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Wantagh entered the Union-Endicott Duals as the top team in the Empire State, and after two intense days of wrestling, the Warriors left with that number one ranking intact.
But it wasn’t easy.
After two blowout victories on Day 1 of the event, Sunday brought semifinal and final matches that came down to the wire. Wantagh prevailed in both, rallying to defeat the number two seed, Sachem East, 35-27 for the championship.
“I’m really happy for our coaches, the guys and the fans,” said 220-pounder TJ Ragusa who has spent much of the season at 220 but wrestled at 285 at times this weekend. “A lot of times these duals are won by the guys who don’t get pinned; who don’t give up bonus. It was a total group effort.”
The finals began at 120 pounds and Sachem East controlled things early, winning six of the first eight bouts and earning a 24-10 lead after Zac Nobre’s decision at 170.
Despite trailing by a sizable margin, members of the team said they believed they would turn things around.
“Our confidence never wavered,” Ragusa said. “We never lost it. I was having a conversation with Danny McDevitt during the dual when we were losing and we were saying that we knew we’d keep fighting and win. One of the keys for our team is that we’re always confident.”
McDevitt, http://www.phototrens.com
That appeared to be the case, as Wantagh took over from there, capturing six of the remaining seven matches, beginning with a pin from McDevitt at 182.
Afterwards, Wantagh received wins from James Corbett (195), Ragusa (285) and Jonathan Loew (99) to trail by just a point – 27-26.
The Section 8 power then regained the lead in emphatic fashion when 106-pounder Kyle Quinn earned a first period fall to push his squad ahead 32-27. Joe Hill then closed out the championship with a decision at 113.
“Before the match I was thinking I had to get a pin for the team,” Quinn said. “It means a lot for us to win – it gives us something to go home with. I think Wantagh just did a great job as a team.”
The excitement wasn’t limited to the finals. The third place dual between Islip and Shenendehowa as well as both semifinals (Shenendehowa vs. Sachem East and Wantagh vs. Islip) all were decided in the very last bout.
In the battle for the bronze, the Plainsmen got out to a fast start and following a major decision for 195-pounder Levi Ashley, the Section 2 school was in front 31-15 with five matches to go. However, Islip took the next four (including two by Shenendehowa forfeit and a huge pin at 106 pounds by Johnny DiPalma) to win 36-34.
Close matches were on tap in the semifinals as well, which started at 106 pounds. Going into the last match at 99, both duals had two point differentials – Sachem East led Shenendehowa 32-30 and Islip was ahead of Wantagh 27-25.
The wrestlers from Sachem East (Bobby Fazio) and Wantagh (Jonathan Loew) both trailed early in their respective matches.
Fazio was behind 4-1 in the second period before notching an escape and a takedown late in the stanza to tie things up going into the third. And he took over from there, earning a technical violation point, an escape, a takedown, near fall and eventually, the pin, to push his team to a 38-30 triumph.
Wantagh’s Loew faced a 2-0 deficit heading into the third but got on the board with a takedown early in that final stanza and rode his opponent out for the last minute and a half to force overtime. In that extra session, Loew immediately went on the attack, getting the winning takedown and a 28-27 Warrior win.
In other placement matches, Clarence topped Monroe Woodbury for fifth, 34-28, and MacArthur beat Spencerport, 33-29, for seventh.
For full results from all 15 teams see: Full results here.
A Few Additional (Random) Notes:
Dominance from the Binghamton Trio: There was some talk at the event about who the most impressive wrestler was for the weekend. While there was no absolute agreement, two names came up numerous times – Nick Kelley of Shenendehowa and Kyle Kelly of Chenango Forks. Both cruised through the competition.
Their future Binghamton teammate, David Almaviva of the Plainsmen, also was outstanding, including controlling a 2-0 bout with the tough Jackson Mordente of Sachem East in the semifinals.
Long Island Looking Good: Suffolk squad Rocky Point, currently ranked #2 in the state Dual Meet poll, wasn’t at U-E this weekend, but Long Island did just fine, taking the top three spots at the event. In addition, MacArthur was seventh despite missing some key contributors such as Justin Cooksey.
Look Out for Clarence: The Section 6 team didn’t come in as one of the tournament’s most talked about groups, but was very impressive in racking up a 4-1 record on the way to fifth place. The Red Devils defeated the teams listed #4 and #5 in the first New York State Sportswriters Dual Meet rankings, North Rockland and Monroe Woodbury, by eight and six points, respectively. (The one loss was to Sachem East). The lineup’s bookends, heavyweight Nate Ward and 99-pounder Dylan Arena were among those who looked good over the weekend and the team is solid throughout.
And One Last Thing. . . : It’s always a pleasure to see such high level wrestling, but one of the standout performances came from Monroe Woodbury’s Vinny Vespa. Many New York wrestling fans know about Vespa’s fight with cancer this spring and summer. From the start, he and his family were confident that he would not only beat cancer, but also get back on the mat and win. Watching him do that in person was inspiring.
After a day full of wrestling, the semifinals are set at the Union-Endicott Duals. Top seeded Wantagh will meet Islip and the number two and three seeded squads, Sachem East and Shenendehowa will also do battle for the right to wrestle in the finals. Semifinal action is set for 11 a.m. while the championship will be at 3 p.m.
New York Wrestling News will provide LIVE coverage of the semis and finals at this link
Here are the results from Saturday’s competition:
12 p.m. Matches
Pool A:
Spencerport 43, Chenango Forks 27
Wantagh had a bye
Pool B:
Sachem East 55, Brockport 22
Clarence 33, North Rockland 25
Pool C:
Shenendehowa 58, Union-Endicott 19
MacArthur 33, Minisink Valley 30
Pool D:
All teams had a bye
2 p.m. Matches
Pool A:
Wantagh 62, Chenango Forks 9
Spencerport had a bye
Pool B:
Sachem East 59 North Rockland 8
Clarence 43 Brockport 19
Pool C:
Pool C has a bye
Pool D:
Islip 51 Johnson City 12
Monroe Woodbury 60 Fulton 10
4 p.m. Matches
Pool A:
Wantagh 50 Spencerport 15
Chenango Forks had a bye
Pool B:
Pool B has a bye
Pool C:
Shenendehowa 51 Minisink Valley 21
MacArthur 47 Union-Endicott 18
Pool D:
Islip 49 Fulton 16
Monroe Woodbury 48 Johnson City 21
6 p.m. Matches
Pool A:
Pool A had a bye.
Pool B:
Sachem East 40 Clarence 24
North Rockland 36 Brockport 29
Pool C:
Shenendehowa 49 MacArthur 21
Minisink Valley 55 Union-Endicott 15
Pool D:
Islip 36 Monroe Woodbury 20
Johnson City 64 Fulton 21
New York Wrestling News will provide LIVE blog and/or video coverage of Sunday’s semifinals/finals at the Union-Endicott Duals.
The coverage page will be at this link.
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The outcome of the Union-Endicott Duals typically has a significant influence on the New York State dual rankings. That seems very likely again this year, in the 30th edition of the event, as four of the top five in the NYS Sportswriters Dual Rankings are in the field. In fact, 14 of the 15 squads set to compete at the event are either in the top 10 or are listed as honorable mention.
“We always get excited about it,” said Union-Endicott head coach Josh Ruff. “But this year is probably one of the best we’ve had in a while. We feel like we have the best teams and everyone is pretty tough. It should be a fun weekend of wrestling.”
Indeed, it should.
Wantagh, the returning Dual Meet State Champions in Division I, comes in as the top seed. The Warriors are stocked with quality wrestlers throughout the lineup, including several who are ranked at the state level such as Kyle Quinn (106), Chris Araoz (126), Vinny Turano (132), James Corbett (182) and Dan McDevitt (170).
A year ago, in a contest that essentially decided the Empire State’s top dual team, Wantagh battled to a tie with Shenendehowa at the Civil War Duals and the Warriors were declared the winners on criteria. A rematch between the two powers could happen this weekend, as the Plainsmen are the number three seed.
While Shenendehowa lost a meet earlier this year to Burnt Hills (with some starters out), the squad was back to dominant form at the Teike Bernabi tournament, with seven finalists and four champions, led by Binghamton bound seniors Nick Kelley (138) and David Almaviva (145), both ranked #1 in New York at their respective weights.
A battle between Wantagh and Shenendehowa would certainly be exciting, but there are a number of other teams traveling to Section 4 who have the ability to make the finals as well. Among those are the #2 and 4 seeds, Sachem East and Monroe Woodbury.
Sachem East is undefeated and stands atop the current Suffolk rankings. Undefeated 145-pounder Jackson Mordente has led the way for a lineup that is solid throughout. The upperweight combination of Cristian Nunez (195), John Vigh (220) and Josh Edmondson (285) has gone a combined 38-4 and two more competitors, Conor O’Hara (132) and Michael Pistone (152) sit in the top two in Section 11.
Monroe Woodbury’s starting group has cruised through the competition. Vinny Vespa, Evan Barczak, JP Vandercliff and AJ Voelker have all made a big splash, including winning the Massapequa Holiday Tournament. Like the teams mentioned above, it’s difficult to find a weak spot in the Crusaders lineup.
The following is a look at each of the pools, including some individual matches of interest. To view the schedule, see here.
Pool A: #1 seed Wantagh, Spencerport and Chenango Forks
Spencerport is led by Jon Haas, Trent Egenlauf, Collin Pittman and Austin Coleman. The first three are all included in the statewide rankings and 285-pounder Coleman was strongly considered. Chenango Forks features one of New York’s best, two-time state champion Kyle Kelly as well as another wrestler who will be in the mix in the postseason – Jake Green.
We expect Wantagh will come out on top of this group, and here are three of the individual matches we’re excited to see.
106 Pounds: Kyle Quinn (Wantagh) vs. Jon Haas (Spencerport) – Both are in the top eight of our first New York State rankings. Quinn, an NHSCA All-American last year and Haas, a returning state qualifier, are both coming off tournament titles – Haas at the Teike Bernabi and Quinn at the Raider Invitational.
126 Pounds: Chris Araoz (Wantagh) vs. Jake Green (Chenango Forks) – Araoz is fresh off a Most Outstanding Wrestler performance at the Raider Invitational, while Green took third in a tough Windsor Christmas Tournament weight after capturing gold at the PSAL Holiday event. Both are likely to be fighting for All-State honors in February.
182 Pounds: James Corbett (Wantagh) vs. Trent Egenlauf (Spencerport) – Both Egenlauf and Corbett are ranked in the top eight in New York and both have registered multiple quality victories this year. (For example, Egenlauf topped Anthony Liberatore of Williamsville South and Corbett beat All-Stater Gio Santiago of Sachem North). Both are candidates to go far at the Times Union Center. Isaiah Zimmer of Chenango Forks, a bronze medalist at Windsor, shouldn’t be overlooked.
Pool B: #2 seed Sachem East plus Clarence, North Rockland and Brockport
Sachem East has faced a challenging slate of opponents and is 12-0. The Suffolk squad will see more strong foes at the U-E Duals including 18-0 North Rockland, a balanced team led by Matt Caputo, Blaise Benderoth and the DiMarsicos – Jake and Derek; a Clarence group that comes off a runner up performance at the Teike Bernabi and always-tough Brockport, which has received standout showings from Jared Mesiti and Barton Peters.
Despite the stiff competition, we think Sachem East should live up to the second seed and earn a date in the semis. Here are three matches from this pool that we look forward to seeing.
113 Pounds: Barton Peters (Brockport) vs. Derek DiMarsico (North Rockland) – Peters won his first 15 matches after an appearance at the state tournament last year while DiMarsico already has around 20 wins.
126 Pounds: Brandon Glaubner (Clarence) vs. Anthony Messina (Sachem East) – Glaubner was the champion at the Teiki Bernabi Tournament while Messina has put together a very solid 15-1 season. His only setback was a one-point loss to returning state second placer Justin Cooksey of MacArthur. Troy Feniger of North Rockland could have some interesting matches at this class as well.
145 Pounds: Jackson Mordente is unbeaten and in the top 8 in New York. Matt Caputo has just one loss and has been putting up a lot of bonus point victories. Should be a fun one to watch. [Caputo may wrestle at 138 pounds].
Pool C: #3 seed Shenendehowa plus MacArthur, Minisink Valley and Union-Endicott
MacArthur has already seen a number of top notch opponents this year and has solid wrestlers up and down the lineup. Minisink Valley has received strong contributions from returning state qualifier Mike Raccioppi as well as others such as Josh Bonneau (220) and Union-Endicott had six placers at the Windsor Christmas Tournament, including finalist Andrew Brinser at 285 and third placer Xavian Hughes at 132.
Still, at the end of the day, it will be difficult for any of the teams in the pool to overcome Shenendehowa.
Here are three matchups we look forward to:
120 Pounds: Chris Cataldo (MacArthur) vs. Kevin Parker (Shenendehowa) – Cataldo, 17-1, has won his last five bouts by pin or technical fall. The Generals wrestler lost his opening contest of the campaign at 126 pounds and has been on a winning streak since. Meanwhile, Parker pinned his way to the finals of the Teike Bernabi Tournament, where he finished second behind Steve Michel. He is a returning state qualifier.
Cooksey, Photo by BV
126 Pounds: Justin Cooksey (MacArthur) vs. Mike Raccioppi (Minisink Valley) – The two wrestled a year ago in the state tournament at 106 pounds where second-seeded Cooksey earned a 7-3 decision. Will the match be similar months later and up several weights?
138 Pounds: Nick Kelley (Shenendehowa) vs. Rob Bennett (MacArthur) – Kelley is always fun to watch as he keeps pushing the pace for the entire duration of the match. Bennett sat on top of the Section 8 rankings at this weight, (although he did drop a match in the dual against Sachem East), and is a quality wrestler.
Pool D: #4 seed Monroe Woodbury plus Islip, Johnson City and Fulton
Section 9’s Monroe Woodbury has looked like one of the top dual teams in the state this year. Islip has also excelled, with an 11-1 mark. (The loss was to Sachem East). Johnson City boasts one of the state’s top wrestlers in 195-pounder Reggie Williams as well as other state qualifiers like Greg Kleinsmith and Zach Colgan. Fulton, always one of the best in Section 3, has been propelled by a number of wrestlers, such as Mitchell Woodworth (106) and Thomas Hill (120) this year.
It looks like it should be a great battle between the Crusaders and the Buccaneers for a spot in the semifinals.
Here are three of the many matches of interest:
106 Pounds: Mitchell Woodworth (Fulton) vs. Evan Barczak (Monroe Woodbury) – Both Woodworth and Barczak have made a habit out of making the finals of big tournaments. Woodworth, the top ranked wrestler at his weight in Section 3, finished second at both the Andersen and the Kenneth Haines Memorial while eighth grader Barczak recently won the Massapequa Tournament and is #1 in Section 9. Johnson City’s Isiah Colgan may also make an impact at this weight.
170 Pounds: AJ Voelker (Monroe Woodbury) vs. Greg Kleinsmith (Johnson City) – Voelker stood on top of the podium at the Massapequa Holiday Tournament and has been a strong presence in the Monroe Woodbury lineup all season. Kleinsmith, a 2012 state qualifier as a freshman, recently returned to action at the Teike Bernabi event, where he took second place.
Williams, Photo by BV
195 Pounds: Reggie Williams (Johnson City) vs. Craig Hinrichs (Islip) – Williams is the top wrestler in New York at 195. Hinrichs has piled up wins this year, with a single loss – to the previously mentioned Nunez of Sachem East.
We will be providing blog and/or video coverage of the Union-Endicott Duals on Sunday.
The coverage page will be at this link.
There has been a tremendous amount of high quality wrestling around the Empire State over the past few days. For a quick recap of some of the many events, read on.
Kelly Earns Fourth Windsor Crown, Jamison Picks Up OW Honors as Huntington Wins Team Title
Chenango Forks senior Kyle Kelly joined an exclusive club on Friday when he earned his fourth Windsor Christmas Tournament championship. He didn’t waste any time getting his hand raised, winning by fall in the first period against Dylan Wood of Walton.
Huntington traveled from Long Island to Section 4 and the trip was worthwhile as the Suffolk squad won the team title with four champions. Leading the way was 126 pounder Corey Jamison, who took home Outstanding Wrestler honors for the second consecutive year at this event. He defeated Lansing’s William Koll 3-1 in the title bout in one of the deepest brackets. (The other Huntington titlewinners were John Arceri at 99, Brandon Mendez at 145 and Anthony Puca at 285).
In addition to 126, another weight with a lot of firepower was 220. Waverly’s Ryan Wolcott continued his strong start to the season by upsetting Huntington’s nationally-ranked Nick Lupi 2-1 for the crown.
Photo by BV
Greene, which finished in second place overall, boasted a pair of champions in Christian Dietrich at 170 and Mike Beckwith at 160. Beckwith was one of five repeat champions from 2011, along with Kelly, Jamison, Puca and Norwich’s Tristan Rifanburg, who completed a dominant tournament with a first period pin in the 132 pound finals.
Host Windsor put a wrestler on top of the podium as Nate Hayes won a 4-0 decision at 120 pounds. Additional champions included Corning’s Jimmy Overhiser (106), Lansing’s Connor Lapresi (138), Chenango Valley’s Kyle Halliday (152), Walton’s Mike Beers (182) and BGA’s Mark Viviano (195).
For more information, see here.
Connetquot Captures Massapequa Holiday Tournament; Koo Grabs MOW Honors
Vespa, Phototrens.com
The second oldest holiday tournament in the state (after Windsor) also finished up on Friday and Suffolk County’s Connetquot took home the Massapequa Holiday Tournament title, led by four champions.
120 pounder Steven Bulzomi edged Hauppauge’s Austin Munro 1-0 to notch first place and after Munro’s teammate Mark West took the crown at 126, Connetquot won three championships in a row – Gino Titone at 132, Greg Chery at 138 and Brendan Dent at 145. In fact, the squad had another finalist at 152, however, the tournament’s MOW, Chris Koo of Great Neck South, ended the T-Birds streak of gold medals when he defeated Steve Schmit by 20-5 technical fall.
Finishing in second was Section 9’s Monroe Woodbury which continues to show strength throughout its lineup. The Crusaders featured four titlewinners – Vinny Vespa (99), Evan Barczak (106), JP Vandercliff (160) and AJ Voelker (170).
Long Beach sported a pair of champions (Steven Sewkumar at 113 and Zamarr Allen at 195), as did Section 5’s Pittsford (Chad Howard at 182 and Tyler Schaefer at 220). Host Massapequa also was represented at the top of the podium as Tim Gungor captured the heavyweight crown.
For more information, see here
Shenendehowa Wins Teike-Bernabi With Four Champs; Spencerport Boasts Three Title Winners
With seven finalists and four champions, Shenendehowa cruised to the team title at the Teike-Bernabi Tournament hosted by Spencerport. The Plainsmen were led by co-Most Outstanding Wrestler Nick Kelley (138) as well as fellow gold medalists David Almaviva (145), Zach Joseph (152) and Ali Hashimee (170).
Taking runner up honors for the Section 2 school were Kevin Parker (120), Jesse Porter (132) and Justin Noble (182).
Sharing OW accolades with Kelley was Lockport’s 113 pounder Anthony Orefice, who won a battle of state placers with Gouverneur’s Dillon Stowell, 7-1.
Williams, Photo by BV
Orefice wasn’t the only Lockport grappler to make the top of the podium. Teammate Marshall Taylor grabbed the 220 pound crown. In addition, a number of fellow Section 6 wrestlers won titles, including Clarence teammates Jake Weber (160) and Brandon Glaubner (126) as well as Cheektowoga returning state runner up Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (132), Lancaster’s Steve Michel (120) and St. Joseph’s Collegiate’s Garrett Baugher (99 – CHSAA).
The hosts from Spencerport were led to third place in the team standings by a trio of champions – Jon Haas at 106, Trent Egenlauf at 182 and Austin Coleman at 285. Another Rangers wrestler, Collin Pittman, also made it to the finals but dropped a tight contest to two-time All-Stater Reggie Williams of Johnson City at 195.
For more information, see here.
Also in Section 5 . . . Midlakes Unbeaten at Dick Vincent Duals, Edges Warsaw 43-42
Peacock, Photo by BV
At the Dick Vincent Duals at Letchworth High, two teams stood above the rest. In the end, one point separated them. Midlakes finished the event 9-0 while Warsaw compiled an 8-1 mark with the difference being the Screaming Eagles 43-42 dual victory over the Tigers.
Interestingly, 12 of the 15 bouts in the dual were decided by pin. For Midlakes, it was Cody Maher at 152, Jeryd Graham at 182, Hammond Raes at 99, Rafael Mateo at 120, Sean Peacock at 126 and Derian Woodard at 132 who picked up six points with falls. Tyler Smith won by major at 220 and Will Raes by decision at 106.
Palmyra Macedon went 7-2 during the event.
Three Teams Go 7-1 at the Holley Holiday Duals; Devlin and DePrez Get Top Billing
A trio of squads – Brockport, Hilton and Webster Schroeder all finished the Holley Holiday Duals at 7-1. Brockport was declared the event’s winner based on tiebreaking criteria. The first place team’s loss was to Webster Schroeder, whose only loss was to Hilton. In turn, Hilton was defeated by Brockport.
Kellen Devlin of Amherst and Vincent DePrez of Hilton were named “MVP”s in the tournament summary. For the dual scores and the All-Tournament Team, see here.
Fairport Dominates Kenneth Haines Memorial Tournament With Six Champions
Section 5’s Fairport traveled to SUNY Oswego and put on an impressive performance in taking the team title at the Kenneth Haines Memorial Tournament. The Red Raiders finished almost 100 points ahead of runner up Fulton. Fairport had 10 finalists and six champions, including five straight winners from 106 to 132 pounds (Bryan Ruggeri, Zach Barker, Andy Pieri, AJ Pesci and Les Brown). Colton Kells added the last crown at 195 pounds.
While Fairport took control in the lightweights, Mexico did the same in the middleweights, capturing titles at 138 (Jay Kisselstein), 145 (CJ Loomis), 152 (Trevor Allard) and 170 (Jacob Woolson). Derek Owen (220) and Brennan Roberge (285) earned first place for runner up Fulton.
For more on the tournament, see here
Penfield Goes Undefeated at the Mountain Duals; Nasoni Notches Upset Victory
Penfield went 8-0 at the 16-team Mountain Duals at Dolgeville. Two of the many wrestlers to lead the way were 120 pounder Matt Langenskamp and seventh grade standout Frankie Gissendanner (126/132). In the eighth round of action, Penfield topped General Brown 37-27, handing the Lions their only loss of the event. Also going 7-1 was Burnt Hills (which lost to General Brown).
While Penfield’s performance was a headline from a team perspective, another discussion topic was the upset victory of Baldwinsville’s Joe Nasoni over Canastota’s Zack Zupan by fall. Canastota’s returning state champion was wrestling up a weight against Nasoni and held a lead at the time of the fall. However, Nasoni continued his impressive start to the season and showed he is one to watch in the upperweights this year.
For more information, see here.
Sachem East Wins Five at the Long Island Challenge
Toribio, http://www.phototrens.com
Sachem East swept five opponents at the Long Island Challenge at MacArthur High. The squad picked up wins over Clarkstown South, Kellenberg, Half Hollow Hills West, MacArthur and Islip with the smallest margin of victory a 12-point win over the host Generals. A number of videos from that dual, as well as some other battles between top Long Island wrestlers such as Tyler Grimaldi vs. Steven Schneider at 160 and Carlos Toribio vs. Joe Piccolo at 170, are available here.
Leading the way for Sachem East were Conor O’Hara (138), Jackson Mordente (145), Cristian Nunez (220) and Josh Edmondson (285), who were unbeaten during the event.
Islip went 5-1 while Brentwood put up a 4-1 mark.
Commack Takes Six Titles at the Sal DiFazio Holiday Tournament at Half Hollow Hills East
Tanzman, Photo by 27east.com
Commack was the big winner at Half Hollow Hills East with six champions and a team title by over 60 points. The Cougar titlewinners were Champion of Champions CJ Labate (145), Mike D’Angelo (126), Brian Gully (113), Mark Milo (152), Dan Fiorvanti (182) and Ali Halimi (285). A number of wrestlers ranked in our first New York State rankings for the 2012-13 season also took titles, including 106 pounder Alex Tanzman of Westhampton Beach, 120 pounder Robert Person of Bellmore JFK and 132 pounder Matt Leshinger of Sayville.
For more information, see here.
John Glenn Comes Out on Top at the Raider Invitational
A young team from John Glenn captured the title at the Raider Invitational at Patchogue-Medford, with Wantagh taking second.
John Glenn was paced by champions Zach Ancewicz (99), Matt Porrello (145) and Anthony Pino (195) as well as runners up Chris D’Amico (120), Arman Akhund (132) and Bryan Smith (220).
Wantagh’s Chris Araoz was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler and he was joined on top of the medal stand by teammates Kyle Quinn (113), Vinny Turano (138), Connor Contorno (152), Dan McDevitt (170), James Corbett (182) and TJ Ragusa (220).
Sachem North Undefeated at Joe Davidson Memorial Duals
On their home turf, the Sachem North wrestlers went unbeaten at the Joe Davidson Memorial Duals, an event that included 10 teams. The Flaming Arrows were led by 182 pounder Gio Santiago and 132 pounder Sean O’Hagan, who both picked up victories in each of the duals.
Yorktown Captures Mid-Hudson Tournament With Four Champions
Yorktown came out on top at the Mid-Hudson Tournament with championship showings by Joseph Mastro (152), Thomas Murray (182), Steven Sabella (195) and David Varian (285). A number of teams had a pair of titlewinners. For Pine Bush, it was Chris Cuccolo (99) and Johnny Stramiello (113), for Ketcham it was Danny Murphy (132) and Brad Marvin (145) and for Ossining it was Alex Delacruz (126) and Trent Lofaro (220).
For more on the tournament, see here.
Phoenix Represents the Empire State; Takes Fifth in Louisiana
Tighe, Photo by BV
While there was a lot of great action in the Empire State, Phoenix traveled to Louisiana for the Deep South Bayou Duals. On the first day, the squad cruised to first place in Pool A, defeating teams from the host state plus Florida and Oklahoma. The closest meet was a 33-point win by the Firebirds over Fontainbleau, Louisiana.
Then, it was on to the championship bracket. After a 36-33 loss to Jesuit, the New York team won three in a row to earn fifth place and an overall 7-1 mark. Nick Tighe, Rowdy Prior and Justin Rhodes led the way on Day 2, combining for 12 wins – 11 by pin and one by technical fall.
More results to be added . . . to report results e-mail newyorkwrestlingnews@gmail.com
Here we go . . . the first and probably most difficult rankings of the year. Soon, wrestlers will settle into their weights, more top wrestlers will go head to head and others will be back from injuries. Rankings, especially at this time of year, are subjective and we’re sure there are some wrestlers not included who will make an impact. They are the opinions of those who collaborated on this project and are meant to generate conversation. We will seriously consider all of your feedback . . . as long as it’s done respectfully. So, have at it.
Special thanks to Mike Carey for his incredible work to make these rankings happen.
Diakomihalis, Photo by BV
99 Pounds:
A Few Notes: There are some terrific young wrestlers in this weight, but #1 is Hilton’s Yianni Diakomihalis, who has been extremely impressive not only on the mat for Hilton thus far but all over the country over the past several months. Before this high school campaign began, he captured the Junior High Championship at the Super 32 Challenge in North Carolina. On his way to that title, Diakomihalis defeated Syosset eighth grader Vito Arujau (who took third). Arujau has been dominant thus far, both at 106 and 99. Suffolk county will have quite a battle in this class. Over the holidays, Jesse Dellevecchia edged John Busiello in a very close and entertaining match while Arceri won the Windsor Christmas Tournament with a technical fall in the title bout.
106 Pounds:
Piccininni, Photo by BV
113 Pounds:
A Few Notes: This is one of two weights where there was a lot of back and forth on who is #1 and who is essentially 1A. We expect Piccininni and Kelly to settle things on the mat in the finals at the Times Union Center. Two years ago, Kelly defeated Piccininni in the state semifinals and neither has lost in the state of New York since. The Ward Melville wrestler’s outstanding performances against top competition outside the state, and a victory over the nation’s top sophomore, Zahid Valencia, gave him the edge. Of course, Kelly’s many achievements are extremely impressive, including two state titles and placements at Fargo and Virginia Beach. Anthony Orefice also has had a lot of success both inside and outside of the Empire State. He was 40-2 a year ago, with his losses coming to Piccininni and Jimmy Overhiser (by default) and he registered a solid 7-1 win over Stowell over the holidays. Like Orefice, Bryan Lantry was fifth in 2012 in the state capital. After a slow start at the Madison Square Garden title bout, Ndiaye gave Kelly a tough match a few weeks ago, dropping a two point decision.
Person, Photo by BV
120 Pounds:
A Few Notes: Person, a two-time placer out of Section 8 is looking to make the finals for the first time after placing multiple times in the past. A number of these wrestlers have met this year. Russo defeated Michel early on and then Michel beat Peacock. Meanwhile, in last year’s state finals at 113, Peacock topped Aslanian. The Edgemont grappler, headed to Princeton, is on a mission to win a state title after two runner up finishes in Albany. Mike D’Angelo may not be a familiar name to those outside of Long Island but he suffered only three losses last year – all to Nick Piccininni. In fact, Piccininni had only four regular decisions prior to Albany and three were against D’Angelo. Truthfully, D’Angelo won’t have an easy time in Section 11 this year, because a pair of wrestlers who made it to the Round of 12 at the Super 32, Connetquot’s Steven Bulzomi and Eastport South Manor’s Travis Passaro, are also very strong.
Realbuto, Photo by BV
126 Pounds:
A Few Notes: Realbuto captured a state title a year ago and will have a challenging group to beat to repeat. Fabian took fourth last season at a deep 120 pound weight and has impressed so far for Shoreham Wading River, as he did while winning seven straight after an opening round loss at the Super 32. Chris Araoz knows about long winning streaks at national events as he took the 120 pound NHSCA National title last spring. Meanwhile, former state gold medalist William Koll has made the move up a few weights. He took second this weekend at the Windsor Christmas Tournament behind Corey Jamison, who came into Albany as the number two seed last year but didn’t compete the second day.
Rodriguez-Spencer, Photo by BV
132 Pounds:
A Few Notes: Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer is currently ranked nationally at this weight and has a boatload of achievements in the international styles. Last year, he took second in Albany behind Nick Tighe in an entertaining, back and forth, match. Future Columbia Lion Matt Leshinger of Sayville, a returning bronze medalist, went through one of the state’s toughest brackets (Section 11, 120 pounds) just to get to the Times Union Center last season. Rifanburg, McGregor and Lapi have made a number of appearances on the medal stand and Melikian came within one match of joining them a year ago.
Kelley, Photo by BV
138 Pounds:
A Few Notes: A pair of Binghamton-bound wrestlers are the favorites to capture titles at this weight in 2013. On the Division I side it’s Kelley, who is looking for his first crown to cap off a terrific career. On the other hand, Tighe is aiming for his third straight championship in Albany. Tighe may have to battle returning 132 pound gold medalist Connor Lapresi, who will wrestle for Bucknell in the future. On the large school side, Tom Dutton had a stellar offseason, placing at both the NHSCA Nationals and Fargo after a successful regular season in Section 11. DePrez and Lewandowski have both competed in the Saturday night finals in the past and will look to get back there this February.
Almaviva, Photo courtesy of Anthony Almaviva
145 Pounds:
A Few Notes: Almaviva, an All-American, lost some matches this year but did so while making the Round of 12 at the prestigious Reno Tournament of Champions. After taking bronze in Albany last year, he’ll be looking to get to the finals this time. A number of other wrestlers on this list have solid experience at the Times Union Center, such as All-Staters Riccio, Reagan and Gardner. Hernandez made the trip to the state capital last year and wrestled with a severe injury. Now back in form, he dominated tough competition in and outside of the Empire State in the offseason and is looking for big things in a return trip.
Rasheed, Photo by BV
152 Pounds:
A Few Notes: Rasheed is a three-time placer and two-time runner up going into his junior year. He took second at 145 in D-I last season while Drew Hull, a two-time medal winner, was the silver placer in the small school tournament. Tom Grippi handed our #1 at 145 David Almaviva his only loss in Albany last year and finished one match from placing. He already has over 20 wins. Kress pinned his way through the PSAL Holiday tournament and racked up a number of wins in offseason events in the international styles. At the state tournament last season, he lost to nationally ranked Nicky Hall in the opening round before winning three straight in the consolations. Chris Koo has been an All-American twice in Virginia Beach but has yet to travel to the state capital. He has the ability to not only qualify but go far at the Times Union Center. He most recently was the Outstanding Wrestler at the Massapequa Holiday Tournament. Prior had a 32-3 season last year but two of his setbacks came in the Section 3 tournament (including to Spann). He has been on fire this year thus far.
Grimaldi, Photo by BV
160 Pounds:
A Few Notes: Speaking of 1 and 1A back at 113, Grimaldi and Paddock are both in the national rankings. Some have Grimaldi higher and some have the reverse. We expect both to stand on top of the podium in Albany in their respective divisions. Why do we have Grimaldi higher? He defeated Paddock at the New York State Freestyle championships this year and placed at Fargo while both were in the same bracket. Needless to say, Paddock has a plethora of achievements over the years and will be difficult to beat. Mike Beckwith encountered a number of setbacks a year ago but with very little practice under his belt won Section 4 and a match in Albany. He has blistered through the competition this year. Silverthorn was one of the few non-senior medalists in either division at 160 in 2012. Gallo came within a bout of the podium as a freshman and Goldup, a former All-Stater, is off to a great start. Weigel was one bout from the All-State status at 170 and will be a handful down at 160. [Dale White has been out injured].
170 Pounds:
Seymour, a national runner up and fourth placer at the state tournament last year, stands on top of 170. Behind him are a number of talented competitors, none of whom have tasted the podium yet at 170. However, McDevitt was on the medal stand as a fifth placer in 2012 — down at 138. After a growth spurt, he is up several classes and after beating some tough customers this summer, he’s looking like a solid bet to medal again. Johnny Vrasidas made it to the top 8 in Albany in February. Toribio has started off the year on fire in Section 11, beating All-Stater Gio Santiago and returning qualifier Matt Roberts, both while wrestling up a weight. He also handled Piccolo this past week at the Long Island Challenge. An interesting wildcard is Deitrich, who medaled at 152 as a seventh grader in 2011 and who looked overpowering as he cruised to the Windsor Christmas Tournament title.
Zupan, Photo by BV
182 Pounds:
A Few Notes: Zack Zupan, the top ranked recruit in New York, stands at #1 while fellow Section 3 wrestler Shayne Brady, the Division I runner up a year ago comes in at #2. The two met in the finals of the Herkimer Invitational, which ended quickly after some good early action when Brady injury defaulted. Tim Schaefer, a multi-time state placer, is off to another great start for Warsaw after taking third at this weight in 2012. Benjamin is back after his All-State showing out of Section 4 and fellow medalist Gio Santiago returns to the rankings. Above him is Wantagh’s James Corbett, who has impressed during his undefeated start, including a solid win over the Sachem North wrestler. Egenlauf has won multiple tournaments so far this campaign including the Teike Bernabi.
Williams, Photo by BV
195 Pounds:
A Few Notes: Reggie Williams conquered all challengers as a sophomore at 195 with the exception of four losses to state champion (and now graduated) Tony Fusco of Shenendehowa. Williams is the favorite to win his first state title. Next up is another state silver medalist, Bryce Mazurowski of Avon, a future member of the Binghamton Bearcats. Two 2012 fourth placers also sit here, Tyler Smith of Midlakes (at 195) and Tyler Morris of Salem (at 182). Colton Kells finished in the top 8 in Division I at 195 a year ago while Choi did the same at 182. Pittman gave Williams a lot to handle in the finals of the Teike Bernabi tournament despite a previous setback.
Bacon, Photo by BV
220 Pounds:
A Few Notes: Zack Bacon of Hornell, currently ranked #16 in the country by Intermat, leads the way. Bacon is familiar with Silvis and they are sure to meet this year again. Lupi also earned a spot in the national polls (by Amateur Wrestling News). The Huntington wrestler was upset in the Windsor Christmas Tournament finals by Ryan Wolcott, a returning Top 8 wrestler (at 170). Breit, Sprung and Sisti all made appearances at the Times Union Center in 2012.
Van Hoesen, Photo by BV
285 Pounds:
El Shaddai Van Hoesen earns the top spot with his absolute dominance thus far as a senior after taking second in 2012. Another silver medalist, Alex Soutiere, has followed up his run at the Times Union Center with an unbeaten start. A pair of sixth place finishers are also included, with Smithtown West’s Mike Hughes and Medina’s Matt Montesanti in control just about every time they’ve stepped on the mat. Brandon Fayle of Lowville fell one bout short of placing in 2012 and has put up solid results again, with the one blemish on his record via disqualification. Rounding out the rankings are Seaford’s James O’Hagan, an NHSCA Nationals third place finisher who went 31-3 last year and who has lost only to Hughes this campaign (the only match Hughes hasn’t won by fall). Anthony Puca of Huntington and David Varian of Yorktown, a qualifier out of Section 1, round things out.
* Results based on NWCA Scorebook
Last year, the inaugural NYWAY Kickoff Classic brought several hundred youth wrestlers from five to 14 years old to the campus of Cornell University. Many of the standouts from that event continued to make names for themselves throughout the season, including some at the varsity level.
A few examples: Penfield’s Frankie Gissendanner was named MOW at his first varsity tournament and won the prestigious Top Hat event in Pennsylvania at 126 pounds– as a seventh grader. Alexander’s Dane Heberlein has already made an impact at 99 pounds in Section 5 while Michigan’s Devin Schroder, who won the NYWAY Kickoff a year ago at 105-110 pounds, went on to take All-America honors at the FloNationals in April at 106 as an eighth grader.
The second annual NYWAY Kickoff Classic on January 6 promises to be another top notch event, this time at Niagara County Community College (NCCC) in Sanborn, New York. NCCC head coach Keith Maute, who is also the Director of Cobra Wrestling Academy, will serve as Tournament Director.
Around 100 wrestlers from Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania have already committed to attend and enrollment from New York has been strong. In fact, the expectation is that over 400 youth wrestlers between the ages of five and 14 will compete.
“We are hoping to make this a true New York state championship with registration from all around the state,” said Kevin Lucinski, NYWAY’s Far Western Director. “Having top kids from other states just adds to the competition. We want people to know that it will be professionally paired with New York certified referees and full mats. We’re hoping it will be a flagship event for NYWAY and Section 6.”
The champion in each of the 59 weight classes will receive custom Cage Fighter shorts (pictured) and the top four finishers in each bracket will earn medals.
Lucinski notes that there has been a change to the registration process. Rather than signing up online, all registration must be done using the mail-in form, which is here: 2013-NYWAY-KICK3
Please send the registration to:
Cobra Wrestling Academy
351 Pine St
Lockport, NY 14094
If you have already registered and paid online, please confirm your registration by e-mailing Kevin Lucinski at kslucinski@yahoo.com.
Courtesy of buffalobulls.com
BUFFALO, NY – A crowd of over 1,700 fans came out to Alumni Arena for the fourth annual Takedown Cancer fundraiser and dual on Monday evening to open the home schedule, as the Bulls (0-2) hosted the fifth-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes. The event, which raised over $14,000 for cancer research for the day, was marked with explosive offense between the two teams, with the Hawkeyes (10-0) prevailing 39-3. Mark Lewandowski earned a win at 165 pounds for the team’s lone win.
“What people don’t see is the controlled steady pace that Iowa wrestles,” head coach Jim Beichner said. “They’re consistent and put the pressure on you. We need to do the same in return, but today we faded. We scored a lot of takedowns, but ultimately you need to win those battles and win those matches. You have nothing to lose against a team like Iowa, but when you’re aggressive you need to have a big gas tank to go with it.”
Lewandowski, who came into the night ranked in the low 20s at his class by most media outlets, was a slight underdog in his match against Iowa’s Nick Moore. The senior started with a takedown in the final minute of the first period and rode Moore out. He scored another takedown in the second period and led 4-2 going into the final two minutes of the match. He made a quick escape, then took Moore down and earned a riding time point for the 8-3 win.
“Mark was in control tonight, and that comes with experience,” Beichner said. “He dominated from start to finish and was able to get an important win. We want him to be on the All-American podium at the end of this season, and if he keeps wrestling like this he’ll get there.”
After only one wrestler scored more than five points in the season-opening dual against Central Michigan, the Bulls were able to be more liberal on offense for the night, case in point with the 149 pound bout between Blake Roulo and Mike Kelly. In the first 20 seconds of the match, Roulo scored a big takedown and turned Kelly for two near-fall points. Kelly would squeeze away and it would spark off a first period that saw an 8-8 tie after just the first three minutes. Kelly would ultimately take advantage of Roulo’s aggression, turning a handful of errant scoring attempts by Roulo into takedowns and earned a 21-13 win.
RESULTS: Iowa 39, Buffalo 3
141 – #11 Mark Ballweg (IA) major dec. Andrew Schutt (UB), 12-3; 4-0
149 – Michael Kelly (IA) major dec. Blake Roulo (UB), 21-13; 8-0
157 – #1 Derek St. John (IA) major dec. Wally Maziarz (UB), 21-7; 12-0
165 – Mark Lewandowski (UB) dec. Nick Moore (IA), 8-3; 12-3
174- #7 Mike Evans (IA) major dec. John-Martin Cannon (UB), 14-1; 16-3
184 – #7 Ethen Lofthouse (IA) major dec. Tony Lock (UB), 12-4; 20-3
197 – Nathan Burak (IA) major dec. Angelo Malvestuto (UB), 12-4; 24-3
285 – #5 Bobby Telford (IA) pinned Justin Heiserman (UB), 1:36; 30-3
125 – Matt Gurule (IA) dec. Max Soria (UB), 15-10; 33-3
133 – #3 Tony Ramos (IA) pinned Erik Galloway (UB), 4:27; 39-3
BLOOMSBURG, PA – The Buffalo wrestling team rallied strong from its Monday night loss to Iowa, but could not close the deal for its first win of the season on Tuesday and lost 18-15 to Bloomsburg. The Bulls (0-3) and Huskies (7-2) won five matches apiece, but Bloomsburg scored a technical fall and major decision to boost it to the win.
The Bulls took three of the first four matches of the night, starting with Mike Soria‘s 6-4 win over Sean Boylan. Filling in for his brother Max, who was hurt early in his match against Iowa last night, Mike was able to get the win in his first-ever start in a dual meet and start the team off on the right foot. After a loss at 133, Andrew Schutt scored a 7-2 win over Matt Rappo after cruising to a 6-1 lead after just the first period.
His win was followed by Blake Roulo, who won 2-1 at 149 after neither wrestler could manage to take the other down. He was able to get a third period escape and used riding time to get the win and pad the UB lead. It would come in handy, as the Huskies earned a tech fall at 157 and Mark Lewandowski lost 3-2 to Josh Veltre in a battle of two top-20 ranked wrestlers at 165 pounds.
Bloomsburg’s lead would be short-lived, as John-Martin Cannon rebounded strong from a frustrating loss to Iowa and won 9-4 thanks to a quartet of takedowns against Chris Smith. He was followed by a tremendous effort from true freshman Tony Lock, who earned his first career dual meet win in a big spot. He beat Andre Petroski 4-2 thanks to a pair of points in the third period to break a 2-2 tie that had held since the first period. The win would give the Bulls a 15-11 lead in the dual, but a major decision loss at 197 pounds and a win for the Huskies in the final match of the night would provide the 18-15 final.
Now after two matches in just over 24 hours, the team will have an extended break for the Holidays before returning to action. Next up will be The Midlands Championship Tournament and the Brute Invitational on Dec. 29, when the team will send selected wrestlers to each event to compete against some of the very best in the country. Full results from each tournament will be available through BuffaloBulls.com.
RESULTS: Bloomsburg 18, Buffalo 15
125: Mike Soria (UB) dec. Sean Boylan (BU), 6-4; 3-0
133: Nick Wilcox (BU) dec. Erik Galloway (UB), 9-4; 3-3
141: Andrew Schutt (UB) dec. Matt Rappo (BU), 7-2; 6-3
149: Blake Roulo (UB) dec. Simon Kitzis (BU), 2-1; 9-3
157: Frank Hickman (BU) tech. fall Wally Maziarz (UB), 22-6, 5:48; 9-8
165: Josh Veltre (BU) dec. Mark Lewandowski (UB), 3-2; 9-11
174: John-Martin Cannon (UB) dec. Chris Smith (BU), 9-4; 12-11
184: Tony Lock (UB) dec. Andre Petroski (BU), 4-2; 15-11
197: Richard Perry (BU) maj. dec. Angelo Malvestuto (UB), 13-5; 15-15
285: Justin Grant (BU) dec. Justin Heiserman (UB), 5-1; 15-18
Dake vs. Caldwell, Phototrens.com
The first ever-wrestling event at Madison Square Garden captured a lot of headlines this weekend. While Cornell and Hofstra both went 0-2, Big Red senior Kyle Dake earned the Outstanding Wrestler Award after his victories over #3 Tyler Caldwell of Oklahoma State and #13 Zach Toal of Missouri. Dake controlled both matches, earning a reversal and riding time in each. Also going undefeated on the day for Cornell was returning NCAA champion Steve Bosak, who made his season debut. The 184-pounder picked up two victories against ranked opponents – #7 Mike Larson of the Tigers and #13 Chris Chionuma of the Cowboys.
For the box scores and descriptions from Cornell and Hofstra, see here and here.
Kelly vs. Ndiaye, Phototrens.com
Fans in attendance in New York City were able to watch some top level high school action in addition to the college duals as the placement matches of the PSAL Holiday tournament took place on Sunday at MSG as well.
Long Branch (NJ) took the team crown at the event, with champions at 138 (Nick Menkin), 145 (Nick George), 160 (Jake George) and 220 (Vincent Roselli). In second place was Section 2’s Columbia, followed by the PSAL’s Brooklyn Tech.
One of the most anticipated finals happened at 113 pounds where two-time state champion Kyle Kelly of Chenango Forks took on 2012 state runner up Cheick Ndiaye of Brooklyn International. Kelly jumped out to an early lead and looked like he might get the pin but Ndiaye fought his way back into the match. However, Kelly closed out a 6-4 victory in a battle between two wrestlers who will be among the top contenders at 113 in Albany in Division I and II, respectively.
Kelly’s teammate Jake Green captured first place in a challenging 126-pound field. Green topped Grand Street’s Keanu Thompson 4-2 in the title bout with multiple time All-American Travis Passaro of Eastport South Manor grabbing third. (Thompson defeated Passaro in Saturday’s semifinals).
Outstanding Wrestler honors went to Tottenville’s Santo Curatolo, who won at 120 pounds by first period fall. That was one of three quick pins for Curatolo in the event. His other victory was a 13-1 major.
The silver medal team from Columbia had a pair of champions, including heavyweight El Shaddai Van Hoesen, who pinned all four of his opponents and was only pushed into the second period once. His teammate Angelo Kress had a similar experience at 152 pounds – four matches and four falls.
The other champions were: John Busiello of Eastport South Manor (99), Noah Malamut of Poly Prep (106), Saidyokub Kahramonov of New Utrecht (132), Adis Radoncic of RKA (170), Matt Roberts of Monsignor Farrell (182) and Kevin Tynes of Brooklyn Tech (220).
For full brackets, see here.
Outside of New York City . . .
While the focus of many wrestling fans was on the Big Apple, there was plenty of quality wrestling featuring New York wrestlers around the state and even in the Pacific Time Zone. Here are a few notes from the weekend:
Wantagh saw its first dual action of the season at the David Bloom Memorial event. The Warriors went 4-0, defeating New Rochelle, Sachem North, East Islip and one of Rhode Island’s top squads, Cumberland.
In one of the significant results of the day, Wantagh’s 182 pounder James Corbett continued his strong start to the season with a 5-2 victory over Gio Santiago of Sachem North, the 2012 Suffolk County champion who was sixth at the state tournament. Corbett had a solid 32-6 season a year ago while wrestling at 160, 170 and 182 pounds and took fourth at the Section 8 tournament. Now 7-0 with five pins and a technical fall, he’ll be a wrestler to watch in the upperweights this season.
Barbaria, Photo by BV
In a matchup of wrestlers with a great chance to travel to Albany in February, New Rochelle’s Nick Barbaria, an All-State wrestler at 99 pounds a year ago, picked up a quality win over NHSCA All-American Kyle Quinn, 5-3 at 113.
And Further Upstate . . .
Spencerport won the Batavia Christmas Tournament on Saturday by almost 30 points over Blairsville, Pennsylvania. Leading the way for Spencerport were champions Kaleb Pascoe (99), Brandon Barrett (113), Trent Englauf (182) and Collin Pittman (195). Elmira was third as Sean McGinley took first at 285 and Charlie Kennedy (120) and Curtis Grant (138) earned second. Royalton Hartland also made its presence felt with a trio of champions – Cameron Swick at 106, Drew Hull at 152 and Alex Jensen at 182.
Schaefer, Photo by BV
The Alexander Green and Gold Tournament in Section 5 showcased a number of state title contenders. Warsaw won the event by a wide margin, with Rush Henrietta second and Fairport third.
Among the champions were All-State grapplers Corey Hollister of Perry (113), Dan Reagan of Lewiston Porter (145), Warsaw’s Burke Paddock (160) and Most Outstanding Wrestler (182) Tim Schaefer and Zack Bacon of Hornell (220). For more detailed results, see here.
Koll and Lapresi Impress In Pennsylvania . . .
Lansing took 23rd at the King of the Mountain tournament at Central Mountain High School in the Keystone State . . . and the Bobcats did it with only two wrestlers entered in the event. 2011 state champion Will Koll dominated his way to the 126 pound title, with pins in his first four bouts before notching a 7-4 decision over Ryan Easter in the championship match. 2012 state titlewinner Connor Lapresi made his mark at 138, putting up bonus points in his first four matches before dropping a 7-2 decision in the title bout.
Kelley, Porter Place at the Reno Tournament of Champions in Nevada
Two Section 2 schools, Shenendehowa and LaSalle, headed out West with a handful of their starters to meet some out of state competition at the Reno Tournament of Champions.
Kelley, Photo by BV
Leading the way for the New Yorkers was Nick Kelley, who took third place at 138 pounds. He began the event on a roll, winning his first four matches by fall, including an 16-second pin in his initial contest. In the semifinals, Kelley lost an 8-6 match in overtime, however, he came back to dominate his next bout 11-4 to take the bronze.
Also making the podium for the Plainsmen was Jesse Porter at 132 pounds. Porter entered the tournament as the 14th seed, but made an impressive run, winning his first two matches before dropping a 1-0 decision to eventual third place finisher Robbie Rizzolino of Easton, Pennsylvania. Porter responded with four victories in the wrestlebacks, including three pins. He won his seventh place tilt 5-2 over Zack Edwards of Broken Arrow High in Oklahoma.
Two Shenendehowa grapplers came within one victory of the medal stand, but took different paths to get there. 182 pounder Levi Ashley dropped his opening match to bronze medalist Ian Baker of California. However, he quickly rebounded, capturing five straight in the consolations before Brock Warren of Broken Arrow ended his run. Meanwhile, David Almaviva, the ninth seed, won his first two contests before losing to Tanner Bailey of Broken Arrow. He rallied with two wins in the wrestlebacks.
Zach Joseph went 3-2 for Shenendehowa at 152 pounds while Corey Ali (2-2) and Kevin Parker both took the mat at 120 for the Plainsmen. Freshman Joseph Clemente turned in a solid showing for LaSalle, with a 3-2 mark at 138 pounds while his teammates Mark Pelton (152), Paul Andreoli (152) and Eric Rider (126) also competed.
Shenendehowa took 21st place as a team in a field of more than 110 squads. Canon McMillan (PA) took the gold overall.
For the full Reno Tournament of Champions bracket, see here.
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For more results from the weekend, see here.
To report results, e-mail newyorkwrestlingnews@gmail.com
New York Wrestling News 2012-2013 Archive 