The NYS Cadet Freestyle team is looking for interested wrestlers to wrestle on the National Duals Team in Daytona, Florida June 15-16. There are weight classes that need to be filled (88, 84, 113, 120, 182, 195 & 220)
Please contact Coaches asap:
Anthony Servidone (aservidone@yahoo.com)
Dean Zenie (rdzenie@aol.com)
Larry Cantor (LCantor2@schools.nyc.gov)
Check out videos for the finals from the New York State Championships (Fargo Qualifier) on May 5 in Binghamton.
160 Pounds: Dylan Palacio (Ascend) vs. Burke Paddock (Team Ten)
182 Pounds: McZiggy Richards (Beat the Streets) vs. Jeffrey Day (Genessee Valley WC)
170 Pounds: Rrok Ndokaj (Beat the Streets) vs. Sher Mohammad (Beat the Streets)
138 Pounds: Tom Page (NYSS) vs. Vincent Turano (Ascend)
126 Pounds: Keanu Thompson (Beat the Streets) vs. Oral Allen (Ascend)
132 Pounds: Jessy Williams (Team Worldwide) vs. James Ronca (Journeymen)
145 Pounds: Matt Greene (Columbia) vs. Justin Boone (Copiague)
152 Pounds: Tial Thang (MVWC) vs Leland Slawson (MVWC)
220 Pounds: Soslan Gularov (Steeplechase) vs Jonathan Babson (Happy Yo)
195 Pounds: Pat Nasoni (MVWC) vs Alex Moss (MVWC)
By Betsy Veysman
The first thing Dylan Palacio told Long Beach head coach Ray Adams after winning the Greco and Freestyle New York State titles this past weekend was that he’s not done yet.
While the Cornell-bound senior, who competed for Ascend in Binghamton, won’t consider himself finished with his high school goals until he competes for national championships in Freestyle and Greco in North Dakota this summer, he did achieve something significant this weekend – the New York State Triple Crown. (He won the Empire State folkstyle title at the NYPHSAA Division I tournament in Albany in February).
None of the results have come as a surprise to Adams.
“Going into the season, I thought he could have all the success he’s had,” the coach said. “He just missed on a lot of these goals in the past – finishing third at States and at the Nationals in Virginia Beach. He just came up a little short and was knocking at the door. After all he’s done, it was just his time.”
Adams believes that both Palacio’s mindset and the work he put in prior to this season made the difference.
“Dylan really improved his technique all around, but especially on his feet where he developed more of an arsenal. He opened up and put a lot of points on the board,” Adams said. “He also had a one-track mind this year; he was 100% driven. His mental toughness and refusal to lose have really shown. He’s really stubborn with his goals.”
At Fargo in 2011, Palacio went 4-2 in Freestyle and took eighth in Greco. He has made it clear that he expects to be on the top of the podium this time.
“You obviously have to be really good to win at Fargo and you need a little luck too,” Adams said. “Dylan knows he can win there. If he continues to train hard, I think he has a very legitimate shot at winning in both styles.”
Another wrestler looking forward to a return trip to North Dakota is Rrok Ndokaj. The Monsignor Farrell senior didn’t place there a year ago, but clinched a spot on the Empire State squad with his titles in both Freestyle and Greco over the weekend while wrestling for Beat the Streets.
“I felt confident going in,” Ndokaj said. “I felt like there shouldn’t be anything standing in my way.”
The titles were a continuation of Ndokaj’s postseason success in 2012. After falling one round short of the podium at the state tournament in 2011, the Catholic League champ took fourth place at the Times Union Center this time at 170.
“It was a little bittersweet at States,” he said. “I came in seeded second and wanted to make the finals, but I guess I can’t be too upset about placing.”
The Staten Island native followed up his performance in Albany with an All-American finish (eighth) at FloNationals in Philadelphia down at 160.
Back at 170 pounds this weekend, the future Bloomsburg grappler won 13 matches, dropping a total of just two periods, to capture both the Freestyle and Greco Roman New York state titles.
“Wrestling at Fargo last year was definitely a great experience, being in that arena wrestling at a national level,” Ndokaj said. “I want to go back and try to do something better. A national championship is my goal. It’s the only goal you can set.”
Joining Palacio and Ndokaj as double champions at Broome Community College on Saturday and Sunday were Team Worldwide’s Ethan Livernash (100 pounds), Finger Lakes Wrestling Club’s William Koll (120) and Soslan Gularov of Team Steeplechase (220).
Koll won both Freestyle and Greco titles at this event a year ago, but didn’t make the trip to Fargo in 2011. He will make his debut in North Dakota after breezing through the competition in the Empire State, winning by pin or technical fall in eight of his 11 bouts, dropping just one period along the way.
Livernash swept Andy Martinez to win both of his titles while Gularov won 10 of his 11 bouts in straight periods. The only opponent to take him to the limit was Team Worldwide’s Matthew Abbott in the Freestyle finals, however Gularov took the third stanza of that match in dominating fashion, 6-0.
Ndokaj was one of the champions for Beat the Streets, which showed its strength across the Cadet, Junior and Women’s brackets. The New York City based club took first in both Freestyle and Greco in the Junior division and second and third, respectively, in Cadet Greco and Freestyle.
MVWC came out on top in both styles in the Cadet competition, while Ascend was top three in three of the events (second in Cadet FS and Junior Greco; third in Junior FS). (Team points weren’t available for Women’s Freestyle).
In addition to the double winners in the Junior division, there were also several wrestlers victorious in both styles at the Cadet level: Matthew Morris (ATWA, 113 pounds), Freddie Dunau (Technical Edge, 120), Mike Dusold (VHW, 152), Daniel Smith (MVWC, 170) and Joe Nasoni (MVWC, 195).
For full results for Cadet, Junior and Women’s competition, please see the following links:
http://newyorkwrestlingnews.com/sundays-updated-results-from-new-york-freestyle-and-greco-states/
http://newyorkwrestlingnews.com/results-from-ny-freestyle-and-greco-states/
On Tuesday, the National Wrestling Coaches Association released the 2011-12 All-Academic Team, which included several wrestlers who went to high school in New York or who wrestle for teams based in the Empire State. Congratulations to those Division I competitors.
Steve Bonanno, Hofstra, Accounting (Wantagh, NY)
Kyle Dake, Cornell, Development Sociology (Ithaca, NY)
Nick Gwiazdowski, Binghamton, Undeclared (Delanson, NY)
Matt Kaylor, Binghamton, Master of Arts in Teaching (Ballston Spa, NY)
Steven Keith, Harvard, Economics (Shoreham, NY)
Ryan LeBlanc, Indiana, Fitness Specialist (Morrisville, NY)
Matt Mariacher, American, Public Communication (Buffalo, NY)
Mike Nevinger, Cornell, Engineering (Perry, NY)
Jake O’Hara, Columbia, Financial Economics (Mountaintop, PA)
James Rafferty, Army, Int’l and Comparative Legal Studies (Haddon Heights, NJ)
Steve Santos, Columbia, Financial Economics (Brick, NJ)
Kevin Smith, Buffalo, Physical Therapy (Mexico, NY)
Billy Watterson, Brown, Economics (Pound Ridge, NY)
The full list can be found at:
Junior Freestyle Results
100 Pounds: Ethan Livernash (Team Worldwide) over Andy Martinez (Beat the Streets)
106 Pounds: Kyle Kelly (Team Worldwide) over Golan Cohen (Titan Worldwide)
Third: Nicco Riccio (Journeymen)
113 Pounds: Lucas Malmberg (Finger Lakes Wrestling Club) over Josh Antoine (Beat the Streets)
Third: Allan McNeil (Titans NY)
120 Pounds: William Koll (Finger Lakes Wrestling Club) dec Santo Curatolo (Beat the Streets), 2-0, 1-0
Third: Freddy Medina (Ascend)
126 Pounds: Rocco Russo (NYSS) dec Oral Allen (Ascend), 5-6, 8-7, 5-0
Third: Blake Retell (Journeymen)
132 Pounds: Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (Buffalo Grapplers) pin James Ronca (Journeymen), 6-0, 1:05
Third: Abubakarr Sow (Beat the Streets)
138 Pounds: Nick Kelley (Journeymen) dec Tom Page (NYSS), 2-0, 3-2
Third: Emin Aliyev (Beat the Streets)
145 Pounds: David Almaviva (Journeymen) dec Quinton Murphy (Team Miron), 6-3, 5-4
Third: Justin Boone (Copiague)
152 Pounds: Tial Thang (MVWC) dec Andrew Paulsen (Buffalo Grapplers) 3-0, 9-1
Third: Leland Slawson (Team Worldwide)
160 Pounds: Dylan Palacio (Ascend) dec Tyler Grimaldi (631 Elite), 5-0, 5-0
Third: Burke Paddock (Teamten)
170 Pounds: Rrok Ndokaj (Beat the Streets) dec Austin Weigel (Journeymen) 1-0, 3-0
Third: David Bunn (Copiague)
182 Pounds: Tim Schaefer (Teamten) dec Tom Murray (Askren Wrestling Academy), 1-0, 2-1
Third: McZiggy Richards (Beat the Streets)
195 Pounds: Reggie Williams (Johnson City) TF Spencer Morton (MVWC), 4-6, 6-0, 10-4
Third: Levi Ashley (Journeymen)
220 Pounds: Soslan Gularov (Steplechase) dec Matthew Abbott (Team Worldwide), 2-0, 0-5, 6-0
Third: Josh Langley (MVWC)
285 Pounds: El Shaddai Vantbesen (Titan Worldwide) dec Quasar Hampton (Beat the Streets), 2-0, 2-1
Third: Dante Salkey (Ascend)
Cadet Greco Roman
88 Pounds: David Ciciarelli (MVWC)
94 Pounds: Sean Miller (Connetquot)
100 Pounds: Dolan McColgan (Beat the Streets) over Bryan Arroyo (Beat the Streets)
Third: Ray Sorensen (MVWC)
106 Pounds: Nicholas Casella (VHW) dec Donny McCoy (Section Six Freestyle), 8-4, 4-0
Third: Dandre Norman (MVWC)
113 Pounds: Matthew Morris (ATWA) dec Travis Alexander (Ascend) 7-3, 7-0
Third: Carter Merecki (Journeymen)
120 Pounds: Freddie Dunau (Technical Edge) pin Ian Lupole (Team Worldwide), 0:13
Third: Zack Barker (Titans Wrestling Club)
126 Pounds: Ryan Snow (MVWC) TF Tom Stobe (Clarke), 6-0, 7-0
Third: Anthony Nunziata Jr (Sachem North)
132 Pounds: Jesse Porter (Journeymen) pin Sam Ward (VHW), 1-0, 1:31
Third: Sean O’Hagan (Sachem North)
138 Pounds: Jordan Bushey (Celler Dwellers) dec Jay Oakes (ATWA), 2-0, 4-4
Third: Matthew Marino (Sachem North)
145 Pounds: Nicholas Forget (Celler Dwellers) dec Skylar Kropman (Titan Worldwide), 6-4, 6-0
Third: Jordan Torbitt (Finger Lakes Wrestling Club)
152 Pounds: Mike Dusold (VHW) pin Conner Halladay (Johnson City), 6-0, 0:04
Third: Jacob Ashcraft (Journeymen)
160 Pounds: Gregory Kleinsmith (Team Worldwide) TF Travis Eberley (MVWC), 6-0, 7-0
Third: Angelo Kress (Journeymen)
170 Pounds: Daniel Smith (MVWC) pin Jack Buell (MVWC), 1-0, 1:45
Third: Aidan Mathews (Askren Wrestling Academy)
182 Pounds: Steven Lee (Journey) pin James Bethel (Dark Corner), 1:38
Third: Aaron Paddock (Team X)
195 Pounds: Joe Nasoni (MVWC) pin Chris Tangora (NY Titans) 4-1, 1-6, 0:25
Third: Nick Weber (Journey)
220 Pounds: Matthew St. Onge (Clarkstown South)
285 Pounds: Mark Ifraimov (Beat the Streets) over Mazen Hassen (Beat the Streets)
Third: Mason Cross (Titans Wrestling Club)
For Saturday’s results, see: http://newyorkwrestlingnews.com/results-from-ny-freestyle-and-greco-states/
Junior Greco Roman Results
100 Pounds: Ethan Livernash (Team Worldwide) over Andy Martinez (Beat the Streets)
106 Pounds: Golan Cohen (Titan Worldwide) inj def Kyle Kelly (Team Worldwide)
Third: Nicco Riccio (Journeymen)
113 Pounds: Josh Antoine (Beat the Streets) pin Lucas Malmberg (Finger Lakes Wrestling Club), 0-7, 0:51
Third: Allan McNeil (Titans NY)
120 Pounds: William Koll (Finger Lakes Wrestling Club) TF Cheick Ndiaye (Beat the Streets), 6-0, 7-0
Third: Santo Curatolo (Beat the Streets)
126 Pounds: Keanu Thompson (Beat the Streets) TF Oral Allen (Ascend), 7-1, 6-0
Third: Rocco Russo (NYSS)
132 Pounds: Jessy Williams (Team Worldwide) Fall James Ronca (Journeymen), 0-4, 6-0, 1:29
Third: Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (Buffalo Grapplers)
138 Pounds: Tom Page (NYSS) dec Vincent Turano (Ascend) 2-0, 6-4
Third: Emin Aliyev (Beat the Streets)
145 Pounds: Matt Greene (Columbia) fall Justin Boone (Copiague), 0-1, 0:54
Third: Brendan Morgan (Journeymen)
152 Pounds: Tial Thang (MVWC) dec Leland Slawson (Team Worldwide), 0-3, 4-1, 1-0
Third: Barry Hart (Beat the Streets)
160 Pounds: Dylan Palacio (Ascend) pin Burke Paddock (Teamten) 0-1, 0:48
Third: Connor Sutton (Happy-Yo)
170 Pounds: Rrok Ndokaj (Beat the Streets) dec Sher Mohammad (Beat the Streets) 2-1, 5-2
Third: Ahmed Elsayed (Beat the Streets)
182 Pounds: McZiggy Richards (Beat the Streets) dec Jeffrey Day (Genesee Valley), 4-1, 1-1
Third: Christopher Loew (Ascend)
195 Pounds: Pat Nasoni (MVWC) pin Alex Moss (MVWC), 3-3, 1:33
Third: Angel Ortiz (Curtis)
220 Pounds: Soslan Gularov (Steplechase) dec Jonathan Babson (Happy-Yo) 4-0, 3-0
Third: Paul Okeke (Clarkstown South)
285 Pounds: Dante Salkey (Ascend) pin Terrence Cheeks (Newburgh WC), 1:18
Third: Jeff Urbina (Copiague)
Cadet Freestyle Results
88 Pounds: Joey DiPalma (Islip) TF David Ciciarelli (MVWC)
94 Pounds: Vincent Vespa (Eclipse) dec Sean Miller (Connetquot), 3-2, 8-6
Third: Tony Novotny (Connetquot)
100 Pounds: Chris Donnelly (Ascend) dec Josh LoGiudice (Journeymen), 3-0, 2-2, 6-0
Third: Dolan McColgan (Beat the Streets)
106 Pounds: Jose Rodriguez (Ascend) dec Nicholas Casella (VHW), 8-0, 2-5, 5-1
Third: Donny McCoy (Section Six Freestyle)
113 Pounds: Matthew Morris (ATWA) dec Johnny DiPalma (Islip) 7-1, 2-2
Third: Dominic Inzana (Journeymen)
120 Pounds: Freddie Dunau (Technical Edge) pin Ian Lupole (Team Worldwide), 7-1, 1:15
Third: Zack Barker (Titan)
126 Pounds: Thomas Reina (Ascend) dec Ryan Snow (MVWC), 1-0, 5-0
Third: Mike D’Angelo (Ascend)
132 Pounds: Samuel Ward (VHW) dec Jesse Porter (Journeymen), 1-0, 0-3, 1-0
Third: Sean O’Hagan (Sachem North)
138 Pounds: Thomas Dutton (Rocky Point) TF Jakob Restrepo (Sachem WC), 7-0, 8-1
Third: Brandon Aviles (Huntington)
145 Pounds: Nick Vines (Ascend) dec Nicholas Forget (Celler Dwellers), 4-1, 5-0
Third: Jordan Torbitt (Finger Lakes Wrestling Club)
152 Pounds: Mike Dusold (VHW) pin Louis Hernandez (Ascend), 4-11, 5-5, 0:54
Third: Konstantin Parfiryev (Beat the Streets)
160 Pounds: Angelo Kress (Journeymen) dec Gregory Kleinsmith (Team Worldwide), 5-1, 5-5
Third: Jerrett Norton (MVWC)
170 Pounds: Daniel Smith (MVWC) dec Jack Buell (MVWC), 2-0, 7-1
Third: Sam O’Malley (Smithtown)
182 Pounds: Ben Honis (MVWC) pin Steven Lee (Journey), 3-0, 0:32
Third: Nathanael Rose (Beat the Streets)
195 Pounds: Joe Nasoni (MVWC) TF Chris Tangora (NY Titans), 7-0, 10-3
Third: Nick Weber (Journey)
220 Pounds: Richard Sisti (Beat the Streets) over Matthew St. Onge (Clarkstown South)
285 Pounds: Peter Strassfield (Southhampton) pin Mason Cross (Titan), 1:15
Third: Mark Ifraimov (Beat the Streets)
Women’s Freestyle Results
97 Pounds: Kimberly Cardenas (Beat the Streets) over Eleni Sardina (Beat the Streets), 6-0, 5-0
Third: Estrella Velez (Beat the Streets)
105 Pounds: Lissette Ruiz (Beat the Streets) over Lisbeth Pena (Beat the Streets)
112 Pounds: Nyasa Bakker (Beat the Streets) over Kelsey Gray (Genesee Valley), 0-1, 5-1, 6-1
Third: Jennifer Juarez (Beat the Streets)
121 Pounds: Sara Andresen (Beat the Streets) over Sum Yuet Wu (Beat the Streets), 0-7, 0:28
Third: Sarah Tortorici (Beat the Streets)
125 Pounds: Kendra Kenyon (Genesee Valley) over Karen Koag (Beat the Streets), 6-0, 1:47
Third: Kass Rodriguez-Urbas (Beat the Streets)
130 Pounds: Amanda Jackson (Beat the Streets) over Natalie Kuang (Beat the Streets), 5-4, 3-3, 5-1
Third: Kimberly Abudullah (Beat the Streets)
139 Pounds: Alexis Porter (Journeymen) over Rosemary Flores (Beat the Streets), 3-0, 4-1
Third: Manenfy Tavarez (Beat the Streets)
149/159 Pounds: Mary Westman (Genesee Valley) over Lia Heintjes (Beat the Streets)
159/172 Pounds: Mary Westman (Genesee Valley) over Yuneris Diaz (Beat the Streets)
217 Pounds: Laura Zomchick (Beat the Streets)
By Betsy Veysman
When competitors from the G2 Wrestling Academy need a scouting report on an upcoming opponent, they know what to do. They need to find seventh grader Yianni Diakomihalis.
“Yianni is an encyclopedia of wrestling,” said G2 co-owner Adam Burgos. “I’ll ask him about kids a whole age group younger and a bunch of weight classes lighter and he’ll know. He’ll point out which kids are good; who likes the low single. He has a plethora of knowledge. Between his matches, Yianni is matside, soaking everything in. His passion for wrestling is what makes him so successful.”
He couldn’t have been much more successful this spring. Diakomihalis has competed in a number of events since mid-March – the NYWAY Regional Qualifier, NYWAY State Championships, Gene Mills Eastern Nationals, Empire Nationals, Ohio Tournament of Champions and Pop & Flo Mini-Men. He has won the championship at each and every one of those tournaments, all at weight classes around 100 pounds.
According to Burgos, the Rochester area resident won most of this matches comfortably. At the NYWAY State championships, for example, he had a pair of pins and a technical fall. At the Empire Nationals, he again won only by bonus points.
However, the one bout that stands out in Burgos’s mind is one of the few close ones. In the finals of the prestigious Ohio Tournament of Champions, Diakomihalis faced Eric Hong, who according to the coach, was a four-time champion at the event.
“[Hong] is a very, very good wrestler; a Pennsylvania state champ,” Burgos said. “I looked out at the crowd and it went 10 deep surrounding the match. It’s probably the largest crowd I’ve seen on an individual match all season. All the New York parents were rooting him on. He got the takedown in overtime to win it. Yianni isn’t very expressive out there, but he had a little fist pump and a big smile. It was a great end to that weekend.”
There have been a lot of good weekends for Diakomihalis. He competed for the Hilton High varsity squad this fall as a seventh grader and compiled an impressive 35-3 record at 99 pounds, with two of his losses to Jonathan Haas of Spencerport (the number two seed at States) and the other to Bryan Lantry, the eventual fifth place medalist in Albany.
“Yianni had a really good year,” he said. “I think he’ll have an even better year in eighth grade. He’s having fun and training hard.”
One of the grapplers he’s training hard with, Frankie Gissendanner, has had a similar run over the past several weeks. A sixth grade student, Gissendanner also captured titles at each event he entered in the spring, beginning with the NYWAY Regional Qualifier and ending with the Ohio Tournament of Champions, where he was the 125-pound gold medalist in the Junior division.
Both Gissendanner and Diakomihalis have other workout partners at G2, but when they wrestle each other, it’s something to see, according to Burgos.
“When they battle, they battle pretty hard,” he said. “It’s always entertaining; there’s always a highlight reel moment. For their age and weight, they’re the best I’ve seen. But because of the weight disparity between them, we don’t have them wrestle that often.”
When competing against foes his own weight, Gissendanner has had little trouble. He pinned his way through the NYWAY State Championships at 120 pounds.
“Frankie has dominated on his feet,” Burgos said. “He’s also done really well turning opponents. Because of his athleticism and strength advantage, he’s done extremely well.”
He hopes to carry over that success to the scholastic scene next winter when he competes for Penfield.
“Frankie will be wrestling juniors and seniors next year at 120 or 126 or wherever he wrestles,” Burgos said. “I think he’ll do well, but it will be a different speed, pace and strength with the older kids. When we wrestle our duals, he always wrestles up against eighth graders and he rarely loses. It will be an adjustment, but he’ll do well. He understands the sport and is very competitive.”
He is certainly competitive when the whistle blows. But off the mat, his style is different.
“Frankie is like our G2 ambassador,” Burgos said. “He’s like the mayor. He’s very social, saying hello to everyone and high fiving all the kids. He seems to bring out the best in everyone.”
When the two wrestle in the G2 room, they bring out the best in each other. It helped them both take on the best competition this spring, from New York to Ohio, and come out on top time after time.
————————————————————————————————————————-
Diakomihalis won the title last weekend at the Pop & Flo Mini Men Nationals. The other results from that event, featuring many New York placers, are below:
Bantam
48: Myles Gronowski (Cobra) dec Michael Santore (Journeymen), 6-0
Third: Jared Weinhaus (Sachem East)
52: Carter Schubert (Superior) dec Dagen Condomitti (Eckloff), 7-0
Third: Cooper Curtis (Newtown YWA)
56: Carter C. Schubert (Superior) over Tanner McKenna (Journeymen), 9-0
Third: Jashon Holmes (Journeymen)
60: Alex Marshall (Sidewinders) dec Jimmy Harrington (Tyngsborough), 10-5
Third: Jack Richardson (Marcaurele)
70: Nicholas Rogers (IHC Cavaliers) over Ethan Gallo (Minisink Valley), 8-0
Third: Wilder Devine (Vergennes Area)
Midget
53: Stevo Poulin (Journeymen) pin Joseph Manno (Apex), 3:47
Third: Evan Maag (Weaver Elite)
58: Ryan Crookham (Neshaminy) dec Gregory Hotaling (Journeymen), 4-0
Third: Nico Provo (Team Tugman)
63: Ethan Ferro (Finger Lakes Wrestling Club) dec Joe Cangro (Apex), 7-2
Third: Jagger Condomitti (Eckloff)
73: Michael Cetta (Apex) dec Dean Shambo (Mexico), 3-1
Third: Nicholas Kayal (Apex)
78: James Lunt (Northeast Elite) pin Samuel Bergin (Northeast Elite), 3:10
Third: Nick Marshall (Sidewinders)
83: Jackson Defayette (Journeymen) dec Hunter Adams (Fisheye), 10-7
Third: McKenna Hunter (Journeymen)
89: Keegan Coon (Catamount)
105: Sampson Wilkins (Catamount) pin David Tomasek (Journeymen), 3:18
Third: Charlie Tibbitts (Vvs)
Junior
58: Wil Guida (NJ Scorpions) pin Jacob Marselli (Silverback WC), 1:28
Third: Dylan Allman (Journeymen)
62: Michael Gonyea (Journeymen) pin Greg Diakomihalis (G2), 3:06
Third: Michael Esposito (Scorpions)
67: Dylan Ryder (631 Elite) dec Brandon Larue (Scorpions), 4-0
Third: Sean Johnson (Silverback WC)
72: Jo-Jo Aragona (Scorpions) dec Tyler Sung (Apex), 5-0
Third: Craig Manno (Apex)
77: Adam Busiello (631 Elite) dec Dillan Palasewski (Journeymen), 6-3
Third: John Deridder (631 Elite)
82: Jake Silverstein (631 Elite) over Ryan Luth (P40), 13-0
Third: Benny Baker (JGold)
87: Matthew Cabezas (Smitty’s Barn) over Devin Rivet (Marcaurele), 10-0
Third: Zachary Lawrence (Journeymen)
93: Josh Stillings (Sepa) dec Dominic Paar (Dark Knights), 6-0
Third: Jonathan Loew (631 Elite)
99: Aaron Carter (Sepa) dec Shane Connolly (Olympic), 3-2
Third: Eoghan Sweeney (Journeymen)
106: Darby McLaughlin (Northeast Elite) pin Gabriel Cruz (Journeymen), 1:04
Third: Tyler Riggs (Clcf)
125: Tyler Barns (Journeymen) over Jack Bokina (Mattituck), 12-0
Third: Jake Cook (Ballston Spa)
140: Nolan Mcneill (Warrensburg)
Intermediate
75: Ryan O’Grady (Nazareth) dec Ashdin Shaefer (Catamount), 4-2 SV
Third: Thomas Cox (631 Elite)
80: Abe Bloom (Marcaurele) over Trent Nadeau (Cobra), 8-0
Third: Gianno Silba (Johnson City)
85: Jason Renteria (Bebee Trained) dec Peter Pappas (631 Elite), 4-1
Third: Brian Courtney (Athens)
90: Avery Shay (P40) over Jonathan Soto (Marcaurele), 13-0
Third: Dean Raymond (Deposit)
96: Yianni Diakomihalis (G2 Wrestling Academy) over Michael Venosa (Victor), 8-0
Third: Brandon Gould (Watkins Glen)
102: John Arceri (Huntington) dec John Busiello (631 Elite), 1-0
Third: Isaiah Bailey (Marcaurele)
110: Taylor Shay (P40) pin Kevin Parker (Journeymen), 1:16
Third: Shane Sosinsky (Olympic)
119: Garrett Derosia (Catamount) dec Jake Colonna (631 Elite), 5-0
Third: Bryan Rojas (Northeast Elite)
140: Marcus Torres (Journeymen) dec Josh Lalonde (Journeymen), 8-3
Third: Alexander Stavola (Newtown YWA)
150: JP Puca (Huntington) dec Alex Perez (Silverback WC), 7-4
Third: Benton Whitley (Northeast Elite)
180: Calvin Hayford (Colchester Cobras)
230: Austin McMullen (Journeymen) dec Zach Gifford (Deposit), 7-3
Third: Damian Prosser (Warrensburg)
By Betsy Veysman
At eight years old, Carson Alberti knows how to take charge.
“Even though he’s young, he still likes to think that he’s running practice,” said Cobra Wrestling Academy Executive Director Keith Maute. “Even when we’re doing warmups with the high school kids, he calls out the routine and tells everyone what to do next. It’s pretty funny. He’s not at all intimidated by the older kids.”
He isn’t intimidated by his peers on the mat, either.
This weekend, Alberti added to his ever-growing trophy collection when he won the prestigious Ohio Tournament of Champions in the 52-pound Bantam division.
Alberti has become very familiar with the top of the podium after winning titles at the NYWAY State Championships, the Gene Mills Eastern Nationals and the Empire Nationals over the past month. But despite all that success, he was targeting the crown in Columbus.
“One of his biggest goals was winning the Ohio Tournament of Champions,” Maute said. “He took third there last year. The winner, Jake Craig from Smitty’s Barn in New Hampshire, was quite a bit better than him a year ago. With all the work he put in, he has moved up to another level.”
Alberti demonstrated that progress throughout the spring, but according to Maute, his improvement was most clear in his one loss. Craig defeated him in the dual portion of the Empire Nationals, but unlike their three meetings last season (two pins by Craig), it was a nailbiter.
“Craig beat him pretty badly last year three times,” Maute said. “This time, he fell behind 5-0 and wound up losing 5-4. He controlled most of the match, but there wasn’t enough time left. Actually, Carson put [Craig] on his back and got a one-count as time expired. One more second and he would have won the match. It showed he’s come a long way. It was a loss but it was actually a confidence booster for Carson.”
Alberti looked confident throughout the day in Columbus, taking his quarterfinal match by a 4-2 score but otherwise dominating the field. Maute said Alberti notched major decisions in both the semifinals and finals.
According to Maute, this is only Alberti’s second full year of wrestling. However, the coach marvels at how well the youngster soaks up the sport and picks up new skills with ease.
“You show him something and he understands it right away,” Maute said. “He just gets it. Obviously there’s also a lot of natural ability there. He always seems like he’s having fun. He trains hard and listens really well.”
One of the people he listens to is fellow member of the Cobra Wrestling Academy, eighth grader Kellen Devlin.
Like Alberti, Devlin took third the last time he competed at the Ohio Tournament of Champions, back in 2010. In that tournament, Devlin lost a first round overtime battle with the eventual champion, Billy Bowlen of Pennsylvania, before winning at least eight matches in a row to grab the bronze.
This time, Devlin cruised through the bracket before winning a 2-1 bout in the finals over Kaleb Romero of Ohio.
“His matches weren’t very close until the last one,” Maute said. “But he was in control of it. He got the takedown and the other kid wasn’t ever close to scoring.”
The victory continued a successful run for Devlin, who was the NYWAY State Champion at 120 pounds and the third place medalist at the NHSCA Middle School Nationals in Virginia Beach at 119.
“I knew he would do really well at nationals,” Maute said. “To be honest, I was a little surprised he got beat because there aren’t many kids his age that can beat him. That loss was the only one for him this season. He’s really gifted and really fun to watch. When he’s in the room, I have him demonstrating the moves because he understands everything we’re trying to do.”
His spring success comes on the heels of a 34-5 campaign as an eighth grader for Amherst High School, where he won the Section 6 title and a bid to the State Championships in Albany.
“At states, he basically had his first match won but then made a mistake with about 20 seconds left on top where he got reversed to his back. He controlled 5:40 of the match and wasn’t in any danger. I almost felt that in his first time at states, he was a little nervous and it affected him.”
After that result, Devlin moved to the consolation bracket where he dropped a decision to top-seeded Mark Raghunandan, who had been upset in the first round.
“Kellen learned from it, I’m sure, and the next four years will be different,” he said. “He’s looked great. He’s more than a great wrestler. He is one of the idols for the little kids at our club. They know he’s been there and they see how hard he works. He’s really likeable and he plays around with the kids. He and Carson have a good relationship. I think Carson reminds Kellen of himself when he was little. They’re pretty similar.”
Last Saturday, they were certainly similar in one way – both captured first place at the Ohio Tournament of Champions.
JR Colom of Dunkirk, new to Cobra, also took gold in the event in the Junior division at 90 pounds.
In addition, G2 Wrestling Academy was well represented in the Buckeye State, with Frankie Gissendanner (Junior 125 pounds) and Yianni Diakomihalis (Schoolboy 96 pounds) continuing their winning streaks with championships. Stay tuned for more on them in the near future.
The Empire State put many wrestlers on the podium on Saturday. See the full list below.
Champions:
Carson Alberti (East Aurora) Bantam 52
Kellen Devlin (Amherst) Schoolboy 120
Yianni Diakomihalis (Rochester) Schoolboy 96
JR Colom (Dunkirk) Junior 90
DJ Giancola (Niagara Falls) Open 175
Frankie Gissendanner (Rochester) Junior 125
Jason Goldman (Binghamton) Open 135
Trevor Hoffmier (Newark Valley) Cadet 140
Stevo Poulin (Schuylerville) Midget 52
Second Place:
Tito Colom (Dunkirk) Schoolboy 104
Greg Diakomihalis (Rochester) Junior 56
Troy Keller (North Tonawanda) Schoolboy 92
Kelan McKenna (New Hartford) Cadet 92
Carter Schubert (Marion) Bantam 52
Jake Silverstein (Smithtown) Junior 82
Third Place:
Cooper Kropman (Rochester) Midget 80
Anthony Orefice (Niagara Falls) Cadet 115
Randy Sisenstein (Johnson City) Open 145
Darren Snead (Niagara Falls) Open 285
Fourth Place:
Tim Barnard (Tonawanda) Cadet 136
Brock DelSignore (South Glens Falls) Midget 64
Richie Jones (Tonawanda) Cadet 152
Donny McCoy (Niagara Falls) Cadet 100
Dillan Palaszewski (Galway) Junior 79
Travis Race (Fulton) Schoolboy 160
Logan Ramadan (Grand Island) Bantam 95
Trent Reid (Sanborn) Bantam 56
Fifth Place:
Jahad Ali (Niagara Falls) Open 135
Justin McDougald (Niagara Falls) Midget 70
Leonard Merkin (Brooklyn) Schoolboy 126
Sixth Place:
Jake Ashcraft (Glenville) Cadet 152
Tyler Benjamin (Candor) Midget 100
Zach Bierfeldt (Limestone) Schoolboy 116
Ethan Ferro (Whitney Point) Midget 64
Jordan Kayes (Olean) Schoolboy 126
Parker Kropman (Rochester) Schoolboy 92
Willie McDougald (Niagara Falls) Junior 82
Frank Shomers (Niagara Falls) Elite 285
Bryson Solomon (Niagara Falls) Midget 85
Anthony Stewart (Addison) Junior 64
Seventh Place:
David Berkovich (Brooklyn) Junior 79
Ethan Gallo (Slate Hill) Bantam 80
Bryce Rowe (Ripley) Junior 95
Derek St. James (Rochester) Schoolboy 88
Ethan Stotler (Waverly) Midget 70
Charlie Tibbits (Chadwicks) Midget 92
Eighth Place:
Shane Broad (Alden) Junior 64
Trey Duvall (Corning) Cadet 160
Jonathan Earl (Fulton) Schoolboy 116
David Fales (Corning) Junior 56
Bryan Ruggeri (Fairport) Elite 112
UPDATED: April 22
Results of Wrestlers with New York Connections on April 22, 2012
Carver Hawkeye Arena Iowa City, Iowa
Jon Anderson (Army): 74 KG Greco
3rd Place
Win Marco Toledo (No Limit Soldier) 0-1, 1-0, 4-1
Win Andy Bisek (MN Storm) 0-1, 1-0, 1-0
Loss Ben Provisor (Sunkist Kids) 1-0, 1-0
Win Tanner Andrews (USOEC) Pin 0-4, 1:24
Win Jake Fisher (NYAC) Pin 1:54
Max Askren (NYAC): 84 KG Freestyle
Win Mack Lewnes (NYAC/Finger Lakes Wrestling Club) 1-1, 2-0, 5-1
Loss Jake Herbert (NYAC/Cliff Keen WC) 3-0, 6-0
Win Jon Reader (Sunkist Kids/Cyclone WC) 1-3, 2-1, 4-0
Loss Keith Gavin (LVAC) 2-1, 4-0
Mark Gillen (ATWA): 60 KG Greco
Loss Donavan Depatto (US Marine) 1-0, 0-1, 2-0
Loss Chad Vandiver (Sunkist Kids) 5-5, 1-0
Adam Hall (NYAC- Columbia Assistant Coach): 66 KG Freestyle
Loss Chase Pami (Sunkist Kids/Team OTC) 2-0, 3-0
Win Jordan Oliver (Gator) 1-0, 1-1
Win Philip Simpson (Army/Team OTC) 4-3, 2-1
Win Zack Bailey (Victory) 1-0, 0-1, 1-0
Loss Josh Churella (NYAC/Cliff Keen WC) 2-0, 2-0
Mack Lewnes (NYAC/Finger Lakes Wrestling Club): 84 KG Freestyle
Loss Max Askren (NYAC) 1-1, 2-0, 5-1
Win Quentin Wright (NLWC) Pin 1:27
Loss Raymond Jordan (Sunkist Kids) 2-1, 2-1
Mark McKnight (Nittany Lion Wrestling Club): 55 KG Freestyle
Win Danny Felix 0-1, 1-0, 1-0
Win Zach Sanders (MN Storm) 1-0, 5-0
Loss Sam Hazewinkel (Sunkist Kids) 1-0, 1-0
Loss Obe Blanc (Gator) 0-1, 5-0, 6-0
Frank Perrelli (NYAC/Finger Lakes Wrestling Club): 55 KG Freestyle
Loss Ben Kjar (Kingdom Klub) 0-1, 1-0, 3-0
Win Michael Martinez (Gator/Wyoming RTC) 6-0, 3-1
Loss Matt McDonough (Hawkeye WC) 1-4, 7-0, 5-1
Philip Simpson (Army/Team OTC): 66 KG Freestyle
Win Kevin LeValley (MN Storm) 1-0, 2-1
Loss Teyon Ware (Nittany Lion Wrestling Club) 8-6, 1-1, 3-3
Loss Adam Hall (NYAC) 4-3, 2-1
Results of Wrestlers with New York Connections on April 21, 2012
Carver Hawkeye Arena Iowa City, Iowa
Kyle Dake (NYAC/Finger Lakes WC) 74 KG Freestyle
3rd in Challenge Tournament
Win Colt Sponseller (NYAC/Ohio RTC) 2-0, 1-0
Win Nick Marable (Sunkist Kids) 0-1, 1-0, 1-0
Loss Trent Paulson (Sunkist Kids/CWC) 2-0, 0-1, 6-0
Win David Taylor (NLWC) Pin 5-0, 1:28
Win Nick Marable (Sunkist Kids) 3-0, 1-1
Kristie Davis (OCU/Gator) 72 KG Women’s Freestyle
3rd in Challenge Tournament
Win Kendra Lewis (Lindenwood) 1-0, 5-0
Loss Stephany Lee (Sunkist Kids) Pin 0-1, 2-1, 1:08
Win Brittany Roberts (OCU/Gator) 2-0, 5-0
Win Julia Salata (King College) 6-0, 5-0
Dmitry Ryabchinskiy (NYAC/USEOC): 55 KG Greco
Win Mike Fuenffinger (MN Storm) 3-0, 1-1
Loss Max Nowry (NYAC) 6-0, 5-1
Loss Nathan Engel (Army) 2-4, 1-0, 1-0
Amy Whitbeck (NYAC): 55 KG Women’s Freestyle
Loss Michaela Hutchinson (OCU/Gator) 2-1, 4-0
Loss Randi Beltz (Missouri Valley College) Pin 2-1, 0:54
Close to 1800 wrestlers traveled to Wildwood, New Jersey this holiday weekend for the 9th Annual War at the Shore Folkstyle Nationals. Some of New York’s finest were among the grapplers in attendance, battling with opponents from up and down the East Coast and around the country.
Six Empire State participants won individual titles on Saturday with more than 30 placing fourth or better in their weights.
Darien resident Dane Heberlein continued his winning ways after earning a national title at the NHSCA Middle School tournament in Virginia Beach the previous Saturday (and a NYWAY State Championship the weekend before). Heberlein cruised to five straight wins, including a 4-2 decision in the finals over Trevor Tarsi of Nazareth, PA at 85 pounds in Division 4.
A pair of representatives from 631 Elite stood on top of the podium in Division 3, as Adam Busiello took the 77-pound crown and Peter Pappas prevailed in the 82-pound class. Busiello outscored his opponents 49-7 over his five bouts while Pappas opened with three commanding victories before coming out on top in one-point matches in the semis and finals. 631 Elite had a strong tournament overall, with eight competitors finishing in the top four at the event.
Another Suffolk resident atop the podium was Sachem East’s Jakob Restrepo, who was the victor at 140 pounds in Division 4. Restrepo, who was 28-1 during the high school season at 120 and 126 pounds according to the NWCA Scorebook, yielded just two points in his five matches while notching a pin and a major decision. He defeated Delaware’s Lucas Monson 5-0 for the championship.
Benny Baker of Newark Valley took the title at 83 pounds while representing JGold. The NYWAY State Champion made quick work of his first two foes, winning by fall in less than two minutes in both bouts. He then followed with a 4-1 semifinal triumph and a 4-0 victory over 631 Elite’s Ryan Burgbacher in the finale.
The final New York champion was Kevin Mulligan of the Olympic Club, who took his first three bouts by a combined score of 20-0 at 165 pounds before topping Will Lang of Utah 7-2 to earn the title.
For a list of top four medalists from New York*, see below:
Champions
Benny Baker (JGold) – 83 Pounds, Division 2
Adam Busiello (631 Elite) – 77 Pounds, Division 3
Dane Heberlein (Viper Garage Elite) – 85 Pounds, Division 4
Kevin Mulligan (Olympic) – 165 Pounds, Division 4
Peter Pappas (631 Elite) – 82 Pounds, Division 3
Jakob Restrepo (Sachem East) – 140 Pounds, Division 4
Second Place
David Berkovich (Elite Wrestling Academy) – 78 Pounds, Division 2
Ryan Burgbacher (631 Elite) – 83 Pounds, Division 2
Nicholas Casella (Covert) – 102 Pounds, Division 4
Billy Ciccarelli (West Point WC) – 125 Pounds, Division 3
Justin Corradino (Olympic) – 127 Pounds, Division 5
Thomas Cox (631 Elite) – 75 Pounds, Division 4
Joey Gates (Suffolk) – 137 Pounds, Division 5
Josh Logiudice (Guilderland) – 95 Pounds, Division 5
Cody Phillips (Cobra) – 90 Pounds, Division 1
Jose Rodriguez (Ascend) – 107 Pounds, Division 5
Dylan Rider (631 Elite) – 67 Pounds, Division 3
Third Place
CJ Archer (Rocky Point Elite) – 90 Pounds, Division 4
Timothy Castillo (Port Wrestling) – 140 Pounds, Division 3
Jesse Dellavecchia (East Islip) – 96 Pounds, Division 4
Tyler Joseph (Olympic) – 70 Pounds, Division 1
Jake Murphy (Wantagh) – 56 Pounds, Division 1
Nicholas Pagnotta (Rocky Point Elite) – 80 Pounds, Division 4
Sean Romanski (NY Titan) – 137 Pounds, Division 5
Jake Silverstein (631 Elite) – 82 Pounds, Division 3
Sam Ward (VHW) – 128 pounds, Division 4
Fourth Place
Vitali Arujau (VHW) – 99 Pounds, Division 3
Nick Bernardo (VHW) – 200 Pounds, Division 3
AJ Burkhart (IWC) – 82 Pounds, Division 3
Christian Gannone (631 Elite) – 62 Pounds, Division 3
Ethan Mackie (Lindenhurst), 75 Pounds, Division 1
Sean Miller (Connetquot) – 90 Pounds, Division 4
Mathew Seitz (Apex) – 102 Pounds, Division 4
Gino Titone (Connetquot) – 140 Pounds, Division 4
Jordon Wellington (631 Elite) – 58 Pounds, Division 2
Dale White (John Jay) – 162 Pounds, Division 5
*Some results were not complete. If you notice a missing top four placewinner, please contact us.
New York Wrestling News 2012-2013 Archive 