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

Posted on by
Reply

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

 

 

State Champion Realbuto and Returning Placers White, Barbaria and Aslanian Lead the Way for Section 1 in 2012-13 (Season Preview)

Posted on by
Reply

New York Wrestling Newswill be taking a look at the Sections across the state over the next few weeks.  We began with a story on Section 1 stars Dylan Realbuto and Trey Aslanian, which can be found here.

In addition to returning state champion Realbuto and runner up Aslanian, Section 1 welcomes back two other placewinners from 2012 and more than 15 additional qualifiers.  The following takes a look at some wrestlers to keep an eye on this year, some potential breakout stars and the teams to beat for the 2013 campaign in Section 1. 

 

Division I

 

Returning State Placewinners (from 2012)

State Champion: Dylan Realbuto (12) Somers, 113 Pounds

Fifth Place: Dale White (12) John Jay East Fishkill, 145 Pounds

Sixth Place: Nick Barbaria (11) New Rochelle, 99 Pounds

 

Additional Returning State Qualifiers (from 2012)

113 Pounds: Alex Delacruz (11), Ossining

120 Pounds: Jake DeMarsico (12), North Rockland

126 Pounds: Matt Caputo (11), North Rockland

138 Pounds: Tom Grippi (12), Fox Lane

170 Pounds: Steven Sabella (12) Yorktown

285 Pounds: David Varian (12) Yorktown

 

Seniors to Watch

Dylan Realbuto (Somers) – Realbuto won his first state championship in dramatic fashion, taking Hilton’s Vincent DePrez down as the buzzer sounded in the third to capture an 8-7 decision.  He’ll try to add a second title in his last year, which would bring his family’s total to five (older brother Brian captured championships in 2009, 2011 and 2012).

Dale White (John Jay East Fishkill) – White showed he was a contender for All-State honors last year at the Eastern States where he pushed two-time New York champion Jimmy Kloc in the finals before losing 7-6.  White had only five other setbacks during his junior season, four of which were by one point (and another by two points).  He looks to climb higher on the podium than his fifth place showing in 2012.

Tom Grippi (Fox Lane) – A returning Section champion, Grippi began his run in Albany last season by defeating eventual third-place finisher David Almaviva of Shenendehowa.  Grippi went on to a 2-2 record at the state tournament, falling one win short of placing.  He posted a 45-6 mark as a junior while splitting time between 138 and 145 pounds and will be a strong candidate to earn All-State honors in Feburary.

Steven Sabella (Yorktown) – Sabella went 42-4 in 2011-12 at 170 pounds with 21 pins.  He won a pair of matches at the state tournament, coming within one round of medaling in Albany.

 

Also Keep an Eye On . . .

Nick Barbaria (New Rochelle) – Barbaria stood sixth on the podium at 99 pounds as a sophomore following a 36-7 season.  He defeated All-State wrestlers Cheick Ndiaye (the Division II runner up) and notched a pair of victories over fourth place finisher Joe Calderone and a win over Bryan Lantry. (Both Calderone and Lantry also both avenged those results).  In January, Barbaria had a strong run to the silver medal at the Eastern States Classic. Barbaria has been active in the offseason, competing at events such as the Ken Lesser Memorial Summer Heat and the Journeymen Classic.

Blaise Benderoth (North Rockland) – As a ninth grader, the North Rockland wrestler went 36-6 at 106 pounds and made the podium at the prestigious Eastern States Classic.  Benderoth had several quality victories, including wins over state placer Nick Barbaria of New Rochelle and a pair of triumphs against qualifier Vinny Skokos of Nanuet.  However, he missed the state tournament after he dropped the Section 1 final to Michael Parise of Brewster 3-2, who eventually came within one match of getting on the podium in Albany.  Benderoth made the trip upstate for the postseason as an eighth grader and looks to do it again in 2013.

Alex Delacruz, Photo by Boris V

Alex Delacruz (Ossining) – Delacruz earned a ticket to Albany last year after upsetting eventual state champion Dylan Realbuto during the Section 1 tournament, avenging an earlier loss to the Somers grappler.  Although he went 1-2 at the Times Union Center, Delacruz had a strong 36-6 season in which he defeated another state finalist – Division I runner up Justin Cooksey of MacArthur.  With big victories like that one, he will be expected to have a big year in 2012-13.

Of those who haven’t been to the state tournament before, keep tabs on Thomas Murray of Yorktown who lost in the Section 1 final to eventual state runner up Jacob Berkowitz of Scarsdale.  “Tom’s been working really hard and I think if he’d gone to state last year, he could have placed,” coach Max Askren said.

Also working hard and ready to take another step forward is Byram Hills freshman John Errico.  As a 99-pound eighth grader, Errico took third in the Section and was 34-4 overall.  He also tested himself against some of the Northeast’s best at the recent Journeymen Classic.

Team Race

In 2012, Fox Lane took the Division I title, sending longtime coach Joe Amuso out with a flourish.   The Foxes went into the last session of the Sectionals needing all four of their finalists to win in order to grab the team title and they all delivered.  Three of those wrestlers, Sam Speno, Matt Pasqualini and Dan Ventura graduated.  However, Tom Grippi returns and the new coach has talent at his disposal, including a pair of juniors who won over 30 matches last season and placed at the Sectionals – Ben Ettlinger and Brendon Fay.

Last year’s second place team, North Rockland and 2012’s fifth-place group from Yorktown return a handful of Section placewinners and look to be leading contenders for the championship.

North Rockland, which was edged by just 3.5 points by Fox Lane in February, boasts three returning finalists – Jake DiMarsico (Champion at 120), Blaise Benderoth (2nd at 106) and Matt Caputo (2nd at 126).  In addition, new head coach Jeff Swick can expect to pick up points from a trio of grapplers who were fourth a year ago — Derek DiMarsico, Troy Feniger and Conner Reigotti.

Yorktown also has significant firepower scheduled to come back, including 2012 Section 1 champions Steven Sabella (170) and David Varian (285) as well as runner up Thomas Murray (182).   Fellow senior Joseph Mastro was 40-3 last campaign, with two of his losses to state placers (Mike Caputo and Dale White).  Mastro is coming off a silver medal in the Sections at 145 while classmate James Kaishian earned 36 wins at 120 and a fifth place showing at Pace University.

The teams that took third and fourth last year, New Rochelle and Somers, both have some standouts, but suffered heavy losses to graduation.  The Huguenots feature All-State wrestler Nick Barbaria in the lightweights as well as Justin Douglas, who was a runner up in the Sectionals, but graduated placers Aaron Butler, Jonathan Stokes, Tyler Lilly and Bryan Ferrandi.  Somers will have Albany title threat Dylan Realbuto in the lineup although his brother Brian and Dom DeVita are among the highly successful wrestlers who completed their Tuskers careers.

Division II

Returning State Placewinners (from 2012)

Second Place: Trey Aslanian (12) Edgemont, 113 Pounds

Additional Returning State Qualifiers (from 2012)

99 Pounds: Tyler Aslanian (11) Edgemont

99 Pounds: Joe Dillon (11) Nanuet

106 Pounds: Vinny Skokos (10) Nanuet

120 Pounds: Anthony Calvano (12) Nanuet

126 Pounds: Drew Longo (12) Ardsley

138 Pounds: Matt Dillon (12) Nanuet

145 Pounds: Brett Pastore (12) Irvington

170 Pounds: John Messinger (12) Putnam Valley

195 Pounds: Dan Breit (12) Nanuet

220 Pounds: Matt Acevedo (11) Pawling

 

Seniors to Watch

Trey Aslanian (Edgemont) – The three-time state placer hopes this will be the year.  Aslanian qualified for the finals the past two seasons in Albany but came away with runner up status at 103 in 2011 and 113 last year.  He looked tough over the summer, registering a 7-1 record for the Empire State at Junior Duals in Freestyle and competing at Fargo.

Drew Longo (Ardsley) – In 2012 he found himself out of the medals at a loaded 126-pound bracket at the state tournament, but he’s been on the stand before.  In fact, as a freshman, Longo was the runner up at 96 pounds and he followed that up with a fifth place finish in 2011.  He looks for one more drive to the podium in his last campaign for Ardsley.

 

Also Keep an Eye On . . .

Tyler Aslanian (Edgemont) –  The second of three Aslanian brothers currently wrestling for Edgemont, Tyler went 30-8 as a sophomore at 99 pounds.  He notched a pair of victories over fellow Section 1 state qualifier Joe Dillon and came within one bout of making All-State at the Times Union Center.

“Tyler was just short of placing last year and he has worked tremendously hard since the end of the season,” Edgemont coach Peter Jacobson said.  “Our hope is that he makes All-State this year – he’s definitely an All-State caliber wrestler.”

Vinny Skokos (Nanuet) – Skokos had a strong ninth grade campaign for the Golden Knights, earning 32 victories and a Section title.  He topped All-State wrestlers Nick Barbaria and Cody Carbery as well as NHSCA All-American Kyle Quinn of Wantagh.

“Skokos has a track record for working hard and making big improvements,” Jacobson said.  “He had a tremendous freshman year and works year round.  I would expect him to make a big jump this year and turn some heads.

Anthony Calvano (Nanuet) – Calvano went 16-5 a year ago and made a dominant run through the Section tournament with a pin and two decisions in which he outscored his opponents by a combined 16-3 tally.  He went 0-2 in Albany but at least one opposing coach thinks he’ll be far better this time.

“I thought his showing at the state tournament last year was not at all reflective of the wrestler that he is.  I believe he will place at the state level this year,” Jacobson said.

 

Team Race

In Division II, Nanuet won the crown by over 40 points a year ago and has a slew of contributors back.  In addition to Section champions Vinny Skokos (106), Anthony Calvano (120) and Dan Breit (195), the team offers four more finalists in Joe Dillon (99), Matt Dillon (138), Mike Buhlmann (160) and Kevin Brundage (182).  But that’s not all. Nanuet has several other wrestlers who were in the top six in 2012 on its roster, including three bronze winners.

Mounting a strong challenge will be Edgemont, led by the Aslanian brothers. Three-time state placer Trey was the Section titlist at 113 a year ago after defeating teammate Skylar Korek.  Tyler Aslanian was the Panthers’ other Section 1 victor at 99 pounds, where sibling Kyle also wrestled as an eighth grader (and won 18 bouts).  Silver medalists Colin Hopkins, Jack McCormack and Chris Kim will once again be in the mix, as could Will Graybeal and Ross Kantor, who were both top four.

“We both have a lot of returning finalists and placefinishers,” Jacobson said. “A lot will depend on who ends up going what weight — matchups will be key.  But none of it on paper means that much. It’s going to be a product of what guys have done for the past nine months and will do for the next few months and who has a better weekend. [Nanuet] is the team to beat.  They do a great job, consistently developing their athletes and that isn’t going to change.  But I think the team title could go either way.”

Overcoming those squads will be difficult, but 2012’s bronze team Putnam Valley aims to put some wrestlers on the podium.  One grappler to watch is John Messinger, the 170-pound titlewinner who pinned his way through the event last season.

 

Special thanks to all of the contributors to this article.

All results from the NWCA Scorebook.

All-State Wrestler Matt Leshinger of Sayville Selects Columbia University

Posted on by
1

 

By Matt Diano

Today, it was announced that second-year Columbia University Head Coach Carl Fronhofer picked up his first recruit from the class of 2013 when he landed returning NYS DI place-winner (3rd @120) Matt Leshinger out of Sayville High School in Suffolk County.  The news came on the heels of the super senior’s Honorable Mention selection to the NYS-10 list, a segment of the series published annually by InterMat Wrestling.

Projected as a 133-pounder in college, the addition of Leshinger further bolsters the strong stable of lightweight talent that Fronhofer has built in his short tenure at the helm of the Ivy League program.  Last season, it was Joey Moita (a multiple-time All-American in the international styles, as well as 2x State place-winner) and Johnson Mai (2x State finalist/2011 Champion, who also won the 2011 Junior National Greco-Roman title), both of California, leading the strong surge of young 125/133 pounders flocking to the Upper Manhattan based campus.

Photo by Boris V

Leshinger is also the fourth native Empire Stater in the past three years to commit to the Lions.  He joins current freshmen Chris Loew (184) and Connor Sutton (165), as well as sophomore Ben Villaret (also a 165-pounder) in making up a strong nucleus of in-state studs looking to take the EIWA conference member to the next level.

A much heralded student-athlete since his days competing as a Schoolboy, it was evident from a very early stage that Leshinger was going to be a special talent. A late starter in some respects (his first year competing was in 7th grade), it did not take long for the future Lion to demonstrate the vastness of his ceiling when he was a 2009 double All-American, placing 8th in both international styles. From here, the legend was born. And, with each passing year, like a fine wine, the product just seems to get better with age. A two-time All-Suffolk wrestler heading into his junior year (finishing 4th @96 in 2010 and 6th in 2011 @113), Leshinger would enjoy a breakout campaign last season, compiling a record of 44-6 en route to winning his first sectional crown, as well as earning the aforementioned spot on the podium at the NYS DI tournament in Albany. Included among this plethora of wins was a victory over eventual 2012 State Champion, Sean McCabe (currently a freshman at Rutgers), 3-2 in the Section XI quarterfinals. He would post an identical score the following round, besting 2009 State Champion, Mark West, before ultimately taking the title with a 5-4 double overtime win against fellow 2013 Honorable Mention, TJ Fabian (who he also defeated in the state bronze medal match a few weeks later) in the finals. So incredible was this run to the title that Leshinger joined a very exclusive company of individuals to be voted as both the Most Outstanding Wrestler and the Champion of Champions at the County Tournament. He heads into his swan song as the favorite to win the one piece of hardware that has escaped him during his scholastic career, the NYS title.

As gifted in the classroom as he is on the wrestling mat, prior to his commitment, Leshinger had been something of a hot commodity on the recruiting market, attracting the attention of the likes of Dave Amato (Brown), Chris Ayres (Princeton), Pat Santoro (Lehigh), Dan Wirnsberger (Bucknell), and Pat Popolizio (NC State) among the collection of suitors. With older brother, Steven, currently a sophomore on Ayres’s Tiger roster, today will certainly set up a battle for Ivy bragging rights in the Leshinger household.

Congratulations to Matt, his family, and the Sayville wrestling program on this tremendous accomplishment! On behalf of the entire NYS wrestling community, we look forward to seeing this young man do huge things in the Columbia Blue and White !

This article was originally published on http://www.gothamcitywrestling.com

Finger Lakes Wrestling Club to Host the FLWC Fall Brawl, Clinic with NCAA Champion Cam Simaz This Weekend

Posted on by
Reply

The Finger Lakes Wrestling Club is hosting the FLWC Fall Brawl this Sunday, October 7th at the Friedman Wrestling Center on the campus of Cornell University.   Get in some preseason wrestling and attend a clinic conducted by NCAA champion and four-time All-American Cam Simaz.

All ages and experience levels are welcome.  Weigh-ins are at 11 a.m. and action is scheduled to begin at 12:30. (The clinic will run from 11:30-12:30).

Please see the flyer for more information: Fall Brawl Flyer

Two-Time State Champion Nick Tighe Discusses His Commitment to Binghamton

Posted on by
Reply

Photo by Boris V

Nick Tighe had an abbreviated official visit to Binghamton due to a family commitment.  As a result, he wasn’t there for a lot of the recruiting activities, including playing paintball.

“I know I missed a lot of the really fun things,” Tighe said. “I basically just ate and walked around a little bit.”

It turns out, it didn’t matter that he missed the special events. The two-time state champion from Phoenix High knew Binghamton was the place he wanted to be already. (He chose the Bearcats over Rutgers).

“I had seen the campus before on an unofficial trip over the summer,” Tighe said. “I really got along with the guys and the coaches.  I guess the best way to say it is that I could really see myself there for the next four or five years.  I think they’re doing the right things with the program and they’re bringing in a lot of good guys.”

Those “good guys” include fellow top New York seniors such as Canastota’s Zack Zupan and Shenendehowa teammates Nick Kelley and David Almaviva.

“Having two guys like Kelley and Almaviva to train with for the next four or five years is definitely exciting,” Tighe said. “Also, having [assistant coach] Teyon Ware to work with is a huge deal for me.”

Tighe, who expects to begin his college career at 133 pounds, is accustomed to having quality partners, including Phoenix coach Tim Boda.  And of course, he has benefitted from the influence of Firebirds head coach Gene Mills.

“Coach Boda works out with me all the time, even when he’s hurt,” Tighe said. “I want to thank him for wrestling live with me and preparing me.  And Coach Mills has given me so much and done so much for me over the years.  He’s always there for me.  He’s taught me attention to detail and technique, but also so many more things.  It’s hard to even describe it all.”

One thing he has certainly passed along to Tighe is the ability to put opponents on their backs.

“Coach Mills has the national pin record and he’s all about pinning people,” Tighe said.

Some would say that’s what Tighe is about as well.

During his 47-2 junior campaign, he recorded 31 falls and won just six bouts by decision, according to the NWCA scorebook.  In fact, he pinned three of his four foes in Albany on his way to his second state crown (at 126 pounds).  He was the 119-pound champion in 2011 and took fifth as a freshman.

However, it’s the two contests that he didn’t win last year that drive him as he enters his final season in Section 3.

“I was terrible at Eastern States last year,” he said. “Unfortunately, the two wrestlers I lost to [Maverick Passaro and Sam Speno] graduated, so I can’t get another chance at them, but I am looking to win the Eastern States this year.”

In addition to atoning for his two losses, Tighe said his focus is on getting ready for the style of wrestling he will see with the Bearcats.

“I want this year to be about preparing for college,” he said. “I want to work on the things that will make me ready to compete when I get to Binghamton.  But obviously, that’s all part of preparing for the state tournament where I want to win another title.”

If Tighe does stand on top of the podium in late February at the Times Union Center, he will become only the second Section 3 wrestler to win three state crowns (Dan Hunt of West Genesee was the first), a feat Tighe admits is in the back of his mind.

“It would be awesome to be able to achieve that,” he said. “It would be the perfect way to end my high school career.”

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)

Check out Videos and Results from the Journeymen Wrestling Classic

Posted on by
Reply

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)

 

More videos to come . . .

 

RESULTS

103A:  Champion: Yianni Diakomihalis (G2)  Second Place: Jesse Dellavecchia

Diakomihalis dec Dellavecchia 8-1

103B: Champion: Vitali Arujau (VHW) Second Place: Josh Logiudice (Journeymen)

Arujau dec Logiudice 7-0

113A: Champion: Nick Piccininni (Ward Melville) Second Place: Joseph Trovato (Apex)

Piccininni dec Trovato 7-0

113B: Champion: Bryan Lantry (Wayne) Second Place: Nick Barbaria (Ascend)

Lantry dec Barbaria, 3-1

113C: Champion: James Szymanski (X-Cel) Second Place: Benjamin Defronzo

Szymanski dec Defronzo, 5-2

113D: Champion: Ben Lamantia (VHW) Second Place: Jim Slendorn (Triumph)

Lamantia dec Slendorn, 12-5

120A: Champion: Brent Fleetwood (Tyrants) Second Place: Ryan Pomrinca (North Hunterdon)

120B: Champion: Blake Retell (Journeymen) Second Place: Josue Beltran Jr (Mountain View)

Retell dec Beltran Jr, 3-1

120C: Champion: Craig DeLaCruz (Bound Brook) Second Place: John Amato (Timber Creek)

DeLaCruz pin Amato, 1:33

120D: Jean-Luc Lemieux (Pinkerton) Second Place: Dylan Lafountain (Mount Anthony)

Lemieux dec Lafountain, 7-0

125A: Champion: Sal Profaci (Monroe) Second Place: Travis Passaro (631 Elite)

Profaci dec Passaro, 4-2

125B: Champion: Justin Cooksey (VHW) Second Place: Joseph Ghione (Brick Memorial)

Cooksey dec Ghione, 8-5

125C: Champion: Connor Muli (Shore Thing) Second Place: Michael Raccioppi (Minisink Valley)

Muli dec Raccioppi, 4-2

125 D: Champion: Kyle Fletcher (Catamount) Second Place: Blaise Rufo (Monsignor Farrell)

Fletcher pin Rufo, 2:17

130A: Champion: Anthony Giraldo (North Bergen) Second Place: TJ Fabian (X-Cel)

Giraldo dec Fabian, 7-1

130B: Champion: Jared Staub (Elite) Second Place: Patrick Lacroix

Staub dec Lacroix, 6-4 (OT)

135A: Champion: Scott Delvecchio (Hercules) Second Place: Geoffrey Verallis (NMH)

Delvecchio dec Verallis, 6-4

135B: Champion: Michael Pongracz (Delaware Valley) Second Place: Miguel Calixto (Silverback Wrestling)

Pongracz dec Calixto, 9-3

140A: Champion: Nick Kelley (Journeymen) Second Place: Corey Stasenko (Triumph)

Kelley dec Stasenko, 5-3

140B: Champion: Fritz Hoehn (Doughboys) Second Place: Daniel Reagan (Lew Port)

Hoehn dec Reagan, 2-1

145A: Champion: Maaziah Bethea (Elite) Second Place: David Almaviva (Journeymen)

Bethea dec Almaviva, 4-3

145B: Champion: Jake Spengler Second Place: Christian Labrie 

Spengler dec Labrie, 9-8

152A: Champion: Chad Walsh (Camden Catholic) Second Place: Louie Hernandez (Ascend)

Walsh dec Hernandez, 3-1 (OT)

152B: Champion: Dylan Painton (Triumph) Second Place: Jimmy Ryan (Doughboys)

Painton maj Ryan, 12-2

160A: Champion: Jonathan Schleifer (Triumph) Second Place: Jake George (Long Branch)

Schleifer dec George, 6-1

160B: Champion: Joe Mastro Second Place: Andrew Psomas (Monsignor Farrell)

Mastro pin Psomas (SV)

160C: Champion: Mikey Amorando (Atlas Wrestling) Second Place: Dan Tracy (Ascend)

Amorando pin Tracy, 5:00

170A: Champion: Chris Chorzepa (Northeast Elite) Second Place: Dan Wojtaszek (Shore Thing)

Chorzepa dec Wojtaszek, 3-0

170B: Champion: Austin Weigel (Journeymen) Second Place: Daesean Brown (Triumph)

Weigel dec Brown, 5-3

170C: Champion: Johnny Vrasidas (St. Anthony’s) Second Place: David Bunn (Copiague)

Vrasidas pin Bunn, 1:41

182A: Champion: Peter Renda (Brandywine Heights) Second Place: Joe Balboni (Apex)

Renda dec Balboni, 4-2

182B: Champion: Stephen Suglio Second Place: Levi Ashley (Journeymen) 

Suglio over Ashley, 9-1

182C: Champion: Giovanni Santiago (VHW) Second Place: Austin Price (Mount Anthony)

Santiago pin Price, 4:11

195: Champion: Leonardo Trindade (Doughboys) Second Place: Bryce Mazurowski (Avon)

Trindade pin Mazurowski, 2:58

225 Champion: Richard Sisti (Monsignor Farrell) Second Place: Joe Sprung (Journeymen)

Sisti dec Sprung, 7-3

285 Champion: Jesse Webb (Catamount) Second Place: Matt Montesanti (Medina)

Webb dec Montesanti, 4-2

 

Lansing State Champion Connor Lapresi Chooses Bucknell

Posted on by
Reply

 

Connor Lapresi couldn’t stand it.  After suffering a high ankle sprain during his state championship victory at 132 pounds in February, the Lansing grappler was forced to take some time off from wrestling.

“It’s simply the greatest sport in the world,” he said. “I love it and it’s a huge part of me.  If I don’t wrestle for more than a week or two, I feel like something’s wrong.  When I was out after states, I was emotionally distraught.  It’s kind of unhealthy.  It was a good thing it was the NCAA tournament so I got to watch a lot of matches and afterwards, I watched a lot of youtube videos.”

He also continued mulling his college options.  He’s had a strong connection with Cornell for a long time.  In fact, he said he thought about attending the Ivy League institution since he was in sixth or seventh grade.  But after a parent of a teammate, a Bucknell alum, started talking about the Pennsylvania-based school, he slowly began to consider leaving the Ithaca area.  And after taking an official visit and making a detailed pros and cons list, Lapresi recently gave his verbal commitment to Coach Dan Wirnsberger and the Bison.  He hopes to compete at 141 or 149 pounds without redshirting the first year.

“If I’m not putting on a singlet and stepping out on the mat to represent my team, I’m not happy,” he said. “I can’t just practice.  Cornell was the only college I cared about for a long time.  I’ve been wrestling in the Friedman Center with the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club for years – a lot of the guys there watched me grow up.  But I was surprised when I visited Bucknell how much I liked it. It’s an awesome place. I really liked the coaches and the campus.  The biggest factor was that I think I have the opportunity to be a four-year starter at Bucknell while at Cornell there are highly ranked guys everywhere.  Unless you’re Kyle Dake, you may have to sit.  I love wrestling and competing and I want to be where I can wrestle.  That’s what will make me happiest.”

Lapresi was often happy during his 41-1 junior campaign in which he earned the state crown.  The highlight moment for him, however, took place in the state semifinals where he faced Chittenango’s Wesley Blanding, the top seed in the bracket who had handed Lapresi his only loss of the season in overtime.

The rematch in Albany also went to an extra session.  But this time, it was the Lansing wrestler that came out on top, notching a takedown with just three seconds remaining to earn a 3-1 decision.

“Blanding beat me in the Windsor Tournament.  It was heartbreaking, but I knew I could beat him if we wrestled again,” Lapresi said. “With very little time left, I did a snap down, go behind.  It was like a peewee move; it was amazing.  As the referee was putting his hand up to show the two [points], the time expired.  After a big win like that, I believed I could do anything.  I felt like the sky was the limit at that point.”

That confidence showed when Lapresi came out and immediately took control of the title bout against Duanesburg’s Curt Rowley.  With 20 seconds to go in the second period, Lapresi took his opponent down to take a 5-0 lead, but suffered a third-degree high ankle sprain in the process.  He said it was extremely painful but he knew he still had more than a full period to go to achieve his goal.

“It actually still hurts now,” he said.  “I did absolutely nothing the entire third period.  I could barely stand.  I spent the entire time thinking that I wasn’t letting this injury stop me from getting that championship, but every single movement hurt.  Every third period seems like the longest two minutes of my life, but this one was really long.”

The physical pain was intense but almost as painful was the fact that he gave up a takedown in the final stanza on his way to a 6-3 victory.  It was the only time Lapresi gave up offensive points the entire season.

“It was a little annoying to give up a takedown after not allowing anyone to take me down all year,” he said. “But it gives me something to aim for this year.  State champion.  Undefeated.  No takedowns or back points allowed. That’s about the best you can do and that’s what I want to do.”

He also wants to be part of what he calls Lansing’s “dynamic duo” with junior teammate William Koll, a state champion in 2011 and third place finisher last season.   Lapresi wished to thank his parents and the rest of his family for all of their contributions to his success and he also credited a large portion of his achievements to Koll and a few others in the Bobcat room.

“I wouldn’t be half the wrestler I am without William Koll, Corey Dake and coach Doug Dake,” he said. “The three of them have helped me get so far ahead of where I used to be.  [Lapresi moved to Lansing before his sophomore year]. Part of it is the mentality and just being with people who want to win every bit as much as I do.  They’ve been like a family for me.”

With that family still behind him, Lapresi looks forward to his final season as a Section 4 star.  However, he first will finish up his defensive duties for the football team before getting back to his favorite sport full time.

“In football, it’s fun to tackle but then they blow the whistle and you have to wait another play to try to do it again.  But in wrestling, you take a kid down, get a big mat return, smash their hip on the mat, get a tight tilt and watch the referee award back points.  Nothing beats that.  I can’t wait for wrestling season.”

He said he hopes to be a key player in the continuing rise of the Bucknell program.  But he isn’t losing sight of more immediate goals.

“A lot of seniors fade after they make their college decision,” he said. “They lose the drive and get upset at states.  I want to do great things in college. But I’m focusing on one day at a time.  November 8 is the day it all gets started again.  And on February 22 and 23 [the state tournament] I want to finish high school wrestling the right way.”

Binghamton 2012-13 Season Preview With Assistant Coach Jasen Borshoff

Posted on by
Reply

Binghamton had a terrific 2011-12 season, winning 15 dual meets and earning the best NCAA finish in program history (14th).  The Bearcats boasted two All-Americans (Donnie Vinson at 149 and Nick Gwiazdowski at 285) and had three other wrestlers win at least two bouts at nationals.  The team has undergone change over the past several months, as head coach Pat Popolizio and assistant Frank Beasley moved to North Carolina State and Matt Dernlan and Teyon Ware came on board to replace them.  (Gwiazdowski joined the Wolfpack as well).

Assistant coach Jasen Borshoff is back and he spoke to New York Wrestling News about the upcoming season, beginning with a weight-by-weight look at the lineup.

125 Pounds  – Last year’s starter Derek Steeley returns, but he’ll be challenged by two accomplished wrestlers — former 125-pound Junior College national champion Patrick Hunter (who manned the 133 spot for the Bearcats in 2011-12) and Army transfer David White, who placed at the EIWAs in 2011 as a true freshman.

Coach Borshoff:  “We have a three-way race for 125.  Right now, I’m not sure who will win the job.  Steeley is back and White has three years left after coming in from Army.  He beat a handful of Top 25 guys last year before transferring and redshirting.

Pat Hunter may have been the smallest 133 pounder I’ve ever seen in my entire life.   When [Hunter] came in to Binghamton, he had a lot on his plate.  We wanted him to focus on starting a new school, meeting new people and wrestling without having to worry about weight. But he’s really matured a lot in the year he’s been here and he’s ready to be back at 125.”

133 Pounds – Two years ago Dan Riggi filled the 133 slot and after a redshirt campaign, he’ll try to earn the nod again.  But he’ll have competition from another wrestler who took a redshirt last year – Tyler Pendergast.

Coach Borshoff:  “Just like at 125, it’s not clear who will win the spot.  Riggi had a pretty good year last season and he’s a goer who always wrestles hard. Tyler wrestled in the second half of the season and got hurt.  He was a three-time Delaware state champion and a Beast of the East finalist.  So, he has a very good pedigree and has the chance to show it in college.”

141 Pounds:  Joe Bonaldi and Derak Heyman know each other pretty well.  The Empire State natives wrestled in high school and now they will compete for the Binghamton starting job. Another potential contender is junior college national runner up Vinny DiGravio, who transferred in from Mercyhurst Northeast.

Coach Borshoff: “There will be a lot of competition at this weight.  Joe Bonaldi wrestled as a true freshman and I think he faced more ranked opponents than anyone else on the team.  He’s ready for the next step.  Derak was injured last year but he did wrestle at the Penn State Open and placed as a true freshman.  Those two are very close in the room – they really battle it out and make each other better.  It’s possible that Vinny may redshirt.”

149 Pounds – While the first three weights are undecided, 149 isn’t in question.  Donnie Vinson comes off a third place finish at NCAAs in which he won seven matches in a row following a first round loss.  He also captured Most Outstanding Wrestler honors at the CAA tournament and compiled a 40-5 record overall with 28 bonus point wins.  He will be among the favorites to stand on top of the podium at nationals in 2013.

Coach Borshoff:  “Donnie’s the man at 149.  He’s taken ownership of being a team leader, which is great to see.   He’s been working on some little things like head and hand position. He’s so aggressive and explosive that he opens himself up sometimes.  The third place match at NCAAs was a perfect example. He took it to his opponent but made little mistakes at crucial times. Last year, he thought he was good enough to win nationals.  The difference this year is that he knows he’s good enough to win.”

157 Pounds/165 Pounds – Justin Lister and Matt Kaylor were two very successful multi-year starters for the Bearcats in the middleweights.  Three candidates are in the mix to replace them – Joe Chamish, Vinny Grella and Adam Lepkowsky.

Coach Borshoff:  “It will be interesting to see how these weights play out for us.  Joe Chamish spot started for us last year at 157.  Vinny and Adam are both redshirt freshmen.  They’re all young and none have ever been there.  It’s a new frontier for them.  They have to go out and work hard and capitalize on their opportunity to start.”

174 Pounds – Caleb Wallace (11 wins in 2011-12) and John Paris (the 2011 CAA Rookie of the Year) squared off for the spot last season at 174 and they’ll do it again.

Coach Borshoff:  “Last year, the guys were so close and Caleb actually won the wrestleoff.  But it was such a close match and John had such a great season the year before, we were planning to start whoever did better in competition.  Then in his second match of the year, John tore his ACL and was out for the year.  Caleb stepped in and did very well.  He took third in the CAA and showed a lot of improvement. Now, John’s back and healthy and they’ll battle it out.  They’re very different wrestlers.  John’s more explosive from the outside and Caleb likes to roll around. Both wrestle hard and are young and improving.  This is a weight where we’ll be more mature and better than last year.”

184 Pounds – Cody Reed, who has racked up 47 victories while starting at 197 pounds the past two seasons, will move down to 184 for the upcoming campaign.

Coach Borshoff: “Cody Reed was an undersized 197.  He was trying to keep his weight up during the season.  Cody had a great end of the year, upsetting the #4 seed [Maryland’s Christian Boley] at the NCAAs.  It was a huge confidence builder for him.  He saw that he was good enough to compete at the national level and he’s been working on a lot of little things to get better.  I think he’s good enough to be an All-American but that’s up to him.  He’s very strong and explosive for the weight.”

197 Pounds – After three seasons of wrestling well and qualifying for nationals at 184, Nate Schiedel moves up to 197 for his senior campaign.  He sported a 30-10 mark in 2011-12.

Coach Borshoff:  “Nate’s a leader and a captain and guys really respect him.  In hindsight, he was too big for 184 last year.  He’s a house right now.  When [head coach Matt Dernlan] got here, he couldn’t believe Nate made 184.  Honestly, we were contemplating having him go heavyweight.  Last year, he was always in great shape, but you could see him hurting at times.  He sucked it up and won matches because he’s a winner, but it was tough.  He’s had a good career so far where he’s been ranked in the top 10 several times.  At 197, we’re expecting a huge, huge year from him.”

285 Pounds – With the departure of All-American Nick Gwiazdowski to North Carolina State, New York native Tyler Deuel will step into the heavyweight role.

Coach Borshoff: “Tyler spot started last year at 197 but he’s a big-sized heavyweight now, probably around 250.  Starting in May, we put him on a weightlifting program and he’s put on a lot of good weight.  He’s doing pretty well so far; his body is getting used to carrying around the extra weight.  The spotlight will be on him and we’ll see how he handles it.  He’s young and inexperienced, but he’s talented and capable of doing a great job.”

A Few More Things . . .

Tell us a little bit about being part of the new coaching staff.

Coach Borshoff:  “It’s been awesome. We’ve meshed really well.  We have the same philosophies and are focused on working hard but working smart.  We want to make sure guys are enjoying competing.  Sometimes you get to the national tournament and guys are done. They’re sick of the season and the grind.  Our job is to make sure that doesn’t happen and that’s the philosophy and training [Dernlan] brought in.

One thing I thought was cool was to see the guys who competed at the Olympics call [Dernlan] to thank him for helping them reach their goals.  When you see the guys who are competing for World and Olympic titles, you realize there’s another level out there and that winning national titles isn’t the biggest thing.  It takes some pressure off the guys and it lets them see that [Dernlan] has impacted very high level wrestlers.”

What are the team’s goals for this year?

“We were excited about last year, but we’re not satisfied with being 14th in the country.  There were 13 teams ahead of us and every year we want to plug away and get better and better.

We want national champions and All-Americans.  But the goal setting is the job of the guys on the team.  Ultimately, if our goals as coaches are bigger than theirs, it won’t matter. Binghamton is on the map now and I think everyone wants to keep Binghamton moving up the totem pole.”

Who are some of the freshman entering the room this year?

“One of the main reasons Coach Dernlan took the job was that he believes New York State is untapped.  There’s so much talent here.  We believe you can do really big things with New York kids and we brought in a lot of good ones.

Tristan Hamner (Medina) never won a state title and that’s surprising when you see how talented he is. We also have state runner ups Brady Baron (Pittsford) and Dylan Cohen (Williamsville East) as well as Dylan Caruana (Kenmore West), who took fifth.  Nick Mauriello (Hauppauge) was fourth in a tough weight last year and Jack McKeever was third in New England.  All the guys are pretty talented and they’re all good, hard working kids.  They’re real student-athletes who are here to compete in the room but also understand that they need to work hard in school because wrestling doesn’t pay the bills for most people.”

What else should we look for from Binghamton this season?

“We can’t wait for the season to start.  We’re ready to start practice and get the guys in the room.  They worked all summer and we’ll see where we are.  We’re excited for another great year.”

 

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

Posted on by
Reply

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.