Category Archives: Section 4

Binghamton Turns Back Hofstra, 24-12

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Contact: John Hartrick (hartrick@binghamton.edu)

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. – No. 19 Binghamton wrestling won six of 10 bouts to secure a 24-12 win over No. 22 Hofstra Sunday afternoon from the Mack Physical Education Center. In front of a contingent of alumni supporters, the Bearcats (14-4) used three major decisions and a clinching pin at 197 to beat the Pride (10-3) for the third straight year.

Back-to-back-to-back majors from the heart of BU’s lineup gave the Bearcats the lead for good. Junior 149-pound Donnie Vinson, ranked No. 4 in the country, got things going with a 9-1 win. Vinson (29-4, 17-1 duals) used an early takedown and three back points for forge a 7-1 lead after the first period. He cruised to the eight-point win to push BU ahead 7-6.

Senior 157-pound Justin Lister followed with a 9-1 major of his own. Lister, ranked No. 9 in the latest NCAA Coaches’ Ranking, scored a takedown 36 seconds into his match, added a second-period reversal and two more takedowns in the third plus considerable riding time. Lister improved to 22-5 overall, 14-3 in duals.

Senior 165-pound Matt Kaylor, ranked No. 25, expected to see 15th-ranked reigning All-American P.J. Gillespie but the Pride juggled their lineup and Kaylor took advantage of the matchup with a 17-5 major decision over Vince Varela. Kaylor (21-8, 13-5 duals) racked up four takedowns in the first period and seven for the match. His major gave Binghamton a 15-6 lead in the team scoring.

With Hofstra’s strategy in place, freshman 174-pound Caleb Wallace was left to battle Gillespie but held him to a 9-2 decision, giving BU the edge on the switch and making the team score 15-9.

Junior 184-pound Nate Schiedel, No. 20, suffered a 1-0 decision against No. 9 Ben Clymer with Clymer’s third-period escape the lone point of the match. Schiedel was battling in the closing 30 seconds and Clymer was hit with a stall warning but Schiedel couldn’t record the needed takedown and the Pride pulled to within three, 15-12.

At 197, sophomore Cody Reed clinched the win with a second-period pin. Reed (20-11, 10-6 duals) collected a first-period takedown and a second-period reversal before ending his match against Tim Murphy at 3:21. It was Reed’s first pin of the season.

Freshman heavyweight, No. 18 Nick Gwiazdowski capped the win with a 4-1 decision over Paul Snyder. Trailing 1-0 entering the third period, Gwiazdowski (22-6, 12-3 duals) recorded an escape to tie, a takedown with 1:25 left to forge ahead and added riding time for the final margin.

Junior 133-pound Patrick Hunter (16-13) gave the team three big points in the second bout of the afternoon. Hunter trailed No. 26 Jamie Franco 3-0 with just 1:09 left in the match but rallied for three third-period takedowns and came away with an 8-6 overtime win. Trailing 5-4 and giving away riding time, Hunter produced a tying takedown with just two seconds left in the match to force overtime. He then scored a takedown with 37 seconds left in the extra period for the win.

“I’m extremely pleased with our performance today,” head coach Pat Popolizio said. “It was one of our better matches of the year and beating a program like Hofstra, with their history and tradition, is great for our program and very rewarding for the guys. Individually, Patrick Hunter’s win was huge. He lost to that kid in November and reversed the decision this time, which will give Patrick a lot of confidence heading into the conference tournament. Cody (Reed) had the big match of the day, earning the pin to secure the dual for us. Now we’re excited to go into Senior Night on Friday and give Justin (Lister) and Matt (Kaylor) a good send-off. They have poured their hearts and souls into this program and they deserve a special celebration that night.”

The Bearcats host fellow CAA member and No. 23 Old Dominion in the regular-season finale at 7 p.m. Friday at West Gym.

No. 19 Binghamton 24, No. 22 Hofstra 12
125 No. 12 Steve Bonanno (Hofstra) dec. Derek Steeley (Binghamton) 10-5
133 Patrick Hunter (Binghamton) dec. No. 26 Jamie Franco (Hofstra) 8-6 (ot)
141 No. 25 Luke Vaith (Hofstra) dec. Joe Bonaldi (Binghamton) 6-1
149 No. 4 Donald Vinson (Binghamton) major dec. No. 24 Justin Accordino (Hofstra) 9-1
157 No. 9 Justin Lister (Binghamton) major dec. Tyler Banks (Hofstra) 9-1
165 No. 25 Matt Kaylor (Binghamton) major dec. Vicente Varela (Hofstra) 17-5
174 *No. 15 Paul Gillespie (Hofstra) dec. Caleb Wallace (Binghamton) 9-2
184 No. 9 Ben Clymer (Hofstra) dec. No. 20 Nathan Schiedel (Binghamton) 1-0
197 No. 31 Cody Reed (Binghamton) pinned Tim Murphy (Hofstra) 3:21
285 No. 18 Nick Gwiazdowski (Binghamton) dec. Paul Snyder (Hofstra) 4-1

* ranked at 165 lbs.
** rankings are from the Feb. 7 NCAA Coaches’ Panel Rankings

 

 

 

Two-Time Finalist Tristan Rifanburg Readies for Another Title Run

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By Betsy Veysman

Tristan Rifanburg isn’t the only two-time state finalist getting ready for another postseason run. But he is the only freshman in that category.

Prior to ever stepping on the varsity mat for Norwich, Rifanburg saw a great deal of success, winning events such as the MAWA Nationals twice.  As a result, he and his coaches believed he could compete as a seventh grader – and win – right away.

“We knew he was going to do well, but initially I don’t think we knew just how successful he was going to be in seventh grade,” said Norwich head coach Joe Downey.  “But after about a month into the season, we realized how good he really was and we began expecting that he would win the state tournament.”

Rifanburg did just that, marching through the regular season at 96 pounds with just a single loss.  In Albany, he captured the state title with a 10-6 victory over Drew Longo of Ardsley.

“I believed from the start that I could beat anyone that stepped on the mat with me,” he said.  “People were telling me that that I couldn’t do it as a seventh grader, that I was going to lose.  But I just trained as hard as I could every day and it paid off.”

“A lot of times when a seventh grader makes it to state, they’re just happy to be there,” Downey added.  “But not Tristan.  He had one goal in mind and he made it happen.”

In winning the crown, Rifanburg became the first seventh grader and the first Norwich wrestler to stand on top of the podium at the New York States.   Rifanburg, currently ranked as the ninth best freshman in the country by Intermat, was welcomed back in style.

“I was really surprised that my town had a parade for me,” he said. “It seemed like everyone in the whole town was there.  It was really cool.”

The celebration was for his achievements on the mat, but according to Downey, Rifanburg is accomplished in other areas as well.

“I would love my son to grow up to be like Tristan,” the coach said. “He’s a high honor roll student who is as calm and cool as you get.  He’s respectful and courteous and a great person to be around.”

Last season as a 112 pound eighth grader, Rifanburg enjoyed another stellar season and fought his way back to the state title match in Albany.  However, he took second place after four-time gold medalist Arik Robinson defeated him 7-2.

Now, as a third year varsity starter, the freshman has continued his winning ways, compiling a 34-1 record to date.  He began the year at 126 pounds, suffering his only loss to one of the top 50 senior recruits in the country, Northwestern-bound Dom Malone of Wyoming Seminary.

“I learned from that match that I’m not the best guy out there,” Rifanburg said. “It motivated me even more to keep training every day and work to be the best.”

At the end of December, Rifanburg dropped to 120 pounds, where he went 11-0 with nine pins and two technical falls.  He was considered by many to be the top 120-pounder in the Empire State.

“He’s gotten much better on his feet this year,” the coach said. “He’s shooting to both sides much more.  He’s even more dominant on top than before.  He does a really good job tilting, with bars and in general staying tight to his opponent.  I don’t even know what to expect from him sometimes, he winds up amazing me.”

 New Milestone, New Weight

In mid January, Rifanburg picked up his 100th high school victory, a milestone he said he had been thinking about for quite some time.  He was quick to add, however, that now his goals have been reset and he has started the countdown to 200 triumphs.

He began that mission at the STAC Championships on January 27.  At that tournament, he returned to 126 pounds, which he said will be his home for the remainder of the year.

“When I dropped to 120, I wasn’t enjoying the sport or school. Things weren’t as much fun anymore,” he said. “When I went back up to 126, everything felt better.  My academics were better, wrestling was better and I was happier.”

The move to his new weight potentially sets up an intriguing match at the Section IV tournament this weekend.  Sitting on the other side of the bracket is Lansing senior Corey Dake, a three-time state placer.

“I’m definitely looking forward to it,” he said of facing Dake.  “We’ve never wrestled before.  He’s the top guy in the bracket.  Ever since the decision was made to move up to 126, I’ve been thinking about that match.”

“Fans are definitely going to get their money’s worth,” added Downey.  “It will be a battle.”

After that battle, the wrestler expects to return to Albany to attempt a third finals appearance and a second New York crown.

“After I won my state title in seventh grade I set the goal to be the first six-time New York State champion,” Rifanburg said. “That can’t happen after last year, but I can still be a five time champ and tie [Cornell NCAA Champion and former Chenango Forks star] Troy Nickerson.  That’s a big time motivator.”

With both Dake and defending 119-pound champion Nick Tighe of Phoenix, among others, in the field, it won’t be easy.  But Downey believes that a loaded bracket will bring out the best in Rifanburg.

“Tristan is mentally prepared to wrestle the tough guys in the big situations,” he said. “When you put him underneath the spotlight, he rises to the occasion.  He seems to step it up a couple of notches in the tough matches.”

Seniors Lead Cornell to Undefeated Weekend, 10th Straight Ivy League Title

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By Betsy Veysman

On Senior Day in the Friedman Center, it was appropriate that Frank Perrelli, Cam Simaz and Maciej Jochym led the way as the Big Red wrestlers captured their 10th consecutive Ivy League title and kept their undefeated dual season alive.

The trio of seniors combined for a 6-0 record on the day with four of the victories by bonus points as Cornell defeated Columbia 30-9 and topped previously unbeaten Hofstra 22-12. (Junior Kyle Dake and sophomore Mike Nevinger each went 2-0 for the Big Red as well).

Five other members of the Class of 2012 were honored: team manager Lexy Cook, Quin Leith, Warner Phipps, Derek Schreiner and Phillip Smith.

“It was nice to finish up at the Friedman Center with a few good wins,” Simaz said.  “It’s been a little bit of a shaky season dual wise but we’re still undefeated, so we must be doing something right.”

Earning the Ancient Eight crown again was also exciting for the squad.

“Winning the Ivy title meant more than in the past to me because 10 in a row is impressive,” Perrelli added.

Simaz, the top ranked 197-pounder in the nation, dominated as he has all season long, performing a takedown clinic on Columbia’s Nick Mills in a 20-5 technical fall before pinning the Pride’s Tim Murphy.  The six points he notched in the win over Hofstra clinched the dual for the Big Red.

“We call Cam ‘Captain Clutch’,” Perrelli said.  “We needed the pin against Hofstra and he went out and got it.  That’s just Cam.  He’s been dominating everyone he wrestles, no matter how good the opponent is.  We always expect it.  It’s always nice to have him in our back pocket.”

The three-time All-American, who is the all-time leader at Cornell in bonus point victories with 94, now has nine falls, six technical falls and three major decisions this year.

“I’m looking for a pin every time I get on the mat,” Simaz said, adding that he feels like he’s nearly back to 100% after his hamstring injury earlier in the year.  “I’m looking to dominate and score as many points as possible.  As I’ve matured here at Cornell, it’s gotten much easier to get the pins and techs.”

Perrelli, currently ranked fifth at 125 pounds, got on the board early and often against Robert Dyar of the Lions in a 13-0 win in the opening dual.   The victory was the New Jersey native’s 100th of his career.

“I was able to get to my shots and work on top and get a few turns,” Perrelli said. “I was basically able to do what I’ve been working for all year – scoring a lot of points and dominating.”

His next bout, the third match he has wrestled this season against #14 Steve Bonanno, was a lot tighter, with Perrelli prevailing 3-2.

“We’ve wrestled a lot, so we know each other pretty well,” he said. “It was like a lot of our other matches.  I scored offensively early and that was the match.”

“Frank is always close with Bonanno,” Simaz added.  “It’s similar to me and [Penn’s Micah] Burak. We wrestle a lot and every time it’s close.  Those are the ones you have to win and he came through.  [Perrelli] has been a fantastic leader for us this year, very vocal and very motivating.  We wouldn’t be the same without him.”

Jochym had an eye opening performance against Kevin Lester, last year’s First Team All-Ivy selection at heavyweight.  The Willston Park, NY native notched three takedowns before registering the fall in the third period to end the team’s victory over Columbia with an exclamation point.

“I think what made the difference for me against Lester was that I learned from the two times he beat me at the Body Bar,” Jochym said.  “This time, I didn’t overthink it.  It was almost automatic.  We shook hands and the rest I hardly remember.  I just did what I do in practice and it worked out pretty well.”

“That was probably the best I’ve seen Maciej wrestle,” Perrelli added. “I feel like he’s coming into this own and turning the corner.  Hopefully, he can keep it going next week and into March.”

Jochym followed up his fifth pin of the campaign with a 3-1 victory over Paul Snyder to close out the Hofstra dual.

“With my record right now, [15-12] I need as many wins against national qualifiers as I can get,” he said. “I’d be lying if I said those two wins were just regular wins because I know I need to beat guys like that to make a case for myself at the end of the year.  It’s also important as far as confidence goes.”

“I told him afterwards that I was really proud of him,” Simaz said of Jochym.  “He’s small for the weight but he outworks his opponents.  He’s really fun to watch.  I was talking to some people after the matches and they were saying that they usually hate to watch heavyweights but they liked watching him.  He takes his opportunities, is always moving and takes shots.  He needed those wins to get him over the hump and I’m excited to see how he finishes the year.”

Jochym, who will pursue a career in his major of Science and Technology Studies, acknowledged that Senior Day was meaningful.

“To be honest, I didn’t really think about wrestling for the last time at the Friedman Center until it was over,” Jochym said. “Up until then, it was just another two duals.  But when I got off the mat, it hit me.  There is such a unique feel in that facility. It’s a great place to wrestle.  I’ll miss it.”

However, the Big Red still has matches in Ithaca as Cornell welcomes Illinois, Oklahoma, Central Michigan, Purdue and American to Newman Arena on February 12.

“It was a little sad for the seniors [Saturday], but we still have some home duals left,” Perrelli said. “We’re looking forward to wrestling here again next week at the National Duals.”

In addition, for Simaz and Perrelli, Ithaca will remain home for at least one more year.  Both will stay on as coaches at the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club after graduation, with Perrelli hoping to qualify for the Olympic Trials after the college season finishes.

“Of course we’re seniors and everyone expects us to be a little sentimental,” Simaz said. “But that’s not the case, at least for me, and I think for Frank.  We’re not in any hurry to leave because Cornell has done so much for us. We’d like to stay here as long as we can.”

Cornell Defeats Columbia and Hofstra; Wins 10th Straight Ivy Title

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ITHACA, N.Y.—The No. 4 Big Red wrestling team won its 10th– straight Ivy League title on Saturday afternoon after defeating Columbia 30-9. Cornell then moved to 10-0 overall this season after handing Hofstra its first loss of the season, 22-12 at the Friedman Wrestling Center.  Senior Frank Perrelli notched his 100th career victory with a win over Robert Dyar by a 13-0 major decision. Before the Hofstra dual, Cornell honored its eight seniors including: Lexy Cook, Quin Leith, Maciej Jochym, Frank Perrelli, Warner Phipps, Derek Schreiner, Cam Simaz and Phillip Smith.

Perrelli opened the day off for the Big Red at 125 pounds taking on Dyar of Columbia. Perrelli held a 6-0 lead after the first period with a takedown and two two-point nearfalls. Perrelli increased his advantage to 8-0 with a reversal from his starting down position in the second. Dyar chose to start the third on top and Perrelli reversed him once again. With two more back points and riding time, Perrelli won a 13-0 major decision to earn his 100th career victory.

At 133 pounds, Nick Arujau and Kyle Gilchrist were scoreless after the first period. Arujau escaped from his opening down position in the second for the only point of the period. Gilchrist chose neutral for the third. Arujau took him down 15 seconds into the period and with 1:25 in riding time, won a 4-0 decision.

No. 17 ranked Mike Nevinger faced off against Matt Bystol at 141 pounds. Nevinger held a 6-0 advantage after the first period with a takedown and two two-point nearfalls. Bystol chose neutral for the second. Nevinger took him down once again and added three more back points before the period was over. Nevinger escaped from his opening down position to start the third. With another takedown and 4:16 in riding time, Nevinger won by a 15-0 technical fall.

At 149 pounds, No. 20 Chris Villalonga faced Steve Santos. After a scoreless first period, Villalonga chose down to start the second but was unable to escape. Santos escaped to open the third and with 1:44 in riding time won a 2-0 decision.

No. 1 Kyle Dake took on Jake O’Hara at 157 pounds. With eight seconds left in the first, Dake took a 2-0 lead with a takedown.  O’Hara chose neutral to start the second, but Dake would take him down once again to grab a 4-0 lead. Dake chose top to start the third period. The Big Red junior earned two three-point nearfalls and added 2:53 in riding time to win by an 11-0 major decision.

At 165 pounds, Craig Eifert faced Adam Fondale. After a scoreless first period, Eifert reversed his opponent from his opening down position. Fondale would escape, but Eifert took him down once again. Fondale escaped from his opening down position to start the third period. Fondale took down Eifert to tie the bout, but Eifert escaped to win a 5-4 decision.

Freshman Billy George squared off against Stephen West at 174 pounds. With 22 seconds left in the first, West took a 2-0 lead with a takedown. George was unable to score from his starting down position in the second period. West quickly escaped to start the third period. With a takedown and riding time, West won a 6-0 decision.

At 184 pounds, Michael Alexander took on Shane Hughes. With 10 seconds left in the first period, Hughes took Alexander down right to his back to take a 5-0 lead. Alexander escaped to open the second and with four seconds left on the clock grabbed a takedown to come within two points. Alexander chose to let Hughes up from his opening down position to start the third. With less than a minute left in the bout, Hughes notched another takedown to win an 8-3 decision.

No. 1 ranked Simaz faced Nick Mills at 197 pounds. Simaz notched four takedowns and added three back points to hold an 11-3 advantage after the first period. Mills escaped from his opening down position to start the second. Simaz grabbed two more takedowns and three back points to increase his advantage to 18-5 after two periods. Simaz chose top to start the third period. With a two point nearfall with 1:24 left in the bout, Simaz won by a 20-5 technical fall.

Senior Maciej Jochym hit the mat at heavyweight against Kevin Lester. Midway through the first, Jochym hit a double leg to takedown Lester at the edge of the mat. Lester reversed him 20 seconds later, but Jochym would escape to hold a one point advantage.  Lester escaped to open the second period, but Jochym would take him down once again with less than 30 seconds left in the period. Jochym escaped to open the third period and grabbed a takedown 30 seconds later. Jochym turned Lester to his back to win by fall in 6:00.

After the senior presentations, Perrelli faced No. 14 Steve Bonanno at 125 pounds. Perrelli had a 2-1 advantage after the first period with a takedown from which Bonanno escaped. Bonanno escaped from his opening down position for the only point of the second period. Perrelli escaped to start the third to win a 3-2 decision.

At 133 pounds, Arujau took on Jamie Franco. Franco had a takedown midway through the first period to take a 2-0 lead. Franco chose down to start the second period but was unable to escape. Arujau chose neutral in the third, but was unable to score and Franco won a 2-0 decision.

No. 17 Nevinger was scoreless after the first period at 141 pounds against Luke Vaith. Nevinger escaped to open the second for the only point of the period. Vaith chose neutral to start the third. With three seconds left on the clock, Nevinger scored a takedown to win by a 3-0 decision.

At 149 pounds, No. 20 Villalonga was scoreless against Justin Accordino after the first period. Neither wrestler was able to score from their starting down positions in the second and third periods, sending the match into overtime. Accordino scored a takedown 30 seconds into sudden victory to win a 2-0 decision.

Dake grabbed a takedown midway through the first period at 157 pounds against Tyler Banks. Dake immediately reversed Banks from his starting down position in the second period. He would let Banks up back to neutral, but Dake took him down once again to hold a 6-1 advantage after two periods. Dake let Banks up from his starting down position to open the third period looking to increase his lead.  Dake added two more takedowns and with 4:29 in riding time, the Big Red junior won an 11-3 major decision.

After a 10 minute halftime break, Eifert took on No. 19 PJ Gillespie. Gillespie took Eifert down midway through the period, but Eifert escaped to come within a point. Gillespie escaped from his opening down position in the second for the only point of the period. Eifert escaped to start the third, but with five seconds left on the clock Gillespie added a takedown to win a 5-2 decision.

George was awarded a point early in his bout against Jermaine John at 174 pounds for unnecessary roughness. The Big Red freshman escaped to open the second for the only point of the period. John escaped from his opening down position in the third, but George held strong to come away with a 2-1 decision.

At 184 pounds, No. 3 Steve Bosak took on No. 11 Ben Clymer of Hofstra. After a scoreless first period, Clymer was unable to escape his starting down position in the second. Bosak chose down to start the third, but halfway through the period Clymer caught him and earned two quick back points. Bosak would escape but was unable to score a takedown and Clymer snuck away with a 2-1 decision. With Clymer’s win, Hofstra came within one point of the Big Red with a 13-12 team score.

At 197 pounds, Simaz notched a takedown 20 seconds into the first period against Tim Murphy. Simaz totaled four takedowns to hold an 8-3 lead after the first period. Murphy chose down to start the second period, but Simaz turned him to his back to win by fall in 3:24. With the six team points, Simaz secured the win for the Big Red.

At heavyweight, Jochym and Paul Snyder were scoreless after the first period. Jochym escaped to start the second and added a takedown with 20 seconds left on the clock to take a 3-0 lead. Snyder escaped from his opening down position in the third, but Jochym held strong for a 3-1 decision.

The Big Red will play host to the first round of the NWCA/Cliff Keen Division I Dual Meet Championships on Sunday, Feb. 12. Cornell will welcome Central Michigan, No. 18 Oklahoma, Purdue, No. 21 Illinois and No. 11 American to Newman Arena for duals at 10 a.m., 12 p.m. and the finals at 2 p.m.

No . 4 Cornell 30, Columbia 9
125: No. 5 Frank Perrelli (Cornell) maj. dec  Robert Dyar, 13-0 (Cornell, 4-0)
133: Nick Arujau (Cornell) dec. Kyle Gilchrist, 4-0 (Cornell, 7-0)
141: No. 17 Mike Nevinger (Cornell) tech fall Matt Bystol, 15-0 (Cornell, 12-0)
149: Steve Santos (Columbia) dec. No. 20 Chris Villalonga, 2-0 SV (Cornell, 12-3)
157: No. 1 Kyle Dake (Cornell) maj. dec. Jake O’Hara, 11-0 (Cornell, 16-3)
165: Craig Eifert (Cornell) dec. Adam Fondale, 5-4 (Cornell, 19-3)
174: Stephen West (Columbia) dec. Billy George, 6-0 (Cornell, 19-6)
184: Shane Hughes (Columbia) dec. Michael Alexander, 8-3 (Cornell, 19-9)
197: No. 1 Cam Simaz (Cornell) tech fall Nick Mills, 20-5 (Cornell, 24-9)
HWT: Maciej Jochym (Cornell) win by fall Kevin Lester, 6:00 (Cornell, 30-9)

No. 4 Cornell 22, Hofstra 12
125: No. 5 Frank Perrelli (Cornell) dec. No. 14 Steve Bonanno, 3-2 (Cornell, 3-0)
133: Jamie Franco (Hofstra) dec. Nick Arujau, 2-0 (Tied, 3-3)
141: No. 17 Mike Nevinger (Cornell) dec. Luke Vaith, 3-0 (Cornell, 6-3)
149: Justin Accordino (Hofstra) dec. No. 20 Chris Villalonga, 2-0 (Tied, 6-6)
157: No. 1 Kyle Dake (Cornell) maj. dec. Jake O’Hara, 11-3 (Cornell, 10-6)
165: No. 19 PJ Gillespie (Hofstra) dec. Craig Eifert, 5-2 (Cornell, 10-9)
174: Billy George (Cornell) dec. Jermaine John, 2-1 (Cornell, 13-9)
184: No. 11 Ben Clymer (Hofstra) dec. No. 3 Steve Bosak, 2-1 (Cornell, 13-12)
197: No. 1 Cam Simaz (Cornell) win by fall Tim Murphy, 3:24 (Cornell, 19-12)
HWT: Maciej Jochym (Cornell) dec. Paul Snyder, 3-1 (Cornell, 22-12)

Watch Live as #3 Cornell Takes On #23 Hofstra in Meeting of Undefeated Teams

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WATCH CORNELL FACE COLUMBIA AT 1 P.M. AND HOFSTRA AT 3 P.M. ON SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4, COURTESY OF MARK MORRIS OF PAWRVIDEO.COM

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#3 Cornell vs. #23 Hofstra Preview

By Betsy Veysman

A few weeks ago, two ranked New York teams battled down to the wire in Vestal, New York when Cornell edged Binghamton on criteria in a back and forth dual meet.  This weekend in Ithaca, another Empire State dual will take place when two undefeated teams, the third-ranked Big Red and 23rd ranked Hofstra take the mat on Saturday at 3 p.m.  Both squads sport undeafeated dual records for the 2011-12 campaign.

(The Big Red will face Ivy League foe Columbia at 1 p.m.)

The following is a match-by-match preview:

125: #5 Frank Perrelli (CU, 22-4) vs. #14 Steve Bonanno (HU, 21-5)

It’s fair to say that these two know each other well, as they have met twice already this season and on three occasions last year.  While the Big Red grappler has won all five matchups, most have been close.  At the Binghamton Open this past November, Perrelli escaped as time expired to earn a one-point victory over his Hofstra counterpart and then took a 3-1 decision at the Southern Scuffle.  Bonanno has had a very solid campaign, but it’s hard to bet against Perrelli on Senior Day, especially given the recent history between these wrestlers.

133: Nick Arujau (CU, 1-0) vs. Jamie Franco (HU, 15-9)

While they haven’t wrestled as recently as the 125 pounders have, Arujau and Franco did have a high profile meeting in February of 2009.  In the 125 pound Division I New York high school state championship match, Arujau prevailed by a 4-0 score.  Plenty has happened since then and both have had fine seasons.  Franco, who has a win over Army’s Jordan Thome and a Round of 12 finish at the Southern Scuffle, has been praised by the Pride coaching staff for his performance this year.  Arujua has wrestled in a Cornell singlet only once since transferring from American, but while competing for the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club during the first semester, Arujau took second at the Penn State Open and fifth at the Southern Scuffle.  Slight edge to Arujau given a few more quality wins.

141: #17 Mike Nevinger (CU, 22-9) vs. Luke Vaith (HU, 15-7)

The two have not met and results against common opponents aren’t revealing.  Both beat Conor Hanafee and Patrick Hogan, both lost to Tyler Small and Jake Sueflohn.  While Nevinger defeated Frank Cimato twice, Cimato topped Vaith.  On the other hand, Vaith turned in a breakthrough performance last weekend, defeating returning All-American Zach Kemmerer, a wrestler who has defeated Nevinger twice this year.  What does it all mean?  It’s a toss up between grapplers who both scored upset victories last weekend (Vaith over Kemmerer, Nevinger over Iowa State’s Luke Goettl).  It certainly will have important implications for the team score.

149: #20 Chris Villalonga (CU, 19-5) vs. Justin Accordino (HU, 18-8)

Villalonga has recently broken into the rankings on the heels of a victory over top 10 opponent Corey Jantzen of Harvard.  Since moving up from 141 pounds, the New Jersey native has won 18 of 21 matches, with two of his losses to the #1 and #4 grapplers in the land (Penn State’s Frank Molinaro and Binghamton’s Donnie Vinson).  Accordino has rather quietly had a high quality campaign in his return from his second ACL injury.  Since dropping a match in the consolation bracket to Cornell’s Craig Eifert at the Southern Scuffle, Accordino has reeled off eight straight victories.

157: #1 Kyle Dake (CU, 23-0) vs. Tyler Banks (HU, 10-8)

It’s no secret that Dake is the favorite here.  That’s not a knock on Banks; it would be true against any 157-pounder in the nation.  The two-time NCAA champion returned to action at this weight against Iowa State last Sunday after missing time with an injury.  He looks to return to dominant form and pick up bonus points, which he has earned in 13 of 23 matches this year.  Banks has won four of his last five, including two pivotal triumphs in last weekend’s sweep over Rutgers and Penn.

165: Marshall Peppelman (CU, 22-12) vs. #19 PJ Gillespie (HU, 21-5)

The Pride’s returning All-American edged Peppelman 2-1 at the Binghamton Open at the beginning of the campaign.  While both competed at the Vegas Invitational and the Southern Scuffle, they did not meet again.  Gillespie took second at Vegas and fourth at the Scuffle while Peppelman was seventh at the latter tournament.  The Hofstra senior is coming off an undefeated weekend in which he upset then-ninth ranked Scott Winston of Rutgers while the Big Red wrestler suffered a tough loss to fourth-ranked Andrew Sorenson of Iowa State on Saturday.  Gillespie tends to wrestle close matches and will be favored to take this one.

174: Billy George (CU, 13-9) vs. Jermaine John (HU, 7-12)

It’s a matchup of a pair of freshmen who have had their ups and downs throughout the season.  George’s 8-2 decision over John at the Las Vegas Invitational in December makes him the favorite in this bout.

184: #3 Steve Bosak (CU, 24-2) vs. #11 Ben Clymer (HU, 23-6)

Similar to 125, these wrestlers are not strangers.  Bosak defeated Clymer 3-0 in a hard fought bout in the Binghamton Open finals this season in addition to victories the other three times they have met.  The matches have all been fairly close, with scores of 3-0, 4-1 and 3-1.  Both competitors have been on a roll lately, with Bosak winning seven straight and Clymer capturing eight consecutive victories.  However, until proven otherwise, the Cornellian is favored by decision.

197: #1 Cam Simaz (CU, 18-1) vs. Tim Murphy (HU, 10-15)

Simaz puts points on the board.  16 of his 18 wins this year have been by bonus points, including 5 technical falls and 8 pins.  Murphy and Matt Loew have both manned the 197 spot for the Pride this season but the former got the call a week ago against the Scarlet Knights and Quakers. When Simaz takes the mat against almost anyone, expect bonus points for the Big Red.

285: Maciej Jochym (CU, 13-12) vs. Paul Snyder (HU, 15-8)

This looks like another toss up.  These heavyweights met twice at the Binghamton Open.  In the opening round of the tournament, Jochym defeated Snyder, 11–4.  Hours later, Snyder returned the favor in the third place match, coming out on top, 3-2.  Both were eliminated in the Round of 12 at the Southern Scuffle and in the same round at the Las Vegas Invitational. For Hofstra to take the dual, this will be a key bout to win.

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The Pride wrestlers have won 13 straight and clearly have a very good dual lineup. However, Cornell matches up well with Hofstra’s strengths.  It’s unlikely that the result will be anything like the 45-0 shutout that the Big Red had against the Pride a year ago in Hempstead, but the Big Red should ride the Senior Day crowd to a comfortable victory in the first duals held at the Friedman Center this season.

Ryan Fox Moves Closer to Division I Goal with Commitment to Binghamton

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Some of the top Empire State wrestlers from the Class of 2012 committed to colleges before or during the early signing period in November of 2011, including Brian Realbuto (Cornell), Quinton Murphy (Indiana), Chris Nevinger (Buffalo) and Tony Lock (Buffalo), among others.  However, in the past month, several more standouts have chosen where they will continue both their education and wrestling career next fall.   New York Wrestling News spoke to some of these grapplers and will post the articles throughout the week.  Today, we share the story of Ryan Fox.

By Betsy Veysman

Ryan Fox’s dream was to wrestle at the highest level in college, but when his career at Huntington High School concluded in February of 2010, he wasn’t recruited by Division I teams.

Now, almost two years later, the Nassau Community College grappler has moved a step closer to his goal, committing to Binghamton University for the fall of 2012.

Fox’s first exposure to wrestling was in the summer before ninth grade when he attended a camp in his hometown.  He said up until that point he “had no idea what wrestling was all about.” He was discouraged after not winning a single match in the camp’s tournament.  However, he decided to try out for the team once school started, largely because of the support he had received from Huntington’s head coach at the time, Lou Giani, at the camp.

“His words and encouragement stuck with me from then through high school,” he said.  “He mentored me through a lot of adversity.”

According to Fox, his first year on the mats wasn’t too promising.  He struggled to a losing record as a member of the junior varsity.

“It was an uphill battle,” he said.  “It took me a long time to get anywhere.  My freshman year, I got beaten on so badly on JV that at first I didn’t come back to the team sophomore year.  Some teammates encouraged me to return and I did, but sophomore year wasn’t that much better.”

Yet he persisted, and as a junior, things really started moving in the right direction.  Fox started working more intensely with assistant coach Stephan Sair, a former national champion for Cortland. He fell in love with the sport and committed to doing whatever it took to get better.

“I felt that I had the athleticism but not the wrestling skill set,” he said.  “I started studying, watching matches and learning from everyone I could.  I decided I would put 100% into it because I really wanted to succeed.”

His objective that season was to win the Suffolk County title.  However, he needed a top three finish in his league to go to the county event, and he placed fourth.

In his senior campaign, Fox demonstrated how far he had come with a 37-2 record at 171 pounds.  His two losses came to the two New York state champions that year, Billy Coggins (Division I) and Tyler Beckwith (Division II).  However, Fox’s year ended abruptly when his 9-6 setback against Coggins in the County title match ended his season since he did not have enough wildcard points to qualify for a trip to the state tournament.

“I would sum up my high school career as huge improvement but extreme disappointment,” he said.  “It was heartbreaking to end my high school career with that loss to Coggins without even going to states.”

Fox’s success in his final high school season, despite the painful conclusion, convinced him that he only wanted to wrestle at the Division I level.  That desire was one of the main reasons he decided to attend Nassau as a part-time student for 2010-11.

“Nassau has a lot of advantages,” he said. “It’s close to home and I knew junior college was the best way for me to get to Division I.  I also was so focused on wrestling at the end of high school, I put aside my schoolwork and my grades weren’t where they needed to be.”

The Huntington native refocused both on the mat and in the classroom, spending significant time working with Vougar Oroudjov at his club in Syosset as well as taking courses.

During this time, Fox believes he made huge strides; the most important ones mental.

“A problem with me was my mental attitude and my anxiety,” he said.  “In high school, I put so much pressure on myself to get better, I sometimes froze up in big matches.  Vougar helped me focus on myself and my mental toughness and having confidence in the things I could control on the mat.  The technique comes, but the level of mental toughness you need to do well is a big difference I see from high school to college.”

During that first “greyshirt” year at Nassau, Fox had some impressive victories, including a win over Penn State’s James Vollrath.

Now in his first official campaign with the Lions, Fox has continued to see success, taking second at the recent New York State championships held at Cornell University, third at the Wilkes Open and second at the TCNJ Open.  He has registered triumphs over Columbia’s national qualifier Eren Civan and Nick Visicaro of Rutgers (who also beat Fox this year).

“Visicaro and I were the same graduating class in high school,” he said.  “He was a top ranked recruit and I wasn’t on anyone’s radar.  I wasn’t on his level in high school but I feel like I’ve been catching up to guys who were way ahead of me.”

Fox attributes a large portion of that development to Nassau head coach Paul Schmidt.

“I think the support Coach Schmidt gives is so important,” Fox said.  “He believes I can be a national champ and having someone else believe it is the encouragement I need to keep improving.”

After taking a visit to Binghamton in early January, Fox knew where he wanted to spend the next several years.  He plans to study Engineering and he expects to spend his three seasons of eligibility (plus a possible redshirt year) at 165 pounds.

“I am so excited about going to Binghamton,” he said. “The coaching staff is great and it’s a place where everyone has the same mindset of getting better every day.  I liked that it’s close to home and that it’s an up and coming program.  Coach [Pat] Popolizio has brought the program from not even close to being ranked to a really tough team. I can’t wait to be a part of that.”

Fox’s ultimate goal is to be an NCAA champion at the Division I level.  But he would like to earn a national crown for Nassau this February first.

“I think I’m progressing at the right pace this year, but I haven’t been wrestling to my potential yet,” he said.  “I’ve had some good wins and a couple of tough losses, but I expect to peak at the right time and turn it up for nationals. I don’t want to just be a national champion this year, I want to win while dominating.”

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Join the Live Chat with Kyle Dake, Monday January 23 at 7 p.m. Eastern

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Have a question for “Kid Dynamite”?  Curious about what’s happening on the Cornell wrestling team?

Two-time NCAA champion Kyle Dake of the Big Red will join New York Wrestling News for a live chat on Monday, January 23 at 7 p.m. Eastern time.

Dake, currently the #1 ranked 157-pound wrestler in the country, is 22-0 this season with titles at the Body Bar Invitational, Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and the Southern Scuffle.  Even up a weight at 165, he got a clutch pin for the Big Red last week in a close win over Binghamton.

To join the online chat, click here and register.  (It’s free!)

You can also add your email for a reminder here!

“The Kid” is ready for your questions!

Heavyweight Nick Gwiazdowski Makes an Immediate Impact for the Bearcats

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By Betsy Veysman

Nick Gwiazdowski picked right up where he left off.  The Binghamton freshman went undefeated as a high senior, winning all of his contested matched by pin.  So it wasn’t too surprising when his first college bout ended in a fall over Adam Barnett of George Mason.  For good measure, Gwiazdowski pinned his next opponent, Princeton’s Charles Fox, in the first round of the Binghamton Open the following day.  The heavyweight then went on to take the tournament title with a 4-0 performance, including, fittingly, a fall in the finals.

“Honestly, we expected success from Nick right away,” said Bearcats head coach Pat Popolizio. “I’ve known him for a long time and knew his personality and attitude. He’s a true competitor who loves the sport and puts the necessary time and hard work into it.”

Gwiazdowski, on the other hand, was a little surprised by the smooth transition.

“Before my first competition, I wasn’t sure what to expect,” he said. “The coaches were pretty confident in what I could do, but I wasn’t as confident.  But then after the Binghamton Open, I felt like it wasn’t such a big jump from high school.  I felt like I could do really well.”

The Duanesburg High product has continued his successful rookie campaign, amassing a 17-4 record, including nine bonus point victories (with six pins).   He upset Mike McClure of Michigan State, who was the fifth seed, in the opening round of the Reno Tournament of Champions and has registered other quality wins over Purdue’s Roger Vukobratovich and Eastern Michigan’s Wes Schroeder.   He also took advantage of the opportunity to avenge his last high school loss by defeating Oklahoma’s Kyle Colling in a January dual meet and he nearly led his team to an upset of Cornell on Sunday when his major decision over the Big Red’s Maciej Jochym tied the dual score.  (Cornell won on criteria).

But the focus for Gwiazdowski, currently ranked 12th nationally by theopenmat.com, is not on his wins.  Three of his four losses this year have come to All-Americans, Levi Cooper of Arizona State (twice) and Alan Gelogaev of Oklahoma State.  His other setback was against Drexel’s Kyle Frey.  The two-time New York state champion is quick to recall his mistakes in those defeats, including some positioning errors and getting extended on shots. But he believes there is one thing he really needs to do to step up his game as the campaign progresses.

“The biggest thing for me right now is to ignore the name of the other guy and what singlet he’s wearing,” he said.  “It’s just wrestling.  There are no secret moves out there.  I made the mistake of thinking about whether I could beat the guy in front of me in the middle of those matches.  I know I just need to forget about who the opponent is and wrestle my match.“

Popolizio agreed. “Nick wrestled differently against those guys.  He was a little hesitant on his shots.  He gave them too much respect. If he doesn’t question his ability, but just goes out there and is aggressive and puts it on the line, he can make a lot of noise this year.”

Gwiazdowski, who weighs between 235 and 240 pounds, began the season with goals he now thinks were too conservative.  At this stage, he and his coach firmly believe he can be an All-American in St. Louis in March.

“A good thing about Nick is that he soaks everything up, comes back and works on any mistakes he makes,” Popolizio said. “He has a lot of hidden strength.  He’s not the biggest heavyweight, but he has great speed and conditioning.   It’s also very important that he wrestles harder as the match goes along.  All of those things combined make him a real candidate to make the podium.”

Ultimately, Popolizio believes the 2011 Junior Wade Schalles Award Winner as the nation’s best high school pinner can not only make the podium, but stand on top of it as an NCAA champion.  In fact, discussions about a national title factored heavily during the recruiting process.

Gwiazdowski admitted that the proximity to home and his familiarity with the coaching staff played key roles in his decision to join the Bearcats. But there was also something else that drew him to Binghamton.

“We’re looking for our first national champion here,” Popolizio said. “Nick could have gone to almost any program he wanted to, but he was excited about the prospect of being our first national champion.”

“That definitely was important in my decision,” Gwiazdowski agreed, adding he was also looking at Penn State and Lehigh. “Being an All-American or a national champion at a lot of other schools isn’t such a big deal; it’s been done so many times before.  But doing those things here on a team that is doing the right things and moving up the ladder was a really exciting opportunity.”

Gwiazdowski is hoping there’s more excitement to come in March.

 

 

Cornell Edges Binghamton on Tiebreakers in New York State Battle

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By Betsy Veysman

Binghamton came within one second of beating #9 Oklahoma earlier this week when 197-pounder Cody Reed couldn’t quite secure the winning takedown as time expired against Keldrick Hall in a 20-15 dual loss.  The Bearcats came even closer on Sunday night to defeating a highly ranked opponent when they lost a 22-21 decision to #4 Cornell on tiebreakers in a televised meet at the Events Center in Vestal, New York.

When Binghamton heavyweight Nick Gwiazdowski earned a 15-3 major over Big Red senior Maciej Jochym in the final bout of the evening, the dual score stood at 21-21.  The two squads were even on bouts won (5) and total combined falls and technical falls (2), so the deadlock was broken on the third tiebreaker, total match points.  Cornell tallied 80 points to Binghamton’s 71.

“That was more stressful than we hoped,” said Cornell head coach Rob Koll a few hours after the event ended. “We didn’t think we matched up particularly well with them and they’re a good team, so we knew it would be close.”

The squads traded decisions in the first three bouts of the evening, with Frank Perrelli and Mike Nevinger notching seven-point wins for the Big Red and Bearcat Patrick Hunter picking up a 10-7 victory over Cornell freshman Nik Pena at 133.

“We thought we gave up some points at the first few weights that we were counting on,” Koll said. ”We gave away the major at 125 with no time on the clock when they were credited with an escape and then couldn’t quite get the major at 141. Nik got headlocked in his match early on and had a deep hole to climb out of at 133. He gave everything he had to come back but he couldn’t quite pull it off.”

The home team then captured momentum in front of a crowd of over 1,000 with a pair of bonus point wins.  Fourth ranked Donnie Vinson earned a technical fall over Chris Villalonga at 149 before eighth ranked Justin Lister beat Craig Eifert by fall at 157 for a 14-6 Bearcat lead at the intermission.

“Chris gave up the tech at the buzzer.  We can’t give up those types of points,” Koll said. “After that tech and pin, we thought we were in trouble.”

So it was time to turn to two-time national champion Kyle Dake, who sat out of the Big Red’s two victories on Saturday due to an injury.  With his team needing a big victory, he came off the bench at 165 to pin Joe Chamish in the third period to cut the deficit to 14-12.

“We didn’t really want to wrestle Kyle,” Koll said. “But we didn’t want to lose either.”

At 174, in a matchup of two bumped up 165 pounders, Matt Kaylor downed Marshall Peppelman 8-4 to extend the Binghamton lead to 17-12.  With Binghamton favored at heavyweight, the Big Red needed #3 Steve Bosak and #1 Cam Simaz to win with bonus points.

They delivered.  Bosak put four on the board for the Big Red with an 8-0 major decision over Nate Schiedel and Simaz followed with a 22-6 technical fall over Reed to give the visitors a 21-17 advantage.   The Big Red 197 pounder secured back points with just seconds left in the match to turn a four-point technical fall into a five pointer.

“Once we lost at 74, holy cow,” Koll said.  “Now we have to major a very good kid at 184 and get a tech or a pin at 197 to be comfortable.  But our leaders came through for us today.  Frank [Perrelli] gave up a silly escape at the end to take away a major but he wrestled really well otherwise.  Kyle [Dake] and Cam [Simaz] overcame guys who were stalling so badly to not give up backs or a pin.  Steve [Bosak] majored a good wrestler. What our leaders did was enormous.”

“There were also some other things that were positive, like Pena fighting hard off his back for two minutes. Maciej kept us in the dual although, frankly, he caused me a great deal of angst.  I might have been happier if he just stayed on his belly,” Koll continued with a laugh.

The Big Red lineup had a different look this weekend in the three dual wins over Pennsylvania, Princeton and Binghamton.  Koll expects that to change.

“We need to get everyone back to the right weights and we’ll be a much stronger team,” Koll said. “We also will be adding Nick Arujau to the mix soon. We also expect more from some guys who are too talented to lose the way they did.  They’re great kids off the mat, but they need to be a little greater on the mat.”

Meanwhile, despite their first two dual losses of the year in the matches assistant coach Frank Beasley dubbed “The Clash of the Titans”, the Bearcats showed over the past seven days that they are without a doubt on the rise.  After all, the Big Red beat Binghamton 35-3 in Ithaca a year ago.

“They have some real horses on that team,” Koll said. “They have a really nice team that matched up with us today just right.  It seemed like the perfect storm was there for the upset, but we had just enough to win.”