Category Archives: Section 6

Getting Close to That First Whistle: Division II State Tournament Preview

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First, we will be doing a LIVE BLOG of the tournament, starting Friday morning. To access the blog, see here: LIVE BLOG link

Here are some weight class by weight class thoughts on the upcoming Division II state tournament in Albany. For our Division I Preview, see this link.

99 Pounds:

Returning 2012 State Placers:
Andrew Flanagan, Holley (Fourth at 99)

Hunter O’Lena of East Rochester sits on the top line after winning the SuperSectionals, including a victory over the favorite, returning placer Andrew Flanagan of Holley. O’Lena has a 30-4 mark in his freshman campaign. While Flanagan is the only medalist back in this bracket, there are some repeat entrants, including Tanner Lapiene of Ogdensburg, who has put together a 31-3 season, including a trio of victories against Division I qualifier Ryan Brown of Canton. The four wrestlers that make up the second grouping in the top half of the bracket, Dean Raymond, Matteo Devincenzo, James Bathon and Ryan Hetrick sport an impressive combined record of 148 wins and four losses (all have just one setback).

Flanagan sits in the #2 position following a 47-3 record, including a fourth place finish at the Eastern States Classic (where he sustained two of his losses and had some quality wins). One of the competitors to watch for in the bottom half is Adirondack’s Derek Spann, who has piled up solid victories in a season with over 40 triumphs. He defeated Danny Fox, the second seed at 106 and fellow qualifier Theo Powers. Speaking of Powers, he has looked strong throughout the year, including a win over Section 6 champion at 106 Ryan Burns. Also back in 2013 is the PSAL’s Dolan McColgan, who makes another appearance in Albany after a 35-1 campaign and a win in the state capital in 2012.

So . . . Flanagan is the only senior in the field and the only returning placer. We think that will matter as he claims a championship over Hetrick.

106 Pounds:

Returning 2012 State Placers:
Luis Weirebach, Hoosick Falls (Fifth at 99)

Weirebach took fifth at the state tournament last year and followed up with an unblemished record in 2012-13. The Section 2 wrestler pinned qualifier Nico Riccio twice and registered an impressive win over Eastern States medalist Golan Cohen of Colonie. Another grappler making his return to the state capital is Locust Valley’s Hunter Dusold, now an eighth grader. Also keep an eye on the fourth seed, Austin Trombley of Northern Adirondack, who has a win over Section 4 champion Chris Cirigliano.

Cirigliano topped Joe Rorick of Odessa-Montour to take the Sectional crown, the only loss Rorick endured all year. Rorick will look to get back on the winning track when he faces the PSAL’s Alpha Diallo in Round 1, with the winner of that one possibly facing number two seed Danny Fox of Dolgeville, a wrestler who is 35-2 with a 1-0 victory over Ryan O’Rourke in the Section 3 championship. We had O’Rourke ranked in the top 8 in the Empire State at 99 and think he has the potential to make a run at Saturday night. Also look out for the Section 5 duo of Tyler Hamsher and Jason Charlette.

So . . . A year after finishing fifth, Weirebach will be adding a first place finish to his resume.

113 Pounds:

Returning 2012 State Placers:
Cheick Ndiaye, Brooklyn International (Second at 106)
Nick Casella, Locust Valley (Second at 99)
Dillon Stowell, Gouverneur (Fourth at 113)
Andrew Marra, Olean (Fourth at 106)
Corey Hollister, Perry (Fifth at 106)
Austin Keough, Warsaw (Sixth at 113)

Cheick Ndiaye was the first PSAL wrestler to reach the state finals, when he wrestled Lucas Malmberg in the 106-pound title match last year. He’s hoping to be the first champion in a few days and will begin that quest against Matt Morris of Albany Academy. The Section 2 representative is 41-1 with 25 pins, with his only loss coming by a point to Corey Ali of Shenendehowa.

In addition to Ndiaye, the top portion of the bracket includes returning placers Drew Marra of Olean and Nick Casella of Locust Valley. While Andrew Shomers of Lewiston Porter wasn’t a medalist a year ago, he is someone to watch as he has beaten All-Staters such as Marra (multiple times) and Anthony Orefice this year. His sole setback came at the hands of Austin Keough, 3-2.

Speaking of Keough, he received the #3 seed. He is familiar with Ndiaye as they split a pair of matches at the Eastern States. The Warsaw wrestler is also acquainted with fellow Section 5 wrestler Corey Hollister of Perry, who resides in the lower half. (Perry is 1-2 against Keough and those are his only losses). Keough also is no stranger to Gouverneur’s Dillon Stowell. Both have been prominent forces at the state tournament for years, finishing in the top three in 2010 and the top four in 2011. Last season, Stowell received an injury default from Keough as both made the medal stand at 113. And at the Eastern States, the pair clashed in the semifinals, with Stowell picking up a 4-2 win in sudden victory. We see a high likelihood of another match between them on Saturday.

So . . . We think Stowell is the wrestler to beat given the way he has competed all year long.

120 Pounds:

Returning 2012 State Placers:
Sean Peacock, Midlakes (Champion at 113)
Trey Aslanian, Edgemont (Second at 113)

This is a battled-tested group. At least 10 of the participants were on the mat in Albany last year. On the top half, that includes returning state champion Sean Peacock of Midlakes and Nanuet’s Anthony Calvano. Both wrestlers competed at the Eastern States and neither made the podium, but it would be surprising if the same happened at the Times Union Center. Peacock has 30 pins this year and a 45-3 mark. Calvano is 35-4 with quality wins over the #1 and #2 seeds in Division I, Steve Michel and John Muldoon. A semifinal between the two, should they both get there, would be intriguing.

On the bottom half, the wrestler who beat Calvano for the Section 1 crown, Trey Aslanian, sits as the second seed. The Princeton-bound grappler lost a pair of matches at Eastern States but is unbeaten otherwise. He is among the wrestlers in the lower half of the bracket returning to action at the Times Union Center, along with Nate Hayes of Windsor, Carter Merecki of Salem and Kellen Devlin of Amherst. Devlin is someone we’ll be keeping close tabs on as he is capable of going very far in this tournament. His only two setbacks this year were one-pointers against the previously mentioned Michel.

So . . . Aslanian has taken runner up honors at this event the past two years, including against Peacock in 2012. It’s his last shot at a title and we think he’ll take advantage.

126 Pounds:

Returning 2012 State Placers:
William Koll, Lansing (Third at 113)
Ryan Snow, General Brown (Third at 106)
Dakota Gardner, Fredonia (Sixth at 120)

Koll, Photo by BV

William Koll has registered a 38-3 mark with quality wins over Sectional champions Mike Raccioppi and Jacob Green as well a championship at the prestigious King of the Mountain tournament in Pennsylvania. He’ll begin his journey on Friday with Majed Mohamed of Lackawanna. The two met in the semifinals back in 2011, when Koll won and went on to capture a state title at 103.

An interesting potential bout in the quarters on the top half could be between Brandon Muntz of Falconer and Nick Forget of Peru. Muntz avenged one of his two losses in the Section 6 title match and has over 40 wins. Forget has an impressive win over the #2 seed in Division I (at 132) Brandon Lapi, and has beaten Antonio DeLuco and John Diekel as well. Both Muntz and Forget could be on the medal stand.

In addition to Mohamed, Koll defeated Laken Cook during his championship run a few years back. Cook is the number two seed in the bracket after an undefeated campaign in which he has registered triumphs against Forget, Diekel, DeLuco, Ryan Snow and Alex Herringshaw. He could meet Jake Nicholson of Waterloo in his second match, a wrestler who is 39-1 with his sole loss coming against the Division I top seed, Steve Michel, by two points. Among the other formidable wrestlers on the bottom half are General Brown’s Ryan Snow, who is no stranger to the podium and Dakota Gardner of Fredonia, a sixth placer a year ago as an eighth grader. The Section 6 freshman opens with Cortland’s Zach Alexander, who has put together a 45-win campaign.

So . . . William Koll of Lansing won the state title as a freshman in 2011. After a bronze showing last year, we think he once again stands on top of the podium.

132 Pounds:

Returning 2012 State Placers:
Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer, Cheektowoga (Second at 126)
Tristan Rifanburg, Norwich (Sixth at 126)
Zach Ayen, Gouverneur (Fifth at 120)
Alex Herringshaw, Holland Patent (Sixth at 99)

Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer wasn’t a top four seed last year, but he left as one of the more talked about wrestlers in the Division II tournament as he went all the way to the finals. He enters this year’s event with a perfect record with only three regular decisions, the closest of which was a five-point victory. He’ll see another wrestler who is accustomed to success in the first round. Pavilion’s Jake Sepor has a single loss in 2012-13. Right underneath those two in the bracket is an interesting first round tilt between returning placer Zach Ayen of Gouverneur and the wrestler who defeated Sepor – Clyde Carey of Addison. Despite competing with a significant injury in Albany in 2012, Carey won multiple matches. He and Ayen are both medal contenders.

Another Section 6 wrestler who resides on the top half of the bracket, Tyler Cassidy of Fredonia, put together a strong season which featured multiple victories over All-Stater Cody McGregor as well as over Ryan Kromer.

But Kromer got revenge for that setback in mid February and the Lewiston Porter grappler is the third seed at this weight. He’ll begin by facing a returning medalist, Alex Herringshaw of Holland Patent.

A wrestler with the potential to be real threat in this class is Locust Valley’s Sam Ward. In a 35-2 campaign, Ward has topped highly regarded wrestlers such as Conor O’Hara of Sachem East and Vinny Turano of Wantagh. In fact, his victory over Turano in mid January is the last time he won a bout by regular decision. Since then, he has racked up nine wins – all by technical fall or pin (and a forfeit). His losses were by a point to the top seed in Division I, Matt Leshinger, and in sudden victory to Jake DiMarsico of North Rockland.

Jon Crast of South Jefferson has rebounded from a past surgery to have a strong senior campaign. He won the Section 3 crown from the #4 spot in the bracket. If he were to advance to the quarterfinals, there’s a good chance he would see two-time New York finalist (and three-time placer) Tristan Rifanburg of Norwich who won the prestigious Eastern States title and is undefeated with 19 pins.

So . . . In last year’s Round of 8 at 126 pounds, Rodriguez-Spencer and Rifanburg put on a show in a match that was won by the Cheektowoga wrestler, 8-6 in overtime. We’ve had the pair at #1 and #2 in our recent state rankings and we expect another classic clash that could go extra time like the last meeting did — perhaps with the same result.

138 Pounds:

Returning 2012 State Placers
Nick Tighe, Phoenix (Champion at 126)
Connor Lapresi, Lansing (Champion at 132)
Dan Reagan, Lewiston Porter (Fourth at 138)

Tighe, Photo by BV

Nick Tighe and Albany seem to be a pretty good combination. Over the past three state tournaments, the Phoenix senior has recorded five pins, a technical fall, two majors and, most importantly two state titles and a fifth place finish at the Times Union Center. Some one-loss wrestlers sit on the top half with Tighe, including Palmyra Macedon’s Taylor Jones, whose only setback in a 47-1 year was to Tighe and Mineola’s Matt Long, who, according to the NWCA Scorebook dropped his first contest of the campaign and has been on a winning streak since. A few wrestlers familiar with Tighe, fellow Section 3 grappler Todd Stevens of Holland Patent and Whitehall’s John Diekel (who faced Tighe in the fifth place match back in 2010), are also in the upper bracket. Diekel’s opponent in the Section 2 Sectional final, Sean Romanski of Albany Academy, is the fourth seed after a 40-3 year.

Tighe isn’t the only state champion in the field. Lansing’s Connor Lapresi won it all at 132 last season and is looking for another title before heading off to Bucknell. Among those mounting challenges in the lower half could be state tournament regular Drew Longo of Ardsley, who was a finalist a few years back, Peru’s Jordan Bushey, and Lewiston Porter’s Dan Reagan, who took fourth at this weight last February. Reagan dropped a decision to the 145-pound top seed Drew Hull in early December up at 152, but has done nothing but get his hand raised since.

So . . . Upstate fans were excited about the prospect of a Tighe vs. Lapresi semifinal at the Eastern States, but it didn’t happen (at least on the mat) due to a forfeit. This time, we think the match between champions will happen, with Tighe picking up his third straight on the way to Binghamton.

145 Pounds:

Returning 2012 State Placers:
Drew Hull, Royalton Hartland (Second at 145)
Jude Gardner, Fredonia (Sixth at 138)

Drew Hull, last year’s silver medalist in this class, is unblemished thus far in 38 matches. One wrestler he has seen a lot of is Fredonia’s Jude Gardner, also a returning medalist. Hull has topped his fellow Section 6 grappler three times in 2012-13 – the first by fall and the last two by slim 1-0 margins. (Those are Gardner’s only losses). The way the field is set up, the pair could square off again in the semis. But let’s not look that far ahead considering some of the experienced grapplers in the way. Codie Gillette of Saranac and Austin Hedges of Letchworth are familiar with the Times Union Center. Gillette came within one win of placing last year. One of the darkhorses who could do some damage is Whitney Point freshman Jordan Torbitt. In his 39-2 campaign, Torbitt has some very solid wins, including splitting with qualifiers Trevor Hoffmier of Newark Valley and Frank Garcia of Norwich.

Garcia is the #2 seed in the bracket. He responded to a 7-0 setback against Torbitt in early February with a 2-1 victory in the Section 4 final. Garcia was one win shy of making the medal stand in 2012 and despite battling some injuries for a portion of the campaign, has followed up with a strong season, including a podium spot at the Eastern States. Garcia’s first challenge will be Locust Valley’s Mike Dusold, who has over 30 wins. After appearances last year, a number of wrestlers, such as Matt Dillon of Nanuet and Ryan Hake of Bayport Blue Point, are looking to pick up a few more victories. In addition to Garcia, upstate is well represented in the bottom half with Nick Koelmel, who is undefeated this season, as well as the wrestler Koelmel beat for the Section 3 title, Mexico’s CJ Loomis. In addition, Codie Nichols of Unatego from Section 4 will try to make an impact.

So . . . Hull fell 6-5 in the 2012 title bout at this weight to Tyler Button of Phoenix. With that experience fresh in his mind, he finishes one spot higher in his last high school bout.

152 Pounds:

Returning 2012 State Placers: None

One of the most anticipated matches of the Section 3 tournament was the title bout between Phoenix’s Rowdy Prior and Adirondack’s Tyler Spann. Last year, Spann defeated Prior at that event and made it to the state tournament. However, a few weeks ago, the pair met again and after Spann got out to an early lead, Prior did what he does so often – get the fall.

Other than Spann, a few other wrestlers in the top part of the bracket have wrestled in the state capital before, including Irvington’s Brett Pastore, who went 1-2 a year ago. Keep an eye out for Alex Smythe of Eden who wasn’t at the Times Union Center in 2012, but was previously. He has put together a very solid season at 42-2. Two Section 5 competitors will meet right away, as Max Lloyd of Palmyra Macedon and Dan Woughter of Alfred Almond battle in Round 1.

While the #1 and #4 seeds went to Section 3’s Prior and Spann, the #2 and #3 spots went to Section 4 wrestlers. Section 4 was well represented at this weight last year by a fourth place finish by Greene’s Dan Dickman.  This year, Unatego’s Kevin Thayer defeated Dickman in an exciting 18-16 bout at the Section championships. Thayer is 35-3 with two of his losses coming to Kyle Halladay of Chenango Valley (the #2 seed), whose only setback was at 170 pounds. Another wrestler with a single ‘L’ is Trey Duvall of Addison who beat Lloyd and Woughter to take the SuperSectionals. Not to be overlooked is Connor Lawrence, who is back at the Times Union Center for Duanesburg.

So . . . Another Prior vs. Spann bout would be worth the price of admission. While we had Spann ranked higher for most of the season, Prior has shown his ability to compete with and beat top competition this year. At Eastern States, where he took second, he beat Dan DeCarlo and Zach Joseph, among others. We think the winner of that bout will take the title and for now, we vote Prior.

160 Pounds:

Returning 2012 State Placers:

Burke Paddock, Warsaw (Third at 170)

Tyler Silverthorn, General Brown (Sixth at 160)

Paddock, Photo by Josh Conklin

Burke Paddock is the state’s top ranked wrestler at this weight and the favorite to add another title to his family’s trophy case. In the quarters, he could face the athletic Jordan Formicola of Locust Valley, who is 25-4 with one-point losses to Chris Koo of Great Neck South and 2012 qualifier Dan Tracy of Mepham. Another potential Round of 8 pairing, should they advance, would be between a pair of Eastern States placers, Austin Weigel of Onteora and Mike Beckwith of Greene. Weigel came within one bout of a medal a year ago and gave Paddock his closest match this year in a 1-0 decision at SUNY Sullivan. Paddock also topped Beckwith in Loch Sheldrake, by a 7-0 score.

There are some very dangerous wrestlers in the bottom half. Tom Confer, the number two seed, defeated returning sixth placer Tyler Silverthorn (the #3 seed) of General Brown early in the season. However, a potential quarterfinal opponent for Confer could be Oneida’s Matt Fisher. Fisher, who went 1-2 in Albany last year with both losses by a point, has five victories over Confer this season (and one sudden victory loss to the Camden grappler). It’s hard to believe that they could meet for the seventh time in one season.

An opening round win for Silverthorn would mean a bout with either Gunner Van Curen of Portville, who lost twice in late November (to Confer and Paddock) and then won the rest of the way or Schalmont’s Nick Gallo, another Eastern States placer who came within a match of making the medal stand as a freshman in 2012 (and has a win over Fisher). Not any easy group to navigate.

So . . . When we talked to Paddock prior to the season, he admitted that he expected to have a state title under his belt by now. While he took second and third the past two years, he’ll get top billing as a junior.

170 Pounds:

Returning 2012 State Placers:
Troy Seymour, Peru (Fourth at 170)

Christian Dietrich of Greene returns to Albany after missing last season with an injury. The top seed, who placed as a seventh grader at 152, will begin with returning qualifier John Messinger of Putnam Valley, who has over 30 wins. The winner of that one will battle a very solid wrestler – either Mattituck’s Tomasz Filipkowski, who came within one bout of placing last year, or 45-1 Section 3 champion Daniel Smith of South Jefferson.

Mike Green of Cobleskill-Richmondville is the #4 seed after a 41-2 campaign. He could greet Jon Levchuk of Byron Bergen, the winner of a tough SuperSectional bracket, in Round 2.

Green wasn’t the Section 2 titlewinner, as he lost to Geno Brancati of Hudson Falls in the finals, a week after beating him. Brancati was in the state capital last year as a ninth grader and was eliminated by Adis Radoncic of the PSAL. Radoncic, who finished in the top 8 in 2012, could be in Brancati’s path again in 2013.

Additonal returners are Jeff Day of Letchworth and unbeaten Zack Buckley of Fredonia, who tie up in the opening round with the victor potentially squaring off with the 2012 fourth placer at this weight, Troy Seymour of Peru.

So . . . Seymour, the preseason #1 at this weight, lost a tight 3-2 bout to Dietrich at the Eastern States. After taking fourth in New York and second at the NHSCA Nationals in Virginia Beach, the Peru senior tops the freshman to leave high school atop the podium.

182 Pounds:

Returning 2012 State Placers:
Zack Zupan, Canastota (Champion at 170)
Tim Schaefer, Warsaw (Third at 182)
Brad Burns, Hoosick Falls (Sixth at 170)
Andy Martinez, Liberty (Sixth at 182)

Zack Zupan won one of the most challenging brackets at the state tournament last year in either Division. That 170-pound weight included previously undefeated Nick Mitchell of Frewsburg (who recently took third at the Edinboro Open in college) and the previously mentioned Troy Seymour and Burke Paddock. This time, he enters as the clear number one. Austin Lynn of Frewsburg, Tyler Veno of Portville and Gage Bourdeau of Beekmantown are among those who have had solid years on the top side. The favorite to take on Zupan in the semis, however, would likely be Walton’s Mike Beers, a returning state qualifier who has defeated 2012 state placer Andy Martinez of Liberty three times this season.

Martinez sits on the lower half, with a potential quarterfinals meeting looming with Warsaw’s Tim Schaefer, should both advance. Schaefer, a multi-time medalist who took bronze at this weight a year ago, is 50-1. He has seen a number of the foes in this bracket before, including Canisteo-Greenwood’s Derrick Din (three times). Din will open with a possible sleeper in the bracket – Brad Burns of Hoosick Falls, a sixth placer at 170 in 2012. The number three seed is Unatego’s Ryan Marszal, who has topped Beers on multiple occasions.

So . . . Zupan beat Schaefer 5-2 in the finals at Eastern States. We anticipate an exciting sequel but no surprise ending.

195 Pounds:

Returning 2012 Placers:
Bryce Mazurowski, Avon (Second at 195)
Tyler Smith, Midlakes (Fourth at 195)

Mazurowski, Photo by BV

Bryce Mazurowski went all the way to the finals last year and the Binghamton-bound senior looks to return. There are potential stumbling blocks along the way for the Avon standout, as nearly all of the grapplers in the field have some quality wins. We’re interested in the opening round contest between Jeff Senecal, the fourth seed, and returning qualifier Mark Viviano, who hasn’t lost since mid-December.

Dustin Mackenzie of Onteora is in the field for the second consecutive year. In 2012, his initial bout was against Mazurowski and this time he opens with second seed Hunter Ayen of Gouverneur, who looked very good at the Eastern States and has had a stellar senior season. The winner of that one could face one-loss grappler Matt Booth from Section 6. Tyler Smith of Midlakes earned fourth at this weight in 2012 and hopes to get a little higher on the podium. Look out for Wyatt Albanese, who has beaten (and lost to) Division I seeded wrestler Ben Honis as well as Lane Frost.

So . . . Future Bearcats will be picking up plenty of hardware at the tournament. Mazurowski will contribute by getting his hand raised in his high school finale.

220 Pounds:

Returning 2012 Placers:
Zack Bacon, Hornell (Second at 220)
Mike Silvis, Holley (Fifth at 220)

Zack Bacon is the returning runner up and is undefeated in his senior campaign. He has some tough opposition on his side of the weight, including Fredonia’s Chris Saden, General Brown’s Corey Gaffney and returning qualifier Luke McKee. And of course, Holley’s Mike Silvis sits in the fourth spot, ready for a possible semifinal battle. Bacon and Silvis met in last year’s state tournament (a decision for Bacon) and again at the SuperSectionals where the Hornell grappler won 1-0.

The other half of the bracket also includes several tough wrestlers. A pair of unbeatens, Waverly’s Ryan Wolcott and Nanuet’s Dan Breit, lead the list. Wolcott upended the top seed in Division I, Nick Lupi, in December at the Windsor Christmas Tournament. Meanwhile, Breit registered numerous quality victories in earning the Eastern States crown (including over Silvis in the championship round). He also has topped at least two wrestlers in the bottom part of the bracket – Dillon Hurlbert and Jesse Corcoran, as well as the second seed in Division I, John Hartnett.

So . . . Bacon has been our #1 ranked wrestler throughout the campaign and has been dominant. But we’re going to say that the battle-tested Breit will repeat the championship performance he showed at Eastern States, after a difficult semifinal battle with Wolcott.

285 Pounds:

Returning 2012 Placers:
Alex Soutiere, Ravena (Second at 285)
Matt Montesanti, Medina (Sixth at 285)

Soutiere, Photo by BV

Alex Soutiere recorded one of the bigger upsets of the Division II tournament last year when he beat Holley’s Kacee Sauer in the semifinals on his way to the silver. He’s back looking for more after a 44-1 season. Windsor’s Matt Abbott also has one loss this season – to Ryan Wolcott of Waverly.

Abbott spent a fair amount of time at 220 this year, as did returning qualifier Matt Acevedo of Pawling. (Nate Sarkin and Elvin Gervacio also competed in this class last season and are back). Acevedo will begin against Section 3’s Wyatt Morris, a 30-4 wrestler who dropped the Sectional final 1-0 against Lowville’s Brandon Fayle. Fayle, the number two seed, finished in the top 8 in Albany a year ago. One of his losses at the Times Union Center was to Medina’s Matt Montesanti, who grabbed sixth place in 2012. The Section 6 competitor is undefeated this year with 19 pins.

So . . . Montesanti topped Fayle 4-3 in their state capital meeting last season. We’ll pick the Medina wrestler to repeat that result and capture victory against Soutiere.

It's Almost Tournament Time: Division I State Tournament Preview

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First, we will be doing a LIVE BLOG of the tournament, starting Friday morning. To access the blog, see here: LIVE BLOG link

Here are some weight class by weight class thoughts on the upcoming Division I state tournament in Albany.  We will be posting a similar article on Division II. The votes have been rolling in, but if you haven’t already, feel free to give us your thoughts on who will win the titles by participating in our prediction contests.

For the Division I contest, click on this link.

For the Division II contest, click on this link.

 

99 Pounds:

Returning 2012 State Placers: None

Huntington’s John Arceri got the top seed, but it’s far from an easy road for him. In a 35-2 season (one of his losses was at 106), he defeated five of the grapplers in this bracket, including the number two, three and four seeds. His reward? A possible meeting with the undefeated Vito Arujau of Syosset if both make the quarterfinals. An intriguing first round bout pits CHSAA winner Garrett Baugher, who has been a force throughout the campaign, against NHSCA Middle School National Champion Kelan McKenna of Section 3.

On the bottom of the bracket, we’re excited to see Jesse Dellavecchia of East Islip against Vinny Vespa of Monroe Woodbury in the opening round. Having Vespa back on the mat this year has been an amazing story after his well-documented battle with cancer. But beyond that, it is always interesting to watch two medal contenders clash early in the event. Speaking of Section 9 wrestlers, number two seed Chris Cuccolo recovered from some early season setbacks to win the Eastern States and breezed through the remainder of the year (other than a loss to Arceri). He could have a meeting with Hilton’s Yianni Diakomihalis in the Round of 8. Diakomihalis has won just about every event he’s entered in the past year and is nationally ranked.

So . . . We’ve had Diakomihalis at #1 and Arujau at #2 for the entire season at this weight. While 99 is often unpredictable at the state tournament, we wouldn’t be surprised to see those two put on a show in the finals as they did in the Super 32 Middle School tournament in the fall when Diakomihalis came out on top and took the title.

106 Pounds:

Returning 2012 State Placers:
Alex Tanzman, Westhampton Beach (Third at 99)
Jimmy Overhiser, Corning (Fourth at 106)
Nick Barbaria, New Rochelle (Sixth at 99)

Alex Tanzman, the top seed, has followed up a stellar junior season with an even better senior campaign. He has a 32-1 mark, with the only loss coming at the hands of state champion Nick Piccininni up a weight at 113. Fellow Section 11 grappler Steven Lee is back in Albany after coming within one win of placing last year. He’ll be part of an intriguing first round bout against Colonie’s Golan Cohen, a wrestler who stood out with a fourth place showing at the Eastern States Classic.

On the bottom half, a number of wrestlers with experience at the Times Union Center will take the mat. Spencerport’s Jon Haas was one bout from making All-State last year and has been on a roll, winning 14 matches in a row since a loss to Diakomihalis. If he gets to the quarters, he could face Nick Barbaria, who made the medal stand a year ago and has an unblemished record (40-0) this year. On the way to the Eastern States Classic title this season, Barbaria topped Corning’s Jimmy Overhiser in an overtime bout and Wantagh’s Kyle Quinn in the championship match. Those two wrestlers are also very much in the mix for titles and could collide in the Round of 8 if they both advance there. (Quinn’s only two losses are to Barbaria).

So . . . This should be a very interesting class, but in the end, we expect Tanzman, the senior from Section 11, to end his career on a high note on Saturday night against the very tough Barbaria.

113 Pounds:

Returning 2012 Placers:
Kyle Kelly, Chenango Forks (Champion at 99)
Nick Piccininni, Ward Melville (Champion at 106)
Joe Calderone, Walt Whitman (Fourth at 99)
Bryan Lantry, Wayne (Fifth at 99)
John Stramiello, Pine Bush (Sixth at 106)

It’s clear that there are many very good wrestlers at this weight, especially considering how many returning state placers are in the bracket. Bryan Lantry of Wayne and Johnny Stramiello of Pine Bush competed for third at the Eastern States and have both been on the state podium before. Corey Ali of Shenendehowa and Thomas Hill of Fulton have won multiple Section 2 and 3 championships, respectively. Joe Calderone also was All-State last year.

So . . . Despite the obvious quality throughout the field, if anyone other than Ward Melville’s Nick Piccininni and Chenango Forks’s Kyle Kelly takes the mat in the Saturday night finals, it will be a huge upset. It’s a match that fans in Sections 4 and 11 have been talking about all season and one that both Piccininni and Kelly have expressed excitement about in interviews we did with them prior to the season. Both are nationally ranked by at least one publication and both were undefeated state champions in 2012 (Kelly at 99 and Piccininni at 106). The last time Piccininni lost a match in New York, it was to Kelly in the 2011 99-pound semifinals when Kelly went on to win his first state crown. How similar will this match be to that close decision? We expect it to be an absolute battle between two of the very best wrestlers the Empire State has to offer. We’ve had Piccininni in the top spot in the rankings all year . . . we’ll see if we were right.

120 Pounds:

Returning 2012 Placers:
Anthony Orefice, Lockport (Fifth at 106)
Robert Person, Bellmore JFK (Fifth at 113)
Steve Michel, Lancaster (Sixth at 120)

We go from two state champions, Kelly and Piccininni, to a field full of grapplers who can make the finals. Who will win at 120 Pounds? Great question. Recently, I asked a handful of people and, predictably, I got a handful of different answers.

Will it be Steve Michel, the top seed? He is a returning placer and has had a strong season, including wins over Division II state champion Sean Peacock, three victories over multi-time placer Anthony Orefice and a pair of triumphs against Kellen Devlin of Amherst. At Eastern States, however, where a sizable number of wrestlers in this bracket competed, Michel didn’t place. Neither did another returning All-Stater, Robert Person. However, the Nassau County wrestler seems to be back to form. After all, he lost to MacArthur’s Chris Cataldo at SUNY Sullivan but responded with a commanding major against the same opponent in the Section 8 final.

Ok, but if those guys didn’t place in Loch Sheldrake – who did? The answer: lots of wrestlers who will compete in Albany. John Muldoon of Pearl River took second, Blaise Benderoth was third, Travis Passaro grabbed fourth, Blake Retell picked up seventh and Santo Curatolo took eighth. Alex Delacruz was in the semis before being disqualified.

Let’s face it, everyone mentioned above is capable of being on the podium. As is Mike D’Angelo, who has a win over Muldoon. And Orefice, who has been a placer before. Only one thing seems safe to say – there shouldn’t be a dull match at this weight.

So . . . The winner here will have navigated tough customers in every round. Who will it be? We’ll put forward the wrestler who got the most votes in our informal poll – John Muldoon.

126 Pounds:

Returning 2012 Placers:
Dylan Realbuto, Somers (Champion at 113)
TJ Fabian, Shoreham Wading River (Fourth at 120)

Fabian, Photo by Josh Conklin

There are so many good story lines here. One that we’ll definitely be watching is how seventh grader Frankie Gissendanner of Penfield fares in his first state tournament appearance. He sure hasn’t looked at all intimidated so far, including during his seventh place finish at Eastern States in a very challenging class. He sits in the top part of the bracket, along with a number of accomplished wrestlers. The #1 seed is Shoreham Wading River’s TJ Fabian, a returning placer who was upset in the Section 11 tournament but came back for bronze. The match that many thought would be the Suffolk finals – Fabian vs. Hauppauge’s Mark West, didn’t come to fruition last weekend. However, it could be a semifinal showdown. Both Section 11 grapplers have plenty to contend with early on, however. For example, West gets Freddie Dunau of St. Anthony’s a former state placer, in Round 1.

The lower half is no cakewalk, either. Returning state champion Dylan Realbuto of Somers begins with upstart Owen Bachelder of Hewlett, who starred in the Nassau County event, including a pin against NHSCA National Champion Chris Araoz of Wantagh. Aroaz, however, will be in the field in Albany for the first time and will start off in another excellent opening round contest as he takes on Frontier’s Rocco Russo. Both Jacob Green of Chenengo Forks and Keanu Thompson have significant Times Union Center experience and will be a challenging matchup for anyone.

So . . . Realbuto has been in the finals for two consecutive years and we think he’ll leverage that experience to get back for the third time, where we could see a rematch of the Eastern States title bout with Fabian. Fabian beat Realbuto on a third period reversal at SUNY Sullivan this year. Realbuto won his state title last year on a last second takedown. With a late charge, Realbuto may do it again.

132 Pounds:

Returning 2012 Placers:
Matt Leshinger, Sayville (Third at 120)
Brandon Lapi, Amsterdam (Fourth at 113)

Matt Leshinger, the top seed, looks to move up a few spots on the ladder after taking third as a junior. He has wrestled well all year, avenging his one loss against Vinny Turano by beating the Wantagh wrestler the next day to grab bronze at Eastern States. There could be a third meeting in the semis but plenty of wrestlers are capable of stopping that from happening. Turano will have an immediate challenge from freshman Chris Mauriello of Hauppauge.

Brandon Lapi of Amsterdam, the #2 seed, has been on the podium multiple times but will be tested right away by returning qualifier Richie Burke of Ithaca, who has put together a 38-3 season. Also sitting in the bottom half is Fordham Prep’s Sam Melikian, the Eastern States runner up. The CHSAA champion has blitzed through the season.

So . . . Leshinger was the top seed last year at 120 and took third. This time, as the top seed, we think he’ll finish with the gold against Melikian.

138 Pounds:

Returning 2012 Placers:
Nick Kelley, Shenendehowa (Third at 132)
Vincent DePrez, Hilton (Second at 113)

Shenendehowa’s Nick Kelley and Hilton’s Vincent DePrez had one thing in common last year – both only lost once, and it was at the Times Union Center. Kelley was edged in the semifinals by eventual champion Jamel Hudson while DePrez lost in the waning seconds of the title bout against Dylan Realbuto.

They are the top seeds at 138 (Kelley is at #1). Among the wrestlers on the top half of the bracket to watch are Derrick Gray of Indian River, a five-time Sectional champion, who came within a bout of placing last year and North Rockland’s Matt Caputo, who has over 50 wins according to the NWCA Scorebook.

There are some first round matchups in the bottom half that we’re excited about. One is Rocky Point’s Tommy Dutton, who has been dominant nearly the entire season, against undefeated Danny Graham of West Seneca East. In addition, Isaiah Perry of Massena, who has been at this tournament for many years, will give it one last shot to make the podium, beginning against Joey Butler of Burnt Hills, a returning qualifier who gave Kelley his closest match against a New York wrestler this year in an 8-6 loss.

So . . . Kelley, one of the top pound-for-pound wrestlers in New York and a regular in Albany since seventh grade, has been waiting for the chance to get on top of the podium. We think he’ll get there this time, with a challenge from Dutton.

145 Pounds:

Returning 2012 Placers:
David Almaviva, Shenendehowa (Third at 138)

Hernandez, Photo by Josh Conklin

When David Almaviva of Shenendehowa and Louis Hernandez of Mepham squared off in the quarterfinals of the Eastern States, a fan sitting nearby told me it was a preview of the state finals. It could be. Hernandez won that day, 4-2, and went on to win the tournament.

A number of wrestlers will provide very formidable challenges to those two, however. In the top half, where Hernandez sits as the #1 seed, he could see a wrestler such as Anthony DePrez of Hilton, who has just a single loss this year and has been impressive. In addition, Fox Lane’s Tom Grippi is a big threat. He handed Almaviva his only loss at the Times Union Center last year. Jackson Mordente of Sachem East is yet another to keep tabs on.

In the bottom half, Brendan Dent may be under the radar for those outside of Long Island, but he has been strong all year and has yet to lose. In addition, Eric Lewandowski of Lancaster is a very dangerous wrestler who has been to the finals before and is on a mission to get back. Trevor Hoffmier is a formidable first round foe for Almaviva as well.

So . . . We believe the fan at the Eastern States had the title bout pegged. The stage is brighter, but we expect a similar match in Hernandez vs. Almaviva II to what we saw in the Eastern States quarters.

152 Pounds:

Returning 2012 Placers
Corey Rasheed, Longwood (Second at 145)

Longwood’s Corey Rasheed is a three-time state placer, including two runner up finishes. If he wrestles the way he has all year, he will be extremely difficult to beat. Eastern States provided a great example of that. In a solid bracket, he pinned his first three foes and then outscored the opposition 28-4 in the semis and finals to earn the crown. He could face some of the other medalists from that event as both Joe Mastro of Yorktown and Dan DeCarlo of Port Jervis sit in the top of the bracket.

Columbia’s Angelo Kress is the number two seed and has topped the wrestler in the number three spot, Zach Joseph of Shenendehowa, twice by a single point in February. For them to meet again, they will have to overcome a number of very strong wrestlers, among them, returning qualifier Zach Colgan of Johnson City, Section 3’s Tommy Quinlan and two-time NHSCA All-American Chris Koo.

So . . . Rasheed has been unbelievable this season. He’s been close to a state title twice before and this time takes gold instead of silver against the very solid (and currently unbeaten) Koo.

160 Pounds:

Returning 2012 Placers
Tyler Grimaldi, Hills West (Second at 160)
Dale White, John Jay East Fishkill (Fifth at 145)

Tyler Grimaldi was the runner up in this class last year. He has dedicated himself to making sure he gets that elusive last victory in 2013 before heading to Harvard. Who stands in his way? Clarence’s Jake Weber has put together a good season in Section 6 as has Derek Holcomb of Newark Valley, an NHSCA All-American. Holcomb will have an interesting first match as he faces returning medalist Dale White of John Jay East Fishkill, a wrestler who missed the bulk of the season with an injury but has looked solid upon his return.

Andrew Psomas of Monsignor Farrell announced his presence among the state’s elite with his fourth place showing at the Eastern States. In the bronze bout, he lost to MacArthur’s Steve Schneider. The Nassau County champion has appeared to get better and better as the season progressed and is the #2 seed.

So . . . Grimaldi and Schneider have already faced off twice this season with the Hills West senior getting his hand raised both times. The finals may give us a third battle. Harvard thinks they found a champion.  We agree.

170 Pounds:

Returning 2012 Placers
Danny McDevitt, Wantagh (Fifth at 138)

McDevitt, Photo by http://www.phototrens.com

Wantagh’s Danny McDevitt is familiar with being the number one seed in Albany as he was on the top line of the 138-pound bracket a year ago, and took fifth. His senior campaign has been nothing short of spectacular as he has seamlessly adjusted to wrestling four weight classes higher. On the way to his Eastern States crown, McDevitt saw (and defeated) some of his challengers, including Half Hollow Hills West’s Joe Piccolo, who is the fourth seed. A number of other grapplers who have appeared in the state rankings are in the top part of the bracket, such as St. Anthony’s John Vrasidas and Monroe Woodbury’s AJ Voelker.

Another one of McDevitt’s victories at SUNY Sullivan was against John Jay East Fishkill’s Brett Perry, who resides in the bottom of the bracket. Perry will have a very tough opening battle with Brockport’s Jared Mesiti, a returning qualifier who is 36-2 this season. Carlos Toribio of Brentwood has suffered just one setback in his senior campaign – against Piccolo by fall. However, he beat Piccolo twice, including a dominant victory in the Suffolk finals in which Toribio looked like he was healthy again after an injury.

So . . . McDevitt completes the perfect season before he begins his Ivy League career as a Quaker at Penn with a squeaker against the impressive Toribio.

182 Pounds:

Returning 2012 Placers
Shayne Brady, Carthage (Second at 170)
James Benjamin, Vestal (Fifth at 182)
Gio Santiago, Sachem North (Sixth at 182)

Shayne Brady went all the way to the championship bout last year at 170. After placing at the Super 32 Classic and going 32-1, he’s on top of the bracket this time. A couple of returning placers with a tendency to pin could be in his path. Vestal’s James Benjamin notched four pins at the state tournament last year and 28 overall this campaign. Gio Santiago also knows how to throw opponents to their backs, with 30 falls. Don’t forget about Thomas Murray of Yorktown. At the beginning of the year, when asking about potential sleepers in Section 1, we were told to watch out for Murray and he has delivered with a good season.

James Corbett of Wantagh and Anthony Liberatore of Williamsville South both lost 6-4 decisions to Trent Egenlauf of Spencerport. It was Liberatore’s only setback of the year, while Corbett had only one more (to Zack Zupan). There are a number of other tough wrestlers in the bottom half, but one of these three is likely to get a shot in the finals.

So . . . Finals experience helps Brady get back to the Saturday night main event, but in an upset, we’ll pick Egenlauf to stay undefeated for the title with very close decisions in the semis and finals.

195 Pounds:

Returning 2012 Placers
Reggie Williams, Johnson City (Second at 195)

Reggie Williams has been among the best upperweights in the state for years now. As a freshman, he took sixth and last year he was second with all of his losses coming to state champion Tony Fusco of Shenendehowa. He has been focused on one thing since stepping off the mat in Albany last February and that’s winning it all. So far, he has an unblemished record in 2012-13 and sits as the top seed. Will he get that crown? There will certainly be some obstacles for him. Before the brackets came out, we considered some possible finals opponents for Williams. Among those were Dan Choi of Syosset, undefeated pinning machine Chris Chambers of East Islip and Steven Sabella of Yorktown. (Williams beat Sabella with very late points, 7-5, at Eastern States). Guess what? A finals meeting between any of those guys won’t happen because they’re all on the top half.

So, who will emerge from the bottom? Colton Kells has marched through his senior year with an unblemished record. If he wins his first contest, he’ll certainly be tested by either Deon Edmond of Kingston, who came within one bout of placing last year or the tough Nick Weber of Kings Park. After earning All-American status in Fargo, Ben Honis has put together a nice resume with wins over several top 195 pounders and he’ll have a chance to add to that list when he faces Shenendehowa’s Levi Ashley in Round 1.

So . . . All in all, it’s an impressive group of big guys. But despite the many obstacles in his way, Williams has been here before and knows what it takes. We think he’ll get it done in a tight bout over Kells, who came within a match of placing last year and has improved on his feet.

220 Pounds:

Returning 2012 Placers
Nick Lupi, Huntington (Fifth at 220)

We were ready to go with a finals prediction of Nick Lupi of Huntington (31-1 after a fifth place showing in this class a year ago) against Rich Sisti of Monsignor Farrell (25-0, 20 pins). With the way the seeds fell, that won’t happen. There are candidates to upset either of those wrestlers, however. Minisink Valley’s Josh Bonneau showed resilience when he came back from a first round loss at Eastern States to take third. In addition, the winner of the first round tilt between Section 8 champion Tom Sinclair of Island Trees and Marshall Taylor of Lockport could certainly go far.

On the bottom, there are many wrestlers with finals potential. John Hartnett of Tappan Zee and Jason Johnson of Colonie put together solid seasons. We think both Steven Mills of Sachem North and Matt Mott of Lynbrook have been somewhat under the radar this year. Our prediction is that one or both won’t be after the weekend.

So . . . Sisti will make it difficult, but we’ll say Lupi’s experience at this tournament leads him to a crown, over a tough fellow Long Islander.

285 Pounds:

Returning 2012 Placers
El Shaddai Van Hoesen, Columbia (Second at 285)
Mike Hughes, Smithtown West (Sixth at 285)

Van Hoesen, Photo by BV

Our rankings have showcased El Shaddai Van Hoesen of Columbia at #1 and Mike Hughes of Smithtown West at #2 for the whole season. Van Hoesen, a silver medalist in 2012, has been nothing short of dominant as a senior, going 37-0 with 24 pins and only two regular decisions. “Nothing short of dominant” could be used to describe Hughes as well. His numbers read: 38-0, 29 pins, 1 regular decision (over qualifier James O’Hagan). If Van Hoesen and Hughes continue to wrestle the way they have all year, the two returning medalists would battle in the semis.

Like Van Hoesen and Hughes, Mike Manni of Tappan Zee is unbeaten this year. He defeated returning qualifier David Varian of Yorktown in the Section 1 finals and a rematch could happen in the semis. However, there are several wrestlers who could stand in the way. Austin Coleman of Spencerport has over 35 wins, as does Newburgh’s Terrence Cheeks, who has exchanged wins with Varian this year.

So . . . The top half winner gets the gold. We’ll say that will be Van Hoesen, who will add a few more pins to his collection before the weekend’s over. After testing himself throughout the year, we’ll say Cheeks gets through the bottom.

Division I and II Pick Your Champions Prediction Contests: Tell Us Who Will Win This Weekend

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Who will walk away with state titles this weekend?

Let us know what you think in our Division I and Division II Pick Your Champions contests.

The winner of the DI and DII contests will receive an iTunes card. We’re looking forward to see who the fans think will come out on top.

The links to the contests are below:

For the Division I contest, click on this link.

For the Division II contest, click on this link.

Finalists as Freshmen, Mark West and Eric Lewandowski Prepare for One Last Title Run

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In 2010, a pair of freshmen met for the 96-pound state championship.  Mark West of Hauppauge capped off an undefeated campaign with a 2-1 victory over Lancaster’s Eric Lewandowski and it looked like the duo would be fixtures on the New York state podium for years to come.

“Mark was intense from the time he was in the youth program,” said Hauppauge head coach Chris Messina. “To be honest, we weren’t surprised that he was a state champion that early. We knew him and his work ethic and what he was capable of, especially competing against guys mostly his own age at 96 pounds. Look at his record and the guys he beat, it was a great year.”

The record shows that it was indeed a great year.  West’s 43-0 mark included wins over eventual state champions or finalists Kyle Kelly, Dylan Realbuto, Drew Longo, Justin Cooksey, Trey Aslanian and Mark Raghunandan as well as other placers such as Sayville’s Matt Leshinger and Walt Whitman’s Joe Calderone.

Lewandowski’s title bout appearance wasn’t shocking to those around him, either.

“It didn’t surprise me when Eric went to the state finals as a freshman,” said Keith Maute, Executive Director of Cobra Wrestling Academy and head coach at Niagara County Community College, who has worked with Lewandowski since he began wrestling in elementary school. “I thought all year he’d be at least top four.”

The success hasn’t stopped for either wrestler since the 2009-10 campaign.  West went a combined 76-11 in his sophomore and junior seasons while Lewandowski compiled an 83-18 mark over the same time frame.  But neither made it back into the top six at the Times Union Center.

For West, it’s been a combination of injuries and stacked weight classes.   In 2011, he looked to be in good shape to get a ticket to the big dance, but in the bronze medal match at 112 pounds in Section 11, he suffered a concussion and had to injury default.  As a fourth place finisher, a bid to the state event wasn’t in the cards.

And then as a junior, the Hauppauge grappler competed in arguably the toughest Sectional tournament bracket in all of New York at 120 pounds.  The top three finishers, Matt Leshinger of Sayville, TJ Fabian of Shoreham Wading River and Sean McCabe of Connetquot all made the medal stand in Albany.  In fact, McCabe, who topped West 3-1 in the third place bout in Suffolk, became the state champion.

“It was difficult because Mark beat all the guys who finished ahead of him at some point that season,” Messina said. “He was right there with all of them. We felt that if he got to states, he would do well but it was a matter of getting there.”

He didn’t get a spot in the field, but West did travel to Albany to support his teammates and take in the experience.

“Mark’s been up there in Albany every year,” Messina said. “He was right by Nick’s [Mauriello, the fourth place finisher at 132] side, trying to help. He was a frustrated to not be on the mat, though.”

“It was upsetting to have to watch,” West added. “After a big year as a freshman, I wanted to make it back again. People expected so much and not making it out of the Section after all the work I put in, it was really upsetting.”

So coming into this season, West knew it was his last chance to get back on the floor at the Times Union Center.  He also knew it would be far from easy.  At 126 pounds, he would once again face Fabian and several other All-State caliber competitors such as Huntington’s Corey Jamison and Islip’s Brad Wade to earn top billing in Section 11.

He did what he always does, according to Messina — got back to work at a feverish pace.

“He’s really intense,” Messina said. “He’s one of the toughest, meanest kids I’ve ever seen or coached and I mean that in a good way. Mark goes so hard; he tears most guys up.  Hurt or not, he doesn’t let up.”

That’s a good thing because injury struck during his semifinal bout at the Eastern States against Dylan Realbuto of Somers [in a 5-4 loss].

Photo by LISportsshots.com

“It wasn’t a new injury,” Messina said of his shoulder issue. “He tweaked it against Realbuto and we made the decision to scratch him from the third place match.  He really wanted to wrestle.”

He wasn’t only held out of the bronze bout.  West was restricted from any activity for about a week and a half, according to the coach, and then resumed only cardio to keep his weight in check.

In fact, West didn’t go live at all from Eastern States until the League qualifier.  He only began to drill two days prior to that tournament.

“Holding him out wasn’t an easy task,” Messina said. “He was furious. When he returned, we had to slow him down. It was like he wanted to make up for lost time.“

West took out his frustration on his opponents, pinning his way through the League 4 event (plus a forfeit).

He then came into the Section 11 championships with a shoulder brace and a lot of confidence and he wrestled that way, looking dominant in a bracket where dominance wasn’t really expected from any wrestler given the quality of the competition.

In his first three contests, he recorded a technical fall and a pair of majors, including over Islip’s Brad Wade, a wrestler ranked in the state, in the semis.

“We were a little worried that he would lose his conditioning, but he came back so much stronger,” Messina said. “With those wrestlers in the bracket, it’s like picking your poison. They’re all tough. But Mark took it to another level. He told me he felt really good and he was focused – all business.”

“It was pretty hard to not be able to do anything for that amount of time,” West added.  “But it worked to my benefit. I had lots of time off to rest and heal everything.  I think it was an advantage.”

Photo by LISportsshots.com

He finished off a controlled, 5-2 victory over Jimmy Leach of Eastport South Manor to claim his second Suffolk crown and a trip to the biggest tournament of the year.  In the process, he received more hardware.

“With the terrific performances from so many wrestlers, Mark getting Most Outstanding Wrestler and Champion of Champions is really a credit to him,” Messina said. “He was shocked to say the least. I actually got a smile from him.”

Why not smile? For the first time since his freshman campaign, Mark West was returning to the state capital to compete.

“He’s done a terrific job,” Messina said. “He just focused on winning this county title.  He didn’t think about Fabian or Jamison or Wade.  He just got it done.  There’s so much pressure to win if you’ve won before, especially when you were young.”

Lewandowski can relate, but his journey has been different.  He has been back in Albany the past two years after his silver medal as a ninth grader.

“Early in my freshman year, we were paying a lot of attention to state rankings,” Lewandowski said. “I thought I could do really well. I expected to go in and win. I came up a little short, but it was a good experience to have early in my career.”

The next season, Lewandowski made a leap in weight, moving up to 119 pounds.  He had a solid season, followed by a 1-2 performance at the Times Union Center.

Lewandowski in 2010, Courtesy Bob Koshinski

“I knew 96 wasn’t the toughest weight class,” Lewandowski said. “And I knew moving all the way to 119, I was in for a test with kids who were stronger, better and older. It was a little harder than I thought. It was actually a little shocking to get beaten on because I was used to winning.”

The following year, his junior campaign, brought about another jump – up to 132 pounds.  Lewandowski once again won over 40 matches, including two in the state capital.  However, in the placement round, he dropped a 4-3 decision to eventual fourth place medalist Nick Mauriello [West’s teammate] to come up one match short of the medal stand. (His other loss in Albany was to champion Jamel Hudson of St. Anthony’s).

“I really thought he was going to place last year,” Maute said. “But I think that last loss made him very focused on this year.  I definitely think he’ll be in the mix to win it all.”

He has looked sharp for much of the campaign.  At the Eastern States, he took sixth after being tantalizingly close to the finals.

After a pin and a technical fall in his first two matches, Lewandowski won an exciting 9-7 bout against Fox Lane’s Tom Grippi in the quarterfinals at SUNY Sullivan.  In the semis, he led top-seeded Beau Donahue of Westfield, Virginia until a very late two points gave his opponent a 2-1 victory.

“He was right there at Eastern States,” Maute said. “There might have been five seconds left when he gave up those points. Eric hates losing.  He doesn’t handle it the best.  But those losses [including a 4-3 setback to Shenendehowa’s David Almaviva in the consolation semifinals] will help him now for one last shot.”

Photo by Josh Conklin

Lewandowski, whose brother Mark wrestles at Buffalo, said the fact that this is his last tournament with Lancaster has hit him.  And it’s led him to increase his workload, trying to get in additional lifts or runs after practice to “get that little extra that could make the difference.”

“I’m ready to go six minutes plus any overtime or whatever it takes,” he said. “I’m ready for it all.  Obviously, before the season started my goal was to win the state title and it’s still my goal now. I’m getting toward the end and I can see the finish line in sight.  I just have to go out there and take advantage of the opportunity.”

That’s the same sentiment expressed by West.

“This year I’ve pretty much been wrestling with no regrets,” West said.  “It’s my last year so I don’t want to hold back.  I want to wrestle like I have nothing to lose.“

The two keep in touch, seeing each other at the Eastern States and in Albany.

“I see Mark a couple of times a year and talk to him a lot,” Lewandowski said. “He’s a good kid and I try to keep up on how he’s doing. He’s a really tough wrestler.  He’s had a hard time at his Sectionals the past few years, but right now he has the same goal as everyone else.  There’s just one more time to get there.”

Indeed, for both West and Lewandowski and Class of 2013 wrestlers all around New York, this week represents the last chance.

Mark West and Eric Lewandowski battled for the ultimate New York wrestling trophy as freshmen in 2010.  With West at 126 and Lewandowski at 145, they won’t meet again in Albany this weekend.  However, both look to take the mat on Saturday night, three years later, and leave the sport as champions – the way they expected to as ninth grade finalists.

“It would mean the world to me if I won another state title,” West said. “I came into high school winning a state title and it would be the greatest thing in the world to leave that way.”

—————————–

Lewandowski wished to thank his coaches and family, as well as his longtime practice partner Steve Michel.

West spoke highly of all his coaches and family, and specifically thanked his father.

Brackets For the State Championships are Out!

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Only a few more days to go until the state championships in Albany!  The brackets have been released for Division I and Division II.

 

To see the brackets, see this link.

 

 

 

Columbia Splits Pair of Ivy Duals; Northern Illinois Tops Buffalo

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Columbia split a pair of Ivy matches over the weekend in New York City.  On Friday, the Lions dominated in a 30-7 victory over Princeton at the New York Athletic Club.  On Saturday, Penn came out on top in a 23-9 dual.  Winning twice for Columbia over the weekend were seniors Steve Santos (149), Jake O’Hara (157) and Stephen West (174).

For more details on the dual against the Quakers, see here.

For more on the meet versus the Tigers, see here.

Northern Illinois Tops Buffalo, 20-18

In a battle that came down to the last match, Northern Illinois pulled out a 20-18 win in MAC action on Saturday.  Winning for the Bulls were Max Soria (125), Erik Galloway (141), Mark Lewandowski (165), Tony Lock (184) and Angelo Malvestuto (197).

For the coverage from the Huskies site, see here.

The Field is (Almost) Set for Albany! Wildcards Announced for State Championships.

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Wildcards spots have been awarded for the state tournament.

 

To see the full list of wrestlers by weight, including wildcards, see This link.

 

For the wildcard list by section, see below.  Wildcards A1-A4 are in the tournament; A5-A7 are alternates.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More than 30 NY Wrestlers in Latest Release of RPI and Coaches' Panel Rankings

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On Thursday, the NCAA released updates to two of the key criteria used to select the field for the NCAA tournament – the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) and the Coaches’ Panel Rankings.  A number of wrestlers who compete for the six Division I schools in New York sit in those rankings.  They are:

(RPI ranking, Coaches Ranking) 33 wrestlers make the field at each weight.

125:

Nahshon Garrett, Cornell (RPI 8, Coaches 6)

Steve Bonanno, Hofstra (32, 17)

133:

Jordan Thome, Army (NR, 28)

Jamie Franco, Hofstra (31, 31)

141:

Mike Nevinger, Cornell (8, 13)

Luke Vaith, Hofstra (10, 17)

Connor Hanafee, Army (26, 31)

149:

Donnie Vinson, Binghamton (7, 4)

Steve Santos, Columbia (NR, 6)

Chris Villalonga, Cornell (13, 18)

Daniel Young, Army (NR, 19)

Blake Ruolo, Buffalo (33, NR)

157:

Jake O’Hara, Columbia (21, 21)

Wally Maziarz, Buffalo (22, NR)

Tyler Banks, Hofstra (NR, 33)

165:

Kyle Dake, Cornell (2, 1)

Mark Lewandowski, Buffalo (7, 13)

Paul Hancock, Army (27, 23)

174:

Stephen West, Columbia (18, 21)

Marshall Peppelman, Cornell (16, NR)

John-Martin Cannon, Buffalo (NR, 18)

Jermaine John, Hofstra (25, NR)

Coleman Gracey, Army (NR, 33)

184:

Steve Bosak, Cornell (NR, 4)

Cody Reed, Binghamton (33, NR)

197:

Nate Schiedel, Binghamton (16, 5)

Jace Bennett, Cornell (17, 22)

Bryce Barnes, Army (30, 32)

285:

Stryker Lane, Cornell (18, 27)

Paul Snyder, Hofstra (25, 22)

For the full RPI and Panel Rankings, see this link.

Other New York natives present in one or both of the rankings are:  (Feel free to provide feedback if any are missing).

133:

Nick Wilcox, Bloomsburg (13, 14)

Jimmy Morris, Rider (22, 26)

Sam Speno, NC State (26, 24)

141:

Steven Keith, Harvard (15, 11)

149:

Andrew Lenzi, Penn (NR, 33)

165:

Ryan LeBlanc, Indiana (11, 19)

Josh Veltre, Bloomsburg (23, 11)

Johnny Greisheimer, Edinboro (22, 22)

174:

James Brundage, Rider (13, 32)

197:
Christian Boley, Maryland (19, 15)

285:

Peter Capone, Ohio State (11, 12)

Ernest James, Edinboro (23, 20)

 

 

Youth Squads Represent New York at the National Duals in Michigan

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BY JEFF CHANEY

BATTLE CREEK, MI – The New York Wrestling Association for Youth Wrestling (NYWAY) is in its second year, but already the state’s youth wrestlers are making a name for themselves at the national level.

On Sunday, Feb. 10, two New York teams took part in the National United Wrestling Association Team National Duals at the Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek.

And both teams had a strong showings, as the 8-under team finished in fourth place in its division, and the 10-under took eighth place in its division.

Competing against some of the best youth teams from across the nation, like teams from Iowa, California, Ohio and Pennsylvania, the 8-U team was in a 10-team bracket, and the 10-U team was in a 12-team bracket.

There were a total of 48 teams from 13 states in the tournament covering four divisions from 14 years of age and younger.

New York’s 8-U team, coached by George Granger, consisted of J.J. Lucinski at 37 pounds, Darren Bailey at 40, Xavier Jesus at 43, Joey Florence at 46, Bryce Bailey at 49, Garrett Skeens at 52, Carter Schubert at 55, Carson Alberti at 58, Trent Reid at 61, Caden Granger at 64, Jayden Scott at 67, Brian Bieleu at 72, Wesley Barnes at 77 and Bobby Ranger at heavyweight.

“I thought the team wrestled outstanding, everyone did great,” George Granger said. “We didn’t place last year at this tournament, so we’re very happy this year to take fourth.”

The 8-U team was placed in Pool A and went 3-1, beating teams from Michigan, Ohio and Indiana, and dropping a close match against a team from California.

Then in the third-place match, New York was edged by a team from Georgia, 28-27.

During the day, Alberti finished with a perfect record, while Skeens ended up with a single loss. And Bryce Bailey and Caden Granger suffered only two losses.

New York’s 10-U team was coached by Gary Ferro, and consisted of Mason Franklin at 45 pounds, Lucas Simco at 50, Gavin Henrickson at 55, Andy Lucinski at 60, Myles Griffen at 65, Jalen McCarty at 70, Ethan Ferro at 75, Ethan Stotler at 80, Anthony Rasmusson at 85, Castin Ostrander at 90, Blake Bieler at 95, Nick Franco at 100, Tyler Benjamin at 105, Trent Skeens at 110 and Patrick Ganter at heavyweight.

The 10-U team was placed in Pool B and lost to California and Ohio, but beat teams from Michigan, Indiana and Illinois. Then in the seventh-place match, the squad lost 37-27 to Georgia.

“We took fourth last year, but the storm in the East Coast affected our roster,” Gary Ferro said. “We had a couple of late fill-ins, so it was tough.”

McCarty and Ethan Ferro had solid days, ending up with a lone loss.

“It was tough,” Ethan Ferro said of the tournament. “But this tournament helps show me what I need to work on. I like the tough competition, it makes me better.”

And that’s why the coaches love bringing teams to the National Duals.

“This tournament is awesome,” Gary Ferro said. “The competition here is second to none. The main reason we come here is to get the kids exposed to new styles and away from competition on the East Coast.”

Added George Granger, “We love this venue and tournament. This gives our kids a chance to go against kids with similar or better ability, and that’s how you get better.”

Great Experience + Experience Greatness = NYWAY's Future Stars and National Duals at Cornell on Sunday

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Two different ends of the wrestling spectrum will be represented on the campus of Cornell University on Sunday.

In the afternoon, the Big Red will host the quarterfinal round of the NWCA National Duals, including a trio of top 15 teams – the host school plus Nebraska and Virginia, as well as Hofstra, which had Cornell on the ropes after five weights in last week’s dual.

But before some of the top college wrestlers in the country take the mat, grapplers who are just getting their start in the sport will compete in a very different event.

NYWAY’s Future Stars State Championships tournament is open to first or second year wrestlers up through eighth grade who want an opportunity to get some competitive experience.

“There’s a gaping hole in New York for development,” said NYWAY President Clint Wattenberg. “There are a lot of places around the state where there aren’t modified programs anymore.  Even where there are modified programs, the kids don’t get much mat time or many matches to get hooked into the sport.”

Courtesy of NYWAY

“A lot of times, the modified season is only 10 weeks long and some kids only get six meets,” added Finger Lakes Wrestling Club Pee-Wee Coach Eric Toftegaard. “You can’t create good wrestlers when you’re only wrestling that many times, especially when you haven’t been wrestling for very long. We’re trying to bridge the gap.”

That’s the thought process behind the Future Stars, which pits novice wrestlers against others who are in the same boat.

“Wrestlers who are new to the sport often aren’t ready for tournaments,” Toftegaard said. “Who wants to go somewhere and get pinned twice against much more experienced opponents?  This will give newer wrestlers a chance to get accustomed to tournaments with kids across the state in the same position they’re in.  We think this will invigorate their love for the sport and encourage them to continue to their third and fourth years when they’ll be ready for other tournaments.”

The Future Stars event will begin at 8 a.m. and use Madison Style pairing.  The top four will receive custom made medals.

And after they compete, the grapplers will receive free admission to the National Duals.

“It was a really spectacular opportunity to do this event in conjunction with the National Duals,” Toftegaard said. “The kids will get a chance to wrestle and then stay and watch some amazing college athletes and some phenomenal wrestling.  They’ll see what could be if they remain in the sport.”

According to Wattenberg, uniting novice and top notch college wrestling fits perfectly with what NYWAY aims to accomplish.

“We’re trying to provide opportunities for wrestlers at all levels, to grow the sport in New York,” he said. “That includes youth, high school and college.  This event is another way to bring different levels of folkstyle together and have a great day of wrestling.”

For more information, see the flyer here: Future Stars Final-1

The registration deadline is February 15.  To register, see here.