Category Archives: Section 9

'Striking Back' With Top Notch Wrestling: This Weekend's Empire Nationals Recap

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Numerous wrestlers flocked to the campus of SUNY Brockport this weekend for the two-day Brute Empire Nationals.

On Saturday, the individual tournaments took place, with over 60 brackets ranging from 43 pounds to the 285-pound high school division.  And for those who wanted more, Sunday provided a dual meet competition, with 14 squads fighting it out in the Kindergarten-8th grade group and another 10 squaring off at the high school level.

When all was said and done, it was Cobra Wrestling Academy that came out on top in the high school dual tournament and New Jersey’s A & B Core that captured the dual title in the youth division.

Cobra won all five meets, with a team that offered quality wrestlers from top to bottom, including many who competed (and placed) in Albany in February.   In the championship contest against Superior Black, Cobra earned a 46-16 victory.

“Our team was strong across the whole lineup and got a lot of bonus points when the opportunities were there,” said Cobra Executive Director Keith Maute. “We didn’t have close duals, but we did have some great matches.”

Among the highlight bouts, according to Maute, were victories by Tito Colom over All-State lightweight Kelan McKenna and by Matt Booth over Trent Egenlauf, the number two seed at this year’s state tournament.  In addition, Maute mentioned a pair of wins by his team members over 2013 New York second place finishers (Kellen Devlin over Sean Peacock and Nathan Schwab over Rowdy Prior).  For the full list of Cobra grapplers, see the end of this article.

There were many winners in the individual action, but one name that came up quite a few times was “Kropman”.  That’s because the Penfield-based family boasted four first place finishes as well as a runner up showing.  Cooper, Max, Parker and Skylar Kropman all took gold, while Max (first at 70 pounds in Division 3) competed again in Division 4 at 73 pounds and grabbed silver there as well.

Another member of the Kropman clan was well represented at the event as well.  Scott Kropman, the father of all the previously mentioned wrestlers, is currently battling cancer.  In order to raise funds to help in this fight, t-shirts and hoodies that said “Empire Nationals Wrestling Tournament Strikes Back Against Cancer” sold prior to and during the event.

Courtesy of the Empire Nationals Website

“Scott Kropman has always been a supporter of the Empire Nationals as well as a friend to all!” the event website said. “We are very appreciative of everything he has ever done for this tournament and mindful of everything he means to youth wrestling in our area. Scott is a loving husband and father of seven! He is a positive influence and an inspirational person.”

The Kropmans weren’t the only New York family to collect several awards.  Brothers Hector and Tito Colom both competed in two different divisions on Saturday.  Hector won the 105-pound bracket in Division 5 while taking third at the same weight in Division 4.  Meanwhile, Tito was second at 113 in Division 6 and third at 112 one Division down.  Also of note, Journeymen’s Michael Gonyea made the finals twice – grabbing top billing at 73 pounds in Division 4 while recording second at 78 pounds.

In addition, Division 6 featured 2013 New York state placers atop the podium at a number of weights, including Jonathan Haas (113), Bryan Lantry (120), Sean Peacock (126), Dan Reagan (145) and Sam Eagan (220).

For the top four finishers in the individual competition, see below (from KapWrestling):

Division I

43 Pounds
Darren Bailey (Thorobred, NY)
Ethan Illerbrun (Kane, PA)
Cooper Gronowski (Cobra, NY)
James Leuer (Lockport, NY)

48 Pounds
Jaden Crumpler (Power Cats, NY)
Ashton Seymour (Mike’s Garage Grapplers, NY)
Trey Kimball (Camden, NY)
Lucas Tirpak (Rock Solid, PA)

53 Pounds
Ashton Homan (Btw, OH)
Cole Murray (Mineral Wells, WV)
August Hibler (New Canaan, CT)
Ayden Woolston (Nt Sprawlers, NY)

60 Pounds
Julien Griffith (Palmer, OH)
Max Hermes (Edison, OH)
Jack Clough (Ihc Cavaliers, NY)
Jeremiah Russell (Team Erie Vipers, PA)

70 Pounds
Wesley Holley (Gilead Christian, NY)
Mason Maring (Westfield, NY)
Landon Kelly (Rrwc, PA)
Timothy Connolly (Olympic, NJ)

95 Pounds
Ethan Gallo (Underground, NY)
Kevin Daskavitz (Lockport, NY)
Aric Bloomquist (Jamestown, NY)
Troy Legault (Brockport, NY)

Division 2

50 Pounds
Nic Allison (Siglerville, PA)
Jaden Pepe (Rock Solid, PA)
Wesley Wydick (Mt. Vernon Killer Bees, OH)
Michael Santore (Journeymen, NY)

55 Pounds
Jake Craig (Mat Cats, ME)
Jacob Van Dee (Ragin Raisins, PA)
Chase Liardi (Long Beach Gladiators, NY)
Colin Bradshaw (Pin2Win, NY)

60 Pounds
Carson Alberti (Iroquois, NY)
Mark Botello (Smitty’s Barn, MA)
Maximilian Leete (Mercury Rising, MA)
Evan Maag (Rsw, PA)

65 Pounds
Peter Ruiz, (Northeast Elite, RI)
Nolan Fenton (Pa Rednecks, PA)
Andy Lucinski (Lockport, NY)
Nico Berlingeri (Olympic, NJ)

70 Pounds
Shawn Russell (Team Erie Vipers, PA)
Nick Fea (Goshen, NY)
Jacob Deguire (Journeymen, NY)
Ian Darling (Mercury Rising, MA)

75 Pounds
Blake Clayton (The Beast, NJ)
Paniro Johnson (Team Erie Vipers, PA)
Nicholas Fine (NE Elite, RI)
Ethan Sanderson (Titletown Fight Club, NY)

80 Pounds
Nicholas Crisp (Prescott, PA)
Jack Brantly (Olympic, NJ)
Justin Onello (Olympic, NJ)
Aydin Rix McElhinney (Southern Maine Trappers, ME)

90 Pounds
Cooper Kropman (Penfield, NY)
Jeffrey Crooks (Journeymen, NY)
Connor Haroutunian (Waldwick, NJ)
Michael Main (Fusion, NY)

100 Pounds
Hunter McKenna (Journeymen, NY)
Joseph Delgado (Jamestown, NY)

115 Pounds
Mason Lazorchak (Cannonball, NJ)

135 Pounds
Cael Black (Eisenhower, PA)
Mason Lazorchak (Cannonball, NJ)

Division 3

60 Pounds
Jacob Brumett (Ragin Raisins, PA)
Joe Scheeren (Journeymen, NY)
Luke Hoerle (Drill Masters, NJ)
Tyler Bartolomei (Cobra, NY)

65 Pounds
Myles Griffin (Mexico, NY)
CJ Composto (Apex, NJ)
JJ White (Rock Solid, PA)
Alijah Seymour (Mike’s Garage Grapplers, NY)

70 Pounds
Max Kropman (Penfield, NY)
Nicolas Botello (Smitty’s Barn, MA)
Nicholas Sabin (Lake Catholic, OH)
Hunter Adrian (Mercury Rising, MA)

75 Pounds
Nicholas Burgard (Conneaut Cougars, OH)
David Krokowski (Rock Solid, PA)
Jack Darling (Mercury Rising, MA)
Brock DelSignore (Journeymen, NY)

80 Pounds
Kyle Mosher (Long Beach Gladiators, NY)
Noah Castillo (Drill Masters, NJ)
Caleb Dowling (Juniata, PA)
Justin McDougald (Cobra, NY)

85 Pounds
David Berkovich (Long Beach Gladiators, NY)
Jimmy Kramer (Warren, PA)
Noah Strout (Smitty’s Barn, NH)
Cole Hivnor (Lake Catholic, OH)

90 Pounds
Benny Baker (Rock Solid, NY)
Warren McDougald (Cobra, NY)
Ed Scott (Dubois, PA)
Willie McDougald (Power Cats, NY)

100 Pounds
Dempsey Carroll (Copenhagen, NY)
Anthony Hinson (Roughneck, PA)
Tyler Kellison (Vvs, NY)
Joseph Koplow (Lake Catholic, OH)

110 Pounds
Carter Starocci (Team Erie Vipers, PA)
David Cumberledge (Ashtabula, OH)
Harrison Shapiro (Mercury Rising)
Gabriel Onorato (Raw 241, NJ)

135 Pounds
Drew Butera (Lake Catholic, OH)
Colby Johnson (Vvs, NY)
Shaine Luzietti (Newtown, CT)
Cael Black (Midget)

Division 4

73 Pounds
Michael Gonyea (Journeymen, NY)
Max Kropman (Penfield, NY)
Matthew Mustakis (Long Beach Gladiators, NY)
Evan Lesher (G2, NY)

78 Pounds
Sam Bacon (Ragin Raisins, PA)
Michael Gonyea (Journeymen, NY)
Owen Kissell (Viper Garage, NY)
Sam Baker (Cobra, NY)

83 Pounds
Dillan Palaszewski (Journeymen, NY)
Cole Rhone (Benton, PA)
Joe Klock (Benton, PA)
Sam Sallot (Ragin Raisins, PA)

90 Pounds
AJ Burkhart (Superior, NY)
Sebastian Comejo (Drill Masters, NJ)
Jonathan Gomez (Long Beach Gladiators, NY)
Cody Craig (Mat Cats, ME)

95 Pounds
Jacori Teemer (Long Beach Gladiators, NY)
Matthew Cabezas (Smitty’s Barn, MA)
Colton Babcock (Benton, PA)
Farouq Muhammed (Shaker, OH)

100 Pounds
Devon Briton (Rsw, PA)
Creighton Edsell (Wyalusing, PA)
Connor McGonagle (Smitty’s Barn, ME)
Matthew Maquet (Long Beach Gladiators, NY)

105 Pounds
Wade Unger (Olympic, NJ)
Shayne McCann (Smitty’s Barn, NH)
Hector Colom (Scorpion Cobra, NY)
Luke Wymer (Akron, OH)

115 Pounds
Mike Stuart (Rock Solid, PA)
Anthony Martoccio (Drill Masters, PA)
Carnell Andrews (Coldsteel, PA)
Philip Conigliaro (Smitty’s Barn, MA)

125 Pounds
Joshua McKenzie (Triumph, NJ)
Chris Barker (Fairport, NY)
Tyler Barnes (Journeymen, NY)
Kevin Ciresa (Apex, NJ)

135 Pounds
Joseph Giorlando (Long Beach Gladiators, NY)
Blake Aina (Brockport, NY)
Danny Contino (Marcaurele, CT)
Jacob W (Spencerport, NY)

150 Pounds
Frankie Gissendanner (G2, NY)
Gavin Hoffman (Rock Solid, PA)
Anthony Walters (Young Guns, PA)
Ryan Fredette (Cummings Compound, ME)

175 Pounds
Jerry Ogurkis (Dallas, PA)
Calvin Hayford (Winooski, VT)
David Clayton (The Beast, NJ)
Dominic Salerno (Thorobred, NY)

230 Pounds
Nick Jones (Cobra, NY)

Division 5

98 Pounds
Kelan McKenna (Superior, NY)
Troy Keller (Cobra, NY)
Derek St. James (G2, NY)
Dylan Arena (Cobra, NY)

105 Pounds
Hector Colom (Scorpion Cobra, NY)
Vincent Falvo (Nwaa, NY)
Eli Yoho (Akron, OH)
Kaleb Pascoe (Spencerport, NY)

112 Pounds
Jimmy Hoffman (Rock Solid, PA)
Ta’ Nauz Gregory (Ragin Raisins, PA)
Tito Colom (Scorpion Cobra, NY)
Isaac Yoho (Akron, OH)

120 Pounds
Peter Delgallo (Mtn Valley, ME)
Tyler Craig (Mat Cats, ME)
Logan Gray (Ragin Raisins, PA)
Mitchell Shambo (Mexico, NY)

125 Pounds
Zack Barker (Fairport, NY)
Brian Earlston (Drill Masters, PA)
Brandon Saline (CC, PA)
Austin Coleman (Excelsior United, NY)

130 Pounds
Julian Sirois (Cummings Compound, ME)
Joseph Koontz (Awc, OH)
James Arao (Titan Worldwide, NY)
Paul Bavisotto (Ken West, NY)

135 Pounds
Cody McGregor (Cobra, NY)
Freddy Eckles (Cobra, NY)
Collin Edsell (Wyalusing, PA)
Alex Herringshaw (Vvs, NY)

140 Pounds
Matt Kloc (Cobra, NY)
Jakob Coad (Kenmore West, NY)
Julian Korfine (Finger Lakes, NY)
Connor Dowe (Brockport, NY)

145 Pounds
AJ Aeberli (Olympic, NY)
Nicholas Konovalchik (Mercury Rising, MA)
Corey Farrell (Knights, NY)
Matt Judge (Valley View, PA)

152 Pounds
Jason Hoffman (Journeymen, NY)
Avery Dinardi (Sepa, NJ)
Matt Azzano (Wayne, NY)
Jack Collins (NE Elite, RI)

160 Pounds
Nathan Schwab (Cobra, NY)
Trevor Allard (Mexico, NY)
Ethan Pansa (Mohawk, NY)

171 Pounds
Sonny McPherson (Indian River, NY)
Michael Hughes (Ragin Raisins, PA)
James Geiger (Dallas, PA)
Kameron Miller (Prescott, NY)

189 Pounds
Tyler Hall (NYSS, NY)
Michael Daskavitz (Lockport, NY)
Noah Siesto (Webster Schroeder, NY)

250 Pounds
Austin Slocum (Ragin Raisins, PA)
Lucas Silvis (Goldforce, NY)
Hayden Ricci (East Rochester, NY)
Nick Jones (Cobra, NY)

Division 6

106 Pounds
Parker Kropman (Penfield, NY)
Michael Wicks (Spencerport, NY)
Chris Hoerle (Apex, NJ)

113 Pounds
Jonathan Haas (Spencerport, NY)
Tito Colom (Scorpion Cobra, NY)
Aleksei Cartagena (Pittsford, NY)
Chase Jefferys (Mercury Rising, MA)

120 Pounds
Bryan Lantry (Superior, NY)
Doug Iadanza (Sachem East, NY)
Edwin Serrano (Titan Worldwide, NY)
Jacob Morley (Gates Chili, NY)

126 Pounds
Sean Peacock (Superior, NY)
Anthony Calvano (Iowa Style, NY)
Abdul-Fatah Alishawai (NY)
Daniel Sportello (Ilion, NY)

132 Pounds
Austin Acquard (Cobra, NY)
Kyle Lukowich (Ragin Raisins, PA)
Nick Toutant (Indian River, NY)
Jack Glasi (Brockway, PA)

138 Pounds
Sean O’Hagan (Sachem North, NY)
Keller Watkins (Rrwc, PA)
Codie Gillette (Saranac, NY)
Anthony Pesce (Fairport, NY)

145 Pounds
Dan Reagan (Ransomville, NY)
Daniel Anghelina (Olympic, NJ)
Noah Phillips (Cellar Dwellers, NY)
Deane Twitchell (Ragin Raisins, PA)

152 Pounds
Skylar Kropman (Penfield, NY)
Tristan Broddus (Fayetteville-Manlius, NY)
Hunter Proctor (Ragin Raisins, PA)
Anthony Bell (Hells Bells, NY)

160 Pounds
Kyle Bova (Coudersport, PA)
Rowdy Prior (Pin2Win, NY)
Mark Stucke (Cobra, NY)
David Burke (Danville, PA)

170 Pounds
Evan Delong (Kane, PA)
Cole Shirey (Ragin Raisins, PA)
Joshua Goodman, Gates Chili, NY)
Brayden Denk (Prestige, NY)

182 Pounds
Jared Mesiti (Brockport, NY)
Taylor Saline (CC, PA)
Marquis Buchanan (Cobra, NY)
Shane Currey (Kenmore West, NY)

195 Pounds
Troy Uhrin (Mat Assassins, PA)
Andrew Phelps (Ragin Raisins, PA)
Trent Egenlauf (Spencerport, NY)
Dan Norris (Hilton, NY)

220 Pounds
Sam Eagan (Empire, NY)
Connor Calkins (Finger Lakes, NY)
Paul Herrera (Wolf Pack, NY)
Dylan Grant (Cobra, NY)

285 Pounds
Wyatt Morris (Morrisville-Eaton, NY)
Jakob Rowe (Mat Assassins, PA)
Mason Cross (Titans, NY)
Kasey Kubiniec (Newfane, NY)

High School Dual Team Champions – Cobra Wrestling Academy (as provided by Keith Maute)

101 Troy Keller and Dylan Arena

108 Tito Colom

115 Michael Wizniewski

122 Ryan Burns and Nick Gaiser

128 Kellen Devlin

134 Cody McGregor and Freddy Eckles

140 Matt Kloc

147 Danny Graham

154 Jude Gardner

162 Nathan Schwab

172 Matt Weber

184 Anthony Liberatore and Marques Buchanan

197 Matt Booth

222 Marshall Taylor and Mike Ziolo

285 Matt Montesanti and Nick Jones

Beat the Streets's "Rumble on the Rails" Will Feature Team USA vs. Russia and Iran in NYC in May

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For years, the annual Beat the Streets event in New York City has featured some of the best wrestling talent around.

2013 will be no exception.

On May 15, Grand Central Terminal’s Vanderbilt Hall will be the host of the “Rumble on the Rails”, involving three of the world’s top wrestling nations – the United States, Russia and Iran.  Action is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. when the United States takes on the Iranians.  Shortly afterwards, Beat the Streets exhibition matches will take place before the US and Russia square off in another dual at 6 p.m..  Following the competition, the annual Beat the Streets Gala will begin at the Bryant Park Grill.

The nations will come together to support both the Beat the Streets program as well as show unity for the Keep Olympic Wrestling movement.

For more information, see Here.

 

 

Fabian and Burgos Capture Championships, Many Others Make the Podium as NHSCAs and FloNationals Come to an End

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A weekend full of national-level competition came to an end on Sunday, with many more trips to the podium for New York wrestlers.

Fabian, Photo by BV

TJ Fabian capped off his spectacular senior year by adding a national title to the state gold medal he earned in Feburary. The Shoreham Wading River wrestler won six matches in Virginia Beach, including a 10-4 decision over Pennyslvania’s Kyle Krasavage in the 126-pound championship bout at the NHSCA Senior Nationals.

He was joined on the medal stand by a number of other Empire State grapplers on Sunday, including fellow Long Islander Michael Hughes of Smithtown West, who was the runner up at heavyweight. For a full list of New York All-Americans at the Senior NHSCA competition, see below.

In addition, a number of Middle School and Elementary wrestlers put their talent on display at the FloNationals in Pennsylvania, with G2 World Wrestling Academy’s Ryan Burgos winning a national crown of his own at 75 pounds. Burgos pinned his way to the finals, where he captured an 8-4 decision over Jimmy Carmany of Ohio.

See below for more information on additional New Yorkers who placed at the event.

For the NHSCA Middle School, Freshman, Sophomore and Junior medalists as well as the FloNationals High School All-Americans, see this link.

NHSCA SENIOR NATIONALS

Champion:

126: TJ Fabian (Shoreham Wading River)

Second Place:

285: Michael Hughes (Smithtown West)

Fourth Place:

106: Steven Lee (West Babylon)

Fifth Place

106: Jake Yankloski (Wayne)
138: Nick Tighe (Phoenix)
170: Carlos Toribio (Brentwood)

Sixth Place

113: Mat Bradice (William Floyd)
126: Chris Araoz (Wantagh)
160: Troy Seymour (Peru)
170: Dan McDevitt (Wantagh)

Seventh Place:

113: Dillon Stowell (Gouverneur)
132: Matt Leshinger (Sayville)
152: Chris Koo (Great Neck South)

Eighth Place:
113: Steven Sewkumar (Long Beach)
126: Dylan Realbuto (Somers)
170: Johnny Vrasidas (St. Anthony’s)

FLONATIONALS – MIDDLE SCHOOL AND ELEMENTARY

Champion:

Middle School (MS) 75: Ryan Burgos

Third Place:

MS 126: Louie DePrez
Elementary 68: Greg Diakomihalis

Fourth Place:

MS 119: Matt Grippi
MS 135: Conor Melbourne
MS 145: Andrew Passaro
MS 157: Mike Spallina
Elementary 105: Hunter John

Fifth Place:

MS 145: Ray Cotto
MS 157: Jason Hoffman
Elementary 78: Ethan Ferro

Seventh Place:

MS 95: Sammy DePrez
MS 135: Josh Shamp

Mauriello, Torbitt, Rodriguez-Spencer, Rasheed Earn High School National Titles; Numerous Others Become All-Americans at NHSCAs and FloNationals

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There’s going to be a lot of hardware headed back to New York. On Saturday, numerous Empire State wrestlers earned All-American status, including several who went all the way to the top.

At the NHSCAs in Virginia Beach, two ninth graders earned crowns as Hauppauge’s Chris Mauriello captured the 132 pound title and Whitney Point’s Jordan Torbitt joined him as a gold medalist at 152.

Later in the day, a pair of 2013 state champions – Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (138) and Corey Rasheed (152) added national titles to their resumes when they were victorious in the NHSCA Junior event. Also making it all the way to the finals were Reggie Williams (195) and James O’Hagan (285) in the 11th grade tournament and as well as a trio of freshmen – Kellen Devlin (120), Christian Araneo (182) and Edwin Rubio (285).

But that wasn’t all. The Empire State boasted some gold medalists in the Middle School competition as well – Mack Berkowitz at 127 and Travis Race at 165. (New York grabbed first in the team standings in both the Junior and Middle School competitions).

Tomorrow, two grapplers who stood atop the podium at the Times Union Center – TJ Fabian (126) and Mike Hughes (285) – will try to add their names to the list of champions when they take the mat in the finals of the Senior tournament.

Meanwhile, Virginia wasn’t the only place Empire Staters were showing off their skills. A number of New York wrestlers made the medal stand at the FloNationals, including runner up Nick Piccininni (113) and bronze medalist Tyler Grimaldi (160).

For more information on the placers at all of those events, see below.

FLONATIONALS

Second Place:
113: Nick Piccininni (Ward Melville)

Third Place:
160: Tyler Grimaldi (Hills West)

Fourth Place:
132: Nick Kelley (Shenendehowa)
170: Christian Dietrich (Greene)

Seventh Place:
152: Joe Mastro (Yorktown)

Eighth Place:
120: Travis Passaro (Eastport South Manor)

NHSCA NATIONALS

NHSCA JUNIORS

National Champions
138: Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (Cheektowoga)
152: Corey Rasheed (Longwood)

Second Place:
195: Reggie Williams (Johnson City)
285: James O’Hagan (Seaford)

Fourth Place:
220: Ryan Wolcott (Waverly)

Fifth Place
170: Adis Radoncic (RKA)

Seventh Place
106: Danny Murray (Brentwood)
120: Sean Peacock (Midlakes)
152: Derek Holcomb (Newark Valley)

Eighth Place
113: Bryan Lantry (Wayne)

NHSCA SOPHOMORES

Third Place
106: Kyle Quinn (Wantagh)

Fifth Place
106: Jesse Dellavecchia (East Islip)

Sixth Place
113: Nick Casella (Locust Valley)
138: Jakob Restrepo (Sachem East)
145: Brandon Aviles (Newfield)
160: Richie Jones (St. Joseph’s)

Seventh Place
113: Ben Lamantia (St. Anthony’s)
160: Trevor Allard (Mexico)

Eighth Place
132: Sam Ward (Locust Valley)
220: Vincent Feola (Whitman)

NHSCA FRESHMEN

National Champions
132: Chris Mauriello (Hauppauge)
152: Jordan Torbitt (Whitney Point)

Second Place
120: Kellen Devlin (Amherst)
182: Christian Araneo (Ward Melville)
285: Edwin Rubio (John Glenn)

Fourth Place
220: Owen Albanese (Canastota)

Fifth Place
170: Wil Hilliard (Phoenix)
182: Ricardo Dawkins (General Brown)

Sixth Place
106: Anthony Argentieri (Kenmore West)

Seventh Place
113: Andrew McFarland (Carthage)
132: Freddy Eckles (Lake Shore)
170: Sonny McPherson (Indian River)

NHSCA MIDDLE SCHOOL

Champions:
127: Mack Berkowitz
165: Travis Race

Second Place:
100: Hector Colom

Third Place:
85: John DeRidder
90: Dane Heberlein
100: Anthony Cirillo
154: Jeffrey Browne

Fourth Place
75: James Langan
85: Mitch Seaver
100: Benjamin Tepperman

Fifth Place

230: Larry Baker

Sixth Place
75: Riley Retell
105: Zachary Ancewicz
112: Hunter Dusold
180: Dominic Pistone

Seventh Place:
95: William Sims
142: Nick Bushey

Eighth Place
80: Christopher Rivera
90: James Trezza
100: Jacori Teemer
135: Nick Coppola
142: Richard Dawkins

NHSCA SENIORS – WRESTLING TO BE COMPLETED ON SUNDAY

Finalists:
126: TJ Fabian
285: Mike Hughes

Others All-Americans:
106: Steven Lee, Jacob Yankloski
113: Mat Bradice, Dillon Stowell, Steven Sewkumar
126: Dylan Realbuto, Chris Araoz
132: Matt Leshinger
138: Nick Tighe
152: Chris Koo
160: Troy Seymour
170: Johnny Vrasidas, Dan McDevitt, Carlos Toribio

In Contention: See the New York Wrestlers Still Battling at NHSCAs and FloNationals

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On Friday, FloNationals began in Indiana, Pennsylvania while the second day of the NHSCA Freshman, Sophomore and Junior events took place. Many New York wrestlers stayed in contention for national championships in both tournaments. All the remaining grapplers at the Freshman, Sophomore and Junior NHSCAs have clinched All-American honors.
Continue below to see who will be wrestling on Saturday both in Virginia Beach and at Flo. (We will update Senior NHSCAs on Saturday as well). Please provide comments below with any additions.

NHSCA Semifinalists

JUNIORS

138 Pounds: Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (Cheektowoga)
152 Pounds: Corey Rasheed (Longwood)
195 Pounds: Reggie Williams (Johnson City)
220 Pounds: Ryan Wolcott (Waverly)
285 Pounds: James O’Hagan (Seaford)

SOPHOMORES

106 Pounds: Kyle Quinn (Wantagh)
113 Pounds: Nick Casella (Locust Valley)
138 Pounds: Jakob Restrepo (Sachem East)
160 Pounds: Richie Jones (St. Joseph’s)

FRESHMEN 
106 Pounds: Anthony Argentieri (Kenmore West)
120 Pounds: Kellen Devlin (Amherst)
132 Pounds: Chris Mauriello (Hauppauge)
152 Pounds: Jordan Torbitt (Whitney Point)
170 Pounds: Wil Hilliard (Phoenix)
182 Pounds: Christian Araneo (Ward Melville), Ricardo Dawkins (General Brown)
220 Pounds: Owen Albanese (Canastota)
285 Pounds: Edwin Rubio (John Glenn)

NHSCA Wrestlebacks (Wrestling for 3rd-8th)

JUNIORS 
106 Pounds:
 Danny Murray (Brentwood)
113 Pounds:
 Bryan Lantry (Wayne)
120 Pounds:
 Sean Peacock (Midlakes)
152 Pounds: 
Derek Holcomb (Newark Valley)
170 Pounds: 
Adis Radoncic (RKA)

SOPHOMORES

106 Pounds: Jesse Dellavecchia (East Islip)
113 Pounds: Ben Lamantia (St. Anthony’s)
132 Pounds: Sam Ward (Locust Valley)
145: Brandon Aviles (Newfield)
160: Trevor Allard (Mexico)
220: Vincent Feola (Whitman)

FRESHMEN 

113 Pounds: Andrew McFarland (Carthage)
132 Pounds: Freddy Eckles (Lake Shore)
170 Pounds: Sonny McPherson (Indian River)

 

FLONATIONALS

Champions Bracket – Quarterfinalists

106 Pounds: Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton)

113 Pounds: Nick Piccininni (Ward Melville)

120 Pounds: Travis Passaro (Eastport South Manor)

132 Pounds: Nick Kelley (Shenendehowa)

160 Pounds: Tyler Grimaldi (Hills West) and Andrew Psomas (Monsignor Farrell)

170: Christian Dietrich (Greene)

In the Consolations

138: Vincent DePrez (Hilton) will meet David Almaviva (Shenendehowa) Saturday morning

145: Zach Joseph (Shenendehowa), Mitchell Klein (Horace Greeley) will meet Anthony DePrez (Hilton) on Saturday morning

152: Joe Mastro (Yorktown)

170: Michael Green and Joe Piccolo (Hills West)

182: Daniel Norris (Hilton)

195: Collin Pittman (Spencerport)

220: Joe Sprung (Berne-Knox)

285: Alex Soutiere (Ravena CS)

Logan Barcomb (Hudson Falls)

NHSCA Nationals Underway: Who From NY Advanced to the Round of 16?

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On Thursday, the NHSCA Freshman, Sophomore and Junior National tournaments got underway in Virginia Beach.  Championship action ran through the Round of 16, with many New Yorkers making the cut.  The Empire State is well represented throughout, but has four or more representatives alive in the winners bracket to this point in:

  • Juniors 170 (Franky Nassivera of Queensbury, Ronnie King of Islip, Jake Weber of Clarence and state champion Adis Radoncic of RKA)
  • Sophomores 113 (Donny McCoy of Niagara Falls, James Szymanski of Shoreham Wading River, Chris Donnelly of Island Trees and Nick Casella of Locust Valley.  (Donnelly and Casella meet next).
  • Sophomores 160 (Ryan Marszal of Unatego, Richie Jones, Trevor Allard of Mexico, Nick Wentland of Minisink Valley and Anthony Ottaviano of Hauppauge)
  • Freshmen 132 (Connor Remy of Patchogue-Medford, Freddy Eckles of Lake Shore, Nathaniel Grubham of Whitney Point, Chris Mauriello of Hauppague and Holden Pelton of South Jefferson)

Radoncic, Photo by BV

Below is a list of wrestlers who advanced to the Round of 16 as well as those who are in the consolation bracket (as of Thursday evening on the official brackets).  With any additions, or changes, please comment below.

JUNIORS – In the Championship Round of 16:

106 Pounds:

Danny Murray

113 Pounds:

Johnny Stramiello and Paul Capobianco

120 Pounds:

Joseph Russ and Sean Peacock

126 Pounds:

Blake Retell

138 Pounds:

Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer and Matt Caputo (Will meet each other in the Round of 16)

145 Pounds:

Dennis Ferro

152 Pounds:

Corey Rasheed

160 Pounds:

Burke Paddock

170 Pounds:

Franky Nassivera, Ronnie King, Jake Weber and Adis Radoncic

182 Pounds:

Connor Watson

195 Pounds:

Reggie Williams

220 Pounds:

Ryan Wolcott and Matt Kaminer

285 Pounds:

James O’Hagan

 

JUNIORS – Consolations

106 Pounds:
David Yablans

113 Pounds:
Matt Boyle
Joseph Hill
Timothy Johnson
Bryan Lantry

120 Pounds:
Joshua Straub
Thomas Hill
Abdul Fatah Alshawai
Nathan Gilligan and Danny Amancio

126 Pounds:
Jake Lerner
Ryan Snow
Marshall Winston
Paddy Quinlan
Anthony Messina
Tom Reina
Carter Merecki

132 Pounds:
Brandon Hill
Jack Reina
Said Kahramonov
Ralph Cazzetta
JP Ascolese
Mat Lauro
Oran Revivo
Zach Ayen
Eric St. John
Adrian Berry

138 Pounds:
Nick Forget
Matt Langan
Ryan Kromer
Jon Silveri
Anthony Feola
Warren Oderkirk
Daniel Lucey
Corey Ashe

145 Pounds:
Eduardo Ramirez
Marc DChutiis
Zachery Lugo
Raymond Prouty
James Farrell
Trevor Hoffmier
Nate Martin
Vinny Romeo
Jimmy Devine
Frankie Hernandez
Nigel Williams

152 Pounds:
Michael Pistone
Angelo Kress
Cory Kostrzycki
Derek Holcomb
Daniel Jones
Vincent Drago
Alex Smythe
Will Jacobs

160 Pounds:
Michael Peterson
Daniel Kerr
Konstantin Parfiryev
Tyler Silverthorn
Erik Adon
Jaison White

170 Pounds:
Isaiah Zimmer
Mark Tracy
Joseph Russo
Jordan Formicola

182 Pounds:
Jake Horton
Dominic Pirraglia
Dominic Holder

195 Pounds:
Nick Weber

220 Pounds:
Bryan Tenny
Luke McKee
Charles Pederson
Sean Ferguson
Caden Watson

 

SOPHOMORES – In the Round of 16

106 Pounds:

Kyle Quinn and Jack Scurti

113 Pounds:

Donny McCoy, James Szymanski, Chris Donnelly and Nick Casella (Donnelly and Casella meet next)

120 Pounds:

Dandre Norman and Mike D’Angelo

126 Pounds:

Nick Toutant, Blaise Benderoth and Mike Raccioppi

132 Pounds:

Tyler Gross, Chris Truglio and Sam Ward

138 Pounds:

Donny Donnelly and Jakob Restrepo

145 Pounds:

Brandon Aviles

152 Pounds:

Vincent Darpino and Nathan Schwab

160 Pounds:

Ryan Marszal, Richie Jones, Trevor Allard, Nick Wentland and Anthony Ottaviano

195 Pounds:
Andrew Rakitzis and Nathaneal Rose

220 Pounds:

Brad Cunningham and Vincent Feola

285 Pounds:

Garrett Rath

 

SOPHOMORES – Consolations

106 Pounds:
Joe Abelgore
Dominick Mazzella
Joe Barber
Lucas Yankloski
Jesse Dellavecchia

113 Pounds:
Hector Guerrero
Joseph Rorick
Logan Robinson
Ben Lamantia
Christian Briody

120 Pounds:
Andrew Taber
Mitchell Shambo
Chris Meloni

126 Pounds:
Dashea Edwards
Austin Whitney
Alan White
Joseph Loconte
Cody McGregor

132 Pounds:

Hunter Hulse
Christian Hollister
Andrew Shomers
Zack Bendick
Nick Nieves
Matt Gund
Naquan Warren

138 Pounds:
Francisco Bisono
Peter Pasqualino
Sheldan Clute
Joseph Demasi
Kevin Jackson
Jordan Bushey
Danny Murphy
Kyle Greene

145 Pounds:
John Donohue
Elias Kokalis
Bailey Phelps

152 Pounds:
Nick Wyckoff
Ricky Panciroli

160 Pounds:
Greg Kleinsmith

170 Pounds:

Brett Lewis
Marcello Gennaro

182 Pounds:
David Hamil

 

FRESHMEN – In the Round of 16:

106 Pounds:

Anthony Argentieri and John Arceri

113 Pounds:

Ryan O’Rourke

120 Pounds:

Kellen Devlin

126 Pounds:

Jack Taddeo and Nick Garone

132 Pounds:

Connor Remy, Freddy Eckles, Nathaniel Grubham, Chris Mauriello and Holden Pelton

138 Pounds:

Joshua Farrar

152 Pounds:

Nick Saporito, Jordan Torbitt and Jack Freischlag

160 Pounds:

Timothy Heitmann and Luke MacIntosh

170 Pounds:

Sonny McPherson, Aaron Paddock and Wil Hilliard

182 Pounds:

Christian Araneo, Ricardo Dawkins and Nick McShea

195 Pounds:

Ryan Gray

220 Pounds:

Owen Albanese

285 Pounds:

Edwin Rubio

 

FRESHMEN – Consolations:

106 Pounds:
Brandon Gould
Derek Spann
Theo Powers
John Kalinoglu
Hunter Olena
Bobby Pease
Dominic Poggoli
Shawn Bourne
Tyler Ayers
Kelan McKenna
Thomas Michel

113 Pounds:
Ramel McIntosh
CJ Archer
Chris Pereira
Zachary Burke
Andrew McFarland
Dakota White
Andrew Hollister
Hunter Owen
Tito Colom
Dylan Wood
Jack Gold

120 Pounds:
Nick Shenck
Michael Berkowitz
Josh Bressette

126 Pounds:
Andrew Garcia
Devin Wrieth
Jeremy Boyle
Zach Bierfeldt
Owen Bachelder
Marc Paez

138 Pounds:

Jordan Kayes

145 Pounds:
Bryce Dusold
Dylan Studer

 

Going With the Flo: Many New York Wrestlers Prepare for 2013 FloNationals

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According to organizers, it will have the “feel of an NCAA championship.” Riding time will be a factor, seasoned college referees will officiate, video review will be used for challenges and many of the nation’s top wrestlers will take the mat.

The scene won’t be Des Moines, Iowa but instead Indiana, Pennsylvania for the FloNationals, beginning on April 5.

Competition will start at 9 a.m. on Friday in the high school division on 12 mats and will continue through the finals on Saturday evening. The action doesn’t stop then, however, as the middle school and elementary tournaments take place on Sunday, beginning at 10.

Kelley, Photo by BV

A year ago, the Empire State featured eight All-Americans at FloNationals. This time, New York will once again be well represented, with over 85 entries as of press time, including state champions such as Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton), Luis Weierbach (Hoosick Falls), Nick Piccininni (Ward Melville), Nick Kelley (Shenendehowa), Tyler Grimaldi (Half Hollow Hills West) and Rich Sisti (Monsignor Farrell).

In addition, a number of medalists, including 2013 top three finishers Vincent DePrez (Hilton), Christian Dietrich (Greene), David Almaviva (Shenendehowa), Joe Mastro (Yorktown), Alex Soutiere (Ravena), Travis Passaro (Eastport South Manor) and Sam Melikian (Fordham Prep) will look to add All-American honors to the All-State accolades they picked up in February.

Registration remains open until Wednesday at midnight here. But for those who won’t be present in person, there are still ways to keep tabs on the New Yorkers as they strive for national titles.

Each match will be streamed live on FloWrestling.org with a Tech Wave subscription, and according to organizers, viewers will be able to see the score and time on the screen to make the bouts easy to track. (In addition, results will be updated throughout the weekend on http://www.trackwrestling.com).

“I think it’s exciting that every match will be shown live on the internet so people back home can watch,” said two-time state champion Nick Piccininni. “It also lets college coaches watch.  I know some coaches will be there in person too and even though I can’t talk to them yet, I want to put myself on their radar for the future.”

Indeed, FloNationals is a place where coaches are on the lookout for potential recruits.  Just ask 2013 New York State bronze medalist Joe Mastro of Yorktown, who recently committed to become a part of Pat Popolizio’s Wolfpack.

“FloNationals was the place that first got the NC State coaches interested in me,” Mastro said. “I’ve been going since my sophomore year and the competition gets tougher each year.  I think it’s really become the premier postseason national tournament.”

Both Mastro (preseeded ninth at 152) and Piccininni (preseeded #1 at 113), fell just short of the podium a year ago.  Both expect better this time.

“Last year, I came within a round of placing,” Mastro said. “The goal is to definitely come home with All-American honors. It’s something I’ve been thinking about since last year.”

“I definitely wasn’t happy with the outcome last year,” Piccininni added. “It doesn’t really matter that I’m preseeded #1. I’m just trying to go out there, wrestle my toughest and dominate each match. It’s a really tough tournament, but my goal is to win the national championship.”

 

NY Wrestlers Find Success at the War at the Shore; Gene Mills Eastern Nationals

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It was a holiday weekend, but many Empire State wrestlers got plenty of quality mat time by making the trip to New Jersey for the War at the Shore event or by competing at the Gene Mills Eastern Nationals.

At the War at the Shore, New York boasted a number of top six placers, including several wrestlers that stood on top of the podium.

One of the gold medalists was Elite’s Adam Busiello, who captured the crown at 82 pounds in Division 3. Busiello began with an 8-3 decision before recording a pair of technical falls and a 12-3 major over Craig Manno of Apex (NJ) in the title contest.

Photo by BV

Joining him as champions in Division 5 were a pair of Long Islanders, Anthony Sparacio at 95 pounds and 2013 NYS medalist Jesse Dellavecchia at 107.  Sparacio notched two majors on his path while Dellavecchia won five matches, including a pin in the championship bout.

New York also featured a pair of titlewinners in Division 6, as Underground’s Zak Ryder won at 55, while Carmel’s PJ Duke took top honors at 60 pounds.  Both were dominant, as Ryder pinned all three of his foes with the longest match just over a minute.  Meanwhile, Duke registered two falls and an 8-3 decision.

After making the podium in Albany during the 2012-13 high school campaign, various wrestlers placed over the weekend in the Garden State.  They included: 631 Elite’s Matteo Devincenzo (2nd at 96), VHW’s Vito Arujau (3rd at 107), West Babylon’s Steven Lee (2nd at 114) and Ravena-Coeyman’s Alex Soutiere (3rd at 287).

Meanwhile, back in New York, over 80 champions were crowned at the Gene Mills Eastern Nationals event at Onondoga Community College, ranging from the lightest class (Bantam 40 pounds, won by Darren Bailey of Thorobred) to the 250-unlimited Varsity division captured by Brandon Yager from Mustangs. 12 of the brackets featured girls wrestling.

G2 World Wrestling Academy’s Jayden Scott collected two titles, grabbing first in both the Midget 70 and 75 pound classes. Stevo Poulin was a two-time finalist, taking gold in Junior 60 and silver in Junior 65.

2013 high school All-State wrestlers such as Kelan McKenna of New Hartford and Theo Powers of Pin2Win were victorious in their brackets, while state champion Luis Weierbach earned third at 120.

For full brackets see: www.trackwrestling.com and search “Gene Mills Eastern Nationals.”

For a list of New York placers from the War at the Shore, see below. (Please comment below with any additions).

Division 1

6th – Mason Franklin (Long Beach) – 44 Pounds; Chad Falcon (North Rockland) – 82 Pounds

Division 2

2nd – Stefon Thompson (Brentwood) – 105 Pounds

3rd – Tyler Benjamin (Thorobred) – 115 Pounds

4th – Ethan Ferro (Superior) – 78 Pounds

5th – Ivan Garcia (Apex) – 68 Pounds; JD Moore (VHW) – 96 Pounds; Ryan Stein (NY Titan) – 115 Pounds

Division 3

Champion – Adam Busiello (Elite) – 82 Pounds

2nd – Benny Baker (Rock Solid) – 87 Pounds; Anthony Sobotker (631 Elite) – 115 Pounds; Dominic Salerno (Thorobred) – 200 Pounds

3rd – John DeRidder (VHW) – 87 Pounds; Hector Colom (Scorpion/Cobra) – 99 Pounds

4th – Jake Silverstein (631 Elite) – 93 Pounds

5th – Michael Parrish (631 Elite) – 140 Pounds

Division 4

2nd – Mikey DiPalma (Islip) – 80 Pounds; Matteo Devincenzo (631 Elite) – 96 Pounds; Peter Pappas (631 Elite) – 102 Pounds

3rd – Ben Tepperman (631 Elite) – 102 Pounds; Eric Wakefield (Ironmen) – 190 Pounds; Larry Baker (Wantagh) – 250 Pounds

4th – AJ Aeberli (Olympic) – 140 Pounds

5th – Jonathan Gomez (Long Beach) – 85 Pounds; Nicholas Pagnotta (Rocky Point)  – 90 Pounds; Jake Colonna (631 Elite) – 128 Pounds; Kevin Parker (Journeymen) – 140 Pounds

Division 5

Champion – Anthony Sparacio (631 Elite) – 95 Pounds; Jesse Dellavecchia (631 Elite) – 107 Pounds

2nd – Sean Mc Garvey (Pearl River) – 95 Pounds; Kyle Mock (Huntington) – 101 Pounds; Steven Lee (West Babylon) – 114 Pounds; Sean Romanski (NY Titan) – 137 Pounds; Matt Caputo (Apex) – 142 pounds

3rd – Sean Miller (CWC) – 101 Pounds; Vito Arujau (VHW) – 107 Pounds; Joe Calderone (Walt Whitman) – 114 Pounds; JP Ascolese (Iron Horse) – 132 Pounds; Jakob Restrepo (VHW) – 142 Pounds; Alex Soutiere (Ravena-Coeymans) 287 Pounds

4th – Daniel McBrinn (Olympic) – 147 Pounds

5th – Jimmy Leach (631 Elite) – 132 Pounds; Jimmy Devine (NY Titan) – 154 Pounds

6th – Jake DiMarsico (North Rockland) – 137 Pounds

Division 6

Champion – Zak Ryder (Underground) – 55 Pounds; PJ Duke (Carmel) – 60 Pounds

6th – Jeremiah Carter (Lindenhurst Bulldogs) – 51 Pounds

All Tied Up: Long Island and Upstate All-Star Squads Battle to 27-27 Result in Ithaca

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The poster for the first annual Long Island vs. Upstate Challenge said, “The Debate Will Finally Be Settled.”  But after a great day of wrestling, neither team earned bragging rights as the squads battled to a 27-27 tie at the Friedman Center on the campus of Cornell University.

It’s fair to say that neither team was thrilled with the outcome.

“We weren’t happy.  I actually think were kind of shocked to have tied,” said Long Island 120-pounder Travis Passaro. “I didn’t think it would be a blowout, but I thought we would win.”

Upstate 195-pounder Reggie Williams wasn’t pleased either.

“Even after they tied it up, we were hoping we would still win on criteria,” the Johnson City star said. “We would have won if they went to criteria. We really wanted to win this in the first year of the event.”

The dual featured some of New York’s best wrestlers, including 13 state champions and another 15 placers.  As a result, the fans were treated to a back and forth affair that came down to the final bout, where Connetquot’s Brendan Dent edged Hilton’s Vincent DePrez at 145 pounds 5-4 to complete Long Island’s comeback from eight points down with just two matches remaining.

Photo by BV

The main event began with a pair of 99 pounders who took first (Yianni Diakomihalis of Hilton) and third (John Busiello of Eastport South Manor) in Albany.  Diakomihalis took charge early and never relented, winning a 9-3 decision and giving Upstate a 3-0 advantage.

Long Island responded, however, as state champion Mike Hughes of Smithtown West used a late charge to top Columbia’s El Shaddai Van Hoesen 5-4 at heavyweight.  The Columbia wrestler scored the first takedown and later added a reversal, but Hughes rebounded to knot the team score at 3.

Next to the mat was yet another state gold medalist – 106-pounder Kyle Quinn of Wantagh.  He took an early lead against third placer Jon Haas of Spencerport, but it was Haas who picked up the pace as the match continued, erasing the early deficit and coming from behind to win 7-4.

Building on that momentum for the Upstate team was Holley’s Mike Silvis at 220.  He used a big throw to propel himself to a 7-3 decision over New York runner up Steven Mills and pushed the Upstate group’s advantage to 9-3.   On top of that, the Long Island squad was docked a team point, which would prove costly at the end of the day.

Ready to turn the tide was two-time state titlewinner Nick Piccininni of Ward Melville.  The Section 11 star got his team back on track with a 6-0 blanking of Lockport’s Anthony Orefice at 113 to pull Long Island within 9-5, bringing up a rematch of a quarterfinal tilt at the Times Union Center.

At the state tournament, Syosset’s Dan Choi upended top-seeded Reggie Williams of Johnson City 14-4 on his way to the NYS crown.  Williams couldn’t wait to take another shot at the Section 8 grappler.

“I was really excited to have a rematch because I wasn’t at my best at the state tournament,” Williams said. “I was really looking forward to it.  I wanted to prove that I just had a bad weekend.”

He definitely had a better day on Saturday in an entertaining clash that featured a number of throw attempts by the 195-pounders.  With a lead in the third and time winding down, Williams picked up significant points for the Upstaters when he put Choi to his back and recorded the fall.

“Ending it that way did mean a little more,” Williams said. “I know [Choi] committed to Cornell and he’ll be scarred with his first experience there losing by pin. Getting a pin at this level of competition, at an event like this was big. It really helped my team out.”

It definitely did, giving Upstate a 15-5 lead. With that 10-point deficit, Long Island sent bronze medalist Travis Passaro out to face 120-pound champion Alex Delacruz of Ossining.  Thanks to some outstanding work on the mat, including a number of turns for near fall, the Section 11 standout beat Delacruz by major decision to pull his squad within striking distance, 15-9.

“I really wanted to wrestle him; I felt like I should have been in the state finals,” Passaro said. “It was a big match for me. Top is one of my best positions and when I got on top, I was able to work for turns and score a lot of points.  I wasn’t expecting to score so much, but I wasn’t surprised.  I felt like I did what I should have done.”

And not too long afterwards, Gio Santiago answered the pin by Williams with a fall of his own to bring the scoreboard to a 15-15 tie.  Santiago, a prolific pinner throughout his career, ended his bout with Warsaw’s Tim Schaefer with an exclamation point.

Photo by BV

“Gio Santiago came through with a huge pin to tie it up and bring us right back into it,” Passaro said. “That was really big.”

So, eight matches down, seven to go and it was deadlocked between the squads.  What could make things even more exciting?  How about a clash between a pair of 2013 state champions?

TJ Fabian of Shoreham Wading River and William Koll of Lansing met at 126 pounds at the Eastern States Classic in January, with the Long Island wrestler walking away with the triumph and the tournament title.  This time, the tables were turned as Koll jumped out to a quick lead with a takedown and back points.  Despite Fabian’s strong top work in the third period which earned points both for riding time and stalling against the Section 4 wrestler, Koll came away a 5-4 winner and pulled the Upstate squad ahead 18-15.

Long Island then briefly took its last lead of the day on the strength of Danny McDevitt’s major decision over Clarence’s Jake Weber at 170.  McDevitt showed his dominance on the mat, reversing his opponent on multiple occasions and collecting nearfall to put the Section 8 and 11 squad up 19-18.

However, the next three bouts went to the Upstaters as Brandon Lapi and Connor Lapresi both registered shutouts over their opponents, Chris Mauriello and Vinny Turano (at 132 and 138).  Both Lapi and Lapresi notched first period takedowns and then demonstrated strong work on the mat, with significant riding time.

In between those two performances came one of the most anticipated matches of the event – a meeting between Division I state champion Tyler Grimaldi and his Division II counterpart Burke Paddock at 160 pounds.  Grimaldi said before the weekend that it was the “grudge match” as he had beaten Paddock in Freestyle while Paddock had returned the favor at the Eastern States.

After some early handfighting, the Warsaw junior grabbed control, throwing Grimaldi to his back for a 5-0 advantage.  He added to his lead in the second to enter the third up 7-1.  Despite a comeback from the Hills West star, who earned some takedowns late, Paddock came away with a 9-5 victory.

And so entering the final two bouts of the afternoon, at 152 and 145 pounds, Upstate was in front 27-19.

“I was confident in [Corey Rasheed and Brendan Dent]; I felt like they could both win,” Passaro said. “I thought we had a chance to win the dual.”

Rasheed, one of the most dominant grapplers in all of New York this year was set to face  fellow 152-pound state champion Kevin Thayer of Unatego.

Photo by BV

Those present at the Times Union Center saw Rasheed cradle his opponent and end the state title bout in less than a minute.  That move led to many falls during the campaign for the Longwood junior.  He slapped that cradle onto Thayer more than once, but the Section 4 wrestler refused to give in, fighting off his back multiple times.  In the end, Rasheed was just too much and with less than 20 ticks left in the third period, he finished off a 15-0 technical fall, putting his squad behind by just three points, 27-24.

“Kevin Thayer is a good wrestler who goes hard, but Corey Rasheed is just a really, really tough kid,” Williams said. “I was proud of Kevin because even though he was losing, he kept fighting. He never stopped fighting and he didn’t give up the pin.”

So it all came down to the 145 pound contest.  It was two-time state runner up Vincent DePrez of Hilton for the Upstate squad, (second at 138 in 2013) against NYS fourth placer Brendan Dent of Connetquot.

Dent got on the board first with a takedown and ended the first ahead 2-1. He added to his lead with an escape in the second, but DePrez made it 3-3 with a takedown in the middle stanza. In the third, DePrez moved ahead 4-3 when he got out from bottom, but Dent answered with a takedown with just over a minute remaining to lead 5-4. DePrez worked for the reversal as time ticked down, but Dent held on for the 5-4 victory.

Following the match, the scoreboard changed to 27-all and that’s how it would end. One thing was unanimous – neither team liked that deadlocked tally.

“There’s always tension between Upstate and Long Island,” Passaro said. “It was a really fun weekend, but we wanted to win it.”

Williams felt the same way.

“We had a great time as team; did a lot of bonding.  When good wrestlers get together, you learn a lot and make new friendships.  It was a good weekend, but no one wants to end on a tie,” he said. “We really wanted to come out on top in the first year. But, there’s always next year.”

 

LIVE VIDEO: Watch some of the state's best at the Long Island vs. Upstate Challenge on Saturday

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We will be streaming the main event of the Long Island vs. Upstate Challenge on Saturday, beginning around 4:30 p.m. The link to the live video can be found at this link on the live stream page.

The clash will feature numerous state champions and placers on both squads. For the high powered lineups, see below:

Long Island vs. Upstate Challenge – Main Event (Rosters as Provided to NYWN)

99 – John Busiello (Eastport South Manor) NYS Third vs Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton) NYS Champion

106 – Kyle Quinn (Wantagh) NYS Champion vs Jon Haas (Spencerport) NYS Third

113 – Nick Piccininni (Ward Melville) 2x NYS Champion vs Anthony Orefice (Lockport) Multi-Time NYS Placer

120 – Travis Passaro (Eastport South Manor) NYS Third vs. Alex Delacruz (Ossining) NYS Champion

126 – TJ Fabian (Shoreham Wading River) NYS Champion vs Will Koll (Lansing) 2x NYS Champion

132 – Chris Mauriello (Hauppauge) NYS Qualifier vs Brandon Lapi (Amsterdam) NYS Runner Up

138 – Vinny Turano (Wantagh) NYS Fourth vs Connor Lapresi (Lansing) NYS Champion

145 – Brendan Dent (Connetquot) NYS Fourth vs Vincent Deprez (Hilton) 2x NYS Runner Up

152 – Corey Rasheed (Longwood) NYS Champion vs Kevin Thayer (Unatego) NYS Champion

160 – Tyler Grimaldi (Hills West) NYS Champion vs Burke Paddock (Warsaw) NYS Champion

170 – Dan McDevitt (Wantagh) 2x NYS Placer vs Jake Weber (Clarence) NYS Qualifier

182- Gio Santiago (Sachem North) 2x NYS Placer vs Tim Schaefer (Warsaw) Multi-Time NYS Placer

195 – Dan Choi (Syosset) NYS Champion vs Reggie Williams (Johnson City) NYS Runner up

220 – Steven Mills (Sachem North) NYS Second vs Mike Silvis (Holley) NYS Third

285 – Michael Hughes (Smithtown West) NYS Champion vs El Shaddai Van Hoesen (Columbia) NYS Runner Up