Who will win individual NCAA titles next week in Des Moines, Iowa? Tell us what you think in the New York Wrestling News Pick Your Champions contest. The winner receives an iTunes gift card.
To participate, see Pick Your Champions Contest Entry Form.
Only responses received by 10 a.m. Eastern time on Thursday, March 21 will be eligible for the contest.
Mark Lewandowski, John-Martin Cannon and Max Soria have all wrested at the NCAA tournament in the past. And they all will do so again in Des Moines, as they punched their tickets at the MAC Championships this weekend in their home gym. Joining them on the road to Iowa will be Blake Roulo, who came into the event seeded sixth, but who upset the #2 and 3 wrestlers in the 149-pound bracket to finish second.
Lewandowski entered the weekend as the number three seed at a weight with only two guaranteed qualifying spots for Nationals. However, the senior made his way to the finals with an opening round victory over Jacob Davis of Eastern Michigan and a semifinal win against Missouri’s Zach Toal. After dropping a decision to Central Michigan’s Mike Ottinger in the finals, his day wasn’t done as he faced Caleb Marsh of Kent State in a “true second” tilt, with the victor getting the trip to NCAAs. Lewandowski prevailed 4-1 to secure his spot in the field.
Soria, Photo by BV
Cannon came into the tournament in the fourth spot in the bracket, but rode an upset of top-seeded Todd Porter of Missouri to the title bout. He was upended by Cody Walters of Ohio there, but will be headed back to the Nationals after last year’s redshirt season.
As a team, Buffalo took seventh place, with Missouri bringing home top honors. The Tigers, in their first season in the MAC, broke Central Michigan’s long grasp on the MAC conference crown.
It’s Missouri’s first year in the MAC and the former Big 12 school comes into the conference tournament as the favorite. The Tigers feature six wrestlers pre-seeded #1 with the four other starters all in the top 4 in their classes.
For Buffalo, the host team, a trio of NCAA qualifiers look to return to the biggest tournament of the year. In the 2012 MAC tournament, Max Soria rode a strong performance to a fourth place finish and a spot at Nationals. The 125-pound bracket once again has four automatic bids this year and Soria earned the fifth seed. The field is challenging, led by the nation’s #1 grappler, Alan Waters of Missouri as well as top 20 competitor Christian Cullinan of Central Michigan. Soria lost 2-0 to Cullinan but hasn’t faced Waters or the other two wrestlers seeded above him, Steve Mitcheff of Kent State and Jared Germaine of Eastern Michigan, this season. Can he make another strong March run to get back to Nationals?
Lewandowski, Photo by BV
Joining Soria at the NCAAs a year ago was 165-pounder Mark Lewandowski. To get a guaranteed spot at that event again, the senior, who is 28-6 this season, will need to place first or second. The Buffalo wrestler received the #3 seed, with Central Michigan’s Mike Ottinger and Missouri’s Zach Toal above him. He has had a number of tight battles with Ottinger, including a 2-1 loss earlier this campaign. Head coach Jim Beichner felt early on that Lewandowski could make some noise in March, as he did when he came within one victory of All-America status a few years ago.
Another wrestler who could make his presence felt in Des Moines is 174-pounder John-Martin Cannon. The senior has been hampered with injuries this season, but is looking to make a run in his last weeks of college wrestling. He is seeded fourth in a class that has qualified five spots for Nationals. The bracket is full of solid wrestlers, as six different entrants have been in the national rankings at some point this season.
While 174 pounds will send a number of grapplers forward, there is just one automatic slot at 141. That was earned for the conference by Northern Iowa’s Joey Lazor. Looking to take that spot away is Buffalo’s Erik Galloway, who moved up from 133 in mid-January. The transfer from Pittsburgh recently defeated the third seed Kevin Fanta of Northern Illinois.
Another transfer, Angelo Malvestuto (from Virginia Tech), missed a portion of the season, but recently returned to the lineup at 197. He sits in the #5 position and is looking to finish a few places higher, as the top three advance to Des Moines.
Also aiming to finish high on the podium this weekend for Buffalo will be 149-pounder Blake Ruolo, who was pre-seeded sixth as well as those sitting in the seventh slot for the Bulls – Justin Farmer (133), Wally Maziarz (157), Tony Lock (184) and Justin Heiserman (heavyweight).
Wrestling will begin on Sunday, March 10 with quarterfinal action at 10 a.m. at Alumni Arena on Buffalo’s campus. The finals are scheduled for 5:20 p.m..
(Courtesy of buffalobulls.com)
The following are the pre-seeds for the MAC Championships, which will be held in Buffalo this weekend. Leading the way for the Bulls are Erik Galloway (#2 at 141), Mark Lewandowski (#3 at 165) and John-Martin Cannon (#4 at 174). Returning NCAA qualifier Max Soria (125) and Angelo Malvestuto (197) are both pre-seeded fifth.
The full list is below:
125:
1) Alan Waters, Missouri
2) Christian Cullinan, Central Michigan
3) Steve Mitcheff, Kent State
4) Jared Germaine, Eastern Michigan
5) Max Soria, Buffalo
6) Ryan Jauch, Northern Iowa
7) Kevon Powell, Ohio
8)Derek Elmore, Northern Illinois
133:
1) Nathan McCormick, Mizzouri
2) Scotti Sentes, Central Michigan
3) Levi Wolfensperger, Northern Iowa
4) Nick Smith, Northern Illinois
5) Mackenzie McGuire, Kent State
6) Vince Pizzuto, Eastern Michigan
7) Justin Farmer, Buffalo
8)Joey Munoz, Ohio
141:
1) Joey Lazor, Northern Iowa
2) Erik Galloway, Buffalo
3) Kevin Fanta, Northern Illinois
4) Nick Hucke, Missouri
5) Scott Mattingly, Central Michigan
6) Seth Schaner, Eastern Michigan
7) Dillon Kern, Kent State
8)Kagan Squire, Ohio
149:
1) Drake Houdasheldt, Missouri
2) Donnie Corby, Central Michigan
3) Bart Reiter, Northern Iowa
4) Andrew Romanchik, Ohio
5) Rob Jillard, Northern Illinois
6) Blake Roulo, Buffalo
7) Mike Shaw, Eastern Michigan
8)Andrew Candillo, Kent State
157:
1) Kyle Bradley, Missouri
2) David Bonin, Northern Iowa
3) Aaron Sulzer, Eastern Michigan
4) Spartak Chino, Ohio
5) Lucas Smith, Central Michigan
6) Andrew Morse, Northern Illinois
7) Wally Maziarz, Buffalo
8)Tommy Sasfy, Kent State
165:
1) Mike Ottinger, Central Michigan
2) Zach Toal, Missouri
3) Mark Lewandowski, Buffalo
4) Caleb Marsh, Kent State
5) Harrison Hightower, Ohio
6) Jake Davis, Eastern Michigan
7) Sam Bennett, Northern Illinois
8)Jarrett Jensen, Northern Iowa
174:
1) Todd Porter, Missouri
2) Cody Walters, Ohio
3) Sam Wheeler, Kent State
4) John-Martin Cannon, Buffalo
5) Craig Kelliher, Central Michigan
6) Cody Caldwell, Northern Iowa
7) Matt Mougin, Northern Illinois
8)Phillip Joseph, Eastern Michigan
184:
1) Ben Bennett, Central Michigan
2) Ryan Loder, Northern Iowa
3) Mike Larson, Missouri
4) Casey Newburg, Kent State
5) Michael Duckworth, Ohio
6) Khodor Hoballah, Eastern Michigan
7) Tony Lock, Buffalo
8)Bryan Loughlin, Northern Illinois
197:
1) Dustin Kilgore, Kent State
2) Brent Haynes, Missouri
3) Nick Whitenburg, Eastern Michigan
4) Phillip Wellington, Ohio
5) Angelo Malvestuto, Buffalo
6) Parker Settecase, Northern Illinois
7) Taylor Ketteman, Northern Iowa
8)Jackson Lewis, Central Michigan
285:
1) Dom Bradley, Missouri
2) Jarod Trice, Central Michigan
3) Jeremy Johnson, Ohio
4) Blayne Beale, Northern Iowa
5) Jared Torrence, Northern Illinois
6) Keith Witt, Kent State
7) Justin Heiserman, Buffalo
8)Chris Eggert, Eastern Michigan
Thank you to everyone who entered our New York State Pick Your Champions Prediction Contests for last weekend’s state tournament. We were very excited about the large number of people who participated both on the Division I and Division II sides.
The winners of both the large and small school contests correctly predicted 11 of the champions.
Josh Lear was the Division II winner and the Division I winner was from Long Island. iTunes cards will be awarded to both.
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A few fun facts about the predictions. Some champions were well anticipated by those that participated. The titlewinners that received the highest percentage of the votes were:
Burke Paddock (160, DII) 81%
Corey Rasheed (152, DI) 78%
Nick Kelley (138, DI) 76%
In addition, Tyler Grimaldi (160, DI), Nick Tighe (138, DII) and Zack Zupan (182, DII) all received at least 65% of the vote.
Choi, Photo by BV
On the other hand, several champions were more of a surprise to the contest participants, as the following titlewinners received less than 8% of the votes:
In Division I, Dan Choi (195) and Richard Sisti (220).
In Division II: Kevin Thayer (152), Adis Radoncic (170) and Matt Abbott (285).
Congratulations to all of the New York state champions and thanks so much for playing!
The NCAA made several announcements today as we get closer to the NCAAs. First, the number of automatic qualifier spots allocated to each conference were announced by weight class. In addition, the final Coaches’ Panel Rankings and Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) were released. Those statistics are some of the key criteria used to select wrestlers for the NCAA tournament.
For the full NCAA release, see here.
Making the Coaches’ Panel Rankings and/or the RPI from the six Division I colleges in New York are:
(RPI, Coaches’ Panel)
Army
Jordan Thome, 133 (NR in the RPI, 33 in Coaches’ Panel Rankings)
Connor Hanafee, 141 (25, 29)
Daniel Young, 149 (19, NR)
Paul Hancock, 165 (25, 23)
Coleman Gracey, 174 (NR, 32)
Bryce Barnes, 197 (NR, 32)
Binghamton
Donnie Vinson, 149 (4, 4)
Cody Reed, 184 (30, NR)
Nate Schiedel, 197 (18, 5)
Buffalo
Mark Lewandowski, 165 (8, 14)
John Martin Cannon, 174 (NR, 18)
Columbia
Steve Santos, 149 (5, 5)
Jake O’Hara, 157 (27, 20)
Stephen West, 174 (17, 21)
Cornell
Nahshon Garrett, 125 (10, 6)
Bricker Dixon, 133 (NR, 32)
Mike Nevinger, 141 (6, 8 )
Chris Villalonga, 149 (16, 16)
Jesse Shanaman, 157 (15, 33)
Kyle Dake, 165 (6, 1)
Marshall Peppelman, 174 (18, NR)
Steve Bosak, 184 (4, 4)
Jace Bennett, 197 (25, 23)
Stryker Lane, 285 (20, 28)
Hofstra
Steve Bonanno, 125 (32, 17)
Jamie Franco, 133 (26, 29)
Luke Vaith, 141 (8, 16)
Tyler Banks, 157 (NR, 33)
Jermaine John, 174 (32, NR)
Paul Snyder, 285 (24, 25)
(NY high school wrestlers not wrestling at one of the colleges listed above not currently included)
The New York state high school season has come to an end. 30 wrestlers walked out of the Times Union Center as champions on Saturday night and many others fought to become All-State.
(This article focuses on the Division II tournament. The Division I recap can be found here.)
In Division II, it was a tight race, but in the end Section 5 reigned supreme, led by the top two schools in the standings – Midlakes and Warsaw. Midlakes featured five All-State wrestlers – 120-pound runner up Sean Peacock, sixth placer Tyler Smith (195) and a trio of grapplers in the fifth position – Jason Charlette (106), Ralph Mateo (113) and Collin Fox (170).
Just five points behind was Section 6, propelled by the third place squad – Fredonia. The Hillbillies boasted four medalists, led by the Gardners – Dakota (second at 126) and Jude (third at 145). Also making the podium for head coach Alex Conti’s squad were Tyler Cassidy and Chris Saden.
Only one team had more than one champion over the weekend, and it was Gouverneur. Seniors Dillon Stowell (113) and Hunter Ayen (195) made their final high school matches count as they brought a pair of titles back to Section 10.
Speaking of titles, Most Outstanding Wrestler Nick Tighe added another to his collection. For the third consecutive year, the Phoenix grappler stood on top of the podium. Joining him was Adis Radoncic, who made history of his own when he became the first-ever state champion from the PSAL.
99 Pounds:
The Champion: Derek Spann of Adirondack came in as the number three seed but went all the way to the top, utilizing his solid mat skills to get there. In the finals, he was trailing after giving up a pair of takedowns to his opponent, Matteo Devincenzo, in the first period, but when Devincenzo took down to start the second, the complexion of the match changed. Spann used back points there and then again in the third when he chose the top position to seal the title.
And Also . . . Devincenzo was Section 11’s highest placer in the Division II tournament. He had only one loss coming into the weekend (to Division I runner up Vito Arujau) and although not highly seeded, he looked strong throughout the tournament and will be someone to watch in the coming years.
106 Pounds:
The Champion: Top-seeded Luis Weirebach opened with a pin and then registered a trio of two-point wins the rest of the way, concluding with a 3-1 victory over Danny Fox in the finals. The junior, who took fifth in 2012, became the first-ever state champion from his school.
And Also . . . Maple Grove’s Brad Bihler is pretty stingy with points. Other than his 2-0 loss to Weirebach in the semis, he outscored his foes 31-0 (and added a pin) on the path to third place. The Section 6 wrestler entered the tournament on a nine-match winning streak and continued to wrestle well in Albany.
113 Pounds:
The Champion: Dillon Stowell has significant experience at the Times Union Center, having placed numerous times in the past. In his last chance as a senior, he reached the top of the podium after beating Nick Casella in the title bout. In the semis, Stowell topped another veteran of the state tournament, Warsaw’s Austin Keough, by the same score (4-2) as their bout at Eastern States.
And Also . . . Casella knows how to make it to Saturday night. Last year as an unseeded wrestler, he competed for the 99-pound crown, losing a close decision. This weekend he was on a mission to finish higher and once again reached the title bout after defeating the #4 and #1 wrestlers in the bracket. As a junior, he’ll no doubt be back for another crack at a championship.
120 Pounds:
The Champion: The third time was definitely a charm for Trey Aslanian of Edgemont. In 2011, he led 5-0 before falling to William Koll in the state title match at 103 pounds. In 2012, he dropped a decision to Sean Peacock of Midlakes for the 113 crown. But on Saturday night, in a rematch with Peacock, Aslanian came out on top, 4-2, in his final high school contest. The Section 1 grappler leaves as a champion, with his next destination Princeton University.
And Also . . . The finale against Peacock was a tough, close match but it wasn’t the only one for Aslanian. In the quarters, the Edgemont standout trailed super freshman Kellen Devlin for much of the match. (Aslanian won 4-3). Devlin, who came back to take the bronze, completed the year with just three losses and will be among the favorites for the next three seasons.
126 Pounds:
Koll, Photo by BV
The Champion: William Koll, a state champion in 2011, said he was disappointed with his third place showing last season. He got back to the top of the medal stand over the weekend, cruising through the event with his closest match a 6-2 victory over Dakota Gardner in the last bout.
And Also . . . After medaling as an eighth grader in 2012, Gardner had only one setback during the season, in the Section 6 final against Brandon Muntz. That result likely dropped him to the sixth seed in the bracket, however, he overcame that to get to the title bout as a freshman. With three campaigns left for Fredonia, New York fans will certainly see Gardner on the podium a few more times.
132 Pounds:
Rodriguez-Spencer, Photo by BV
The Champion: In last year’s quarterfinals, Renaldo-Rodriguez-Spencer topped Tristan Rifanburg in overtime, a victory that propelled the Cheektowoga wrestler to the silver medal. This year, the duo met again, but this time it was in the finals and both came in undefeated. Rifanburg led 1-0 late into the third period on the strength of an escape and a rideout in the second. However, Rodriguez-Spencer stayed aggressive on his feet and notched the winning takedown with time winding down.
And Also . . . Rifanburg is now a three-time state finalist (2010 champion) and a four-time placer . . . and he still has two years of high school left. Clyde Carey, on the other hand, has now completed his career at Addison. However, he finished on a high note. A year ago, he wrestled with a significant injury in Albany and came within one match of a medal. His road wasn’t easy over the weekend as he faced (and topped) returning All-Stater Zach Ayen in round one. After losing to Rodriguez-Spencer, he captured four straight in the consolations to grab third place.
138 Pounds:
Tighe, Photo by BV
The Champion: Upstate fans were excited about a potential clash between then two-time state champion Nick Tighe and 2012 titlewinner Connor Lapresi at the Eastern States. It didn’t happen there, but it did occur on Saturday night. Tighe broke a 1-1 tie in the third with a takedown to pick up his third consecutive crown for Phoenix. CAA wrestling at Binghamton is next for him.
And Also . . . Lapresi leaves Lansing with another All-State showing as he prepares to take on Division I wrestling at Bucknell. Also concluding his career with multiple medals was Lewiston Porter’s Dan Reagan. After taking fourth in this class last year, he moved up to third as a senior.
145 Pounds:
Hull, Photo by BV
The Champion: Royalton Hartland’s Drew Hull outscored his opponents 22-5 on his title run. Last year, he lost a tight bout in the finals to take second. This time, he got his hand raised in a 2-0 victory over Norwich’s Frank Garcia.
And Also . . . Garcia, a sophomore, opened with a pin and then won two close matches, in overtime in the quarters and 3-2 in the semis. After jumping from the top 8 in 2012 to second in 2013, he’ll return looking for more as a junior.
The bronze finisher Jude Gardner of Fredonia had a stellar senior campaign. He suffered just four losses – and all four were to state champion Hull, including in the semifinals on Saturday morning. With Hull, Gardner and Eric Lewandowski (second in Division I), there’s no doubt Section 6 was strong at this weight this year.
152 Pounds:
Thayer, Photo by BV
The Champion: At the Section 4 championships, where he took second, Kevin Thayer had an incredible 18-16 victory over returning state placer Dan Dickman of Greene. His finals victory over Rowdy Prior on Saturday was similarly action-packed. Prior, a prolific pinner, chose top for the third while trailing and locked up a cradle that seemed likely to give him the gold medal. Somehow, however, Thayer not only avoided the fall but also got the reversal to seal the title.
And Also . . . Prior provided an exciting semifinal victory. He was behind 4-2 late in the match but got the pin over Alex Smythe. Smythe’s tournament is worthy of mention as well. After taking fifth at the state tournament in 2011, he didn’t get a bid last year. However, he moved up several weights and had a solid season, coming into the Times Union Center with just two losses (to the previously mentioned Hull and Lewandowski). One of only two medalists in the bracket not graduating (fifth placer Trey Duvall of Addison is the other), Smythe will look to make a run in 2013-14.
160 Pounds:
Paddock, Photo by BV
The Champion: In the semifinals, Mike Beckwith of Greene lasted over three minutes before getting pinned by Burke Paddock. Beckwith was the only wrestler to stay on the mat with Paddock for that long. The Warsaw junior stuck all four of his opponents to conclude a tremendous season and collect his first state championship.
And Also . . . Sophomore Nick Gallo fell one victory shy of place on the podium a year ago. This year, he took several steps forward with a runner up showing. The Section 2 wrestler defeated third placer Matt Fisher as well as returning medalist Tyler Silverthorn to earn his slot in the title bout. He should be a force as a junior.
170 Pounds:
Radoncic, Photo by BV
The Champion: Coming into the tournament, some were pegging last year’s runner up Cheick Ndiaye, the top seed at 113, as someone who could give the PSAL its first-ever state champion. Instead, it was Adis Radoncic of Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy who was the first to stand on top of the podium. The junior did it the hard way – defeating the top two seeds in the bracket. In fact, it appeared he might be in for an uphill battle in the title bout as he faced #1 Christian Dietrich once before this season at Eastern States and lost that bout 13-4. However, Radoncic was undaunted and fought off a number of deep shots by the Greene grappler to take a 4-3 decision. Radoncic now has his sights set on being the PSAL’s first two-time champion.
And Also . . . It’s easy to forget that Dietrich is just a freshman, especially given the way he performed all year. He amazed many when he placed at 152 pounds as a seventh grader and looked very good all year at a higher weight. Keeping him out of the top spot over the next several seasons will be a tall order for the rest of the field.
Dietrich’s first round opponent, John Messinger of Putnam Valley, fought back to take fourth. Winning four in a row to get to the bronze match is an accomplishment, but the way he did it was even more impressive. He trailed late in nearly all of his wrestleback matches and found a way to come out on top, multiple times in the waning seconds. In one bout, he tied the match up with two points dangerously close to the third period buzzer and then picked up a takedown a few seconds into overtime to move forward.
182 Pounds:
Zupan, Photo by BV
The Champion: Zack Zupan had his eye on a repeat championship all year long and he finished the job. The future Binghamton Bearcat had little trouble making the title bout as he racked up bonus points in his first three contests before controlling the finale, a 3-2 victory over Warsaw’s Tim Schaefer. He joined future teammates Nick Kelley and Nick Tighe as titlewinners on Saturday night.
And Also . . . Schaefer finishes high school with a plethora of accolades. He made the podium five times during his career, beginning with a sixth place finish as a seventh grader.
Hoosick Falls had its first champion in Luis Weirebach at 106 and added a third placer in Brad Burns at 182. The Section 2 grappler was beaten in double overtime in the quarters but bounced back with four in a row to grab bronze.
195 Pounds:
Ayen, Photo by BV
The Champion: Gouverneur had Dillon Stowell win it all at 113. And then, the Wildcats crowned a second champion at 195 pounds when Hunter Ayen sent Bryce Mazurowski to his second consecutive silver medal. Ayen fell behind 6-0 in the match, but climbed back into the bout when he threw the Avon wrestler onto his back. When he was close to the pin, the referee stopped the action for blood time, but Ayen was unfazed as he added another takedown to win 9-6. The Gouverneur senior had pinned his first three opponents.
And Also . . . One of those foes for Ayen was Matt Booth. The Section 6 wrestler excelled in the consolation bracket, outscoring his opponents 30-5 to take third. In the bronze match he topped Dusty Lewis of Salamanca, the wrestler he beat to qualify for the tournament a few weeks ago.
220 Pounds:
Bacon, Photo by BV
The Champion: A pair of undefeated wrestlers marched through the tournament and faced off in the finals with Hornell’s Zack Bacon utilizing strong mat wrestling to take the title 1-0 over Ryan Wolcott. Bacon came back after a silver medal a year ago to end his career in the top spot.
And Also . . . Wolcott made a smooth transition from 170 pounds, where he won two matches in Albany in 2012, up to 220. He pinned his way to the championship bout and the 1-0 loss to Bacon was his only setback all season long. In 2013-14, he’ll look to go from second to first the same way Bacon did in his senior campaign.
285 Pounds:
The Champion: Windsor’s Matt Abbott came into the tournament with a 33-1 mark and 19 pins. (The sole loss was to the previously mentioned Wolcott). He exited the Times Union Center as a champion. Heavyweight matches are often low scoring but Abbott put a lot of points on the board, including 11 in the semis and eight in the finals.
And Also . . . Alex Soutiere, last year’s runner up in this class, took third after winning five wrestleback bouts. In 2012, Soutiere upset top-seeded Kacee Sauer. The tables turned this year as Soutiere (the #1 seed) was upended in the opening round by junior Connor Calkins of Section 5. Calkins wound up fifth and as the only non-senior placer, will be in the mix for top honors in 2014.
For all the brackets, see this link.
Congratulations to the Division II wrestlers on a great season.
The following are video interviews with a number of wrestlers at the state tournament. Special thanks to Adam Burgos and Nick Garone for their amazing contributions!
Some browsers may take a little extra time to load.
(To view on youtube, see youtube.com/nywrestlingnews)
Tyler Grimaldi (160 Pound State Champ, Hills West) and coach Mike Patrovich with Nick Garone
Adis “The Beast” Radoncic (RKA) – First Ever PSAL State Champ (170)
Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton), 99 Pound State Champion
Nick Piccininni (Ward Melville), 113 Pound State Champion and MOW
TJ Fabian (Shoreham Wading River), 126 Pound State Champion
Trey Aslanian (Edgemont), 120 Pound State Champion (3x Finalist)
William Koll (Lansing), 2x State Champion
Burke Paddock (Warsaw), 160 Pound State Champion
Corey Rasheed (Longwood), 152 Pound State Champion
Louis Hernandez (Mepham), 145 Pound State Champion
Dan Choi (Syosset), 195 Pound State Champion with N. Garone
Rich Sisti (Monsignor Farrell), 220 Pound State Champion with N. Garone
Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (Cheektowoga), 138 Pound State Champion
Luis Weirebach (Hoosick Falls), 106 Pound State Champion
Hunter Ayen (Gouverneur), 195 Pound State Champion
Alex Delacruz (Ossining), 120 Pound State Champion
Nick Tighe (Phoenix), 138 Pound State Champion (3x Champion)
Shayne Brady (Carthage), 182 Pound State Champion
Mike Hughes (Smithtown West), 285 Pound State Champion with N. Garone
Dillon Stowell (Gouverneur), 113 Pound State Champion
Derek Spann (Adirondack), 99 Pound State Champion D2
POST SEMIS VIDEOS
Matteo Devincenzo (Port Jefferson, 99 D2)
Adis Radoncic (RKA, 170 D2)
Nick Casella (Locust Valley, 113 D2)
William Koll (Lansing, 126 D2)
TJ Fabian (Shoreham Wading River, 126 D1)
Corey Rasheed (Longwood, 152 D1)
Rowdy Prior (Phoenix, 152 D2)
Luis Weirebach (Hoosick Falls, 106 D2)
Derek Spann (Adirondack, 99 D2)
DAY 1/Medal Round VIDEOS
Keanu Thompson (Grand Street after Pinning #2 Seed in Quarters)
Dan Choi (Syosset after Beating #1 Seed in Quarters)
James O’Hagan (Seaford after Topping #1 Seed)
Steve Schneider (160, MacArthur after overtime victory)
Nick Barbaria (New Rochelle, 106 after the quarters)
Nick Weber (Kings Park, 195 Pounds after defeating #2 seed)
Jonathan Haas (Spencerport, 3rd place 106 D1)
Austin Coleman (Spencerport, 2nd place 285 D1)
Levi Ashley (Shenendehowa, 2nd place, after beating #3 seed)
Eric Lewandowski (Lancaster, 2nd place, 145 D1)
Josh Powell (Churchville-Chili, D1, 160)
Marshall Taylor (Lockport, 220 pounds D1, after 3 OT victory)
Shayne Brady (Carthage, 182 pound champion on Day 1)
Zack Joseph (Shenendehowa, 152 pounds, D1 on Day 1)
Donny McCoy (Niagara Falls, 99 Pounds, D1 on Day 1)
We have a large number of video interviews with wrestlers from the state tournament that will be posted later in the week. Check back over the next few days to see what the wrestlers had to say!
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Another New York state high school season is in the books. After two incredible days of wrestling, 30 champions were crowned and a number of other amazing performances were witnessed at the Times Union Center.
(This article focuses on the Division I tournament. We will post a Division II story as well).
Of the 15 gold medalists in Albany on Saturday night in the large school tournament, 10 were from Long Island. That part of the state didn’t just impress in the finals, however. The depth was definitely apparent, as Suffolk finished atop the standings with 312 points with Nassau in second with 222.5.
Representing Section 8 well was Wantagh, which completed a magical year in which the Warriors showed both their dual meet and tournament strength in capturing perhaps the three biggest events in New York – the Union-Endicott Duals, the Eastern States and this weekend’s championships. Head coach Paul Gillespie’s squad boasted a state titlewinner in 106-pounder Kyle Quinn as well as three other placers (James Corbett, Vinny Turano and Danny McDevitt).
Two other “sections” that made waves this weekend were the PSAL and the CHSAA. Richard Sisti’s 220-pound title for Monsignor Farrell was a highlight as was the run to the finals by Keanu Thompson of Grand Street, including an upset pin against the number two seed. The PSAL featured five medalists (in Division I), while the CHSAA had six. It seems that those numbers will continue to grow in the future. (The first ever PSAL champion was crowned, which will be covered in the Division II story).
Here are some more notes and observations from the state capital:
99 Pounds:
Diakomihalis, Photo by BV
Champion: Yianni Diakomihalis will need to continue to clear space in his room for awards. He’s won just about every tournament he has entered over the past year, and he has traveled all over the country to wrestle some of the best. The nationally-ranked wrestler picked up his first state title in the ultimate tiebreaker against another stellar eighth grader, Vito Arujau of Syosset. The two could do battle many more times, but whether they’re at the same weight in the future or not, they will be a treat for New York fans to watch for another four years.
And Also . . . We had Diakomihalis and Arujau atop the rankings the whole year, but also included three Suffolk grapplers for much of the season in the state’s top 8. They showed why on Friday and Saturday. Although top seed John Arceri, the Section 11 champion, didn’t medal, he holds wins over both the third and fourth place finishers, John Busiello and Jesse Dellevecchia, respectively. Those three will be contenders for quite some time.
In addition, when he was just beginning treatments for cancer in the spring, Vinny Vespa’s brother Michael said he was confident Vinny would not only return to the mat this year, but do well in the postseason. He was right, as Vespa overcame cancer and then some of the state’s top wrestlers in taking fifth place.
106 Pounds:
Quinn, Photo by BV
The Champion . . . Kyle Quinn came into the state tournament with just two losses. Both were to All-Stater Nick Barbaria of New Rochelle by two points. Quinn clearly took some lessons away from those contests as he avenged those results with a 7-1 win in the semifinals against the Section 1 wrestler before defeating top seed Alex Tanzman of Westhampton Beach by the same score to grab the state crown. The Wantagh wrestler looked dominant the whole weekend, including pinning his first two opponents (one of which was returning medalist Jimmy Overhiser).
And Also . . . Spencerport’s Jon Haas was unfazed after dropping his first bout of the tournament 4-3 to John Twomey of St. Anthony’s. He reeled off five straight victories, including two by bonus points, to take third. Haas also had a pair of overtime triumphs, including over Colonie’s Golan Cohen in the bronze bout. Cohen, who was a placer at the Eastern States, put together a very impressive season.
113 Pounds:
Piccininni, Photo by BV
The Champion . . . Nick Piccininni wasn’t just the gold medalist at this weight, he was also named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler. It’s not hard to see why. The returning state champion was in control the whole way and won three of his four matches by bonus points. That included the title bout, in which Piccininni dominated the much-hyped clash with two-time champ Kyle Kelly of Chenango Forks. The Ward Melville wrestler will be incredibly hard to stop over the next two years.
And Also . . . Steven Sewkumar didn’t get a ticket to Albany last year after taking second in Nassau behind state runner up Jose Rodriguez. He made his last chance in his senior year count, however, with a third place showing. The Section 8 wrestler lost only to Piccininni while twice beating third-seeded Bryan Lantry of Wayne as well as topping All-Stater John Stramiello of Pine Bush.
120 Pounds:
The Champion: Alex Delacruz was disqualified during the Eastern States semifinals against John Muldoon. He then took second in Section 1 to the Pearl River grappler. On the biggest stage, however, he came out on top by first knocking Muldoon off in the semifinals in an overtime match and then earning his spot on the top of the podium after an 11-7 triumph over #1 seed Steve Michel.
And Also . . . Weights for next season are hard to predict now. But it looks like there will be more intense competition in Sections 1 and 11 in the future around this class. Besides Delacruz and Muldoon (who was fourth), Section 1 features Blaise Benderoth (one match from medaling) and Nick Tolli, who placed at Eastern States but missed the postseason with an injury. In Section 11, Travis Passaro (third) and Mike D’Angelo (fifth) could see each other a number of times again in 2013-14.
126 Pounds:
The Champion: TJ Fabian wasn’t pleased about taking third at the Suffolk County tournament. He responded quite well – by outscoring his opponents 17-0 in his first two matches before notching pins in the semis and finals. He’s headed to Sacred Heart.
And Also . . . One of the loudest roars of the crowd came during the quarterfinals when the PSAL’s Keanu Thompson pinned two-time finalist Dylan Realbuto. Thompson was defeated soundly by Fabian on Saturday night but his run to the title bout was outstanding as he defeated the eventual third, fourth and sixth place finishers. That fourth placer was Chenango Forks senior Jacob Green, who after losing to Thompson in his opening tilt, won four in a row to finish his career on the podium.
132 Pounds:
Leshinger, Photo by BV
The Champion: After taking third at the Times Union Center last year and again at the Eastern States, Matt Leshinger ended his Sayville career in style atop the medal stand. The future Columbia Lion began with a pin and then methodically beat his next three opponents, including a 4-2 finals win over Amsterdam’s Brandon Lapi.
And Also . . . Lapi made the top 8 in 2010. Since then, he has finished third, fourth and second. What’s missing? Well, a first place showing would complete the pattern. The Section 2 standout will no doubt be looking for exactly that as he enters his senior season.
138 Pounds:
Kelley, Photo by BV
The Champion: Nick Kelley has been a regular at the state tournament with appearances beginning as a seventh grader. He’s had a great career with over 250 victories but this weekend he got the most meaningful win of them all – the one in the state championship bout. The Binghamton-bound grappler took a 5-2 decision on Saturday night to leave as a champion.
And Also . . . Joey Butler of Burnt Hills pushed Kelley in one of their matches during the season, getting out to a big lead before the Shenendehowa wrestler came back to win. Butler earned third and will one to watch next year, as will Hilton’s Vincent DePrez, a silver medalist for the second consecutive year. DePrez, who was one of three brothers to compete in Albany, will be back on a mission for his first title.
145 Pounds:
Hernandez, Photo by BV
The Champion: Louis Hernandez came in as the favorite and left as the champion. After missing the podium a year ago while wrestling with a significant injury at the Times Union Center, Hernandez put together a one-loss season which included an Eastern States crown. While known for his excellence on his feet, Hernandez got a big reversal which propelled him to the title.
And Also . . . Eric Lewandowski made an appearance in the finals as a freshman, when he took second. After not making the medal stand as a sophomore and junior, the Lancaster wrestler once again earned a spot in the title contest as a senior. On his way there, he edged Shenendehowa’s David Almaviva 1-0 in the semis. Almaviva showed his toughness by once again wrestling back to third, as he did in 2012. Hernandez will return next season, and he will be the only placer in this bracket to do so.
152 Pounds:
Rasheed, Photo by BV
The Champion: Don’t blink when Corey Rasheed wrestles. You might miss it. Rasheed had a technical fall in round one and a pair of pins – both in less than a minute – over the weekend. That included a 56 second fall in the title bout. It was the Longwood junior’s third time in the finals and after two runner up finishes, he left with top billing. He should not only be on top of the New York rankings next year. He has the talent to represent the Empire State in the national polls as well.
And Also . . . Like Jon Haas at 106, Joe Mastro of Yorktown took third place the hard way. After losing to Konstantin Parfiryev (sixth place) on Friday morning, Mastro got his hand raised five times in a row. He didn’t just win, though. He did it convincingly, beginning with a technical fall and two majors (over the number two and three seeds). He finished with a pair of decisions.
160 Pounds:
Grimaldi, Photo by BV
The Champion: Tyler Grimaldi walked off the mat after taking second at this weight to Dylan Palacio in the state finals last year and vowed to do better in 2013. He got it done, including his third win of the season against Steven Schneider of MacArthur in the title bout. Next stop: Harvard.
And Also . . . Amsterdam’s James Marquez had a difficult draw, facing second seed (and eventual runner up) Steve Schneider in round one. Marquez dropped a tough 3-1 battle in overtime but then fought back with a string of close decisions (including three by two points) to reach the bronze bout. Once there, he finished his last match as a high schooler well, pinning Dale White to take third. White is worth mentioning as well. Despite an injury that kept him out for a lot of the campaign, he returned to win the Section 1 tournament and after injury defaulting to Grimaldi, made his way to fourth.
170 Pounds:
Toribio, Photo by BV
The Champion: Carlos Toribio had five losses as a junior, including three against the previously mentioned Tyler Grimaldi. This year, as a senior, he had just one (to Joe Piccolo), and he avenged it with two wins over Piccolo. In fact, in the Suffolk finals, he was dominant against the Half Hollow Hills West grappler and came into the Times Union Center with momentum that helped take him to the top of the podium. After a decision, a fall and a major in his first three bouts, Toribio picked up a tight 4-3 win over St. Anthony’s John Vrasidas to capture gold.
And Also . . . Vrasidas had a great tournament, including an upset of top seeded Danny McDevitt in the quarters. But McDevitt, the future Ivy League wrestler at Penn, rebounded by outscoring his four wrestleback opponents 33-1, including a technical fall in the bronze match.
182 Pounds:
Brady, Photo by BV
The Champion: Before the tournament began, it looked like Shayne Brady’s road back to the finals would be a tough one. The future North Carolina State wrestler faced a pair of returning state placers – James Benjamin and Gio Santiago in the quarters and semis – and beat both by bonus points. He then found a way to win in his final high school match with a 5-3 overtime decision over Wantagh’s James Corbett.
And Also . . . Corbett also navigated a challenging path to make the finals in his first trip to Albany. He suffered just three losses as a senior and will continue his career at Brown.
If you’re looking to see pins, find Gio Santiago. The Sachem North senior had three falls in the tournament (and was pinned by Brady) after recording 30 during the season. He earned All-State honors for the second straight year, this time in the third position.
195 Pounds:
Choi, Photo by BV
The Champion: We shared Dan Choi’s story a few weeks ago, discussing how the future Cornellian came from Korea without his parents just three years ago and earned a full ROTC scholarship to the Ivy League. Watching him this weekend, it’s hard to believe that he’s been wrestling for only three years. In a very difficult weight class, the Syosset senior looked aggressive and strong throughout the event, including a major decision over the top seed in the quarters.
And Also . . . When we asked what wrestlers could break out in Section 2 this year, the first answer from multiple coaches was Levi Ashley. He began the year at 182 and spent quite a bit of time at that weight, where he had plenty of success. However, when he moved up to 195 around mid January, he really took off. From there, he won 14 matches in a row entering the weekend. And he kept things going in the state capital. Being matched up with the third seed, Ben Honis, in the first round didn’t bother Ashley. He went out and majored the Section 3 wrestler 8-0 and followed with a pair of hard-fought decisions to make the title bout. With one season remaining at Shenendehowa, he’ll be among the favorites at whatever weight he chooses.
220 Pounds:
Sisti, Photo by BV
The Champion: At the Eastern States, one CHSAA insider told us that Rich Sisti, unable to participate in that tournament due to an injury, would win the state championship – guaranteed. It seemed bold at the time, but it was a good call. Sisti, commonly called the “manchild” by many of those at the tournament, indeed won and looked impressive in doing so. He certainly showed he is capable of capturing close matches against quality competition, as he notched 3-2 victories over a pair of Section 11 wrestlers, top seeded Nick Lupi and Steven Mills, in the semis and finals.
And Also . . . In the Division I tournament preview, we mentioned that there were some “under the radar” wrestlers in the field to watch in Albany. One of those was Steven Mills of Sachem North, who lost a squeaker to Lupi in the Suffolk tournament. Mills indeed made the spotlight as he competed for the state championship on Saturday night. He began his journey with a 5-1 win over second-seeded John Hartnett and then blanked his next two foes to make the finals.
285 Pounds:
The Champions: 42-0 with 39 bonus wins and a state title. That’s the season summary for Smithtown West’s Mike Hughes. The senior put an exclamation point on his campaign when he pinned Austin Coleman in the championship bout, his 31st fall of the year.
And Also . . . Remember the name James O’Hagan. The Seaford junior took third over the weekend with a pair of victories over top seeded El Shaddai Van Hoesen of Columbia. The statistics above show that Mike Hughes only had three decisions all year. Two were against O’Hagan, including a 1-0 semifinal win on Saturday. After the tournament, Hughes said that O’Hagan gave him his toughest match and that he thought they should have been the state finalists. For O’Hagan, that will be the plan for 2013.
For all the brackets, see this link.
Congratulations to the Division I wrestlers on a great season.
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