Piccininni, Muldoon Win Titles at the Iron Horse Invitational; Fabian, Melikian, Almaviva and McDevitt Take Second

Posted on October 7, 2012 by Urgent Doctor

Photo by Boris V

For Nick Piccininni, it was just another undefeated weekend. There have been quite a few of those recently for the 2012 state champion from Ward Melville as he went 4-0 in South Plainfield, New Jersey to capture the title at the Iron Horse Invitational. Among his victories were a major over New Jersey qualifier John Amato and a 1-0 decision over Garden State placer Craig DeLaCruz. The performance was a continuation of a dominant month for Piccininni, which included a title at the Journeymen Classic last Sunday, an unblemished record at the Waterway Duals (while wrestling up a weight) and a dominant championship at the Super 32 Qualifier in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. He’ll try to keep the momentum going at the Super 32 tournament in North Carolina in a few weeks.

Piccininni wasn’t the only champion from the Empire State at the Iron Horse. Pearl River’s John Muldoon won gold in his bracket after going 4-0 against opponents from New Jersey.

In a round robin tournament loaded with state champions and placers, four New York grapplers took second. A week ago at the Journeymen Classic, Shoreham Wading River’s TJ Fabian won each of his matches by pin while taking second behind New Jersey medalist Anthony Giraldo. On Sunday, it was a similar story. Fabian pinned three of his opponents in South Plainfield while losing a tight, 3-1 bout to Giraldo to take the silver.

Also competing last weekend at the Journeymen Classic were Fordham Prep’s Sam Melikian and Shenendehowa’s David Almaviva. Both followed up with second place performances in New Jersey. Almaviva cruised past Garden State foes Max Elling and Collin Boylan and won a close one over fellow New Yorker Thomas Dutton, 3-1 in overtime. His only setback was a 2-1 bout in the tiebreakers against Florida’s Aaron Hartman. Melikian also notched a 3-1 record topping a trio of New Jersey wrestlers by a combined score of 24-7 while dropping his match with Sean Glasgow.

Wantagh’s Dan McDevitt and Joshua Ugalde both completed action with a 3-1 mark in their upperweight bracket, however, Ugalde tallied more bonus points during the day to secure the title. McDevitt, who finished fifth at the state tournament in 2012, outscored his opponents 23-4 in his three victories.

Taking third place for New York were: Wantagh’s Chris Araoz (including a victory over New Jersey placer and nationally ranked Zack Hertling), Rocky Point’s Thomas Dutton and Shenendehowa teammates Nick Kelley, Levi Ashley and Zach Joseph. For full results, see below:

Fifth Place: Vinny Skokos, Nanuet (Bracket 3)

Mike Russo (NJ) dec Skokos, Nanuet, 7-5 OT

Max Nauta (NJ) pin Skokos, 2:39

Tyler Casamenti (NJ) dec Skokos, 4-2

Brian Damon (NJ) over Skokos, forfeit

1st Place: Nick Piccininni, Ward Melville (Bracket 5)

Piccininni dec Matthew Lattanze (PA), 6-4

Piccininni over Blake Retell (NY), forfeit

Piccininni over Craig DeLaCruz (NJ), 1-0

Piccininni major John Amato (NJ),10-2

Fifth Place: Blake Retell, Shaker (Bracket 5)

Matthew Lattanze (PA) dec Retell, 1-0

John Amato (NJ) dec Retell, 6-2

Retell forfeited vs. Piccininni and DeLaCruz

Fourth place: Travis Passaro, Eastport South Manor (Bracket 9)

Dave McFadden (NJ) dec Passaro, 3-2

Sal Profaci (NJ) dec Passaro, 8-3

Kyle Brady over Passaro, forfeit

1st Place: John Muldoon, Pearl River (Bracket 11)

Muldoon dec Devon LaFranco (NJ), 5-1

Muldoon major Mike DeFaria (NJ), 13-3

Muldoon dec Tommy Gattinella, 4-3

Muldoon over Mike Van Brill (NJ), forfeit

2nd Place: TJ Fabian, Shoreham Wading River (Bracket 12)

Fabian pin Joe Kratochvil (NJ), 1:20

Fabian pin Troy Shaafsma (NJ), 2:55

Fabian pin Billy Ward (NJ), 1:26

Anthony Giraldo (NJ) dec Fabian, 3-1

3rd Place: Chris Araoz, Wantagh (Bracket 14)

Scott Delvecchio (NJ) pin Araoz 3:57

Mike Pongracz (NJ) dec Araoz, 2-0

Araoz dec Zack Hertling (NJ), 4-0

Araoz major Ryan Burkert (NJ), 19-4

2nd Place: Sam Melikian, Fordham Prep (Bracket 16)

Melikian dec Joe Tavoso (NJ), 10-3

Melikian major Vin Carriddi (NJ), 9-1

Melikian dec Matt Barber (NJ), 5-3

Sean Glasgow (NJ) dec Melikian, 11-6

3rd Place: Nick Kelley, Shenendehowa (Bracket 18)

Kelley pin Miguel Calixto (VT), 4:20

Kelley pin Spencer Carey (NJ), 3:24

Troy Heilmann (NJ) dec Kelley, 10-7

Brian Hamann (NJ) dec Kelley, 3-0

3rd Place: Zach Joseph, Shenendehowa (Bracket 19)

Joseph over Tyler Kozimor (NJ), forfeit

Joseph over Jesse Thorsen (NJ), forfeit

Gary Dinmore (NJ) major Joseph, 13-1

Joseph Grello (NJ) dec Joseph, 10-3

2nd Place: David Almaviva, Shenendehowa (Bracket 20)

Almaviva dec Collin Boylan (NJ), 5-1

Almaviva dec Thomas Dutton (NY), 3-1 OT

Aaron Hartman (FL) dec Almaviva 2-1 tb

Almaviva major Max Elling (NJ), 10-0

3rd Place: Thomas Dutton, Rocky Point (Bracket 20)

Aaron Hartman (FL) dec Dutton, 4-3

Almaviva dec Dutton, 3-1 OT

Dutton major Max Elling (NJ), 11-1

Dutton pin Collin Boylan (NJ), 1:22

2nd Place: Dan McDevitt, Wantagh (Bracket 24)

McDevitt dec Nick Carey (NJ), 7-2

McDevitt dec Zach Spira (NJ), 6-0

Joshua Ugalde (NJ) dec McDevitt, 2-0 OT

McDevitt dec Colin Barber (NJ), 7-2

3rd Place: Levi Ashley, Shenendehowa (Bracket 27)

Ashley dec Austin Price (VT), 7-4

Ali Yildiz (NJ) major Ashley, 10-1

Nathan Bueno (NJ) dec Ashley, 5-2

Ashley dec Matt Correnti (NJ), 10-4

All-State Wrestlers Piccininni, Kelley, Almaviva, Fabian and McDevitt Ready For Tests at the Iron Horse Invitational

Posted on October 6, 2012 by Urgent Doctor

Photos of Piccininni, McDevitt and Kelley by Boris V

Last weekend, many New York wrestlers tested themselves against competition from all over the country at the Journeymen Wrestling Classic near Albany. As the start of the season inches closer, many of the same competitors will travel to New Jersey on Sunday to once again challenge themselves against some of the best from the Garden State, Pennsylvania, Florida, Maryland and Vermont at the Iron Horse Invitation in South Plainfield. The round robin tournament includes champions from the states listed above and a plethora of additional placers in the field of about 150 grapplers.

Several wrestlers who won titles in the “A” bracket last weekend at the Journeymen will once again take the mat, including New Yorkers Nick Piccininni and Nick Kelley as well as New Jersey’s Sal Profaci, Anthony Giraldo, Scott Delvecchio, Maaziah Bethea, Chad Walsh and Jon Schleifer.

In addition to state champion Piccininni and Binghamton-bound Kelley, a number of top contenders for All-State honors in the Empire State will compete on Sunday. The expected entrants from New York are:

Section 1:

John Muldoon (Pearl River)

Vinny Skokos (Nanuet, state qualifier)

Section 2:

David Almaviva (Shenendehowa, Fargo All-American, Binghamton recruit)

Levi Ashley (Shenendehowa, state qualifier)

Nick Kelley (Shenendehowa, Fargo All-American, Binghamton recruit)

Blake Retell (Shaker, won the 120B bracket at the Journeymen Classic)

Joe Sprung (Berne Knox Westerlo, state qualifier)

Section 8:

Chris Araoz (Wantagh, NHSCA National Champion in 2012)

Dan McDevitt (Wantagh, NHSCA All-American, NYS fifth)

Section 11:

Tom Dutton (Rocky Point, Fargo and NHSCA All-American)

TJ Fabian (Shoreham Wading River, NHSCA All-American, NYS fourth)

Travis Passaro (Eastport South Manor, NHSCA All-American)

Nick Piccininni (Ward Melville, NYS champion in 2012)

CHSAA

Sam Melikian (Fordham Prep, state qualifier)

**Entries provided by Iron Horse

Take a Look at More Videos from this Weekend's Journeymen Classic, Featuring Several NY State Placewinners

Posted on October 1, 2012 by Urgent Doctor

Here are a few more videos from the Journeymen Classic this weekend, featuring several more New York state placewinners. For the remainder of the videos and results, see link

TJ Fabian (NYS 4th) vs. Sean Peacock (NYS Champion)

Nick Piccininni (NYS Champion) vs. Nick Casella (NYS Runner Up)

Justin Cooksey (NYS Runner Up) vs. Christian Vallis (New England Prep Champ)

Vitali Arujau (VHW) vs. Josh Logiudice (Journeymen)

Johnny Stramiello (NYS Placer) vs. Blake Retell (Journeymen)

Chris Koo (NHSCA All-American) vs. Logan Dean (Virginia State Placer)

Check out Videos and Results from the Journeymen Wrestling Classic

Posted on September 30, 2012 by Urgent Doctor

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

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

RESULTS are at the bottom of the page.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

All-American David Almaviva of Shenendehowa Discusses His Commitment to Binghamton

Posted on September 20, 2012 by Urgent Doctor

After dominating his way through the Section 2 championships, Shenendehowa’s David Almaviva came to the state tournament in February with hopes of a 138-pound title. When he dropped his first bout against Fox Lane’s Tom Grippi, 4-1, he quickly turned his disappointment into motivation.

“At first, I was pretty upset,” Almaviva said. “But then I realized I couldn’t be upset because it wouldn’t help. I knew I needed to wrestle back tough and take third.”

Photo courtesy of Anthony Almaviva

He took care of business, winning five straight matches to earn the bronze. His path wasn’t easy, as he faced the bracket’s top two seeds. However, he was in control most of the way, outscoring his opponents 21-3.

“I thought the way I handled it could be the deciding factor on whether colleges would look at me,” Almaviva said.

That might have been the case. Several Division I programs were excited about Almaviva, including Binghamton.

This past weekend, while Almaviva was on his official visit to the CAA institution, he became the third top 10 senior in New York State to commit to the Bearcats. While he enjoyed playing paintball and participating in other team bonding activities on the trip, he listed many other reasons for his decision.

“I really like the campus and it’s not too far from home,” he said. “I know I’ll get a good education there. I also feel like I have a pretty close relationship with the coaches and the team feels like a family. I know the team is working hard to be national champs and that’s what I’m looking to do.”

Helping Almaviva reach for those goals in Division I wrestling will be his longtime teammate Nick Kelley, who committed to Binghamton a few weeks ago.

“We’ve been workout partners since fourth grade. [Kelley’s commitment] was definitely part of my decision to choose Binghamton,” Almaviva said, adding that he also strongly considered North Carolina State. “We’ve always been around the same weight and we’ve always pushed each other to get better.”

That was true this summer when both wrestlers became Freestyle All-Americans at Junior Nationals at Fargo. Almaviva took eighth at 145 pounds in North Dakota after defeating eventual national runner up Quinton Murphy at the New York State Freestyle championships.

With those victories behind him, Almaviva is now focused on ending his senior season on a high note.

“I’m looking to be a state champ this year,” Almaviva said. “My high school coaches [Rob] Weeks and [Frank] Popolizio work with me every day to make sure I’m the best I can be. That’s true for my teammates too – we push each other. I think if we keep working hard and stay focused our team can win states this year. And I won’t stop working so that I can finally finish first individually.”

Shenendehowa's David Almaviva Makes Verbal Commitment to Binghamton University

Posted on September 16, 2012 by Urgent Doctor

The commitments keep coming for the Binghamton wrestling program.

After landing Canastota’s Zack Zupan and Shenendehowa’s Nick Kelley, the Bearcats picked up another of the Empire State’s top seniors over the weekend when David Almaviva gave his verbal pledge to the CAA school, according to an e-mail from his family.

Almaviva earned All-America honors this summer in freestyle at Fargo when he took eighth at 145 pounds. That performance followed a standout showing at the New York State freestyle championships where he defeated Fargo runner up Quinton Murphy, who is now a freshman at Indiana.

The Shenendehowa senior, who projects at 141 or 149 pounds, has twice made the medal stand at the New York high school state tournament, taking third at 138 pounds this season and sixth as a sophomore in 2011.

For more on Almaviva’s commitment, check back later in the week.

Nick Piccininni, Travis Passaro and Conor O'Hara Win Titles at Super 32 Qualifier in Pennsylvania

Posted on September 3, 2012 by Urgent Doctor

Nick Piccininni, Photo by Boris V

Every year, late in the fall, the Super 32 Challenge in North Carolina features huge brackets full of some of the nation’s top high school wrestlers. This past weekend, a number of New York competitors qualified for early entry into the event by placing in the top four at the Super 32 Qualifier in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. Talent from numerous states, including Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia took the mat and at the end of the day, the Empire State boasted three champions (Nick Piccininni, Travis Passaro and Conor O’Hara) as well as several other placewinners.

Piccininni, a 2012 undefeated state champion from Ward Melville, cruised through his five matches, none of which were close, to win the 113 pound title. Representing 631 Elite, he opened with a 11-2 major over Eric Hunt of Pennsylvania and proceeded to win his next four bouts by the combined tally of 35-1. He blanked Tanner Shoap, a multi-time state medalist in Pennsylvania, 10-0 in the final.

In the same bracket, St. Anthony’s Ben Lamantia also placed, taking fourth. The Friar wrestler earned victories in his first three contests before dropping a one-point decision to Bryan Damon of New Jersey to move into the consolations. Lamantia recorded a fall and two shutout wins in the wrestlebacks before losing to Damon again by a point in the bronze medal bout.

Piccininni wasn’t 631 Elite’s only champion. Also winning a title from the Long Island club was Travis Passaro, who earned his crown with a 2-0 triumph in sudden victory at 120 pounds. The Eastport South Manor wrestler was in control throughout the day, yielding only two points in his five matches, while scoring 18 and registering a pin. Passaro was joined on the podium at 120 by Technical Edge’s Freddie Dunau, whose four victories included a major and a fall.

The third Empire State champion was Sachem East’s Conor O’Hara. The Suffolk County grappler won his finals bout handily, 9-0, over Dixon Myers of Pennsylvania to top off a 5-0 day in which he won three bouts by two points or less.

Also making the finals was Journeymen’s Austin Weigel, who outscored his first three foes 14-3 before being edged 5-3 in the title bout by nationally-ranked Garrett Peppelman of Pennsylvania at 170 pounds.

The last New York wrestler to make the top four was Christian Briody of Chaminade and he put in quite an effort to get there, winning eight matches to take third at 106 pounds. He began his day with a 5-4 victory and followed up with another decision, this time 8-1 over Alex Zangrilli of New Jersey before dropping a 5-3 bout to Triston Law of Pennsylvania. Briody then faced a long road to make the top four and spent little time getting to work, pinning his first wrestleback opponent in 34 seconds before reeling off five more victories in which he outscored his opponents 25-9.

New York Top Four Placers – Super 32 Qualifier

106: Christian Briody (Chaminade), 3rd Place (8-1)

113: Nick Piccininni (631 Elite), 1st Place (5-0)

113: Ben Lamantia (St. Anthony’s), 4th Place (6-2)

120: Travis Passaro (631 Elite), 1st Place (5-0)

120: Freddie Dunau (Technical Edge), 4th Place (4-2)

132: Conor O’Hara (Sachem East), 1st Place (5-0)

170: Austin Weigel (Journeymen), 2nd Place (3-1)

Update: Nick Kelley Discusses His Commitment to Binghamton (Over Iowa, Among Others) and Working Towards a State Title

Posted on September 2, 2012 by Urgent Doctor

Photo by BV

Shenendehowa’s Nick Kelley has achieved quite a bit in his athletic career. He was a taekwondo national champion when he was 10 and was also successful in judo. And he has piled up numerous medals in wrestling, ranging from his trips to the podium at the New York state tournament (fourth at 130 in 2011 and third at 132 in 2012) to his All-America performances (third at NHSCA Freshman Nationals at 125, fifth at FloNationals as a sophomore and fourth at Fargo this past summer in freestyle at 132 pounds). But when asked what he considered to be his best accomplishment to date, he didn’t hesitate.

And he didn’t choose any of the previously mentioned accolades.

“I think it’s committing to great college like Binghamton and getting ready to take the next step,” he said.

The Section 2 star’s verbal to the Bearcats gave Coach Matt Dernlan and his staff the pledges of two of the Empire State’s top seniors, as Canastota’s Zack Zupan committed a few weeks ago. The competition for Kelley, Intermat’s #93 ranked recruit nationally, was fierce, as he gave consideration to Iowa, Virginia Tech, Rutgers and North Carolina State before informing the Binghamton coaches on Friday that he would be staying in his home state after graduation.

“It’s a really good fit for me,” Kelley said of the CAA institution. “The coaches have the same philosophy as me – working hard and working smart. I like the campus, the program and the coaches. Really, I like everything about it. I feel like the staff really cares about the wrestlers. I know there will be some tough New York kids there and we think we can make some real noise across the country.”

The future Business major is first concerned with making noise for one more season as a member of the Plainsmen. He emerged on the Empire State wrestling scene as a seventh grader when he qualified for the state tournament. Over the years, he has won over 200 matches and several Section 2 titles. In his mind, there’s only one thing missing.

“The main focus is definitely to win states this year,” Kelley said, adding that he will likely compete at 138 pounds. “I am completely focused on winning a state title.”

As a junior, Kelley compiled an impressive 45-1 record, with 40 bonus point wins. His sole setback was a one-point semifinal defeat in Albany against eventual state champion and Most Outstanding Wrestler Jamel Hudson, now a freshman at Hofstra.

“I think I was good at states, but not my best,” Kelley said. “I put all my athleticism out there and I wrestled hard, but I could’ve wrestled smarter, especially in the semifinals. I kept going after him and made some mistakes doing it.”

Going after opponents throughout the match is characteristic of Kelley’s style, one that has been fostered in the Shenendehowa room and at the Journeymen Wrestling Club.

“Our room is so tough and competitive,” Kelley said. “It has been since seventh grade and it’s helped me so much. I kept getting better and stronger by wrestling the bigger guys and the older guys and with workout partners like [2012 New York third place finisher and Fargo All-American David] Almaviva. Now, after all these years, I feel like I’m one of the stronger guys.”

He certainly is, but he believes it will take more to reach his ultimate high school goal.

“I’ve been wrestling a ton since the season ended,” Kelley said. “I got a lot of matches at the Disney Duals in Florida and at Fargo and training camps. I’ve been working with Journeymen and coaches Rob Weeks and Frank Popolizio. I’ve been running and getting stronger. I’ve also spent a lot of time focusing on my match strategy.”

Kelley has still found time to paint houses over the summer with Weeks. And he often finds good spots to engage in another of his favorite activities – fishing. In fact, he was on the water while answering questions for this story. But while he said that he loves fishing, few things compare to wrestling.

“My dad got me into combat sports early – I think I started when I was three,” he said. “Taekwondo and judo helped me with balance and core strength and they made me tougher. But I stopped those other sports by eighth grade to focus on wrestling. To me, wrestling is the best. It’s harder and requires so much commitment. You can’t stop working. I’m doing everything I can to get ready for the season and I can’t wait to do some damage in college.”

Shenendehowa All-American Nick Kelley Gives Verbal Pledge to Binghamton

Posted on August 31, 2012 by Urgent Doctor

Nick Kelley Photo by Boris Veysman

In an interview earlier this summer, Binghamton All-American Donnie Vinson talked about how committed the new coaching staff was to compiling a top recruiting class this year.

The Bearcats are certainly off to a great start, as Shenendehowa All-American Nick Kelley gave his verbal pledge to the CAA school on Friday, a few weeks after Canastota’s Zack Zupan did the same.

Kelley, a future 141 pounder, made a splash this summer when he took fourth place at 132 pounds at the Freestyle Junior Nationals at Fargo in a bracket full of acclaimed grapplers. It wasn’t the first time on a national podium for the Section 2 star, as he took fifth at FloNationals in 2011 and third at NHSCA Freshman Nationals in 2010.

Intermat’s #93 senior recruit has been a standout in New York for years, as he first qualified for the state tournament as a seventh grader. He has made the podium in the Empire State on multiple occasions, including a third place showing at 132 pounds in 2012. Kelley is currently ranked #9 in the country by Flowrestling at 132 and will look for his first state title in February, likely up a weight, for the Plainsmen.

Please check back for a full story on Nick Kelley’s commitment in the coming days.

Hernandez, Fabian, Dellavecchia, Calderone and Chambers Add Another Summer Title at Wantagh Tournament

Posted on August 21, 2012 by Urgent Doctor

Louis Hernandez, Photo by PhotoTrens, http://www.phototrens.com

Louis Hernandez has spent the summer trying to not only win matches, but to win those matches convincingly.

“I like to be dominant and be in the driver’s seat,” he said. “I try to go out there and break my opponent. I definitely don’t like to leave the match in the referee’s hands.”

This August, mission accomplished.

The Mepham junior won his second tournament in the past three weeks when he captured the 155-pound title at the Wantagh Summer event on Saturday after earning the championship at the Ken Lesser Memorial Summer Heat earlier in the month. In those two tournaments five of his six wins were by bonus points and the other was a comfortable 8-2 decision.

“I’m really happy with the way I’ve been wrestling,” he said. “All my training is paying off.”

Hernandez has been motivated by the way his sophomore campaign ended. He compiled an impressive 26-4 record but missed a chunk of the season in January. When he returned to the lineup in February, he earned the Section 8 title and had high expectations for his first appearance in Albany.

“My goal before the season even started was to win counties and go All-State,” he said. “But I broke my rib the week before the state tournament. I still went and gave it everything I had. Even though I didn’t do as well as I wanted to, I thought it was a good experience to compete there to get ready for next year.”

At the Times Union Center, Hernandez dropped a one-point decision to John Northrup of Rush Henrietta in his opening bout before recording a 17-1 technical fall over Richie Lupo of Union Endicott in the wrestlebacks. In his next contest, eventual fifth place finisher Dale White came out on top, 8-5.

“He didn’t place but he wrestled well at states,” said Craig Vitagliano, who coaches Hernandez at Ascend Wrestling Club. “I think he put things in perspective and realized what he did despite being injured. He’s been wrestling the whole spring and summer.”

Hernandez said he has followed a simple regimen throughout the offseason.

“Lift, run, wrestle,” he said. “That’s what I’ve been doing. I work out in the gym in my basement, go out for a run and go to Ascend to practice. I am focused on learning and getting better.”

Vitagliano believes he’s on the right path.

“[Hernandez] is one of the most talented kids I’ve ever coached,” Vitagliano said. “He’s a natural who is physically mature for his age. He’s extremely strong and athletic and great on his feet. He also has that killer instinct.”

That killer instinct has served him well in his bonus wins in the past few weeks. He hopes to keep piling up the victories as he puts himself to the test several more times before his high school season begins at either 145 or 152 pounds.

“I definitely want to go to Super 32 [in North Carolina] this year and try to be an All-American there. I’ll also be going to Waterway Duals in Pennsylvania because there’s always some great wrestling in that state. I want to get as much good competition to prepare for this season as I can because I’m hungry for a state title. That was what I was thinking after my last loss at states – I’ve experienced states now and next year, I plan to win the whole thing.”

TJ Fabian, Photo by PhotoTrens http://www.phototrens.com

Hernandez wasn’t the only wrestler to win the title at Wantagh after finishing on top at the Summer Heat earlier in August. The same could be said for a pair of East Islip grapplers, Jesse Dellavecchia (109) and Chris Chambers (198) as well as returning state placers Joe Calderone of Walt Whitman (123) and TJ Fabian of Shoreham Wading River (141). All were dominant. Fabian and Calderone both had two pins while Chambers had a pin and a major and Dellavecchia outscored his opponents 26-1.

About 180 wrestlers took the mat at the tournament in four divisions – Youth, Middle School, High School and Open. One of the organizers, Ray Handley Sr., was pleased with the event overall.

“We had wrestlers from a lot of different places – Albany, New Jersey and of course Suffolk and Nassau,” he said. “We lost the football players because of the timing, but the crowd was great and we got a lot of help to make it run well and end on time. All the money we raised goes back into the program to help with the travel during the season. Our goal with the tournament is to get the wrestlers sharp in the summer and I think we saw some quality wrestling throughout the day, at all levels, from Youth to Open.”

Championship Results – High School

102 CJ Archer (Rocky Point) over Jordan Richter (Longwood), 6-0

109 Jesse Dellavecchia (631 Elite) over Ryan Holzgruber (Ascend), 5-0

116 Gary Sidoti (Wantagh) over Paul Capobianco (VHW), 8-2

123 Joe Calderone (Walt Whitman) over Kevin Parker (Journeymen), Pin

129 Tyler Walsh (West Islip) Fft Travis Passaro (631 Elite)

135 Vinny Turano (Wantagh) over Chris Cataldo (5 Star), 18-2

141 TJ Fabian (X-Cel) over Brandon Aviles (Huntington), Pin

148 Ken Gallagher (VHW) over Brandon Mendez (Huntington), 5-4

155 Louis Hernandez (Ascend) over Chris Morrissey (Albany Titans), 18-3

163 Dennis Ferro (East Islip) over Matthew Russo (Apex), 7-2

173 Steve Schneider (Levittown) over Andrew Psomas (Lions), 5-0

185 James Corbett (Wantagh) over Kevin Rodriguez (Pat-Med), 3-2

198 Chris Chambers (East Islip) over Christian Araneo (Ward Melville), 14-0

223 Joe Marcantonio (Calhoun) over Larry Baker (Wantagh), Pin

Championship Results – Middle School

Dylan Rider (631 Elite) over James Langan (Wantagh)

John DeRidder (Wantagh) over Kyle Mosher (Gladiators)

Thomas Rohan (Wantagh) over Joe Conklin (Wantagh)

Johnny Devine (Albany Titans) over Albert Hernandez (Grand Avenue)

Elijah Rodriguez (Gladiators) over Tyrese Byron (Gladiators)

Harley Lopes (VHW) over Daniel Finkelstein (Jericho)

Caleb Wilson (Kensington) over John Hayes (Wantagh)

Championship Results – Open

Jamel Hudson (Quiet Storm) over Kevin O’Hagan (Sachem North)

Evan Wallace (Albany Titans) over Nick Miceli (X-Cel)

Elton Gonzalez (Fallout) over Chirs Dolon (Unattached)

Anthony Bonaventura (Warzone) over Brian Adriance (Albany Titans)

Steven Hromada (Rocky Point) over Carlos Torres (Fallout)

Christian Psomas (Lions) over Steven Vidal (Fallout)

Championship Results – Youth

Marco Codignotto (Wantagh) over Aidan Araoz (Wantagh)

Josiah Encarnacion (Wantagh) over Nico Berlingeri (Olympic)

Christian Encarnacion (Wantagh) over Bobby Moore (Wantagh)

Joe Moore (Wantagh) over Nicholas Killard (Wantagh)

CJ Andres (N Haledon) over Joe Russo (Wantagh)

Kyle Mosher (Gladiators) over Kerik Pollock (SEQKWA)

Stefan Major (631 Elite) over Jacob Tutuska (Brentwood)

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