Category Archives: Section 7

Weekend Notes: High School State Finalists Battle; Binghamton Picks Up First Two Victories and Much More

Posted on by
1

 

Here are a few news and notes from some of the college and high school action around the state this weekend . . .

Binghamton Goes 2-for-2, Army Tops Drexel

Donnie Vinson, Photo by BV

After dropping the first six duals of the season against a tough schedule that included ranked teams such as Cornell, Illinois, Oklahoma and Lehigh, Binghamton began a winning streak this weekend.  On Friday night, Matt Dernlan picked up his first victory as the leader of the Bearcats program as the CAA squad defeated Princeton, 23-12.  On Sunday, Binghamton followed up by capturing six of the 10 contests against league foe Boston to win 26-13.  Going unbeaten on the weekend were nationally ranked wrestlers Donnie Vinson (#3 at 149 pounds) and Nate Schiedel (#6 at 197 pounds) as well as Patrick Hunter (125), Vin Grella (165) and Cody Reed (184).  The Bearcats return to action at the Midlands in Illinois on December 29.

Army also was victorious, earning a 22-15 triumph over Drexel on Thursday night.  The Black Knights once again received key wins from 165-pounder Paul Hancock, who recorded a fall, as well as 141-pounder Connor Hanafee and 184-pounder Collin Wittmeyer in pivotal matches.  The squad will take the mat again on January 1 at the Southern Scuffle.

In the first dual meet action of the season for Buffalo, the Bulls were defeated by Central Michigan, 28-7. Six of the 10 bouts were decided by two points or less and unfortunately for Buffalo, the Chippewas came out on top in five of those six close matches.  Winning for the New York squad were Angelo Malvestuto at 197 and John-Martin Cannon, in his return to the mat after missing a few weeks with injury.

All-State Wrestlers and State Finalists Square Off 

A year ago, the dual between Wantagh and Shenendehowa at the Civil War Duals ended in a tie, with the Nassau County team earning the win on criteria.  With both squads going undefeated the remainder of the year, that result was instrumental in Wantagh earning the award as the state’s #1 Dual Meet team.   The powerhouses are both loaded again this year and were set to meet this weekend in Clifton Park as part of the 2012 Civil War Duals.  However, due to a tragic accident in which two Shenendehowa students were killed, the event was appropriately postponed.

However, there were still some top notch matchups this weekend as the 2012-13 season picked up steam.

Drew Hull, Photo by BV

In a dual meet in Section 6, two podium finishers from February took the mat at 152 pounds.  Two-time All-Stater Drew Hull of Royalton Hartland, who captured second place in Albany at 145 pounds a year ago, topped fourth place finisher (at 138) Dan Reagan of Lewiston Porter by the score of 6-0.  (However, Lewiston Porter won the dual 48-30).

At the Herkimer Invitational, a pair of state finalists, Canastota’s Zack Zupan and Carthage’s Shayne Brady sat on different sides of the 182-pound bracket.  The two cruised into the finals, setting up a meeting in the title bout.  However, that match didn’t go the distance, as Brady suffered an injury and defaulted.  (Zupan had taken the early lead).  We hope to see the runner up from Carthage back on the mat soon.

Another Section 3 standout, two-time state champion Nick Tighe of Phoenix, also met a state runner up this weekend, Hilton’s Vincent DePrez, in the 138-pound championship contest of the Matthew Marino Tournament at Webster Schroeder High.   The Binghamton-bound Tighe dominated, grabbing a 16-3 major decision.  It is worth noting that DePrez was one of three second placers for his squad – and for the DePrez family.  His brothers Anthony (145) and Lou (120) also took silver while nationally-ranked teammate Yianni Diakomihalis was the victor at 99 pounds.

In the team race at the Matthew Marino event, which featured strong entrants from Sections 3, 4, 5 and 6, Vermont’s Mount Anthony High took first.  Earning second place was Section 6’s Fredonia, led by four gold medalists — returning state placers Dakota Gardner (126 pounds) and Jude Gardner (145) as well as Zach Buckley (170) and Christian Saden (220).  Buckley had a solid win over Section 5 champion Jared Mesiti, 7-4.

Also taking top billing were state qualifier Colton Kells of Fairport at 195 and state placer Bryan Lantry of Wayne at 113.  Lantry’s teammate Jake Yankloski registered an impressive bonus point victory in the 106 title match against 2012 qualifier Bryan Ruggeri of Fairport.

More Contenders in Action

Matt Leshinger, Photo by BV

In the first weekend of action for Section 11, the Sayville tournament showcased several state title contenders.  Among them were Ivy League-bound seniors Tyler Grimaldi of Half Hollow Hills West (Harvard) and the host school’s Matt Leshinger (Columbia).  Grimaldi, who was second in the state at 160 a year ago, captured Most Outstanding Wrestler honors in Sayville after cruising at 160 pounds.  Meanwhile, Leshinger, who took bronze at 120 in February, had a solid debut up a few weights as he won the tournament at 138 pounds.

Another strong event on Long Island was the Bruins Cup at Baldwin, which provided another opportunity to see a number of strong wrestlers ramp up their seasons.

Steven Sewkumar of Long Beach collected Most Outstanding Wrestler honors for the second consecutive weekend as he took the 113 pound title in a close match against St. Anthony’s Ben Lamantia.  St. Anthony’s celebrated a number of champions, including former All-State grappler Freddie Dunau (126) and 2012 qualifier Johnny Vrasidas (170) as well as Joe Russ (120).

Vito Arujau, Photo by BV

Syosset’s Dan Choi, who came within one match of the medal stand at the Times Union Center in Albany registered four pins on the way to the 195-pound crown while his teammates Joe Scholl (182) and Vito Arujau (106) also made the top of the podium.  Arujau looked dominant for the second straight tournament, earning the title by technical fall.

Led by champions Anthony Messina (132), Jackson Mordente (145) and John Vigh (220) and runners up Conor O’Hara (138), Mike Pistone (152), Mark Tracy (170) and Josh Edmonsen (285), Sachem East took the team title by over 50 points, with Longwood next.

 

MacArthur Takes First at the Mahopac Duals

While multiple Section 8 teams wrestled at the tournaments listed above, MacArthur traveled to Section 1 for the Mahopac Duals.  The Generals were impressive throughout the competition, including a 42-25 victory over Section 4’s Johnson City in the title tilt.  The host team from Mahopac was fourth.

And From the Midwest . . .

While Empire State teams can’t compete at some of the large in-season national events, a pair of 2012 New York State silver medalists made the podium at one of the most challenging tournaments in the country this weekend —  the Walsh Ironman in Ohio.  Jose Rodriguez, who took second at 99 pounds last season while competing for Wantagh, was the runner up at 106 pounds at the Ironman behind Eli Stuckley of St. Paris Graham.  Rodriguez now attends Massillon Perry in the Buckeye State.

Former Longwood star Nicky Hall notched seventh place on Saturday while representing Wyoming Seminary.  Hall is a two-time New York medalist, including a second place showing at 152 pounds in 2012.

For more dual meet results from around the state, see here

To report results, e-mail newyorkwrestlingnews@gmail.com

 

Update on Sectional Singlets at States: NYSPHSAA Executive Director Discusses the Petition

Posted on by
4

A few days ago, a petition was posted asking the NYSPHSAA to bring back Sectional singlets for the 2013 state tournament.  (In May, Sectional uniforms were eliminated for all sports in New York).  As of 7 p.m. on Wednesday evening, over 815 people had signed that petition.

New York Wrestling News spoke to one of the people the petition is addressed to, Robert Zayas, the Executive Director of the NYSPHSAA, to understand his response to the petition and to get his input on what can be done for those looking to bring the singlets back.

 

New York Wrestling News (NYWN): I’m sure you are aware of the petition going on now to bring the Section singlets back.  What is your reaction to that petition?

Robert Zayas (RZ): Yes, I am definitely aware.  I appreciate the passion people have for the sport of wrestling here in New York.  I have received several hundred e-mails as have members of my staff.  Unfortunately, we don’t have a say in whether the singlets come back or not.  The Executive Committee made the decision back in May and therefore any change will have to come from that committee.

NYWN: Who makes up the Executive Committee?

RZ: There are two representatives from each Section.  If there will be a change, it will come from them.  We really are a grassroots organization, which is bottom up, rather than top down.  If the Sections come together and say that they want this change, it might be possible.  But if it’s only a few Sections, it probably won’t happen.

NYWN: When is the next Executive Committee meeting?

RZ: The next meeting is January 29.

NYWN: Let’s take a step back.   In May 2012, the uniform change was approved.  The language from the meeting notes was “Approved the elimination of Section uniforms in all sports and therefore requiring athletes to wear their school uniforms at State Championships even if a sponsor provides them.” Why was that last part about the sponsors specifically added?

RZ: I think it was to make sure things are fair and consistent across all sports.  Some sports have the ability to get a sponsor or sponsors to provide those uniforms and some don’t.

NYWN: So if booster clubs or donors came together and bought singlets, would they be permitted?

RS: I believe those would not be permitted at this time.

NYWN: In the October Executive Committee notes, a Section representative brought up the fact that wearing Section uniforms could be beneficial from a safety perspective.  The quote from the meeting notes was: “The Safety Committee agrees the wearing of Section uniforms at the State Wrestling Championships would improve the efficiency and time in which the appropriate medical personnel could respond to an injured athlete.”  What was the outcome of that discussion?

RS: That was presented at the October meeting.  The Executive Committee did not approve the proposal.

NYWN:  Since the elimination of Section uniforms was made across all sports, do you think a change is possible in a single sport like wrestling or do you think it would have to be made across the board?

RZ: Other sports have brought this issue up as well.  Cross country is one of them. But in the end, it’s completely up to the Executive Committee.

NYWN: Some of the arguments made for returning to the Sectional singlets are the years and years of tradition and the ability for family, fans and media to be able to follow the action in Albany.  Are there other impacts you see?

RZ:  It is obviously a big tradition here in New York and I have heard many people talk about how it will change viewing the tournament from the stands.  We also will need to make some changes with the referees because in the past, they could quickly look at the Section singlets, make sure there weren’t wrestlers from their Section competing and referee that match.  We’ll have to come up with a method for officials to quickly see that the wrestlers about to compete are not part of their Section.

NYWN: So, for those who want their voices to be heard on this issue, what should they know?

RZ: The Executive Committee made the change. My understanding is that cost was the focus of the decision.  They’ll need reasons to reverse the decision.  I don’t mind hearing the passion and perspectives of the member schools and constituents on this issue.  But I don’t have the ability to overturn this and neither do a number of others on the petition.  The people who want their voices heard should make sure their opinions are heard by the Section representatives.

NYWN: Thank you.

Further information on the Executive Committee is available here.

Peru All-American Troy Seymour Looks to End His Career Atop Section 7 Wins List and the NY State Podium

Posted on by
1

Troy Seymour vs. Nick Mitchell, Photo by Boris V

When Troy Seymour was five, he went to the New York state tournament for the first time and watched Peru heavyweight Nick Weaver win the championship.  He set a goal for himself then and there.

“Troy vowed he would be a heavyweight by the time he finished high school,” said Indians coach Mike Hogan.  “He started out as 103-pound seventh grader and dreamed of being a big guy. I might be able to get him in at 220 pounds this year, depending on his weight, but he’s not going to make it.  He’s not going to be a heavy.”

That might be the only unattainable goal for Seymour as he embarks on his senior campaign.  The Peru grappler has his sights set on a few other things this season, including a move up the podium in Albany at the end of February.

“My first priority is to be a state champ this year,” Seymour said.

Seymour finished fourth a year ago, placing for the first time at the state tournament.  Twice before he had come within one bout of a medal.

After beginning at the Times Union Center in 2012 with a 7-2 decision, Seymour met Burke Paddock, an opponent he had faced many times before.  However, this meeting was different, as Seymour came out on top 3-2 in double overtime, to punch his ticket to the semifinals.  He next faced undefeated Nick Mitchell of Frewsburg (now at Edinboro) and liked his chances as the clock wound down in the final period with the score deadlocked.

“I felt good about the match going into overtime,” he said.  “But then I had a hiccup with about 11 seconds left on the clock, made a mistake and got taken down.”

While he missed out on the finals in Albany (he came back to take fourth), he did make the finals of a significant tournament just a few weeks later – the NHSCA Junior Nationals in Virginia Beach.  Seymour won five straight matches to earn a spot in the title bout with Ethan Ramos of New Jersey, a contest that was tied late in the third before Ramos recorded the fall.

Seymour was far from finished with his offseason competition.  He wrestled at the Junior Duals in Oklahoma City, at Fargo and other places in between.

“Troy is a year round wrestling guy,” Hogan said. “He likes wrestling more than 99% of the kids I’ve ever coached.  They tried to make him a linebacker in football and he played soccer for a year, but those things weren’t for him.  It’s all about wrestling.  He’s always doing something related to wrestling.  He’s never said no when I’ve asked him to go to a tournament.  We’re five hours away from many events.  He’s probably spent more time in a car than any New York kid his age travelling to tournaments, but he’s willing to go anywhere.  He’s really competitive.”

That competitive nature comes out when discussing the Section 7 wins record.  Both Seymour and Northern Adirondack’s Justin Kellett recorded their 150th victory last season as juniors.  Both have a chance to break the current Section mark of 183 triumphs.  Seymour wants to do that, break 200 and see his name at the top of the leader board when the campaign is over.

“I think Kellett is up by one or two wins right now,” Hogan said [before the season started]. “If Kellett is at 160, Troy said he’ll pull to 160 for a dual to wrestle Kellett there, to try to make sure he gets one less win.”

“It would be cool to wrestle [Kellett],” Seymour added.  “We’ve never wrestled in a real match, only at Sectional practices.”

Even if he does drop for a match, Seymour plans to spend most of his time at 170 pounds again.  And he plans to stay around that weight in the future, likely competing at 174 pounds at the next level.

“I think I’ve always wanted to be Division I wrestler,” Seymour said.  “It would be a great experience and I think I’m good enough to go.”

Hogan agrees.

“Troy will be a good one in college,” Hogan said. “He’s young for his grade and he’s gotten a lot more physical over the past year after weightlifting hard.  He’s always been good on his feet and on bottom and he could ride.  But the difference last year was that he could turn people.  He became a lot more effective on top.”

That’s been true in his senior year as well.  He has raced out to an 11-0 record with nine pins and two forfeits.

Two schools Seymour was considering as of the start of wrestling season were Hofstra and Rider.   According to Hogan, he won’t have much trouble becoming acquainted with the people wherever he chooses to go.

“Troy is extremely outgoing,” Hogan said. “We go to a tournament in a gym with 200 people in it and by the time it’s over, Troy knows everyone.  He’s like the mayor, hugging everyone.  He likes to be where the action is – a really outgoing kid.”

That quality is helpful to Seymour as he spends a significant amount of time coaching the peewee wrestlers in the area, and it also helps in his role as leader of the Peru team.

“I’d just like him to stay healthy and be a good captain for us this year,” Hogan said of his expectations for the season.  “I’m sure he’ll have a great year.  It always takes a little luck to win states, but Troy is definitely good enough to be a state champion.”

 

No Sectional Singlets for the State Tournament: Petition Asks NYSPHSAA to Reconsider

Posted on by
7

Every wrestling season brings change.  There are always new coaches, new state title contenders and some young guns who show they are ready for varsity competition.  This year, there is another new development in the Empire State – the elimination of Sectional singlets for the state tournament.

This is not unique to the sport of wrestling.  Sectional uniforms were eliminated in all sports, according to the NYSPHSAA meeting notes from May of 2012.  To see those notes (the relevant item is #16 on page 1), the link is here.

After that decision, the topic was revisited at the October 2012 meeting.  After an inquiry by a Section 2 representative, it was reported that the Safety Committee agreed that wearing Section singlets at the state tournament would “improve the efficiency and time in which the appropriate medical personnel could respond to an injured athlete.”  No further comment on the issue is included.  To see those October notes (the relevant topic is on page 8), the link is here.

[The next meeting of the Executive Committee is January 29, 2013, according to the November 2012 edition of NYSPHSAA News].

Several wrestling fans have voiced their opinions on the subject.  One such voice is that of Armdrag.com Editor Tim Herman, who has put together a petition asking the governing body to reconsider the decision for this year’s state championships.  The content of that petition is below:

By Tim Herman, Editor of Armdrag.com

We the people of the NYS high school wrestling community were shocked to hear that our qualifying wrestlers will no longer have the honor of wearing their section colors during state tournament competition. This tradition of nearly 50 years has been a longstanding symbol of pride and respect for wrestlers, fans, and parents alike.

Earning a state championship singlet is not only the goal of nearly every wrestler in NYS, it’s something the spectators look forward to. Fans dress in their section colors, families have custom colored t-shirts made, and some athletes even dye their hair to match! Not to mention, in a sea of athletes, it’s nearly impossible to closely follow the action as a spectator without the visual cue. Some spectators, many of whom travel from several hours away, take time off from work, and spend the weekend in Albany, will indeed be turned-off by this decision.

Some sections allow their wrestlers to keep their singlets only if they pay for them. If money is the issue, perhaps this is a solution. Together with team warm-ups and some creative-thinking, you might even be able to turn it into a money-maker! This could work not only for wrestling, but also for other individual sports that might benefit from color-coded uniforms.

We urge you to reconsider your decision. Please bring sectional singlets back to the New York State wrestling tournament.

To go to the petition website, click here.

Weekend Recap: Garrett Earns MOW as Cornell Wins New York State Collegiate Title; Columbia Crowns Three Champions

Posted on by
1

 

This weekend, the focus of New York college wrestling was in Ithaca.

First, on Friday night, Cornell defeated Binghamton 30-7 in a rematch of the dual won on criteria by the Big Red a year ago in Vestal.  For full results of the meet between the Big Red and the Bearcats, see here.

On Saturday and Sunday, most of the Empire State’s squads across all divisions competed in the New York State Championships, with the varsity competition on the first day and the “B” event on Sunday.

For final brackets from Saturday’s event, see:

NYS Tournament Final Brackets

To watch a video replay of the championship matches, see here.

 

Here are a few quick observations from Saturday’s action:

Cornell Freshmen Didn’t Look Like Rookies

Craig Scott, Photo by BV

Without two defending NCAA champions (Kyle Dake and Steve Bosak) and a number of other starters, the Big Red won the team title on Saturday by more than 30 points.  Contributing significantly were freshmen such as Nahshon Garrett, Chris Dowdy and Craig Scott.  All three won their debuts in a Cornell singlet against the Bearcats on Friday night and they all followed up with strong showings in the tournament.

Nahshon Garrett, Photo by Boris V

Garrett earned Most Outstanding Wrestler honors after capturing the 125-pound title with a 13-9 victory over returning All-American Steve Bonanno of Hofstra.   It was the second week in a row on top of the podium for the California native, who won the Binghamton Open during the season’s opening weekend.

Scott beat NCAA qualifier Cody Reed of the Bearcats in the dual on Friday and then did it again, by a larger margin, on Saturday.  That victory put him in the finals, where he upended Tyler Beckwith to win the tournament a week after taking second at the Binghamton Open.

The finals of the Cornell wrestle-offs at 157 pounds featured Craig Eifert and Jesse Shanaman, but with both out due to injuries, Chris Dowdy made sure the Big Red remained strong at the weight class.  Dowdy notched a convincing 5-0 shutout in the meet against Binghamton and then fought his way to the finals on Saturday, where he took silver behind NCAA qualifier Jake O’Hara of Columbia.

The performances of the three first-year Cornell students bodes well for the future of the Ivy League squad, as does the work of 141-pounder Mike Nevinger who didn’t yield a point all day.  He recorded three pins and outscored his opponents 13-0 in his other two bouts to win the tournament.  Similarly dominant was 197-pounder Jace Bennett, who pinned his way to the championship match, where he notched a major decision.

 

Champions from Columbia

The Lions led the team race for portions of the day on Saturday and boasted three champions – Steve Santos (149), Jake O’Hara (157) and Stephen West (174).  There’s no question that the trio will make the Lions tough in the middleweights in 2012-13.  Santos and O’Hara both won multiple matches at the NCAA tournament last year and West was on the verge of receiving an at large bid. All three were in control throughout the day, but they weren’t alone in excelling for the Lions.  The New York City-based team also had other top four finishers — Penn Gottfried (fourth at 125), Joe Moita (fourth at 133), Josh Houldsworth (third at 165) and Nick Mills (second at 197).

 

Hofstra Takes Third

Luke Vaith, Photo by Boris V

Hofstra had one champion on the way to third place in the team competition, but it wasn’t one of the Pride’s returning 2012 NCAA qualifiers.  It was Paul Snyder, who breezed through the early rounds before a 3-1 decision over Buffalo’s Justin Heiserman in the title match.  Rob Anspach’s squad had five other representatives earn top four spots, with Steve Bonanno (125) and Jermaine John (174) taking second; Jamie Franco (133) and Luke Vaith (141) grabbing third; and Nick Terdick notching fourth.

 

Standout Performances for Cortland

Tyler Beckwith, Photo by Boris V

Only one non-Division I wrestler made the finals – Tyler Beckwith of Cortland at 184 pounds.  But Beckwith wasn’t the only grappler from the Red Dragons to impress.  Bobby Dierna took third at 149 with his only loss coming by a point to champion Steve Santos.  Jared Myhrberg  was fourth at 197 and Corey James rebounded from a first round loss to take fourth at 285.  Brad Bruhn’s squad finished sixth in the team standings, the highest finish for a non-Division I team.

Another DIII team, Ithaca, had some strong showings, including bronze finishes for both Jules Doliscar at 174 and Ricardo Gomez at 125.

 

Mark Lewandowski Knows How to Pile Up the Points

Photo by Boris V

You could say Lewandowski was dominant on his way to the crown at 165 pounds.  In his first four matches, he outscored his opponents by a combined 62-1 tally, winning each bout by technical fall.  Two of the matches ended in less than one period.  His prowess in winning by at least 15 points wasn’t surprising – he had the most technical falls in the nation last year.  But we saw first hand that if you look away for too long, you can miss a lot of points when the Buffalo senior is on the mat. (He won 12-6 in the finals).

Lewandowski’s teammates Andrew Schutt and Justin Heiserman also went to the championship bout before taking second.  None of Schutt’s matches went the distance.  He won his first three by fall and then was pinned in the finale by Cornell’s Mike Nevinger.

 

The “B” Tournament

Cornell had four champions on Saturday and another three on Sunday in the “B” tournament.  Ryan Dunphy (149), Michael Alexander (174) and Jacob Aiken-Phillips (285) all captured first place for the Big Red.

In addition, two more more Ithaca-based grapplers earned gold with Taylor Simaz (157) and Gabe Dean (184) winning for the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club.

Buffalo and Columbia each boasted a pair of victors. Sean Walton (133) and Dominic Montesanti (165) won for the Bulls while Robert Dyar (125) and Matt Idelson (197) were champions for the Lions.  Army’s Tyler Rauenzahn rounded out the champions as he stood on top of the medal stand at 141 pounds.

Final brackets for the “B” tournament are here.

 

Young New York Talent Ready to Take On the West Coast Through NYWAY Trips

Posted on by
1

“The mystique of getting on a plane and traveling all the way across the country is unbelievable for the kids,” Michael LaPorte said.

A number of young wrestlers from New York will be experiencing that mystique over the next few weeks as part of a pair of NYWAY trips.  On November 1, a group of elementary school grapplers will head to Las Vegas for the NUWAY Southwest Kickoff.  About a week later, a contingent of middle schoolers will make the journey to California to take part in the Final Four Duals and Junior Mid Cals.

Carson Alberti, Courtesy of Cobra Wrestling

Both trips involve plenty of high quality wrestling as well as an opportunity to see the surrounding areas.

The Vegas-bound crew includes 11 students ranging from kindergarten to sixth grade.

“We wanted to give kids a chance to see a new place and showcase them in a different environment,” said Kevin Lucinski, who is leading the trip. “We’ll do a little sightseeing when we get there and then wrestle in the tournament.  I think we’re all looking forward to seeing some different styles of wrestling.  When you go to different parts of the country, different things are emphasized.  Personally, I’m anxious to see the kids from California and Nevada.  Some of the brackets have Reno Worlds placers and champions.  It gives our kids a chance to test themselves and shows everyone that even if you’re the best in your state, you still have to work really hard because there are so many good wrestlers out there.”

The list of wrestlers going to Vegas includes: Carson Alberti, AJ Burkhart, Josh Gill, Michael Gonyea, Jason Hoffman, Justin Hoffman, Andy Lucinski, Jakob Lucinski, Caiden Mondore, Mitchell Seaver, Garrett Skeens and Carter Schubert.

Golden State Adventure

Matthew LaPorte and Orion Anderson, Courtesy of Michael LaPorte

LaPorte, who led the trip to Northern California last year as well, never had any doubt that he wanted to return again in 2012.

“Just hearing the kids talking amongst themselves about how much fun they were having was worth all the hard work that goes into it,” he said. “I knew I wanted to do it again.  It’s really important to helping the sport grow in New York and having the kids advance as much as they possibly can. Having West and East coast meet each other is something special.”

There were some exciting matchups last year for the Empire State squad.  The team placed fourth at the dual meet competition and had two wrestlers win individual titles as well.  Both of those grapplers, Orion Anderson and Dane Heberlein, are coming back.

“It’s always great competition,” LaPorte said.  “Orion (80 pounds) was the only New York wrestler to go undefeated last year on both days.  He had some close matches, but he always came out on top. I think some of those California kids will be looking for him because of his performance last year.  Dane will be at 90 pounds.  He’s super excited about going back.  He was the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler last year and I think some of those West Coast kids will be looking for another chance at him as well.”

Also returning is Matthew Laporte (70 pounds), who registered a number of victories in 2011.   Joining the team will be Isaiah Bailey, Anthony Cirillo, Grant Cuomo, Antonio Cutrie, Connor Fredericks, Michael Gonyea, Jason Hoffman, Stephen Kapuscinski, Zach Kornberg and Dillan Palaszewski.

What excites LaPorte about the squad is that it brings wrestlers from all over the Empire State.

“The really good thing is that we were able to get a nice balance of the state with the addition of a few Long Island kids this year,” LaPorte said.  “Just about every area of New York has some representation, which is a good, healthy sign.”

According to NYWAY President Clint Wattenberg, the organization is working to expand to cover more of the Empire State this coming season.

“In representing New York with wrestlers from all corners of the state, it helps us get the word out about the many things that we are trying to do to increase opportunities for our young wrestlers. This year we hope to have the same broad representation at our NYWAY State Championships, which will serve to coalesce our season.”

As is the case with the Vegas trip, NYWAY will be covering a large portion of the wrestler costs.  According to LaPorte, the cost to each wrestler to go to California, including airfare, hotel, custom singlets, event entry costs is $250.

Like last year, the team will take some time to explore San Francisco in addition to both a dual event and an individual tournament.

“We’ll get there on Friday and have some time to rest,” he said. “Then, we’ll wrestle in the Final Four duals on Saturday and the Mid Cals on Sunday.  On Monday, which is a holiday, our agenda is to take the kids sightseeing – the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Fisherman’s Wharf.  It will be a great end to the trip.”

As for accomplishments on the mat, LaPorte said he’d like to improve upon last year’s fourth place showing in the duals.

“We’d like to be top three as a team this time,” he said. “And we want to place as many kids as possible into the finals on the second day.  But the biggest thing for me is making sure that it’s a great experience for the kids.  It’s great for them to know there’s so much more out there in wrestling and outside of it.  It’s really rewarding for me as a coach to be part of it.”

Piccininni Prevails Over Nation's #1 Wrestler, Joins Carthage's Shayne Brady in the Quarterfinals

Posted on by
Reply

It will be hard to keep him out of the national rankings now.

Nick Piccininni has won a string of tournaments in recent weeks, dominating in most of his bouts, but he didn’t appear in the latest national rankings at 113 pounds.  On Saturday, he stated his case once again with pins in his first three matches before an overtime triumph over the country’s #1 sophomore wrestler, Zahid Valencia of California, to advance to the quarterfinals at the Super 32 Challenge against Sean Russell of Georgia.

Shayne Brady, Photo by Boris V

Also making the quarterfinals was state runner up Shayne Brady of Carthage, who tallied a 3-0 record at 182 pounds to earn a meeting tomorrow morning with Cornell recruit Jake Taylor of Pennsylvania with a semifinal berth on the line.

After dropping his first bout at 126 pounds, Shoreham Wading River’s TJ Fabian navigated a difficult path to the second day of competition, impressively winning five in a row to set up a battle with Michigan’s Ken Bade on Sunday.

In the 120-pound class, a pair of Suffolk County grapplers, Steven Bulzomi of Connetquot and Travis Passaro of Eastport South Manor, moved forward after each compiling 3-1 marks in Saturday’s action. Bulzomi will meet Tommy Ziegler of Ohio while Passaro will take on Zacheri Ulerick of Pennsylvania.

Also continuing in consolation action is Horace Greeley’s Nelson Wymbs, who will face Eldon Valery of Virginia at 220.

The brackets are here.

Additional Results for New York wrestlers

106 Pounds:

Nick Barbaria (New Rochelle) – (2-2)

Christian Briody (Chaminade) – (0-2)

Ryan Burns (Clarence) – (4-2)

Nick Casella (Locust Valley) – (2-2)

Tito Colom (Scorpion/Cobra) – (1-2)

Jon Errico (Byram Hills) – (1-2)

Brandon Fay (Fox Lane) – (0-2)

Andrew North (Pine Bush) – (2-2)

Jack Scurti (Half Hollow Hills East) – (1-2)

113 Pounds:

Joe Nelson (Oxford) – (1-2)

Andrew Flanagan (Holley) – (1-2)

Timothy Johnson (Harborfields) – (0-2)

Ben Lamantia (St. Anthony’s) – (3-2)

120 Pounds:

Travis Alexander (Long Island Lutheran) – (0-2)

Anthony Calvano (Nanuet) – (4-2)

Mike D’Angelo (Commack) – (4-2)

Jeffrey Gould (Pittsford Mendon) – (0-2)

Joe Russ (St. Anthony’s) – (2-2)

126 Pounds:

Freddie Dunau (St. Anthony’s) – (2-2)

Blaise Rufo (Monsignor Farrell) – (1-2)

Ryan Snow (General Brown) – (3-2)

132 Pounds:

Chris Araoz (Wantagh) – (3-2)

Sam Melikian (Fordham Prep) – (1-2)

Conor O’Hara (Sachem East) – (3-2)

Jon Silveri (Arlington) – (1-2)

138 Pounds:

Vincent Deprez (Hilton) – (1-2)

Kevin Jackson (St. Anthony’s) – (1-2)

Sam Ward (Locust Valley) – (0-2)

145 Pounds:

Nick Alessandrini (St. Anthony’s) – (0-2)

Anthony Deprez (Hilton) – (0-2)

Isaiah Riccio (Beaver River) – (1-2)

152 Pounds:

Mike Dusold (Locust Valley) – (1-2)

Matthew Haenel (Half Hollow Hills East) – (0-2)

Joseph Koshakow (Scarsdale) – (3-2)

Connor Lawrence (Duanesburg) – (0-2)

Rowdy Prior (Phoenix) – (2-2)

Matthew Russo (Horace Mann) – (3-2)

Paul Schoenberg (Baruch) – (1-2)

160 Pounds

Joe Mastro (Yorktown) – (2-2)

Andrew Psomas (Monsignor Farrell) – (3-2)

Jun Yoo (Jericho) – (0-2)

170 Pounds:

Johnny Vrasidas (St. Anthony’s) – (2-2)

Austin Weigel (Onteora) – (3-2)

182 Pounds:

Kevin Rodriguez (Patchogue-Medford) – (0-2)

Dan Smith (South Jefferson) – (1-2)

195 Pounds:

Chris Chambers (East Islip) – (1-2)

Collin Pittman (Spencerport) – (2-2)


New York Wrestlers Ready to Make Their Mark at the Super 32 Challenge

Posted on by
Reply

Last year, Jamel Hudson and Maverick Passaro kicked off their state championship seasons by making the podium at one of the nation’s toughest tournaments, the Super 32 Challenge in Greensboro, North Carolina. Both showed their skills in fields loaded with All-Americans and top 100 recruits, with Hudson (now a Hofstra freshman), grabbing fourth at 132 pounds while Passaro (Rutgers) earned eighth in the 126-pound bracket.

This year, over 60 New York wrestlers are entered in the high school division and an additional 19 in the middle school competition.  Action begins on Saturday and runs through Sunday.

Sean Peacock, Photo by Boris V

So, who from the Empire State will earn a spot on the podium this weekend? Here are some of the many candidates:

A pair of 2012 state champions will be taking the mat as Ward Melville’s Nick Piccininni and Sean Peacock of Midlakes are registered at 113 and 120 pounds, respectively.  In addition, 2012 state silver medalists Justin Cooksey (126), Vincent Deprez (138), Drew Hull (152) and Shayne Brady (182) are entered, as is bronze winner Isaiah Riccio, who will be at 145.

The parade of All-State wrestlers continues as New Rochelle’s Nick Barbaria, Locust Valley’s Nick Casella and Holley’s Andrew Flanagan are set to go at 106 while Shoreham Wading River’s TJ Fabian, General Brown’s Ryan Snow and 2011 NYS placer Freddie Dunau will be at 126.  In addition, Oxford’s Joe Nelson (113) and Bellmore JFK’s Robert Person (120) will take the mat, as will NHSCA Junior National champion Chris Araoz (at 132).

But the previous New York medalists aren’t the only threats to excel.  In 2011, John Keck (now a freshman at Navy) took third at the Super 32 without having earned All-State honors in his career to that point.  Many other New Yorkers look to follow that path.

Several of the top young wrestlers in New York are set to compete in the Middle School event.  One interesting matchup could take place at 100 pounds where  Intermat‘s #5 ranked Junior High wrestler in the nation, Yianni Diakomihalis of Hilton, could collide with Syosset’s Vitali Arujau.  They were both victorious in different brackets at the Journeymen Classic near Albany a few weeks ago.

The full list of Empire State participants at the Super 32 is below:

 

High School

106 Pounds:

Nick Barbaria (New Rochelle)

Christian Briody (Chaminade)

Ryan Burns (Clarence)

Nick Casella (Locust Valley)

Tito Colom (Scorpion/Cobra)

Jon Errico (Byram Hills)

Brandon Fay (Fox Lane)

Andrew Flanagan (Holley)

Andrew North (Pine Bush)

Jack Scurti (Half Hollow Hills East)

113 Pounds:

Timothy Johnson (Harborfields)

Ben Lamantia (St. Anthony’s)

Joe Nelson (Oxford)

Nick Piccininni (Ward Melville)

120 Pounds:

Travis Alexander (Long Island Lutheran)

Steven Bulzomi (Connetquot)

Anthony Calvano (Nanuet)

Mike D’Angelo (Commack)

Jeffrey Gould (Pittsford Mendon)

Sean Peacock (Midlakes)

Robert Person (Bellmore JFK)

Joe Russ (St. Anthony’s)

Adam Santoro (Fordham Prep)

126 Pounds:

Justin Cooksey (MacArthur)

Freddie Dunau (St. Anthony’s)

TJ Fabian (Shoreham Wading River)

Travis Passaro (Eastport South Manor)

Blaise Rufo (Monsignor Farrell)

Ryan Snow (General Brown)

132 Pounds:

Chris Araoz (Wantagh)

Sam Melikian (Fordham Prep)

Conor O’Hara (Sachem East)

Jon Silveri (Arlington)

138 Pounds:

Vincent Deprez (Hilton)

Kevin Jackson (St. Anthony’s)

Jakob Restrepo (Sachem East)

Sam Ward (Locust Valley)

145 Pounds:

Nick Alessandrini (St. Anthony’s)

Anthony Deprez (Hilton)

John Doherty (Monticello)

Matthew Haenel (Half Hollow Hills East)

Isaiah Riccio (Beaver River)

John Vouzonis (Herricks)

152 Pounds:

Mike Dusold (Locust Valley)

Declan Gray (Chaminade)

Drew Hull (Royalton Hartland)

Joseph Koshakow (Scarsdale)

Connor Lawrence (Duanesburg)

Rowdy Prior (Phoenix)

Matthew Russo (Horace Mann)

Paul Schoenberg (Baruch)

160 Pounds

Joe Mastro (Yorktown)

Andrew Psomas (Monsignor Farrell)

Jun Yoo (Jericho)

170 Pounds:

Johnny Vrasidas (St. Anthony’s)

Austin Weigel (Onteora)

182 Pounds:

Shayne Brady (Carthage)

Matt Roberts (Monsignor Farrell)

Kevin Rodriguez (Patchogue-Medford)

Dan Smith (South Jefferson)

195 Pounds:

Chris Chambers (East Islip)

Collin Pittman (Spencerport)

220 Pounds:

Roman Accetta (Poly Prep)

Nelson Wymbs (Horace Greeley)

 

Middle School

70 Pounds:

Michael Gonyea (East Greenbush)

Drew Schafer (Marion)

75 Pounds:

Adam Busiello (Eastport South Manor)

Salvatore Jones (Lindenhurst)

Dylan Ryder (Candlewood)

80 Pounds:

Joseph Russo (Wantagh)

85 Pounds:

John DeRidder (Carle Place)

Tony Negron (631 Elite)

90 Pounds:

AJ Burkhart (Waverly)

Peter Pappas (POB)

Jack Ward (Locust Valley)

95 Pounds:

Hector Colom (Scorpion/Cobra)

Zachery Lawrence (Duanesburg)

100 Pounds:

Vitali Arujau (Syosset)

Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton)

105 Pounds:

Zachary Ancewicz (John Glenn)

112 Pounds:

Hunter Dusold (Locust Valley)

120 Pounds:

Louis Deprez (Hilton)

157 Pounds:

Michael Spallina (Hilton)

 

Section 7 Preview: Will Seymour or Kellett Become the All-Time Wins Leader in the Section?

Posted on by
Reply

The Section 7 wins record is in reach for a pair of seniors – Troy Seymour of Peru and Justin Kellett of Northern Adirondack.  Whether one or both of them finish the season atop the all-time victory leaderboard will be a story worth following.  Seymour is the only returning placewinner from the area. However, Kellett and a pair of Saranac wrestlers who came within one victory of the medal stand at the Times Union Center a year ago, Codie Gillette and Nate Wood, will be among those who could score points for Section 7 in February.

 

Returning State Placewinners (from 2012)

 

Fourth Place: Troy Seymour (12) Peru, 170 Pounds

 

Additional Returning State Qualifiers (from 2012)

 

99 Pounds: Ethan Feazelle (9) Peru

106 Pounds: Kyle Agoney (12) Peru

113 Pounds: Max Marte (12) Peru

120 Pounds: Codie Gillette (11) Saranac

126 Pounds: Jordan Bushey (10) Peru

138 Pounds: Nick Forget (11) Peru

145 Pounds: Hunter Carpenter (11) Northern Adirondack

152 Pounds: Jackson Sunderland (12) Northern Adirondack

160 Pounds: Justin Kellett (12) Northern Adirondack

182 Pounds: Nate Wood (11) Saranac

220 Pounds: Luke McKee (11) Peru

 

Wrestlers to Watch

Section 7 graduated three All-State grapplers from 2012 – sixth place finishers Jacob Goddeau of Peru (132) and Ben Perry of Saranac (195) and 285-pound state champion Hayden Head of Beekmantown.   However, 12 of last season’s Section 7 champions return with valuable postseason experience.

Leading the way is one of New York’s best – Troy Seymour. The Peru senior is a three-time state qualifier who took fourth place in 2012 at 170 pounds in a weight class populated by a current Division I wrestler (Nick Mitchell of Frewsburg) and two wrestlers who have won NHSCA National titles during their careers (Zack Zupan of Canastota and Burke Paddock of Warsaw).

Seymour came close to winning a national crown of his own this spring, as he went all the way to the finals of the NHSCA Juniors, finishing as the runner up to Ethan Ramos of New Jersey.  It was the third appearance on the national podium for Seymour, but for now, his focus is on getting to the top of the stand in Albany for Peru.

Who else is a medal threat in February?  There are quite a few wrestlers very capable of making the leap.  Among these grapplers are the Saranac duo of Codie Gillette and Nate Wood.  The juniors both were within one win of placing last season.  Gillette went 2-2 at 120 pounds in Albany after a 29-6 campaign for the Chiefs.  His teammate Wood, who also had close to 30 wins, drew eventual state and national champion Tony Lock of Pioneer in the first round at 182, but responded with a pair of victories in the consolations before dropping a match to Tyler Morris of Salem to end his run.

“Codie Gillette works his tail off,” said Peru head coach Mike Hogan. “He’s an awesome kid who works out with us quite a bit, goes to camps and does everything he can to get better.  Nate Wood is also tough – a street-tough type of kid.”

Like Wood, Justin Kellett of North Adirondack also met the top seed in his opening bout at the state tournament (Chris Nevinger of Letchworth Central).  Kellett came back to record a technical fall in his next match and after a 41-3 campaign, will look to grab a few more wins this year in Albany.  He certainly has compiled a large number of victories in his career – more than 150 – and the Section 7 record of 183 wins is within his grasp (and that of Troy Seymour).

“Kellett will be very hard to beat,” Hogan said. “He’s a bright kid with a high academic average and he’s also a very tough kid on the mat.  He had a difficult draw at states getting Nevinger first and it impacted him, but he’ll be back and he’ll be someone to watch.”

He’s not the only one to watch in the Northern Adirondack room.  Kellett has some tough workout partners, including Jackson Sunderland, who returns after a 30-4 campaign at 145.

 

Also Keep an Eye On . . .

Hogan believes a pair of Peru state qualifiers from a year ago, junior Nick Forget and sophomore Jordan Bushey, are candidates for breakout campaigns.  Forget, who went 32-5 at 138 a year ago, may move down to 132 after the graduation of multiple time state placer Jacob Goddeau.  Meanwhile, Bushey garnered a 27-9 mark as a freshman.  Both picked up valuable experience at Fargo this summer.

There are also wrestlers who didn’t step on the mat at the Times Union Center in 2012 who could make some noise in Albany.  Noah Phillips of Peru is one of them.  He won his first 38 matches a year ago at 145 pounds, including 31 by bonus points, before losing what turned out to be his last bout of the season – in overtime to Northern Adirondack’s Hunter Carpenter in the Section 7 final.  Phillips had defeated Carpenter twice earlier in the campaign – by fall and by seven points.  He will no doubt be on a mission to make his mark this season.

Scott Kellett of Northern Adirondack, who dropped a one-point decision to Gillette in the Section 7 title bout in 2012, could have a breakout season after compiling a 24-9 record as a freshman.

 

The Team Race . . .

Peru's Kyler Agoney, Photo by Boris V

In 2012, Peru won the Section 7 team crown by 25 points over Northern Adirondack.  The Indians are in the driver’s seat again.  In addition to the seven returning qualifiers mentioned above, the squad brings back 20 match winners Brandon Goddeau and Tanner Phillips, as well as junior Josh Wright, who captured 30 victories a year ago at 152 pounds.

Northern Adirondack will try to mount another strong challenge with their trio of returning champions (Carpenter, Sunderland and Justin Kellett) and four Section 7 silver medalists from a year ago Austin Trombley (99 pounds), Rusty Pombrio (106), Scott Kellett (120) and Dallas Page (195).

“I really like our team this year,” Peru coach Hogan said.  “We have a lot of kids returning who have been very successful.  But we know Northern Adirondack is a good wrestling town.  They’re tough farm kids and they’re workers.   There are only 30 boys per class and they still get good numbers for the wrestling team.  And Saranac will be tough too.  Those kids have worked like crazy this summer.”

 

Special thanks to those who contributed to this story, especially Mike Hogan of Peru.

 

More Season Previews:

Section 1 Preview

Section 3 Preview

Section 9 Preview

 

Season Preview Feature (more to come):

Section 1 Feature:  Aslanian and Realbuto, All-State Wrestlers and Workout Partners, Seek to End Their Careers on Top of the Podium

Take a Look at More Videos from this Weekend's Journeymen Classic, Featuring Several NY State Placewinners

Posted on by
Reply

Here are a few more videos from the Journeymen Classic this weekend, featuring several more New York state placewinners.  For the remainder of the videos and results, see link

 

TJ Fabian (NYS 4th) vs. Sean Peacock (NYS Champion)

 

Nick Piccininni (NYS Champion) vs. Nick Casella (NYS Runner Up)

 

Justin Cooksey (NYS Runner Up) vs. Christian Vallis (New England Prep Champ)

 

Vitali Arujau (VHW) vs. Josh Logiudice (Journeymen)

 

Johnny Stramiello (NYS Placer) vs. Blake Retell (Journeymen)

 

Chris Koo (NHSCA All-American) vs. Logan Dean (Virginia State Placer)