will because of the hard work that goes on behind the scenes.”

Both coaches also were impressed with the opportunities wrestlers were given to see different competition through travel with NYWAY.

“It was amazing that they sent kids to places like California,” Burgos said. “For $200, they traveled cross country, wrestled and saw some sights.  Amazing.  They made it happen and that’s huge for the kids and their development.”

“Some of our guys went on the trip to California,” Maute added. “We also had quite a few on the team that went to Michigan. Those experiences are so important.   I met Mark Hall [whose son Mark is a star for Apple Valley High School in Minnesota] a few years ago.  He told me about the MYWA organization [the Michigan model for NYWAY] a few years ago and he was telling me that we needed to get it started in New York.  He talked about how his son has seen so much of the country through MYWA for very little cost.  The next thing you know, Clint Wattenberg and other great people were working on it.  I was always interested in the model but didn’t know how to get the ball rolling.  They picked the right people to do it and they’re doing well so far.”

Wattenberg believes that NYWAY’s second year will build upon the foundation created over the past 12 months.

“This year’s NYWAY season was about putting together some tournaments while working with people who are passionate about the common vision of where New York state wrestling can go,” he said. “Moving into next year, we need to expand our reach downstate and we plan to provide a real tournament season that will make youth wrestling more organized and accessible to kids and families. Ultimately, we’re working toward a true New York state championship, unifying the state for youth wrestling.”

 

To watch videos from the NYWAY State Championships:

http://newyorkwrestlingnews.com/william-koll-vs-vincent-deprez-125lbs-finals-nyway-state-championships/

 

For full brackets and results: http://www.nyway.org/results/

 

For over 1000 photos of the NYWAY State Championships, visit:    http://zephyr.exposuremanager.com/

CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS

 D1 (2005-2007)

 37: James Leuer Jr (Lockport) pin Cooper Gronowski (Cobra), 2:55

40: Kyrius Townsend (Whitney Point) pin Lucas Hoffman, 1:38

45: Ryan Massengale (Horseheads) decision Gianni Silvestri (Tioga), 7-6

50: Benny Merrill (Warsaw) pin John Chamberlain (IHC Cavaliers), 0:31

55: Jack Clough (IHC Cavaliers) decision Frankie Luculano (Frewsburg), 10-8

60: Conor Meagher (Camden Pee Wee) decision Isaac Allen (Finger Lakes), 11-7

65:  Peyton Hodder (Canisteo) decision Jared Cook (Indian River), 11-9

75-HWT:  Trevor Harrington major Jacob Gates (Mexico), 10-0

 

D2 (2003-2004)

 45: Bryce Bailey (Waverly) decision Myles Gronowski (Cobra), 6-0

50: Carson Alberti (Cobra) pin Colin Bradshaw (Phoenix), 1:42

55: Andrew Lucinski (Lockport) decision Carter Schubert (Superior), 4-2

60: Troy Spratley (Norwich) pin Kyle Burback (vvs), 2:40

65: Jayden Scott (G2 World Wrestling) major Jacob Deguire, 12-0

70: Luca Pirozzolo (Port Byron) decision Will Smeader (Bulldog), 6-4 (ot)

75: Joseph Dixon (Niagara Falls) major Hunter John (Gowanda), 8-0

80: Cooper Kropman (G2 World) major Colby Young (Canton), 8-0

88: Tyler Rice (Norwich) decision Duncan Zubrzycki (Copenhagen), 9-8

100: Charlie Tibbitts (vvs) decision Ryan Moran-Vaughn (Cobra), 4-1

HWT: Kenneth Trumble Jr (Indian River) pin Hunter Hoffman (Indian River), 0:58

 

D3 (2001-2002)

 55: Stevo Poulin (Journeymen) pin Jace Schafer (Superior), 1:34

60: Myles Griffin (Mexico) major Greg Diakomihalis (G2 World), 9-0

65: Ethan Ferro (Whitney Point) decision Matthew LaPorte (Hoosick Falls), 4-2

70: Ryan Burgos (G2 World) pin Justin Mcdougald (Niagara Falls), 2:28

75: John Worthing (Finger Lakes) decision Dean Shambo (Mexico), 2-0

80: Wyatt Smith (Midlakes) decision Ryan Martin (Brockport), 4-0

85: Benny Baker (Finger Lakes) decision William Mcdougald (Niagara Falls), 5-4

90: Zachery Lawrence (Journeymen) pin Cory Day (Cobra), 1:53

95: Tyler Kellison (vvs) decision Gabriel Mastrangelo (Bulldog), 5-1

100: Camrin Galvin (Fulton) decision Colby Johnson (vvs), 6-2

110: Kevin Halford (NWAA) decision Slade Springer (Central Square), 7-5

125: Henry Grunzweig (Grand Island) pin Maraina Villalobos (Indian River), 0:54

140: Mike Leibl (Edge) pin Mason Pagett (Randolph), 0:55

 

D4 (1999-2000)

 65: Michael Gonyea (Journeymen) major Matthew Griffin (Mexico Wresting), 8-0

70: Orion Anderson (Hoosick Falls Wrestling) decision Christian Kee, 6-0

75: Mitchell Seaver (Lockport Kids Club) decision Brenden Gager (Norwich), 5-0

80: Dillan Palaszewski (Journeymen) decision CJ Walz (Edge), 10-6

85: AJ Burkhart (Independent Wrestling) decision Michael Bristol (Edge), 10-3

90: Philip Calandra (Cobra Wrestling) pin Dominic Crouse (Cobra Wrestling), 2:22

95: Tanner Lapiene (Ogdensburg) decision Steven Kapuscinski (Lockport), 4-0

100: Yianni Diakomihalis (G2 World Wrestling) TF Hammond Raes (Midlakes), 16-0

106: Jacob Peru (Falconer Wrestling) decision Caleb Mayer (Lowville), 6-2

113: Dillon Knoll (Bulldog Youth) major Morgan Seller (Beaver River), 12-0

120: Frankie Gissendanner (G2 World Wrestling) pin Billy Ciccarelli, 2:45

130: Dominic Salerno (Greene) pin Matt Tanner (Adirondack Wrestling), 0:49

140: Dustin Dailey (Deposit) pin Dylan Depew (Oxford), 2:53

150: Antonio Cutrie (Titletown Fight Club) decision Gavin Kovalik (General Brown), 8-2

160: Caleb Null (Carthage) pin Keagan Carmenatty (Finger Lakes Wrestling), 1:10

175: Roddy Rodgers (Seneca Grappler)

HWT: Nick Jones (Dunkirk) pin Joshua Shumate (NWAA), 1:24

 

D5 (1997-1998)

 80: Austin O’Reilly (Mexico) injury default Trent Nadeau (Cobra Wrestling)

85: Dane Heberlein (Cobra) TF Dylan Arena (Cobra), 22-6

91: Kelan McKenna (vvs Youth) decision Derek St. James (G2 World), 6-0

98: Ryan O’Rourke (Adirondack) decision Ryan Hetrick (Southwestern), 2-0

105: Dandre Norman (Edge) decision Donald McCoy (Niagra Falls), 9-2

112: Andrew McFarland (Carthage) decision Daniel Fox (Shadow), 6-0

120: Kellen Devlin (Cobra) major Paul Bavisotto (Cobra), 11-0

130: Joshua Simpfenderfer (Ironmen) decision Kirkland Feeney (Lockport), 3-2

140: Jordan Bushey decision Kyle Pittman (G2 World), 7-1

150: Jordan Torbit (Whitney Point) decision Richie Jones (Cobra), 1-0

160: Josh Burge (Elmira) decision Trevor Allard (Mexico), 2-0

172: Jacob Woolson (Mexico) pin Jacob Sweet (Brockport), 1:29

185: Ricardo Dawkins (General Brown) decision Garrett Knoll (Bulldog), 2-0

HWT: Matt Marshall (Fulton) pin Alex Jones (Dunkirk), 3:56

 

D6 (High School)

 95:  Nick Johnson

103: Blake Abbey

112: Lucas Malmberg (Finger Lakes) decision Thomas Hill (Fulton), 2-0

118: Anthony Orefice (Lockport) decision Nick Toutant (Indian River), 7-0

125: William Koll (Finger Lakes) decision Vincent DePrez (G2 World), 5-1

130: Branden Muntz (Falconer) decision Jake Anderson (Hoosick Falls), 7-2

135: Scott Stafford decision Derrick Gray (Indian River), 7-3

141: Connor Lapresi (Finger Lakes) decision Trevor Hoffmier (Finger Lakes), 1-0

145: Cam Milliken (NY Titan) pin Sean McKenna, 2:47

150: Joshua McFarland (Carthage) decision Dan Woughter (Finger Lakes), 10-7

160: Tyler Spann (Adirondack) decision Jake Weber, 3-0

170: Michael Green (Journeymen) decision Andrew Cole (Ogdensberg), 5-3

189: James Benjamin pin Connor Calkins (Finger Lakes), 3:52

195: Todd Oakes (Fulton)

220: Corey Gaffney decision Ethan Venosa, 3-1

 

 

By Matt Diano

On a magical Sunday afternoon that was as much about 30 selfless student-athletes giving freely of their time to raise money for two incredible organizations (the Adam Frey Foundation and Pinning Down Autism) as it was a battle of interstate rivals, the second annual NY/NJ Charity Challenge ended the only way it could and should, with the outcome being decided in the final bout of the event. It was the hosts from the Empire State shocking the proverbial wrestling world by upending their neighbors by a score of 27-23.  Today’s victory marked the second straight win for the Empire State after winning the inaugural event 31-25 last season.

Regarded as significant underdogs heading into the dual, many so-called aficionados were predicting that New York would be fortunate if they managed to win five of the 15 contested bouts.  One bold individual even suggested that if the Garden Staters brought their “A” game to Clarkstown South High School that a shutout would not be out of the question.   Whether this disrespect served as added motivation or not remains unclear.  What is known is that contrary to the forecasts of others, the wrestlers from New York came out with a mission in mind, to prove that they play second fiddle to no foe when it comes to a contest pitting the best of the best against one another.   Any previous discussion of a potential blanking was quickly put to bed as the Jason Bross-led NYers jumped out to an early 15-3 lead behind victories at 99, 106, 120, 126, and 132 pounds.

Getting the dual started off on the right note for Team New York was Wantagh freshman Jose Rodriguez, the 2012 NYS Division I runner-up.  Pitted against 4x New Jersey Kids State Champion, Kyle Bierdumpfel (NJ does not contest a 99-pound division on the varsity level), it was Rodriguez coming on strong in the third, escaping to tie the bout at six before hitting a cement mixer for 2+3 to take the 11-6 lead.  To his credit, the stud 8^th-grader Bierdumpfel showed immense perseverance, fighting off his back and eventually getting the escape.  However, there would be no coming back as NY grabbed the 3-0 team lead via an 11-7 decision.

106 pounds was another case of New York trailing for a good part of the bout before storming back in the third period to seize victory.  Falling behind 4-0 following a first period takedown and second period reversal, things were not looking very good for DI State Champion Nick Piccininni of Ward Melville in Section XI.  But alas, known for his heart and non-stop attacking style, the two-time Suffolk County Champion clawed his way into the bout against NJ State runner-up Carl Buttitta, utilizing an escape midway through the middle stanza, followed by a takedown in the last half minute to cut the lead to 4-3 after two periods.  The bout was soon tied as Buttitta was called for his third caution from the top position before a single second had ticked off the clock in the third period.  With the bout all square at 4-4, rather than risk a late escape to lose, the Iselin-Kennedy product instead elected to cut Piccininni to give the NYer his first lead of the bout.  Rather than sit on the lead, Piccininni continued with the aggressive style that had gotten him to this point, remaining on the attack and gradually wearing down his opponent, adding an insurance takedown with 25 seconds left in the match to make the score 7-4.  Piccininni rode out the closing seconds to emerge with the “W”.

Following a 5-0 Pat Skinner loss to two-time New Jersey State Champion Brenden Calas (an escape late in the second, accompanied by a pair of two-point nearfalls accounting for the final score), the Empire State returned to its winning ways when Sean McCabe bested two-time NJ State finalist/2012 Champion, Mike Magaldo, 4-2 with a reversal late in the third period.  McCabe, a senior from Connetquot High School, tallied the only takedown of the bout in the first period, but found himself in a nail biter after his rideout in the second period was negated by a second stalling warning from bottom in the final period. (Magaldo’s other point came from an escape in the first following the aforementioned takedown).  However, as composed as they come, McCabe never panicked, slowly but surely maneuvering himself into an advantageous position, eventually being awarded the reversal in the final half minute to pull off the toss-up bout at 120 pounds.

The winning streak hit three in a row one weight class later when again, it was a more seasoned New York representative finding a way to win a close bout.  This time, it was Eastport South Manor senior Maverick Passaro, a 2012 DI State Champion in his only appearance in Albany, breaking a 1-1 tie when he successfully got in deep and converted a double-leg takedown with :25 remaining in the match to take the 3-1 lead.  New Jersey State runner-up Gary Dinmore, sensing the urgency of the situation, reacted well, quickly creating a scramble from bottom in an attempt to get the equalizing reversal.  Dinmore, who was filling in for 3x State Champion Anthony Ashnault, who had a prior commitment to the Junior National Team, came close to getting the two, but in the end, found himself on the wrong end of the 3-1 decision.

New York deepened the hole Jersey was stuck in when they received a Herculean effort from 2012 DI bronze medalist, Nick Kelley, of two-time NYS Team Champions, Shenendehowa High School.   Despite finishing third in NYS this season, anyone who has seen Kelley during his scholastic career knew that coming into the season, he was 1A at the 132-pound weight class, every bit as dangerous as eventual State Champion Jamel Hudson. (Kelley lost a one point decision to Hudson in the state semifinals a few weeks ago). Scoring the only two takedowns of the bout in the first and third periods (including the clincher in the final three seconds) , Kelley emerged with the 5-1 decision over 2012 NJ State champion Scott Delvecchio of perennial powerhouse South Plainfield.

As a testament to the talent and heart possessed on the other side of the G.W. Bridge, New Jersey shook off the early adversity and rallied, winning three of the next four weight classes.  Serving as a catalyst at 138 pounds was BJ Clagon, who dominated the action from the feet. Clagon secured two takedowns in the first period and then added an additional TD in the last 20 seconds of the middle stanza to hold a 6-4 lead entering the final two minutes over Canastota’s DII State runner-up, Anthony Finocchiaro.  Clagon, who looked about as lights out as one can in the state tournament a few weeks ago, doubled up his opponent by coming behind for a reversal with a little more than 1:00 remaining in the bout to make the score 8-4.  Finocchiaro, who will continue his wrestling career next fall at Brown University, worked valiantly to escape from bottom, but simply was unable to free himself as the final seconds ticked away.

Building off the momentum created by Clagon, Alex “Lenny” Richardson did his part in the comeback effort, just missing bonus points in an 11-5 decision over Mike Caputo from the host school at 145 pounds.  Many thought this would be a low scoring affair, as the two are teammates at the Apex Wrestling Club and are familiar with each other’s styles.  Richardson had a much different idea as he piled on the takedowns one after the other, bringing the total to five by the time the six minute duration had elapsed.  One positive for Caputo, who is rumored to have given a verbal commitment to Hofstra University, is that in the closing seconds of the match, with Richardson close to finishing a takedown on the far edge of the mat, Caputo successfully fought off the attack, denying his Jersey opponent of some much needed and desired bonus points.

With the margin having been cut to a much more respectable 15-9 team score and the Jersey boys threatening to go on the kind of run that often leads to victory, if there was ever a time that New York needed a big gun to step to the plate and reassert control, it was now.  And, as luck would have it, the Empire State just happened to have a bazooka in their arsenal waiting to take care of business.  Ranked in the top-10 nationally at 152 pounds prior to his decision to bump up for the postseason, Long Beach senior Dylan Palacio, who remains among the most coveted recruits on the free agent market, knew what was expected of him and did not fail to deliver.  The aggressor every second of the bout, Palacio actually found himself trailing 2-1 at the end of the second period, having surrendered a takedown via power-double in the first period, and mustering only an escape in the middle frame.  But, like any blue chipper, Palacio saved his best for last as the narrow deficit was quickly transformed into a 4-2 lead when he utilized a bar to tilt fellow State Champion, Raamiah Bethea, early in the third period to take his first lead of the match.  The bout remained at 4-2 until Bethea made the mistake of putting himself in bad position while attempting to get free from bottom.  Seeing his opportunity, Palacio locked up a cradle and got the fall with :48 remaining to bring the crowd to its feet and add a little cushion to the New York lead, 21-9.  The loss was the first of the season for Bethea as both student-athletes came into the match unblemished in 2012.  The win for Palacio proved invaluable to the team effort as again, New Jersey refused to “go gentle into that good night” (to quote Dylan Thomas), claiming victory at 160, 182, 195, and 220 to bring the score within a single point, 24-23.

At 160, it was super sophomore Johnny Sebastian of Bergen Catholic exploding for two takedowns in the first period to lead 4-2 after the first two minutes against Monsignor Farrell senior Rrok Ndokaj (who finished fourth at the DI tournament @170, but willingly dropped to allow DII State Champion, Zach Zupan to participate).  An Ndokaj escape in the second was the only scoring there would be in the middle frame, sending the bout to the final two minutes with the NJ youngster still holding the lead, 4-3.  In the third, Ndokaj did a solid job riding, preventing his opponent from getting his escape.  However, with the clock as big an enemy as Sebastian, Ndokaj did the only thing he could do, going for broke with a tilt attempt in the last 15 seconds of the match.  Sebastian, obviously expecting the last ditch attempt, easily countered and earned a reversal to pull off the 6-3 decision.

The previously cited Zupan came up clutch for the Empire State at 170, winning a war of State Champions over Ryan Harrington, a two-timer, who came into the All-Star Challenge unbeaten in the last two years.  While Harrington was the more aggressive of the two in the first period, getting in deep on multiple occasions, it was Zupan scoring the only point of the first two minutes when Harrington was called for grabbing the headgear in the last five seconds of the period while trying to pull the NYS DII champion back onto the mat for a takedown attempt.  A quick Harrington escape to begin the second evened the score at 1-1.  The bout stayed all squared up until Zupan was able to finish a single-leg TD with 14 seconds remaining in the second period.  He went on to ride out the last few seconds to keep the 3-1 lead entering the third period.  There would be some fireworks in the closing minute of action as Harrington worked furiously to fight his way back from a 4-1 deficit following a Zupan escape earlier in the period.  Securing two takedowns within 20 seconds of each other, Harrington eventually tied the match at 5-5.  However, his gamble of trying to play for the win, cutting Zupan in the last 30 seconds of the match, ended up being the difference as he was unable to get the winning takedown, dropping the narrow 6-5 decision.

182 and 195 witnessed back-to-back bonus wins for Jersey as Jackson Memorial’s Dallas Winston and North Bergen’s Eric McMullen toyed with their opponents, dominating from every position on the mat en route to 10-2 and 14-2 victories respectively.  The New Jersey State Champion at 182 pounds led his bout 5-0 after the first period, using a quick takedown and a three-point nearfall to quickly gain control over fellow senior, Jacob Berkowitz (the 2012 DI runner-up) of Scarsdale.  Winston would not take his foot off of the gas pedal, escaping in the second period and then adding a pair of third period takedowns (the last one coming with just under :20 remaining in the match) to pull his state within eight points, 24-16.

McMullen was a master of the big move in his bout against NYS DI runner-up, Reggie Williams of Johnson City.  Leading 2-1 following a quick takedown (and escape by Williams), McMullen blew the match open in the blink of an eye, hitting an inside trip to the back for the takedown and two additional nearfall points to conclude the opening period with a healthy 6-1 lead.   Williams came out determined in the second, earning the quick escape and moving forward.  However, any thoughts he may have had of getting himself back into the match soon faded away as McMullen lit up the scoreboard with a five-point lateral drop to increase the lead to 11-2 after the second.  In the third, Williams attempted to set up for a cradle, but McMullen, mindful of his insurmountable lead, remained conservative from bottom, not allowing himself to get caught in any game changing moves.  Still trailing 11-2 and unable to turn McMullen, Williams made the decision to cut his Jersey opponent.  With the match all but already over, McMullen put an emphatic cap on his win by adding one final takedown in the last 25 seconds of the bout to account for the final tally.

The quest for the come-from-behind team win remained intact at 220 pounds as Lex Knapp scored the only point of the match via a second period escape.  Despite what the scoreboard might indicate, this battle of the big boys was not without its share of activity as on two occasions, Brooklyn Tech senior Patryk Kopczynski, who finished fourth in the DI State tournament this season, appeared to have secured takedowns to take a lead in the bout. With :05 remaining in the first period, the Hunter College signee looked to have established control on the edge of the mat to take the 2-0 lead.  In fact, initially, this was the call that the officials made before eventually waving it off after a quick meeting of the minds.  After surrendering the escape to Knapp in the second period, Kopczysnki hit a nice low single after a stalemate to seemingly move in front.  Again, there were no points for the Team NY representative as the officials ruled that he was guilty of a false start.  These two “no calls”  (the first more controversial than the latter) would prove to be the difference as Knapp did a fine job working from the top position, controlling the PSAL wrestler for the full two minutes to win by the slimmest of margins.  The win set the stage for a winner take all final bout of the afternoon.

Scoreless after the first two minutes (certainly not uncommon for the 285 pound weight class), Cole Lampman and his Garden State opponent, 2012 runner-up, Jermaine Eleumunor, exchanged escapes early in the second and third periods to knot the score at 1-1.  The score remained unchanged through the rest of regulation and after the 1:00 sudden victory period.  Having scored first, Eleumenor had his choice first in the alternating :30 rideout periods.  Electing to start on top, the NJ wrestler was not able to do much, quickly surrendering the escape to trail 2-1 with his turn on bottom still awaiting him.  For Lampman, who could have easily made 220 this season, but preferred to stay at heavyweight as preparation for his plans to wrestle at 285 collegiately for Princeton University, the stage was set to play hero.  All that separated him from glory was 30 seconds of hard wrestling from top.  To say that he made the most of the opportunity would be an understatement.  So in control was Lampman that despite being undersized, he never gave his opponent any hope of an escape, keeping him on his stomach for the full half minute…MATCH OVER; NEW YORK VICTORY !!!

Bross, who in addition to serving as the Team NY coach, is the founder of the Pinning Down Autism organization and also one of the organizers of the dual, was excited by the success of the event.

“There were nothing but winners today,” Bross said.  “Every match was a thriller.  It all came down to the last match.  The fans saw the best wrestling you ever can.  We packed the house and our charities had an amazing fundraiser.”

In addition, the victorious coach had the highest level of praise for the members of his team.

“They were amazing,” he said.  “All of them came out with a chip on their shoulder and set a hard pace, pushing the action for the full six minutes.  That was the difference.  It was great to see the kids bond and pull for their teammates, who were their competition during the season.”

 

New York-27; New Jersey-23 (FINAL)

99- Jose Rodriguez  (NY) dec. Kyle Bierdumpfel (NJ), 11-7

106- Nick Piccininni (NY) dec. Carl Buttitta (NJ), 7-4

113- Brenden Calas (NJ) dec. Patrick Skinner (NY), 5-0

120- Sean McCabe (NY) dec. Mike Magaldo (NJ), 4-2

126- Maverick Passaro (NY) dec. Gary Dinmore (NJ), 3-1

132- Nick Kelley (NY) dec. Scott Delvecchio (NJ), 5-1

138- BJ Clagon (NJ) dec. Anthony Finocchiaro (NY), 8-4

145- Lenny Richardson (NJ) dec. Mike Caputo (NY), 11-5

152- Dylan Palacio (NY) pinned Raamiah Bethea (NJ) 5:12

160- Johnny Sebastian (NJ) dec. Rrok Ndokaj (NY), 6-3

170- Zach Zupan (NY) dec. Ryan Harrington (NJ), 6-5

182- Dallas Winston (NJ) MD Jacob Berkowitz (NY), 10-2

195- Eric McMullen (NJ) MD Reggie Williams (NY), 14-2

220- Lex Knapp (NJ) dec. Patryk Kopczynski (NY), 1-0

285- Cole Lampman (NY) dec. Jermaine Eleumenor (NJ), 2-1 (ot)

 

By Betsy Veysman

They go to different Suffolk County schools but they have known each other for a long time and have a lot in common.  Both had just one loss in the 2011 New York State Championships to place but not quite reach their ultimate goal.  Both spent much of this season ranked as the top Division I wrestler at their weight.  Both suffered a loss early in the sectional tournament and fought back to take third to make a wildcard bid back to Albany possible.

Now both are state champions.

On Saturday night at the Times Union Center, James Dekrone of John Glenn and Sean McCabe of Connetquot completed their standout high school careers on top of the podium, finishing ahead of those who upset them a few weeks ago.

“I’ve been wrestling with [McCabe] since I was really little,” Dekrone said. “After counties, we looked at each other and talked about how we just needed a chance to get upstate.  If we got that chance, we both thought we could win state titles.”

Dekrone came close to getting that title last year when he dropped a one-point bout in the championship match to Steven Rodrigues of Fox Lane, now wrestling at Illinois.   He rode that success into the 2011-12 campaign, losing just two bouts against Division I grapplers at 138 pounds.  In storybook fashion, he avenged both defeats over the weekend.

In the semifinals he took on Wantagh’s Danny McDevitt, who had beaten him early in the campaign 2-1.  It looked like the result was going to be similar when McDevitt held a 2-0 advantage very late in the third period.  But Dekrone was awarded a penalty point and then got a reversal just before the final whistle to earn his second straight finals berth in Albany.

“The whole match I had a hard time getting out from underneath,” Dekrone said.  “I was down to the last minute and took a second to regain my focus and think about what was really on the line.  I pulled myself together. First I got the clasp call and then the reversal with something like five seconds left to get the win.”

That win propelled him to the title bout, where Dekrone was set to meet another familiar face.  Alexis Blanco of Brentwood edged him in the county tournament on February 11.  This time, with his dream of a crown in his grasp, the senior took full advantage of his last opportunity.

“The first time I wrestled him, I didn’t think I wrestled my best and I wanted another shot to prove that I was better than what I showed,” he said. “I wanted to control the handfighting and control the pace.  I wanted to stay tough on top, keep him down and work turns.”

Dekrone was able to do those things on his way to a 6-1 victory.

“When it was over, I was thinking a lot of different things,” he said. “It was definitely an awesome feeling but it was also a relief to finally get my hand raised in the finals.”

McCabe can certainly relate to those emotions after his 3-2 championship victory at 120 pounds.

“Winning was just awesome especially after I took third in the county and needed a wildcard for states,” McCabe said.  “I really can’t describe it other than it was just awesome.”

After a third place finish a year ago at the state tournament, McCabe cruised through this campaign, bringing 32-1 record into the Section XI tournament.  He was the top seed, but was upended in the quarterfinals by Sayville’s Matt Leshinger and had a tough road to the bronze, including a victory over former state champion Mark West of Hauppauge.

“I was obviously upset when I lost, but I knew if I came back and got my head straight and kept winning, I could make it to states,” he said.

When he got to Albany, he took advantage.  After a 9-0 major in the semifinals, McCabe faced an unfamiliar challenge, Pittsford’s Brady Baron, in the title bout.

“I honestly didn’t know what to expect,” he said. “I had never even seen him before.”

The Connetquot senior came out aggressive, taking numerous shots.  But Baron proved very difficult to score against.

“I was getting in deep a lot but he was countering well,” he said.  “I knew I eventually had to finish. I just kept pushing, kept setting him up and eventually I got my two to get the title.”

Dekrone and McCabe were not alone atop the podium for Section XI.  Five Suffolk wrestlers earned state championships and 23 total made the medal stand, leading Section XI to a 79.5 points margin over second place Section 8 in the Division I standings.

“No question, Section XI is tough,” Dekrone said.  “I definitely think to come out of Section XI means something, whether you’re a wildcard or not, especially in some weights where even the third or fourth place guy is capable of contending for a state title.”

“I wasn’t really surprised that we won because I knew we had a really solid team,” McCabe added. “But I was a little surprised that we won by so much.”

The other Suffolk victors were Ward Melville freshman Nick Piccinnini (106 pounds), Eastport-South Manor’s Maverick Passaro (126) and Dekrone’s teammate Nick Bellanza at 182 pounds.  Bellanza entered the event 35-3, but was not frequently mentioned as a top contender.

“I’ve wrestled with [Bellanza] all season,” Dekrone said. “Not too many people were talking about him, but I said from the first day that if he works hard enough he could be right there to win it.  It was really cool to share something like this with him.”

After going from third in the county to best in the state over the course of two weeks, both Dekrone and McCabe are ready for the next chapter of their wrestling careers.  Both say they want to continue at the Division I level in college, with McCabe mentioning the University at Buffalo as a possible destination.

Until then, they are still getting used to being called state champions.

“We knew if we got wildcards we could do some damage,” McCabe said. “And we both did.”

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

99

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

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

 

106

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

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

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

 

113

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

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

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

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

 

120

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

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

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

 

126

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

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

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

 

132

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

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

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

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

 

138

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

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

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

 

145

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

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

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

 

152

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

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

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

 

160

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

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

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

 

170

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

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

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

 

182

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

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

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

 

195

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

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

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

 

220

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

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

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

 

285

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

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

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

 

–Betsy Veysman

It’s almost here!  The NYSPHSAA Wrestling Championships start on Friday morning.  Here is a weight-by-weight look at Division II.

99

The lightest weight class is often a showcase for future superstars.  Leading the charge this year is sophomore Joe Nelson of Oxford, who suffered his only loss of the season while up at weight against Cody Carbury (the number three seed at 106). Nelson won all but one of his matches at 99 by bonus points this year and that was a 6-2 decision in the Section finals against Dylan Wood of Walton, one of three victories over Wood.

Wood opens action in the first round with Andrew Flanagan of Holley, a 42-5 junior who returns to Albany for the second time.  The winner of that match could face Lyndonville’s Tony Recco (43-3) who decisioned Flanagan 3-1 on the last weekend of the season.

Also in the bottom half is the third seed, Alex Herringshaw, who has piled up 40 wins against just four losses this season.  He could face the winner of Joe Dillon of Nanuet (27-8) and Alexis Bleau (41-3), who was the first-ever qualifier from Schoharie.  One of five eighth graders at 99, Bleau is the only female in the field.

Among the contenders looking to defeat Nelson in the top half are the number four seed, Luis Weirebach of Hoosick Falls, who has had a solid 28-2 campaign, as well as Edgemont’s Tyler Aslanian who has gone 28-6 in his sophomore season.

Prediction: Joe Nelson looks to be the top performer in the field and shows it, beating Herringshaw.

 

106

106 this year may wind up looking a lot like 96 last season.  The 96 pound finals match in 2011 pitted Lucas Malmberg of Marathon against Ryan Snow of General Brown in a bout Malmberg captured 12-2.  This year’s 106 bracket features Malmberg as the top seed and Snow as the number two. Snow’s only setbacks of the campaign came up at 113 pounds.

Cody Carbury of Chittenango was sixth a year ago at 96 and after a 31-4 campaign, with two of his losses to Malmberg and Snow, enters 106 as the three seed.  Corey Hollister of Perry is in the fourth position after a 40-4 year.   Although there are some tough wrestlers in the field, it looks like a rematch of the 2011 finals on Saturday night.

Prediction: Same participants, same results, as Malmberg wins two in a row.

 

113

There is no question that this will be a competitive weight with 7 of the 16 entrants returning placers from 2011. The lone champion, William Koll of Lansing, is the top seed.  He will face a difficult path, with Dillon Stowell of Gouverneur (third at 103), 40-4 Kyler Harrington of Hudson Falls and Sean Peacock of Midlakes (third at 96) in the same portion of the bracket.  Peacock, 45-2 this season, fell to the fourth seed after losing his Section championship to Warsaw’s Austin Keough, 3-2. 

Keough, who took fourth at 112 a year ago, has had a stellar campaign with just one loss (plus two forfeits) and earned the three seed.  He will have an immediate challenge in the first round from Illion’s Laken Cook, a fifth place medalist at 103 last season.  Cook is 35-5 with a fifth place finish at Eastern States in January.

Also on the bottom half with Keough and Cook is returning fourth place medalist Cody McGregor of Tonawanda and last year’s runner up to Koll at 103, John Aslanian of Edgemont (36-1).  With top-notch talent throughout the class, this should be an exciting weight to watch.

Prediction: Both Koll and Keough navigate a deep field to make the finals, where Koll earns his second consecutive title.

 

120

Sam Recco was sixth at 112 last year but has his sights set much higher for this weekend.  The Lyndonville senior is 41-1 with his only setback coming against Wyoming Seminary’s Evan Botwin in the finale at Eastern States.  At that event, Recco piled up some quality triumphs, including a 1-0 win over this bracket’s second seed Jeff O’Lena of East Rochester and an 8-5 decision over the top seed in the Division I bracket, Matt Leshinger of Sayville.

O’Lena’s 48-4 mark includes an eighth place finish at the Eastern States.  He dropped a 3-0 decision to Recco in the Section 5 final.  Looking to stop a third meeting between Recco and O’Lena on Saturday night are a number of tough senior challengers including, but not limited to, Adirondack’s Pat Webster, Sidney’s Scott Stafford and Corinth’s Zach Marcel.

Prediction: The familiar foes meet again with the same result: Recco over O’Lena.

 

126

126 pounds boasts several wrestlers who have previously been in the finals.  Top seeded Nick Tighe of Phoenix was in the Saturday night spotlight last year when he captured the 119-pound crown.  The second and third seeds, Norwich’s Tristan Rifanburg and Ardsley’s Drew Longo squared off in the 96 pound championship bout in 2010, with Rifanburg earning the hardware.

In the Section IV title match, Rifanburg handed Corey Dake his first loss of the year.  The Lansing senior has made the podium in all three of his appearances in Albany.

Outside of the favorites, upset threats abound, including Noah Valastro of Hudson Falls on the top half (47-2) and Palmyra Macedon’s Dylan Rifenburg (43-2).

Prediction: Tristan Rifanburg gets to his third finals in three tries and in a battle of former champions, edges Tighe.

 

132

After a third place medal in 2011 at 135, Wesley Blanding showed no letdown.  The Chittenango wrestler is 36-0 despite seeing action at several weights.  He had a few impressive victories at 138 and 145, including a pair of triumphs over Canastota’s Anthony Finocchiaro.  Since moving down to 132, he has had some tight wins over the field, including overtime wins over Jessy Williams and Lansing’s Connor Lapresi, which went to the ultimate tiebreaker.

That was Lapresi’s only loss in a campaign in which he won a deep Section IV.  Blanding and Lapresi could be on a collision course in the semis.

In the other half, another pair of familiar foes could meet again.  Kevin Strong of Frewsburg earned a 1-0 win over Eden’s Tom Page during the season, however at the Section final, Page reversed the result in sudden victory.  Page, a three-time placer, and Strong, a two-time medalist, both were third a year ago.

Former state champion Jacob Goddeau of Peru and 45-match winner Curt Rowley of Duanesburg are among the other contenders looking to make a title run.

Prediction:  In his last Albany appearance, future American University Eagle Tom Page gets over the hump to capture a state title over Lapresi.

 

138

Murphy, the winningest wrestler in Empire State history, is the odds on favorite to win his fourth New York title at his fourth different weight.  The Indiana-bound grappler has been impressive all year, with 55 wins, 52 of which were by bonus points.

Looking to earn his first crown is Canastota’s Anthony Finocchairo who has put up a strong resume of his own this year after grabbing third at 130 a year ago.  The senior has compiled a 35-4 mark with victories over Division I qualifiers such as Tom Grippi, David Almaviva and Aaron Benedict.  None of his four losses were to wrestlers in this bracket.  Finochairo edged Beaver River returning placer Isaiah Riccio (37-2) in the Section tournament 1-0 a few weeks ago and could face Riccio again with a finals berth on the line.  Junior Jude Gardner of Fredonia is also a threat.

On the other side, Murphy could see last season’s sixth place medalist, Dan Regan of Lewiston-Porter, who he soundly defeated earlier in the campaign.

Prediction: In the end, we expect the top two seeds to square off on Saturday night with Quinton Murphy joining the exclusive club of four-time state champions.

 

145

There is a lot of familiarity at 145 pounds. Three entrants come from Section III, including the top two seeds, General Brown’s Nathan Silverthorn and Phoenix’s Tyler Button.  The pair met in the 145 pound third place match a year ago with Button coming out on top, 9-3.  This year, Silverthorn turned the tables, beating Button to maintain his 46-0 record.

Also qualifying from the same section is 41-2 Mitch Janes, whose only losses are to Silverthorn and Button and who could face the top seed early on.

Both Drew Hull (35-2, Royalton Hartland) and Jacob Demmon (24-2, Clifton-Fine) earned sixth last year, at 135 and 140, respectively and are back to make the stand again.  Olean’s Jake Baer split matches with Hull this season and will be a threat in the bottom half.

Prediction: Tyler Button and Nathan Silverthorn take the mat against each other yet again. Button won their last meeting in Albany and takes this one.

 

152

Three wrestlers who finished in the top three a year ago sit at this weight.  The top seed, Lehigh-bound Ben Haas, was the 145-pound champion while 140-pound runner up Derek Pfluger is the second seed.  (Pfluger was a state champion in 2010 and a third place medalist in 2009). Tristan Hamner of Medina was third at 152 and sits as the number three seed.

Haas suffered his only loss of a 38-1 season to Hamner in early January but got revenge a month later when he beat the Medina wrestler 14-11.  That result was Hamner’s only blemish all year.

Meanwhile, Pfluger has yet to suffer a setback, ringing up 40 victories, all by bonus.  While there are several other worthy challengers in the field, including 47-match winner Brooks Boyle, these three past medalists look to battle for the title.

Prediction: Pfluger notches the second championship of his career, defeating Haas on Saturday night.

 

160

Chris Nevinger has won eight straight matches at the State tournament and looks for his third consecutive title.  The Buffalo-bound grappler has rolled through the season, winning all 47 matches, with the closest bout being a seven-point victory.  Looking to stop Nevinger’s streak on the top half of the bracket is General Brown’s Tyler SIlverthorn, who has impressed in his sophomore season with a 44-2 mark. Both losses came at the hands of Sandy Creek senior Jared Soule, the second seed, who has had a successful year of his own with a 35-2 record. 

Joining Soule (fifth at 152 in 2011) in the bottom half of the bracket is Hudson Falls senior Aaron Dudley (43-1), who took second in a deep class at the prestigious Eastern States, falling in the finals in overtime to highly ranked Frank Affronti of Wayne.

Mike Beckwith of Greene could also make an impact.  The returning qualifier has been at several weights this year and hasn’t lost a bout on the mat (forfeited out of Eastern States).

Prediction: Nevinger continues his unbeaten streak in Albany with another trip to the top of the podium after topping Dudley.

 

170

While neither of last year’s finalists are back in this weight class, four medalists from 2011 appear in the 170 pound class as the top four seeds.  Nick Mitchell, third at 160 last season, earned the top spot after a 42-0 campaign with 24 pins.  The Frewsburg senior beat second seed Marcus Dwaileebe of Olean (third at 171 last year) twice by decision and also topped possible opponent Burke Paddock of Warsaw.  (Paddock beat Mitchell in the semifinals last year on his way to a runner up finish).

Dwaileebe could face Canastota junior Zach Zupan, fifth at 171 last season, whose one setback this campaign was against nationally ranked Eric Morris of Wyoming Seminary in the Eastern States finals.  Zupan owns a victory over Paddock in January.  It goes without saying that the semifinals should demonstrate very competitive, high level wrestling.

Prediction: Mitchell runs the table for the 2011-12 season by beating Zupan in a squeaker.

 

182

Both Tony Lock (second at 171) and Keegan Cerwinski (sixth at 160) stood on the medal stand last year in Albany.  Both have followed up with stellar seasons.  Lock is the state’s top ranked wrestler after a 47-0 campaign that includes just one decision.  He dominated the Division I frontrunner, McZiggy Richards, by technical fall in the Eastern States championship bout.

Cerwinski dropped matches to Division I standouts Richards, Jacob Berkowitz and Matt Lashway in a 32-3 effort that included handing Lansing’s Ryan Todd his only loss.  He also edged Warsaw’s Tim Schaefer 1-0 at the Eastern States Classic, although Schaefer bounced back to place third while the Greene senior took sixth.

Schaefer began in December at 160 pounds and moved back and forth between that weight and 182 before settling in at the latter class for the end of the season.  Another showdown between Cerwinski and Schaefer seems fairly likely in the bottom half of the bracket for the right to match up with Lock.

Prediction: Tony Lock returns to the championship bout where he gets his first title over Schaefer.

 

195

Ryan Todd returns after making a run to the finals at 189 last year where he placed second.  He followed up that silver medal performance with a 28-1 season in which he has taken the mat at three different weights for Lansing.  After his one loss, to Keegan Cerwinski at 182, he moved to 195 pounds for the remainder of the campaign.  At that weight, he went he went 18-0 with 15 falls over the course of the season.  A possible early opponent is Bryce Mazurowski, who went 43-1 with 42 bonus wins.  His only loss came against undefeated Tony Lock.

Three other highly ranked wrestlers sit in the bottom half of the bracket.  Austyn Hayes, who took sixth last year at 171, sports a 38-1 mark with his only setback coming in the Eastern States final against the state’s top ranked grappler, Tony Fusco of Shenendehowa.  Hayes recorded a major decision over Whitehall’s Zach Diekel, a possible opponent in the semifinals.

Diekel has racked up 36 wins and just a pair of losses – to Hayes and Fusco.   Jon Nickerson of Maple Grove could pose an early challenge to Hayes after a 34-1 regular season.  Dan Breit has had a solid year and could make a run in the top half.

Prediction: Austyn Hayes ends his campaign with the top prize after defeating Todd.

 

220

Kyle Stanton has been dominant, placing second at Eastern States and compiling a 33-2 record, with the two losses to nationally ranked AJ Vizzcarondo of Wyoming Seminary.   The fourth place finisher at 215 in 2011, Stanton has defeated several top notch Division I grapplers such as Dom DeVita, Patryk Kopczynksi and Nick Lupi.

Fellow Section IV competitor Nick Talcott tested Stanton in his last bout, a 3-2 victory for the Greene senior.  Talcott, from Tioga, is the number two seed.  Junior Zack Bacon of Hornell (28-1) and senior Austin Blackley of Barker will be among the many challengers.

Prediction: Kyle Stanton shows why he’s the state’s best at 220 with another decision over Talcott.

 

285

Kacee Sauer looks to move one step higher on the podium this year after runner up performances at this weight as a sophomore and junior.  The only returning placer at heavyweight, Sauer’s only setbacks this year have been by medical forfeit at the Eastern States.

The other side of the bracket features several wrestlers with excellent records. Beekmantown’s Hayden Head piled up 37 wins against just two losses and has a quality victories over Columbia’s El Shaddai Gilmore-VanHoesen and Kingston’s Seth Stauble.    Brandon Fayle of Lowville also has just two setbacks (along with 35 wins, 23 coming by fall).

Prediction: Sauer came within a point of a crown in 2010 and 2011 and we predict he will not come up short this time as he gets by Fayle.

 

–Betsy Veysman

 

99 Pounds (By Section)

1: Nick Barbaria (New Rochelle)

2: Kevin Parker (Shenendehowa)

3: Dempsey King (New Hartford)

4: Kyle Kelley (Chenango Forks)

5: Jon Haas (Spencerport)

6: Tyler Hartinger (Lancaster)

8: Jose Rodriguez (Wantagh)

9: Gerald Daly (Minisink Valley)

10: Ryan Brown (Canton)

11: Alex Tanzman (West Beach)

C: John Twomey (St. Anthony’s)

P: Josh Antoine (Grand Street)

A1: Vinny Vespa (Monroe Woodbury)

A2: Bryan Lantry (Wayne)

A3: Joe Calderone (Walt Whitman)

A4: Steven Lee (West Babylon)

 

106 Pounds (By Section)

1: Mike Parise (Brewster)

2: Corey Ali (Shenendehowa)

3. Kevin Paul (Baldwinsville)

4: Jimmy Overhiser (Corning)

5: Barton Peters (Brockport)

6. Anthony Orefice (Lockport)

8: Justin Cooksey (MacArthur)

9: John Stramiello (Pine Bush)

10: Nate Marshall (Messina)

11: Nick Piccininni (Ward Melville)

C: Freddy Dunau (St. Anthony’s)

P: Zin Htoo (Brooklyn Tech)

A1: Krishna Sewkumar (Long Beach)

A2: Bryan Ruggeri (Fairport)

A3: Dominic Inzana (Saratoga)

A4: Michael Raccioppi (Minisink Valley)

 

113 Pounds (By Section)

1: Alex Delacruz (Ossining)

2: Brandon Lapi (Amsterdam)

3: Thomas Hill (Fulton)

4: Jacob Green (Chenango Forks)

5: Vincent DePrez (Hilton)

6: Kellen Devlin (Amherst)

8: Mark Raghunandan (Long Beach)

9: T.J. Kreider (Cornwall)

10: Skyler Cameron (Massena)

11: Corey Jamison (Huntington)

C: Patrick Skinner (Kellenburg)

P: Santo Curatolo (Tottenville)

A1: Dylan Realbuto (Somers)

A2: Robert Person (Bellmore JFK)

A3: Jesse Porter (Shenendehowa)

A4: Ron Duguay (Kenmore West)

 

120 Pounds (By Section)

1: Jake DiMarsico (North Rockland)

2: Zach Joseph (Shenendehowa)

3. Derrick Gray (Indian River)

4: Richard Burke (Ithaca)

5: Brady Baron (Pittsford)

6: Rocco Russo (Frontier)

8: John Lanzillotti (Roslyn)

9: Justin Corradino (Warwick)

10: Cody Bond (Canton)

11: Matt Leshinger (Sayville)

C: Blaise Rufo (Monsignor Farrell)

P: Keanu Thompson (Grand Street)

A1: Sean McCabe (Connetquot)

A2: Steve Michel (Lancaster)

A3: TJ Fabian (Shoreham-Wading River)

A4: Casey Jones (Queensbury)

 

126 Pounds (By Section)

1: Sam Speno (Fox Lane)

2: Matt Greene (Columbia)

3: Antonio DeLuco (Roman Free Academy)

4: Brock Post (Maine-Endwell)

5: Alec Dierna (Webster Schroeder)

6: Dylan Caruana (Kenmore)

8: Mike Lofrese (Garden City)

9: Tom Murphy (Monroe-Woodbury)

10: Isaiah Perry (Massena)

11: Maverick Passaro (Eastport South Manor)

C: Sam Melikian (Fordham Prep)

P: Michael Gannone (Tottenville)

A1: Matt Caputo (North Rockland)

A2: Josh St. John (Queensbury)

A3: Giovanni Sanchez (Central Islip)

A4: Drew Oligney (Lansingburgh)

 

132 Pounds (By Section)

1: Danny Ventura (Fox Lane)

2: Nick Kelley (Shenendehowa)

3: Connor Grome (West Genessee)

4: Curtis Grant (Elmira)

5: Jimmy Porteus (Brockport)

6. Eric Lewandowski (Lancaster)

8: Maurice Irby (Freeport)

9: Luke Roth (Cornwall)

10: Curtis Barney (Canton)

11: Nick Mauriello (Hauppauge)

C: Jamel Hudson (St. Anthony’s)

P: Ahmed Elsayed (Wingate)

A1: Joey Butler (Burnt Hills)

A2: Brendan Morgan (Columbia)

A3: Nick Cegelski (Penfield)

A4: Dylan Cohen (Williamsville East)

 

138 Pounds (By Section)

1: Tom Grippi (Fox Lane)

2: David Almaviva (Shenendehowa)

3: Aaron Benedict (CBA/Jamesville-Dewitt)

4: Trevor Hoffmeir (Newark Valley)

5. Angelo DeAngelis (Spencerport)

6: Mike Feeney (Lockport)

8: Dan McDevitt (Wantagh)

9: Shane Connolly (Warwick)

10: Jamel Steapleton (Malone)

11: Malik Rasheed (Longwood)

C: Timmy McCann (Monsignor Farrell)

P: Camilo Rodriquez (Curtis)

A1: Gus Clark (Schenectady)

A2: Adam Wallace (Fulton)

A3: Alexis Blanco (Brentwood)

A4: James Dekrone (John Glenn)

 

145 Pounds (By Section)

1: Mike Caputo (North Rockland)

2: Evan Wallace (Columbia)

3: JT Romagnoli (CBA/Jamesville-Dewitt)

4: Richie Lupo (Union-Endicott)

5: John Northrup (Rush-Henrietta)

6: James Kloc (Iroquois)

8: Louis Hernandez (Mepham)

9: Kyle Wierzbicki (Warwick)

10: Ryan Spinner (Malone)

11. Corey Rasheed (Longwood)

C: Matt Matouzzi (Kellenburg)

P: Emin Aliyev (Abraham Lincoln)

A1: Dale White (John Jay East Fishkill)

A2: Bret Sauschuck (Port Jervis)

A3: Anthony Pistone (Sachem East)

A4: Mike Roman (Spencerport)

 

152 Pounds (By Section)

1: Brian Realbuto (Somers)

2: Angelo Kress (Columbia)

3: Tony Torrese (Fulton)

4: Greg Kleinsmith (Johnson City)

5: Steve Maier (Spencerport)

6: Luke Falzone (Williamsville South)

8: Danny Tracy (Mepham)

9: Ryan Bedross (Warwick)

10. Ed Foote (Canton)

11. Nick Hall (Longwood)

C: Matt Szilagyi (St. Anthony’s)

P: Cristian Masaya (Brooklyn Tech)

A1: John Keck (Shoreham-Wading River)

A2: Thomas Carta (South Glens Falls)

A3: Zach Skiba (Kenmore West)

A4: Josh Maier (Brockport)

 

160 Pounds (By Section)

1: Matt Pasqualini (Fox Lane)

2: Connor Sutton (LaSalle)

3: Nick Woodworth (Fulton)

4: Zach Colgan (Johnson City)

5: Frank Affronti (Wayne)

6: Joseph Catalano (Lake Shore)

8: Dylan Palacio (Long Beach)

9: Dan DeCarlo (Port Jervis)

10: Cody Dominque (Canton)

11: Tyler Grimaldi (HHHW)

C: John Vrasidas (St. Anthony’s)

P: Jorje Jimenez (Grand Street)

A1: Joe Cataldo (MacArthur)

A2: Mike Garrison (Amsterdam)

A3: Zak Mullen (Shoreham-Wading River)

A4: Jake Weber (Clarence)

 

170 Pounds (By Section)

1: Steven Sabella (Yorktown)

2: Stephen Lumley (South Glens Falls)

3: Shayne Brady (Carthage)

4: Dillon Franco (Corning)

5: Jared Mesiti (Brockport)

6: Anthony Liberatore (Williamsville South)

8: Dan Spurgeon (Plainedge)

9: Colin Casey (Washingtonville)

10: Cody Smith (Malone)

11: Dylen Seybolt (Longwood)

C: Rrok Ndokaj (MF)

P: Anatoliy Anchakov (Grand Street)

A1: Mike Hewitt (Queensbury)

A2: Jacob Gullo (Jamestown)

A3: Joe DiFrancesco (Niagara Falls)

A4: Jessi Kimmerli (Spencerport)

 

182 Pounds (By Section)

1: Jacob Berkowitz (Scarsdale)

2: Matt Lashway (Queensbury)

3: Garrick Cook (Indian River)

4: James Benjamin (Vestal)

5: Josh Reed (Webster Schroeder)

6: Will Bickelmann (Williamsville East)

8: Andrew Jones (Plainedge)

9: Bilal Hasan (Valley Central)

10: Jacob Moose (Canton)

11: Gio Santiago (Sachem North)

C: Matt Roberts (Monsignor Farrell)

P: McZiggy Richards (Wingate)

A1: Josef Carter (Brockport)

A2: Nick Bellanza (John Glenn)

A3: Anthony Sannella (Minisink Valley)

A4: John Luxmore (Bellmore JFK)

 

195 Pounds (By Section)

1: Mike Spinelli (Mahopac)

2: Tony Fusco (Shenendehowa)

3: Patrick Nasoni (Baldwinsville)

4: Reggie Williams (Johnson City)

5: Jesse Kozub (Brockport)

6: Jake Kelly (Niagara Wheatfield)

8. Rob Zorn (Sewanhaka East)

9: Deon Edmond (Kingston)

10: Jerry Malone (Massena)

11: Zack Conner (Islip)

C: Rich Sisti (Monsignor Farrell)

P: Andreas Kokkoros (Brooklyn Tech)

A1: Pavel Gorelov (Warwick Valley)

A2: Ryan Kelly (Miller Place)

A3: Colton Kells (Fairport)

A4: Daquan Rodriguez (Orchard Park)

 

220 Pounds (By Section)

1: Dom DeVita (Somers)

2: Jon Babson (LaSalle)

3: Derrek Dalton (Indian River)

4: Anthony Osman (Vestal)

5: Josh Lackey (Fairport)

6: Max Antone (Niagara Wheatfield)

8: Andrew Cole (Uniondale)

9: Connor Leavell (Warwick)

10: Adam Weidner (Canton)

11: David Rubino (Commack)

C: Andrew Auriemma (St. Anthony’s)

P: Patryk Kopczynski (Brooklyn Tech)

A1: Nick Lupi (Huntington)

A2: Tyler Lilly (New Rochelle)

A3: Alex Pontiff (Queensbury)

A4: Nicolas Burgos (Kenmore West)

 

285 Pounds (By Section)

1: David Varian (Yorktown)

2: Cory Quintana (Mohonasen)

3: Pat Carroll-Marsh (Liverpool)

4:Tyler Bayer (Union-Endicott)

5: Jake Debuyser (Greece Olympia)

6: Brandon Lathrop (Kenmore West)

8: Dante Salkey (Uniondale)

9: Ethan Stanley (Saugerties)

10: Nolan Terrance (Massena)

11: Michael Hughes (Smithtown West)

C: Kyle DiPirro (St. Mary’s)

P: Leon Gonzalez (Franklin Roosevelt)

A1: Cole Lampman (Shenendehowa)

A2: Seth Stauble (Kingston)

A3: Evan Kappatos (Syosset)

A4: El Shaddai Gilmore-VanHoesen (Columbia)

***(Only wildcards A1-A4 listed)

 

99 Pounds (By Section)

1: Tyler Aslanian (Edgemont)

2: Luis Weierbach (Hoosick Falls)

3: Alex Herringshaw (Holland Patent)

4. Joe Nelson (Oxford)

5: Tony Recco (Lyndonville)

6: Dylan Lundmark (Southwestern)

7: Ethan Feazelle (Peru)

8: Nick Casella (Locust Valley)

9: Dean Stanton (Tuxedo)

10: Tanner LaPiene (Ogdensburg Free Academy)

11: Lucas Webb (Mattituck)

P: Dolan McColgan (Petrides)

A1: Andrew Flanagan (Holley)

A2: Dylan Wood (Walton)

A3: Joe Dillon (Nanuet)

A4: Alexis Bleau (Schoharie)

 

106 Pounds (By Section)

1: Vinny Stokos (Nanuet)

2: Carter Merecki (Salem)

3: Ryan Snow (General Brown)

4.Lucas Malmberg (Marathon)

5: Corey Hollister (Perry)

6: Drew Marra (Olean)

7: Kyler Agoney (Peru)

8: Hunter Dusold (Locust Valley)

9: Austin Ingraham (Highland)

10: Aaron Bush (Gouverneur)

11: Michael Menzer (Center Moriches)

P: Cheick Ndiaye (Brooklyn International)

A1: Cody Carberry (Chittenango)

A2: Sean Ballard (Whitney Point)

A3: Jerome Gladney (R-C-S)

A4: Matt Boyle (Batavia)

 

113 Pounds (By Section)

1: Trey Aslanaian (Edgemont)

2: Kyler Harrington (Hudson Falls)

3: Laken Cook (Ilion)

4. William Koll (Lansing)

5: Austin Keough (Warsaw)

6: Ryan Kromer (Lew-Port)

7: Max Marte (Peru)

8: Jack Leguelaff (Oyster Bay)

9: Declan Dwyer-McNulty (Red Hook)

10: Dylan Stowell (Gouverneur)

11: Hunter Hulse (Stony Brook)

P: Edwin Uruchima (Robert F. Wagner)

A1: Sean Peacock (Midlakes)

A2: Cody McGregor (Tonawanda)

A3: Pat McCarthy (Fredonia)

A4: Nate Hayes (Windsor)

 

120 Pounds

1: Anthony Calvano (Nanuet)

2: Zach Marcel (Corinth)

3: Pat Webster (Adirondack)

4. Scott Stafford (Sidney)

5: Sam Recco (Lyndonville)

6: Dakota Gardner (Fredonia)

7: Codie Gillette (Saranac)

8: Cassidy Exum (Oyster Bay)

9: Eric Januszkiewicz (New Paltz)

10. Zach Ayen (Gouverneur)

11. Justin Underwood (Bayport-Blue Point)

P: Metin Vrlaku (Petrides)

A1: Jeff O’Lena (East Rochester)

A2: Andrew Lazickas (East Aurora)

A3: Al Aubin (Whitehall)

A4: Austin Ryan (Unatego)

 

126 Pounds

1: Drew Longo (Ardsley)

2: Noah Valastro (Hudson Falls)

3: Nick Tighe (Phoenix)

4. Tristan Rifanburg (Norwich)

5: Dylan Rifenburg (Pal-Mac)

6: Renaldo Rodriguez (Cheektowaga)

7: Jordan Bushey (Peru)

8: Ryan Arnel (Oyster Bay)

9: John Hodes (Rondout Valley)

10. Skyler Way (Gouverneur)

11. Sean Kelly (Babylon)

P: Abubokarr Sow (Brooklyn)

A1: Corey Dake (Lansing)

A2: Emory Rowe (Ripley)

A3: Dustin Greene (Chenango Valley)

A4: Jake Nicholson (Waterloo)

 

132 Pounds

1: David Occhipinti (Croton)

2: Curt Rowley (Duanesburg)

3: Wesley Blanding (Chittenango)

4. Connor Lapresi (Lansing)

5: Clyde Carey (Addison)

6: Tom Page (Eden)

7: Jacob Goddeau (Peru)

8: Robert Heney (Locust Valley)

9: Collin Dimler (Rondout Valley)

10: Joey Love (Gouverneur)

11. Ryan Hake (Bayport-Blue Point)

P: Paul Schoenberg (Baruch)

A1: Kevin Strong (Frewsburg)

A2: Matt Herringshaw (Holland Patient)

A3: Frank Garcia (Norwich)

A4: Jessy Williams (Windsor)

 

138 Pounds

1: Dean Rogener (Westlake)

2: John Diekel (Whitehall)

3. Anthony Finocchiaro (Canastota)

4. Adam Greene (Chenango Valley)

5: Quinton Murphy (Holley)

6: Jude Gardner (Fredonia)

7: Nick Forget (Peru)

8: Matt Long (Mineola)

9: Ian Morse (Rondout Valley)

10: Nate Murdock (Ogdensburg Free Academy)

11. Dylan Roberts (Port Jefferson)

P: Anthony Padulo (Baruch)

A1: Isaiah Riccio (Beaver River)

A2: Dan Reagan (Lewiston Porter)

A3: Matt McCauley (Royalton Hartland)

A4: Matt Dillon (Nanuet)

 

145 Pounds

1: Brett Pastore (Irvington)

2: Geno Brancati (Hudson Falls)

3. Nathan Silverthorn (General Brown)

4: Kyle Halliday (Chenango Valley)

5: Austin Hedges (Letchworth)

6: Jake Baer (Olean)

7: Hunter Carpenter (NAC)

8: Jordan Formicola (Locust Valley)

9: Ricky Treu (Red Hook)

10: Jake Demmon (Clifton-Fine)

11. Dom Evangelista (Port Jefferson)

P: Adis Radoncic (Riverdale Kingsbridge)

A1: Tyler Button (Phoenix)

A2: Drew Hull (Royalton Hartland)

A3: Mitch Janes (Port Byron)

A4: Connor Lawrence (Duanesburg)

 

152 Pounds

1: Scott Porter (Pawling)

2: Nick Gallo (Schalmont)

3: Derek Pfluger (Sandy Creek)

4: Dan Dickman (Greene)

5: Brooks Boyle (Lyndonville)

6: Ben Haas (Salamanca)

7: Jackson Suderland (NAC)

8: Blake Meyer (Oyster Bay)

9: Paul Sommer (Rondout Valley)

10: Curtis Fuller (Gouverneur)

11. Paul Cavanagh (Port Jefferson)

P: Max Zhang (Baruch)

A1: Tristan Hamner (Medina)

A2: Tyler Spann (Adirondack)

A3: Tyler Newton (Bolivar Richburg)

A4: Conner Fox (Midlakes)

 

160 Pounds

1: Mike Boyle (Dobbs Ferry)

2: Aaron Dudley (Hudson Falls)

3. Jared Soule (Sandy Creek)

4: Mike Beckwith (Greene)

5: Chris Nevinger (Letchworth)

6: Zach Buckley (Fredonia)

7: Justin Kellett (NAC)

8: Joe Massaro (Mineola)

9: Austin Weigel (Onteora)

10: Brenden Ward (Gouverneur)

11. Travis Baskerville (Center Moriches)

P: Tyson Simon (Petrides)

A1: Hayden Wagner (South Seneca)

A2: Tyler Silverthorn (General Brown)

A3: Matt Fisher (Oneida)

A4: Brandyn Ainsworth (Johnstown)

 

170 Pounds

1: John Messinger (Putnam Valley)

2: Brad Burns (Hoosick Falls)

3. Zach Zupan (Canastota)

4: Ryan Wolcott (Waverly)

5: Burke Paddock (Warsaw)

6: Nick Mitchell (Frewsburg)

7: Troy Seymour (Peru)

8: Rob Morgan (Oyster Bay)

9: Mike Rauch (Red Hook)

10: Andrew Cole (Ogdensburg Free Academy)

11: Tomasz Filipkowski (Mattituck)

P: Isaiah Blake (Baruch)

A1: Marcus Dwaileebe (Olean)

A2: Adam Hughey (Watkins Glen)

A3: Mike Green (Cobleskill)

A4: Matt Casullo (Berne-Knox)

 

182 Pounds

1: Oliver Mold (Pawling)

2: Mike Morris (Salamanca)

3. William Koelmel (Immaculate Heart Central)

4: Keegan Cerwinski (Greene)

5: Tim Schaefer (Warsaw)

6: Tony Lock (Pioneer)

7: Nate Wood (Saranac)

8: Dylan Rankin (Oyster Bay)

9: Andy Martinez (Liberty)

10: Kyle Bigwarfe (Gouverneur)

11. Brian Loskamp (Babylon)

P: Nathanael Rose (Eagle)

A1: Dallas Mesick (Duanesburg)

A2: Cody Houppert (Beaver River)

A3: Mike Beers (Walton)

A4: Jeff Day (Letchworth)

 

195 Pounds

1: Dan Breit (Nanuet)

2: Zach Diekel (Whitehall)

3. Austyn Hayes (Phoenix)

4: Ryan Todd (Lansing)

5: Bryce Mazurowski (Avon)

6: John Nickerson (Maple Grove)

7: Ben Perry (Saranac)

8: Dave Gorry (Mineola)

9: Dustin MacKenzie (Onteora)

10: Hunter Ayen (Gouverneur)

11. Chris Baglivi (Mattituck)

P: Miguel Perez (Eagle)

A1: Tyler Smith (Midlakes)

A2: Jeffery Lake (Alden)

A3: Mark Viviano (Bainbridge-Guilford)

A4: Kegan Levesque (Norwich)

 

220 Pounds

1: Matt Acevedo (Pawling)

2: Joe Sprung (Berne-Knox)

3. Travis Conklyn (Canastota)

4: Kyle Stanton (Greene)

5: Zach Bacon (Hornell)

6: Austin Blackley (Barker)

7: Luke McKee (Peru)

8: Ian Estevez (Oyster Bay)

9: Dominique Vales (Eldred-Fallsburg)

10: Brayden Wood (Gouverneur)

11: Kevin Giron (Hampton Bays)

P: Christopher Durazzo (Petrides)

A1: Nick Talcott (Tioga)

A2: Travis Harvey (Alfred-Almond)

A3: Mike Silvis (Holley)

A4: Dillon Hurlbert (Marathon)

 

285 Pounds

1: Obum Anyichie (Pleasantville)

2: Alex Soutiere (RCS)

3. Brandon Fayle (Lowville)

4: James Merritt (Owego Free Academy)

5: Kacee Sauer (Holley)

6: Matt Montesanti (Medina)

7: Hayden Head (Beekmantown)

8: Ricardo Salinas (Carle Place)

9: Anthony Tufano (New Paltz)

10: Nate Sarkin (Ogdensburg Free Academy)

11: Harrison DeSousa (Bayport-Blue Point)

P: Elvin Gervacio (Brooklyn)

A1: Brian Ervin (VVS)

A2: Derek Wise (Cassadaga Valley)

A3: Dan Ognibene (Alexander)

A4: Reid Castner (Penn Yan)

 

By Matt Diano

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

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

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

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

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

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

–Jimmy Gill (2x CHSAA runner-up)

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

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

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

 –Danny McDevitt (2011 Nassau County runner-up)

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

–Christian Dluginski (2011 Nassau County Champion)

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

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

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

–Ryan Singh (2011 Nassau County Champion)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Betsy Veysman

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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