Category Archives: Section 4

Live Stream to Begin at 5 for Windsor Christmas Tournament; Finals Matches Set

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The live stream is now complete.  Thank you for your attendance.

Finals Results:

99 Pounds: John Arceri (Huntington) TF Collyn Shippos (Ithaca), 16-0

106 Pounds: Jimmy Overhiser (Corning) fall Kyle Mock (Huntington) :45

113 Pounds: Kyle Kelly (Chenango Forks) fall Dylan Wood (Walton) 1:12

120 Pounds: Nate Hayes (Windsor) dec Anthony Colon (Chenango Valley), 4-0

126 Pounds:  Corey Jamison (Huntington) dec William Koll (Lansing), 3-1

132 Pounds: Tristan Rifanburg (Norwich) fall Jesse Griswold (BGA), 1:52

138 Pounds: Connor Lapresi (Lansing) dec Justin Cirigliano (BGA), 8-4

145 Pounds: Brandon Mendez (Huntington) maj Trevor Parrish (Greene), 11-1

152 Pounds: Kyle Halladay (Chenango Valley) dec Dan Dickman (Greene), 3-2

160 Pounds: Mike Beckwith (Greene) dec Leland Slawson (Unatego), 4-0

170 Pounds: Christian Dietrich (Greene) TF Ryan Marszal (Unatego), 16-0

182 Pounds: Mike Beers (Walton) dec Andy Martinez (Liberty), 4-0

195 Pounds: Mark Viviano (BGA) fall Matt Brozovic (ME), 1:38

220 Pounds: Ryan Wolcott (Waverly) dec Nick Lupi (Huntington), 2-1

285 Pounds: Anthony Puca (Huntington) dec Andrew Brinser (Union Endicott), 3-0

Final Team Scores

1. Huntington 168

2. Greene 123

3. Canandaigua 115

4. Union Endicott 111

5  BGA 106

 

Windsor Christmas Tournament Features Several State Title Contenders – Watch LIVE STREAM of the Finals

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To watch the live stream of the Windsor Finals, see HERE.

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For over a half-century, some of the best in the state have traveled to Section 4 at the end of December for the oldest organized tournament in New York.

The Windsor Christmas Tournament will once again boast talent from around the Empire State and beyond, including squads from at least five Sections and from Pennsylvania.

Last year’s field included four 2012 state champions as well as more than 13 state placewinners, according to Windsor head coach Jeffery Nolan.

A number of those wrestlers will be back, including two-time state champion Kyle Kelly of Chenango Forks, who will be looking to add to his storied career.

“Kyle Kelly has won three times,” Nolan said. “In all these years we’ve only had five wrestlers win four titles. It would be special if he joined that pretty elite group.”

Kelly is one of six returning champions from the 2011 event, along with Suffolk County’s Corey Jamison and Anthony Puca of Huntington, Greene teammates Mike Beckwith and Joel Roselle and Tristan Rifanburg of Norwich.

Fans can watch these wrestlers try to get on top of the podium again as for the first time in the tournament’s history, the finals will be available to watch via livestream.

“We take a lot of pride in this tournament,” Nolan said. “When I started here, it became one of my biggest priorities right away. We’ve tried to make small improvements, mostly technological. We are excited for the opportunity to livestream our finals, which is something we’ve wanted to do in the past but hadn’t pulled the trigger.”

The title bouts are scheduled to begin on Friday, December 28 at 5 p.m.  However, given the developing weather situation in the area, that time may change.  Stay tuned.

The link to the livestream is : HERE

Those finals should feature state title contenders at a number of classes.

“There is quality depth at a lot of weights,” Nolan said. “A few stand out right away. 126 should be interesting and 220 is shaping up to be a heck of a weight.”

William Koll, Photo by BV

At 126 pounds, entrants include former state champion William Koll of Lansing, defending champion (at 120) Corey Jamison of Huntington (the number two seed in Albany a year ago) and qualifier Jake Green of Chenango Forks. Green, who recently won a tough class at the PSAL Holiday tournament at Madison Square Garden, split matches with Jamison a year ago.  Additionally, a pair of state qualifiers — the currently undefeated Richie Burke of Ithaca and Austin Ryan of Unatego — will add to the competitiveness at 126 as will Susquehanna Valley’s Ian Lupole.

Another bracket to watch will be at 220 pounds, led by nationally-ranked Nick Lupi of Huntington. The Section 11 wrestler dropped a one-point overtime decision to 2012 state champion Kyle Stanton of Greene in the Windsor title bout last December. Lupi will see some great matches with returning Section 4 champion Ryan Wolcott of Waverly, Matt Abbott of Windsor (third at this tournament in 2011), Canandaigua’s Tyler Ordiway and Union Endicott’s Lucas Depofi in the mix.
In all, more than half of the wrestlers ranked in the top two of their weight classes in the Section 4 rankings are scheduled to be in attendance at the tournament.

Last year, Section 2’s Colonie took the team title by 20 points over Suffolk County’s Huntington. Less than 10 points behind were squads in third to sixth place – Greene, Norwich, Towanda and Union Endicott.  This year, Nolan calls the field “wide open” and believes last year’s ninth place finisher, Unatego, will have an impact on the tournament with wrestlers such as Austin Ryan, Leland Slawson, Codie Nichols, Kevin Thayer and Ryan Marszal.

Action will begin at 5 p.m. on Thursday, December 27, weather permitting.

This year’s participating teams:

Bainbridge-Guilford/Afton, Canandaigua, Chenango Forks, Chenango Valley, Corning, Greene, Huntington, Ithaca, Lansing, Liberty, Maine Endwell, Norwich, Saratoga Springs, Southern Cayuga, Susquehanna Valley, Towanda PA, Union Endicott, Unadilla Valley, Unatego, Walton, Waverly, Windsor

Top 5 Seeds at Each Weight

99 Pounds:

  1. John Arceri (Huntington)
  2. Richard Schrade (Saratoga Springs)
  3. Colyn Shippos (Ithaca)
  4. Jake Lehr (Chenango Valley)
  5. Grant Gannon (Union Endicott)

106 Pounds:

  1. Jimmy Overhiser (Corning)
  2. Cole Rifanburg (Norwich)
  3. Kyle Mock (Huntington)
  4. Jared Lines (Towanda)
  5. Declan Levine (Ithaca)

113 Pounds:

  1. Kyle Kelly (Chenango Forks)
  2. Dominic Inzana (Saratoga Springs)
  3. Kobe Garrehy (Maine Endwell)
  4. Dylan Wood (Walton)
  5. Mikey Carr (Union Endicott)

120 Pounds:

  1. Hunter Rumpf (Saratoga Springs)
  2. Nate Hayes (Windsor)
  3. Logan Robinson (Walton)
  4. Ryan Castle (Greene)
  5. Kyle Hughes (Union Endicott)

126 Pounds:

  1. William Koll (Lansing)
  2. Corey Jamison (Huntington)
  3. Richie Burke (Ithaca)
  4. Jacob Green (Chenango Forks)
  5. Ian Lupole (Susquehanna Valley)

132 Pounds:

  1. Tristan Rifanburg (Norwich)
  2. Jesse Griswold (BGA)
  3. Brock Post (Maine Endwell)
  4. Terrick Vargason (Towanda)
  5. Carl Rouse (Chenango Forks)

138 Pounds:

  1. Connor Lapresi (Lansing)
  2. Justin Cirigliano (BGA)
  3. Zak Garrehy (Maine Endwell)
  4. Austyn Bostick (Waverly)
  5. Vinny Romeo (Canandaigua)

145 Pounds:

  1. Codie Nichols (Unatego)
  2. Trevor Parrish (Greene)
  3. Evan Vershay (Canandaigua)
  4. Brandon Mendez (Huntington)
  5. Joey Peters (Waverly)

152 Pounds:

  1. Dan Dickman (Greene)
  2. Kyle Halladay (Chenango Valley)
  3. Kevin Thayer (Unatego)
  4. Brandon Hamilton (Maine Endwell)
  5. Ian VanValen (Ithaca)

160 Pounds:

  1. Mike Beckwith (Greene)
  2. Leland Slawson (Unatego)
  3. Brandon Ellers (Waverly)
  4. Justin Hunsinger (Towanda)
  5. John Mallouk (Huntington)

170 Pounds:

  1. Ryan Marszal (Unatego)
  2. Christian Dietrich (Greene)
  3. Nathan Bomysoad (Union Endicott)
  4. Isaiah Zimmer (Chenango Forks)
  5. Robert Woodward (Chenango Valley)

182 Pounds:

  1. Andy Martinez (Liberty)
  2. Mike Beers (Walton)
  3. Seth Gordon (Windsor)
  4. Tristian Roche (Susquehanna Valley)
  5. Riley Hanrahan (Unatego)

195 Pounds:

  1. Mark Viviano (BGA)
  2. Matt Brozovic (Maine Endwell)
  3. Gustavo Loarca (Saratoga Springs)
  4. Danny Dillon (Canandaigua)
  5. Jeff Klossner (Waverly)

220 Pounds:

  1. Nick Lupi (Huntington)
  2. Ryan Wolcott (Waverly)
  3. Matt Abbott (Windsor)
  4. Tyler Ordiway (Canandaigua)
  5. Lucas Depofi (Union Endicott)

285 Pounds:

  1. Anthony Puca (Huntington)
  2. Steve Kerrigan (Susquehanna Valley)
  3. Jim Helin (Saratoga Springs)
  4. Austin Lamb (Canandaigua)
  5. Andrew Brinser (Union Endicott)

 

Grapplers from All Over NY (Plus Michigan, Ohio and PA) Gearing Up for the NYWAY Kickoff Classic on Jan 6

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Last year, the inaugural NYWAY Kickoff Classic brought several hundred youth wrestlers from five to 14 years old to the campus of Cornell University.  Many of the standouts from that event continued to make names for themselves throughout the season, including some at the varsity level.

A few examples: Penfield’s Frankie Gissendanner was named MOW at his first varsity tournament and won the prestigious Top Hat event in Pennsylvania at 126 pounds– as a seventh grader.  Alexander’s Dane Heberlein has already made an impact at 99 pounds in Section 5 while Michigan’s Devin Schroder, who won the NYWAY Kickoff a year ago at 105-110 pounds, went on to take All-America honors at the FloNationals in April at 106 as an eighth grader.

The second annual NYWAY Kickoff Classic on January 6 promises to be another top notch event, this time at Niagara County Community College (NCCC) in Sanborn, New York.  NCCC head coach Keith Maute, who is also the Director of Cobra Wrestling Academy, will serve as Tournament Director.

Around 100 wrestlers from Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania have already committed to attend and enrollment from New York has been strong.  In fact, the expectation is that over 400 youth wrestlers between the ages of five and 14 will compete.

“We are hoping to make this a true New York state championship with registration from all around the state,” said Kevin Lucinski, NYWAY’s Far Western Director. “Having top kids from other states just adds to the competition.  We want people to know that it will be professionally paired with New York certified referees and full mats.  We’re hoping it will be a flagship event for NYWAY and Section 6.”

The champion in each of the 59 weight classes will receive custom Cage Fighter shorts (pictured) and the top four finishers in each bracket will earn medals.

Lucinski notes that there has been a change to the registration process.  Rather than signing up online, all registration must be done using the mail-in form, which is here: 2013-NYWAY-KICK3

Please send the registration to:

Cobra Wrestling Academy

351 Pine St

Lockport, NY 14094

If you have already registered and paid online, please confirm your registration by e-mailing Kevin Lucinski at kslucinski@yahoo.com.

 

Rob Koll's Cornell Update After the Grapple at the Garden

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By Rob Koll

Happy holidays to all!  Here is my Grapple at the Apple update.

Nahshon Garrett deserves a great deal of credit for competing this weekend. Nahshon sprained his ankle on Thursday and I was informed by Chris Scarlata, our trainer, that there was virtually no way he would be capable of wrestling on Sunday. A day later he was hobbling around in a boot and on crutches. The following day he snuck into the Friedman Center at night so he could try to get used to the pain. By Sunday he was wrestling. The problem is he wasn’t able to work out, and thus he had to cut all his weight the morning of the match. He looked horrible in the Missouri match, not because of the injury, but because he had not recovered from the weight cut. By the time we wrestled Oklahoma State, he had recovered, and he looked more like himself. Nahshon is one tough customer. He is also the consummate team player. His only problem is he is chronically late for everything. Travis Lee had this same malaise so I can only assume these guys have their clocks set on West Coast time. He is going to be left at the hotel the next time he shows up late. Of course if he keeps winning I might hold the bus a couple extra minutes!

Nick Arujau finally got back into the lineup but was less than impressive. Nick was one dimensional on his feet, listless on bottom and desperate on top. His performance was particularly disappointing because he has such impressive moments in the practice room. The Southern Scuffle will give us an opportunity to see both Bricker Dixon and Nick in action at the same time. The tournament results will serve as a barometer for choosing our starter at this weight class.

Mike Nevinger did not have one of his finer performances against Missouri but bounced back against Oklahoma State. I am going to give Cornell Engineering finals the benefit of this defeat. Although this was not an ideal time for our guys to be competing, coming directly off finals, I believe it might have affected Mike the most. He did not have a great week of training and it showed. I am confident we will see a vastly improved Nevinger in Chattanooga.

Chris Villalonga went 1-1 on the day winning an overtime victory over #15 Drake Houdashelt of Missouri but was defeated by #1 Jordan Oliver of OSU.  Chris frustrates his coaches when he wrestles from the tie. He is not an overpowering wrestler so when he gets tied up, he is much less effective. It seems to be a sort of safety blanket for him. He is very tough on top so he doesn’t need to score a lot on his feet but he has to score more if he hopes to get to the NCAA podium.

Jesse Shanaman returned to the lineup after a five week layoff caused by an injury. Jesse defeated a very tough Missouri opponent. Unfortunately he pulled his hamstring in the first match. We knew he hurt his hamstring but he assured us it was nothing. When he could barely defend himself against OSU we knew the injury was more than “nothing”. Although I respect Jesse for his toughness, and desire to compete, he needs to do a better job of allowing us to protect him from himself. If we let him he would bring a sleeping bag into the Friedman Training Center. He is a tireless worker but we need to make sure he is healthy in March.

Kyle Dake was named the Outstanding Wrestler for the day going 2-0 with victories over two nationally ranked opponents.

Marshall Peppelman and Duke Pickett both wrestled hard, but neither was able to come up with a victory. I am interested to see both of these wrestlers compete at the Southern Scuffle if for no other reason than to see who takes control of this weight class.

Steve Bosak returned to the mats after a two month hiatus. Steve is not at his best but still came away with victories against two nationally ranked opponents. Steve will quickly work himself back into shape and should be close to 100% for the Southern Scuffle.

Sixteen of Jace Bennett‘s nineteen matches have ended by either fall or major decision. Although this is impressive, five of these matches have ended in a negative fashion. Jace has shown great potential but giving up pins is unacceptable. Jace is great on top but gets far too reckless with his legs. Billy George and Jace will be battling in Tennessee to see who will represent the Big Red going forward.

Stryker Lane faced the 2nd and 3rd ranked wrestlers and although he wrestled hard he was unable to pull off a victory. Stryker has made significant improvements from last year and is a consistent performer for the Big Red.  He is currently ranked #1 in the EIWA at 285.

Up Next: The Southern Scuffle @ Chattanooga, TN, 1/1- 1/2

All the best, Rob

Next Generation of Studs Shine at the PSAL Holiday Tournament

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By Matt Diano

With many of their collegiate wrestling heroes competing directly next to and/or across from them, the student-athletes from nearly 40 schools, spanning everywhere from Long Island, the five boroughs, and New Jersey proved that it will not be long before it is them participating in the main event at the world’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden.

Having earned the right to take part in the historic Grapple at the Garden (the first college wrestling event ever hosted by the 34th Street Mecca of sporting events) by surviving an elimination tournament the previous day at Harry S. Truman High School, the top 8 grapplers in each weight class excitedly took their turns creating lifelong memories. Whether they won or lost their respective placement matches, no one will ever be able to take away the fact that their legacies are forever carved into foundation of the building that knows no equal and needs no introduction. And, in the end, hand raised or not, there were no losers. We (fans, competitors, media, etc.) all won because we got the experience the best of both worlds; we were privy to seeing the best of the present, while equally mindful that we were getting treated to a rare and unmatched look at the future. For every Dake/Caldwell or Garrett/Waters match, there was a scholastic equivalent, such as Kelly/Ndiaye, Roberts/Rose, or Thompson/Green. While only 26 (including the ladies) individuals would leave as titlists, all entered and exited as champions.

Getting the party started at 99 pounds would be freshman phenom John Busiello from Eastport South Manor in Suffolk County. A decorated wrestler on the youth level, Busiello, who was a 20+ match winner for the varsity as an 8th grader, entered the Garden as the #3 ranked wrestler in his weight class in Section XI. If he wrestles the rest of the season the way he did this weekend, there is every reason to foresee him moving up a few spots on that totem pole. Going 3-0 between the two day affair, Busiello recorded bonus points in all of his bouts, outscoring his first and last victims by a combined tally of 31-3, sandwiched around a third period fall in the semifinals. He would claim the hardware with a 19-3 technical fall over fellow Long Islander Matt Maquet, of Long Beach in Section VIII.

Brooklyn would be in the house at the 106-pound weight class as defending NYS Private School Champion, Noah Malamut of Poly Prep, would score one for the five boroughs when he bested Maquet’s teammate, Charlie Spada, in a high scoring finals battle. Jumping out to the early lead, including a pivotal tilt for near-fall points, the junior from PP would have to contend with a late rally from his opposition, showing strong defense down the stretch to emerge with the 11-8 decision. Malamut would be the only individual champ for Poly Prep, leading the hometown favorite to a top-10 (8th) finish in the team standings.

Kelly vs. Ndiaye, http://www.phototrens.com

113 would be one of the highlight bouts of the afternoon as Chenango Forks’s two-time defending NYS DI Champion, Kyle Kelly, would be pitted against the 2012 NYS DII runner-up, Cheick Ndiaye, of Brooklyn International. With points expected to be at a premium in such a hotly contested battle of returning Empire State finalists, it would be the Binghamton University bound Kelly that struck in a big way, locking up a cradle and taking it over to gain the early lead. He would not look back, fending off the athletic and immensely polished Ndiaye 6-4. For the weekend, Kelly went 3-0, with Ndiaye being the only foe who was able to make it out of the first period against him.

Two weight classes later, it would be Kelly’s teammate, Jake Green, making it 2-for-2 for Forks over opponents from Brooklyn. Regarded as a slight underdog in the 126 pound title bout after his opponent, 2012 PSAL Large School Champion, Keanu Thompson (Grand Street Campus), defeated NHSCA All-American Travis Passaro (ESM) 7-3 in the semifinals, Green refused to be intimidated, scoring the only takedowns of the match to win a hard fought 4-2 decision. This victory should serve as a major confidence booster for Green as he looks to repeat as a Section IV champion and earn his first All-State placement in 2013. For Thompson, who prior to the loss had been on a hot streak (including a win over Ndiaye earlier in the season), the goal is to put the loss behind him and get back on track. The senior captain from Grand Street Campus came one victory short of the podium last season in Albany.

Getting Staten Island in the win column was standout extraordinaire, Santo Curatolo. A senior who is seeking his fourth career PSAL DI title, Curatolo might be among the fastest growing prospects in the Empire State. After falling to place in Albany for the third straight season, the Tottenville student-athlete has been on a tear, commencing with an All-American finish in Junior Greco-Roman in Fargo this past summer. Curatolo would show no mercy on the field this weekend, pinning two of his opponents and adding a 13-1 major decision to reign supreme at 120 pounds. His finals win, a 1:38 fall via cement mixer (I call it a Billman Mixer in tribute to former Pennsylvania great, Jamarr Billman, who hit a similar variation of the move in the 1997 AAA state finals his senior season) came over Wingate’s Kenton Greaves in what could potentially represent a preview of the 2013 NYC finals.

After watching two of his PSAL peers fall short of their championship goals, one wrestler who had no intention of kowtowing to Coach Rick Gumble’s mighty Forks squad was New Utrecht 132 pounder, Saidyokub Kahramonov. A runner-up in 2012 to current Brown University freshman, Ahmed Elsayed, Kahramonov is a heavy favorite to make his second consecutive trip to the state capital after being an injury placement last season. He certainly had his “A” game on full display 72 hours ago, finishing a perfect sweep of pins when he stuck returning Section IV bronze medalist, Carl Rouse, with 24 seconds remaining in the second period. Kahramonov also had falls over 2012 USA Wrestling Schoolboy Greco-Roman All-American, Leonard Merkin (Poly Prep), and 2012 Catholic High School Athletic Association returning placewinner, Ralph Maio, of Monsignor Farrell.

Starting a trend that would see his school take the titles at three of the next four weight classes was Long Branch’s Nick Menkin. A winner of just under 30 matches as a sophomore, the wrestler who missed out on the chance to compete at the New Jersey State tournament when he finished 4th at the regional qualifier, was not in a generous mood on Saturday and Sunday. 4-0 on the weekend, Menkin did not have a match closer than six points (his 9-3 win in the finals over Farrell’s Karl Weisner), pinning one of his opponents, teching another, and major decisioning the third (15-4) en route to the title bout and the eventual hardware. Complementing the efforts of their teammate were a pair of Georges (cousins). Striking first in the battle for ultimate family bragging rights would be 145-pounder, Nick, who after hanging on for a 6-4 decision in the semifinals over two-time PSAL runner-up, Nigel Williams of Eagle Academy, really poured it on in the finals, controlling all of the action and scoring the only takedowns of the match, defeating Columbia High School’s (Section II) Jim Devine 8-2 in the championship bout. Not to be outdone, at 160, it was Jake, whose older brother, William is a wrestler at Cornell University, making it an even 2-for-2 for the family when he made it back-to-back victories over foes from Columbia (their third consecutive finalist), outlasting Chris Morrissey, 7-5 in overtime. 220-pounder, Vincent Roselli, would also win in overtime, 5-3 over Paul Okeke of Clarkstown South, to account for the fourth and final individual gold for the eventual team champs from across the bridge.

Preventing Columbia from dropping three straight championship matches was Angelo Kress at 152 pounds. A state qualifier at this weight last season as a sophomore, Kress finished 6th (in the adjusted placements that do not include CHSAA or PSAL representatives). If he wrestles in Albany the way he did in the Big Apple, it is almost a surefire guarantee that the defending Section II champion will move up a few rungs on the proverbial ladder. Pinning his first two opponents in an average time of 2:22, Kress must have had big plans on Sunday afternoon as he wasted no time at all coming, seeing, and conquering. Pitted against 2012 PSAL Large School bronze medalist, Konstantin Parfiryev, from James Madison, Kress would put leave no doubt as to who the best of the best was, pinning his finals opponent in 54 seconds, the quickest fall of the championship round. One of two champs on the day for Columbia (the other coming in the last bout of the tournament), Kress would lead his team to a runner-up finish in the final polls.

Having gone four straight weight classes without some local flavor taking home a title, junior Adis Radoncic of RKA, would nip the issue in the bud, snapping the streak with 10-4 decision over Long Branch’s Nick Pappayliou at 170 pounds. Already a two-time PSAL Small School champion (on pace to be a four-time NYS DII qualifier), Radoncic just missed placing at the Times Union Center in 2012, falling one victory short of the podium. A lethal thrower, next to Ndiaye, Radoncic is considered the best medal threat for the PSAL in the Division II ranks. Pappayliou, who transferred to the Garden State perennial powerhouse for his senior season after competing for Ocean Township the first three years of his scholastic career, finished 4th in the district tournament in 2012.

Matt Roberts, Photo by Philip Rufo

Winning a war of returning NYS qualifiers was Monsignor Farrell’s Matt Roberts at 182. Trailing 2-0 early on in his title match against Eagle Academy’s Nathanael Rose, the 2012 CHSAA State Champion, Roberts, did what he does best, utilizing his deep gas tank to claw his way back into the match. Pushing the pace against Rose, who won the PSAL DII title as a freshman last season, Roberts would ascend to the top step of the podium following an 8-5 victory. The senior leader would be the lone champion for the Staten Island program who for the first time in history (after dominating the Mayor’s Cup since its inception) finished behind a fellow five borough school (Brooklyn Tech) in a major city wide tournament.

Speaking of B’Tech, the Todd Bloom led program would not be shutout this weekend, getting on the scoreboard at 195 with senior Kevin Tynes. A PSAL runner-up last last season to McZiggy Richards (the wrestler who finished 3rd in NYS and is currently attending St. Benedicts Prep), Tynes may be one of the hungriest wrestlers in the city this season after seeing the success of the man who beat him in last year’s Large School finals. Cruising in his first three matches (pin, 16-1 TF, 10-1 MD), Tynes would get his first test of the tournament in the finals when he faced the twin brother of the 170 pound runner-up, Chris Pappayliou. A 3rd place finisher at the district tournament, the Long Branch transfer would make his NYC counterpart work for every point, leading to perhaps the most entertaining and competitive title bout. In the end, the home court advantage would be too much for the Jersey boy to overcome as he dropped the bout 7-6 to Tynes.

El Shaddai VanHoesen, Photo by BV

Closing the show in emphatic fashion would Columbia’s other champion, returning NYS DI runner-up, El Shaddai VanHoesen. A full sized heavyweight who makes his impact felt every bit as much on the football field as he does on the wrestling mat, VanHoesen has every reason in the world to want to end his grappling career on top. Having suffered an injury early in the football playoffs, the big man had the misfortune of having to watch as his team was eliminated, powerless to do anything about it. A student-athlete with championship dreams, with one door having been closed, you can bet he will not let anything stop him from going all the way on the mat. He seemed every bit the proverbial man on a mission, notching four straight pins (including two in under 1:00) to stream roll his way to the last title of the afternoon. While not sure if it would be considered a benefit or a curse, the wrestler who found himself in the position of being the final notch on the belt of the VanHoesen locomotion was Tynes’s teamamte, Shaq Williams. The top-ranked 285 pounder per the GCW rankings, Williams will be looking for revenge when the calendar hits February.

Turning our attention to the fairer sex, leading the group of 10 champions for the young ladies was All-American Rosemary Flores of Curtis. A double freestyle champion in Fargo two summers ago, you name it and Flores has seemingly won it at some point in her career. An ASICS 1st Team honoree last year, Flores had little trouble adding another trophy to her growing collection, spending a combined 90 seconds on the mat in pinning two opponents to earn the the 132 pound crown. While she is by far the most well known, Flores is not the only elite philly in the Curtis stable as he was joined on the top step of the medal stand by teammates Leslie Schoberl (120) and Shannon Henry (138). In similar fashion to Flores, Shoberl and Henry would never see the third period as the three blue chippers combined for seven falls in seven matches. Curtis was the only program on the ladies side to have three gold medalists. Other champions in the women’s tournament included the following: 99- Kim Cardenas (Petrides), 106- Ana Salazar/160- Karina Lozano of Grover Cleveland, 113- Jennifer Juarez (Robert Wagner), 126- Sarah Andresen (Hunter), 145- Idalis Graciano (Springfield), and Wingate’s Destane Garrik at 170 pounds.

To see the full results from both the male and female varsity tournaments, please click the following links: 2012 Boys; 2012 Girls

For more information on New York City wrestling, visit Gotham City Wrestling

Weekend Notes: Dake Earns OW, Nick Kelley Wins Bronze in Reno and More From Around the State

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Dake vs. Caldwell, Phototrens.com

The first ever-wrestling event at Madison Square Garden captured a lot of headlines this weekend.  While Cornell and Hofstra both went 0-2, Big Red senior Kyle Dake earned the Outstanding Wrestler Award after his victories over #3 Tyler Caldwell of Oklahoma State and #13 Zach Toal of Missouri.  Dake controlled both matches, earning a reversal and riding time in each.  Also going undefeated on the day for Cornell was returning NCAA champion Steve Bosak, who made his season debut.  The 184-pounder picked up two victories against ranked opponents – #7 Mike Larson of the Tigers and #13 Chris Chionuma of the Cowboys.

For the box scores and descriptions from Cornell and Hofstra, see here and here.

Kelly vs. Ndiaye, Phototrens.com

Fans in attendance in New York City were able to watch some top level high school action in addition to the college duals as the placement matches of the PSAL Holiday tournament took place on Sunday at MSG as well.

Long Branch (NJ) took the team crown at the event, with champions at 138 (Nick Menkin), 145 (Nick George), 160 (Jake George) and 220 (Vincent Roselli).  In second place was Section 2’s Columbia, followed by the PSAL’s Brooklyn Tech.

One of the most anticipated finals happened at 113 pounds where two-time state champion Kyle Kelly of Chenango Forks took on 2012 state runner up Cheick Ndiaye of Brooklyn International.  Kelly jumped out to an early lead and looked like he might get the pin but Ndiaye fought his way back into the match.  However, Kelly closed out a 6-4 victory in a battle between two wrestlers who will be among the top contenders at 113 in Albany in Division I and II, respectively.

Kelly’s teammate Jake Green captured first place in a challenging 126-pound field.  Green topped Grand Street’s Keanu Thompson 4-2 in the title bout with multiple time All-American Travis Passaro of Eastport South Manor grabbing third.  (Thompson defeated Passaro in Saturday’s semifinals).

Outstanding Wrestler honors went to Tottenville’s Santo Curatolo, who won at 120 pounds by first period fall.  That was one of three quick pins for Curatolo in the event.  His other victory was a 13-1 major.

The silver medal team from Columbia had a pair of champions, including heavyweight El Shaddai Van Hoesen, who pinned all four of his opponents and was only pushed into the second period once.  His teammate Angelo Kress had a similar experience at 152 pounds – four matches and four falls.

The other champions were: John Busiello of Eastport South Manor (99), Noah Malamut of Poly Prep (106), Saidyokub Kahramonov of New Utrecht (132), Adis Radoncic of RKA (170), Matt Roberts of Monsignor Farrell (182) and Kevin Tynes of Brooklyn Tech (220).

For full brackets, see here.

Outside of New York City . . .

While the focus of many wrestling fans was on the Big Apple, there was plenty of quality wrestling featuring New York wrestlers around the state and even in the Pacific Time Zone.  Here are a few notes from the weekend:

Wantagh saw its first dual action of the season at the David Bloom Memorial event.  The Warriors went 4-0, defeating New Rochelle, Sachem North, East Islip and one of Rhode Island’s top squads, Cumberland.

In one of the significant results of the day, Wantagh’s 182 pounder James Corbett continued his strong start to the season with a 5-2 victory over Gio Santiago of Sachem North, the 2012 Suffolk County champion who was sixth at the state tournament.  Corbett had a solid 32-6 season a year ago while wrestling at 160, 170 and 182 pounds and took fourth at the Section 8 tournament.  Now 7-0 with five pins and a technical fall, he’ll be a wrestler to watch in the upperweights this season.

Barbaria, Photo by BV

In a matchup of wrestlers with a great chance to travel to Albany in February, New Rochelle’s Nick Barbaria, an All-State wrestler at 99 pounds a year ago, picked up a quality win over NHSCA All-American Kyle Quinn, 5-3 at 113.

And Further Upstate . . . 

Spencerport won the Batavia Christmas Tournament on Saturday by almost 30 points over Blairsville, Pennsylvania.  Leading the way for Spencerport were champions Kaleb Pascoe (99), Brandon Barrett (113), Trent Englauf (182) and Collin Pittman (195).  Elmira was third as Sean McGinley took first at 285 and Charlie Kennedy (120) and Curtis Grant (138) earned second.  Royalton Hartland also made its presence felt with a trio of champions – Cameron Swick at 106, Drew Hull at 152 and Alex Jensen at 182.

Schaefer, Photo by BV

The Alexander Green and Gold Tournament in Section 5 showcased a number of state title contenders.  Warsaw won the event by a wide margin, with Rush Henrietta second and Fairport third.

Among the champions were All-State grapplers Corey Hollister of Perry (113), Dan Reagan of Lewiston Porter (145), Warsaw’s Burke Paddock (160) and Most Outstanding Wrestler (182) Tim Schaefer and Zack Bacon of Hornell (220).  For more detailed results, see here.

Koll and Lapresi Impress In Pennsylvania . . .

Lansing took 23rd at the King of the Mountain tournament at Central Mountain High School in the Keystone State . . . and the Bobcats did it with only two wrestlers entered in the event.  2011 state champion Will Koll dominated his way to the 126 pound title, with pins in his first four bouts before notching a 7-4 decision over Ryan Easter in the championship match.  2012 state titlewinner Connor Lapresi made his mark at 138, putting up bonus points in his first four matches before dropping a 7-2 decision in the title bout.

Kelley, Porter Place at the Reno Tournament of Champions in Nevada

Two Section 2 schools, Shenendehowa and LaSalle, headed out West with a handful of their starters to meet some out of state competition at the Reno Tournament of Champions.

Kelley, Photo by BV

Leading the way for the New Yorkers was Nick Kelley, who took third place at 138 pounds.  He began the event on a roll, winning his first four matches by fall, including an 16-second pin in his initial contest.  In the semifinals, Kelley lost an 8-6 match in overtime, however, he came back to dominate his next bout 11-4 to take the bronze.

Also making the podium for the Plainsmen was Jesse Porter at 132 pounds.  Porter entered the tournament as the 14th seed, but made an impressive run, winning his first two matches before dropping a 1-0 decision to eventual third place finisher Robbie Rizzolino of Easton, Pennsylvania. Porter responded with four victories in the wrestlebacks, including three pins.  He won his seventh place tilt 5-2 over Zack Edwards of Broken Arrow High in Oklahoma.

Two Shenendehowa grapplers came within one victory of the medal stand, but took different paths to get there.  182 pounder Levi Ashley dropped his opening match to bronze medalist Ian Baker of California.  However, he quickly rebounded, capturing five straight in the consolations before Brock Warren of Broken Arrow ended his run.  Meanwhile, David Almaviva, the ninth seed, won his first two contests before losing to Tanner Bailey of Broken Arrow. He rallied with two wins in the wrestlebacks.

Zach Joseph went 3-2 for Shenendehowa at 152 pounds while Corey Ali (2-2) and Kevin Parker both took the mat at 120 for the Plainsmen.  Freshman Joseph Clemente turned in a solid showing for LaSalle, with a 3-2 mark at 138 pounds while his teammates Mark Pelton (152), Paul Andreoli (152) and Eric Rider (126) also competed.

Shenendehowa took 21st place as a team in a field of more than 110 squads.  Canon McMillan (PA) took the gold overall.

For the full Reno Tournament of Champions bracket, see here.

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For more results from the weekend, see here.

To report results, e-mail newyorkwrestlingnews@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

Grapple Time: Cornell Readies for Missouri and Oklahoma State in the Big Apple

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New York Wrestling News will be providing a live blog of the Grapple at the Garden.  The link is here.

Cornell started off the season with victories in its first four duals, including wins over ranked teams Oklahoma and Central Michigan while missing multiple starters, including NCAA champion Steve Bosak. This weekend will without question put the team to the test as the Big Red faces #7 Missouri at 11 a.m. and #2 Oklahoma State at 1 p.m. at Madison Square Garden on Sunday.

#7 Missouri vs. #8 Cornell

While the Tigers don’t have any former All-Americans in their starting group, they offer a balanced lineup in which every starter has been ranked in the top 20 for at least a few weeks of the season.  Both teams were at the Las Vegas Invitational a few weeks ago, where Missouri took second and the Big Red placed one spot behind in third.

“It’s hard to point to just a few key matches against Missouri, because there are big ones really all the way up and down the lineup,” Cornell assistant coach Jeremy Spates said.  “We have to win a bunch of the toss ups and have our studs put up some bonus points.”

Let’s take a look at the dual.

The Rematches

Garrett, Photo by BV

Only two head-to-head matches between the teams took place in Nevada.  One of those was a dominant 14-3 semifinal victory for Kyle Dake over Zach Toal at 165 pounds.  The other was a 6-4 title bout win for Alan Waters over Nahshon Garrett at 125.  Dake’s convincing win makes it difficult to imagine a different outcome this time around.  However, the Garrett-Waters match was competitive and we’ll see how the ever-improving Big Red freshman adjusts to the mat wrestling of Waters.  A reversal of that result would be less surprising.

“It was a really close match with some pretty close calls,” Spates said. “Nahshon likes the big stage; likes to put on a show. I’m excited to see them wrestle again.”

The Toss Ups/Battles of the Unranked Wrestlers

Chris Villalonga and Drake Houdashelt were on track to meet in the consolations at 149 pounds in Las Vegas.  However, Justin Gonzalez upset the Tiger wrestler one round before they would have faced each other. Villalonga then defeated Gonzalez 11-0 on his path to sixth.  Despite that podium finish for the Big Red wrestler, Houdashelt is the higher ranked wrestler by a few spots nationally. It appears to be a toss up match that will be pivotal in the dual.

Only two bouts feature a pair of unranked wrestlers, although Kyle Bradley (157) and Todd Porter (174) of Missouri were previously included in some Top 20 lists.  Both Tigers would be favorites on paper against Cornell’s probable starters, Chris Dowdy and Duke Pickett. (For the full lineup from the Cornell website, see here).

 The Rankings Favor Cornell . . .

Mike Nevinger looks to be back in form after a fourth place finish at the Cliff Keen at 141.  At that same event, Missouri’s Nick Hucke went 0-2. However, Hucke had been in the top 20 prior to the Las Vegas tournament.

 The Rankings Favor Missouri . . .

Arujau, Photo by BV

Nathan McCormick is off to a hot start, with a 13-1 record at 133 pounds.  His only loss was to NCAA champion Logan Stieber.  While McCormick is the favorite going into the match, Cornell’s Nick Arujau is ranked just a few spots lower in some of the national polls. Arujau missed the competition in Vegas, but in his last outing he pinned top 15 wrestler Cody Brewer of Oklahoma.  If he wrestles that way, it will be an interesting bout.

At 197, Brent Haynes is consistently ranked in the nation’s top 15 while Jace Bennett has appeared in some polls.  Their matchup could be a wild and unpredictable one with two wrestlers who pile up nearfall points and who have the ability to change a match quickly with their strong mat wrestling.

Dom Bradley is among the nation’s best heavyweights.  Fresh off his victory at the Cliff Keen, he will be the clear favorite against Cornell’s Stryker Lane, although Lane has shown marked improvement this year, placing sixth in Vegas and beating some quality competition.

Mike Larson is ranked and has had a successful 14-2 year for the Tigers.  He last faced a Cornell wrestler at the National Duals in January of 2011.  At that event, in a tight quarterfinal dual, Steve Bosak earned a 15-0 technical fall over Larson, an outcome that secured crucial points in the Big Red’s slim 18-15 victory on the way to the team title.  Larson is now #8 in the nation at 184 pounds and a favorite against Craig Scott.

Earlier in the week, Cornell head coach Rob Koll said he was ready to lean on freshmen like Dowdy and Scott as both have competed well for his squad thus far.

“They’ve wrestled in tough matches all year,” Koll said. “We aren’t going to rush anyone back and put them on the mat unless they’re healthy.”

 #8 Cornell vs. #2 Oklahoma State

Many observers expected these two teams to meet in the National Duals finals in 2011, however, Oklahoma State was upset by Virginia Tech and the Big Red then defeated the Hokies for the title.  On Sunday, the meeting between the squads will treat fans to a number of the nation’s top ranked grapplers, including a highly anticipated showdown at 165.

“Oklahoma State has a very tough team,” Spates said. “They have some of the best in the country in their lineup.  We think there are a couple of swing matches that we’re focused on.  We know they’re going to be tough to beat, but our guys will go out and wrestle hard and put it all out there.”

The ‘Big One’

Dake, Photo by BV

During the summer, wrestling fans started getting excited about a potential superclass at 165 including Kyle Dake, David Taylor and Tyler Caldwell.  Dake and Taylor met at the All-Star Dual with the Big Red wrestler coming out on top.  And all three will be entered at the Southern Scuffle in early January.  But the first folkstyle battle between Dake and Caldwell will take place on Sunday in perhaps the most highly anticipated individual match of the Grapple at the Garden. [Dake did previously top Caldwell in freestyle].

“It was a close match last time they wrestled,” Spates said. “[Caldwell] is a tough wrestler who is really hard to score on.  I know Kyle’s pretty excited about the chance to wrestle him.  We’re looking for Kyle to control the match and show why he’s the number one wrestler.”

The Rankings Favor Cornell . . .

In a meeting of freshmen, Nahshon Garrett will square off against Eddie Klimara, who was recently taken out of redshirt.  Klimara’s first match was a 3-2 loss to Kyle Garcia of Oklahoma, a wrestler Garrett beat 12-4 at the Northeast Duals.

Mike Nevinger will likely take on Julian Feikert of the Cowboys, who registered a crucial pin over Nick Dardanes of Minnesota in Oklahoma State’s dual win over the Gophers and is 8-4 overall.

The Rankings Favor Oklahoma State . . .

A pair of wrestlers ranked first in the nation lead the way for the Cowboys — Jordan Oliver at 149 and Chris Perry at 174.  Both have won all of their matches by bonus points thus far.

For Jace Bennett, Nick Arujau and Stryker Lane, the afternoon will offer a similar challenge to the Missouri dual.  Lane will face his second top 5 opponent of the day when he meets up with Alan Gelogaev at heavyweight.  Bennett and Arujau will also meet their second ranked foes of the day when they take on #7 Blake Rosholt and #7 Jon Morrison, respectively.  While Rosholt and Morrison are favored, neither has been dominant in recent matches.

Two new faces in the Oklahoma State lineup have had quick success.  Alex Dieringer has started his rookie year with nine straight victories at 157 pounds, while Chris Chionuma has solidified the 184-pound position with a 7-2 mark.

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With two highly regarded opponents and several thousand people in the stands of a storied venue, the Big Red is looking forward to what Sunday has to offer.

“It’s pretty neat to be able to be in this event,” Spates said. “Originally, we thought there was a conflict with finals, but it’s great that it worked out for us to participate. I was actually looking at the different events that have been at the Garden over the years and it’s pretty crazy.  Everything from heavyweight boxing to big Knicks games, and huge concerts.  It’s amazing.  And anytime you have a ton of fans like we’re expecting, it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Please note: the dual times have changed to 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., rather than the original schedule of 10:30 and 12:30.

From Redman to the Top 15: Cornell's Nahshon Garrett Making His Mark for the Big Red

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By Betsy Veysman

From being Redman to being in the nation’s Top 15.

It’s certainly been an interesting month and a half for Cornell freshman 125-pounder Nahshon Garrett.

When it was time for the All-Star Dual on the opening weekend of the 2012-13 season in November, the Big Red wanted famous mascot Redman to attend the festivities in Washington D.C..

“We’d been struggling with a consistent Redman,” said head coach Rob Koll.  “Kids graduate and surprisingly don’t want being Redman to be their career.”

In stepped Garrett, who was a good candidate for a number of reasons.

“Nahshon is all about doing what’s best for the team,” Koll said. “But he’s also a dancer and pretty outgoing when it comes to those kinds of things.  He and his twin brother used to perform dances at rallies in high school.”

So the California native suited up and cheered on Kyle Dake in his dramatic 2-1 victory over David Taylor in the most anticipated match of the night.

Nahshon Garrett, Photo by BV

The experience was an eye opener for Garrett.

“It was a great time,” he said. “First of all going there and supporting Kyle — I think people take him for granted sometimes.  But seeing all those accomplished wrestlers; it was inspiring.  It pointed me to where I want to be and what I want to achieve in this sport.”

In fact, when it was over, Garrett vowed to return to the All-Star Dual in 2013 — but not in a costume.

“When it was over, Nahshon told me he wanted to be wrestling in the event next year,” Koll said.  “I have no doubt he can do it.  He’s the real deal. He’s taken people who didn’t know about him by surprise.”

That’s the truth.

Garrett earned the starting nod for the Big Red and immediately made an impact, going 5-0 at the Binghamton Open to capture the title in the opening action of his Cornell career.

The following weekend brought on more dominant performances as he cruised to a 14-1 victory in his first dual meet against Binghamton and the next day captured the New York State crown with a 13-9 win over returning All-American Steve Bonanno of Hofstra in the final.

For his efforts, especially in the title bout, he was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler.  But that match also demonstrated the strides Garrett has made.  A year ago, Bonanno defeated Garrett 11-5 at the Binghamton Open.

“I remembered wrestling him before, and I knew I had gotten a lot better,” Garrett said. “I didn’t worry about the fact that I had lost to him before, or that he was an All-American.  I knew there were a lot of things I had to work on after we wrestled before and I know there are still a lot of things I need to work on now.”

Garrett is still relatively new to wrestling.  He officially began as an eighth grader, but had some (secret) experience prior to that.

“My mom wouldn’t let me wrestle for a while,” he said. “She was afraid about things she’d heard about germs and disease on the mats.  She thought I would get something.  But I went to some practices as a seventh grader without her knowing and I loved it.  Finally, in eighth grade I talked to her about it and she saw how passionate I was and let me wrestle.”

He was pretty successful right off the bat, but he marked that success with a bit of an asterisk.

“I was wrestling at 70 pounds,” he said. “I was a lot stronger than the people I was wrestling but I was also older. I mean, at that weight I was wrestling some fourth graders.”

While he enjoyed the sport, he was still heavily involved with a number of other activities.

“I was doing a lot of dancing and music (piano) and a lot of other things,” he said. “Wrestling wasn’t necessarily first on my list.  But my sophomore year, [at 103 pounds], I made it to the state tournament.  I went 1-2 and didn’t place after I lost to the fourth and fifth place guys.  I was really bummed out about that and I decided I wanted to focus on wrestling to see what I could accomplish.”

He accomplished quite a bit.  He won California state championships in his junior and senior years for Chico High at 103 and 112 pounds, respectively.  He credited Chico head coach Keith Rollins, who he called “pretty much my best friend” and assistant Jordan Mathews for his achievements.

And after he completed his high school career, he captured the NHSCA Senior Nationals crown as well, despite wrestling with a torn chest muscle.  Shortly afterwards, he made his college selection and readied for a transition from Northern California to upstate New York.

When he arrived in Ithaca, Garrett said he weighed around 120 pounds.  He spent a year with the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club (FLWC), putting on size and strength and training while taking some classes at a nearby school.   As he looked back on the year on the mat, Garrett said there weren’t any matches or wins that stood out to him, although he did place in multiple open tournaments (fifth at Buffalo, third at Edinboro).  He said the focus was on getting bigger and better and he thanked former Big Red wrestler Corey Manson, one of his FLWC coaches, for helping his development.

“There was a transition for me, getting accustomed to everything,” he said. “It was a little bit of a struggle, especially financially.  But there’s a big difference now. It’s amazing. I’m so happy just to be a part of everything here at Cornell.  Being here has helped me raise my level and my standards for myself.  I have a lot of good friends here now, like in California. Being in this environment has changed what I want and what I think I can achieve.”

He certainly has set his sights high.

“We have to write down goals before the season and I said I wanted to be an All-American, National Champion and win every tournament or at least place at every one,” he said. “I’ve always believed in myself but I wasn’t sure at the beginning of the year whether those things could be a reality.  Now I think they can be.”

Koll does as well.

Garrett and Burroughs, Photo by Lindsey Mechalik (http://zephyr.exposuremanager.com/)

“He gets better every single practice,” the coach said. “His learning curve is so much higher than everyone else’s, especially because he’s pretty new to the sport.  A number of people have said he wrestles like Jordan Burroughs, especially with that double leg of his and I think he does.”

The mention of the name “Jordan Burroughs” during the interview yielded a laugh from Garrett.

“I reacted that way because I get made fun of a lot because I’m so starstruck about Jordan Burroughs,” Garrett said. “I met him in Vegas and it was awesome.  I was really excited about that.  Getting compared to him is humbling.”

Humbling is a word Garrett used quite a few times.  He said he’s humbled by all the praise he has received from the coaches.  He’s humbled by being part of the academic and wrestling communities at Cornell.  And as someone who deeply values his religion, he said he’s “humbled by all that God has given me.”

That includes his wrestling talent.  So far on the mat, he’s compiled a 17-1 record with 11 bonus point wins.  His one loss was in the title bout at the Cliff Keen Invitational in Las Vegas when he dropped a 6-4 decision to #4 Alan Waters of Missouri, an opponent he will face again in New York City on Sunday.

“I think I’ve wrestled pretty well so far this year,” he said. “[Waters] wrestled a very smart match in the finals and is obviously very good on top.  I need to keep getting better in every position because I believe I can do more.  There were a few matches where I was frustrated that I didn’t get the pin or the tech.  I want to get those results.  I’m trying to push myself to the level of complete dominance like Kyle Dake. I watch how Kyle does things, how he’s preparing in the room, how he dominates all the time, even in practice.  I ask him a lot of questions and I’m trying to do the same things he does.”

Things like wrestling in the All-Star Dual, which Garrett hopes to do next year.

Someone else will have to be Redman.

 

Weekend Notes: High School State Finalists Battle; Binghamton Picks Up First Two Victories and Much More

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Here are a few news and notes from some of the college and high school action around the state this weekend . . .

Binghamton Goes 2-for-2, Army Tops Drexel

Donnie Vinson, Photo by BV

After dropping the first six duals of the season against a tough schedule that included ranked teams such as Cornell, Illinois, Oklahoma and Lehigh, Binghamton began a winning streak this weekend.  On Friday night, Matt Dernlan picked up his first victory as the leader of the Bearcats program as the CAA squad defeated Princeton, 23-12.  On Sunday, Binghamton followed up by capturing six of the 10 contests against league foe Boston to win 26-13.  Going unbeaten on the weekend were nationally ranked wrestlers Donnie Vinson (#3 at 149 pounds) and Nate Schiedel (#6 at 197 pounds) as well as Patrick Hunter (125), Vin Grella (165) and Cody Reed (184).  The Bearcats return to action at the Midlands in Illinois on December 29.

Army also was victorious, earning a 22-15 triumph over Drexel on Thursday night.  The Black Knights once again received key wins from 165-pounder Paul Hancock, who recorded a fall, as well as 141-pounder Connor Hanafee and 184-pounder Collin Wittmeyer in pivotal matches.  The squad will take the mat again on January 1 at the Southern Scuffle.

In the first dual meet action of the season for Buffalo, the Bulls were defeated by Central Michigan, 28-7. Six of the 10 bouts were decided by two points or less and unfortunately for Buffalo, the Chippewas came out on top in five of those six close matches.  Winning for the New York squad were Angelo Malvestuto at 197 and John-Martin Cannon, in his return to the mat after missing a few weeks with injury.

All-State Wrestlers and State Finalists Square Off 

A year ago, the dual between Wantagh and Shenendehowa at the Civil War Duals ended in a tie, with the Nassau County team earning the win on criteria.  With both squads going undefeated the remainder of the year, that result was instrumental in Wantagh earning the award as the state’s #1 Dual Meet team.   The powerhouses are both loaded again this year and were set to meet this weekend in Clifton Park as part of the 2012 Civil War Duals.  However, due to a tragic accident in which two Shenendehowa students were killed, the event was appropriately postponed.

However, there were still some top notch matchups this weekend as the 2012-13 season picked up steam.

Drew Hull, Photo by BV

In a dual meet in Section 6, two podium finishers from February took the mat at 152 pounds.  Two-time All-Stater Drew Hull of Royalton Hartland, who captured second place in Albany at 145 pounds a year ago, topped fourth place finisher (at 138) Dan Reagan of Lewiston Porter by the score of 6-0.  (However, Lewiston Porter won the dual 48-30).

At the Herkimer Invitational, a pair of state finalists, Canastota’s Zack Zupan and Carthage’s Shayne Brady sat on different sides of the 182-pound bracket.  The two cruised into the finals, setting up a meeting in the title bout.  However, that match didn’t go the distance, as Brady suffered an injury and defaulted.  (Zupan had taken the early lead).  We hope to see the runner up from Carthage back on the mat soon.

Another Section 3 standout, two-time state champion Nick Tighe of Phoenix, also met a state runner up this weekend, Hilton’s Vincent DePrez, in the 138-pound championship contest of the Matthew Marino Tournament at Webster Schroeder High.   The Binghamton-bound Tighe dominated, grabbing a 16-3 major decision.  It is worth noting that DePrez was one of three second placers for his squad – and for the DePrez family.  His brothers Anthony (145) and Lou (120) also took silver while nationally-ranked teammate Yianni Diakomihalis was the victor at 99 pounds.

In the team race at the Matthew Marino event, which featured strong entrants from Sections 3, 4, 5 and 6, Vermont’s Mount Anthony High took first.  Earning second place was Section 6’s Fredonia, led by four gold medalists — returning state placers Dakota Gardner (126 pounds) and Jude Gardner (145) as well as Zach Buckley (170) and Christian Saden (220).  Buckley had a solid win over Section 5 champion Jared Mesiti, 7-4.

Also taking top billing were state qualifier Colton Kells of Fairport at 195 and state placer Bryan Lantry of Wayne at 113.  Lantry’s teammate Jake Yankloski registered an impressive bonus point victory in the 106 title match against 2012 qualifier Bryan Ruggeri of Fairport.

More Contenders in Action

Matt Leshinger, Photo by BV

In the first weekend of action for Section 11, the Sayville tournament showcased several state title contenders.  Among them were Ivy League-bound seniors Tyler Grimaldi of Half Hollow Hills West (Harvard) and the host school’s Matt Leshinger (Columbia).  Grimaldi, who was second in the state at 160 a year ago, captured Most Outstanding Wrestler honors in Sayville after cruising at 160 pounds.  Meanwhile, Leshinger, who took bronze at 120 in February, had a solid debut up a few weights as he won the tournament at 138 pounds.

Another strong event on Long Island was the Bruins Cup at Baldwin, which provided another opportunity to see a number of strong wrestlers ramp up their seasons.

Steven Sewkumar of Long Beach collected Most Outstanding Wrestler honors for the second consecutive weekend as he took the 113 pound title in a close match against St. Anthony’s Ben Lamantia.  St. Anthony’s celebrated a number of champions, including former All-State grappler Freddie Dunau (126) and 2012 qualifier Johnny Vrasidas (170) as well as Joe Russ (120).

Vito Arujau, Photo by BV

Syosset’s Dan Choi, who came within one match of the medal stand at the Times Union Center in Albany registered four pins on the way to the 195-pound crown while his teammates Joe Scholl (182) and Vito Arujau (106) also made the top of the podium.  Arujau looked dominant for the second straight tournament, earning the title by technical fall.

Led by champions Anthony Messina (132), Jackson Mordente (145) and John Vigh (220) and runners up Conor O’Hara (138), Mike Pistone (152), Mark Tracy (170) and Josh Edmonsen (285), Sachem East took the team title by over 50 points, with Longwood next.

 

MacArthur Takes First at the Mahopac Duals

While multiple Section 8 teams wrestled at the tournaments listed above, MacArthur traveled to Section 1 for the Mahopac Duals.  The Generals were impressive throughout the competition, including a 42-25 victory over Section 4’s Johnson City in the title tilt.  The host team from Mahopac was fourth.

And From the Midwest . . .

While Empire State teams can’t compete at some of the large in-season national events, a pair of 2012 New York State silver medalists made the podium at one of the most challenging tournaments in the country this weekend —  the Walsh Ironman in Ohio.  Jose Rodriguez, who took second at 99 pounds last season while competing for Wantagh, was the runner up at 106 pounds at the Ironman behind Eli Stuckley of St. Paris Graham.  Rodriguez now attends Massillon Perry in the Buckeye State.

Former Longwood star Nicky Hall notched seventh place on Saturday while representing Wyoming Seminary.  Hall is a two-time New York medalist, including a second place showing at 152 pounds in 2012.

For more dual meet results from around the state, see here

To report results, e-mail newyorkwrestlingnews@gmail.com