Alberti, Devlin Among Empire State Title Winners at Ohio Tournament of Champions

By Betsy Veysman

At eight years old, Carson Alberti knows how to take charge.

“Even though he’s young, he still likes to think that he’s running practice,” said Cobra Wrestling Academy Executive Director Keith Maute. “Even when we’re doing warmups with the high school kids, he calls out the routine and tells everyone what to do next.  It’s pretty funny.  He’s not at all intimidated by the older kids.”

He isn’t intimidated by his peers on the mat, either.

This weekend, Alberti added to his ever-growing trophy collection when he won the prestigious Ohio Tournament of Champions in the 52-pound Bantam division.

Alberti has become very familiar with the top of the podium after winning titles at the NYWAY State Championships, the Gene Mills Eastern Nationals and the Empire Nationals over the past month.  But despite all that success, he was targeting the crown in Columbus.

“One of his biggest goals was winning the Ohio Tournament of Champions,” Maute said. “He took third there last year.  The winner, Jake Craig from Smitty’s Barn in New Hampshire, was quite a bit better than him a year ago. With all the work he put in, he has moved up to another level.”

Alberti demonstrated that progress throughout the spring, but according to Maute, his improvement was most clear in his one loss.  Craig defeated him in the dual portion of the Empire Nationals, but unlike their three meetings last season (two pins by Craig), it was a nailbiter.

“Craig beat him pretty badly last year three times,” Maute said. “This time, he fell behind 5-0 and wound up losing 5-4.  He controlled most of the match, but there wasn’t enough time left.  Actually, Carson put [Craig] on his back and got a one-count as time expired.  One more second and he would have won the match.  It showed he’s come a long way.  It was a loss but it was actually a confidence booster for Carson.”

Alberti looked confident throughout the day in Columbus, taking his quarterfinal match by a 4-2 score but otherwise dominating the field.  Maute said Alberti notched major decisions in both the semifinals and finals.

According to Maute, this is only Alberti’s second full year of wrestling.  However, the coach marvels at how well the youngster soaks up the sport and picks up new skills with ease.

“You show him something and he understands it right away,” Maute said. “He just gets it.  Obviously there’s also a lot of natural ability there. He always seems like he’s having fun.  He trains hard and listens really well.”

One of the people he listens to is fellow member of the Cobra Wrestling Academy, eighth grader Kellen Devlin.

Like Alberti, Devlin took third the last time he competed at the Ohio Tournament of Champions, back in 2010.   In that tournament, Devlin lost a first round overtime battle with the eventual champion, Billy Bowlen of Pennsylvania, before winning at least eight matches in a row to grab the bronze.

This time, Devlin cruised through the bracket before winning a 2-1 bout in the finals over Kaleb Romero of Ohio.

“His matches weren’t very close until the last one,” Maute said.  “But he was in control of it. He got the takedown and the other kid wasn’t ever close to scoring.”

The victory continued a successful run for Devlin, who was the NYWAY State Champion at 120 pounds and the third place medalist at the NHSCA Middle School Nationals in Virginia Beach at 119.

“I knew he would do really well at nationals,” Maute said.  “To be honest, I was a little surprised he got beat because there aren’t many kids his age that can beat him.  That loss was the only one for him this season. He’s really gifted and really fun to watch.  When he’s in the room, I have him demonstrating the moves because he understands everything we’re trying to do.”

His spring success comes on the heels of a 34-5 campaign as an eighth grader for Amherst High School, where he won the Section 6 title and a bid to the State Championships in Albany.

“At states, he basically had his first match won but then made a mistake with about 20 seconds left on top where he got reversed to his back.  He controlled 5:40 of the match and wasn’t in any danger.  I almost felt that in his first time at states, he was a little nervous and it affected him.”

After that result, Devlin moved to the consolation bracket where he dropped a decision to top-seeded Mark Raghunandan, who had been upset in the first round.

“Kellen learned from it, I’m sure, and the next four years will be different,” he said. “He’s looked great.  He’s more than a great wrestler.  He is one of the idols for the little kids at our club.  They know he’s been there and they see how hard he works.  He’s really likeable and he plays around with the kids.  He and Carson have a good relationship.  I think Carson reminds Kellen of himself when he was little.  They’re pretty similar.”

Last Saturday, they were certainly similar in one way – both captured first place at the Ohio Tournament of Champions.

JR Colom of Dunkirk, new to Cobra, also took gold in the event in the Junior division at 90 pounds.

In addition, G2 Wrestling Academy was well represented in the Buckeye State, with Frankie Gissendanner (Junior 125 pounds) and Yianni Diakomihalis (Schoolboy 96 pounds) continuing their winning streaks with championships.  Stay tuned for more on them in the near future.

The Empire State put many wrestlers on the podium on Saturday.  See the full list below.

 

Champions:

Carson Alberti (East Aurora) Bantam 52

Kellen Devlin (Amherst) Schoolboy 120

Yianni Diakomihalis (Rochester) Schoolboy 96

JR Colom (Dunkirk) Junior 90

DJ Giancola (Niagara Falls) Open 175

Frankie Gissendanner (Rochester) Junior 125

Jason Goldman (Binghamton) Open 135

Trevor Hoffmier (Newark Valley) Cadet 140

Stevo Poulin (Schuylerville) Midget 52

 

Second Place:

Tito Colom (Dunkirk) Schoolboy 104

Greg Diakomihalis (Rochester) Junior 56

Troy Keller (North Tonawanda) Schoolboy 92

Kelan McKenna (New Hartford) Cadet 92

Carter Schubert (Marion) Bantam 52

Jake Silverstein (Smithtown) Junior 82

 

Third Place:

Cooper Kropman (Rochester) Midget 80

Anthony Orefice (Niagara Falls) Cadet 115

Randy Sisenstein (Johnson City) Open 145

Darren Snead (Niagara Falls) Open 285

 

Fourth Place:

Tim Barnard (Tonawanda) Cadet 136

Brock DelSignore (South Glens Falls) Midget 64

Richie Jones (Tonawanda) Cadet 152

Donny McCoy (Niagara Falls) Cadet 100

Dillan Palaszewski (Galway) Junior 79

Travis Race (Fulton) Schoolboy 160

Logan Ramadan (Grand Island) Bantam 95

Trent Reid (Sanborn) Bantam 56

 

Fifth Place:

Jahad Ali (Niagara Falls) Open 135

Justin McDougald (Niagara Falls) Midget 70

Leonard Merkin (Brooklyn) Schoolboy 126

 

Sixth Place:

Jake Ashcraft (Glenville) Cadet 152

Tyler Benjamin (Candor) Midget 100

Zach Bierfeldt (Limestone) Schoolboy 116

Ethan Ferro (Whitney Point) Midget 64

Jordan Kayes (Olean) Schoolboy 126

Parker Kropman (Rochester) Schoolboy 92

Willie McDougald (Niagara Falls) Junior 82

Frank Shomers (Niagara Falls) Elite 285

Bryson Solomon (Niagara Falls) Midget 85

Anthony Stewart (Addison) Junior 64

 

Seventh Place:

David Berkovich (Brooklyn) Junior 79

Ethan Gallo (Slate Hill) Bantam 80

Bryce Rowe (Ripley) Junior 95

Derek St.  James (Rochester) Schoolboy 88

Ethan Stotler (Waverly) Midget 70

Charlie Tibbits (Chadwicks) Midget 92

 

Eighth Place:

Shane Broad (Alden) Junior 64

Trey Duvall (Corning) Cadet 160

Jonathan Earl (Fulton) Schoolboy 116

David Fales (Corning) Junior 56

Bryan Ruggeri (Fairport) Elite 112

Dake, Davis Take Third in Challenge Tournaments; Anderson Earns Third on Day 2

UPDATED: April 22

Results of Wrestlers with New York Connections on April 22, 2012

Carver Hawkeye Arena  Iowa City, Iowa

 

Jon Anderson (Army): 74 KG Greco

3rd Place

Win Marco Toledo (No Limit Soldier) 0-1, 1-0, 4-1

Win Andy Bisek (MN Storm) 0-1, 1-0, 1-0

Loss Ben Provisor (Sunkist Kids) 1-0, 1-0

Win Tanner Andrews (USOEC) Pin 0-4, 1:24

Win Jake Fisher (NYAC) Pin 1:54

 

Max Askren (NYAC): 84 KG Freestyle

Win Mack Lewnes (NYAC/Finger Lakes Wrestling Club) 1-1, 2-0, 5-1

Loss Jake Herbert (NYAC/Cliff Keen WC) 3-0, 6-0

Win Jon Reader (Sunkist Kids/Cyclone WC) 1-3, 2-1, 4-0

Loss Keith Gavin (LVAC) 2-1, 4-0

 

Mark Gillen (ATWA): 60 KG Greco

Loss Donavan Depatto (US Marine) 1-0, 0-1, 2-0

Loss Chad Vandiver (Sunkist Kids) 5-5, 1-0

 

Adam Hall (NYAC- Columbia Assistant Coach): 66 KG Freestyle

Loss Chase Pami (Sunkist Kids/Team OTC) 2-0, 3-0

Win Jordan Oliver (Gator) 1-0, 1-1

Win Philip Simpson (Army/Team OTC) 4-3, 2-1

Win Zack Bailey (Victory) 1-0, 0-1, 1-0

Loss Josh Churella (NYAC/Cliff Keen WC) 2-0, 2-0

 

Mack Lewnes (NYAC/Finger Lakes Wrestling Club): 84 KG Freestyle

Loss Max Askren (NYAC) 1-1, 2-0, 5-1

Win Quentin Wright (NLWC) Pin 1:27

Loss Raymond Jordan (Sunkist Kids) 2-1, 2-1

 

Mark McKnight (Nittany Lion Wrestling Club): 55 KG Freestyle

Win Danny Felix 0-1, 1-0, 1-0

Win Zach Sanders (MN Storm) 1-0, 5-0

Loss Sam Hazewinkel (Sunkist Kids) 1-0, 1-0

Loss Obe Blanc (Gator) 0-1, 5-0, 6-0

 

Frank Perrelli (NYAC/Finger Lakes Wrestling Club): 55 KG Freestyle

Loss Ben Kjar (Kingdom Klub) 0-1, 1-0, 3-0

Win Michael Martinez (Gator/Wyoming RTC) 6-0, 3-1

Loss Matt McDonough (Hawkeye WC) 1-4, 7-0, 5-1

 

Philip Simpson (Army/Team OTC): 66 KG Freestyle

Win Kevin LeValley (MN Storm) 1-0, 2-1

Loss Teyon Ware (Nittany Lion Wrestling Club) 8-6, 1-1, 3-3

Loss Adam Hall (NYAC) 4-3, 2-1

Results of Wrestlers with New York Connections on April 21, 2012

Carver Hawkeye Arena  Iowa City, Iowa

 

Kyle Dake (NYAC/Finger Lakes WC) 74 KG Freestyle 

3rd in Challenge Tournament

Win Colt Sponseller (NYAC/Ohio RTC) 2-0, 1-0

Win Nick Marable (Sunkist Kids) 0-1, 1-0, 1-0

Loss Trent Paulson (Sunkist Kids/CWC) 2-0, 0-1, 6-0

Win David Taylor (NLWC) Pin 5-0, 1:28

Win Nick Marable (Sunkist Kids) 3-0, 1-1

 

Kristie Davis (OCU/Gator) 72 KG Women’s Freestyle 

3rd in Challenge Tournament

Win Kendra Lewis (Lindenwood) 1-0, 5-0

Loss Stephany Lee (Sunkist Kids) Pin 0-1, 2-1, 1:08

Win Brittany Roberts (OCU/Gator) 2-0, 5-0

Win Julia Salata (King College) 6-0, 5-0

 

Dmitry Ryabchinskiy (NYAC/USEOC): 55 KG Greco

Win Mike Fuenffinger (MN Storm) 3-0, 1-1

Loss Max Nowry (NYAC) 6-0, 5-1

Loss Nathan Engel (Army) 2-4, 1-0, 1-0

 

Amy Whitbeck (NYAC): 55 KG Women’s Freestyle

Loss Michaela Hutchinson (OCU/Gator) 2-1, 4-0

Loss Randi Beltz (Missouri Valley College) Pin 2-1, 0:54

Like Father, Like Son: Mark Gillen "Comes From Nowhere" to Qualify for Olympic Trials

By Betsy Veysman

It was a pretty good weekend to be named Mark Gillen.

On March 31 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Mark Gillen Sr. achieved a goal he set over 20 years ago when he won the Veterans Folkstyle National championship at 152 pounds.  On the same day, his son Mark Jr. punched his ticket to the 2012 Olympic Trials at 60 kg in Greco Roman with a second place finish at the Last Chance Qualifier.

For many, Mark Jr.’s runner up finish came out of nowhere, as other than an open tournament in Canastota earlier in March, he hadn’t competed since taking third at the New York State championships in 2009 as a senior for Johnstown High School.

Those who know the Gillens, however, weren’t overly surprised.  They may simply suggest that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

Rewind back to 1989, when after three full years without any wrestling following a car accident, Mark Sr. decided he wanted to test himself on the mat again.  He worked on an exercise bicycle for a month and then drove to Topeka, Kansas with his wife for the USA Wrestling Greco Senior Nationals.

Gillen Sr., who had been training for the 1988 Olympics before his accident, beat the alternate for that Olympic team in overtime in the quarterfinals and then, in great pain, left the tournament with no losses and a sixth place medal.

“I really wanted to do it one more time,” he said. “I didn’t wrestle before going, I just biked because my back was really bad.  People called me the ‘phantom wrestler’ because I snuck up out of nowhere. It was a lot like what my son just did.”

Over the following six years, Mark Sr. underwent four back surgeries.  The discomfort was significant, but he longed for another chance on the mat.

“I said that if my back healed and I could get back into shape, I would do it again,” he said.  “I wanted a Hail Mary, a last hurrah. I decided that when I turned 50 I would wrestle at the Veteran Nationals with a goal of winning in all three styles.” (The championship he won on March 31 was the first part, in folkstyle).

To reach that objective, he knew he needed a training partner.  He didn’t have to look too far to find a good candidate – Mark Jr.

So, the pair began to work out, with an eye toward getting Mark Sr. on top of the Veterans Nationals podium three times.  But there was another, albeit longer term, goal in mind.  Mark Jr. had dreams of making an Olympic Team in Greco, as his father had dreamed years ago.  Believing that the window of opportunity to make a run at the 2012 squad had closed, the Gillens saw the training as the first step in Mark Jr.’s preparation for the 2016 Olympic Trials.

But then something unexpected happened.  When Mark Sr. was in the process of signing up for the Veterans Nationals, he saw the Last Chance Qualifier listed on the website.  He realized that his son could attempt an Olympic berth four years earlier than anticipated.

“We thought we were training anyway, so why not do it?” Mark Sr. said.  “We wanted to see where he would fall against the best competition.”

So, Mark Jr. registered, at first preparing to wrestle both Freestyle and Greco.

“Mark and I have always been the same.  We both would rather do Freestyle, but we’re just better at Greco,” the father said.  “I always wished I was at the same level in free as I was in Greco.”

A few weeks before their big events in Iowa, father and son competed in an open tournament at the Mohawk Valley Festival in Canastota in both styles.  Mark Jr. took first in a small class in Freestyle while Mark Sr. was sixth against a much younger group of challengers.

“I don’t think I had wrestled Freestyle since before anyone else I wrestled in the tournament was even born,” Mark Sr. said.  “It was fun though.  The next day was Greco and my son went up to 152 pounds and beat everyone, including most of the guys who had beaten me the day before in Freestyle.  It was great to be avenged by my son.”

Even with that successful foray into Freestyle, there was a change of heart as the Last Chance Qualifier approached.

“[Longtime coach and friend] Joe DeMeo suggested that Mark just wrestle Greco,” Mark Sr. said.  “He thought Mark could be a real contender for a spot in the Olympic Trials if he stuck to Greco.  Mark listened and really believed he could do it.”

That belief showed as he began the Last Chance Qualifier event with a pin in 1:30 against Eric Miller of Southern MN Wrestling Club.  He next earned a three period decision over Julian Gunnels of Warrior Wrestling Club before upsetting eighth-ranked Jimmy Chase of the NYAC to guarantee a bid to the Olympic Trials.  [Chase was granted a wildcard].

“I think it was a good thing that I had no idea who [Chase] was before the match,” Gillen Jr. said.  “I just went in and wrestled my match and it seemed to work out well.  I was able to score off my headlock and I felt like I controlled the match for the most part.”

“My expectations were that he would be competitive but if I’m being honest, I didn’t think he would make the finals,” Mark Sr. added.  “The win over [Jimmy] Chase was great. Chase was saying afterwards that he couldn’t believe he got beat by that ‘no-name.’”

In the finals, Gillen Jr. lost in two periods to Chad Vandiver of Sunkist Kids.

“I think after I qualified, it hit me where I was and I got extremely nervous,” Gillen Jr. added. “I got caught up in the moment.  But in a way it’s better that I lost in the finals.  It gave me the motivation to come out and train and push on.  It was definitely a wake up call that there was a lot to do before the Olympic Trials.”

It also was hard for Mark Jr. to be too disappointed in his finals loss after realizing what his family had achieved.

“Probably the best part of the weekend was watching my dad win,” he said. “We were both training together and I watched him win his final right before I wrestled.  There wasn’t enough time in between his match and mine, so he coached me still wearing his singlet.  It was really cool to both reach our goals.”

It wasn’t the first time Mark Jr. had beaten the odds with little preparation.

The younger Gillen had what his father called a “spotty” career for Johnstown High.  He medaled at states as a junior and senior, but in an earlier campaign missed weight by a tenth of a pound and watched grapplers he had beaten place at the state tournament.

In his final season, he tore his meniscus in his fourth match.  He didn’t compete again, even at practice, until the Eastern States, where he aggravated the injury.

“At that point I didn’t think he’d be back,” said Mark Sr., who was the Johnstown head coach at the time. “He couldn’t run to get his weight down, so he went up a weight for sectionals.  He went to states still without practicing and lost one match, to the eventual champion, on a technical violation call.  It was incredible.”

Many would describe his Olympic Trials berth the same way.  Since qualifying, he has been preparing at the USOEC in Michigan.  He knows he’s a bit of a dark horse, but is excitedly awaiting next weekend’s event in Iowa City.

“I would like to at least win a couple of matches and get my name out there a little bit more,” he said. “I believe it myself and winning it would be nice.  We’ll see what happens.”

Mark Jr.’s move to Michigan has temporarily left his father without a workout partner.  But Mark Sr. marches on, getting ready for the final two parts of the Veterans Triple Crown. The Freestyle and Greco competitions are in early May in Arizona.

After that, Mark Sr. will look for a new target.

“After I finish the wrestling in May, I want to do the Ironman in Lake Placid,” he said. “I know that if I don’t keep a goal in front of me, I’ll be a couch potato.  It’s difficult to get into the Ironman, but I said I’m going to do it and I believe I will.”

Based on past experience, it’s hard to question him.   But in addition to working towards the many miles of swimming, biking and running involved in the Ironman, Mark Sr. will undoubtedly be assisting his son in his journey toward the Olympic goal that he also longed for before injuries derailed his chances.

“It’s been a great ride and it will continue to be,” Mark Sr. said. “I’ve been living my own dream and now I’m watching my son live his.”

Stevo Poulin Takes Third (and First) Like a Champ at Gene Mills Eastern Nationals

By Betsy Veysman

It looked like a simple mistake.  The registration for the Gene Mills Eastern Nationals listed Stevo Poulin’s name twice – in the Midget division at 54 pounds and in the Juniors at 60.

It wasn’t an error.

After three titles in the event in the past, the nine-year old was looking for a few additional tough matches.

“Sometimes the younger division isn’t that much of a challenge,” Stevo said. “I wanted a bigger challenge.  I’ve done it before [wrestling in two brackets] at local tournaments. I wanted to try it again.”

Although he had to shuttle back and forth between mats and on more than one occasion had to literally run from the final whistle of one match to his next bout, the Schuylerville native went 8-1 overall.

“I knew I would win the [Midget],” he said. “I thought I had a chance with the older kids because they weren’t much heavier.  I was kind of close to winning.”

Poulin, who weighed in at 53 pounds, breezed through the Midget bracket and into the finals with three victories.  There, he thought he might face an opponent from Maryland who he had beaten in a close match earlier in the year.  However, he instead faced his practice partner, Joey Scheeren, in the title bout and came out on top by major decision.

“They were out there almost laughing in the finals. It was almost like they were telling each other knock-knock jokes,” said Steve Poulin, Stevo’s father.  “We traveled with them to the tournament and [Joey and Stevo] are friends.”

Things were a bit more serious in the 60-pound division.  Poulin won his first two before facing Pennsylvania’s Luke Rex.  The bout went into overtime, where Poulin was penalized for scissoring the head, resulting in a victory for Rex.

Poulin bounced back to take third place, to earn two medals on the day.  But that wasn’t what Steve Poulin wanted to talk about.

“When he lost, he didn’t get upset,” the father said.  “He ran right over to his next match.  I overheard one of the other parents saying that every kid should learn from Stevo’s match.  I thought they were going to say something bad about Stevo or about the scissoring call.  But instead they said other kids should learn from how he walked off the mat, held his head high and knew how to handle the loss. He handled himself really well and that made me feel really good.”

It was the first time Poulin had lost at the Eastern Nationals, an event he has enjoyed attending for several years.

“It was the first big national tournament I ever went to,” Stevo Poulin said. “I like it because Gene Mills is there and I like the awards [which are signed by Mills].  I have good luck there.”

Poulin hopes for more good luck next week at the Brute Empire Nationals (dual and individual) in Brockport.   He will compete for Journeymen and he looks forward to a possible rematch with Ryan Crookham, who defeated him 4-0 last summer.

There’s also something else on his mind as the weekend approaches.

“Stevo is six wins away from 400,” his father said. “Hopefully, he’ll get there this weekend.”

If it doesn’t happen this time, there will be plenty of other opportunities as the Ohio Tournament of Champions, the Minimen Nationals and several other events are on the horizon.

“It will be a busy spring and summer,” Steve Poulin said. “But we’ll still make time for soccer and other things Stevo wants to do.”

One thing Stevo wanted to do was acknowledge another victory in the family at the Gene Mills tournament.   His cousin, Orion Anderson, another outstanding youth wrestler, was the champion at 70 pounds.

A full list of Gene Mills Eastern Nationals champions will be posted when available.  For more information on the tournament, see http://www.cnypin2win.com/

New York Wrestlers Earn Titles at the War at the Shore

Close to 1800 wrestlers traveled to Wildwood, New Jersey this holiday weekend for the 9th Annual War at the Shore Folkstyle Nationals.  Some of New York’s finest were among the grapplers in attendance, battling with opponents from up and down the East Coast and around the country.

Six Empire State participants won individual titles on Saturday with more than 30 placing fourth or better in their weights.

Darien resident Dane Heberlein continued his winning ways after earning a national title at the NHSCA Middle School tournament in Virginia Beach the previous Saturday (and a NYWAY State Championship the weekend before). Heberlein cruised to five straight wins, including a 4-2 decision in the finals over Trevor Tarsi of Nazareth, PA at 85 pounds in Division 4.

A pair of representatives from 631 Elite stood on top of the podium in Division 3, as Adam Busiello took the 77-pound crown and Peter Pappas prevailed in the 82-pound class.  Busiello outscored his opponents 49-7 over his five bouts while Pappas opened with three commanding victories before coming out on top in one-point matches in the semis and finals. 631 Elite had a strong tournament overall, with eight competitors finishing in the top four at the event.

Another Suffolk resident atop the podium was Sachem East’s Jakob Restrepo, who was the victor at 140 pounds in Division 4.  Restrepo, who was 28-1 during the high school season at 120 and 126 pounds according to the NWCA Scorebook, yielded just two points in his five matches while notching a pin and a major decision.  He defeated Delaware’s Lucas Monson 5-0 for the championship.

Benny Baker of Newark Valley took the title at 83 pounds while representing JGold.  The NYWAY State Champion made quick work of his first two foes, winning by fall in less than two minutes in both bouts.  He then followed with a 4-1 semifinal triumph and a 4-0 victory over 631 Elite’s Ryan Burgbacher in the finale.

The final New York champion was Kevin Mulligan of the Olympic Club, who took his first three bouts by a combined score of 20-0 at 165 pounds before topping Will Lang of Utah 7-2 to earn the title.

For a list of top four medalists from New York*, see below:

 

Champions

Benny Baker (JGold) – 83 Pounds, Division 2

Adam Busiello (631 Elite) – 77 Pounds, Division 3

Dane Heberlein (Viper Garage Elite) – 85 Pounds, Division 4

Kevin Mulligan (Olympic) – 165 Pounds, Division 4

Peter Pappas (631 Elite) – 82 Pounds, Division 3

Jakob Restrepo (Sachem East) – 140 Pounds, Division 4

 

Second Place

David Berkovich (Elite Wrestling Academy) – 78 Pounds, Division 2

Ryan Burgbacher (631 Elite) – 83 Pounds, Division 2

Nicholas Casella (Covert) – 102 Pounds, Division 4

Billy Ciccarelli (West Point WC) – 125 Pounds, Division 3

Justin Corradino (Olympic) – 127 Pounds, Division 5

Thomas Cox (631 Elite) – 75 Pounds, Division 4

Joey Gates (Suffolk) – 137 Pounds, Division 5

Josh Logiudice (Guilderland) – 95 Pounds, Division 5

Cody Phillips (Cobra) – 90 Pounds, Division 1

Jose Rodriguez (Ascend) – 107 Pounds, Division 5

Dylan Rider (631 Elite) – 67 Pounds, Division 3

 

Third Place

CJ Archer (Rocky Point Elite) – 90 Pounds, Division 4

Timothy Castillo (Port Wrestling) – 140 Pounds, Division 3

Jesse Dellavecchia (East Islip) – 96 Pounds, Division 4

Tyler Joseph (Olympic) – 70 Pounds, Division 1

Jake Murphy (Wantagh) – 56 Pounds, Division 1

Nicholas Pagnotta (Rocky Point Elite) – 80 Pounds, Division 4

Sean Romanski (NY Titan) – 137 Pounds, Division 5

Jake Silverstein (631 Elite) – 82 Pounds, Division 3

Sam Ward (VHW) – 128 pounds, Division 4

 

Fourth Place

Vitali Arujau (VHW) – 99 Pounds, Division 3

Nick Bernardo (VHW) – 200 Pounds, Division 3

AJ Burkhart (IWC) – 82 Pounds, Division 3

Christian Gannone (631 Elite) – 62 Pounds, Division 3

Ethan Mackie (Lindenhurst), 75 Pounds, Division 1

Sean Miller (Connetquot) – 90 Pounds, Division 4

Mathew Seitz (Apex) – 102 Pounds, Division 4

Gino Titone (Connetquot) – 140 Pounds, Division 4

Jordon Wellington (631 Elite) – 58 Pounds, Division 2

Dale White (John Jay) – 162 Pounds, Division 5

 

*Some results were not complete. If you notice a missing top four placewinner, please contact us.

Video Interviews with New York's FloNationals All-Americans

Check out our video interviews with five of the Empire State’s FloNationals All-Americans below.


126:

Fourth place Maverick Passaro (Eastport South Manor)

Sixth place Sam Speno (Fox Lane)

160: Eighth place Rrok Ndokaj (Monsignor Farrell)

170: Eighth place Zach Zupan (Canastota)

182: Eighth place McZiggy Richards (Wingate)

220: Fourth place Patryk Kopczynski (Brooklyn Tech)

285:

Third place Cole Lampman (Shenendehowa)

Fourth place Cory Quintana (Mohonasen)

 

 

 

 

McCabe, Palacio, Lock Advance to the Finals at NHSCA Senior Nationals

 

Sean McCabe, Dylan Palacio and Tony Lock all earned New York State titles a month ago in Albany.  On Sunday, all three will have an opportunity to become national champions as well, as they take the mat in the finals of the NHSCA Senior Nationals in Virginia Beach.

Connequot’s McCabe, who rebounded from a third place showing at the Suffolk County tournament to capture gold at the Times Union Center, won three tight matches, 6-4, 4-1, and 4-3 to begin the event before emphatically punching his ticket to the title bout with a pin over Delaware’s Kaleb Lemaire in the third period.

UPDATE: Rodriguez notched multiple takedowns on his way to a 7-4 victory.

Fellow Long Island grappler Palacio began the event with a 6-4 decision over Tyler McMichael of Kansas before notching a 9-1 victory over California’s Taylor McCormick.  The Long Beach grappler next edged Kyle Ash of Oklahoma, 4-3 and then registered two commanding major decisions, 16-3 over Samson Imonode of Arizona in the quarters and 15-4 against Minnesota’s Ben Sullivan in the semis.

UPDATE: Palacio wasted very little time against Austin Trott of Georgia, going on the attack from the opening whistle.  He got on the board first with a go behind for a takedown and remained in control on top to end the first period 2-0.  In the second, Palacio selected bottom.  Trott had a strong ride, but the Long Beach wrestler continued to work until he earned the reversal in the latter portion of the middle period to take a 4-0 advantage into the third.  The Georgia grappler notched a quick escape, but Palacio continued pushing the action and scored another TD off a front headlock to move ahead 6-1.  Trott’s escape made it 6-2 and that was the final.  Congratulations to Palacio on a national title!

Like Palacio, Pioneer’s Tony Lock was an undefeated state titlewinner this season.  Lock kept his unbeaten streak alive with four consecutive wins.  He began with a technical fall over Aaron Wing of Connecticut and followed with a pair of 3-2 decisions over Gray Jones of Georgia and Bryan Loughlin of New Jersey.  The Buffalo-bound senior then used back points to earn a 6-3 victory over nationally ranked Reece Wright-Conklin of Kansas to cement his spot in tomorrow’s finale.

UPDATE: Lock and Oklahoma’s Nolan Boyd ended the first period scoreless.  In the second, Lock chose bottom and fought off tilt attempts on the edge.  Off a restart, he made a quick first move and was able to get the reversal.  Boyd responded with a reversal of his own and Lock escaped to take a 3-2 lead into the third.  Boyd got out from bottom to tie the score and the bout went to overtime.

In sudden victory, both wrestlers were cautious, although there was a solid flurry with about 10 seconds to go.  Lock took down in the first tiebreaker and was able to escape after a Granby roll.  The Pioneer wrestler also received an additional point for a locked hands call on Boyd.  Boyd escaped when it was his turn on bottom, but Lock held on for a 5-4 victory and a national championship!

Several other New York wrestlers earned All-American status. For a complete list, see below:

106:

Third place Eric Orellana (Brentwood) 

Fifth place Krishna Sewkumar (Long Beach)

Seventh place Jimmy Gill (St. John the Baptist)

 

113:

Fifth place Mark Raghunandan (Long Beach)

Eighth place Patrick Skinner (Kellenberg)


120: Second place Sean McCabe (Connetquot)

 

138: Fifth place James Dekrone (John Glenn)

 

152: Champion Dylan Palacio (Long Beach)

 

160: Fifth place Tristan Hamner (Medina)

 

182: Champion Tony Lock (Pioneer)

Five NY Middle Schoolers Capture National Crowns at NHSCAs

 

NHSCA Nationals Middle School Division – Virginia Beach, VA

National Champions from New York

 

80 Pounds: Dane Heberlein

Heberlein fall Jarrod Kimball (SC), 1:48

Heberlein tech fall Brock Talko (PA), 16-1

Heberlein decision Zachary Sherman (FL), 6-4 ot

Final: Heberlein major Joshua Humphreys (WV), 10-2

 

90 Pounds: Kelan McKenna

McKenna fall Jarred Stoy (PA), 0:42

McKenna decision Kahlan Lee-Lermer (MD), 6-1

McKenna major Micah Crewdson (WV), 9-1

Final: McKenna major Dakota Galt (ND), 9-1

 

119 Pounds: Chris Mauriello

Mauriello decision Casey Ritchie (WV), 10-3

Mauriello tech fall Danny Mullan (NJ), 15-0

Mauriello decision Kellen Devlin (NY), 4-0

Final: Mauriello decision Kollin Wade (SC), 4-2

 

154 Pounds: Jordan Torbitt

Torbitt fall Wes Sorey (VA), 3:49

Torbitt fall Adam Soldridge (PA), 2:48

Final: Torbitt fall Caperton Humphrey (WV), 1:44

 

165 Pounds: Nick McShea

McShea decision Koree Morgan (SC), 6-2

McShea fall Tyler Kleinhans (OH), 0:35

McShea decision Ryan Mills (WV), 9-3

Final: McShea major Brandon White (WV), 12-0

 

Five New York Wrestlers Compete for National Titles at NHSCAs on Friday

 

Five Empire State wrestlers will wrestle for national titles on Friday, March 30 in Virginia Beach at the National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA) championships.  Friday is the final day of competition in the Freshman, Sophomore and Junior divisions.  Action in the Senior brackets just got underway on Friday morning and will continue through Sunday, April 1.

Former state champion and three-time placer Tristan Rifanburg of Norwich dropped a decision to Neal Richards at 126 in the championship bout in the Freshman competition.  Rifanburg picked up five victories on his way to the finals, three by bonus points.  He edged Michael Monica of New Jersey 3-2 in Thursday night’s semifinals.

UPDATE: In the championship bout, Richards came out fast in the first period, taking Rifanburg down for a 2-0 lead.  The New York wrestler began the second period on top and worked for turns, but was unable to pick up  nearfall.  The grapplers started the third in neutral.  Rifanburg looked to score but was countered by Richards for another takedown.  Richards tacked on one more late in the third to earn a national championship.

A pair of Empire State sophomores will also wrestle on the biggest stage.

Corey Rasheed of Longwood followed up his strong 35-3 season at 145 pounds with a convincing run at Virginia Beach.  After a 10-4 decision to start the competition, Rasheed registered three straight pins in the first period to reach the semis.  He then defeated Josh Ortman of Pennsylvania 9-2 to move on to this afternoon’s finale against Larry Bomstad of Minnesota.

UPDATE: Rasheed and Bomstad traded shots early in the first, but no points were put on the board until late in the opening period when Bomstad hit a double, getting the takedown and three nearfall for a 5-0 lead.  Rasheed started on bottom in the second and earned a reversal at the buzzer to cut the deficit to 5-2.  The Minnesota wrestler chose top to begin the final period, but Rasheed was able to escape midway through.  Bomstad stayed on the attack, earning a takedown as time wound down to earn the 7-3 decision.

Burke Paddock is no stranger to the finals at NHSCAs.   Last year, he captured the 171-pound title in this event and he was third at the New York States this year at 170.  Paddock moved down to 160 pounds and has breezed through so far, with his closest match being an 11-2 major over fellow New Yorker Tyler Silverthorn in the semifinals.  He also has two falls and a technical fall.  His competitor will be New Jersey bronze medalist (at 152) Jonathan Schleifer.

UPDATE: Paddock came out aggressive, but Schleifer got on the board first with a takedown off the Warsaw wrestler’s shot.  After a quick escape, Paddock tried for a throw, but Schleifer countered for another TD.  Paddock escaped again to trail 4-2 after the first.  The New Jersey grappler took bottom and quickly widened  his advantage to 5-2.  Paddock was close to scoring on a single, but was unable to convert before the second ended.  In the third, Paddock chose down but could not escape until less than 10 seconds remained.  Schleifer grabbed a 5-3 victory.

There are also two juniors representing the Empire State in the title matches.  Chris Araoz of Wantagh had a solid season for the Warriors with a 37-5 record but did not qualify for the state tournament.  He has responded with five wins over the past few days, including an 8-3 decision over Deshun Brown of New Mexico to reach the finals against Georgia’s Philip Anderson.

UPDATE: Araoz got in deep on a shot late in the first period.  Anderson fought it off briefly, but Araoz was able to finish and get the tilt for three nearfall with short time left to take a 5-0 lead after one.  In the middle period, the Wantagh wrestler took top and tried for another turn.  However, his opponent escaped to cut the lead. Anderson shot a deep double toward the end of the period, but Araoz was able to prevent the takedown as time expired to take a 5-1 advantage into the final period.  In the third, the Georgia grappler selected top and was able to break Araoz down.   Araoz was called for stalling three times, resulting in two points.  With the score 5-2, Araoz escaped and the Long Island wrestler won the 120 pound title, 6-3.  Great performance for the Wantagh junior.

The last New Yorker battling for a crown is Peru’s Troy Seymour at 170 pounds.  Seymour took fourth in a deep class in Albany, in which he split matches with the aforementioned Paddock.  Seymour finished the high school campaign at 40-2.  He began the competition at NHSCAs with a technical fall but then demonstrated his ability to win close bouts, earning 3-0, 1-0 and 8-7 triumphs before beating Chris Moore of Ohio 5-2 in the semis.  He will face Ethan Ramos of New Jersey on Friday afternoon.

UPDATE: Seymour and Ramos battled to a scoreless draw in the first period, during which Seymour fought off two deep shot attempts by his opponent on the edge.  Seymour took down in the second and Ramos rode tough, not allowing the Peru wrestler to escape.  After an injury timeout, the third period began with Ramos in the bottom position.  Seymour worked for backs and was able to break the Garden State grappler down for a while.  However, while he worked for a turn, Ramos was able to get the reversal and back points, leading to a fall.

For a list of New York placewinners, see below:

FRESHMAN DIVISION

106: Eighth place Kyle Quinn (Wantagh)

113: Sixth place Anthony Orefice (Lockport) 

126: Second place Tristan Rifanburg (Norwich)

132: Seventh place Jakob Restrepo (Sachem East)

138: Third place Thomas Dutton (Rocky Point)

152: Seventh place Nathan Schwab (Clarence)

160: Eighth place Nick Wentland (Minisink Valley)

182: Sixth place Garrett Duval (Sherburne-Earlville)

195: Eighth place Cody Marshall (Sherburne-Earlville)

 

SOPHOMORE DIVISION

145: Second place Corey Rasheed (Longwood)

152: Fourth place Michael Pistone (Sachem East)

152: Seventh place Derek Holcomb (Newark Valley)

160: Second place Burke Paddock (Warsaw)

160: Fourth place Tyler Silverthorn (General Brown)

160: Fifth place Franky Nassivera (Queensbury) 

160: Eighth place Daniel Smith (South Jefferson) 

195: Sixth place Reggie Williams (Johnson City)

285:  Third place James O’Hagan (Seaford)

 

JUNIOR DIVISION

106: Fifth place Kyle Kelly (Chenango Forks)

120: Champion Chris Araoz (Wantagh)

120: Sixth place TJ Fabian (Shoreham Wading River)

138: Fifth place Dan McDevitt (Wantagh)

152: Seventh place Chris Koo (Great Neck)

160: Fourth place Tyler Grimaldi (Half Hollow Hills West)

170: Second place Troy Seymour (Peru)

220: Fourth place Nick Lupi (Huntington) vs. Eldon Valery (VA)

285: Fourth place Brandon Fayle (Lowville) vs. Joe Bexley (GA)

285: Sixth place El Shaddai VanHoesen (Columbia) vs. Jonah Aurelio (RI)

 

 

Future Stars Shine at Inaugural NYWAY State Championships

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