Cornell Regional Training Center Clinic Comes to Long Island May 25-26

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In late April, Kyle Dake, Mack Lewnes and Frank Perrelli, representing the U.S. Regional Training Center (RTC) at Cornell, competed with the best freestyle wrestlers in the country at the 2012 Olympic Trials.

On May 25-26, Dake, Lewnes and Perrelli will come to three locations (Askren Wrestling Academy, Luthern High School and Eastport-South Manor High) for the Cornell RTC Long Island training camp.  They will be bringing some of the nation’s best with them, as NCAA champions Steve Bosak, Troy Nickerson and Cam Simaz will be on hand as clinicians as will coaches Rob Koll, Damion Hahn, Mike Grey and Clint Wattenberg.

“We are looking to put on a great clinic in a part of the state that has excellent wrestling, while also making our presence more visible in downstate New York,” Cornell head coach Rob Koll said.  “I’m not sure many people are aware that we are building our RTC in Ithaca.  We are doing more than just molding student-athletes to be All-Americans and NCAA champions at Cornell, we are also developing the RTC to help make Olympic dreams come true.”

Lewnes was one of the first to take advantage.  When he first arrived in Ithaca as a freshman in the fall of 2007, he thought he would have to go elsewhere to pursue his freestyle goals after completing his collegiate career.  However, by the time he graduated in 2011, the RTC was up and running and he was able to stay at Cornell to work on freestyle and prepare for the Olympic Trials.

The three-time All-American spent the 2011-12 campaign training with a number of individuals accomplished in the international styles at the RTC, including Olympic alternates Hahn and Wattenberg, World Championships placer Koll as well as members of the Big Red team.

“I got fantastic support and had an amazing year,” Lewnes said. “We’ve only been designated as a Regional Training Center for a few years and things are developing so fast; it’s great.  It’s only going to keep growing, especially as we bring in a freestyle coach.”

While the RTC sent three grapplers to the Olympic Trials in 2012, Lewnes and Koll expect that to change.

“We were able to support Mack, Frank and Kyle, and we’re looking to support and train more athletes over the next few years,” Koll said.  “Our goal is to help more and more people move up the ladder and work for their Olympic aspirations. Next time the Olympic Trials roll around in 2016, we want to make sure we don’t have three guys competing, but more like 10.”

Some of those future Olympic hopefuls will be at the clinic on May 25-26.  All staff members will rotate among the three sites (Askren Wrestling Academy in Somers, Luthern High School in Brookville and Eastport South Manor High in Manorville).

On Friday the 25th, the event will take place from 6-8:15 p.m.  The following day, the camp will have sessions from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 3.  Lunch will be included for all on Saturday.   Registration costs $90 in advance and $100 at the door. For group discounts please call Rob Koll directly at 607-255-7307.

[button link=”http://www.flwrestlingclub.org/RTC_LongIslandCamp_flyer.pdf” type=”big” color=”red” newwindow=”yes”] Camp Flyer[/button]

 

 

For further information or to sign up, please visit flwrestlingclub.org/rtc.htm

–Betsy Veysman

 

 

Palacio Earns Triple Crown; Ndokaj, Koll, Gularov, Livernash Win Double Titles at NY States

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By Betsy Veysman

The first thing Dylan Palacio told Long Beach head coach Ray Adams after winning the Greco and Freestyle New York State titles this past weekend was that he’s not done yet.

While the Cornell-bound senior, who competed for Ascend in Binghamton, won’t consider himself finished with his high school goals until he competes for national championships in Freestyle and Greco in North Dakota this summer, he did achieve something significant this weekend – the New York State Triple Crown.  (He won the Empire State folkstyle title at the NYPHSAA Division I tournament in Albany in February).

None of the results have come as a surprise to Adams.

“Going into the season, I thought he could have all the success he’s had,” the coach said. “He just missed on a lot of these goals in the past – finishing third at States and at the Nationals in Virginia Beach.  He just came up a little short and was knocking at the door.  After all he’s done, it was just his time.”

Adams believes that both Palacio’s mindset and the work he put in prior to this season made the difference.

“Dylan really improved his technique all around, but especially on his feet where he developed more of an arsenal.  He opened up and put a lot of points on the board,” Adams said. “He also had a one-track mind this year; he was 100% driven.  His mental toughness and refusal to lose have really shown.  He’s really stubborn with his goals.”

At Fargo in 2011, Palacio went 4-2 in Freestyle and took eighth in Greco.  He has made it clear that he expects to be on the top of the podium this time.

“You obviously have to be really good to win at Fargo and you need a little luck too,” Adams said. “Dylan knows he can win there.  If he continues to train hard, I think he has a very legitimate shot at winning in both styles.”

Another wrestler looking forward to a return trip to North Dakota is Rrok Ndokaj.   The Monsignor Farrell senior didn’t place there a year ago, but clinched a spot on the Empire State squad with his titles in both Freestyle and Greco over the weekend while wrestling for Beat the Streets.

“I felt confident going in,” Ndokaj said. “I felt like there shouldn’t be anything standing in my way.”

The titles were a continuation of Ndokaj’s postseason success in 2012.  After falling one round short of the podium at the state tournament in 2011, the Catholic League champ took fourth place at the Times Union Center this time at 170.

“It was a little bittersweet at States,” he said. “I came in seeded second and wanted to make the finals, but I guess I can’t be too upset about placing.”

The Staten Island native followed up his performance in Albany with an All-American finish (eighth) at FloNationals in Philadelphia down at 160.

Back at 170 pounds this weekend, the future Bloomsburg grappler won 13 matches, dropping a total of just two periods, to capture both the Freestyle and Greco Roman New York state titles.

“Wrestling at Fargo last year was definitely a great experience, being in that arena wrestling at a national level,” Ndokaj said. “I want to go back and try to do something better.  A national championship is my goal. It’s the only goal you can set.”

Joining Palacio and Ndokaj as double champions at Broome Community College on Saturday and Sunday were Team Worldwide’s Ethan Livernash (100 pounds), Finger Lakes Wrestling Club’s William Koll (120) and Soslan Gularov of Team Steeplechase (220).

Koll won both Freestyle and Greco titles at this event a year ago, but didn’t make the trip to Fargo in 2011.  He will make his debut in North Dakota after breezing through the competition in the Empire State, winning by pin or technical fall in eight of his 11 bouts, dropping just one period along the way.

Livernash swept Andy Martinez to win both of his titles while Gularov won 10 of his 11 bouts in straight periods.  The only opponent to take him to the limit was Team Worldwide’s Matthew Abbott in the Freestyle finals, however Gularov took the third stanza of that match in dominating fashion, 6-0.

Ndokaj was one of the champions for Beat the Streets, which showed its strength across the Cadet, Junior and Women’s brackets.  The New York City based club took first in both Freestyle and Greco in the Junior division and second and third, respectively, in Cadet Greco and Freestyle.

MVWC came out on top in both styles in the Cadet competition, while Ascend was top three in three of the events (second in Cadet FS and Junior Greco; third in Junior FS). (Team points weren’t available for Women’s Freestyle).

In addition to the double winners in the Junior division, there were also several wrestlers victorious in both styles at the Cadet level: Matthew Morris (ATWA, 113 pounds), Freddie Dunau (Technical Edge, 120), Mike Dusold (VHW, 152), Daniel Smith (MVWC, 170) and Joe Nasoni (MVWC, 195).

For full results for Cadet, Junior and Women’s competition, please see the following links:

http://newyorkwrestlingnews.com/sundays-updated-results-from-new-york-freestyle-and-greco-states/

http://newyorkwrestlingnews.com/results-from-ny-freestyle-and-greco-states/

Fox Lane's Joe Amuso Named New York State Coach of the Year

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By Betsy Veysman

Joe Amuso will be on the floor of the Times Union Center in Albany during the New York State Championships next year after all.

The coach, who retired this spring from his head coaching job at Fox Lane High School after 41 years, was planning to attend the tournament to watch some of his former wrestlers from the stands.

However, he will be called out to the mat area prior to the finals to receive the New York State Coach of the Year Award, an accomplishment that was announced by the National Wrestling Coaches Association earlier this week.

“It is truly an honor,” said Amuso, who registered 406 dual meet wins. “I had no idea it was coming.  Like most coaches, I wasn’t in it for personal goals.  I just went to work, did my job and hoped for the best for our team.”

His squads boasted many achievements.  Over 230 All-League and 125 All-Section performances.  More than 20 All-State wrestlers and 35 Section 1 winners.  A state championship for Steven Rodrigues in 2011 and three medalists (Sam Speno, Matt Pasqualini, Dan Ventura) in 2012.

But more than the individual successes, Amuso fondly remembers his team’s effort this February to win its fourth Section 1 title in five years.

“That tournament certainly stands out for me,” he said. “We were behind going into the last session.  We had four kids in the finals and they all had to win their matches for our team to win the title.  They [Speno, Pasqualini, Ventura and Tom Grippi] accomplished that.  But it wasn’t just the kids in the finals – our entire team did an outstanding job, contributing important points in the tournament.  It was a very satisfying last championship.”

“Satisfying” is a word he used several times to describe his experience at the helm of the program.

“What’s been most enjoyable and satisfying for me is seeing the kids improve over the course of the years on the team,” he said. “There’s a lot of satisfaction of seeing them attain their goals, whether it be to win a section championship or just improve an aspect of their wrestling.  It’s been a pleasure to watch them grow and develop over the years.”

Several of Amuso’s grapplers have taken or will be taking those lessons to the college wrestling ranks, including Rodrigues (Illinois), Speno (Binghamton) and Pasqualini (Michigan State).

“It is gratifying to see kids continue wrestling at the next level,” he said. “But I think the values kids learn in wrestling like hard work and dedication can be used after high school whether kids wrestle or not.  Those lessons make them into better students or help in any job.”

As for his job, Amuso said he was 95% sure he was going to retire after the season ended, but gave it a little more time and thought before making an official announcement at the team’s dinner.

“I thought the previous year would be my last, but I didn’t announce it at the dinner that year and time went by and I was asked to come back for one more year.  I’m glad I did, but I knew if I didn’t announce it at the dinner this year, I might get talked into staying again.  It had to come to an end sometime.  I’ve been involved in Fox Lane wrestling since I was a student a million years ago,” he said with a laugh.  “I love it, but I’m pleased with my decision. I think it was time.”

He won’t completely walk away.  He said he looks forward to watching the team from the stands at matches and tournaments.  And he will be on hand to see the state qualifiers in Albany in February 2013 when he will receive an award for all he has contributed to Section 1 wrestling and his alma mater.

“I am excited about this honor,” he said. “But coaching is about the kids and I’ve been blessed with fantastic kids to work with over the years that made my job so much easier and enjoyable.”

New York Well Represented on NWCA Division I All-Academic Team

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On Tuesday, the National Wrestling Coaches Association released the 2011-12 All-Academic Team, which included several wrestlers who went to high school in New York or who wrestle for teams based in the Empire State.  Congratulations to those Division I competitors.

 

Steve Bonanno, Hofstra, Accounting (Wantagh, NY)

Kyle Dake, Cornell, Development Sociology (Ithaca, NY)

Nick Gwiazdowski, Binghamton, Undeclared (Delanson, NY)

Matt Kaylor, Binghamton, Master of Arts in Teaching (Ballston Spa, NY)

Steven Keith, Harvard, Economics (Shoreham, NY)

Ryan LeBlanc, Indiana, Fitness Specialist (Morrisville, NY)

Matt Mariacher, American, Public Communication (Buffalo, NY)

Mike Nevinger, Cornell, Engineering (Perry, NY)

Jake O’Hara, Columbia, Financial Economics (Mountaintop, PA)

James Rafferty, Army, Int’l and Comparative Legal Studies (Haddon Heights, NJ)

Steve Santos, Columbia, Financial Economics (Brick, NJ)

Kevin Smith, Buffalo, Physical Therapy (Mexico, NY)

Billy Watterson, Brown, Economics (Pound Ridge, NY)

 

The full list can be found at:

Click to access 2012-individual-all-academic-team.pdf

Beat the Streets Gala and Benefit Returns to NYC on June 7

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Courtesy of http://www.themat.com

New York, May 8, 2012 – “Beat The Streets,” the New York City-based not-for-profit organization that has brought wrestling to thousands of middle and high school students in New York City, along with USA Wrestling and the New York City Department of Education, today announced that for the second straight year, an international freestyle wrestling match featuring some of the world’s greatest Olympic-class wrestlers, will be held in Duffy Square in New York’s Times Square on Thursday, June 7.

The United States freestyle team will face one of the top wrestling nations in the world as the featured competition for the 2012 Beat the Streets Gala and Benefit, which will be held following the dual meet at Roseland Ballroom. Included in the Gala is the Beat the Streets Reception and Awards Ceremony.

The athletes competing for the United States team are the men’s freestyle champions at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, who will represent our nation in the London Games in August. The details on the international team are being finalized and will be announced shortly.

The event is free to the public, and will also be streamed live on TheMat.com by USA Wrestling and be shown on the single largest face LED screen in Times Square.

“We are extremely excited to bring wrestling to Times Square again. Last year was amazing and this year is only going to be better. Providing Team USA a true send-off for the London Games is a dream scenario. I can’t imagine a better way to honor them and raise awareness for USA Wrestling, Beat the Streets, and our great sport,” said Mike Novogratz, Beat The Streets Chairman of the Board.

“This is a tremendous opportunity to showcase our sport during the Olympic year. It also provides our athletes a wonderful chance to display their skills in one of the most unique and inspiring settings in the world. We truly appreciate the efforts of Beat the Streets and everyone involved in this great event to help move our sport forward,” said Rich Bender, USA Wrestling Executive Director.

This is the third straight year in which a major Olympic-style competition has been featured as part of the Beat the Streets Gala.

In 2011, the United States defeated World champion Russia, 5-2, in a dual meet held in Times Square. It marked the return of Olympic champion Henry Cejudo to competition, and featured victories by Jordan Burroughs and Jake Varner, who went on to win medals at the 2011 World Championships. It was the first sports event ever held in historic Times Square, and thousands of fans packed the area to see history in the making.

In 2010, an all-star challenge featuring top U.S. wrestlers was held on the USS Intrepid, an aircraft carrier docked on the west side of Manhattan. Competition was in all three Olympic styles and featured numerous U.S. World Team members and national champions.

Once again this year, a card of exhibition matches will be held in Duffy Square, featuring Beat the Streets athletes from middle schools as well as from the Public School Athletic League.

A complete schedule of events will be announced shortly.

ABOUT BEAT THE STREETS
The Mission of the Beat the Streets Wrestling Program is to expand and develop wrestling in the New York City Metropolitan area from the youth through the Olympic level. Our dream is to provide opportunities for boys and girls in the activity of wrestling, building lifelong skills. If you share this mission and would like to volunteer to help, please contact volunteer@beat-the-streets.org.

 

Stephen Dutton Receives Release from Lehigh; Considering Michigan and Hofstra

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When he was going through the recruiting process, two-time NCAA qualifier Stephen Dutton developed a strong relationship with Donny Pritzlaff, then an assistant coach at Wisconsin.  He strongly considered becoming a Badger, but ultimately decided that he didn’t want to move so far from home and chose to attend Lehigh.

However, wrestling for Pritzlaff (now at Michigan) is a possibility again as the former Rocky Point High standout recently received a full release from the Mountain Hawks.

Dutton will visit Ann Arbor this weekend and then choose whether to continue his career for the Wolverines or at Hofstra.

A number of factors went into the decision to leave Lehigh, according to Dutton’s father, Steve.

“Stephen had a tough year,” Steve Dutton said of his son. “He lost his lightweight coach [Jason Kutz] and also another workout partner when Frank Cagnina left. [Cagnina will wrestle for Nebraska next year].   He spent a lot of last year hurt.  He decided it was best to move on.”

In addition to the connection to Pritzlaff, Mr. Dutton said Michigan is appealing for some other reasons.

“Michigan might be a good spot for him,” he said. “He’s wrestled with [Wolverine assistant] Sean Bormet and he feels confident that with the coaches and workout partners there, he can reach all his goals.  Hofstra is also a possibility, especially because it is so close to home.”

Dutton compiled a 42-21 record in his two years with the Mountain Hawks, taking fourth place in the EIWA as a freshman and third as a sophomore.  He qualified for the NCAA tournament in both of his campaigns, making the Round of 12 in his rookie season.

Mr. Dutton said that his son will likely make his decision within the next week.

 

–Betsy Veysman

Gwiazdowski Gets Release from Binghamton; NC State "High on the List"

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Nick Gwiazdowski attributed much of his success as a true freshman this year, including his All-American finish at the NCAA tournament, to the coaches he worked with at Binghamton.

So when Pat Popolizio left the Bearcats in April to take the head coaching job at North Carolina State, Gwiazdowski began reassessing his future.

Now, after being granted a full release from the CAA university, Gwiazdowski has a decision to make.

“Now that I have my release, I’m allowed to look around,” he said on Sunday. “Some people have drawn conclusions, but there is a process I need to go through before anything becomes official.  It’s fair to say that NC State is very high on my list.”

Gwiazdowski said he has not yet visited the ACC institution or any other schools, but knows he would fit in with the Wolfpack coaching staff.

“It would be tough to leave New York,” he said. “This is where I’m from and I have a lot of close friends at the school and on the team.  But my family and I have to consider what’s best for my career.  I only have four years of school left and only three of competition to achieve my dreams.  I think I can do that under [Popolizio’s] leadership.”

In the interim, Gwiazdowski and many of his teammates have been involved in the process of hiring Popolizio’s successor.  In addition, the Delanson native has been training with Bearcats assistant coach Jasen Borshoff and the rest of the squad.

“I will go through the process I agreed on with Binghamton and make my decision soon,” he said.

 

–Betsy Veysman

Sunday's Updated Results from New York Freestyle and Greco States

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Junior Freestyle Results

100 Pounds: Ethan Livernash (Team Worldwide) over Andy Martinez (Beat the Streets)

106 Pounds: Kyle Kelly (Team Worldwide) over Golan Cohen (Titan Worldwide)

Third: Nicco Riccio (Journeymen)

113 Pounds: Lucas Malmberg (Finger Lakes Wrestling Club) over Josh Antoine (Beat the Streets)

Third: Allan McNeil (Titans NY)

120 Pounds: William Koll (Finger Lakes Wrestling Club) dec Santo Curatolo (Beat the Streets), 2-0, 1-0

Third: Freddy Medina (Ascend)

126 Pounds: Rocco Russo (NYSS) dec Oral Allen (Ascend), 5-6, 8-7, 5-0

Third: Blake Retell (Journeymen)

132 Pounds: Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (Buffalo Grapplers) pin James Ronca (Journeymen), 6-0, 1:05

Third: Abubakarr Sow (Beat the Streets)

138 Pounds: Nick Kelley (Journeymen) dec Tom Page (NYSS), 2-0, 3-2

Third: Emin Aliyev (Beat the Streets)

145 Pounds: David Almaviva (Journeymen) dec Quinton Murphy (Team Miron), 6-3, 5-4

Third: Justin Boone (Copiague)

152 Pounds: Tial Thang (MVWC) dec Andrew Paulsen (Buffalo Grapplers) 3-0, 9-1

Third: Leland Slawson (Team Worldwide)

160 Pounds: Dylan Palacio (Ascend) dec Tyler Grimaldi (631 Elite), 5-0, 5-0

Third: Burke Paddock (Teamten)

170 Pounds: Rrok Ndokaj (Beat the Streets) dec Austin Weigel (Journeymen) 1-0, 3-0

Third: David Bunn (Copiague)

182 Pounds: Tim Schaefer (Teamten) dec Tom Murray (Askren Wrestling Academy), 1-0, 2-1

Third: McZiggy Richards (Beat the Streets)

195 Pounds: Reggie Williams (Johnson City) TF Spencer Morton (MVWC), 4-6, 6-0, 10-4

Third: Levi Ashley (Journeymen)

220 Pounds: Soslan Gularov (Steplechase) dec Matthew Abbott (Team Worldwide), 2-0, 0-5, 6-0

Third: Josh Langley (MVWC)

285 Pounds: El Shaddai Vantbesen (Titan Worldwide) dec Quasar Hampton (Beat the Streets), 2-0, 2-1

Third: Dante Salkey (Ascend)

 

Cadet Greco Roman

 

88 Pounds: David Ciciarelli (MVWC)

94 Pounds: Sean Miller (Connetquot)

100 Pounds: Dolan McColgan (Beat the Streets) over Bryan Arroyo (Beat the Streets)

Third: Ray Sorensen (MVWC)

106 Pounds: Nicholas Casella (VHW) dec Donny McCoy (Section Six Freestyle), 8-4, 4-0

Third: Dandre Norman (MVWC)

113 Pounds: Matthew Morris (ATWA) dec Travis Alexander (Ascend) 7-3, 7-0

Third: Carter Merecki (Journeymen)

120 Pounds: Freddie Dunau (Technical Edge) pin Ian Lupole (Team Worldwide), 0:13

Third: Zack Barker (Titans Wrestling Club)

126 Pounds: Ryan Snow (MVWC) TF Tom Stobe (Clarke), 6-0, 7-0

Third: Anthony Nunziata Jr (Sachem North)

132 Pounds: Jesse Porter (Journeymen) pin Sam Ward (VHW), 1-0, 1:31

Third: Sean O’Hagan (Sachem North)

138 Pounds: Jordan Bushey (Celler Dwellers) dec Jay Oakes (ATWA), 2-0, 4-4

Third: Matthew Marino (Sachem North)

145 Pounds: Nicholas Forget (Celler Dwellers) dec Skylar Kropman (Titan Worldwide), 6-4, 6-0

Third: Jordan Torbitt (Finger Lakes Wrestling Club)

152 Pounds: Mike Dusold (VHW) pin Conner Halladay (Johnson City), 6-0, 0:04

Third: Jacob Ashcraft (Journeymen)

160 Pounds: Gregory Kleinsmith (Team Worldwide) TF Travis Eberley (MVWC), 6-0, 7-0

Third: Angelo Kress (Journeymen)

170 Pounds: Daniel Smith (MVWC) pin Jack Buell (MVWC), 1-0, 1:45

Third: Aidan Mathews (Askren Wrestling Academy)

182 Pounds: Steven Lee (Journey) pin James Bethel (Dark Corner), 1:38

Third: Aaron Paddock (Team X)

195 Pounds: Joe Nasoni (MVWC) pin Chris Tangora (NY Titans) 4-1, 1-6, 0:25

Third: Nick Weber (Journey)

220 Pounds: Matthew St. Onge (Clarkstown South)

285 Pounds: Mark Ifraimov (Beat the Streets) over Mazen Hassen (Beat the Streets)

Third: Mason Cross (Titans Wrestling Club)

 

For Saturday’s results, see: http://newyorkwrestlingnews.com/results-from-ny-freestyle-and-greco-states/


Results from New York Freestyle and Greco States

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Junior Greco Roman Results

100 Pounds: Ethan Livernash (Team Worldwide) over Andy Martinez (Beat the Streets)

106 Pounds: Golan Cohen (Titan Worldwide) inj def Kyle Kelly (Team Worldwide)

Third: Nicco Riccio (Journeymen)

113 Pounds: Josh Antoine (Beat the Streets) pin Lucas Malmberg (Finger Lakes Wrestling Club), 0-7, 0:51

Third: Allan McNeil (Titans NY)

120 Pounds: William Koll (Finger Lakes Wrestling Club) TF Cheick Ndiaye (Beat the Streets), 6-0, 7-0

Third: Santo Curatolo (Beat the Streets)

126 Pounds: Keanu Thompson (Beat the Streets) TF Oral Allen (Ascend), 7-1, 6-0

Third: Rocco Russo (NYSS)

132 Pounds: Jessy Williams (Team Worldwide) Fall James Ronca (Journeymen), 0-4, 6-0, 1:29

Third: Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (Buffalo Grapplers)

138 Pounds: Tom Page (NYSS) dec Vincent Turano (Ascend) 2-0, 6-4

Third: Emin Aliyev (Beat the Streets)

145 Pounds: Matt Greene (Columbia) fall Justin Boone (Copiague), 0-1, 0:54

Third: Brendan Morgan (Journeymen)

152 Pounds: Tial Thang (MVWC) dec Leland Slawson (Team Worldwide), 0-3, 4-1, 1-0

Third: Barry Hart (Beat the Streets)

160 Pounds: Dylan Palacio (Ascend) pin Burke Paddock (Teamten) 0-1, 0:48

Third: Connor Sutton (Happy-Yo)

170 Pounds: Rrok Ndokaj (Beat the Streets) dec Sher Mohammad (Beat the Streets) 2-1, 5-2

Third: Ahmed Elsayed (Beat the Streets)

182 Pounds: McZiggy Richards (Beat the Streets) dec Jeffrey Day (Genesee Valley), 4-1, 1-1

Third: Christopher Loew (Ascend)

195 Pounds: Pat Nasoni (MVWC) pin Alex Moss (MVWC), 3-3, 1:33

Third: Angel Ortiz (Curtis)

220 Pounds: Soslan Gularov (Steplechase) dec Jonathan Babson (Happy-Yo) 4-0, 3-0

Third: Paul Okeke (Clarkstown South)

285 Pounds: Dante Salkey (Ascend) pin Terrence Cheeks (Newburgh WC), 1:18

Third: Jeff Urbina (Copiague)

 

Cadet Freestyle Results

88 Pounds: Joey DiPalma (Islip) TF David Ciciarelli (MVWC)

94 Pounds: Vincent Vespa (Eclipse) dec Sean Miller (Connetquot), 3-2, 8-6

Third: Tony Novotny (Connetquot)

100 Pounds: Chris Donnelly (Ascend) dec Josh LoGiudice (Journeymen), 3-0, 2-2, 6-0

Third: Dolan McColgan (Beat the Streets)

106 Pounds: Jose Rodriguez (Ascend) dec Nicholas Casella (VHW), 8-0, 2-5, 5-1

Third: Donny McCoy (Section Six Freestyle)

113 Pounds: Matthew Morris (ATWA) dec Johnny DiPalma (Islip) 7-1, 2-2

Third: Dominic Inzana (Journeymen)

120 Pounds: Freddie Dunau (Technical Edge) pin Ian Lupole (Team Worldwide), 7-1, 1:15

Third: Zack Barker (Titan)

126 Pounds: Thomas Reina (Ascend) dec Ryan Snow (MVWC), 1-0, 5-0

Third: Mike D’Angelo (Ascend)

132 Pounds: Samuel Ward (VHW) dec Jesse Porter (Journeymen), 1-0, 0-3, 1-0

Third: Sean O’Hagan (Sachem North)

138 Pounds: Thomas Dutton (Rocky Point) TF Jakob Restrepo (Sachem WC), 7-0, 8-1

Third: Brandon Aviles (Huntington)

145 Pounds: Nick Vines (Ascend) dec Nicholas Forget (Celler Dwellers), 4-1, 5-0

Third: Jordan Torbitt (Finger Lakes Wrestling Club)

152 Pounds: Mike Dusold (VHW) pin Louis Hernandez (Ascend), 4-11, 5-5, 0:54

Third: Konstantin Parfiryev (Beat the Streets)

160 Pounds: Angelo Kress (Journeymen) dec Gregory Kleinsmith (Team Worldwide), 5-1, 5-5

Third: Jerrett Norton (MVWC)

170 Pounds: Daniel Smith (MVWC) dec Jack Buell (MVWC), 2-0, 7-1

Third: Sam O’Malley (Smithtown)

182 Pounds: Ben Honis (MVWC) pin Steven Lee (Journey), 3-0, 0:32

Third: Nathanael Rose (Beat the Streets)

195 Pounds: Joe Nasoni (MVWC) TF Chris Tangora (NY Titans), 7-0, 10-3

Third: Nick Weber (Journey)

220 Pounds: Richard Sisti (Beat the Streets) over Matthew St. Onge (Clarkstown South)

285 Pounds: Peter Strassfield (Southhampton) pin Mason Cross (Titan), 1:15

Third: Mark Ifraimov (Beat the Streets)

 

Women’s Freestyle Results

97 Pounds: Kimberly Cardenas (Beat the Streets) over Eleni Sardina (Beat the Streets), 6-0, 5-0

Third: Estrella Velez (Beat the Streets)

105 Pounds: Lissette Ruiz (Beat the Streets) over Lisbeth Pena (Beat the Streets)

112 Pounds: Nyasa Bakker (Beat the Streets) over Kelsey Gray (Genesee Valley), 0-1, 5-1, 6-1

Third: Jennifer Juarez (Beat the Streets)

121 Pounds: Sara Andresen (Beat the Streets) over Sum Yuet Wu (Beat the Streets), 0-7, 0:28

Third: Sarah Tortorici (Beat the Streets)

125 Pounds: Kendra Kenyon (Genesee Valley) over Karen Koag (Beat the Streets), 6-0, 1:47

Third: Kass Rodriguez-Urbas (Beat the Streets)

130 Pounds: Amanda Jackson (Beat the Streets) over Natalie Kuang (Beat the Streets), 5-4, 3-3, 5-1

Third: Kimberly Abudullah (Beat the Streets)

139 Pounds: Alexis Porter (Journeymen) over Rosemary Flores (Beat the Streets), 3-0, 4-1

Third: Manenfy Tavarez (Beat the Streets)

149/159 Pounds: Mary Westman (Genesee Valley) over Lia Heintjes (Beat the Streets)

159/172 Pounds: Mary Westman (Genesee Valley) over Yuneris Diaz (Beat the Streets)

217 Pounds: Laura Zomchick (Beat the Streets)

Stacking Titles: Rochester Area Youth Standouts Yianni Diakomihalis and Frankie Gissendanner Win Them All

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By Betsy Veysman

When competitors from the G2 Wrestling Academy need a scouting report on an upcoming opponent, they know what to do.  They need to find seventh grader Yianni Diakomihalis.

“Yianni is an encyclopedia of wrestling,” said G2 co-owner Adam Burgos. “I’ll ask him about kids a whole age group younger and a bunch of weight classes lighter and he’ll know.  He’ll point out which kids are good; who likes the low single. He has a plethora of knowledge.  Between his matches, Yianni is matside, soaking everything in.  His passion for wrestling is what makes him so successful.”

He couldn’t have been much more successful this spring.  Diakomihalis has competed in a number of events since mid-March – the NYWAY Regional Qualifier, NYWAY State Championships, Gene Mills Eastern Nationals, Empire Nationals, Ohio Tournament of Champions and Pop & Flo Mini-Men.  He has won the championship at each and every one of those tournaments, all at weight classes around 100 pounds.

According to Burgos, the Rochester area resident won most of this matches comfortably.  At the NYWAY State championships, for example, he had a pair of pins and a technical fall.  At the Empire Nationals, he again won only by bonus points.

However, the one bout that stands out in Burgos’s mind is one of the few close ones.  In the finals of the prestigious Ohio Tournament of Champions, Diakomihalis faced Eric Hong, who according to the coach, was a four-time champion at the event.

“[Hong] is a very, very good wrestler; a Pennsylvania state champ,” Burgos said. “I looked out at the crowd and it went 10 deep surrounding the match.  It’s probably the largest crowd I’ve seen on an individual match all season.  All the New York parents were rooting him on.  He got the takedown in overtime to win it.  Yianni isn’t very expressive out there, but he had a little fist pump and a big smile.  It was a great end to that weekend.”

There have been a lot of good weekends for Diakomihalis.  He competed for the Hilton High varsity squad this fall as a seventh grader and compiled an impressive 35-3 record at 99 pounds, with two of his losses to Jonathan Haas of Spencerport (the number two seed at States) and the other to Bryan Lantry, the eventual fifth place medalist in Albany.

“Yianni had a really good year,” he said. “I think he’ll have an even better year in eighth grade.  He’s having fun and training hard.”

One of the grapplers he’s training hard with, Frankie Gissendanner, has had a similar run over the past several weeks.  A sixth grade student, Gissendanner also captured titles at each event he entered in the spring, beginning with the NYWAY Regional Qualifier and ending with the Ohio Tournament of Champions, where he was the 125-pound gold medalist in the Junior division.

Both Gissendanner and Diakomihalis have other workout partners at G2, but when they wrestle each other, it’s something to see, according to Burgos.

“When they battle, they battle pretty hard,” he said. “It’s always entertaining; there’s always a highlight reel moment.  For their age and weight, they’re the best I’ve seen. But because of the weight disparity between them, we don’t have them wrestle that often.”

When competing against foes his own weight, Gissendanner has had little trouble.  He pinned his way through the NYWAY State Championships at 120 pounds.

“Frankie has dominated on his feet,” Burgos said. “He’s also done really well turning opponents.  Because of his athleticism and strength advantage, he’s done extremely well.”

He hopes to carry over that success to the scholastic scene next winter when he competes for Penfield.

“Frankie will be wrestling juniors and seniors next year at 120 or 126 or wherever he wrestles,” Burgos said. “I think he’ll do well, but it will be a different speed, pace and strength with the older kids.  When we wrestle our duals, he always wrestles up against eighth graders and he rarely loses.  It will be an adjustment, but he’ll do well.  He understands the sport and is very competitive.”

He is certainly competitive when the whistle blows.  But off the mat, his style is different.

“Frankie is like our G2 ambassador,” Burgos said. “He’s like the mayor.  He’s very social, saying hello to everyone and high fiving all the kids.  He seems to bring out the best in everyone.”

When the two wrestle in the G2 room, they bring out the best in each other.  It helped them both take on the best competition this spring, from New York to Ohio, and come out on top time after time.

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Diakomihalis won the title last weekend at the Pop & Flo Mini Men Nationals.  The other results from that event, featuring many New York placers, are below:

 

Bantam

48: Myles Gronowski (Cobra) dec Michael Santore (Journeymen), 6-0

Third: Jared Weinhaus (Sachem East)

52: Carter Schubert (Superior) dec Dagen Condomitti (Eckloff), 7-0

Third: Cooper Curtis (Newtown YWA)

56: Carter C. Schubert (Superior) over Tanner McKenna (Journeymen), 9-0

Third: Jashon Holmes (Journeymen)

60: Alex Marshall (Sidewinders) dec Jimmy Harrington (Tyngsborough), 10-5

Third: Jack Richardson (Marcaurele)

70: Nicholas Rogers  (IHC Cavaliers) over Ethan Gallo (Minisink Valley), 8-0

Third: Wilder Devine (Vergennes Area)

 

Midget

53: Stevo Poulin (Journeymen) pin Joseph Manno (Apex), 3:47

Third: Evan Maag (Weaver Elite)

58: Ryan Crookham (Neshaminy) dec Gregory Hotaling (Journeymen), 4-0

Third: Nico Provo (Team Tugman)

63: Ethan Ferro (Finger Lakes Wrestling Club) dec Joe Cangro (Apex), 7-2

Third: Jagger Condomitti (Eckloff)

73: Michael Cetta (Apex) dec Dean Shambo (Mexico), 3-1

Third: Nicholas Kayal (Apex)

78: James Lunt (Northeast Elite) pin Samuel Bergin (Northeast Elite), 3:10

Third: Nick Marshall (Sidewinders)

83: Jackson Defayette (Journeymen) dec Hunter Adams (Fisheye), 10-7

Third: McKenna Hunter (Journeymen)

89: Keegan Coon (Catamount)

105: Sampson Wilkins (Catamount) pin David Tomasek (Journeymen), 3:18

Third: Charlie Tibbitts (Vvs)

 

Junior

58: Wil Guida (NJ Scorpions) pin Jacob Marselli (Silverback WC), 1:28

Third: Dylan Allman (Journeymen)

62: Michael Gonyea (Journeymen) pin Greg Diakomihalis (G2), 3:06

Third: Michael Esposito (Scorpions)

67: Dylan Ryder (631 Elite) dec Brandon Larue (Scorpions), 4-0

Third: Sean Johnson (Silverback WC)

72: Jo-Jo Aragona (Scorpions) dec Tyler Sung (Apex), 5-0

Third: Craig Manno (Apex)

77: Adam Busiello (631 Elite) dec Dillan Palasewski (Journeymen), 6-3

Third: John Deridder (631 Elite)

82: Jake Silverstein (631 Elite) over Ryan Luth (P40), 13-0

Third: Benny Baker (JGold)

87: Matthew Cabezas (Smitty’s Barn) over Devin Rivet (Marcaurele), 10-0

Third: Zachary Lawrence (Journeymen)

93: Josh Stillings (Sepa) dec Dominic Paar (Dark Knights), 6-0

Third: Jonathan Loew (631 Elite)

99: Aaron Carter (Sepa) dec Shane Connolly (Olympic), 3-2

Third: Eoghan Sweeney (Journeymen)

106: Darby McLaughlin (Northeast Elite) pin Gabriel Cruz (Journeymen), 1:04

Third: Tyler Riggs (Clcf)

125: Tyler Barns (Journeymen) over Jack Bokina (Mattituck), 12-0

Third: Jake Cook (Ballston Spa)

140: Nolan Mcneill (Warrensburg)

 

Intermediate

75: Ryan O’Grady (Nazareth) dec Ashdin Shaefer (Catamount), 4-2 SV

Third: Thomas Cox (631 Elite)

80: Abe Bloom (Marcaurele) over Trent Nadeau (Cobra), 8-0

Third: Gianno Silba (Johnson City)

85: Jason Renteria (Bebee Trained) dec Peter Pappas (631 Elite), 4-1

Third: Brian Courtney (Athens)

90: Avery Shay (P40) over Jonathan Soto (Marcaurele), 13-0

Third: Dean Raymond (Deposit)

96: Yianni Diakomihalis (G2 Wrestling Academy) over Michael Venosa (Victor), 8-0

Third: Brandon Gould (Watkins Glen)

102: John Arceri (Huntington) dec John Busiello (631 Elite), 1-0

Third: Isaiah Bailey (Marcaurele)

110: Taylor Shay (P40) pin Kevin Parker (Journeymen), 1:16

Third: Shane Sosinsky (Olympic)

119: Garrett Derosia (Catamount) dec Jake Colonna (631 Elite), 5-0

Third: Bryan Rojas (Northeast Elite)

140: Marcus Torres (Journeymen) dec Josh Lalonde (Journeymen), 8-3

Third: Alexander Stavola (Newtown YWA)

150: JP Puca (Huntington) dec Alex Perez (Silverback WC), 7-4

Third: Benton Whitley (Northeast Elite)

180: Calvin Hayford (Colchester Cobras)

230: Austin McMullen (Journeymen) dec Zach Gifford (Deposit), 7-3

Third: Damian Prosser (Warrensburg)