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

Posted on October 19, 2012 by Urgent Doctor

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)

Results from the Weekend of Oct 13-14: Lions Club Challenge and VHW at PA Duals

Posted on October 16, 2012 by Urgent Doctor

Many of the wrestlers who will star in the CHSAA, PSAL and Long Island this season took the mat for the Lions Club Preseason Challenge over the weekend. Among the notable winners were All-State wrestler TJ Fabian of Shoreham Wading River/X-Cel at 138 pounds and state qualifier Richard Sisti of Monsignor Farrell in the 220-pound class. For full finals results from the high school, schoolboy and novice divisions, see below.

High School:

99 Pounds: Christopher Martorello (VHW) win by forfeit Paco Robles (Park Ridge)

106 Pounds: Jesse Dellavecchia (631 Elite) dec John Busiello (Eastport South Manor), 8-3

113 Pounds: Salvatore Cipolla (East Islip) dec Paul Capobianco (VHW), 2-0

120 Pounds: Santo Curatolo (Tottenville) dec Kyle Quinn (Bigtyme), 5-2

126 Pounds: Mike D’Angelo (Ascend) dec Emmett LiCastri (Iowa Style), 2-0

132 Pounds: Justin Cochran (Apex) dec Donny Donnelly (RaZor), 2-0

138 Pounds: TJ Fabian (X-Cel) fall Oran Revivo (Ascend), 2:50

145 Pounds: CJ Labate (Commack) win by forfeit Anthony Rice (Brearley)

152 Pounds: Richard Luxmore (Ascend) major Jimmy Devine (NY Titans), 9-0

160 Pounds: Konstantin Purfiryev (James Madison) dec Andrew Gray (West Islip), 5-2

170 Pounds: Andrew Voelker (Apex) dec Andrew Psomas (Monsignor Farrell), 4-2

182 Pounds: Christian Araneo (RaZor) fall Devante Orosco (Truman), 1:55

195 Pounds: Roland Zilberman (Brooklyn) dec Tal Granot (Hauppauge), 4-2

220 Pounds: Richard Sisti (Monsignor Farrell) dec Kevin Tynes (Brooklyn Tech), 6-3 (Round Robin)

285 Pounds: Mark Ifraimov (James Madison) fall Joshua Ritchey (Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake)

Schoolboy (Round Robin)

75 Pounds: Tyler Sung (Apex) pin Anthony Sciotto (Rocky Point)

87 Pounds: John DeRidder (VHW) dec Matt McGowan (Jackson), 6-0

95 Pounds: Nick Lombard (Rhino) dec Zach Dobson (Ridge), 6-0

99 Pounds: Nico Mattia (Barn Brawlers) dec Johnny Devine (NY Titans), 5-2

107 Pounds: Garrett Beam (Apex) major Don Albach (Rhino), 8-0

116 Pounds: Stephen Glasglow (Rhino) major Aidan Dunphy (Rhino), 10-1

127 Pounds: Zachary Kornberg (Ascend) major Dave Flynn (Farrell Lions), 9-0

Novice (Round Robin)

67 Pounds: Darren Ketcham (Rocky Point) major Joseph Dulog, 9-0

68 Pounds: Joseph Cangro (Apex) major Drew Doscher (N. Hunterdon), 11-1

76 Pounds: Tyler Sung (Ascend) tech Logan Sciotto (Rocky Point), 22-4

106 Pounds: Carson LiCastri (Iowa Style) win by forfeit Marco Gaita (Long Valley)

127 Pounds: Jacob Cardenas (One) dec Niccolo Colucci (Summit)

VHW Goes 7-2 in Pennsylvania Duals

Vougar Honors Wrestling took a team to Pennsylvania for a pair of duals events – (Bad Karma and Ragin Raisins)*. The squad recorded an impressive 7-2 record, with the two losses coming to Team Quest, 30-14 and Ragin Raisins, 30-21. The team members were:

102 Pounds: Vitali Arujau (undefeated)

108: John Twomey

115: Ben Lamantia

121: Tim Johnson/Mike Berkowitz

128: Joe Russ

132: Mike Lanasa

140: Sam Ward

147: Brendan Dent/Matt Haenel

155: Mike Dusold

171: John Vrasidas

182: Gio Santiago

194: Dan Choi (undefeated)

220: Roman Accetta (undefeated)

No 162 or 285 pounder.

* information provided by VHW

Gregor Gillespie 'Faced The Demons' and is Getting Ready For MMA Stardom

Posted on October 10, 2012 by Urgent Doctor

By Irwin Loew

Photo by Irwin Loew

Seven days per week. Sweat pouring off his face. The muscles aching and the body getting tired. For the ordinary person, yes. For Gregor Gillespie, no. We’re talking about a four-time NCAA Division I All-American from Edinboro University. No redshirt.

The fact is, Gregor succeeded. He got an education and didn’t look back. The time is the present. From running and conditioning to striking and counterattacks; from taking punches and giving them, kicking and learning the fine art of submission holds — it never stops. Gregor Gillespie will be the next star of MMA. There is no stopping him and the desire he brings to the table. It doesn’t matter if he’s on a bike doing 100 miles on his day off or training the new guns from his home in Nassau County. He’s a rare athlete who is always working or teaching and he wants to win now.

Gillespie provided insights about starting in MMA, his wrestling career, some things few people know about him and more in a recent interview.

First, some questions on your fighting career . . .

When did you decide to make the transition to fighting? Was it something you considered for a long time?

Gregor Gillespie (GG): I decided to fight in November of 2011. It’s a bit complicated, but I’ll try to lay out the timeline of events that led me to where I am today. 2009 was my last NCAA tournament and then I didn’t do anything competitive for about two years. In late 2010, I decided I was going to compete again and began wrestling freestyle. In late 2011, I moved to Long Island to take a coaching job at Hofstra where I would also train for freestyle tournaments.

It wasn’t long after I moved to Long Island that I found myself in a bind, torn between my lifelong love of wrestling or pursuing the exciting world of fighting. I’ll try not to minimize how hard of a decision it really was — it was REALLY REALLY TOUGH turning away from my dream of pursuing a shot at the Olympics. But I figured I was having so much fun fighting that I would follow what was piquing my interest more. And I figured I would be nice and let Jordan Burroughs take the gold (just kidding, Jordan).

It’s funny, when I was living in Rochester after my last NCAA tournament, I was at my ex-girlfriend’s house and she had a roommate whose boyfriend Ryan was an avid UFC follower. He began pestering me about why I wasn’t fighting and I very sternly told him I would NEVER, in a million years, fight. I guess he was right.

Tell us about the deal you signed with Resurrection Fighting Alliance (RFA).

GG: I can’t go into depth, but I will say that the RFA has given me an extremely clean contract and they were the ONLY organization who could guarantee me fights. I don’t know the dates of all my fights yet, I am preparing for one at a time. My first fight will be on November 2nd in Las Vegas.

At what weight will you compete?

GG: Lightweight. 155 pounds of nothing but lean muscle.

What do you feel your strengths are now and what do you most need to work on?

GG: I’d say my kung fu needs a little work, but I’ve dabbled in wrestling a little bit so that might be one of my strong points.

Who are your main training partners?

GG: Ryan LaFlare, Dennis Bermudez and Marcos Galvao.

Who has influenced you and your style?

GG: There are five people I really look up to that are involved in my MMA career: 1. Tim Flynn, who was my college coach. 2. Gregg Depo, my ‘jitz’ coach. 3. Ryan LaFlare, one of my main training partners as well as one of my cornermen. 4. Marcos Galvao, who with Depo has taken my ‘jitz’ game to incredible levels in the short period of time I’ve been doing it. 5. Keith Trimble, my striking coach, and all-around mentor.

Who would be the opponent you would most like to face if you could choose anyone?

GG: You said anyone so I assume that means I’m allowed to venture outside my weight class. If that’s the case, then it would have to be Chael Sonnen just to experience having a press conference where I’m the guy he’s aiming all his [sh–] talk towards. I would love to hear what he would have to say, seriously.

What are your expectations for yourself in the next year or so?

GG: I see myself with five wins and zero losses a year from now, and then it’s Dana White that makes the decision on where I go from there.

Now, a few questions on the influence wrestling has had on you.

What are the most important things wrestling has helped you with in your fighting?

GG: Mental toughness and how to wear guys down.

What will you miss most about wrestling?

GG: Singlets and getting to compete every week.

Will you stay involved with Hofstra or with wrestling in general? What was the best part of your experience coaching at Hofstra?

GG: At this point, I’m not involved with Hofstra. If Justin Accordino needs me to come in though, I will. He’s my boy. My favorite memory of coaching at Hofstra was being in Justin’s corner when he pinned Ian Miller in last year’s NCAAs.

What were your expectations for yourself coming into college?

GG: I expected to party my [a–] off and get tons of girls, which I did.

Who was the toughest matchup for you in college?

GG: [Cornell NCAA champion] Jordan Leen, hands down. He was the only person to beat me more than once in my entire career.

What was your most memorable match?

GG: Beating Dustin Schlatter in the semifinals of the NCAAs the year I won the title.

What achievements were you most proud of?

GG: There are a few things I’m really proud of on and off the mat. On the mat, it would be my first state title as a sophomore in high school and then winning the NCAA nationals in college.

Off the mat, most people don’t know this, but I won a battle against addiction to drugs and alcohol. I turned my life around on May 30, 2010 and it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I’m extremely proud of that.

And a few more questions . . .

Have you seen significant changes in New York wrestling at the high school/youth levels since you were in high school?

GG: I don’t like the fact that New York has two divisions, but I do LOVE the fact that they have wildcards. I think the major change I’ve experienced is the level of wrestling and commitment on Long Island as compared to upstate. (This is common knowledge, don’t get offended fellow upstaters).

For the serious youth or high school wrestler, what suggestions can you make with respect to training?

GG: My suggestion to all youth and high school wrestlers who are serious about training is simple – come to me for private lessons.

Are there any changes you would like to see incorporated in this country to make us even more competitive in the international styles?

GG: I think folkstyle is not only the best style of the sport, but I also think it is the most well suited for a smooth transition into fighting. Think about it, there’s no mat wrestling in freestyle or Greco, so the mat control aspect is less developed than in someone who has excelled in folkstyle.

What are your favorite things to do outside of training?

GG: Wakeboarding is my favorite acitvity outside of training. I landed my first backflips this summer. People probably don’t know that I am obsessed with the Tour de France and cycling in general. One of my favorite non-fighting types of training is to go out on my road bike for 80-100 mile rides.

What would you change if you could?

GG: I wouldn’t change a thing. I faced the demons from my past and won and it has made me the person I am today – a good, trustworthy, reliable, honest, hardworking person. Throw on top of all those things that I’m extremely gifted and talented and wow, look out 155 pounders. You’re in for a treat.

Piccininni, Muldoon Win Titles at the Iron Horse Invitational; Fabian, Melikian, Almaviva and McDevitt Take Second

Posted on October 7, 2012 by Urgent Doctor

Photo by Boris V

For Nick Piccininni, it was just another undefeated weekend. There have been quite a few of those recently for the 2012 state champion from Ward Melville as he went 4-0 in South Plainfield, New Jersey to capture the title at the Iron Horse Invitational. Among his victories were a major over New Jersey qualifier John Amato and a 1-0 decision over Garden State placer Craig DeLaCruz. The performance was a continuation of a dominant month for Piccininni, which included a title at the Journeymen Classic last Sunday, an unblemished record at the Waterway Duals (while wrestling up a weight) and a dominant championship at the Super 32 Qualifier in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. He’ll try to keep the momentum going at the Super 32 tournament in North Carolina in a few weeks.

Piccininni wasn’t the only champion from the Empire State at the Iron Horse. Pearl River’s John Muldoon won gold in his bracket after going 4-0 against opponents from New Jersey.

In a round robin tournament loaded with state champions and placers, four New York grapplers took second. A week ago at the Journeymen Classic, Shoreham Wading River’s TJ Fabian won each of his matches by pin while taking second behind New Jersey medalist Anthony Giraldo. On Sunday, it was a similar story. Fabian pinned three of his opponents in South Plainfield while losing a tight, 3-1 bout to Giraldo to take the silver.

Also competing last weekend at the Journeymen Classic were Fordham Prep’s Sam Melikian and Shenendehowa’s David Almaviva. Both followed up with second place performances in New Jersey. Almaviva cruised past Garden State foes Max Elling and Collin Boylan and won a close one over fellow New Yorker Thomas Dutton, 3-1 in overtime. His only setback was a 2-1 bout in the tiebreakers against Florida’s Aaron Hartman. Melikian also notched a 3-1 record topping a trio of New Jersey wrestlers by a combined score of 24-7 while dropping his match with Sean Glasgow.

Wantagh’s Dan McDevitt and Joshua Ugalde both completed action with a 3-1 mark in their upperweight bracket, however, Ugalde tallied more bonus points during the day to secure the title. McDevitt, who finished fifth at the state tournament in 2012, outscored his opponents 23-4 in his three victories.

Taking third place for New York were: Wantagh’s Chris Araoz (including a victory over New Jersey placer and nationally ranked Zack Hertling), Rocky Point’s Thomas Dutton and Shenendehowa teammates Nick Kelley, Levi Ashley and Zach Joseph. For full results, see below:

Fifth Place: Vinny Skokos, Nanuet (Bracket 3)

Mike Russo (NJ) dec Skokos, Nanuet, 7-5 OT

Max Nauta (NJ) pin Skokos, 2:39

Tyler Casamenti (NJ) dec Skokos, 4-2

Brian Damon (NJ) over Skokos, forfeit

1st Place: Nick Piccininni, Ward Melville (Bracket 5)

Piccininni dec Matthew Lattanze (PA), 6-4

Piccininni over Blake Retell (NY), forfeit

Piccininni over Craig DeLaCruz (NJ), 1-0

Piccininni major John Amato (NJ),10-2

Fifth Place: Blake Retell, Shaker (Bracket 5)

Matthew Lattanze (PA) dec Retell, 1-0

John Amato (NJ) dec Retell, 6-2

Retell forfeited vs. Piccininni and DeLaCruz

Fourth place: Travis Passaro, Eastport South Manor (Bracket 9)

Dave McFadden (NJ) dec Passaro, 3-2

Sal Profaci (NJ) dec Passaro, 8-3

Kyle Brady over Passaro, forfeit

1st Place: John Muldoon, Pearl River (Bracket 11)

Muldoon dec Devon LaFranco (NJ), 5-1

Muldoon major Mike DeFaria (NJ), 13-3

Muldoon dec Tommy Gattinella, 4-3

Muldoon over Mike Van Brill (NJ), forfeit

2nd Place: TJ Fabian, Shoreham Wading River (Bracket 12)

Fabian pin Joe Kratochvil (NJ), 1:20

Fabian pin Troy Shaafsma (NJ), 2:55

Fabian pin Billy Ward (NJ), 1:26

Anthony Giraldo (NJ) dec Fabian, 3-1

3rd Place: Chris Araoz, Wantagh (Bracket 14)

Scott Delvecchio (NJ) pin Araoz 3:57

Mike Pongracz (NJ) dec Araoz, 2-0

Araoz dec Zack Hertling (NJ), 4-0

Araoz major Ryan Burkert (NJ), 19-4

2nd Place: Sam Melikian, Fordham Prep (Bracket 16)

Melikian dec Joe Tavoso (NJ), 10-3

Melikian major Vin Carriddi (NJ), 9-1

Melikian dec Matt Barber (NJ), 5-3

Sean Glasgow (NJ) dec Melikian, 11-6

3rd Place: Nick Kelley, Shenendehowa (Bracket 18)

Kelley pin Miguel Calixto (VT), 4:20

Kelley pin Spencer Carey (NJ), 3:24

Troy Heilmann (NJ) dec Kelley, 10-7

Brian Hamann (NJ) dec Kelley, 3-0

3rd Place: Zach Joseph, Shenendehowa (Bracket 19)

Joseph over Tyler Kozimor (NJ), forfeit

Joseph over Jesse Thorsen (NJ), forfeit

Gary Dinmore (NJ) major Joseph, 13-1

Joseph Grello (NJ) dec Joseph, 10-3

2nd Place: David Almaviva, Shenendehowa (Bracket 20)

Almaviva dec Collin Boylan (NJ), 5-1

Almaviva dec Thomas Dutton (NY), 3-1 OT

Aaron Hartman (FL) dec Almaviva 2-1 tb

Almaviva major Max Elling (NJ), 10-0

3rd Place: Thomas Dutton, Rocky Point (Bracket 20)

Aaron Hartman (FL) dec Dutton, 4-3

Almaviva dec Dutton, 3-1 OT

Dutton major Max Elling (NJ), 11-1

Dutton pin Collin Boylan (NJ), 1:22

2nd Place: Dan McDevitt, Wantagh (Bracket 24)

McDevitt dec Nick Carey (NJ), 7-2

McDevitt dec Zach Spira (NJ), 6-0

Joshua Ugalde (NJ) dec McDevitt, 2-0 OT

McDevitt dec Colin Barber (NJ), 7-2

3rd Place: Levi Ashley, Shenendehowa (Bracket 27)

Ashley dec Austin Price (VT), 7-4

Ali Yildiz (NJ) major Ashley, 10-1

Nathan Bueno (NJ) dec Ashley, 5-2

Ashley dec Matt Correnti (NJ), 10-4

All-State Wrestlers Piccininni, Kelley, Almaviva, Fabian and McDevitt Ready For Tests at the Iron Horse Invitational

Posted on October 6, 2012 by Urgent Doctor

Photos of Piccininni, McDevitt and Kelley by Boris V

Last weekend, many New York wrestlers tested themselves against competition from all over the country at the Journeymen Wrestling Classic near Albany. As the start of the season inches closer, many of the same competitors will travel to New Jersey on Sunday to once again challenge themselves against some of the best from the Garden State, Pennsylvania, Florida, Maryland and Vermont at the Iron Horse Invitation in South Plainfield. The round robin tournament includes champions from the states listed above and a plethora of additional placers in the field of about 150 grapplers.

Several wrestlers who won titles in the “A” bracket last weekend at the Journeymen will once again take the mat, including New Yorkers Nick Piccininni and Nick Kelley as well as New Jersey’s Sal Profaci, Anthony Giraldo, Scott Delvecchio, Maaziah Bethea, Chad Walsh and Jon Schleifer.

In addition to state champion Piccininni and Binghamton-bound Kelley, a number of top contenders for All-State honors in the Empire State will compete on Sunday. The expected entrants from New York are:

Section 1:

John Muldoon (Pearl River)

Vinny Skokos (Nanuet, state qualifier)

Section 2:

David Almaviva (Shenendehowa, Fargo All-American, Binghamton recruit)

Levi Ashley (Shenendehowa, state qualifier)

Nick Kelley (Shenendehowa, Fargo All-American, Binghamton recruit)

Blake Retell (Shaker, won the 120B bracket at the Journeymen Classic)

Joe Sprung (Berne Knox Westerlo, state qualifier)

Section 8:

Chris Araoz (Wantagh, NHSCA National Champion in 2012)

Dan McDevitt (Wantagh, NHSCA All-American, NYS fifth)

Section 11:

Tom Dutton (Rocky Point, Fargo and NHSCA All-American)

TJ Fabian (Shoreham Wading River, NHSCA All-American, NYS fourth)

Travis Passaro (Eastport South Manor, NHSCA All-American)

Nick Piccininni (Ward Melville, NYS champion in 2012)

CHSAA

Sam Melikian (Fordham Prep, state qualifier)

**Entries provided by Iron Horse

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

Posted on October 1, 2012 by Urgent Doctor

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)

Check out Videos and Results from the Journeymen Wrestling Classic

Posted on September 30, 2012 by Urgent Doctor

On Sunday, Niskayuna High School hosted The Journeymen Classic, which featured some of New York’s best wrestlers as well as competitors from 17 other states in a round robin format.

Check out some videos from the event (more will be added).

RESULTS are at the bottom of the page.

Nick Kelley (Fargo All-American, 2x NYS Placer) vs. Gary Dinmore (NJ State Placer) – 140 Pounds

William Koll (NY State Champion, NHSCA All-American) vs. Travis Passaro (NHSCA All-American) – 125 Pounds

David Almaviva (Fargo All-American, NYS 3rd) vs. Thomas Dutton (Fargo All-American) – 145 Pounds

Vincent DePrez (NY State Runner Up) vs. Scott Delvecchio (NJ State Champion)

Yianni Diakomihalis (Ranked #5 Nationally among Jr High wrestlers) vs. Jesse Dellavecchia (Sachem East)

Louie Hernandez (Section 8 Champion) vs. Brad Drover (New England Runner Up)

Yianni Diakomihalis (Ranked #5 nationally among Jr High wrestlers) vs. Tommy Aloi (All-American)

Big 10 Bound: National Champion Anthony Abidin Talks About His Commitment to Wrestle for Nebraska

Posted on September 25, 2012 by Urgent Doctor

Anthony Abidin will face top-notch competition when he takes the mat in the Big 10 for Nebraska, at 133 or 141 pounds, beginning in 2013-14. But it’s unlikely that he’ll be intimidated by the impressive credentials of his opponents.

Last year, while wrestling for Nassau Community College, he finished the season ranked 12th at 133 pounds, but defeated several higher-seeded foes to reach the NJCAA national championship bout against Brandon Wright of Iowa Central. When it came time for the introductions, Abidin listened while the announcer seemingly went on and on about Wright’s achievements.

“I had a good laugh about that,” Abidin said. “My intro was pretty quick, a few tournament results and a New York state championship. And then with Wright, it was all these national championships, multiple state championships, open tournament championships. It was like, is this over yet?”

When it came down to it, resumes didn’t matter. The match was knotted at 4 in the third period, but the Long Island native earned the key takedown and rideout to prevail 7-4. He was a national champion.

“I am always in it to win,” Abidin said. “I wasn’t expected to place by most people, but I came into the tournament with a goal of at least being top three. I promised myself that I worked harder than anyone else in the bracket and if I lost it simply wasn’t meant to be. I was on my game that whole weekend and I didn’t give up an inch. I surprised myself in the end.”

His impressive showing a year after completing his high school career atop the podium at the New York States at 125 pounds got the attention of several Division I programs. In fact, he first was interested in attending nearby Hofstra. However, after a trip to Cornhusker country this past weekend, he gave his commitment to Nebraska.

“I realized that I don’t want to stay home for college. I want to get away and experience new places and new things,” he said. “On my visit to Lincoln, I fell in love with the atmosphere right away. It was a perfect fit for me. The coaches were nice and straight shooters. I got to see the football game, wrestling practice and spent time with the team. I really like how the team was – everyone’s focus was on getting better and helping the rest of the guys get better.”

There have been several people who have helped Abidin get better over the years. He mentioned Steve Hromada, who played an integral role in transforming him into a state champion at Half Hollow Hills East High. And he said he has spent countless hours working with Vougar Oroudjov, both in high school and while at Nassau, improving all aspects of his wrestling.

“I can’t thank Steve Hromada enough for all he’s done for me,” Abidin said. “And I feel the same way about Vougar. I think I’ve developed so much. I finally picked up the college wrestling style – being aggressive but being smart and knowing how to wrestle well on top. I’ve gotten better at all of those things.”

Abidin will redshirt this season at Nassau and have three years of eligibility left with the Huskers. He will no doubt put the next year to good use, including spending time on an activity that was foreign to him until recently.

“I finally started to do something called lifting,” he said with a laugh. “I never did it in high school. I really just started lifting this summer. I will put in another good year of hard work and will do everything I possibly can.”

He’s known for that. In his semifinal match against Martin Gonzalez at the NJCAA National Championships, Abidin trailed 7-2 late in the second period. He was frustrated by his opponent backing up and the fact that there was a 20 minute stop in the action as the referees and coaches tried to sort out a dispute.

“That match just about gave me a heart attack,” he said. “After the long break, I was really aggravated because I felt like my conditioning advantage was going away. I was down by five and I knew I had a lot of work to do. I kept attacking and even though I wasn’t scoring off my shots, I got three stalling points. Finally, I hit a throw-by with one second left and scored two points to win it at the buzzer 8-7. It was amazing.”

Amazing. Just like going from sixth in the county as a high school sophomore to a scholarship athlete in the Big 10 in just a few short years.

Team Long Island Dominates on the Way to the Waterway Duals Championship in Pennsylvania

Posted on September 9, 2012 by Urgent Doctor

“Long Island wrestlers have shown lately that we can compete with anyone,” said John Passaro.

This weekend was another confirmation as Team Long Island went to the Waterway Duals in the Keystone State and captured the title in a field of 24 teams from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, Delaware and North Carolina.

The Empire State squad went 4-0 on Saturday, thoroughly dominating the title match, 53-12, against Malvern of Pennsylvania.

“We had a very good finals,” Passaro, one of the team’s coaches, said. “When we got to the finals, we brought the kids together and told them the tournament really started at that point. We didn’t want them to do all the work they had done and wrestle well all day and come in second. It was a good feeling to walk away knowing we got everyone’s best effort in the most important match.”

The team may have given its best effort in the finale, but the efforts were strong throughout the day. The morning began with a 51-6 victory over Turks Head. The squad fell behind early but got on the board after a tight 4-3 win by James Szymanski at 115 and rolled from there, coming out on top of 11 matches.

Next up was the quarterfinals meeting with Team Griffin, which proved to be the biggest challenge of the day. It was a back and forth affair that came down to the last match. Heavyweight Josh Edmonson, the newest addition to the roster, came through in the clutch, getting the victory to push Long Island to the semis.

“We picked up Josh the day before the tournament and that match was decisive for us,” Passaro said. “He did an outstanding job. He didn’t have a lot of time to practice. He had a weight advantage in that match and wore his opponent down. That was the key win of the weekend.”

From there, Long Island cruised to a 43-19 triumph over Team Pac 10. While the overall score wasn’t close, some individual bouts were. One of those featured state champion Nick Piccininni, who was one of the three wrestlers on the New York team that bumped up a weight for the event due to a late lineup change. Piccininni, who won the Super 32 qualifier a week earlier at 113, competed at 122 against Zack Fuentes and edged the two-time Pennsylvania medalist.

“Nick had a great match,” Passaro said. “He scored his points in the last few seconds of the periods and that’s how you win matches. He had a takedown with less than 10 seconds left in the first period and then escaped with less than 10 seconds to go in the third to win it.”

It turned out to be the only close contest of the day for the Ward Melville grappler, who went undefeated with falls in his other three bouts.

Piccinnini was one of five unbeaten wrestlers for the squad. Mepham’s Louie Hernandez continued his impressive summer by outscoring his foes 55-10 in his three matches. (He also received a forfeit).

“Louie was an offensive machine,” Passaro said. “I think he only gave up points when he let kids go for escapes. He was explosive on his feet and just dominant. With Louie and Corey Rasheed, I think we had two of the best 155-pounders in the state on our team.”

Rasheed wrestled at 163 for Team Long Island, sporting a perfect 4-0 mark, including three pins and a six-point decision.

“Corey had a great weekend,” Passaro said. “When you wrestle in a tournament like this and you’re wrestling up a weight class like Nick [Piccininni], Travis [Passaro] and Corey [Rasheed] did, giving up a lot of weight after weigh-ins the night before, it’s great to do as well as they did. In the finals, Corey bearhugged a kid and took him right to his back. It was one of the moments where you just say, ‘Wow.’ It was very impressive.”

Also impressive in winning all of their matches were Johnny Vrasidas and TJ Fabian. (Jackson Mordante, Tommy Dutton, Travis Passaro and James Szymanski all went 3-1).

Vrasidas went 4-0 at 174 pounds, including a pin and a 10-0 victory. He also earned an important 8-6 decision in the quarterfinals.

TJ Fabian, Photo by Boris V

Meanwhile, Fabian battled with several accomplished opponents, such as Zach Ulerick, a Pennsylvania state placer. The Shoreham Wading River senior earned a 3-0 win at 133 pounds in that tilt.

“TJ wrestled very tough,” Passaro said. “Being able to win the close ones is the sign of a good wrestler. He’s had a great offseason, blowing people out. So it was great to see him come out on the right side of some close ones. Like last season, TJ will be right there at states with the top guys.”

Seeing the top guys was the objective for the weekend, according to Passaro.

“To me, the main goal of going to the Waterway Duals was to get these kids ready for Super 32,” Passaro said. “In order to do that, we wanted to face the best competition possible. PA is known for hard nosed wrestlers who are great on top. A lot of these kids wrestled last weekend in Shippensburg and will be going to the Journeymen Classic [September 30] and the Ironhorse event [in October]. That’s a schedule conducive to getting ready to face the best in the nation at Super 32. This is the only dual event we’re doing in that time, though, so it was great to put it together and win it representing Long Island.”

According to Passaro, it wasn’t just those who traveled to Oxford, Pennsylvania this weekend that made the results possible. He wished to thank his fellow coaches, Teddy Fabian and Ralph Mordante, as well as Carlos Restrepo.

“People make the difference,” Passaro said. “Our practices were run by Carlos Restrepo whose son originally was going to compete. But even when he knew his son wasn’t going to be able to wrestle because of an injury, he still ran every single practice and did a magnificent job getting the kids ready. I had the easy part of putting the team together. The hard work is done by the high school and club coaches on Long Island. I don’t want the hard work done by lots of people to go unnoticed.”

Full Results: (courtesy of John Passaro)

Team Long Island 51 Turks Head 6

107 – Jessie Dellavecchia (L) 4-0 vs Anthony Petril
115 – James Szymanski 4-3 vs Austin Petril (SE Regional Qualifier)
122 – Nick Piccininni Fall vs Donte McCarthy (4th War, Dist 1 Q)
128 – Travis Passaro (L) 5-0 vs Mike Marino (2x Beast of East Place)
133 – TJ Fabian 4-2 vs Josh Nichter (3rd War at the Shore)
138 – Sam Ward 8-3 vs Gary Pizzuto (19-1)
143 – Tommy Dutton Fall vs Matt Venit
148 – Jackson Mordante 6-1 vs Sean Lyons
155 – Louie Hernandez 19-1 vs Hazty
163 – Corey Rasheed Fall vs Zurere
174 – Johnny Vrasidas Fall vs Dan Sauselein (District 1 Qualifier)
194 – Christian Araneo Fall Mark Morey
220 – FFT
290 – Josh Edmonson 10-2 vs Josh Yaboah

QUARTERFINALS
Team Long Island 34 Team Griffin 26

107 – Jessie Dellavecchia (L) 5-3 vs Levi Sterner
115 – James Szymanski 16-3 vs Levi Witmer
122 – Nick Piccininni Fall vs Todd Hauser (PA D3 Qualifier)
128 – Travis Passaro 4-1 vs Zach Clingan (PA D3 Qualifier)
133 – TJ Fabian 3-0 vs Zach Ulerick (6th PA, Beast of East Placer)
138 – Sam Ward (L) 6-1 vs Sam Kilian (Super 32 Placer)
143 – Tommy Dutton (L) 4-1 vs Patrick Duggan (4th PA, Beast & Fargo)
148 – Jackson Mordante (L) 19-2 vs Tyson Dippery (2nd PA, 1st NHSCA)
155 – Louie Hernandez FFT
163 – Corey Rasheed 9-3 vs Steven Cain (PA D3 Qualifier)
174 – Johnny Vrasidas 8-6 vs Austin Barkey (PA D3 Qualifier)
194 – Christian Araneo (L) Fall vs Stephen Loiseau (PA State Qualifier)
220 – FFT
290 – Josh Edmonsen Fall vs Espinoza

SEMIFINALS
Team Long Island 43 Pac 10 19

107 – Jessie Dellavecchia (L) 3-0 vs Lucas Miller (3rd MAWA)
115 – James Szymanski Fall vs Garret Mauger (2nd War at the Shore)
122 – Nick Piccininni 6-4 vs Zack Fuentes (2x PA State Placer 4/5)
128 – Travis Passaro 5-4 vs Eddie Kritzvky
133 – TJ Fabian Fall vs Hunteer Vogel
138 – Sam Ward (L) 2-1 vs Joe Staley
143 – Tommy Dutton Fall vs Adam Dombrosky
148 – Jackson Mordante 9-1 vs Ruben Maldonando
155 – Louie Hernandez 21-6 vs Greg Harvey
163 – Corey Rasheed Fall vs Garrett Abare
174 – Johnny Vrasidas 10-0 vs Mike Fretz
194 – Christian Araneo (L) 10-2 vs Gordon Bolig (PA State Qualifier)
220 – FFT
290 – Josh Edmonson (L) 7-1 vs Tracey Green

FINALS
Team Long Island 53 Malvern Prep 12

107 – Jessie Dellavecchia vs Nick Lattanze (3rd PJW’s)
115 – James Szymanski (L) Fall vs Wade Cummings (5th PJW’s)
122 – Nick Piccininni Fall vs Matt Lattanze (2nd PJW’s)
128 – Travis Passaro Fall vs Michael Beard (1st PJW’s)
133 – TJ Fabian 4-3 vs Tommy Stokes (1st PJW’s)
138 – Sam Ward 3-2 vs Greg Konezcny (SE Regional Qualifier)
143 – Tommy Dutton 16-5 vs Joseph Galasso (5th PA, 2nd Flo National)
148 – Jackson Mordante 5-0 vs Petrelli
155 – Louie Hernandez 15-3 vs Demetri Darsaneo (SE Regional Qualifer)
163 – Corey Rasheed Fall vs Connor Burns (3rd Prep Nationals)
174 – Johnny Vrasidas FFT
194 – Christian Araneo 6-5 vs Alfredo Ginniccari (7th Prep Nationals)
220 – FFT
290 – FFT

Olympic Bronze Medalist Coleman Scott, NCAA Champion Bubba Jenkins Coming to New York in September

Posted on September 8, 2012 by Urgent Doctor

Coleman Scott

Some great clinics are coming to New York in the next few weeks to help wrestlers get ready for the upcoming season.

2012 Olympic Bronze Medalist Coleman Scott will be visiting Brentwood High School on September 22, courtesy of Ascend Wrestling Club, for a four-hour clinic.

The cost will be $50 per person. Coaches are welcome to attend.

Scott wrestled for Oklahoma State University where he was a 4x All-American and an NCAA Champion in 2008. He also was a World Cup Champion, Dave Schultz Memorial International Champion and a three-time Pennsylvania state champion.

Session I with Coleman Scott will begin at 9 a.m. and run until 11. Then, at 11:30, there will be instruction, drilling and live wrestling until 1:30.

For more information, please contact Craig Vitagliano at craig@ascendwrestling.com or see the event flyer:

http://longislandwrestling.org/liwa/camps/2012%20Coleman%20Scott%20Clinic.pdf

On September 15, another NCAA champion will be in the Empire State, as the 2011 157 pound national champ from Arizona State, Bubba Jenkins, will be coming to the Pin2Win Wrestling Club in Phoenix for a clinic from 10-12:30.

With a purchase of a ticket to the clinic, you get a free ticket to the World Kickboxing Associations event Modern Warfare at the Holiday Inn Electronics Blvd in Liverpool that night. Doors open at 6.

Tickets for the clinic are $30. For more information, call Eric Rose at 315-857-6576.

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