Category Archives: Section 4

A Look at the Juniors: Who are the 11th Graders to Watch in New York?

Posted on by
3

We have been discussing some of the top wrestlers in New York over the past month or so.  We started with our #1 Junior High School grappler in the state, Penfield eighth grader Frankie Gissendanner (see link),then profiled top freshman Yianni Diakomihalis and discussed other ninth graders to watch.  Then, we wrote about the wrestler at the top of the Class of 2016 rankings – Christian Dietrich and other standout sophomores. Next, we discussed stellar junior Nick Piccininni.

Now it’s time to talk about some of the other 11th graders to keep tabs on this season. There were significant differences of opinion on how these wrestlers stack up against each other.  The order of this list could go numerous different ways and will no doubt look different as the season progresses.  For now, however, here’s a look at some of the stars in the Class of 2015.

 

Piccininni, Photo by BV

#1 Nick Piccininni (Ward Melville)– In the eyes of some, Piccininni is the top pound-for-pound wrestler in New York.  The two-time state champion breezed through his sophomore campaign, winning all 43 matches with only four regular decisions.  In a bout many were anticipating the entire season, Piccininni completely dominated multiple-time state titlewinner Kyle Kelly, 14-4, to grab his second gold medal in Albany.  The Ward Melville standout finished second at the FloNationals this spring and went undefeated at the Disney Duals in the summer against top flight competition.  He did the same thing at the Journeymen Classic and the Iron Horse Invitational. Currently ranked #12 among juniors by FloWrestling and #30 by Intermat, Piccininni is a heavy favorite to capture state crown number three.  For more on Piccininni see this link.

#2 Tristan Rifanburg (Norwich) – Rifanburg burst onto the scene several years ago when he grabbed a state championship as a seventh grader.  He has been back to the title bout at the Times Union Center two more times, earning second place in 2011 and 2013, while finishing sixth in 2012.  As a freshman, Rifanburg also earned the silver at the NHSCA National championships. The Section IV standout is ranked as one of the top 100 juniors in the nation by FloWrestling.

#3 Adis Radoncic (Poly Prep) – The PSAL’s first-ever state champion (for RKA) didn’t face an easy path to gold in February, defeating top-seeded Christian Dietrich and multi-time placer Troy Seymour.  In fact, by defeating Dietrich 4-3 in the title bout, Radoncic avenged one of his two losses in a 27-2 campaign.  The three-time state qualifier also came within one win of placing at the state tournament in 2012. Radoncic, who transferred to Poly Prep and confirmed that he will be a junior in 2013-14, was active in the offseason, taking fifth at the NHSCA Nationals in Virginia Beach and competing at Fargo, the Journeymen Classic and the Iron Horse Invitational.

#4 Kyle Quinn (Wantagh) – Quinn had an excellent 36-2 campaign for Wantagh, picking up a state title at 106 pounds.  The multiple-time NHSCA Nationals All-American (third at 106 in 2013) defeated a number of New York state medalists, including Steven Sewkumar and Jon Haas, in the regular season.  In Albany, he pinned All-State wrestler Jimmy Overhiser in the second round before avenging his only two losses of the campaign by beating New Rochelle’s Nick Barbaria, 7-1.  In the state title bout, Quinn came out on top against Westhampton Beach’s Alex Tanzman.  The Nassau County standout also collected victories for Team Kong at the challenging Disney Duals.  His credentials land him high on this list and he will certainly face challenges as a junior, as he may get to face wrestlers who have defeated him in recent weeks – Jesse Dellavecchia, Vito Arujau and Yianni Diakomihalis.

#5 Tommy Dutton (Rocky Point) – Dutton has been competitive at the varsity level for quite some time.  In his 10th grade season, he made his first appearance on the podium in the state capital, taking fourth at 138 pounds after an impressive 50-4 campaign.  The Section 11 star picked up fourth at the Eastern States Classic with his only setbacks coming against an out of state grappler, Derek Arnold of Virginia.  Dutton collected All-American status in 2012, both at the NHSCA Nationals and at Fargo in Freestyle.  He didn’t compete at those events in 2013, but his activity this fall demonstrates that he’s ready to go in his 11th grade campaign.  Dutton took second at the Journeymen Classic up at 152 pounds, losing only to returning state champion Louis Hernandez of Mepham. He then captured the title at the Iron Horse Invitational, including an impressive victory over Gary Dinmore, a two-time New Jersey state runner up who is ranked among the top 100 seniors in the land.

#6 Nick Casella (Locust Valley) – After taking second place at the 2012 New York State championships, Casella earned his way back to the finals in Albany this February where he picked up his second silver medal, this time up at 113.  It was the end of a 39-4 campaign in which half of his losses were to eventual state champion Dillon Stowell of Gouverneur.  Casella followed up the high school season by showing he could compete with some of the nation’s best.  He collected All-America accolades at Virginia Beach and at Fargo, where he took seventh in Greco Roman.  He also competed at the Junior Duals for Team New York in Oklahoma in a busy offseason.

#7 Jesse Porter (Shenendehowa) – Porter has made only one trip to Albany after taking the Section II title as a freshman.  A year ago, he didn’t have the opportunity, as an injury sidelined him after the end of December.  However, he demonstrated clearly this summer that he is formidable wrestler on the national level when he went all the way to the finals in Cadet Greco Roman at Fargo at 152 pounds before placing second.  He followed that showing with a fifth place medal in Freestyle in North Dakota.  Porter looks to be ready for a breakout year in the Empire State.

#8 Nick Gallo (Schalmont) – Gallo grabbed the silver medal at the state tournament in February at 160 pounds, after falling one win shy of the podium as a freshman at 152 (losing to the third and fourth place finishers).  This February, Gallo had a tough path to the finals, besting placers in each of his first three bouts – Gunnar Van Curen (6th), Tyler Silverthorn (5th) and Matt Fisher (3rd).  He went 45-4 as a sophomore in Section II, also making the medal stand at the Eastern States Classic where his losses were in sudden victory to Virginia’s Steven Aiello and 4-2 to the state runner up in Division I, Steve Schneider (and by disqualification).

Garcia, Photo by BV

#9 Frank Garcia (Norwich) – The Division II state runner up at 145 pounds this year also took fifth at the Eastern States Classic in January.  After missing time early in the season, Garcia came back strong, avenging a loss to fellow All-Stater Jordan Torbitt to win the Section IV title and collecting a win against past state medalist Isaiah Riccio along the way. The Norwich grappler was one match from placing at 132 as a freshman where he was edged by eventual state champion Connor Lapresi, 3-2.

#10 Anthony Orefice (Lockport) – The two-time placer from Lockport began last season at 113 pounds, where he notched impressive wins such as a convincing 7-1 triumph over eventual Division II state champion Dillon Stowell.  He transitioned up to 120 as the season progressed and went 41-6 overall. All but one of his losses were to All-State wrestlers – three times to New York runner up Steve Michel as well as to Travis Passaro and Mike D’Angelo. A multiple-time NHSCA All-American, Orefice will likely be right back in the mix in 2013-14.

#11 Sam Ward (Locust Valley) – Ward notched his first appearance on the medal stand at the Times Union Center when he took fifth at 132 pounds.  He compiled a 38-4 mark, including quality wins over state placers Vinny Turano and Ryan Kromer.  Three of his losses were to top three medalists in New York – champion Matt Leshinger (by a 3-2 score), runner up Tristan Rifanburg (by a 3-1 tally) and Clyde Carey.  He has also made his mark on the national stage, capturing All-America status at Fargo in 2012 and in Virginia Beach in 2013.  He recently was second at the Journeymen Classic.

#12 Jesse Dellavecchia (East Islip) The Section 11 grappler had a great year at 99 pounds for East Islip, earning fourth at the state tournament and beating several strong opponents.  He also tacked on a fifth place showing at the NHSCA Nationals tournament and notched a victory over the previously mentioned Kyle Quinn at the Journeymen Classic.  He’ll be moving up in weight, but has the potential to go very high on the podium in Albany once again.

Mike D’Angelo was discussed by a number of contributors to this article as someone who will no doubt move up this list as the season moves forward. In a tough weight in Suffolk County, he had a strong sophomore campaign in which he racked up 40 victories and took fifth in Albany. He was defeated twice by state champion Alex Delacruz and twice by third placer Travis Passaro, but registered solid wins over state qualifiers Joe Russ and Lou DePrez as well as All-Staters John Muldoon, Santo Curatolo and the aforementioned Anthony Orefice.  The previous season, as a freshman, D’Angelo was also stellar as he went 33-3 with all three setbacks coming by decision to Nick Piccininni.

Speaking of accomplished wrestlers, Tony Recco of Lyndonville was a state champion as a freshman, but was injured prior to the postseason as a tenth grader and was unable to go for another title in Albany.  We look forward to seeing him back in the fray.

Another lightweight to consider is Mike Raccioppi of Minisink Valley.  The Section 9 grappler faced many of the Empire State’s best last year and took sixth at the Eastern States as well as winning two matches in Albany to come one win from a medal at 126.  Richie Burke of Ithaca, did the same, capturing two victories at the Times Union Center at 132 while Andrew Shomers of Lewiston Porter also got his hand raised in Albany. While we’re mentioning lightweights, Shoreham Wading River’s James Szymanski put on a show at the Eastern States Classic, taking third at 106 pounds.  He didn’t earn a bid to the state tournament, but will be someone to monitor this year as well.  Another wrestler who notched third at SUNY Sullivan, North Rockland’s Blaise Benderoth, a multiple-time state qualifier, will look to place for the first time.  As will Islip’s Brad Wade, a wrestler with a number of quality wins who looks join three other ‘Wades’ on top of the state podium.

How about some others who did find a spot on the medal stand in 2013?  Monroe Woodbury’s Vinny Vespa earned fifth at 99 pounds while Dolgeville’s Danny Fox grabbed second at 106.  Cody McGregor placed twice in NYS for Tonawanda but didn’t make an appearance on the mats at the Times Union Center this year.  He’ll look to get back in 2014.

One of the wrestlers who has grabbed our attention this offseason is Jakob Restrepo of Sachem East. He and Jordan Bushey of Peru both earned All-American status at Fargo at 145 pounds.  (Connetquot’s Gino Titone also picked up five wins in the same bracket, just missing the podium). In the last few weeks, Restrepo has defeated a trio of state silver medalists – Brandon Lapi and Frank Garcia at the Journeymen Classic and Vincent DePrez at the Iron Horse Invitational.  It looks like he’s ready for a breakout year.

In addition to those victories, Restrepo was also sixth at the NHSCA Nationals in the spring where other New York wrestlers placed.  They are: Brandon Aviles (Newfield), Ben Lamantia (St. Anthony’s), Richie Jones (St. Joseph’s Collegiate), Vincent Feola (Walt Whitman) and Trevor Allard (Mexico).

In the middleweights, Connor Lawrence of Duanesburg came within a match of placing in Albany, defeating another 40-win wrestler, Max Lloyd of Palmyra Macedon along the way. Section 2’s Jake Ashcraft and Geno Brancati also have been mentioned as wrestlers with the potential to make a jump, along with Clarence’s Nathan Schwab, Locust Valley’s Michael Dusold and Indian River’s Nick Toutant.

In the upperweights, Ryan Marszal is another wrestler to keep tabs on in 2013-14. The Unatego wrestler nabbed fifth at 182 pounds in his sophomore campaign in Division II and is the only returning placer in that bracket. Marszal had a 36-win season where he moved between 170 and 182 pounds.  Another 182-pounder to mention is Nathanael Rose of Eagle Academy, who went 0-2 as a freshman in Albany at the Division II tournament, but bounced back this February in the Division I event, coming within one win of placing at 182 pounds.  He also fell just one victory short of medaling at Eastern States.  This could be the year he finds his way onto the podium.

Who else will make their presence felt in Albany in 2014 from the Class of 2015? There are bound to be other juniors ready for outstanding seasons. Send us an e-mail at newyorkwrestlingnews@gmail.com with suggestions.

——————————

Thank you to Mike Carey and Matt Diano for all their hard work to make this article possible and to Kris Harrington for his insights.  Thanks to all of the other contributors around the state – too many to name, but they know who they are.

Teammates Now and in the Future: Newark Valley's Trevor Hoffmier and Derek Holcomb Commit to Buffalo

Posted on by
Reply

BY ZAKKARIAH ROLFE

Trevor Hoffmier and Derek Holcomb have been friends and teammates since they were five years old.  They are entering their senior seasons at Newark Valley, but they recently ensured that they will be on the same squad for several more years, as both committed to the University at Buffalo.

Hoffmier

“It’s going to be great going to college with someone who is one of my teammates and best friends,” Hoffmier said. “It’s someone I’ve always wrestled with and am comfortable with but also someone who I know is dedicated to his studies and will always be focused and helpful in both the academic and athletic aspects.”

Hoffmier, a two-time Section IV champion, was also looking at Bucknell and the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT).  The future 157-pounder was planning to visit the latter school shortly after going to Buffalo, but after touring the Buffalo campus, he knew where he belonged.

“Coach [John] Stutzman made my decision easy,” Hoffmier said. “I love how he coaches and presents himself.  I have a lot of confidence that he can help me become successful.”

Hoffmier has already been successful in his high school career, racking up more than 25 wins as a sophomore and 32 victories as a junior while making appearances at the state tournament both years (and winning a match each time).  In 2013, he got his hand raised in Albany at 145 pounds against Jamiel Stapleton, sandwiched in between a pair of one-point losses to state placers.

Holcomb had a similar path at the Times Union Center after earning his first Section IV crown with an overtime win at 160 pounds over All-State wrestler Alex Francik, a future teammate with the Bulls.  In Albany, Holcomb, who went 35-3 overall as a junior with 25 bonus wins, picked up a victory before losing in extra time to eventual fifth placer Andrew Psomas of Monsignor Farrell.

Holcomb, who projects at 165 or 174 pounds in college, responded well with a standout showing at the NHSCA Nationals in Virginia Beach in the spring, nabbing All-America honors with a seventh place finish at 152 pounds.  He pinned his first opponent before dropping a close decision to Terrence Mason of Nevada in round two.  Holcomb then got to work in the wrestlebacks, collecting five straight victories before beating Mason in a rematch to grab seventh.

Holcomb

It was actually the second consecutive seventh place medal for Holcomb at that event, as he took the same spot at 152 in the NHSCA Sophomore competition in 2012 with a similar run in the consolation bracket.

The strong performances continued at the recent Journeymen Classic as Hoffmier went undefeated at 152 pounds, while Holcomb went 3-1 with a 1-0 victory over NYS champion Adis Radoncic at 170 as well as wins over Pennsylvania state qualifier Johnny Dambro and New England runner up Brad Drover.

Now, the teammates will try to collect some hardware for the Cardinals. According to cnywrestling.com, Newark Valley’s last state champion was Barry Sutter in 1964 and the last placer was in 2000.  Hoffmier and Holcomb look to change the record books before getting their college careers started.

Holcomb called the recruiting process, in which he also considered Binghamton and Bucknell, “very exciting, however very stressful.” In the end, the Buffalo staff won him over.

“I really connected with the coaches and enjoyed the great facilities,” Holcomb said. “I also thought the campus was the best fit for me and my major.”

It didn’t hurt that a familiar face, Hoffmier, had provided his verbal pledge to the MAC institution just a few days before.

“We’ve been partners since five years old,” Holcomb said. “We have molded each other into the wrestlers we are today. I’m happy that everything worked out and we will be able to push for our common goals together.”

Cam Simaz Grabs Championship, $2500 at Inaugural Tour ACW Event; Kyle Borshoff Takes Second

Posted on by
Reply

Simaz, Photo by BV

On Sunday, Cam Simaz was the ‘First 2 ten’ and he earned $2500 in the process.

In the inaugural event of Tour ACW (Association of Career Wrestlers) in the Grand Ballroom at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Pittsburgh, the former Cornell NCAA titlewinner was one of five champions. Each winner received a $2500 check. (Those victors were Daniel Dennis at 135 pounds, Frank Molinaro at 155, Nick Marable at 170, Simaz at 205 and Dom Bradley at 265).

How do you win in Tour ACW?  Quite simply, you score 10 points.  There are no time limits or periods and some freestyle elements, such as a point for a pushout, are combined with typical folkstyle rules.

Simaz had a bye in the first round and then defeated Division III national champion Evan Brown 11-3 in just over four minutes in his first action.  In the title bout, he jumped out to an 8-0 advantage against Deron Winn after just over two minutes with a takedown and a pair of three-point near falls. He closed out a 10-5 victory with two escapes.

In addition to Simaz, there were several other participants with New York ties, including 155-pound runner up Kyle Borshoff.  The Pittsford native, who is currently an assistant coach at American, beat Danny Sheehan and Jake Patacsil before dropping the final against Frank Molinaro at 155 by a 10-1 score.

At 135 pounds, Chris Notte and Jeffrey Streu competed.  Notte attended Nassau Community College while Streu went to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Former Ithaca College standout Jeremy Stierly entered at 155, as did Kirk Landon, a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point.  In addition, former Lehigh grappler Trevor Chinn, a multiple-time New York state champion from Canandaigua, wrestled in that class.

For more on Tour ACW, see touracw.com.

Binghamton 2013-14 Season Preview: Bearcats Ready for New Conference, New Opportunities

Posted on by
Reply

The Binghamton Bearcats enter their second season under head coach Matt Dernlan with some exciting changes.  There is a new conference, an expanded home schedule and the arrival of a top 25 recruiting class.  Assistant Jasen Borshoff spoke to New York Wrestling News about the upcoming campaign, including the projected lineup and expectations for 2013-14.

New York Wrestling News (NYWN): It will be your first year in the EIWA conference. What does that move mean for the program?

Jasen Borshoff (JB): We couldn’t be happier. The EIWA is a better place to be for us.  There are great teams and we’re more aligned from an academic profile standpoint.  It also helps our travel budget – we can get to so many of the schools within three hours.  There are also more qualifying spots for nationals, which will give our guys a lot of opportunities. We’re really excited to be part of the EIWA.

NYWN: What are some of the highlights of your schedule this year?

JB:  We have seven home matches this year instead of one.  That’s exciting.  For the most part, we’ll be wrestling most of the EIWA teams in duals and we’re excited about the Journeymen/Asics Northeast Duals in Albany.  Going to Midlands is always a good test for the guys.  Right off the bat, we’ll get good gauge of where we are with the Bearcat Open at home.  We typically cut off the field at 300 wrestlers, but this year, we have a goal of 500 kids.  We’ll do 12 mats at the Events Center and there will be a lot of really good wrestlers there.  Cornell usually sends most of the team.  This year, Penn State will be sending guys and so will Ohio State, Lehigh and other really good teams.  It will be big for our team, especially because it will decide a few of our weights for the early season.

NYWN: What are the expectations for the team this year?

JB: We’d like to have half our team qualify for nationals and have some All-Americans.  The way I see it, we can’t do any worse than last year because we didn’t have any All-Americans.  We’re looking to change that this year.

Let’s take a look at the weight-by-weight to see who will try to break through to the podium for the Bearcats in 2013-14:

125 Pounds:

A number of the spots in the lineup have a strong favorite.  This isn’t necessarily one of them.  A pair of wrestlers who racked up large win totals last year – David White and Mike Sardo – continue to battle it out at the lightest weight.  (White redshirted while Sardo took over at 125 when starter Patrick Hunter was injured). White has some experience in the EIWA, having placed sixth at 125 for Army at the conference tournament in his freshman season before transferring.

“This weight is up in the air,” Borshoff said. “Both guys have gotten a lot better over the past year.  Mike had the fourth most wins on the team last year and David also won at least 25 matches.  That will be a weight to watch at the [Bearcat] Open.”

133:

Nick Tighe, Photo by BV

A familiar face to Empire State wrestling fans is likely to man 133 pounds as a true freshman.  New York’s 2013 Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award winner, Nick Tighe of Phoenix, looks to carry over his high school success to the college level after finishing his career with his third straight state title in 2013 (at 138 pounds).

“Nick has gotten his weight down and is a wrecking ball,” Borshoff said. “He’s really tough and hard to wrestle. We’re excited to see how he’ll look at the Open in his first competition.”

141:

While Tighe won the state championship at 138 pounds in Division II a year ago, Nick Kelley accomplished that feat at the same weight in Division I.  Kelley has impressed so far, but will most likely redshirt.  Looking to start at 141 are a trio of grapplers – Dylan Cohen, Dylan Caruana and David Almaviva.

“This will be a very young weight for us,” Borshoff said. “[Caruana] redshirted last year and has put on a lot of size this summer. [Cohen] was pulled out of redshirt during the season last year and is now at a better weight – he struggled to make 133 last year.  [Almaviva] is a true freshman. He may only have one year in him at 141 before moving up, so we’ll see how he does. The question is who will show up most at the Open?  We’re not sure what will happen here yet.”

149:

Joe Bonaldi started last season with a bang.  At the Binghamton Open, he defeated returning All-American Mike Nevinger in his opening bout and won the title, also topping NCAA qualifier Dan Neff.  In the process, he entered the national rankings and looked primed for a breakout campaign.  Unfortunately, an injury prevented that from taking place.  He made a return to the lineup very late in the season, competing just once before the CAA tournament. The Bearcats are excited to have the Rochester native back.

“Joe’s doing really well,” Borshoff said. “He was doing really well last year early on too.  He came back for the CAAs last year, but it was too long of a layoff before that. It will be interesting to see how the move to 149 works – he’ll be tested right away at the Open. He’s a guy to keep an eye on this year. He’s definitely very talented and he gives [assistant coach] Teyon [Ware] trouble in the room and we know how good Teyon is.”

157:

Last year’s starter Jack McKeever will redshirt, and three wrestlers will look to get the nod in this class – Nick Mauriello, Ben Price and Brian Conrad.  Conrad was a spot starter last season, while Mauriello redshirted.  In high school, Mauriello earned fourth in New York as a senior for Hauppauge while Price was a two-time Vermont state champion and Conrad won the Section 8 title, according to the Binghamton athletics website.

165:

Vincent Grella returns after handling the starting duties in 2012-13.  He topped Drexel’s Connor Moran at the CAA championships.

“He got a lot better at the end of last year,” Borshoff said. “He wrestles hard and got some good experience.  We think he’ll have a good year for us.”

174:

In 2011, John Paris was the CAA Rookie of the Year.  But injuries have interrupted him since then. However, he’s expected to be the starter once again after winning the job for the postseason a year ago.

“John’s a talented wrestler but he’s always been plagued by injuries,” Borshoff said. “Last year, John and Caleb Wallace kept flip flopping back and forth as our starter, but John won the final wrestleoff to take the spot.  Bringing in [two-time New York state champion] Zack Zupan, who is doing very well but probably redshirting, has made John a lot better.  He’s been fighting hard – he sees the competition and wants the spot.”

184:

After battling both Paris and injuries last season, Caleb Wallace is ready to take hold of the 184-pound role.  Wallace began the 2012-13 campaign well, defeating eventual EIWA champion Nathaniel Brown of Lehigh in an early dual by fall.

“Caleb is another good wrestler for us who has had trouble staying healthy,” Borshoff said. “We’re excited to see how he does moving up a weight after having a decent cut to make 174 last year.”

197:

Cody Reed is the only projected starter who wrestled at the NCAAs last year.  In fact, he has been to Nationals twice. In 2012, he registered one of the big upsets of the first round in St. Louis when he topped fourth-seeded Christian Boley of Maryland at 197 pounds, before finishing 2-2.  Last season, Reed dropped down to 184 and once again qualified for the “Big Show”, going 0-2 following an 18-win campaign.  Now, he’ll be back at 197 again, looking to win a few more matches on the national stage.

“Cody went down to 184 last year when Nate Schiedel moved up, but Cody’s much better off at 197,” Borshoff said. “He’s very capable – I wouldn’t count him out at Nationals.  He was up and down last year, but got the job done in the qualifier.  He wanted to do better at Nationals, but he has his senior year to look forward to.”

285:

Tyler Deuel moved from 197 to heavyweight before last season and wound up with the third most wins on the team, according to Borshoff.  Now, with a year of experience at the heaviest weight class, the coach thinks he’s ready to show even more.

“Tyler’s a great kid, always working out extra and trying to learn,” Borshoff said. “He had a good year last year and he’ll do even better this year because he’s acclimated to the weight.  This year he’s a very solid 245 pounds – he’s ripped for a heavyweight.”

Borshoff had very positive things to say about the standout rookie class. Some were mentioned above.  Others, such as multiple-time New York State champion Kyle Kelly, NYS placer Robert Person and two-time silver medalist Bryce Mazurowski, will likely redshirt.

—————————-

How will the first year in the EIWA go? How many wrestlers will Binghamton qualify for the NCAAs this year?  We’ll find out more as Binghamton opens the season on November 10 at home with the Bearcat Open.

Note: the Bearcat Open has been renamed the Jonathan Kaloust Bearcat Open to honor the memory of Navy Seal (and former Binghamton wrestler) Jonathan Kaloust, who died during a training accident this spring.

 

From Russia to Ithaca: Dake, Simaz, Perrelli to Compete for Team USA in a World-Class Freestyle Dual vs. Russia at Cornell

Posted on by
Reply

You don’t have to go across the globe to see some of the top wrestlers in the world.  On November 17, some of the best will be making the trip to Ithaca, NY.

Some Cornell greats will be involved in the festivities as Kyle Dake, Cam Simaz and Frank Perrelli, who combined for five national championships and nine All-American showings, will get another chance to perform in front of the home crowd.

“They’re all excited,” said head coach Rob Koll.  “They thought their Cornell wrestling days were over, but we just keep bringing them back in.”

The former Big Red stars will take part in a world-class freestyle dual between Team USA and the Russian National Team at 1 p.m. in Bartels Hall on the Cornell campus.

The American squad features a number of standouts, including Perelli (55 kg), Jimmy Kennedy (60 kg), Kellen Russell (66 kg), Dake (74 kg), Clayton Foster (84 kg), Simaz (96 kg) and either Olympian Tervel Dlagnev or Zach Rey at heavyweight.

“For us, it’s a great way to highlight what we have going on in upstate New York,” Koll said. “When we started here at Cornell, to think we’d have three guys who could wrestle at that level would have been a big jump.  It just shows you that you can get an Ivy League education and be training for the highest levels of wrestling in the world.”

Tickets for the event are $10 for general admission and $15 for chair back seats. As part of that price, USA National team coach and Olympic medalist Zeke Jones will be hosting a freestyle clinic from 10-12.

“We would like to sell out Bartels Hall, which holds about 4,500,” Koll said.  “Tickets have only been available for a couple of days and there are already 900 seats accounted for.”

In addition to world-class freestyle wrestling, there will be some high quality folkstyle action one day earlier in Ithaca as well.  On November 16, the Red-White Eliminations (wrestleoffs) will take place, helping to determine the starting lineup for the Big Red in 2013-14.

To purchase tickets, see Cornell Big Red tickets or call (607) 254-2327.

 

 

Cohen, Raccioppi Take Titles at the Hudson Valley Challenge; Grant, Feola Win at Farrell

Posted on by
Reply

The Iron Horse Invitational wasn’t the only big tournament last weekend.  Numerous New York wrestlers took the mat at Port Jervis High School for the Hudson Valley Challenge where 2013 All-State grappler Golan Cohen of Colonie and state qualifier Mike Raccioppi of Minisink Valley won titles.  Meanwhile, several others competed at the Farrell tournament, where state qualifier Malik Grant (Curtis) and NHSCA All-American Vincent Feola (Walt Whitman) were among the winners.  For results, see below.

Hudson Valley Challenge

99 Pounds: Thomas Cox (631 Elite) over Jon Loew (Wantagh)

106 Pounds: Alfredo Olmedo (Arlington) over Kyle Mock (Huntington)

113 Pounds: Ben Tepperman (Hauppauge) over Edward Lovely (Newtown)

120 Pounds: Gerard Daly (Minisink Valley) over Lamont Wallace (Rugged WC)

126 Pounds: Golan Cohen (NY Titans) over Doug Iadanza (Sachem East)

132 Pounds: Christian Silva (SIR) over Joe Hill (Wantagh)

138 Pounds: Mike Raccioppi (SIR) over Sean O’Hagan

145 Pounds: Tom Murphy (Pope John) over Hussain Hasan (Valley Central)

152 Pounds: Frank Carrozza (Delaware Valley) over Jimmy Devine (NY Titans)

160 Pounds: Nick Vines (Wantagh) over Brad Marvin (Starvin Marvins)

170 Pounds: John Donahue (Hauppauge) over Victor Viera (Cactus)

182 Pounds: Tyler Blasko (Walkill) over Sean Roesing

195 Pounds: Robert Cuomo (Ironmen) over Justin Baker (Wantagh)

220 Pounds: Justin Baker (Wantagh) over Rich Jones (Walkill)

285 Pounds: Sam Weinger (Washingtonville) over Brandon Mascaro (Walkill)

For brackets, see Hudson Valley Challenge.

 

Farrell High School Tournament

99 Pounds: Brian Kelly over Nick O’Byrne

106 Pounds: Malik Grant over Joseph Marino

113 Pounds: Peter Dee (Howell) over PJ Guhn

120 Pounds: Denzel Tovar over Eddie Matyka

126 Pounds: Vincent Concina (Bishop Ahr) over Joseph Ferinde

132 Pounds: Matt Seitz over Mark Gerstacker

138 Pounds: Josh Pierre-Louis (Howell) over Tyler Tepe (Passaic Valley)

145 Pounds: Kevin Jackson over Paul Capaldo

152 Pounds: Dave Nocks (Howell) over Addrian Ferrarie

160 Pounds: Joseph Connolly over Matt Assael

170 Pounds: Ryan Forero over Ryan Gerena (William Floyd)

182 Pounds: No results

195 Pounds: Mike Newman (Lions) over Sean Silverstein (Howell)

220 Pounds: Vincent Feola (VHW) over Steven Flynn

285 Pounds: No results

For brackets, see Farrell.

For results from the novice and schoolboy divisions of the Farrell event, see this link.

 

 

New York Boasts Multiple Champions, Including Repeat Winner Nick Piccininni, at the Iron Horse Invitational

Posted on by
1

Last year, two New York wrestlers emerged as champions at the Iron Horse Invitational in New Jersey.  On Sunday, the Empire State boasted many more first place finishers, including a repeat performance by Nick Piccininni.

The Ward Melville grappler went 4-0 on the day, outscoring his opponents 29-1 along the way.  One of his victories was over New Jersey state champion Anthony Cefolo.

In addition to Piccininni, Long Island was well represented in the Garden State with Eastport South Manor’s Jimmy Leach, Rocky Point’s Tommy Dutton, MacArthur’s Steve Schneider and Syosset’s Vito Arujau also collecting crowns.

Steve Schneider, Photo by BV

All four of those wrestlers finished with unblemished records.  Leach, a Section 11 finalist in February, beat 2013 NYS placer Sam Ward 6-3 on his path. Meanwhile, Dutton notched an impressive 3-2 triumph over two-time New Jersey runner up Gary Dinmore, a competitor ranked as one of the top 100 seniors in the land by Intermat and FloWrestling. Schneider bested state champion Adis Radoncic a few weeks after losing to him at the Journeymen Classic, while fellow Nassau representative Arujau notched a trio of victories, including a 4-0 decision over All-Stater Jesse Dellavecchia of East Islip.

There were many more gold showings for New York, including by returning state silver medalists Levi Ashley of Shenendehowa and Christian Dietrich of Greene.  [Ashley’s only setback was to fellow New Yorker Nick Weber of Kings Park, another All-Stater in 2013]. For Dietrich, it was another offseason title after taking first at the Journeymen Classic a few weeks ago.

We haven’t forgotten about Anthony DePrez of Hilton and Brett Perry of John Jay East Fishkill, who also returned to the Empire State on Sunday night as champions.

Quite a few New Yorkers ended the top notch event with second place showings.  John Muldoon of Pearl River was one of them, after going 3-1 with his only loss in overtime to New Jersey medalist Christian Innarella of Delbarton.

Yianni Diakomihalis of Hilton pinned Wantagh’s Kyle Quinn in a meeting of returning state champions and defeated New Jersey’s Nick Santos, before dropping a 5-3 battle to Nick Suriano, the #1 ranked grappler in the land at 113 pounds, to take second.

In addition, Jakob Restrepo continued his stellar offseason with silver, including a 5-4 decision over two-time New York runner up Vincent DePrez of Hilton.  Restrepo wasn’t the only Section 11 wrestler to take second – Greg Chery of Connetquot and Jesse Dellavecchia of East Islip did the same.

To see full results, follow this link.

 

 

 

 

Rob Koll Previews the 2013-14 Season for the Cornell Big Red

Posted on by
Reply

BY ROB KOLL

[For a PDF version of Rob Koll’s newsletter, see Cornell newsletter Fall].

We pride ourselves on consistency within the program.  If we recruit hard, and work harder, then there is no reason to ever suffer through a “rebuilding” year.  This year that philosophy will be put to the test.  It’s been seven years since we started a season without the services of one or more national champions.  In addition, in the last two years we have lost four national champions to graduation.  Despite these facts there is reason for optimism in the Cornell camp!

The 2013-2014 team ushers in a new era.  No more Dake, Bosak and Simaz to the rescue.  We need to find, and develop, the next Cornell wrestling legends.  The good news is that within our wrestling room nebula I am confident we have the material and conditions to incubate future wrestling stars!

Although I cry youth, the truth is we are in the enviable position of possessing two not-so-secret weapons in Nahshon Garrett (125 pounds, third at last year’s NCAAs) and Mike Nevinger (141 pounds, seventh and fifth at the last two NCAAs). In addition to these two we have past NCAA qualifiers in Chris Villalonga (149), Marshall Peppelman (165), Jace Bennett (197) and Stryker Lane (285).  These returning starters give us a good base, but we have a few openings that will need to be filled.

 

Garrett, Photo by BV

125: Nahshon Garrett returns for his sophomore year with the intent, and ability, to claim the first of multiple NCAA championship titles.  Nahshon is vastly improved, and he wasn’t too shabby last year!  Bricker Dixon will move down to challenge Nahshon.  These two provide us with amazing depth.  Ryan Radwanski, a freshman from Bridgewater, NJ will also challenge for a spot.

 

133: Freshman Mark Grey, the self-proclaimed better looking and more intelligent Grey brother, will make an immediate impact at this weight.  Sophomore Logan David and senior Josh Kennedy will also complete for the role.  Last year, David had six wins wrestling at 125 and 133, while Kennedy went 4-6. Former NCAA qualifier Nick Arujau will either compete at 133 or 141.

 

141: Mike Nevinger comes back for his senior year with the goal of making it to the top of the podium.  Mike always works hard, but this summer, he was particularly focused and intense. Mike has enjoyed a spectacular Cornell career, ranking 20th on the all-time wins list with 99 victories. Challenging Mike for the spot will be sophomore Joe Rendina (9-5 last year), Nik Peña,  (11-11 two years ago), as well as a host of outstanding freshmen including Corey Dake (Lansing, NY), Eli Bienstock, (Gaithersburg, MD) and three-time California state champion, Alex Cisneros.

 

149: Junior Chris Villalonga has amassed 58 victories and two trips to the NCAA tournament during his career. Despite this impressive resume, we expect significantly more out of him this year.  Chris has grown into a full sized 149-pound wrestler and will no longer be overpowered by anyone.  If Chris gets banged up, we can fall back on the services of seniors Ryan Dunphy and Conner David.

 

157: Two outstanding freshmen, Brian Realbuto and Taylor Simaz, will take over this weight class.  Realbuto is a three-time New York state champion and Fargo National Champion who placed third at the FILA Junior World Team Trials over the summer.  Simaz, whose brother Cam won a national title for the Big Red in 2012, was a two-time Michigan state champion.

 

165: Marshall Peppelman, Craig Eifert and Dylan Palacio make this our most hotly contested weight.  Any one of the three could make the team and I expect the person who ultimately prevails will compete for All-American honors in March.  Also battling for the spot is freshman Jake George.  Jake is Billy’s younger, and naturally better looking and smarter, brother.

 

174: This is another weight class with a great deal of talent.  Sophomores Duke Pickett and Owen Scott will battle it out with junior Jesse Shanaman.  Pickett started for half of last year and racked up an 18-15 record.  Jesse has bumped up two weight classes.  Last year he struggled with injuries but still managed to grind out 12 victories against 10 defeats.  Owen Scott missed all of last year due to injury.

 

184: Billy George wrestled 197 last year and 174 as a freshman, so it only seemed appropriate to move to 184 this year.  Last season, Billy finished with a 19-11 record.  Billy will be challenged by freshman Gabe Dean, who was first and second at the Michigan state championships and senior Mike Alexander.

 

197: A beefed up Jace Bennett returned to campus ready to improve on last year’s impressive 31 victories. Pushing Jace will be Steve Congenie, a two-time Illinois state champion, and 2013 New York state titlewinner, Daniel Choi.

 

285: Stryker Lane, who has a 68-38 career record, returns for his senior year hoping to finally get on the podium in Oklahoma City.  Pushing Stryker will be sophomore Jacob Aiken-Phillips (15-8 last year), George Famutimi and former 184 pounder (now 235 pounds and growing), Craig Scott.

Here are a few other notes about the upcoming season:

Nahshon Garrett at the All-Star Classic:

Before our season officially kicks off, you can see Nahshon Garrett in action at the All-Star Classic, where he will face All-American Jarrod Patterson of Oklahoma at 125 pounds.   The event, which features a number of the nation’s top wrestlers, will take place on November 2 at 7:15 p.m. on the campus of George Mason University.

To purchase tickets, visit the Ticketmaster website.  For more information on the All-Star Classic, visit the NWCA website.

2013-2014 Schedule:

We have put together another challenging schedule this year.  You can take a look at the following link: http://cornellbigred.com/schedule.aspx?path=wrest& or here.

 

Team USA vs. Team Russia in Ithaca!

On November 17, join us in Bartels Hall for a 1 p.m. dual between the Russian national team and a USA squad featuring former Big Red stars Kyle Dake, Cam Simaz and Frank Perrelli as well as Kellen Russell, Clayton Foster, Jimmy Kennedy and Tervel Dlagnev /Zach Rey.   As part of the ticket price, national team coach Zeke Jones will host a freestyle clinic from 10-12.  I hope you will be able to support our team!

 

New Book!

Former Cornell wrestler Jamie Moffatt recently released his latest work on the fight to save Olympic wrestling.  Please check it out at: https://www.facebook.com/SavingWrestlingBook

 

By Lindsey Mechalik

 

 

Iron Horse Invitational: Elite New York Wrestlers Ready for Top Notch Competition in New Jersey

Posted on by
Reply

The ninth annual Iron Horse Invitational will take place on Sunday in East Hanover, New Jersey.  The event features some of the very best from the host state as well as representatives from Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia, Florida, Maryland and of course, New York.

Last year Ward Melville’s Nick Piccininni and Pearl River’s John Muldoon won their brackets at the event, and both are back to try to make it two in a row.

Who will come out on top this weekend? Here are some of the New Yorkers scheduled to participate*:

Vito Arujau, Syosset
Jake Ashcraft, Burnt Hills
Levi Ashley, Shenendehowa
Brandon Aviles, Newfield
Nick Casella, Locast Valley
Greg Chery, Connetquot
Mike D’Angelo, Commack
Jesse Dellavecchia, East Islip
Anthony DePrez, Hilton
Vincent DePrez, Hilton
Matteo DeVincenzo, Port Jefferson
Yianni Diakomihalis, Hilton
Christian Dietrich, Greene
Tommy Dutton, Rocky Point
Ken Gallagher, Northport
Louis Hernandez, Mepham
Jimmy Leach, Eastport South Manor
Chris Mauriello, Huappauge
John Muldoon, Pearl River
Kevin Parker, Shenendehowa
Travis Passaro, Eastport South Manor
Brett Perry, John Jay East Fishkill
Nick Piccininni, Ward Melville
Jesse Porter, Shenendehowa
Kyle Quinn, Wantagh
Adis Radoncic, Poly Prep
Jakob Restrepo, Sachem East
Blake Retell, Shaker
Rafal Rokosz, Southhampton
Steve Schneider, MacArthur
Tyler Silverthorn, General Brown
Daniel Smith, South Jefferson
Ryan Snow, General Brown
Sam Ward, Locust Valley
Nick Weber, Kings Park

 

*Participation subject to change

The Newest Bearcat: After Beating a National Champ, Connor Calkins Commits to Binghamton

Posted on by
5

A national champion [Vermont’s Jesse Webb] stood in front of Alfred-Almond’s Connor Calkins in the 285-pound title bout at the Journeymen Classic at the end of September.  Webb was also the defending gold medalist at the Journeymen event.

Calkins didn’t allow him to repeat as he captured a 6-3 victory and the crown.

“I scouted him out and knew what he does,” Calkins said. “He’s a grinder and he likes to go for the bear hug.  I was able to score off that bear hug attempt myself. It turned out to be a really good match. I absolutely, 100% expected to beat him.  Wrestling is a mental game and I’ve been training so hard.  It was a good win to pick up.”

Calkins vs. Jesse Webb

Calkins has recently made a habit of big wins.  After securing a wildcard bid to the New York State championships in February, the Section 5 senior entered the 16-person heavyweight bracket as the #16 seed.

In round one, he was set to face returning finalist Alex Soutiere.   As is often the case in the opening match for the top seed, the match wasn’t close.  However, it was Calkins who took control, building a sizable lead before recording a pin with just seconds remaining in the third period to score the upset.

“When I watched video on [Soutiere], I knew he finished second in the state the year before, but I really thought I could win,” Calkins said.

He wasn’t done winning.  In the next round, he notched a 9-1 major decision over Byron Bergen’s Mike Saxman, a grappler who finished ahead of him at the SuperSectional qualifier (although they didn’t meet there).

Things got a little more difficult, however, as Calkins dropped his semifinal contest to eventual champion Matt Abbott.  In the process, he suffered an injury that led him to forfeit his first consolation bout, sending him to the fifth place match.

“I hyperextended my elbow and hurt my bicep in the semis,” he said. “When I saw that it was the same guy [Saxman], I talked to my coach and said I had to wrestle.  It would be important to get points for next year’s seeding and to finish as high as I could.  I felt like I showed some heart going out there and gutting it out.”

His efforts paid off, as he topped Saxman 6-2 to earn a fifth place medal.

It didn’t always look like Calkins was destined for All-State status.  Back in eighth grade, he said his record was around .500.  However, he came back to take a Class B Sectional title as a freshman at 160 pounds and was determined to keep climbing the ladder.

“I sat down with my dad to have a serious talk,” Calkins said.  “He asked me what I wanted to do and I said I wanted to take my wrestling to a whole new level.  I dedicated myself to that.”

According to Calkins, his father Richard, a former wrestler, fully understood what dedication to the sport entailed.  Now, father and son have yet another thing in common – being Bearcats.

Earlier this week, Connor Calkins committed to Binghamton University.  He said that while his father went there as well, there were many other reasons for his decision.

“When I took my official visit, I had one of those gut feelings that it was right,” he said, adding that he also considered Buffalo and Cornell. “Everything felt right to me. I really liked all the coaches – they seemed really loyal to me.  The coaches and wrestlers seemed like the kind of people I want to be surrounded by.  Having so many New York wrestlers there was actually a really big factor.  I felt comfortable because I know a lot of them from the state tournament.”

The state tournament came up often and is definitely on his mind.  While his trip to the Times Union Center ended well with the previously mentioned fifth place showing, Calkins didn’t have an easy path as a junior despite a strong 38-4 mark with 20 pins.

He suffered an injury to his dominant hand in late October of 2012, which he said slowed him down for much of the campaign.  And he moved up to the 285-pound class in February despite weighing about 210. [His workout partner, Zack Bacon of Hornell, was the state champion at 220].

Calkins said he’s nowhere near that weight now.  In fact, with the training schedule he has in place, he mentioned that he’s closer to 240 pounds.

“Honestly, I felt sorry for myself after losing in the semifinals [at the state tournament] last year, but that will never happen again.  It made me want to push hard and I have been.  I’ve made major gains. I’ve been wrestling twice a week at the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club and I lift and work out every single day.  I make sure I do something every day to make myself better.”

Given that, he feels that his best performances are ahead of him.

“I just beat a top kid in the nation,” he said of the triumph over Webb. “There’s still a lot I want to do.  Committing to Binghamton makes me want to work harder.  Now I don’t have to think about college coaches calling me. I can just focus on winning a state title.”

————————

Connor Calkins wanted to his parents (Richard and Kirsten Calkins), his head wrestling coach (Greg Cook) and his trainer (Chris Gorman).