Category Archives: Section 3

NYWAY State Championships – Top Placewinners for Each Division and Weight

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The following is the list of top finishers in all Divisions and Weight Classes for the 2013 NYWAY State Championships. Over 925 wrestlers participated in the event in Elmira, New York, with representation from all around the Empire State.

We will provide a full recap of the event, so please check back.

Full brackets and results can be found at http://www.trackwrestling.com. (Search for NYWAY)

Division 1 – 37 Pounds
1st Place – JJ Lucinski of Lockport Kids Club
2nd Place – Zoey Jewett of General Brown Mighty Lions
3rd Place – Russell Maddox of Tioga
4th Place – Decklan Mckee of Waverly

D1 – 40
1st Place – Caleb Cole of Unatego
2nd Place – Cooper Mower of Ilion
3rd Place – Cameron Granger of Waverly
4th Place – Gary McDowell of Unattached

D1 – 43
1st Place – Cooper Gronowski of COBRA WRESTLING ACADEMY
2nd Place – Lucas Mason of Canisteo
3rd Place – Aiden Shufelt of Unattached
4th Place – Mason Brown of Phoenix

D1 – 46
1st Place – Gavin Bob of Canisteo
2nd Place – Kolton Kelly of Camden
3rd Place – Aidan Gillings of Newfane
4th Place – Quinn Hoppel of LOWVILLE WRESTLING CLUB

D1 – 49
1st Place – Rylan Padleford of NY Titan Wrestling Club
2nd Place – Chase Nevills of Copenhagen
3rd Place – Nathanial Higgins of IHC Cavaliers
4th Place – Jackson Koppers of Unattached

D1 – 52
1st Place – Ryder Machado of Underground
2nd Place – Caden Bellis of Unattached
3rd Place – Tavian Camper of Copenhagen
4th Place – Evan Fort of Gowanda

D1 – 56
1st Place – Zak Ryder of Underground
2nd Place – Kieran Cullen of Journeymen
3rd Place – Brady Lynch of Indian River Pee Wee Wrestling
4th Place – Te`Shaun Matthews of NFPC

D1 – 60
1st Place – Cade Allen of Canisteo
2nd Place – Shey Williams of Lockport Kids Club
3rd Place – PJ Duke of Unattached
4th Place – Jaylon Yearwood of Union Endicott

D1 – 65
1st Place – Isaac Gibson of South Lewis
2nd Place – Ryan Burton of Underground
3rd Place – Ryley Monica of SOUTH JEFFERSON
4th Place – Gage LaPlante of Tonawanda

D1 – 75
1st Place – Elijah Diakomihalis of G2 World wrestling Academy
2nd Place – Dominic Dunstan of NWAA
3rd Place – Mason Maring of Unattached
4th Place – Rocky Files of Central Square

D2 – 43

1st Place – JR Leuer (Lockport Kids Club)

D2 – 46
1st Place – Jayden Crumpler of NFPC
2nd Place – Landon Machado of Underground
3rd Place – Xavier Dejesus of Unattached
4th Place – JR Leuer of Lockport Kids Club

D2 – 49
1st Place – Bryce Bailey of Waverly
2nd Place – Trevor Tufano of Unattached
3rd Place – Michael Santore of Journeymen
4th Place – Joseph Florence of Thorobred

D2 – 52
1st Place – Colin Bradshaw of Phoenix
2nd Place – Jake Daly of Brockport
3rd Place – Garrett Skeens of Waverly
4th Place – Logan Reynolds of Gouverneur

D2 – 55
1st Place – Braidon Woodward of Canisteo
2nd Place – Myles Gronowski of COBRA WRESTLING ACADEMY
3rd Place – Ethan Dibble of Thorobred
4th Place – John Chamberlain of IHC Cavaliers

D2 – 58
1st Place – Carson Alberti of Unattached
2nd Place – Joey Rumola of Unattached
3rd Place – Tristan Petretti of SWR
4th Place – Teddy Raes of Midlakes

D2 – 61
1st Place – Carter Schubert of Superior
2nd Place – Dominck Algieri of Blue Wave
3rd Place – Trent Reid of COBRA WRESTLING ACADEMY
4th Place – Maddox Browning of Gowanda

D2 – 64
1st Place – Caden Granger of Waverly
2nd Place – Rocco Camillaci of G2 World wrestling Academy
3rd Place – Andrew Filip of Underground
4th Place – Anthony McMillen of Unattached

D2 – 67
1st Place – Brady Unger of Unattached
2nd Place – Trayton Tupper of Gouverneur
3rd Place – Aaron Briones of SOUTH JEFFERSON
4th Place – Anthony Cooper of Midlakes

D2 – 70
1st Place – Jayden Scott of G2 World wrestling Academy
2nd Place – Matthew Mahoney of Unattached
3rd Place – Josh Durant of The Square
4th Place – Bryson Vabdunk of Whitney Point Youth Wrestling Club

D2 – 75
1st Place – Nicholas Rogers of IHC Cavaliers
2nd Place – Zachary Duessler of IHC Cavaliers
3rd Place – AJ Fricchione of Underground
4th Place – Brian Bielec of COBRA WRESTLING ACADEMY

D2 – 80
1st Place – Ethan Gallo of Unattached
2nd Place – Sam Ricci of Victor
3rd Place – Evan Day of Hoosick Fall Wrestling Club
4th Place – Kevin Daskavitz of Lockport Kids Club

D2 – 88
1st Place – Colton Simpson of LOWVILLE WRESTLING CLUB
2nd Place – Jake Whitmore of Indian River Pee Wee Wrestling
3rd Place – Gabriel Monroe of Thorobred
4th Place – Simon Lingle of Newfane

D2 – 100
1st Place – Hunter John of Gowanda
2nd Place – Frank Carino of RPEEWC
3rd Place – Aidan Pendergrast of Unattached
4th Place – Tyler Beeman of Unattached

D2 – HWT
1st Place – Ryan Stein of NY Titan Wrestling Club
2nd Place – Logan Ramadan of Grand Island
3rd Place – Matthew Jansen of Midlakes
4th Place – Bryce Benedict of Gowanda

D3 – 51
1st Place – Andrew Brown of Unattached
2nd Place – Lucas Randisi of Superior
3rd Place – Austin West of LOWVILLE WRESTLING CLUB

D3 – 55
1st Place – Jace Shafer of Superior
2nd Place – Gavin Henrikson of Blue Wave
3rd Place – Antoine Walker of COBRA WRESTLING ACADEMY
4th Place – Evan Hewett of Underground

D3 – 59
1st Place – Dante Geislinger of Unattached
2nd Place – Andy Lucinski of Lockport Kids Club
3rd Place – Joe Scheeren of Journeymen
4th Place – Mason Drew of Unattached

D3 – 62
1st Place – Stevo Poulin of Journeymen
2nd Place – Majai Coubles of Brockport
3rd Place – Micah Roes of LOWVILLE WRESTLING CLUB
4th Place – Ryan Daly of Brockport

D3 – 65
1st Place – Myles Griffin of Mexico Wrestling Club
2nd Place – Darren Ketcham of RPEEWC
3rd Place – Mason Bush of Ilion
4th Place – Lucase Riley of Elmira

D3 – 68
1st Place – Zach Redding of RPEEWC
2nd Place – Nicky Fea of Unattached
3rd Place – Drake Dille of Elmira
4th Place – Ryan Nugent of Newfane

D3 – 71
1st Place – Jalen McCarty of Waverly
2nd Place – Logan Sciotto of RPEEWC
3rd Place – Aidan Cullen of Journeymen
4th Place – Marek Bush of Ilion

D3 – 75
1st Place – Brock Del Signore of Journeymen
2nd Place – Ethan Ferro of Thorobred
3rd Place – Joshua Post of Thorobred
4th Place – Jacob Payne of Falconer Wrestling Club

D3 – 80
1st Place – Justin McDougald of COBRA WRESTLING ACADEMY
2nd Place – Dean Shambo of Mexico Wrestling Club
3rd Place – Ethan Stotler of Waverly
4th Place – Jason Pittman of G2 World wrestling Academy

D3 – 85
1st Place – Anthony Rasmussen of SOUTH JEFFERSON
2nd Place – Mitchell Tyler of Gouverneur
3rd Place – Jacob Scibek of Unattached
4th Place – Joseph Dixon of NFPC

D3 – 90
1st Place – Ian Bogardus of Fulton Wrestling Club
2nd Place – Adam Hermanson of Copenhagen
3rd Place – Peter Marion of Blue Wave
4th Place – Ryan Martin of Brockport

D3 – 95
1st Place – Keagen Case of Adirondack Wrestling Club
2nd Place – Hunter Mckenna of Journeymen
3rd Place – Bryson Solomon of NFPC
4th Place – Cuinn Burlingham of Fulton Wrestling Club

D3 – 100
1st Place – Hunter Edwards of DAWGS
2nd Place – Husdons Evingham of Canisteo
3rd Place – Duncan Zubrzycki of Copenhagen
4th Place – Brock Johnson of Falconer Wrestling Club

D3 – 110
1st Place – Zackery Goolden of Canton
2nd Place – Noah Kennedy of Thorobred
3rd Place – Kody Miller of Union Endicott
4th Place – Tyler Pelech of RPEEWC

D3 – 125
1st Place – Christopher Alberti Iii of The Square
2nd Place – Brandon Fafulovic of Unattached
3rd Place – Matthew Woodworth of Fulton Wrestling Club
4th Place – Colton Briggs of NY Titan Wrestling Club

D3 – HWT
1st Place – Benjamin Bowen of Carthage Wrestling Association
2nd Place – Sean Prunty of Unattached
3rd Place – John Robyck of Elmira
4th Place – Christopher Geer of Thorobred

D4 – 60
1st Place – Tyler Bartolomei of COBRA WRESTLING ACADEMY
2nd Place – Logan Lauck of Unattached

D4 – 65
1st Place – Greg Diakomihalis of G2 World wrestling Academy
2nd Place – Mike Alberti of Unattached
3rd Place – Dawson Mower of Ilion
4th Place – Dylan Allman of Journeymen

D4 – 70
1st Place – Michael Gonyea of Journeymen
2nd Place – Nathan Lehr of Unattached
3rd Place – Max Kropman of G2 World wrestling Academy
4th Place – Bradley Cheek of Canisteo

D4 – 75
1st Place – Christian Kee of Mexico Wrestling Club
2nd Place – Ryan Burgos of G2 World wrestling Academy
3rd Place – John Tyler of Unattached
4th Place – Matthew Muhlbauer of Tonawanda

D4 – 80
1st Place – Orion Anderson of Unattached
2nd Place – Dylan Callahan of Journeymen
3rd Place – John Worthing of Owego Youth Wrestling
4th Place – Owen Kissell of COBRA WRESTLING ACADEMY

D4 – 85
1st Place – Dillan Palaszewski of Journeymen
2nd Place – Kyle Greene of South Lewis
3rd Place – Wyatt Smith of Midlakes
4th Place – Malachy Farrell of G2 World wrestling Academy

D4 – 90
1st Place – Benny Baker of Unattached
2nd Place – Cory Day of COBRA WRESTLING ACADEMY
3rd Place – Matthew Reese of Elmira
4th Place – Tyler Mitchell of G2 World wrestling Academy

D4 – 95
1st Place – Sam Deprez of G2 World wrestling Academy
2nd Place – Zachary Lawrence of Journeymen
3rd Place – Connor Greiner of Underground
4th Place – Jack Bokina of RPEEWC

D4 – 100
1st Place – Hector Colom of COBRA WRESTLING ACADEMY
2nd Place – Taylor Philpotts of vvs youth wrestling
3rd Place – Deven Lampron of DAWGS
4th Place – Jonathan Lillie of SOUTH JEFFERSON

D4 – 105
1st Place – Kadden Brown of Indian River Pee Wee Wrestling
2nd Place – John Carl Petretti of SWR
3rd Place – Vincent Catanzaro of COBRA WRESTLING ACADEMY
4th Place – Nathan Elliot of Penn Yan

D4 – 112
1st Place – Dylan Greer of Pine Bush
2nd Place – Charlie Mahon of Elmira
3rd Place – Eoghan Sweeney of Journeymen
4th Place – Lance Evans of NFPC

D4 – 120
1st Place – Tyler Barnes of Journeymen
2nd Place – Connor Fredericks of Titletown FC
3rd Place – Korey Brown of Indian River Pee Wee Wrestling
4th Place – Gabe Mastrangelo of Marcellus

D4 – 130
1st Place – Brennan Slater of Norwich
2nd Place – Steven Hark of Ken-Ton
3rd Place – Micah Kelly of LOWVILLE WRESTLING CLUB
4th Place – Gaven Thornton of Canton

D4 – 140
1st Place – Raymond Leach of Unattached
2nd Place – David Mirabella of Ken-Ton
3rd Place – Richie Snyder of Hornell
4th Place – James Bundy of Owego Youth Wrestling

D4 – 155
1st Place – Steven Daskavitz of Lockport Kids Club
2nd Place – Dominic Salerno of Thorobred
3rd Place – Roger Weber of Indian River Pee Wee Wrestling

D4 – 170
1st Place – Harrison Williams of Unattached
2nd Place – Dominic Brown of Ken-Ton

D4 – HWT
1st Place – James McVay of NWAA

D5 – 75
1st Place – Matthew Garland of SOUTH JEFFERSON

D5 – 81
1st Place – Jacob Brewer of COBRA WRESTLING ACADEMY
2nd Place – Lucas King of Unattached
3rd Place – Drew Shafer of Superior
4th Place – Seth Kerscher of Ken-Ton

D5 – 87
1st Place – Dylan Walker of Unattached
2nd Place – Trent Nadeau of COBRA WRESTLING ACADEMY
3rd Place – Jeffrey Gress of Unattached
4th Place – Oscar Lainez of Unattached

D5 – 93
1st Place – Dane Heberlein of COBRA WRESTLING ACADEMY
2nd Place – Connor Day of COBRA WRESTLING ACADEMY
3rd Place – Aj Burkhart of Waverly
4th Place – Ian McKenna of vvs youth wrestling

D5 – 99
1st Place – Derek St. James of G2 World wrestling Academy
2nd Place – Hammond Raes of G2 World wrestling Academy
3rd Place – Dylan Arena of COBRA WRESTLING ACADEMY
4th Place – Jordan Walker of Unattached

D5 – 105
1st Place – Theo Powers of Pheonix
2nd Place – Brandon Gould of Finger Lakes Wrestling Club
3rd Place – Parker Kropman of G2 World wrestling Academy
4th Place – Vincent Falvo of COBRA WRESTLING ACADEMY

D5 – 111
1st Place – Tito Colom of COBRA WRESTLING ACADEMY
2nd Place – Michael Venosa of Superior
3rd Place – Max Tempel of NY Titan Wrestling Club
4th Place – Jacob Smeader of Unattached

D5 – 118
1st Place – Andrew McFarland of Carthage Wrestling Association
2nd Place – Kobe Garrehy of Finger Lakes Wrestling Club
3rd Place – Zachary Burke of Unattached
4th Place – Anthony Argentieri of COBRA WRESTLING ACADEMY

D5 – 125
1st Place – Louie Deprez of G2 World wrestling Academy
2nd Place – Nicholas Gaiser of COBRA WRESTLING ACADEMY
3rd Place – Madison Hoover of Unattached
4th Place – Jacob Peru of Falconer Wrestling Club

D5 – 132
1st Place – Nathan Grubham of Finger Lakes Wrestling Club
2nd Place – Grant Frederick of Unattached
3rd Place – Luke Rogers of General Brown Mighty Lions
4th Place – Sean Galla of Titletown FC

D5 – 139
1st Place – Aj Aeberli of Unattached
2nd Place – Kevin Parker of Journeymen
3rd Place – Jordan Kayes of Prescott
4th Place – Tim Holden of Fulton Wrestling Club

D5 – 146
1st Place – Tyler Green of Unattached
2nd Place – Collin Flynn of Fulton Wrestling Club
3rd Place – Ethan Wormuth of Unattached
4th Place – David Crow of Thorobred

D5 – 153
1st Place – Jason Hoffman of Journeymen
2nd Place – Adam Gullo of COBRA WRESTLING ACADEMY
3rd Place – Michael Spallina of COBRA WRESTLING ACADEMY
4th Place – Dylan Gifford of Unattached

D5 – 160
1st Place – Gavin Kovalik of General Brown Mighty Lions
2nd Place – Addison Grosbeck of NY Titan Wrestling Club
3rd Place – Kenneth Dean of Byron-Bergen
4th Place – Jordan Ringer of Gowanda

D5 – 170
1st Place – Travis Race of Fulton Wrestling Club
2nd Place – Mike Daskavitz of COBRA WRESTLING ACADEMY
3rd Place – Jonathan Duryea of Elmira
4th Place – Chase Toal of Byron-Bergen

D5 – 185
1st Place – David Hernandez of NFPC
2nd Place – Christopher Singleton of Unattached

D5 – HWT
1st Place – Zachary Gifford of Unattached
2nd Place – Alex German of Unattached
3rd Place – Nick Jones of COBRA WRESTLING ACADEMY
4th Place – Thomas Randall of South Lewis

D6 – 113
1st Place – Blake Abbey of Unattached
2nd Place – Kelan McKenna of vvs youth wrestling
3rd Place – Christopher Cuccolo of Pine Bush
4th Place – Ryan Hetrick of COBRA WRESTLING ACADEMY

D6 – 119
1st Place – Dandre Norman of EDGE
2nd Place – Ryan Burns of COBRA WRESTLING ACADEMY
3rd Place – Christopher Meloni of Unattached
4th Place – Tristan Canova of Unattached

D6 – 126
1st Place – Nick Garone of Unattached
2nd Place – Eric Januszkiewicz of Unattached
3rd Place – Mitchell Woodworth of Fulton Wrestling Club
4th Place – Gabe Naviasky of NY Titan Wrestling Club

D6 – 133
1st Place – Richard Burke of Finger Lakes Wrestling Club
2nd Place – Shawn Widrick of LOWVILLE WRESTLING CLUB
3rd Place – Jack Welsh of Unattached
4th Place – Alec Rowsam of Unattached

D6 – 139
1st Place – Sean Romanski of NY Titan Wrestling Club
2nd Place – Hobie Strassner of G2 World wrestling Academy
3rd Place – Danny Murphy of Unattached
4th Place – James Matias of RPEEWC

D6 – 145
1st Place – Vincent DePrez of G2 World wrestling Academy
2nd Place – Jamiel Stapleton of Unattached
3rd Place – Connor Lapresi of Finger Lakes Wrestling Club
4th Place – Austin Hulse of Unattached

D6 – 152
1st Place – Anthony DePrez of G2 World wrestling Academy
2nd Place – Skylar Kropman of G2 World wrestling Academy
3rd Place – Jimmy Devine of NY Titan Wrestling Club
4th Place – Brian Westerdahl of COBRA WRESTLING ACADEMY

D6 – 162
1st Place – Trevor Allard of Mexico Wrestling Club
2nd Place – Mark Stucke of COBRA WRESTLING ACADEMY
3rd Place – Dan Woughter of Finger Lakes Wrestling Club
4th Place – Kyle Ross of Falconer Wrestling Club

D6 – 172
1st Place – Jake Weber of COBRA WRESTLING ACADEMY
2nd Place – Danny Khomitch of Byron-Bergen
3rd Place – Joseph Russo of Unattached
4th Place – Garrett Davis of NY Titan Wrestling Club

D6 – 184
1st Place – Andrew Cole of Ogdensburg Youth Wrestling Association
2nd Place – Rob Cuomo of Unattached
3rd Place – Douglas Els of Unattached
4th Place – Marquis Buchanan of COBRA WRESTLING ACADEMY

D6 – 198
1st Place – James Bethel of Unattached
2nd Place – Tim Flower of Unattached
3rd Place – Chris Tangora of NY Titan Wrestling Club
4th Place – Jake Pehnollow of Falconer Wrestling Club

D6 – 220
1st Place – Connor Calkins of Unattached
2nd Place – David McKee of Unattached
3rd Place – Sean Ferguson of RPEEWC
4th Place – Adam Groesbeck of NY Titan Wrestling Club

D6 – 288
1st Place – Dylan Ashwood of Indian River Pee Wee Wrestling
2nd Place – Alex Ruiz of Clarence Wrestling Club

Team New York Pushed to the Limit, But Emerges With 29-21 Victory over NJ in 2013 All-Star Charity Challenge

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BY MATT DIANO

For the second straight year, all of the talk on the various forums leading up to the All-Star Charity Challenge centered on uneven lineups and lopsided outcomes. And, for the second straight year, nothing would be further from the truth as the student-athletes from the two cross-state rivals would wage war on one another, taking the dual to the final weight class and entertaining all those lucky enough to be on the campus of West Orange High School for this afternoon’s festivities.

For the match-by-match summary, see New York 29, New Jersey 21 Details.

On paper, with 11 2013 State Champions in the lineup, the Empire State was supposed to enjoy a significant advantage. However, as was so eloquently put by event organizer, Jason Bross, when it comes to New Jersey, “we never sleep on them.”

Bross’s sentiments would prove prophetic as in contrast to the opinions of the so-called prognosticators, there was never a moment in the dual that witnessed either side having a moment of relaxation or relief. Every time it would seem that one team would begin to seize momentum, the other would respond with a mini winning streak to keep the dual within reach.

In the end, it would be the wrestlers from New York improving their record to 3-0 against their opponents from the Garden State, 29-21, but in the bigger picture, as is the case every year, there would be no losers as all of the student-athletes did themselves, their schools, and their states proud. On a day where nothing would come easy, the greatest satisfaction was not from winning the dual, it was in the knowledge that 30 young men with bright futures gave selflessly of themselves to do a world of good for two event organizations, Pinning Down Autism and Autism New Jersey. You can’t see on a scoreboard the kind of victory that is earned each and every time these two states go to battle in this event.

Getting the Empire State off to a great start would be Hilton High School eighth grader Yianni Diakomihalis, who scored off the opening whistle and never looked back, collecting another takedown off a scramble midway through the second and then adding a reversal at the beginning of the third to take a 6-2 lead over New Jersey freshman, Alec Kelly.

The St. Peter’s Prep underclassman would cut the lead to 6-3 and would be in deep on a single-leg, but would be unable to finish as the buzzer sounded, making the 2013 NYS DI Champion the winner by decision, 6-3, to give the visitors from New York the 3-0 team lead.

Evening the score for the Garden State at 106 would be regional tournament qualifier, Ryan Freeman, who had a knack for picking his moments, scoring takedowns in the closing seconds of both the first and seconds periods to carry a 4-1 lead into the final two minutes. The freshman 30+ match winner would quickly increase his lead over the 2013 NYS DI champion from Wantagh, Kyle Quinn, getting a body lock and tossing his opponent from Nassau to the ground on the edge of the mat to make the score 6-2. Following a Quinn escape, Freeman would tack on one more takedown for good measure, taking the decision by an 8-2 tally.

Piccininni, Photo by BV

Two-time Division I champion Nick Piccininni would give New York the lead back at 113, dominating his foe, two-time New Jersey placewinner AJ Vindici (3rd in 2013), scoring a takedown and then adding near fall to lead 5-0 at the end of the first period. The Ward Melville sophomore would earn the reversal with half a minute remaining in the 2nd period to jump the lead to 7-0 at the end of the middle stanza. The third takedown of the bout for Piccininni with 1:05 remaining would put him in a position to earn bonus points for the “Evil Empire”. He would ride out the sophomore from Randolph to pitch the 9-0 shutout, making the team score, 7-3. “Picc” improves to 2-0 in as many appearances for New York in the Charity Dual.

Competing in the first match of the afternoon that did not feature a state champion on other side, it would be Eastport-South Manor junior Travis Passaro winning a low scoring affair over 2012 New Jersey 8th place finisher Marc Mastropietro of Hasbrouck Heights High School, 1-0. Scoreless after the 1st period, the 2013 NYS DI bronze medalist would ride out the entire second period and then escape early in the third to record the deciding point. To the credit of his opponent, Mastropietro, would really push the pace following the escape, getting in deep on a single-leg late in the bout. However, maintaining his poise, Passaro whizzered hard and forced a stalemate with only :07 remaining in the match. With so little time remaining on the clock, there would no time for the nearly 40 match winner from the Garden State to pull off the comeback. The victory would increase New York’s cushion to 10-3.

Fabian, Photo by BV

After seeing two non-state champs go to war in the previous bout, 126 would feature a battle of 2013 titlists in Shoreham Wading River’s TJ Fabian and Anthony Giraldo of North Bergen, New Jersey. Striking first would be the #7 ranked wrestler in the nation, Giraldo, earning the takedown and the rideout to lead 2-0 at the end of the 1st period.

With the choice in the second period, Fabian would respond in a big way, choosing down and getting the reversal to the back for 2+2 to take his first lead of the match over the three-time placewinner. It would then be Giraldo’s turn to answer, which he would, reversing back to square the match at 4-4 at the end of the period. In the third period, it would be a third caution against the Jersey grappler that would ultimately prove to be the difference maker, as Fabian gained the 5-4 lead with short time on the clock.

Left with no other alternative, Giraldo would attempt a desperation roll attempt and get caught on his back for three near fall, making the match 8-4 in favor of the future Sacred Heart University Pioneer, Fabian. The “w” for the New Yorker avenged a pair of losses he suffered to Giraldo during the preseason at the Journeymen Classic and the Ironhorse Invitational.

Knowing that he needed to stop the three-match winning streak, Jason Estevez, the senior from Livingston, would answer the call to duty, scoring the only three takedowns of the match to earn the 7-3 decision over Fordham Prep’s Sam Melikian. Using his quickness and polished technique, the two-time New Jersey 3rd place finisher would prove to be too much for his fellow 2013 bronze medalist. Looking for a déjà vu moment from his victory the previous night over New England, Melikian would attempt a cement mixer late in the match, but Estevez would roll through it to preserve his win. The triumph would cut the Empire State lead to 13-6.

In another match where points would be at a premium, it would be the 2013 3rd place finisher from New Jersey, Richie Lewis, scoring a takedown with short time on the clock in the third period to upend three-time New York DII champion, Nick Tighe of Phoenix High School. All tied at 1-1 following the exchange of escapes in the second and third periods, both would have multiple opportunities to grab the lead in the third, but neither would be able to convert until the Toms River East senior was able to come up huge, getting behind the Binghamton University-bound Empire Stater for the 3-1 win to bring his team ever closer on the scoreboard. The win is yet another in the long and growing list of impressive victories for Lewis, whose only loss this season came at the hands of four-time undefeated NJ state champion, Anthony Ashnault.

Making it three in a row for the host state would be three-time finalist/two-time champion, Bryant Clagon, who just missed scoring the fall when he took 2013 NYS DI State champion, Louis Hernandez of Mepham High School down and then put him on his back. Saving the Nassau County representative would be an injury time out. However, the damage had already been done by the Rider University recruit as he would cruise to the 9-2 decision to bring New Jersey within three points. Clagon, who earned his way into this dual by winning a barn burner in the state finals last weekend, remains undefeated in 2012-2013. In a match that the New York contingent felt it could steal, Clagon showed just why he is the third-ranked wrestler in the USA. Clagon has now won his match in back-to-back All-Star Charity Challenges, as he defeated current Brown University freshman, Anthony Finocchiaro, 8-4 in the 2012 event.

Grimaldi, Photo by BV

With momentum beginning to shift in the other direction, New York would turn to two upperclass leaders, junior Corey Rasheed and senior Tyler Grimaldi of Longwood and Hills West, respectively. Well aware that a few 11th hour scratches from the lineup might leave NY vulnerable up top, the pair of 2013 DI State champions would do their jobs and help their squad to regain control of the dual, combining to score seven team points to again open up the NY lead, 20-12, with five bouts remaining.

Asserting his will in every position on the mat, Rasheed would light up the scoreboard, earning bonus points with the 10-0 shutout over Glen Ridge High School’s John Faugno, a regional qualifier who did not advance to Atlantic City in 2012/2013.

Finding it much more challenging, but still stepping up and walking away with the essential victory, would be the future Harvard University student-athlete, Grimaldi. All tied at 2-2 against Delbarton’s 7th place finisher, Josef Johnson, the nationally-ranked Suffolk grappler would fight off a shot in the last half minute and then capitalize on the over aggressiveness of Johnson, countering a TD attempt in the closing seconds to snap and spin behind to survive with a 4-2 decision in a match that in all likelihood, both sides saw as a potential bonus point opportunity for the boys in blue (NY was donning blue singlets).

Having two equally solid choices in the #10 and #14 ranked wrestlers in the nation, New Jersey head coach Damion Logan would elect to go with 2013 NJ State champion Ethan Ramos over the man he defeated by a narrow margin in the title bout last weekend, Jadaen Bernstein. New York would counter with a state champion — the first-ever titlewinner from the PSAL — Adis Radoncic of RKA in the Bronx. Interlocked in a back-and-forth bout, it would be the future UNC Tar Heel, Ramos, taking the 5-4 lead in the third period with a miraculous double-leg. Fighting like a warrior to earn the equalizer, Radoncic would come close to earning a reversal during the final ticks of the clock, but in the end, it would be the still undefeated Ramos maintaining control of his opponent’s leg to ride out the last minute plus to seize victory.

Winning what could be considered the most important match of the dual would be North Carolina State signee Shayne Brady, a two-time NYS DI finalist for Carthage High School, who hoisted the hardware in Albany a few weeks ago. Scoreless after the first period, it would be Ali Yildiz of South Brunswick that would get on the board first when the 2013 3rd place finisher earned a reversal in the second period. Brady would escape late in the second period and then again at the beginning of the third to tie the match up at two apiece. However, again it would be Yildiz going back ahead when he finished a takedown midway through the final period to take the 4-2 lead. All too keenly aware of the fact that his team would have its least credentialed individuals coming up at 195 and 220, Brady would rise up and play the hero, earning a reversal and then riding out the remainder of the period to send the bout to sudden victory. Now one score away from putting his team in a very solid position to win, the 2012 Super 32 8th place finisher would waste little time, getting in deep and eventually popping his head out to emerge with the 6-4 decision to give NY the 23-15 lead. The loss was only the second of this season for the Jersey representative, the other occurring at the hands of eventual state champion, Johnny Sebastian of Bergen Catholic.

In two of the few bouts that they were definitively favored in, the Garden State wrestlers would again prevent their neighbors to the north from establishing control of the dual, as state runner-ups, Anthony Messner and Zack Chakonis, would control the action, whistle to final buzzer in earning 8-2 and 9-3 decisions respectively over 2013 6th place finisher, Kevin Tynes of Brooklyn Tech and 4th place performer, Josh Bonneau of Minisink Valley. Messner and Chakonis, the super sophomore from Don Bosco Prep, would score the only offensive points of their matches make the team score 23-21.

Finding ourselves in the exact same position as we did last season, the dual would come down to the big daddies in a clash of the present versus the future as 2013 NYS champion, Michael Hughes of Smithtown West would be opposed by eighth grade standout, Eric Chakonis, who will join his brother at Bosco next fall.  Utilizing his experience and size advantage, it would be the two-time New York placewinner Hughes opening up a sizable lead heading into the third period before putting the dual to bed with a pin at the 5:40 mark.  Team NY wins 29-21!

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF TODAY’S PARTICIPANTS.  As I say quite often, on a day like this one, you are all champions !!!

For the original story, see Gotham City Wrestling here.

Team New York Sweeps Three Duals at Pinning Down Autism Event; Prepares for Battle With New Jersey on Sunday

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3-0 and looking for one more win.

That’s the story for Team New York after Day 1 at the Pinning Down Autism All-State Weekend Festival at West Orange High School.  The event, which benefits Autism New Jersey, includes All-Star squads from New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Michigan and New England.  For more background, see our preview here.

Yianni Diakomihalis, Photo by BV

On Saturday, the Empire State group began with a 47-18 victory over the Michigan Lumberjacks and next drubbed Delaware 64-6.  To complete Day 1 action, the team defeated New England by a 43-28 tally. For details of those meets, see the end of this story.

Now, it’s time to continue the big rivalry. On Sunday at 1 p.m., New York will look to knock off rival New Jersey for the third consecutive year.  According to the lineups provided earlier in the week, the following are the weight-by-weight matchups for the clash.   Every member of the Empire State squad has won a state title (and 14 of the 15 captured gold in 2013).  New Jersey will counter with a trio of state champions as well as several silver and bronze medalists.

Will New York make it three victories in a row over the Garden Staters?

99 POUNDS: Yianni Diakomihalis, Hilton (State Champion) vs. Alec Kelly, St. Peter’s (State Qualifier at 106)
106 POUNDS: Kyle Quinn, Wantagh (State Champion) vs. Ryan Freeman. St. Joseph
113 POUNDS: Nick Piccininni, Ward Melville (State Champion) vs. AJ Vindici, Randolph (State Third)
120 POUNDS: Alex Delacruz, Ossining (State Champion) vs. Marc Mastropietro, Hasbrouck Heights (State Qualifier)
126 POUNDS: TJ Fabian, Shoreham Wading River (State Champion) vs. Anthony Giraldo, North Bergen (State Champion)
132 POUNDS: Tristan Rifanburg, Norwich (State Runner Up, Champion in 2010) vs. Jason Estevez, Livingston (State Third)
138 POUNDS: Nick Tighe, Phoenix (State Champion) vs. Richie Lewis, Toms River East (State Third)
145 POUNDS: Louis Hernandez, Mepham (State Champion) vs. BJ Clagon, Toms River South (State Champion)
152 POUNDS: Corey Rasheed, Longwood (State Champion) vs. John Faugno, Glen Ridge
160 POUNDS: Tyler Grimaldi, Hills West (State Champion) vs. Josef Johnson, Delbarton (State Qualifer)
170 POUNDS: Adis Radoncic, RKA (State Champion) vs. Ethan Ramos, Hawthorne (State Champion)/Jadaen Bernstein, Voorhees (State Runner Up)
182 POUNDS: Shayne Brady, Carthage (State Champion) vs. Ali Yildiz, South Brunswick (State Third)
195 POUNDS: Dan Choi, Syosset (State Champion) vs. Anthony Messner, Franklin (State Runner Up)
220 POUNDS: Rich Sisti, Monsignor Farrell (State Champion) vs. Zack Chakonis, Don Bosco (State Runner Up)
285 POUNDS: Mike Hughes, Smithtown West (State Champion) vs. Eric Chakonis, Unattached

Results from Saturday

New York 47, Michigan 18 Details

New York 64, Delaware 6 Details

New York 43, New England 28 Details

 

Can You Predict the Winners? Join the 2013 NCAA Pick Your Champions Contest!

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Who will win individual NCAA titles next week in Des Moines, Iowa?  Tell us what you think in the New York Wrestling News Pick Your Champions contest. The winner receives an iTunes gift card.

To participate, see Pick Your Champions Contest Entry Form.

Only responses received by 10 a.m. Eastern time on Thursday, March 21 will be eligible for the contest.

 

State Champions to Represent New York Against New Jersey and More at Pinning Down Autism All-State Weekend Festival

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“I’m in.”

Before Jason Bross even finished his question after the Saturday night finals at the New York state tournament in Albany, 145-pound champion Louis Hernandez of Mepham said yes.

Hernandez, Photo by BV

Hernandez wasn’t alone. He was only one of the top New York wrestlers to enthusiastically commit to representing the Empire State at the Pinning Down Autism All-State Weekend Festival on March 16 and 17 at West Orange High School in New Jersey.

For the past two seasons, Bross has organized the New York vs. New Jersey Charity Challenge, which pitted All-Star squads from the neighboring states against each other in a dual meet to raise money for autism causes.

With the success and excitement around this “Border War” in recent years, the event was expanded in 2013. On Saturday, the teams from the Garden and Empire States will battle squads from Michigan, New England and Delaware. (For the schedule, see below).

While there is sure to be some great competition in those Saturday duals, the main event will take place on Sunday when New York and New Jersey do battle at 1 p.m..

Every wrestler taking the mat for Team New York for the feature dual has been a state champion, with 14 of the 15 capturing gold medals at the Times Union Center in 2013. (Another three champions and seven silver/bronze medalists will compete on Saturday). In all, 10 different sections will be represented.

Needless to say, the list is an impressive one (see below for details). After all, state pride is on the line and New York is determined to beat the Jersey crew for the third straight year.

Sisti, Photo by BV

“The event has been very well received,” Bross said. “Most of the guys were really excited to be invited to be a part of it. It should be a great dual because I know losing two years in a row doesn’t sit very well with New Jersey. Last year, they expected to beat us and it didn’t go that way. I expect them to have a ferocious team and you can see that New York will be well represented. I think you’ll see a battle at every weight.”

While the rivalry and the opportunity to wrestle high-level competition prior to the upcoming National tournaments are significant, the weekend’s events will serve another important purpose – to raise money for charity.

“This year’s beneficiary is Autism New Jersey,” Bross said. “What I like most about them is that they provide much needed facilitation for families impacted by autism to find the services they need. When Congress recently had hearings on autism, what struck them most was that most families are left to their own devices and have no idea what to do or where to look for services they need. Autism New Jersey really helps with that and provides great value. We’re happy to be raising money for them.” (For more information on Autism New Jersey, see http://www.autismnj.org)

Entry into the event will be a $20 donation each day. Those who attend will have the chance to participate in a clinic on Sunday with Lee Kemp at 10 a.m. and, of course, will see some top notch wrestling on both weekend days. That includes Round 3 of the New York vs. New Jersey challenge.

“The rivalry speaks for itself now,” Bross said. “Damion Logan from Apex is the Team Leader for New Jersey and he’ll put together a very good team. I have a hunch that the match will look like a Big 10 dual meet with the intensity of something like an Iowa vs. Penn State dual. That’s what we’re hoping for. Great action, great intensity, fire through every match. It should be fun.”

Team New Jersey will be updated when available.

Team New York for the Sunday event (and some Saturday matches) is:

99 Pounds: Yianni Diakomihalis (2013 State Champion, Hilton, Section 5)
106 Pounds: Kyle Quinn (2013 State Champion, Wantagh, Section 8 )
113 Pounds: Nick Piccininni (2013 State Champion, Ward Melville, Section 11)
120 Pounds: Alex Delacruz (2013 State Champion, Ossining, Section 1)
126 Pounds: TJ Fabian (2013 State Champion, Shoreham Wading River, Section 11)
132 Pounds: Tristan Rifanburg (2013 Runner Up, 2010 State Champ, Norwich, Section 4)
138 Pounds: Nick Tighe (2013 State Champion, Phoenix, Section 3)
145 Pounds: Louis Hernandez (2013 State Champion, Mepham, Section 8 )
152 Pounds: Corey Rasheed (2013 State Champion, Longwood, Section 11)
160 Pounds: Tyler Grimaldi (2013 State Champion, Hills West, Section 11)
170 Pounds: Adis Radoncic (2013 State Champion, RKA, PSAL)
182 Pounds: Shayne Brady (2013 State Champion, Carthage, Section 3)
195 Pounds: Dan Choi (2013 State Champion, Syosset, Section 8 )
220 Pounds: Rich Sisti (2013 State Champion, Monsignor Farrell, CHSAA)
285 Pounds: Mike Hughes (2013 State Champion, Smithtown West, Section 11)

On Saturday, the following wrestlers will also compete for New York (and more may be added):

113 Pounds: Dillon Stowell (2013 State Champion, Gouverneur, Section 10)
120 Pounds: Travis Passaro (2013 State Third, Eastport South Manor, Section 11)
126 Pounds: Keanu Thompson (2013 State Runner Up, Grand Street, PSAL)
132 Pounds: Sam Melikian (2013 State Third, Fordham Prep, CHSAA)
138 Pounds: Nick Kelley (2013 State Champion, Shenendehowa, Section 2)
152 Pounds: Rowdy Prior (2013 State Runner Up, Phoenix, Section 3)
152 Pounds: Joe Mastro (2013 State Third, Yorktown, Section 1)
160 Pounds: Steve Schneider (2013 State Runner Up, MacArthur, Section 8 )
170 Pounds: John Vrasidas (2013 State Runner Up, St. Anthony’s, CHSAA)
195 Pounds: Hunter Ayen (2013 State Champion, Gouverneur, Section 10)

Schedule of Events:

Saturday March 16th

Round 1 10:00 am Delaware (DE) vs New England (NE) and New York (NY) vs Michigan (MI)
Round 2 12:00 pm NJ vs NE and DE vs MI
Round 3 2:00 pm NY vs DE and NE vs MI
Round 4 4:00 pm MI vs NJ and NY vs NE
Round 5 6:00 pm DE vs NJ

Sunday March 17th

10 a.m. Feature clinic with Lee Kemp

1 p.m. The main event: New York vs. New Jersey

For more information, see Weekend Festival

Pick Your Champions Prediction Contests: Results Are In!

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Thank you to everyone who entered our New York State Pick Your Champions Prediction Contests for last weekend’s state tournament.  We were very excited about the large number of people who participated both on the Division I and Division II sides.

The winners of both the large and small school contests correctly predicted 11 of the champions.

Josh Lear was the Division II winner and the Division I winner was from Long Island. iTunes cards will be awarded to both.

———————————————————

A few fun facts about the predictions.  Some champions were well anticipated by those that participated.  The titlewinners that received the highest percentage of the votes were:

Burke Paddock (160, DII) 81%

Corey Rasheed (152, DI) 78%

Nick Kelley (138, DI) 76%

In addition, Tyler Grimaldi (160, DI), Nick Tighe (138, DII) and Zack Zupan (182, DII) all received at least 65% of the vote.

Choi, Photo by BV

On the other hand, several champions were more of a surprise to the contest participants, as the following titlewinners received less than 8% of the votes:

In Division I, Dan Choi (195) and Richard Sisti (220).

In Division II: Kevin Thayer (152), Adis Radoncic (170) and Matt Abbott (285).

Congratulations to all of the New York state champions and thanks so much for playing!

 

 

Division II New York State Tournament Recap: PSAL Gets First Champion; MOW Tighe Earns Third Straight and Much More

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The New York state high school season has come to an end.  30 wrestlers walked out of the Times Union Center as champions on Saturday night and many others fought to become All-State.

(This article focuses on the Division II tournament.  The Division I recap can be found here.)

In Division II, it was a tight race, but in the end Section 5 reigned supreme, led by the top two schools in the standings – Midlakes and Warsaw.  Midlakes featured five All-State wrestlers – 120-pound runner up Sean Peacock, sixth placer Tyler Smith (195) and a trio of grapplers in the fifth position – Jason Charlette (106), Ralph Mateo (113) and Collin Fox (170).

Just five points behind was Section 6, propelled by the third place squad – Fredonia.  The Hillbillies boasted four medalists, led by the Gardners – Dakota (second at 126) and Jude (third at 145).  Also making the podium for head coach Alex Conti’s squad were Tyler Cassidy and Chris Saden.

Only one team had more than one champion over the weekend, and it was Gouverneur.  Seniors Dillon Stowell (113) and Hunter Ayen (195) made their final high school matches count as they brought a pair of titles back to Section 10.

Speaking of titles, Most Outstanding Wrestler Nick Tighe added another to his collection.  For the third consecutive year, the Phoenix grappler stood on top of the podium.  Joining him was Adis Radoncic, who made history of his own when he became the first-ever state champion from the PSAL.

 

99 Pounds:

The Champion: Derek Spann of Adirondack came in as the number three seed but went all the way to the top, utilizing his solid mat skills to get there.  In the finals, he was trailing after giving up a pair of takedowns to his opponent, Matteo Devincenzo, in the first period, but when Devincenzo took down to start the second, the complexion of the match changed.  Spann used back points there and then again in the third when he chose the top position to seal the title.

And Also . . . Devincenzo was Section 11’s highest placer in the Division II tournament. He had only one loss coming into the weekend (to Division I runner up Vito Arujau) and although not highly seeded, he looked strong throughout the tournament and will be someone to watch in the coming years.

 

106 Pounds:

The Champion: Top-seeded Luis Weirebach opened with a pin and then registered a trio of two-point wins the rest of the way, concluding with a 3-1 victory over Danny Fox in the finals.  The junior, who took fifth in 2012, became the first-ever state champion from his school.

And Also . . . Maple Grove’s Brad Bihler is pretty stingy with points.  Other than his 2-0 loss to Weirebach in the semis, he outscored his foes 31-0 (and added a pin) on the path to third place.  The Section 6 wrestler entered the tournament on a nine-match winning streak and continued to wrestle well in Albany.

 

113 Pounds:

The Champion: Dillon Stowell has significant experience at the Times Union Center, having placed numerous times in the past.  In his last chance as a senior, he reached the top of the podium after beating Nick Casella in the title bout.  In the semis, Stowell topped another veteran of the state tournament, Warsaw’s Austin Keough, by the same score (4-2) as their bout at Eastern States.

And Also . . . Casella knows how to make it to Saturday night. Last year as an unseeded wrestler, he competed for the 99-pound crown, losing a close decision. This weekend he was on a mission to finish higher and once again reached the title bout after defeating the #4 and #1 wrestlers in the bracket.  As a junior, he’ll no doubt be back for another crack at a championship.

 

120 Pounds:

The Champion: The third time was definitely a charm for Trey Aslanian of Edgemont.  In 2011, he led 5-0 before falling to William Koll in the state title match at 103 pounds.  In 2012, he dropped a decision to Sean Peacock of Midlakes for the 113 crown.  But on Saturday night, in a rematch with Peacock, Aslanian came out on top, 4-2, in his final high school contest.  The Section 1 grappler leaves as a champion, with his next destination Princeton University.

And Also . . . The finale against Peacock was a tough, close match but it wasn’t the only one for Aslanian.  In the quarters, the Edgemont standout trailed super freshman Kellen Devlin for much of the match.  (Aslanian won 4-3). Devlin, who came back to take the bronze, completed the year with just three losses and will be among the favorites for the next three seasons.

 

126 Pounds:

Koll, Photo by BV

The Champion: William Koll, a state champion in 2011, said he was disappointed with his third place showing last season.  He got back to the top of the medal stand over the weekend, cruising through the event with his closest match a 6-2 victory over Dakota Gardner in the last bout.

And Also . . . After medaling as an eighth grader in 2012, Gardner had only one setback during the season, in the Section 6 final against Brandon Muntz.  That result likely dropped him to the sixth seed in the bracket, however, he overcame that to get to the title bout as a freshman.  With three campaigns left for Fredonia, New York fans will certainly see Gardner on the podium a few more times.

 

132 Pounds:

Rodriguez-Spencer, Photo by BV

The Champion: In last year’s quarterfinals, Renaldo-Rodriguez-Spencer topped Tristan Rifanburg in overtime, a victory that propelled the Cheektowoga wrestler to the silver medal.  This year, the duo met again, but this time it was in the finals and both came in undefeated.  Rifanburg led 1-0 late into the third period on the strength of an escape and a rideout in the second.  However, Rodriguez-Spencer stayed aggressive on his feet and notched the winning takedown with time winding down.

And Also . . .  Rifanburg is now a three-time state finalist (2010 champion) and a four-time placer . . . and he still has two years of high school left.  Clyde Carey, on the other hand, has now completed his career at Addison. However, he finished on a high note.  A year ago, he wrestled with a significant injury in Albany and came within one match of a medal.  His road wasn’t easy over the weekend as he faced (and topped) returning All-Stater Zach Ayen in round one.  After losing to Rodriguez-Spencer, he captured four straight in the consolations to grab third place.

 

138 Pounds:

Tighe, Photo by BV

The Champion:  Upstate fans were excited about a potential clash between then two-time state champion Nick Tighe and 2012 titlewinner Connor Lapresi at the Eastern States.  It didn’t happen there, but it did occur on Saturday night.  Tighe broke a 1-1 tie in the third with a takedown to pick up his third consecutive crown for Phoenix.  CAA wrestling at Binghamton is next for him.

And Also . . . Lapresi leaves Lansing with another All-State showing as he prepares to take on Division I wrestling at Bucknell.  Also concluding his career with multiple medals was Lewiston Porter’s Dan Reagan.  After taking fourth in this class last year, he moved up to third as a senior.

 

145 Pounds:

Hull, Photo by BV

The Champion:  Royalton Hartland’s Drew Hull outscored his opponents 22-5 on his title run.  Last year, he lost a tight bout in the finals to take second.  This time, he got his hand raised in a 2-0 victory over Norwich’s Frank Garcia.

And Also . . . Garcia, a sophomore, opened with a pin and then won two close matches, in overtime in the quarters and 3-2 in the semis.  After jumping from the top 8 in 2012 to second in 2013, he’ll return looking for more as a junior.

The bronze finisher Jude Gardner of Fredonia had a stellar senior campaign.  He suffered just four losses – and all four were to state champion Hull, including in the semifinals on Saturday morning.  With Hull, Gardner and Eric Lewandowski (second in Division I), there’s no doubt Section 6 was strong at this weight this year.

 

152 Pounds:

Thayer, Photo by BV

The Champion:  At the Section 4 championships, where he took second, Kevin Thayer had an incredible 18-16 victory over returning state placer Dan Dickman of Greene.  His finals victory over Rowdy Prior on Saturday was similarly action-packed.  Prior, a prolific pinner, chose top for the third while trailing and locked up a cradle that seemed likely to give him the gold medal.  Somehow, however, Thayer not only avoided the fall but also got the reversal to seal the title.

And Also . . . Prior provided an exciting semifinal victory.  He was behind 4-2 late in the match but got the pin over Alex Smythe.  Smythe’s tournament is worthy of mention as well.  After taking fifth at the state tournament in 2011, he didn’t get a bid last year.  However, he moved up several weights and had a solid season, coming into the Times Union Center with just two losses (to the previously mentioned Hull and Lewandowski).  One of only two medalists in the bracket not graduating (fifth placer Trey Duvall of Addison is the other), Smythe will look to make a run in 2013-14.

 

160 Pounds:

Paddock, Photo by BV

The Champion: In the semifinals, Mike Beckwith of Greene lasted over three minutes before getting pinned by Burke Paddock.  Beckwith was the only wrestler to stay on the mat with Paddock for that long.  The Warsaw junior stuck all four of his opponents to conclude a tremendous season and collect his first state championship.

And Also . . . Sophomore Nick Gallo fell one victory shy of place on the podium a year ago.  This year, he took several steps forward with a runner up showing.  The Section 2 wrestler defeated third placer Matt Fisher as well as returning medalist Tyler Silverthorn to earn his slot in the title bout.  He should be a force as a junior.

 

170 Pounds:

Radoncic, Photo by BV

The Champion: Coming into the tournament, some were pegging last year’s runner up Cheick Ndiaye, the top seed at 113, as someone who could give the PSAL its first-ever state champion.  Instead, it was Adis Radoncic of Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy who was the first to stand on top of the podium.  The junior did it the hard way – defeating the top two seeds in the bracket.  In fact, it appeared he might be in for an uphill battle in the title bout as he faced #1 Christian Dietrich once before this season at Eastern States and lost that bout 13-4.  However, Radoncic was undaunted and fought off a number of deep shots by the Greene grappler to take a 4-3 decision. Radoncic now has his sights set on being the PSAL’s first two-time champion.

And Also . . .  It’s easy to forget that Dietrich is just a freshman, especially given the way he performed all year.  He amazed many when he placed at 152 pounds as a seventh grader and looked very good all year at a higher weight.  Keeping him out of the top spot over the next several seasons will be a tall order for the rest of the field.

Dietrich’s first round opponent, John Messinger of Putnam Valley, fought back to take fourth.  Winning four in a row to get to the bronze match is an accomplishment, but the way he did it was even more impressive.  He trailed late in nearly all of his wrestleback matches and found a way to come out on top, multiple times in the waning seconds.   In one bout, he tied the match up with two points dangerously close to the third period buzzer and then picked up a takedown a few seconds into overtime to move forward.

 

182 Pounds:

Zupan, Photo by BV

The Champion: Zack Zupan had his eye on a repeat championship all year long and he finished the job.  The future Binghamton Bearcat had little trouble making the title bout as he racked up bonus points in his first three contests before controlling the finale, a 3-2 victory over Warsaw’s Tim Schaefer.  He joined future teammates Nick Kelley and Nick Tighe as titlewinners on Saturday night.

And Also . . . Schaefer finishes high school with a plethora of accolades.  He made the podium five times during his career, beginning with a sixth place finish as a seventh grader.

Hoosick Falls had its first champion in Luis Weirebach at 106 and added a third placer in Brad Burns at 182.  The Section 2 grappler was beaten in double overtime in the quarters but bounced back with four in a row to grab bronze.

 

195 Pounds:

Ayen, Photo by BV

The Champion:  Gouverneur had Dillon Stowell win it all at 113.  And then, the Wildcats crowned a second champion at 195 pounds when Hunter Ayen sent Bryce Mazurowski to his second consecutive silver medal.  Ayen fell behind 6-0 in the match, but climbed back into the bout when he threw the Avon wrestler onto his back.  When he was close to the pin, the referee stopped the action for blood time, but Ayen was unfazed as he added another takedown to win 9-6.  The Gouverneur senior had pinned his first three opponents.

And Also . . . One of those foes for Ayen was Matt Booth.  The Section 6 wrestler excelled in the consolation bracket, outscoring his opponents 30-5 to take third.  In the bronze match he topped Dusty Lewis of Salamanca, the wrestler he beat to qualify for the tournament a few weeks ago.

 

220 Pounds:

Bacon, Photo by BV

The Champion: A pair of undefeated wrestlers marched through the tournament and faced off in the finals with Hornell’s Zack Bacon utilizing strong mat wrestling to take the title 1-0 over Ryan Wolcott.  Bacon came back after a silver medal a year ago to end his career in the top spot.

And Also . . . Wolcott made a smooth transition from 170 pounds, where he won two matches in Albany in 2012, up to 220.  He pinned his way to the championship bout and the 1-0 loss to Bacon was his only setback all season long.  In 2013-14, he’ll look to go from second to first the same way Bacon did in his senior campaign.

 

 285 Pounds:

The Champion: Windsor’s Matt Abbott came into the tournament with a 33-1 mark and 19 pins.  (The sole loss was to the previously mentioned Wolcott).  He exited the Times Union Center as a champion.  Heavyweight matches are often low scoring but Abbott put a lot of points on the board, including 11 in the semis and eight in the finals.

And Also . . . Alex Soutiere, last year’s runner up in this class, took third after winning five wrestleback bouts.  In 2012, Soutiere upset top-seeded Kacee Sauer.  The tables turned this year as Soutiere (the #1 seed) was upended in the opening round by junior Connor Calkins of Section 5. Calkins wound up fifth and as the only non-senior placer, will be in the mix for top honors in 2014.

For all the brackets, see this link.

Congratulations to the Division II wrestlers on a great season.

Check Out Video Interviews With Numerous Wrestlers from the State Tournament

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The following are video interviews with a number of wrestlers at the state tournament.  Special thanks to Adam Burgos and Nick Garone for their amazing contributions!

Some browsers may take a little extra time to load.

(To view on youtube, see youtube.com/nywrestlingnews)

 

Tyler Grimaldi (160 Pound State Champ, Hills West) and coach Mike Patrovich with Nick Garone

 

Adis “The Beast” Radoncic (RKA) – First Ever PSAL State Champ (170)

 

Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton), 99 Pound State Champion

 

Nick Piccininni (Ward Melville), 113 Pound State Champion and MOW

 

TJ Fabian (Shoreham Wading River), 126 Pound State Champion

 

Trey Aslanian (Edgemont), 120 Pound State Champion (3x Finalist)

 

William Koll (Lansing), 2x State Champion

 

Burke Paddock (Warsaw), 160 Pound State Champion

 

Corey Rasheed (Longwood), 152 Pound State Champion

 

Louis Hernandez (Mepham), 145 Pound State Champion

 

Dan Choi (Syosset), 195 Pound State Champion with N. Garone

 

Rich Sisti (Monsignor Farrell), 220 Pound State Champion with N. Garone

 

Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (Cheektowoga), 138 Pound State Champion

 

Luis Weirebach (Hoosick Falls), 106 Pound State Champion

 

Hunter Ayen (Gouverneur), 195 Pound State Champion

 

Alex Delacruz (Ossining), 120 Pound State Champion

 

Nick Tighe (Phoenix), 138 Pound State Champion (3x Champion)

 

Shayne Brady (Carthage), 182 Pound State Champion

 

Mike Hughes (Smithtown West), 285 Pound State Champion with N. Garone

 

Dillon Stowell (Gouverneur), 113 Pound State Champion

 

Derek Spann (Adirondack), 99 Pound State Champion D2

 

POST SEMIS VIDEOS

Matteo Devincenzo (Port Jefferson, 99 D2)

 

Adis Radoncic (RKA, 170 D2)

 

Nick Casella (Locust Valley, 113 D2)

 

William Koll (Lansing, 126 D2)

 

TJ Fabian (Shoreham Wading River, 126 D1)

 

Corey Rasheed (Longwood, 152 D1)

 

Rowdy Prior (Phoenix, 152 D2)

 

Luis Weirebach (Hoosick Falls, 106 D2)

 

Derek Spann (Adirondack, 99 D2)

 

DAY 1/Medal Round VIDEOS

Keanu Thompson (Grand Street after Pinning #2 Seed in Quarters)

 

Dan Choi (Syosset after Beating #1 Seed in Quarters)

 

James O’Hagan (Seaford after Topping #1 Seed)

 

Steve Schneider (160, MacArthur after overtime victory)

 

Nick Barbaria (New Rochelle, 106 after the quarters)

 

Nick Weber (Kings Park, 195 Pounds after defeating #2 seed)

 

Jonathan Haas (Spencerport, 3rd place 106 D1)

 

Austin Coleman (Spencerport, 2nd place 285 D1)

 

Levi Ashley (Shenendehowa, 2nd place, after beating #3 seed)

 

Eric Lewandowski (Lancaster, 2nd place, 145 D1)

 

Josh Powell (Churchville-Chili, D1, 160)

 

Marshall Taylor (Lockport, 220 pounds D1, after 3 OT victory)

 

Shayne Brady (Carthage, 182 pound champion on Day 1)

 

Zack Joseph (Shenendehowa, 152 pounds, D1 on Day 1)

 

Donny McCoy (Niagara Falls, 99 Pounds, D1 on Day 1)

 

 

 

 

 

New Champions Crowned: Division I State Tournament Recap

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We have a large number of video interviews with wrestlers from the state tournament that will be posted later in the week.  Check back over the next few days to see what the wrestlers had to say!

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Another New York state high school season is in the books.  After two incredible days of wrestling, 30 champions were crowned and a number of other amazing performances were witnessed at the Times Union Center.

(This article focuses on the Division I tournament.  We will post a Division II story as well).

Of the 15 gold medalists in Albany on Saturday night in the large school tournament, 10 were from Long Island.   That part of the state didn’t just impress in the finals, however.  The depth was definitely apparent, as Suffolk finished atop the standings with 312 points with Nassau in second with 222.5.

Representing Section 8 well was Wantagh, which completed a magical year in which the Warriors showed both their dual meet and tournament strength in capturing perhaps the three biggest events in New York – the Union-Endicott Duals, the Eastern States and this weekend’s championships.  Head coach Paul Gillespie’s squad boasted a state titlewinner in 106-pounder Kyle Quinn as well as three other placers (James Corbett, Vinny Turano and Danny McDevitt).

Two other “sections” that made waves this weekend were the PSAL and the CHSAA.   Richard Sisti’s 220-pound title for Monsignor Farrell was a highlight as was the run to the finals by Keanu Thompson of Grand Street, including an upset pin against the number two seed.  The PSAL featured five medalists (in Division I), while the CHSAA had six.  It seems that those numbers will continue to grow in the future. (The first ever PSAL champion was crowned, which will be covered in the Division II story).

Here are some more notes and observations from the state capital:

99 Pounds:

Diakomihalis, Photo by BV

Champion: Yianni Diakomihalis will need to continue to clear space in his room for awards. He’s won just about every tournament he has entered over the past year, and he has traveled all over the country to wrestle some of the best.  The nationally-ranked wrestler picked up his first state title in the ultimate tiebreaker against another stellar eighth grader, Vito Arujau of Syosset.  The two could do battle many more times, but whether they’re at the same weight in the future or not, they will be a treat for New York fans to watch for another four years.

And Also . . . We had Diakomihalis and Arujau atop the rankings the whole year, but also included three Suffolk grapplers for much of the season in the state’s top 8.  They showed why on Friday and Saturday.  Although top seed John Arceri, the Section 11 champion, didn’t medal, he holds wins over both the third and fourth place finishers, John Busiello and Jesse Dellevecchia, respectively.  Those three will be contenders for quite some time.

In addition, when he was just beginning treatments for cancer in the spring, Vinny Vespa’s brother Michael said he was confident Vinny would not only return to the mat this year, but do well in the postseason.  He was right, as Vespa overcame cancer and then some of the state’s top wrestlers in taking fifth place.

106 Pounds: 

Quinn, Photo by BV

The Champion . . . Kyle Quinn came into the state tournament with just two losses.  Both were to All-Stater Nick Barbaria of New Rochelle by two points. Quinn clearly took some lessons away from those contests as he avenged those results with a 7-1 win in the semifinals against the Section 1 wrestler before defeating top seed Alex Tanzman of Westhampton Beach by the same score to grab the state crown.   The Wantagh wrestler looked dominant the whole weekend, including pinning his first two opponents (one of which was returning medalist Jimmy Overhiser).

And Also . . . Spencerport’s Jon Haas was unfazed after dropping his first bout of the tournament 4-3 to John Twomey of St. Anthony’s.  He reeled off five straight victories, including two by bonus points, to take third.  Haas also had a pair of overtime triumphs, including over Colonie’s Golan Cohen in the bronze bout.  Cohen, who was a placer at the Eastern States, put together a very impressive season.

113 Pounds:

Piccininni, Photo by BV

The Champion . . . Nick Piccininni wasn’t just the gold medalist at this weight, he was also named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler.  It’s not hard to see why.  The returning state champion was in control the whole way and won three of his four matches by bonus points.  That included the title bout, in which Piccininni dominated the much-hyped clash with two-time champ Kyle Kelly of Chenango Forks.  The Ward Melville wrestler will be incredibly hard to stop over the next two years.

And Also . . . Steven Sewkumar didn’t get a ticket to Albany last year after taking second in Nassau behind state runner up Jose Rodriguez.  He made his last chance in his senior year count, however, with a third place showing.   The Section 8 wrestler lost only to Piccininni while twice beating third-seeded Bryan Lantry of Wayne as well as topping All-Stater John Stramiello of Pine Bush.

120 Pounds:

The Champion:  Alex Delacruz was disqualified during the Eastern States semifinals against John Muldoon.  He then took second in Section 1 to the Pearl River grappler.  On the biggest stage, however, he came out on top by first knocking Muldoon off in the semifinals in an overtime match and then earning his spot on the top of the podium after an 11-7 triumph over #1 seed Steve Michel.

And Also . . .  Weights for next season are hard to predict now. But it looks like there will be more intense competition in Sections 1 and 11 in the future around this class.  Besides Delacruz and Muldoon (who was fourth), Section 1 features Blaise Benderoth (one match from medaling) and Nick Tolli, who placed at Eastern States but missed the postseason with an injury.  In Section 11, Travis Passaro (third) and Mike D’Angelo (fifth) could see each other a number of times again in 2013-14.

126 Pounds:

The Champion: TJ Fabian wasn’t pleased about taking third at the Suffolk County tournament.  He responded quite well – by outscoring his opponents 17-0 in his first two matches before notching pins in the semis and finals.  He’s headed to Sacred Heart.

And Also . . . One of the loudest roars of the crowd came during the quarterfinals when the PSAL’s Keanu Thompson pinned two-time finalist Dylan Realbuto.  Thompson was defeated soundly by Fabian on Saturday night but his run to the title bout was outstanding as he defeated the eventual third, fourth and sixth place finishers. That fourth placer was Chenango Forks senior Jacob Green, who after losing to Thompson in his opening tilt, won four in a row to finish his career on the podium.

132 Pounds:

Leshinger, Photo by BV

The Champion:  After taking third at the Times Union Center last year and again at the Eastern States, Matt Leshinger ended his Sayville career in style atop the medal stand.  The future Columbia Lion began with a pin and then methodically beat his next three opponents, including a 4-2 finals win over Amsterdam’s Brandon Lapi.

And Also . . . Lapi made the top 8 in 2010.  Since then, he has finished third, fourth and second.  What’s missing?  Well, a first place showing would complete the pattern.  The Section 2 standout will no doubt be looking for exactly that as he enters his senior season.

138 Pounds:

Kelley, Photo by BV

The Champion: Nick Kelley has been a regular at the state tournament with appearances beginning as a seventh grader.  He’s had a great career with over 250 victories but this weekend he got the most meaningful win of them all – the one in the state championship bout.  The Binghamton-bound grappler took a 5-2 decision on Saturday night to leave as a champion.

And Also . . . Joey Butler of Burnt Hills pushed Kelley in one of their matches during the season, getting out to a big lead before the Shenendehowa wrestler came back to win.  Butler earned third and will one to watch next year, as will Hilton’s Vincent DePrez, a silver medalist for the second consecutive year.  DePrez, who was one of three brothers to compete in Albany, will be back on a mission for his first title.

145 Pounds:

Hernandez, Photo by BV

The Champion:  Louis Hernandez came in as the favorite and left as the champion.  After missing the podium a year ago while wrestling with a significant injury at the Times Union Center, Hernandez put together a one-loss season which included an Eastern States crown.  While known for his excellence on his feet, Hernandez got a big reversal which propelled him to the title.

And Also . . . Eric Lewandowski made an appearance in the finals as a freshman, when he took second.  After not making the medal stand as a sophomore and junior, the Lancaster wrestler once again earned a spot in the title contest as a senior.  On his way there, he edged Shenendehowa’s David Almaviva 1-0 in the semis.  Almaviva showed his toughness by once again wrestling back to third, as he did in 2012. Hernandez will return next season, and he will be the only placer in this bracket to do so.

152 Pounds:

Rasheed, Photo by BV

The Champion:  Don’t blink when Corey Rasheed wrestles.  You might miss it. Rasheed had a technical fall in round one and a pair of pins – both in less than a minute – over the weekend.  That included a 56 second fall in the title bout.  It was the Longwood junior’s third time in the finals and after two runner up finishes, he left with top billing.  He should not only be on top of the New York rankings next year.  He has the talent to represent the Empire State in the national polls as well.

And Also . . . Like Jon Haas at 106, Joe Mastro of Yorktown took third place the hard way.  After losing to Konstantin Parfiryev (sixth place) on Friday morning, Mastro got his hand raised five times in a row.  He didn’t just win, though.  He did it convincingly, beginning with a technical fall and two majors (over the number two and three seeds).  He finished with a pair of decisions.

160 Pounds:

Grimaldi, Photo by BV

The Champion:  Tyler Grimaldi walked off the mat after taking second at this weight to Dylan Palacio in the state finals last year and vowed to do better in 2013.  He got it done, including his third win of the season against Steven Schneider of MacArthur in the title bout.  Next stop: Harvard.

And Also . . . Amsterdam’s James Marquez had a difficult draw, facing second seed (and eventual runner up) Steve Schneider in round one.  Marquez dropped a tough 3-1 battle in overtime but then fought back with a string of close decisions (including three by two points) to reach the bronze bout.  Once there, he finished his last match as a high schooler well, pinning Dale White to take third.   White is worth mentioning as well.  Despite an injury that kept him out for a lot of the campaign, he returned to win the Section 1 tournament and after injury defaulting to Grimaldi, made his way to fourth.

170 Pounds:

Toribio, Photo by BV

The Champion: Carlos Toribio had five losses as a junior, including three against the previously mentioned Tyler Grimaldi.  This year, as a senior, he had just one (to Joe Piccolo), and he avenged it with two wins over Piccolo. In fact, in the Suffolk finals, he was dominant against the Half Hollow Hills West grappler and came into the Times Union Center with momentum that helped take him to the top of the podium.  After a decision, a fall and a major in his first three bouts, Toribio picked up a tight 4-3 win over St. Anthony’s John Vrasidas to capture gold.

And Also . . . Vrasidas had a great tournament, including an upset of top seeded Danny McDevitt in the quarters.  But McDevitt, the future Ivy League wrestler at Penn, rebounded by outscoring his four wrestleback opponents 33-1, including a technical fall in the bronze match.

182 Pounds:

Brady, Photo by BV

The Champion: Before the tournament began, it looked like Shayne Brady’s road back to the finals would be a tough one.  The future North Carolina State wrestler faced a pair of returning state placers – James Benjamin and Gio Santiago in the quarters and semis – and beat both by bonus points.  He then found a way to win in his final high school match with a 5-3 overtime decision over Wantagh’s James Corbett.

And Also . . . Corbett also navigated a challenging path to make the finals in his first trip to Albany.  He suffered just three losses as a senior and will continue his career at Brown.

If you’re looking to see pins, find Gio Santiago.  The Sachem North senior had three falls in the tournament (and was pinned by Brady) after recording 30 during the season.  He earned All-State honors for the second straight year, this time in the third position.

195 Pounds:

Choi, Photo by BV

The Champion:  We shared Dan Choi’s story a few weeks ago, discussing how the future Cornellian came from Korea without his parents just three years ago and earned a full ROTC scholarship to the Ivy League.  Watching him this weekend, it’s hard to believe that he’s been wrestling for only three years.  In a very difficult weight class, the Syosset senior looked aggressive and strong throughout the event, including a major decision over the top seed in the quarters.

And Also . . . When we asked what wrestlers could break out in Section 2 this year, the first answer from multiple coaches was Levi Ashley.  He began the year at 182 and spent quite a bit of time at that weight, where he had plenty of success.  However, when he moved up to 195 around mid January, he really took off.  From there, he won 14 matches in a row entering the weekend.  And he kept things going in the state capital.  Being matched up with the third seed, Ben Honis, in the first round didn’t bother Ashley. He went out and majored the Section 3 wrestler 8-0 and followed with a pair of hard-fought decisions to make the title bout.   With one season remaining at Shenendehowa, he’ll be among the favorites at whatever weight he chooses.

220 Pounds:

Sisti, Photo by BV

The Champion: At the Eastern States, one CHSAA insider told us that Rich Sisti, unable to participate in that tournament due to an injury, would win the state championship – guaranteed.  It seemed bold at the time, but it was a good call.  Sisti, commonly called the “manchild” by many of those at the tournament, indeed won and looked impressive in doing so.  He certainly showed he is capable of capturing close matches against quality competition, as he notched 3-2 victories over a pair of Section 11 wrestlers, top seeded Nick Lupi and Steven Mills, in the semis and finals.

And Also . . . In the Division I tournament preview, we mentioned that there were some “under the radar” wrestlers in the field to watch in Albany.  One of those was Steven Mills of Sachem North, who lost a squeaker to Lupi in the Suffolk tournament.  Mills indeed made the spotlight as he competed for the state championship on Saturday night.  He began his journey with a 5-1 win over second-seeded John Hartnett and then blanked his next two foes to make the finals.

285 Pounds:

The Champions: 42-0 with 39 bonus wins and a state title.  That’s the season summary for Smithtown West’s Mike Hughes.  The senior put an exclamation point on his campaign when he pinned Austin Coleman in the championship bout, his 31st fall of the year.

And Also . . . Remember the name James O’Hagan.  The Seaford junior took third over the weekend with a pair of victories over top seeded El Shaddai Van Hoesen of Columbia.  The statistics above show that Mike Hughes only had three decisions all year. Two were against O’Hagan, including a 1-0 semifinal win on Saturday.   After the tournament, Hughes said that O’Hagan gave him his toughest match and that he thought they should have been the state finalists.  For O’Hagan, that will be the plan for 2013.

 

For all the brackets, see this link.

Congratulations to the Division I wrestlers on a great season.

LIVE BLOG – New York State Championships Division I and II

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Follow the action at the New York State championships in both Division I and Division II with our LIVE BLOG, starting Friday morning.

To access the blog, see here: LIVE BLOG link