Category Archives: Section 4

"The Debate Will Finally Be Settled": Elite Wrestlers To Battle at the Inaugural Long Island vs. Upstate Challenge in Ithaca

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BY ZAKKARIAH ROLFE

 Coming this weekend, March 30th, to Cornell University is an event that has the opportunity to be the number one offseason All Star match to ever hit New York State. It is the best “Upstate” has to offer pitted against the best Long Island has to offer in a dual meet format. We had a chance to catch up with the brains behind the operation, Kris Harrington of the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club (FLWC).

“I grew up in New York State and competed on many Freestyle and Greco National teams and it was always a fun rivalry growing up,” Harrington said.  “So one day I was in a meeting with [Cornell head] coach [Rob] Koll and we thought, wouldn’t it be cool to see who is better? So we made a few calls and here we are.”

The athletes will be receiving custom uniforms provided by CF Athletics and the out-of-area competitors are being provided hotels by the FLWC. Tickets are on sale at FLwrestlingClub.org, or at the door — $15 for reserved seating or $10 for general admission.

Kyle Dake will be a guest of honor, coming out for the coin toss, and staying after speaking with the competitors.

The main event, which will start at 4:30 p.m. will have three matches of DI versus DII state champions: at 126 TJ Fabian (Long Island) against William Koll (Upstate); at 152 Corey Rasheed (Long Island) vs. Kevin Thayer (Upstate), and last but not least at 160, Tyler Grimaldi (Long Island) vs. Burke Paddock (Upstate).

There are a total of 14 state champions between the two rosters, and 29 of the 30 competitors have placed in the state.

Nick Garone of Eastport South Manor is coaching the Long Island team.

“I’m very excited about this opportunity and getting the chance to coach not only the best kids in Long Island but some of the best in the United States,” he said.

Garone said he went to the best wrestlers in both Nassau and Suffolk counties and asked the highest finishers in the state one by one until one said yes. He didn’t exactly have to look far because more than half of his squad is made up of state champions and no one placed less than 4th in the state.

“I think I have a team that could compete with any team in the country,” he said.  “I haven’t had a chance to look at the other lineup, but it will definitely be a great match and I am looking forward to this weekend. We are only four days away until crunch time and I’m excited.”

Garone wanted to add one more thing. “There might be a special halftime match between myself and Coach Koll, and I’m going to win,” he said.

John Leone of Penfield will be coaching the Upstate squad.

“I’m really looking forward to putting the team we put together out on the mat,” Leone said.

He will have six state champions on the mat, and all members of the Upstate team have at least qualified for the state tournament.

“I think this is going to be a great event, and I hope in the near future it will be mentioned in the same sentence as the Dapper Dan,” Leone said.

One of the matches that could be at Dapper Dan level will be the third bout between Tyler Grimaldi of the Long Island team and Burke Paddock of Upstate.

“We have seen each other in freestyle and folkstyle this season,” Grimaldi said, noting that he won in freestyle and Paddock got the victory at the Eastern States Classic. “We are one and one and this is the grudge match. He’s a great athlete and an even better wrestler, but I’m looking to come out on top. This is going to be great for New York State. It’s going to cause a huge boom, and draw a lot of fans, and I’m just excited to see Burke again so we can do our part in bringing in the fans.”

Reggie Williams of the Upstate team will also be getting an opportunity to avenge a loss. He’ll face Dan Choi of Syosset, this year’s state champion at 195, who defeated Williams at the state tournament.

“It’s my chance to show the state that I just had a bad day,” Williams said, adding that he’s looking for some redemption. “Someone I look up to is Kyle Dake and I’ve learned from what he does. He goes out and looks for the best competition, and with this being my last year I definitely want to get the best competition possible.”

Last week, Williams traveled to Athens to take on Ryan Wolcott, the 220-pound state runner up out of Section 4 and he came out the victor 1-0. He has a little momentum coming in and is looking to score some points for the Upstate team.

This is going to be the first of many great battles between Long Island and Upstate. Look for this event to catch and spread like wildfire throughout New York, and maybe next year, even more New York State champions will take part.

To watch a stream of the main event, see here.

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Long Island vs. Upstate Challenge – Main Event (Rosters as Provided on Tuesday)

99 – John Busiello (Eastport South Manor) NYS Third vs Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton) NYS Champion

106 – Kyle Quinn (Wantagh) NYS Champion vs Jon Haas (Spencerport) NYS Third

113 – Nick Piccininni (Ward Melville) 2x NYS Champion vs Anthony Orefice (Lockport) Multi-Time NYS Placer

120 – Travis Passaro (Eastport South Manor) NYS Third vs. Alex Delacruz (Ossining) NYS Champion

126 – TJ Fabian (Shoreham Wading River) NYS Champion vs Will Koll (Lansing) 2x NYS Champion

132 – Mark West (Hauppauge) vs Brandon Lapi (Amsterdam) NYS Runner Up

138 – Tommy Dutton (Rocky Point) NYS Fourth vs Connor Lapresi (Lansing) NYS Champion, Runner Up

145 – Louis Hernandez (Mepham) NYS Champion vs Vincent Deprez (Hilton) 2x NYS Runner Up

152 – Corey Rasheed (Longwood) NYS Champion, 2x Runner Up vs Kevin Thayer (Unatego) NYS Champion

160 – Tyler Grimaldi (Hills West) NYS Champion, Runner Up vs Burke Paddock (Warsaw) NYS Champion, Runner Up

170 – Dan McDevitt (Wantagh) NYS Third, Fifth vs Jake Weber (Clarence) NYS Qualifier

182- Gio Santiago (Sachem North) NYS Third, Sixth vs Tim Schaefer (Warsaw) Multi-Time NYS Placer

195 – Dan Choi (Syosset) NYS Champion vs Reggie Williams (Johnson City) NYS Runner up

220 – Rich Sisti (Monsignor Farrell) NYS Champion vs Mike Silvis (Holley) NYS Third

285 – Michael Hughes (Smithtown West) NYS Champion vs El Shaddai Van Hoesen (Columbia) NYS Runner Up, Fourth

At 2 p.m., there will be a dual between wrestlers from the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club and a squad from Section 5.  This meet will feature several state champions/finalists from this February, such as Shayne Brady of Carthage, Ryan Wolcott of Waverly and Christian Dietrich of Greene for the FLWC and Sean Peacock from Midlakes.  In addition, 2013 state placers such as Tyler Silverthorn and Connor Calkins (FLWC) and Andrew Flanagan, Bryan Lantry and Ian James (Section 5) will take the mat.

Finger Lakes Wrestling Club VS Section 5 (Rosters as Provided on Tuesday)

*99- Brandon Gould (Watkins Glen) vs Parker Kropman (Penfield)

106- Jackson Bell (Owego) vs Andrew Flanagan (Holley), 2x NYS Placer

*113- Zack Ruggles (Marcellus) vs Bryan Lantry (Wayne), NYS Fourth

*120- Kaleb Stone (Tioga)  vs Sean Peacock (Midlakes), NYS Champion, Runner Up

126- Ryan Snow (General Brown) NYS Placer vs Lou Deprez (Hilton), NYS Qualifier

*132- Joel Rosko (Campbell Sovona) vs Frankie Gissendanner (Penfield) NYS Qualifier

*138-Jesse Manuel (Tioga) vs Vinny Romeo (Canandaigua)

*145- Trevor Hoffmier (Newark Valley) NYS Qualifier vs. Skylar Kropman (Penfield)

*152- Tyler Silverthorn (General Brown) 2x NYS Placer vs. Anthony Deprez (Hilton) NYS Qualifier

*160- Leland Slawson (Unatego), NYS Qualifier vs Josh Powell (Churchville Chili), NYS Qualifier

*171- Christian Dietrich (Greene), 2x NYS Placer vs Jared Mesiti (Brockport), NYS Qualifier

*182- Shayne Brady (Carthage), NYS Champion, Runner Up vs Max Kowal (Webster Thomas)

195- Andrew Barnhart (Whitney Point) vs Collin Pittman (Spencerport), NYS Qualifier

*220- Ryan Wolcott (Waverly), NYS Runner Up vs Sam Eagan (Churchville) NYS Fifth

*Hwt- Connor Calkins (Alfred-Almond), NYS Fifth vs Ian James (Greece), NYS Sixth

For more information on the two duals, see here.

First Annual Long Island/Upstate Challenge Coming Up This Saturday in Ithaca!

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Courtesy of Finger Lakes Wrestling Club

Ithaca, NY– The Finger Lakes Wrestling Club will host the 1st Annual Long Island/Upstate Challenge on Saturday, March 30, 2013, at Cornell University’s Friedman Wrestling Center.

The Long Island/Upstate Challenge is the newest premier high school wrestling event in the state of New York. The match has attracted some of the best high school wrestlers in the Empire State, in a two dual meet format. The preliminary dual pits some of the best wrestlers from the central New York area representing the host club the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club against the Rochester-based team Section V at 2:00 PM. This match will feature two state champions (Shayne Brady (FLWC)) and Sean Peacock (V)) and three state finalists (Ryan Snow (FLWC), Ryan Wolcott (FLWC) and Christian Dietrich (FLWC)).

Rasheed, Photo by BV

The feature match of the evening at 4:30 PM showcases the best-of-the-best high school wrestlers from across the upstate New York area challenging the Long Island elite, featuring fourteen current or former state champions. The highlight of this dual will be three matches between 2013 Division I vs. Division II state titlewinners: 126 TJ Fabian (LI) vs William Koll (Upstate), 152 Corey Rasheed (LI) vs Kevin Thayer (Upstate) and 160 Tyler Grimaldi (LI) vs Burke Paddock (Upstate).

Proceeds from the challenge benefit local FLWC resident athletes to aid in their pursuit of International and Olympic glory.

Tickets for the event are available at flwrestlingclub.org and at the door. Ticket prices are as follows: $15.00 Reserved Seating, $10.00 General admission

Contacts:

Kris Harrington 585-738-3906 Fingerlakeswrestlingclub@gmail.com
Rob Koll 607-255-7307 rk45@cornell.edu

Prediction Prowess: Who Correctly Chose All 10 Champs and Won Our NCAA Contest?

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Congratulations to the winners of our NCAA Pick Your Champions contest – PJ Gillespie and Greg Fiorvanti.

They not only picked all 10 champions, they also got the first two tiebreaker questions correct (Penn State as team champions and Kyle Dake as Outstanding Wrestler). Both will receive iTunes cards.

A few quick facts on the contest:

— 93% of respondents picked Jordan Oliver as the 149-pound champion, with 85% choosing Ed Ruth at 184.

— Kyle Dake and Logan Stieber also got around 80% of the votes at 165 and 133, respectively

— Quentin Wright was the champion who got the fewest votes. Just over 30% of entrants thought he would win at 197 pounds. Jesse Delgado got the next fewest with around 43% at 125 pounds.

Thanks to all of those who participated!

Check Out Video Interviews With All Five All-Americans From NY Schools And More from the NCAAs

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Check out video interviews with NY wrestlers at the NCAA tournament, including all five All-Americans from New York teams (Kyle Dake, Steve Bosak, Nahshon Garrett, Steve Santos and Mike Nevinger) and more.

 

Kyle Dake After Making History

 

Cornell’s Nahshon Garrett “Content But Not Satisfied” With Third Place at the NCAAs

 

Damion Hahn on Cornell’s Medal Round Performance at NCAAs

 

Steve Santos Takes Third at 149 For the Highest Columbia Finish Ever

 

Cornell’s Mike Nevinger Takes Fifth Place at NCAAs After a 9-2 Victory

 

Steve Bosak Finishes Off Three-Time All-American Career With Third at 184

 

Mike Nevinger – All-American Again After Five Straight Consolation Wins

 

Hofstra’s Jamie Franco – Two Straight in Overtime at the NCAAs

 

Hofstra’s Steve Bonanno After Upsetting #10 Seed in the First Round (Day 1)

 

Harvard 2012 All-American Steven Keith (Shoreham Wading River) After a First Round Pin (Day 1)

 

Photo by BV

 

 

Winning Words: Garrett, Bosak, Santos and Nevinger on Being All-Americans

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All four of the New York wrestlers taking part in the medal rounds on Saturday morning finished their seasons on a winning note, with third place showings for Nahshon Garrett at 125, Steve Santos of Columbia at 149 and Steve Bosak at 184.  Mike Nevinger grabbed fifth at 141 as the Big Red had at least four All-Americans (along with finalist Kyle Dake) for the ninth consecutive campaign.  Here’s a little more on the performances of each of those wrestlers this weekend.

Nahshon Garrett, 3rd at 125

The freshman from California finished off a tremendous first season for the Big Red with a third place finish at the NCAA tournament, beating two higher seeds on Saturday to get there.

Garrett in 3rd Place Match, Photo by BV

In his first match of the day he surrendered a pair of takedowns in the first and trailed 4-2 after that stanza against the fifth-seed, Jarrod Garnett.  Heading into the third, the Virginia Tech grappler led 9-6, but the Big Red freshman took control from there, immediately getting the escape and a takedown to knot the match at 9.  From there, he was dominant in the top position, riding his opponent out and racking up three near fall points along the way for the final 13-9 margin.

He then squared off with the tournament’s top seed, Alan Waters of Missouri.  The pair met twice earlier this season, with the Tiger wrestler coming out on top on both occasions.  But Garrett said he felt confident this time.

“Honestly, I knew his game plan and I knew what he was going to do,” Garrett said. “He was sitting on a knee like I knew he would. He wrestled tough, but I knew what I had to do. I figured I would ride him out. I’d been doing so well this tournament riding people out, I felt I could do that if I didn’t score points at all before that. He’s obviously really good on top. The last couple of times we wrestled, I didn’t really know how to get out. But no one was able to ride me this weekend.”

The match went as Garrett expected. After a scoreless initial period, Waters selected the down position and Garrett took control.  The California native not only rode Waters out, but also registered a pair of near fall points near the end of the second to take a 2-0 lead.

In the third, Garrett quickly escaped and tacked on a late takedown.  With riding time added, the Cornell wrestler triumphed 6-1.

The victory cemented Garrett in the Cornell record books for another reason – he’s now the Big Red single season leader in wins with 43. Who were the former holders of that mark with 42? Cam Simaz and Garrett’s current coach Mike Grey.

When Garrett was told about that achievement, he smiled.

“We were just talking about me one upping him because he took sixth his freshman year,” Garrett said of Grey. “Now that I have that record over him, it’s pretty sweet.”

So is the bronze, although Garrett admitted he has plenty left to achieve.

“[Third place] isn’t what I came here for,” he said. “I’m very content with it right now, but I’m not satisfied. I’m not going to be satisfied until I get that title.”

Mike Nevinger, Fifth at 141

Mike Nevinger said his goal coming into the tournament was to be a national champion after taking seventh a year ago.  After losing in the first round on Thursday to Virginia Tech’s Zach Niebert in overtime, which he called “heartbreaking”, he said he knew he had to put it all together to get back on the podium, both for himself and for his team.

Nevinger Takes 5th, Photo by BV

He did just that, earning fifth on Saturday with a victory over North Carolina’s Evan Henderson.

“I think it’s just toughness,” he said. “Obviously, you’re just crushed after that first loss. But you just have to regroup and know that you’re a good enough wrestler to go out there and be an All-American. You just have to go out there and wrestle. Don’t make excuses for yourself, just come back strong and go from there.  I just needed to go out and wrestle smart and wrestle my match. If I keep it tight and wrestle tough on top, I’m going to come out on top.”

In his first bout on Saturday, Nevinger was defeated by the top seed, Hunter Stieber of Ohio State.  However, in the fifth place bout, he began strong with a takedown and three back points to take a 5-0 advantage into the second.  The former Letchworth star extended his lead in the second with another takedown and after an exchange of escapes in the third, Nevinger walked away with a 9-2 win and a fifth place medal.

Nevinger went from seventh as a sophomore to fifth as a junior.  He’s looking for more in his final season as he said his goal is to be a national champion.

“All areas could use improvement,” he said.  “I definitely have to get more attacks going on my feet and work on my baseline ‘D’ like always. I know I have a lot of things to work on this summer so I can come back stronger next year.”

Steve Santos, Third at 149

Steve Santos became the highest finisher in Columbia wrestling history on Saturday when he took third at 149 pounds.

“It was a great accomplishment as an individual and for our program. It just feels awesome,” Santos said. “Columbia has a long history of wrestling and a great core following. To represent Columbia like that is a great feeling.”

Santos After Taking Third, Photo by BV

In his first contest of the morning, his opponent, Scott Sakaguchi of Oregon State struck first with a takedown, but Santos managed an escape to trail 2-1 after the opening stanza. Santos imposed his will in the second period, riding the Beaver wrestler for the entire two minutes.  In the final period, Santos took down and got right to his feet, reversing his opponent and riding him out for a 4-2 victory (with riding time) and a spot in the bronze match.

In that third place tilt, Santos once again took control, this time against last year’s NCAA runner up Dylan Ness of Minnesota.  He entered the second with a 4-2 lead and over 1:40 riding time.  In the third, Santos immediately took Ness down to increase his advantage to 6-2.  The Gopher escaped late, but the Brick, New Jersey native completed his Columbia career with a third place medal.

“I knew he likes to roll around like that, but I’m just as good in there,” Santos said of the unconventional Ness.  “I kept solid; I knew I didn’t want to let him wrestle his match. I kept my position and when he showed any vulnerabilities, I just attacked right away.”

Steve Bosak, Third at 184

It might not have been the perfect ending that Steve Bosak said he was looking for, but he finished his career on a high note by taking third place on Saturday with a 2-0 victory over Central Michigan’s Ben Bennett.

Bosak, Photo by BV

After a scoreless first period, the four-time All-American from the MAC chose down against Bosak.  However, he never came close to escaping and was warned for stalling twice, resulting in a point for the Big Red.  There was no further scoring in the third after Bosak took neutral and the Cornell 184-pounder collected a 2-0 victory with riding time to add a bronze medal to his 2012 national championship and 2011 fourth place showing.

“I was proud of how I wrestled and finished out. I feel good,” Bosak said right after the match, adding that his ultimate goal was to repeat as an NCAA champion.

“When the seedings came out, I felt disrespected,” he said of getting the #4 spot in the bracket. “I was unsure why the seeding committee did that, but when it came down to it, I knew I had to wrestle everyone anyway to win it.”

In his first bout of the morning, Bosak came out on the offensive, getting in deep on a shot early that was defended by his opponent, Jimmy Sheptock of Maryland.  However, the Big Red senior did put points on the board in the opening stanza with a takedown and then remained on top for the remaining 50 seconds of the first.  A Bosak escape in the third was the only other scoring in the bout as the Big Red senior finished off a 3-0 decision.

Cornell assistant coach Damion Hahn said Bosak will be extremely hard to replace for his squad.

“It’s emotional because we’ve been together for a long time,” he said of the 184-pounder. “He’s one of the Cornell greats. He did a phenomenal job this weekend. I know a national title is what he wanted. He fell a little short, but I don’t think anybody could be more pleased with his performance. He is a competitor, he has heart, he has every intangible thing you could want in a wrestler.  He will be greatly missed, no doubt about it.”

NCAA Session 4: Dake Earns Spot in the Finals (Again); Nevinger Joins List of New York All-Americans

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Four times at the NCAAs and four times in the finals for Kyle Dake.  The 165-pounder will take on David Taylor of Penn State in the finals Saturday night after blanking Oklahoma State’s Tyler Caldwell 2-0 in the semis.  After a scoreless opening period, Dake chose down and escaped in less than 10 seconds.  Entering the third, he held a 1-0 lead and added a point for riding time after staying in the top position the entire final stanza.

Dake, Photo by BV

Dake said “it feels good to be back” in the finals.  And he’s ready for the challenge that Taylor will present.

“[Taylor’s] basically imposing his will and everyone is scared to wrestle him,” Dake said. “But I’m not scared, so I’m not going to let him do that. We both kind of know that we both have that same, similar attitude where, you know, I’m taking away his dreams and he’s trying to take away mine. That’s just how it is. It comes with the sport.”

Dake was one of three semifinalists for the Big Red – along with 125-pound freshman Nahshon Garrett and 184-pound senior Steve Bosak.

Garrett squared off with Big 10 champion Jesse Delgado of Illinois, who came out firing from the start. The Fighting Illini grappler took a lead shortly after the opening whistle with a takedown and never looked back in a 10-5 decision. He will take on Virginia Tech’s Jarrod Garnett in the morning.

Three-time All-American Bosak went toe to toe with top-seeded Ed Ruth of Penn State in the semis, however, Ruth’s first period takedown, escape and riding time gave him a 4-1 decision over the Big Red grappler.

Steve Santos of Columbia, like Bosak, faced the number one seed, as he wrestled Jordan Oliver of Oklahoma State at 149 pounds.  Oliver scored early on his feet and led throughout in a 13-4 major.

While Dake, Garrett, Santos and Bosak ensured themselves spots on the medal stand earlier on Friday, 141-pounder Mike Nevinger needed a victory over Iowa’s Mark Ballweg in his first match of Session 4 to repeat as an All-American.

He got it done, beating the Hawkeye for the second time this season.

Nevinger, Photo by BV

The Big Red junior got off to a fast start, converting a Ballweg shot into a takedown of his own.  He quickly added a pair of back points and rode Ballweg out to take a 4-0 lead into the second with over two minutes of riding time.

The fireworks really started in the final stanza, when Ballweg made a furious comeback attempt, taking the Big Red wrestler down three times and earning a reversal.  However, Nevinger held on for the 12-8 win and a spot on the podium.

“It started off pretty good,” Nevinger said. “I got a takedown and a turn so I was up pretty big, 5-0, after ride time in the first period.  I wish I had closed it out a little better, but I mean, a win is a win.”

For Nevinger, it was the fourth victory in a row after losing in the opening round in overtime to Virginia Tech’s Zach Niebert.

“It was pretty heartbreaking, I mean, I came in here wanting to win,” Nevinger said of the first round loss. “I recomposed myself and I knew my team needed me. Two-time All-American is not bad at all.  I needed to come back for my team and for myself.”

Nevinger did that and kept the momentum going later Friday night when he topped Minnesota’s Nick Dardanes to ensure he will finish higher than he did a year ago when he took seventh.

Also in the Round of 12 was Binghamton’s Donnie Vinson.  The senior made a seven-match run to third place after losing in the first round in 2012.  He once again had a winning streak after an early setback in his senior campaign, however, it came to an end on Friday night.  Vinson led Oregon State’s Scott Sakaguchi for most of the match, but the Beaver grappler notched a takedown late in the third period to earn the victory.  Vinson completes his career with the Bearcats with the most wins in the history of the program as well as a plethora of additional accolades.

Maryland’s Christian Boley also came within one win of the medal stand, dropping a bout to Oklahoma State’s Blake Rosholt.

So at the end of Day 2, there are five All-Americans from New York, all of whom will finish in the top 6. Stay tuned to see where they place on Saturday.

Upcoming Matches:

125: Nahshon Garrett vs. Jarrod Garnett (Virginia Tech)

141: Mike Nevinger vs. Hunter Stieber (Ohio St)

149: Steve Santos vs. Scott Sakaguchi (Oregon St)

165: Kyle Dake vs. David Taylor (Penn St)

184: Steve Bosak vs. Jimmy Sheptock (Maryland)

NCAA Session 3: Cornell's Garrett Upsets McDonough, Joins Dake, Bosak and Santos in the Semis

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4-for-4 for New York.  In the Friday quarterfinals, Columbia’s Steve Santos and the Cornell trio of Nahshon Garrett, Kyle Dake and Steve Bosak all punched their tickets to the semifinals while solidifying All-American status.  They won’t be the only Empire State wrestlers in action in the evening, however, as the Big Red’s Mike Nevinger (141), Binghamton’s Donnie Vinson (149) and former Brockport standout Christian Boley (Maryland, 197) will compete in the Round of 12, looking to make the podium.

 

Binghamton:

Vinson, Photo by BV

Donnie Vinson continued his run through the consolations, beginning the morning with a victory over Michigan State’s Dan Osterman before an impressive 12-0 major over Michigan’s Eric Grajales.  197-pounder Nate Schiedel also got off to a winning start on Friday when he handled UTC’s Nik Brown.  In his second contest, he took an early lead against Iowa’s Nathan Burak, however, the Hawkeye followed by hitting a headlock and registering the fall.

133-pounder Derek Steeley was eliminated in the morning session with a loss to Maryland’s Geoff Alexander.

Upcoming Match

149: Donnie Vinson vs. Scott Sakaguchi (Oregon State) – Round of 12

 

Buffalo:

John-Martin Cannon endured a significant injury in his first match of the tournament, a victory over 12th seeded Mathew Miller of Navy.  He continued to battle, beginning his consolation action on Friday with a 3-2 tiebreaker win over Cal State Bakersfield’s Bryce Hammond.  After finishing regulation knotted at 1 and a scoreless sudden victory period, Cannon notched a reversal to move ahead 3-1.  Hammond later escaped, but it wasn’t enough.

Cannon next took the mat against Ohio’s Cody Walters.  The Bobcat got on the board first with a first period takedown and the wrestlers later traded escapes, resulting in a 3-1 decision for Walters.

 

Columbia:

Steve Santos became the school’s first All-American since Matt Palmer in 2007 when he defeated Air Force’s Cole Von Ohlen in the quarterfinals.  The Columbia senior avenged a loss to Von Ohlen at last year’s NCAAs.

The Ivy Leaguer took a 4-1 lead into the third period, where he brought his riding time advantage to over two minutes.  However, late in the stanza, his opponent escaped and then picked up a takedown with less than 20 seconds to go to make it 4-4 on the scoreboard.  Santos’s riding time was the difference in the 5-4 decision.

EIWA finalist Matt Bystol and senior Stephen West each collected a victory in their first trip to the NCAAs, before completing their seasons on Friday.

Upcoming Match

149: Steve Santos vs. Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma State), Semifinals

 

Cornell:

Garrett, Photo by BV

The Big Red wrestlers combined for a 5-0 record during Session 3, including a sweep of quarterfinal matches by Nahshon Garrett, Kyle Dake and Steve Bosak.  Garrett took on three-time NCAA finalist Matt McDonough of Iowa at 125 and fell behind 2-0 on a late first period takedown.  However, he got a key escape with just seconds left in the period to trail 2-1 after the opening stanza.  Garrett selected bottom and after McDonough notched just over a minute of riding time, the Cornell freshman got out to tie the score at 2.  Going into the third, the Hawkeye chose down and Garrett put on a dominant performance from the top position, riding the two-time NCAA champion out and forcing overtime.  (Garrett wound up with 58 seconds of riding time).

Garrett wasted little time in the sudden victory period, going on the offensive and earning the takedown to win a dramatic 4-2 match.

“I wasn’t nervous,” Garrett said. “I was much more excited than nervous. I didn’t think any of the pressure was on me.  I just went out there and wrestled.  I shot a couple of doubles earlier and got to his body. That last one [in sudden victory] was just a matter of strength and finishing.  It was just an awesome experience.”

There was far less drama for Kyle Dake at 165, as he controlled his bout against Virginia’s Nick Sulzer from the opening whistle.  Dake had his way in all three positions as he triumphed 13-0 in a match that was never in doubt. The win ensured that Dake will be a four-time All-American, although he’s shooting for loftier goals.

Steve Bosak made it two wins for the Big Red over the Hawkeyes on Friday morning when he defeated Ethen Lofthouse at 184.  After a scoreless first, Lofthouse chose bottom and Bosak went to work, remaining in control for the entire two minutes.  In the third, Bosak escaped quickly and added a takedown. With riding time tacked on at the end, the final score was 4-1.

Mike Nevinger made it three in a row in the wrestlebacks with a fall against Chris Mecate of Old Dominion in his opening action on Friday, followed by a 7-2 win over Missouri’s Nick Hucke later on.  The latter win avenged a loss to the Tiger at the Grapple at the Garden.

Upcoming Matches

125: Nahshon Garrett vs. Jesse Delgado (Illinois), Semifinals

165: Kyle Dake vs. Tyler Caldwell (Oklahoma St), Semifinals

184: Steve Bosak vs. Ed Ruth (Penn St), Semifinals

141: Mike Nevinger vs. Mark Ballweg (Iowa), Round of 12

 

Hofstra:

Steve Bonanno and Jamie Franco began Friday with victories in the wrestlebacks.  Bonanno topped Cal State Bakersfield’s Tyler Iwamura 7-4 while Franco triumphed in overtime for the second straight time when he reversed North Carolina’s Joey Ward in the tiebreakers to win 3-1.  Both completed their NCAA runs in the next round, however as Minnesota’s David Thorn topped Bonanno and Central Michigan’s Scotti Sentes defeated Franco at 133. Luke Vaith also completed his season on Friday, against Missouri’s Nick Hucke.

 

Additional New York Natives in the Field

Boley, Photo by BV

Christian Boley of Maryland collected a pair of victories on Day 2 to earn a spot in Session 4 Friday evening.  He first upended Arizona State’s Jake Meredith 6-3 before over Phil Wellington of Ohio.

Upcoming Match

Christian Boley (Maryland) vs. Blake Rosholt (Oklahoma St), Round of 12

Reviewing NCAA Session 2: Cornell's Dake, Bosak and Garrett Join Columbia's Santos in the Quarterfinals

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Four New York wrestlers earned bids to the quarterfinals with victories in Session 2 on Thursday night.  The Cornell trio of Nahshon Garrett (125), Kyle Dake (165) and Steve Bosak (184) all advanced, as did Columbia’s Steve Santos (149).  Dake and Bosak controlled their matches all the way, while Garrett and Santos came back from early deficits to get their hands raised.  For more on how Session 2 went for all six of the Empire State’s Division 1 squads as well as additional New York natives, see below.

Army:

The Black Knights wrestled a number of close matches, but won’t have grapplers in the competition on Day 2.

149-pounder Daniel Young had a brutal draw, leading returning NCAA finalist Dylan Ness in the third period of his opener before the Minnesota wrestler notched a late takedown and then losing to nationally-ranked Andrew Alton. Connor Hanafee (141), Paul Hancock (165) and Bryce Barnes (197) also completed their seasons on Thursday.

Binghamton:

Donnie Vinson rebounded from a loss earlier in the day by easily handling Clarion’s Tyler Bedelyon in his first wrestleback contest.  He will be one of three Bearcats on the mat on Friday.  Derek Steeley and Nate Schiedel will also compete in the consolations after Round of 16 setbacks.

Upcoming Matches:

133: Derek Steeley vs. Geoff Alexander (Maryland)

149: Donnie Vinson vs. Dan Osterman (Michigan St)

197: Nate Schiedel vs. Nik Brown (UTC)

Buffalo:

After a gutsy 5-4 victory over #12 Mathew Miller in Round 1, John-Martin Cannon, dropped an 8-3 decision to returning All-American Josh Asper of Maryland.  The senior will square off with Cal State Bakersfield’s Bryce Hammond in Friday’s first session.

Upcoming Matches:

174: John-Martin Cannon vs. Bryce Hammond (Bakersfield)

Cornell:

Garrett, Photo by BV

The first two Big Red grapplers to take the mat on Thursday evening got the team off to a good start.  Jace Bennett responded to an early morning loss to Mario Gonzalez of Illinois by pinning Ohio State’s Andrew Campolattano at 197.  Shortly afterwards, Nahshon Garrett overcame a late 3-2 deficit with a tilt and back points in the third to defeat Stanford’s Evan Silver, 5-3.  With the victory, Garrett moves on to the quarterfinals against Iowa’s Matt McDonough.  Also continuing on to the Round of 8 are top seeded Kyle Dake at 165, who dominated from start to finish against fellow New York native Ryan LeBlanc (Indiana) and 184-pounder Steve Bosak, who blanked Navy’s Mason Bailey, 2-0.

Returning All-American Mike Nevinger beat Lehigh’s Anthony Salupo at 141 to move forward, however, teammates Chris Villalonga (149), Jace Bennett (197) and Stryker Lane (285) were eliminated on Thursday night.

Upcoming Matches:

125: Nahshon Garrett vs. Matt McDonough (Iowa)

165: Kyle Dake vs. Nick Sulzer (Virginia)

184: Steve Bosak vs. Ethen Lofthouse (Iowa)

141: Mike Nevinger vs. Chris Mecate (ODU)

Columbia:

Fifth-seeded Steve Santos faced #12 Eric Grajales of Michigan in the Round of 16 and the Wolverine scored first, taking an early 2-0 lead.  However, Santos responded with a pair of escapes and then notched a takedown with just a few seconds left in the second period to go ahead 4-2.  As he has most of the season, Santos owned the final stanza, riding his opponent for the bulk of the period before adding insurance points after an escape for a 6-3 win.

EIWA finalist Matt Bystol came out on top against Davidson’s Anthony Elias in the consolations, while 174-pounder Stephen West won a 4-2 decision over Cody Weishoff of Oregon State to move on to Friday action.

Upcoming Matches:

133: Matt Bystol vs. Scotti Sentes (Central Michigan)

149: Steve Santos vs. Cole Von Ohlen (Air Force)

174: Stephen West vs. Nick Bonaccorsi (Pitt)

Hofstra:

In the Round of 16, Steve Bonanno took an early lead against the #7 seed, Nathan Kraisser of North Carolina, however the Tar Heel responded to collect a 5-3 triumph.  At 141, Luke Vaith dropped his bout against fourth-seeded Mitchell Port of Edinboro.  Bonanno and Vaith will be joined on the mat on Friday by 133-pounder Jamie Franco, who came back from a deficit to capture a 6-4 triumph in sudden victory.

Upcoming Matches

125: Steve Bonanno vs. Tyler Iwamura (Bakersfield)

133: Jamie Franco vs. Joey Ward (UNC)

141: Luke Vaith vs. Nick Hucke (Missouri)

Additional New York wrestlers remaining in the field for Day 2 are Billy Watterson of Brown at 125, Josh Veltre (165) and Nick Wilcox of Bloomsburg (133), Steven Keith of Harvard at 141, Ryan LeBlanc of Indiana at 165 and Christian Boley of Maryland at 197.

Upcoming Matches:

125: Billy Watterson (Brown) vs. David Thorn (Minnesota)

133: Nick Wilcox (Bloomsburg) vs. Shelton Mack (Pitt)

141: Steven Keith (Harvard) vs. Bryan Pearsall (Penn State)

165: Josh Veltre (Bloomsburg) vs. Nate Moore (Iowa)

165: Ryan LeBlanc (Indiana) vs. John Staudenmeyer (UNC)

197: Christian Boley (Maryland) vs. Jake Meredith (Arizona St)

 

Session I NCAA Recap: Cornell Sends Three, Binghamton and Hofstra Both Advance Two to the Round of 16

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After Session I of the 2013 NCAA Championships in Des Moines,  a number of New York wrestlers remain in the championship bracket.  A few will meet in the Round of 16, with Cornell’s top-seeded Kyle Dake taking on Indiana’s Ryan LeBlanc, a former Section 3 star, at 165 pounds.

Hofstra’s Steve Bonanno defeated Air Force’s #10 seed Josh Martinez in one of the “upsets” in favor of New York wrestlers.  On the other end of upsets were a pair of 2012 All-Americans, who both fell in overtime.  Binghamton’s Donnie Vinson, the number three seed at 149, dropped a bout to American’s Kevin Tao while Cornell’s Mike Nevinger was upended by Virginia Tech’s Zach Niebert.

Here is a team-by-team Session I recap for each of the six New York colleges as well as for former New York high schoolers.

Army:

Daniel Young gave returning NCAA finalist Dylan Ness a major scare in Round 1, taking the lead with a reversal early in the third and going over a minute of riding time.  However, the Golden Gopher responded with a late takedown and erased the RT advantage, taking a 4-2 victory.  Paul Hancock, Connor Hanafee and Bryce Barnes will also get to work in the consolation brackets.  Barnes notched a takedown against Bloomsburg’s Richard Perry as time expired in the third period to tie the bout at 5, however, Perry picked up two of his own in the sudden victory session to get the win.

Army’s next matches

Consolations:

141: Connor Hanafee vs. Nathan Pennesi (West Virginia)

149: Daniel Young vs. Andrew Alton (Penn State)

165: Paul Hancock vs. Tyler Wilps (Pitt)

197: Bryce Barnes vs. Derrick Borlie (Virginia Tech)

 

Binghamton:

We all know Donnie Vinson can wrestle back really well after he captured seven straight victories at the NCAAs in 2012 to take the bronze.  He’ll have to do the same again this time, as he lost a match in the tiebreaker to American’s Kevin Tao after handling Ohio State’s Ian Paddock in the pigtail round.  Joining him in the consolations will be 184-pounder Cody Reed, who lost by decision to sixth-seeded Ryan Loder of Northern Iowa.

Victorious in their first bouts were 133-pounder Derek Steeley who prevailed over Fox Lane High’s Sam Speno of North Carolina State and 197-pounder Nate Schiedel, who dominated Conner Hartmann of Duke in a 10-1 major.

Binghamton’s next matches

Championship Bracket:

133: Derek Steeley vs. (4) AJ Schopp (Edinboro)

197: (7) Nate Schiedel vs. (10) Scott Schiller, Minnesota

Consolations:

149: (3) Donnie Vinson vs. Tyler Bedelyon (Clarion)

184: Cody Reed vs. Ophir Bernstein (Brown)

 

Buffalo:

Cannon, Photo by BV

John-Martin Cannon won a hard-fought 5-4 clash with 12th seeded Mathew Miller of Navy, with riding time the difference.  His teammates similarly faced tough draws, with Blake Roulo and Mark Lewandowski dropping their initial bouts to the seventh and third seeds, respectively (Scott Sakaguchi of Oregon State and Peter Yates of Virginia Tech).  Max Soria was upended in the pigtail round by Penn’s Mark Rappo.

Buffalo’s next matches

Championship Bracket:

174: John-Martin Cannon vs. (5) Josh Asper, Maryland

Consolations:

125: Max Soria vs. Eddie Klimara (Oklahoma State)

149: Blake Roulo vs. Josh Roosa (Bloomsburg)

165: Mark Lewandowski vs. Mike Ottinger (Central Michigan)/Austin Wilson (Nebraska)

 

Columbia:

Steve Santos, a Round of 12 finisher a year ago, began with a fall in his opening match against UTC’s Alex Hudson.  It was a tough battle, with Santos falling behind early before taking control in the third period.  Jake O’Hara dropped his pigtail bout to Penn State’s Dylan Alton while Matt Bystol and Josh Houldsworth lost to seeded wrestlers Cody Brewer and Cody Yohn, respectively.  Jon Fausey of Virginia picked up a 3-0 victory over Stephen West of the Lions at 174.

Columbia’s next matches

Championship Bracket:

149: Steve Santos vs. (12) Eric Grajales (Michigan)

Consolations:

133: Matt Bystol vs. Anthony Elias (Davidson)

157: Jake O’Hara vs. Ryan Watts (Michigan St)

165: Josh Houldsworth vs. Ramon Santiago (Rider)

174: Stephen West vs. Cody Weishoff (Oregon State)

 

Cornell:

Defending national champions Kyle Dake (165) and Steve Bosak (184) began the day with shutouts, with Dake topping Ohio State’s Mark Martin 3-0 and Bosak breezing past Ty Vinson of Oregon State 12-0.  Nahshon Garrett was also dominant, with a 10-1 major decision over Campbell’s Eric Montoya in his first-ever NCAA action.  The Big Red’s other seeded wrestler, Mike Nevinger, battled Virginia Tech’s Zach Niebert in a low scoring affair won by the Hokie 3-1 on a reversal in the overtime.  He’ll look to go on a winning streak in the wrestlebacks as he did in 2012, as will 149-pounder Chris Villalonga, 197-pounder Jace Bennett and heavyweight Stryker Lane.

Cornell’s next matches

Championship Bracket:

125: Nahshon Garrett vs. Evan Silver (Stanford)

165: Kyle Dake vs. Ryan LeBlanc (Indiana)

184: Steve Bosak vs. Mason Bailey (Navy)

Consolations:

141: (11) Mike Nevinger vs. Anthony Salupo (Lehigh)

149: Chris Villalonga vs. Ian Paddock (Ohio State)/David Habat (Edinboro)

197: Jace Bennett vs. Andrew Campolattano (Ohio State)

285: Stryker Lane vs. Blake Herrin (American)

 

Hofstra:

Bonanno, Photo by BV

Returning All-American Steve Bonanno got off to another good start at the NCAA tournament, decisively defeating #10 seed Josh Martinez of Air Force in Round 1.  The Pride wrestler trailed early but kept the pace high and moved ahead 8-2 after the second stanza with some late back points.  He finished with a 9-2 decision.  Joining Bonanno as a first round winner was 141-pounder Luke Vaith, who topped West Virginia’s Nathan Pennesi.  Jamie Franco was edged 3-2 at 133 pounds by Pittsburgh’s Shelton Mack.

Hofstra’s next matches

Championship Bracket:

125: Steve Bonanno vs. (7) Nathan Kraisser (North Carolina)

141: Luke Vaith vs. (4) Mitchell Port (Edinboro)

Consolations:

133: Jamie Franco vs. Brandon Gambucci (Duke)/Devon Lotito (Cal Poly)

 

Additional NY High School Wrestlers

Winning their first round bouts were: Billy Watterson (John Jay HS, Brown), Steven Keith (Shoreham Wading River HS, Harvard), Josh Veltre (Greece Olympia HS, Bloomsburg) and Ryan LeBlanc (Morrisville Eaton, Indiana).

Next Matches, Championship Round

125: Billy Watterson (Brown) vs. (2) Jesse Delgado (Illinois)

141: Steven Keith (Harvard) vs. Hunter Stieber (Ohio State)

165: (9) Josh Veltre (Bloomsburg) vs. (8) Nick Sulzer (Virginia)

165: Ryan LeBlanc (Indiana) vs. (1) Kyle Dake, (Cornell)

Consolations:

133: Nick Wilcox (Bloomsburg) vs. Daryl Thomas (Illinois)

133: Sam Speno (North Carolina State) vs. Rossi Bruno (Michigan)

133: Jimmy Morris (Rider) vs. Mackenzie McGuire (Kent State)

149: Ian Paddock (Ohio State) vs. David Habat (Edinboro)

165: John Greisheimer (Edinboro) vs. Pierce Harger (Northwestern)

197: Christian Boley (Maryland) vs. Conner Hartmann (Duke)

285: Steven Graziano (Penn) vs. Evan Knutson (North Dakota St)