Category Archives: Section 11

A New Start: Jamestown CC Brings in More Than 25 Recruits and Looks to Compete With the Best

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When Rob Waddington was hired as the head coach at Jamestown Community College, he was very clear about the direction of the program.

“I told the Athletic Director when he hired me that because of where we sit between Sections 4, 5 and 6 in New York and Pennsylvania and Ohio, there’s no reason not be be in the top 10 in the nation.  Our first goal was to build a team and get some depth.  We’ve accomplished that.”

Indeed, it seems that first goal has been achieved. Waddington said that when he took the reins of the team in August of 2012, the squad had 13 wrestlers, 11 of whom were eligible.  As such, every dual meet started with a huge deficit, as Jamestown had to forfeit three weight classes.

But that shouldn’t be an issue this year as a large group of wrestlers has been brought into the fold.

“[Al Rossetti] did an outstanding job with recruiting this year,” Waddington said. “Most of the kids are here because of all the work he did, including finding out where they were wrestling, allowing us to watch them all wrestle.”

The recruiting efforts were concentrated in the Empire State, however, they weren’t limited to the New York borders.  A three-time top four finisher in North Carolina (Robbie Gladwell) will join the squad as will a solid competitor from Ohio (Ja’von Tolliver).  And of course, there are plenty of familiar names, including 2013 state placers Jake Nicholson and Austin Lynn.  (The full list of recruits is at the end of the article).

“It was definitely a goal to bring in a big group,” Waddington said. “30 was my number and we hit it. I thought we could get into Pennsylvania a little bit and it didn’t work out this year.  But we did well all over New York, including some kids from the city.”

During the process, Waddington said certain qualities were emphasized.

“We were looking for kids that were coming in for the education,” Waddington said. “I stress that without education, wrestling means nothing to you. We also were looking for the tough, hard working kids.  We asked the high school coaches who the hardest workers in the room were and that was important to us. We want the kids who want to compete and are willing to learn.”

So Jamestown will go from a squad that couldn’t field a full dual lineup last year to one that Waddington believes will be competitive throughout the season. Providing assistance will be Rossetti as well as Dylan Freedman and Ryan Guynup, who was a bright spot for the Jayhawks in 2012-13, falling one round short of being an All-American.

“We’re just getting started, but it’s a great room,” Waddington said. “It’s a really hard working bunch of kids.  We’re excited and they’re excited.”

They’ll have the chance to compete in a mixture of open tournaments and dual meets.  One of the early tests will be at the New York State Intercollegiates at Cornell in the first month of the season.

“That’s a great tournament to have in November,” Waddington said. “You can see where you’re at and what you need to work on.  If you can place there, you’re right there to be an All-American at the Junior College level.”

Waddington believes that All-Americans are possible with the new class coming in, but he’s not getting too far ahead of himself.

“Our region is really tough,” he said. “Last year was a great learning experience.  My goal is to make everyone in that room better.  I came in here because I felt as though I could bring in a team that’s competitive with the best Junior College teams.  We’ve brought in a lot of guys and we’re excited to see what happens this year.”

Jamestown CC – Freshmen (as provided by Jamestown staff)

125
Pat McCarthy – Fredonia, NY
Edwin Prada – Heritage HS, NYC
Tysean Wilson –  Bedford-Stuyvesant NYC

133
Jake Nicholson – Waterloo, NY 3rd States at 125
Sean Caruso – Shawsheen Valley, Mass

133/141
Kyle Mulcahy – Corinth, NY Sect 2 champ 145

141
Chris Broccoli – Massepequa, NY
Austin Schwab – Cassadaga, NY

149
Robbie Gladwell – Croatan, NC 4th, 3rd and 2nd states
Billy Sischo – Cassadaga, NY

157
Mike Southwick – Jamestown, NY
Nick Wagenbaugh – Schenectady, NY
Sean Labadie – Allegheny, NY
Chris Buroltz – Randolph, NY
Ben Narraway – Fredonia, NY

165
Ja’von Tolliver – Shaker Heights, Cleveland
Jerrel White – Schenectady, NY
Jimmy Carr – Randolph, NY
Matt Stebbins – Fredonia, NY

174/184
Austin Lynn – Frewsburg, NY 4th NYS
Bryan McCoy – Dunkirk, NY
Ryan Richter – Gowanda, NY
John Piazza – Williamson, NY

197
Greg Burroughs – Fredonia, NY 5th NYS (2011)
Emanual Zamora – Schenectady, NY

285
Javen Newman – Falconer, NY
Jared Hallberg – Maple Grove, NY

Staying Home: All-American Travis Passaro Selects Hofstra

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Travis Passaro has traveled around the country seeking the best competition.  But when it came time to decide on his future home, he didn’t want to go far at all.

After considering Cornell, Duke and Maryland, the Eastport South Manor (ESM) senior announced a few days ago that he would attend Hofstra in the fall of 2014.

His arrival will double the number of Passaros on the Pride squad as older brother Maverick is now a freshman on the Hempstead campus.

“My brother transferring to Hofstra made me really want to go there,” Travis Passaro said. “I’ve worked out with him my whole life – he’s a great workout partner.  We’ve been drilling for a long time.  That gave me a big reason to go there. I also think the team will just keep getting better.  There are some really good Long Island kids who want to go to Hofstra. And I like that it’s close to home.”

Travis Passaro, Photo by BV

Passaro will get the chance to stay on Long Island, a place where he is already a three-time Suffolk County placer.  He captured his first Section 11 title in 2013 during a 49-4 campaign in which he made a statement in his initial appearance at the state tournament in Albany.

After winning his first two bouts at the Times Union Center, Passaro dropped his semifinal contest against Steve Michel.  However, he responded in the consolations, topping Commack’s Mike D’Angelo in a rematch of the Sectional finals before majoring Pearl River’s John Muldoon, the number two seed, 12-4 to earn bronze.

“I was looking to win the state title going into the tournament, so taking third was a big letdown,” Passaro said. “But, I have another year to come back and win it, so I’m really happy about that.”

For that last campaign, Passaro has set his goals high.

“I want to go undefeated during the season, win states and then go to the FloNationals finals,” he said.

The FloNationals is a significant event for Passaro.  He has had success at a number of events outside of the Empire State, including a fourth place showing at the NHSCA Nationals as a freshman.  However, he said that his eighth place medal at FloNationals in the spring really stands out to him.

“It’s a great tournament, with great competition,” he said. “I wanted to do better, but placing at Flo was something I was really excited about.”

Before he gets another crack at that event, Passaro will face a loaded field at the Super 32 Challenge in October.  A year ago, he came within one win of the podium at the prestigious tournament, losing to Florida’s Jared Prince twice.

This time, he’ll take the mat in Greensboro, North Carolina at 126 pounds, the weight he expects to wrestle for ESM this year.

He got off to a great start in the new class over the weekend at the Journeymen Classic, taking the title (at 130) in a bracket that included All-Americans Kevin Jack (CT) and Zach Valley (PA) as well as New York state champion Alex Delacruz.  He picked up a commanding 6-0 victory in the championship match over Payton Shuford, a multi-time North Carolina placer/2013 3A State titlist.

The future college 133 or 141 pounder believes it’s only the beginning of what he’s capable of accomplishing this year.

“I’ve been training every day, whether it’s lifting or wrestling,” he said. “I’ve been working out with [two-time state champion Nick] Piccinnini, [NHSCA National champion Chris] Mauriello and [Suffolk finalist] Jimmy Leach. I’m just focused on getting better every day.”

———————————————————

Travis Passaro wanted to thank his workout partners, his parents and his coaches.

Videos from the Journeymen Classic: See State Champions and Finalists Battle

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Numerous state finalists and champions took the mat at the Journeymen Classic on Sunday.  Here are a few videos of some top notch New York wrestlers from the event:

(For results, see here.  For a recap/summary, see this link).

Rematch of the 2013 99-pound state final (this time at 113) – Yianni Diakomihalis vs. Vito Arujau

 

National (and state) champion Corey Rasheed (Longwood) vs. Fargo Finalist Jesse Porter (Shenendehowa)

 

Nationally ranked (and state finalist) Christian Dietrich vs. Araad Sarrami of California

 

State champion Adis Radoncic vs. state finalist Steve Schneider (170)

 

Nassau County battle: State champion Kyle Quinn vs. state finalist Vito Arujau (113 third place bout)

 

All-American (NYS Third) Travis Passaro vs. State Placer Mike D’Angelo (Rematch of Section 11 finals)

 

Two State Finalists Wrestle at Journeymen: Brandon Lapi of Amsterdam vs. Frank Garcia of Norwich

 

 

Lapi vs. Garcia, Photo by BV

Permission to post videos granted by Journeymen.

 

Journeyman Classic Breakdown: Thoughts and Observations on Sunday's Competition

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The Journeymen Classic attracted participants from more than 20 states with top notch talent across the weights. Given that, it wasn’t surprising to see college coaches all over Niskayuna High School, watching the action throughout the day. With six mats in two different gyms, we didn’t watch everything that took place, but here are some thoughts on the event:

(To see videos from the event, click this link).

Corey Rasheed, Frank Popolizio, Yianni Diakomihalis, Nick Piccininni; Courtesy of Adam Burgos

1. Not surprisingly, the undefeated state champions looked like …. undefeated state champions. The Most Outstanding Wrestler honors were awarded to Yianni Diakomihalis (113), Nick Piccininni (120) and Corey Rasheed (160).  All were impressive in going unbeaten and capturing titles.  Diakomihalis faced a tough field (see #2) but continued his winning ways, while Piccininni was in control throughout, including a 10-2 major in the finals against Florida’s Radley Gillis, an NHSCA National champion. Rasheed said that he didn’t feel 100% in his return from injuries, but you wouldn’t know it, as he topped New England champion Andrew Labrie and Fargo All-Americans Jesse Porter and Christian Stackhouse by a combined score of 21-5.  Fellow unbeaten New York gold medalist Rich Sisti cruised to the 225 title, while Louis Hernandez did the same at 152.  And Christian Dietrich, who joins the previously mentioned Empire State grapplers in the national rankings (at 170), went up to 195 pounds and still was in charge all the way through, with a technical fall, a pin and a 12-3 combined score in his other matches.

2. Any time a returning state champion finishes fourth, you know the weight is tough. That was the case at 113 pounds where Wantagh’s Kyle Quinn was defeated early in the day by East Islip’s Jesse Dellavecchia (fourth in New York at 99 in 2013).  Later on, fellow Nassau County grappler and NYS finalist Vito Arujau topped Quinn for bronze, 3-0.  That came after some other great bouts in the bracket, including a state championship rematch between Diakomihalis and Arujau. It’s too early to say whether all of those wrestlers will be at 113 during the high school season, but it was certainly fun to watch this weekend.

3. Those weren’t the only championship performances for New York. At the NUWAY Nationals on the Jersey Shore this summer, Matteo DeVincenzo won the title in a field that included New York placers such as Kelan McKenna and Theo Powers.  That was once again the case on Sunday, as the Port Jefferson state runner up captured a 106 “A” bracket full of heralded competitors, including McKenna and Powers as well as Super 32 Middle School silver medalist Peter Pappas and All-Stater Vinny Vespa.  In Sunday’s finals, DeVincenzo defeated Section 2’s Josh Logiudice, a state qualifier who will be a tough matchup for anyone in his senior season.  Logiudice picked up quality victories over Powers and Vespa.

And how about Connor Calkins of Alfred-Almond?  At the Times Union Center in February, he bested returning state finalist and top seed Alex Soutiere in the opening round of the state tournament and made the medal stand, grabbing fifth.  It looks like he’s ready to go even higher in 2014, as he won the 285 weight at Journeymen with a 6-3 triumph over national champion Jesse Webb of Vermont.

It would be fair to say it’s been a good week for Travis Passaro.  First, he committed to continue his career at Hofstra.  In Albany, he celebrated by winning a challenging weight which included state champion Alex Delacruz, New York placer Mike D’Angelo and All-Americans from out of state such as Kevin Jack and Zach Valley. He cruised in the title bout, 6-0, over Payton Shuford.

4. Several other wrestlers made statements.  One was Jakob Restrepo, who topped a pair of New York silver medalists – Frank Garcia and Brandon Lapi, as well as Pennsylvania state placer Jalen Palmer on his way to the finals in the 145 “A” bracket.  He lost in sudden victory there to New Jersey’s Gary Dinmore, one of the top 100 seniors in the nation according to Intermat.  Restrepo’s performance comes after a successful offseason in which he earned All-America honors in Cadet Freestyle at Fargo and won the Super 32 qualifier at Shippensburg. Another second placer, Sam Ward of Locust Valley, looked good on Sunday, beating multi-time New Jersey placer Joe Trovato as well as Florida medalist Anthony Petrone on his way to the 140 “A” title bout, where he was topped by NHSCA National champion Clay Walker of South Carolina.  He’ll be a contender in Division 2 this year after taking fifth last season at 132.

5. There were plenty of standout showings outside of the “A” brackets as well.  Hector and Tito Colom, who racked up significant victory totals at Dunkirk High last year, breezed through the competition on Sunday, winning all of their matches by bonus points on the way to crowns in the 106 and 113 “B” brackets, respectively.  Middleweights Jimmy Leach (140), Skylar Kropman (145) and Trevor Hoffmier (152) were all unbeaten. Leach went to the Suffolk County finals a year ago and Kropman placed at the Eastern States in 2013.  Both look ready for a breakthrough year as do returning state qualifiers Anthony DePrez (152) and Collin Pittman (182).  Ryan Kromer (160) has already made an appearance on the medal stand in Albany and looks prepared to do it again after beating fellow All-State wrestler Konstantin Parfiryev and qualifier Connor Lawrence at the Journeymen Classic. Jaison White, who won big over the weekend, also went undefeated at the Pop & Flo event in the spring and looks to be someone to keep an eye on at 170.

Journeymen Classic: NY State Champions Claim Titles at Highly Competitive Event

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They don’t call it a FloMajor for nothing.

Photo by BV (Radoncic vs. Schneider)

On Sunday, over 200 wrestlers from all over the country took the mat at Niskayuna High School for the Journeymen Classic. Everywhere you looked there were highly acclaimed wrestlers. There were national champions, state champions and All-Americans from Fargo, FloNationals and NHSCAs.  Of course, included in the mix were a number of New York’s top grapplers and there were many highlights for Empire State competitors.

2013 state titlewinners Yianni Diakomihalis (113), Nick Piccininni (120), Louis Hernandez (152), Corey Rasheed (160) and Rich Sisti (225) all captured first place at the event.  They weren’t the only New Yorkers who earned the top spot on the podium in the “A” brackets on Sunday.  All-State grapplers Matteo DeVincenzo (106), Christian Dietrich (195), Travis Passaro (130) and Connor Calkins (285) also grabbed gold.

The Most Outstanding Wrestler Awards went to Diakomihalis (lightweights), Rasheed (upperweights) and Piccininni (overall).

More, including videos and observations on some standout performances, will come later in the week. (The event was in round robin format).

RESULTS (from tournaflex.com)

“A” Brackets

106 Pounds (A): Matteo DeVincenzo dec Josh Logiudice, 6-5

Third: Peter Pappas pin Vinny Vespa

113 Pounds (A): Yianni Diakomihalis dec Jesse Dellavecchia, 6-2

Third: Vito Arujau dec Kyle Quinn, 3-0

120 Pounds (A): Nick Piccininni maj Radley Gillis, 10-2

Third: Thayer Atkins (TX) dec Troy Gassaway, 8-1

125 Pounds (A): Tommy Stokes dec Troy Gregor, 4-3

Third: Ryan Pomrinca maj Jonathan Ryan, 10-1

130 Pounds (A): Travis Passaro dec Payton Shuford, 6-0

Third: Kevin Jack over Zach Valley, fft

135 Pounds (A): Chase Zemenak dec Kent Lane, 4-1

Third: Sal Profaci dec Chris Mauriello, 8-1

140 Pounds (A): Clay Walker dec Sam Ward, 6-1

Third: Joseph Ghione over Anthony Petrone, 9-2

145 Pounds (A): Gary Dinmore dec Jakob Restrepo, 3-1 SV

Third: Frank Carrozza dec Brandon Lapi, 4-3

152 Pounds (A): Louis Hernandez dec Tommy Dutton, 7-3

Third: Fritz Hoehn dec Jake Spengler, 12-5

160 Pounds (A): Corey Rasheed dec Christian Stackhouse, 7-2

Third: Andrew Labrie vs. Tyler Mann

170 Pounds (A): Luke Farinaro dec Steve Schneider, 3-2

Third: Adis Radoncic dec Nicholas Weldon, 10-5

182 Pounds (A): Joe Balboni dec Brett Perry, 9-4

Third: Austin Price dec Phil Woods, 1-0

195 Pounds (A): Christian Dietrich dec Nicholas Costa, 6-3

Third: Nick Weber dec Joe Chimelski, 2-0

225 Pounds (A): Rich Sisti dec Jeff Velez, 9-2

285 Pounds (A): Connor Calkins dec Jesse Webb, 6-3

Third: Patton Gossett pin Matt Kaminer

Additional Brackets

106 (B): Hector Colom TF Calvin Call

113 (B): Tito Colom maj Noah Malamut, 13-2

120 (B): Noah Gonser dec Marcel Laplante, 2-0

120 (C): Anthony Hernandez dec Nick Barbaria, 5-2

120 (D): Jon Errico maj Evan Barczak, 11-0

125 (B): Peter Robinson dec Jake Gillis, 3-1

125 (C): Cross Cannone over Brian Guerrero

125 (D): Joseph Ferinde dec James Szymanski, 7-3

130 (B): Christopher Muce dec Christian Vallis, 3-1

135 (B): Elijah Cleary dec Mike Raccioppi, 6-4

135 (C) John Amato over Mason Byrne

140 (B) Jimmy Leach pin Anthony Lombardo

145 (B): Skylar Kropman fall John Mazza

145 (C): Eduardo Ramirez over Kevin Jackson, 8-5

152 (B): Trevor Hoffmier dec Alec Donovan, 6-4

152 (C): Anthony DePrez pin Jason Hoffman

160 (B):  Ryan Kromer dec Konstantin Parfiryev, 7-3

160 (C): Dan Woughter over Garon Pelesauma

170 (B): Jaison White pin Christian Murabito

182 (B): Collin Pittman dec Rocco Hladney, 4-3

 

 

Grapple at the Garden Update: Kyle Dake and Bubba Jenkins to Wrestle in Freestyle Main Event and More

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– Courtesy of Madison Square Garden Sports

New York, NY, September 27, 2013 — Four-time NCAA National Champion, Kyle Dake, will face off against 2011 NCAA National Champion, Bubba Jenkins, in a much-anticipated freestyle wrestling main event on December 1 at the second annual Grapple at the Garden, presented by Suplay.com, MSG Sports announced on Friday.

Photo by BV

In a unique senior level showcase match promoted in association with X-Cel Worldwide, Dake, the former Cornell standout who became the first wrestler in NCAA history to win the national championship in four different weight classes, will square off against Jenkins, the former NCAA wrestling national champion and a current mixed martial arts fighter.

Tickets start at $20.00 and can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden box office, all Ticketmaster outlets and online at www.thegarden.com/grapple.

“It is very exciting to once again compete on one of the greatest stages in the world, in one of the greatest cities in the world,” said Dake.  “Personally, I am also really excited to compete against Bubba Jenkins. As a two-time NCAA national finalist, all wrestling fans know he is a great competitor. This year’s Grapple at the Garden event will be groundbreaking for the sport of wrestling, and promises to inspire thousands of young athletes as they chase their dreams.”

Jenkins added, “I am super excited about taking my wrestling talents to the biggest and baddest city in the world to showcase my skills under the bright lights of the illustrious Madison Square Garden.  It is a tremendous honor to have been chosen to wrestle in the Grapple at the Garden event, and one which I take with immense pride and will never forget. As my fans and friends already know, I am a big match, big move athlete. Come December 1, while wrestling one of the greatest wrestlers our sport has ever seen, Kyle Dake, New York City sports fans will learn that about me as well. I am humbled to compete in this historic freestyle wrestling match in The World’s Most Famous Arena.”

“X-Cel Worldwide is honored to be associated with the promotion of such a great event in the most famous arena in the world,” said Nick Garone President, X-Cel Worldwide.  “Kyle Dake vs. Bubba Jenkins is match-up certain to be filled with fireworks.  The Grapple at the Garden will make history with the first ever Freestyle Wrestling main event in Madison Square Garden.”

Joining Army, Bloomsburg, Boston University, Cornell, Drexel, George Mason, Hofstra, Illinois, Maryland, Penn, Princeton and Rutgers will be four local wrestling programs including Stevens Institute of Technology and NYU in an NCAA Division III matchup, as well as a match between the men’s club teams from Stony Brook University and Westchester Community College.  This will bring the total to an unprecedented 16 teams for the one-day dual-meet event.

In addition to the action-packed collegiate matchups, the second annual Grapple at the Garden, presented by Suplay.com, will also feature the finals of the Beat The Streets PSAL Thanksgiving Dual Meet Invitational. All 16 participating high schools including Horace Mann, Monsignor Farrell, Brooklyn Tech, Poly Prep, Benjamin Cardoza, Martin Luther King, Eagle Academy, Fordham Prep, James Madison, New Utrecht, Petrides, Martin Luther, Mt. St. Michael, Wingate, Grand Street, and Curtis will compete in dual meets.

Moreover, the finals of the inaugural Grapple at the Garden middle school championship, produced in association with the Metropolitan Wrestling Association, will take place prior to the high school matches.  For all middle school wrestlers interested in registering to compete, please visit www.wrestlereg.com on or after October 1. Valid tournament registration includes two tickets to all Grapple at the Garden festivities. All competitors must have a current USA Wrestling card.

The full day of wrestling on December 1 will include two dual meet sessions with the first starting at 10:00 a.m. with Maryland vs. Cornell, Rutgers vs. George Mason, Illinois vs. Bloomsburg, Hofstra vs. Army, Boston U. vs. Penn, Drexel vs. Princeton, and Stony Brook vs. West Chester CC.  Session two will begin at 12:00 p.m. and will feature Cornell vs. Illinois, Rutgers vs. Maryland, Princeton vs. Army, Bloomsburg vs. Penn, George Mason vs. Drexel, Hofstra vs. Boston U, and NYU vs. Stevens.

Suplay.com, the world renowned wrestling gear supplier, has once again signed on as presenting partner of the Grapple at the Garden wrestling event.

Collegiate wrestling debuted at Madison Square Garden on December 16, 2012 with the inaugural Grapple at the Garden which featured 14 teams; six No. 1 ranked NCAA wrestlers; five returning National Champions and six of the top 10 teams in the country.  You can now relive the historic event through INSIDE TRIP: GRAPPLE AT THE GARDEN.  This special 30 minute DVD is now on sale via www.XCELONLINESTORE.com for $24.95, which includes an official event program from the live event. INSIDE TRIP is your exclusive all-access, behind-the-scenes pass to this historic first-ever event. See the big names that attended the event, hear from some of the greatest past and present wrestlers of all-time, and watch the greatest sport take place at The World’s Most Famous Arena with INSIDE TRIP: GRAPPLE AT THE GARDEN.

(Press release from MSG Sports)

Who from New York is in the Updated National Rankings?

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Last week, Flowrestling released updated national rankings.  10 New Yorkers are included, with five grapplers positioned in the top 10 in their weight classes.  The highest ranking for an Empire State wrestler is fourth – Nick Piccininni of Ward Melville at 120.

The New Yorkers ranked are:

7th at 106 pounds: Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton, Section 5, Freshman)

4th at 120 pounds: Nick Piccininni (Ward Melville, Section 11, Junior)

19th at 132 pounds: Tristan Rifanburg (Norwich, Section 4, Junior)

6th at 138 pounds: Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (Cheektowaga, Section 6, Senior)

12th at 152 pounds: Louis Hernandez (Mepham, Section 8, Senior)

9th at 160 pounds: Corey Rasheed (Longwood, Section 11, Senior)

11th at 160 pounds: Burke Paddock (Warsaw, Section 5, Senior)

11th at 170 pounds: Christian Dietrich (Greene, Section 4, Sophomore)

15th at 220 pounds: Rich Sisti (Monsignor Farrell, CHSAA, Senior)

8th at 285 pounds: James O’Hagan (Seaford, Section 8, Senior)

 

Nick Piccininni, Photo by BV

Fab Freshmen: Who are the Ninth Graders to Watch in New York This Season?

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Recently, we talked about the top Junior High wrestler in New York, Penfield’s Frankie Gissendannerand the #1 ninth grader – Yianni Diakomihalis.  Now, it’s time to talk more about the freshmen. The following is a look at some of the ninth graders to watch in the Empire State this season.  We expect to see strong performances from them – as well as others who will emerge as the season progresses.

Photo by BV

1 Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton) – Diakomihalis has compiled quite a list of achievements before beginning high school.  Among them was the state championship he won in 2013 at 99 pounds in Albany.  In 2012, he captured the Middle School crown at the Super 32 Challenge and won his brackets at the Journeymen Classic, the NYWAY State Championship and the Ohio Tournament of Champions, among others.  His prowess on the mat is well known nationally as both Intermat and Flowrestling have him among the top five wrestlers in the United States in the Class of 2017. For more on Diakomihalis, see this link.

2 Vito Arujau (Syosset) – Arujau and Diakomihalis began this year’s state finals in Division I with a bang, with a battle at 99 pounds that went to the ultimate tiebreaker.  Arujau’s silver medal will no doubt be the first of many trips high on the podium at the Times Union Center.  The 2012 Journeymen Classic champion also took third at the Super 32 Challenge last season and has been all over the place this offseason preparing for another title run.  He went undefeated against tough competition recently at the Waterway Duals in Pennsylvania. Intermat ranks him #11 in the country among freshmen.

3 Evan Barczak (Monroe Woodbury) – A state qualifier in 2013 at 106 pounds, the Section 9 wrestler has a ton of upside after racking up a 34-7 record as an eighth grader.  He saw many of New York’s best, with four of his losses coming to the top four finishers in Division I in Albany.  At the Times Union Center, he was defeated by silver medalist Alex Tanzman and in sudden victory by bronze winner Jon Haas. One of his other setbacks was at the hands of Fulton’s Mitchell Woodworth, a result that he avenged in his opening bout at the state tournament, 6-2. Barczak also was a double finalist at the Cadet New York State championships in Freestyle (champion) and Greco (second place).

4 Lou DePrez (Hilton) – A SuperSectional champion as an eighth grader at 120, Deprez joined his brothers Vincent and Anthony as representatives of Section 5 in Albany in 2013.  DePrez won over 45 matches, including a victory at the state tournament and a win over All-State grappler Ralph Mateo of Midlakes.  He also placed at 120 at the 2012 Super 32 Challenge (Middle School).

5 Hunter Dusold (Locust Valley) – Already a two-time state qualifier at 106 pounds, Dusold sported a 2-2 mark in Albany this year, missing All-State status by one win.  In fact, he lost his medal round bout by disqualification, while his other setback was 2-0 to eventual champion Luis Weierbach.  A NHSCA All-American multiple times in the past (and sixth in 2013), Dusold will join a number of his Locust Valley teammates as returning Section 8 champions looking to make an impact at the Times Union Center in February.

All of the wrestlers above have already shown their abilities at the state tournament.

The same could be said of Tanner Lapiene of Ogdensburg Free Academy, a fourth place finisher at 99 pounds who will look to bring more hardware back to Section 10.

But, there are certainly many wrestlers who haven’t wrestled in the state capital who will make their presence felt as ninth graders in 2013-14.  Who might be prepared to make that leap?

How about Dane Heberlein of Alexander? An NHSCA National champion in 2012 (and a bronze medalist in Virginia Beach this spring), Heberlein has won numerous events around the country.  As an eighth grader, Heberlein won over 40 matches, taking fourth at SuperSectionals as an undersized 99 pounder. Or how about 2012 Super 32 runner up Peter Pappas of Nassau County?  Or any number of young guns from Section 11 such as Hauppauge’s Ben Tepperman, Rocky Point’s Anthony Cirillo and John Glenn’s Zach Ancewicz?  The latter two combined for 67 wins and 10 losses as eighth graders in the loaded lightweights in Suffolk County.  In addition, all three earned All-America status at the NHSCA Middle School Nationals in Virginia Beach this spring.

Don’t forget about Hunter Richard of Holland Patent, who went 41-7 at 113 as an eighth grader. He qualified for the state tournament and won a match in Albany, with both of his losses coming to All-State wrestlers, including eventual champion Dillon Stowell in the first round.  Richard also racked up wins for the Schoolboy Nationals squad in Indianapolis earlier in the offseason (11-2 combined in Freestyle and Greco). Or how about another Hilton wrestler, Michael Spallina, who went 43-5 as an eighth grader at 152 pounds?  He has picked up medals in several national competitions in the past, such as Super 32 (third in 2012) and NHSCAs (champion in 2010 and 2011; fifth in 2012).  Speaking of national events, Garyn Huntley of Oxford Academy collected All-America honors in Fargo this summer at 220 pounds in Greco action.  As an eighth grader, he won close to 25 matches.  Will he take the next step?

This isn’t an exhaustive list – there are many more we’ll be following.  After all, there are always freshmen that step up and make names for themselves.  Who will do so this year?  Feel free to send us an e-mail at newyorkwrestlingnews@gmail.com with nominees.

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Thank you to Mike Carey for all his hard work to make this article possible.  Thanks to all of the other contributors (who know who they are), including Kris Harrington and John Passaro.

Top Wrestlers from All Over the Country Set to Battle at the Journeymen Classic

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When describing the top tier brackets at the Journeymen Classic, set for September 29 at Niskayuna High School, the event’s poster said it is “a true battleground for wrestlers on the east coast.”

‘A true battleground’ is certainly the case.  A year ago, a number of eventual New York State champions and placers saw high-level competition at the event. Some, like Yianni Diakomihalis, Nick Piccininni, Nick Kelley and Rich Sisti won their brackets, while others suffered some rare losses.

While the tournament advertisement mentioned the East Coast, it isn’t just an East Coast event anymore.  This year, the first FloMajor of the season has commitments from over 20 states, covering various parts of the country.  A contingent of more than 10 wrestlers is scheduled to come in from California while a similar number from Michigan will make the trip, as will grapplers from Southeastern locations such as Georgia, Florida, Virginia, South Carolina and North Carolina.  There are also expected to be entrants from Texas, Kentucky, Alabama and Arkansas in addition to the large pools of competitors from the Tri-State area and New England.

It’s not just the geographic representation that’s impressive, however. The quality of the participants seems to improve from year to year.

Nine 2013 New York State champions will take part – Journeymen Classic returning champions Diakomihalis, Piccininni and Sisti – as well as Kyle Quinn, William Koll, Alex Delacruz, Louis Hernandez, Corey Rasheed and Adis Radoncic.

In addition, Fargo All-Americans such as Jonathan Viruet (MA), Kent Lane (PA), Christian Stackhouse (NJ) and New York’s Jakob Restrepo, Tommy Dutton and Jesse Porter are registered as are Top 100 recruits Gary Dinmore (NJ) and Jesse Webb (VT).  Webb is a multi-time NHSCA National champion as is South Carolina’s Clay Walker, who is also in the field.

Coaches at the next level have definitely taken notice.  Over 20 college programs have confirmed attendance at Niskayuna High School, including 14 Division I institutions from a range of conferences – the EIWA, ACC, SoCon, EWL, MAC, Big 12 and WWC.

For more information on the event, see this link.

 

Waterway Duals Recap: Six NY Teams Compete; 631 Elite Earns Third Place

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A year ago, a team from Long Island captured the title at the Waterway Duals in Pennsylvania.  On Saturday, Long Island was again well represented at the 2013 version of the tournament, as 631 Elite grabbed third place in the 26-team field.

“This is a great event,” said John Passaro, who was an assistant for the team. “There are quality matches all over the place. You go to tournaments like these to be exposed to great competition and to see what you need to work on. This time of the year, every match is important. September and October are about preparing for states and nationals in February and March.  The tremendous competition at Waterway Duals definitely helps to do that.”

631 Elite began with a bye and then had a meeting with Malvern in a rematch of last year’s Waterway Duals finals.  Things didn’t get off to an ideal start.

“Momentum wasn’t going our way at first – it was a little bit scary,” Passaro said. “We got pinned in the first match and then Vito [Arujau] was thrown to his back right away at 113 [pounds].  We could have been down 12-0. But Vito fought off his back and came back and showed tremendous heart.  He not only won the match with a pin, but he turned around the whole dual.”

Vito Arujau, Photo by BV

Arujau’s fall knotted the score at 6 and the Long Islanders took over from there, with Nick Piccininni (120) and Travis Passaro (126) giving the squad the lead for good with back-to-back triumphs.  In the end, 631 Elite won 12 of the 14 bouts in a 52-9 result.

Next up was another Empire State group – Journeymen, which had notched victories in the first two rounds.  In the quarterfinal showdown, 631 came out on top 39-15 behind bonus point wins by Arujau, Piccininni, Jimmy Leach (145), Steve Schneider (170), Nick Weber (195) and Peter Strassfield (heavyweight).  According to Passaro, one of the most exciting contests was at 132 where Journeymen All-American Kevin Jack (an Eastern States champion for Danbury, CT) edged NHSCA Freshman National Champion Chris Mauriello, 3-2.

In the semifinals, 631 met Bison Legend, another Pennsylvania squad.  It was close early, with Arujau and Piccininni giving the team a 7-3 advantage after the first three weights.  However, the Keystone State squad then took control, ending with a 37-10 victory.  (Also coming out on top for the Long Island group was Mepham state champion Louis Hernandez, who had an 11-5 decision at 152).

“Bison came in with a stacked lineup – Fargo All-Americans and quality guys up and down the lineup,” Passaro said. “They were accomplished, hungry and in shape. There were a bunch of close matches that could have gone either way and we lost all of them. But that’s the exact reason to wrestle there.  We got humbled a little bit, but we know what we need to work on.  You want to wrestle those elite kids.”

631 rebounded well, finishing the day on a high note in the third place contest with a 49-12 win over Defiant.  The Long Island wrestlers registered nine wins in the 14 matches, including pins by Leach, Hernandez and Weber.

“The team wrestled really well in the third place match,” Passaro said. “These kids have been doing this long enough to know you only remember your last match on the ride home.  They wanted to have a good ride home and they did.”

Going unbeaten for 631 were Vito Arujau, Nick Piccininni and Louis Hernandez. Meanwhile, Travis Passaro, Jimmy Leach, Greg Cherry, Steven Schneider and Nick Weber all compiled 3-1 records. (The full roster of the bronze medal team is listed at the end of the article).

While 631 Elite earned third with a 3-1 record, another New York squad also registered a 3-1 mark on Saturday.   Team Long Island opened against Contender in a close match that finished deadlocked at 30. After the tiebreaking criteria were applied, Contender was declared the winner, sending Team Long Island out of the placement bracket. (According to Passaro, both teams had two falls during the dual, but a forfeit by Long Island was counted as a fall and Contender moved forward on the ‘most pins’ criterion).

The team bounced back strong, outscoring its opponents 164-18 to win the last three duals in commanding fashion.  Leading the way were undefeated wrestlers James Szymanski (120), Jack Taddeo (132), Sean O’Hagan (138), Ed Ramirez (145) and Gino Titone (152).

“Being in that tournament, in that environment will only help everyone’s development,” Passaro said. “It was tough to lose on the tiebreakers like that, but the positive way to look at it is that the team had three matches where they did extremely well afterwards.”

Also doing extremely well were a number of other wrestlers.  For Journeymen, Kevin Jack, Brett Perry (182) and Youssif Hemida (220) collected four victories apiece, according to the online results.

That wasn’t all for New York wrestling. Iowa Style also took the mat on Saturday, nabbing a victory over fellow Empire State grapplers from Beat the Streets Red.

Beat the Streets brought two teams to the event and the Blue squad notched a 2-2 record with wins over two Pennsylvania foes – 36-16 over Turks Head and 46-21 against MWA.   State champion Adis Radoncic picked up three wins, as did Saidyokub Kahramonov at 145 and Miguel Perez at 220.

One additional standout showing from New York at the event was that of Hilton state champion Yianni Diakomihalis.  The Section 5 star went 4-0 at 106 pounds for the first place team (Griffin Select, Pennsylvania), with three victories by bonus points.

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Passaro mentioned a number of individuals who coached and/or contributed heavily to the success of the Long Island teams, including Mike Patrovich, Ed Ramirez, Matt DeVincenzo, Nick Mauriello, Vougar Oroudjov, Les Ware and Lance Banfi.

 

631 Elite – Third Place Roster

106 Matteo DeVincenzo

113 Vito Arujau

120 Nick Piccininni

126 Travis Passaro

132 Chris Mauriello

138 Evan Meyer

145 Jimmy Leach

152 Louis Hernandez

160 Greg Cherry

170 Steve Schneider

182 Dom Pirraglia

195 Nick Weber

220 Rafal Rokosz

Hwt Peter Stassfield