Binghamton 2013-14 Season Preview: Bearcats Ready for New Conference, New Opportunities

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The Binghamton Bearcats enter their second season under head coach Matt Dernlan with some exciting changes.  There is a new conference, an expanded home schedule and the arrival of a top 25 recruiting class.  Assistant Jasen Borshoff spoke to New York Wrestling News about the upcoming campaign, including the projected lineup and expectations for 2013-14.

New York Wrestling News (NYWN): It will be your first year in the EIWA conference. What does that move mean for the program?

Jasen Borshoff (JB): We couldn’t be happier. The EIWA is a better place to be for us.  There are great teams and we’re more aligned from an academic profile standpoint.  It also helps our travel budget – we can get to so many of the schools within three hours.  There are also more qualifying spots for nationals, which will give our guys a lot of opportunities. We’re really excited to be part of the EIWA.

NYWN: What are some of the highlights of your schedule this year?

JB:  We have seven home matches this year instead of one.  That’s exciting.  For the most part, we’ll be wrestling most of the EIWA teams in duals and we’re excited about the Journeymen/Asics Northeast Duals in Albany.  Going to Midlands is always a good test for the guys.  Right off the bat, we’ll get good gauge of where we are with the Bearcat Open at home.  We typically cut off the field at 300 wrestlers, but this year, we have a goal of 500 kids.  We’ll do 12 mats at the Events Center and there will be a lot of really good wrestlers there.  Cornell usually sends most of the team.  This year, Penn State will be sending guys and so will Ohio State, Lehigh and other really good teams.  It will be big for our team, especially because it will decide a few of our weights for the early season.

NYWN: What are the expectations for the team this year?

JB: We’d like to have half our team qualify for nationals and have some All-Americans.  The way I see it, we can’t do any worse than last year because we didn’t have any All-Americans.  We’re looking to change that this year.

Let’s take a look at the weight-by-weight to see who will try to break through to the podium for the Bearcats in 2013-14:

125 Pounds:

A number of the spots in the lineup have a strong favorite.  This isn’t necessarily one of them.  A pair of wrestlers who racked up large win totals last year – David White and Mike Sardo – continue to battle it out at the lightest weight.  (White redshirted while Sardo took over at 125 when starter Patrick Hunter was injured). White has some experience in the EIWA, having placed sixth at 125 for Army at the conference tournament in his freshman season before transferring.

“This weight is up in the air,” Borshoff said. “Both guys have gotten a lot better over the past year.  Mike had the fourth most wins on the team last year and David also won at least 25 matches.  That will be a weight to watch at the [Bearcat] Open.”

133:

Nick Tighe, Photo by BV

A familiar face to Empire State wrestling fans is likely to man 133 pounds as a true freshman.  New York’s 2013 Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award winner, Nick Tighe of Phoenix, looks to carry over his high school success to the college level after finishing his career with his third straight state title in 2013 (at 138 pounds).

“Nick has gotten his weight down and is a wrecking ball,” Borshoff said. “He’s really tough and hard to wrestle. We’re excited to see how he’ll look at the Open in his first competition.”

141:

While Tighe won the state championship at 138 pounds in Division II a year ago, Nick Kelley accomplished that feat at the same weight in Division I.  Kelley has impressed so far, but will most likely redshirt.  Looking to start at 141 are a trio of grapplers – Dylan Cohen, Dylan Caruana and David Almaviva.

“This will be a very young weight for us,” Borshoff said. “[Caruana] redshirted last year and has put on a lot of size this summer. [Cohen] was pulled out of redshirt during the season last year and is now at a better weight – he struggled to make 133 last year.  [Almaviva] is a true freshman. He may only have one year in him at 141 before moving up, so we’ll see how he does. The question is who will show up most at the Open?  We’re not sure what will happen here yet.”

149:

Joe Bonaldi started last season with a bang.  At the Binghamton Open, he defeated returning All-American Mike Nevinger in his opening bout and won the title, also topping NCAA qualifier Dan Neff.  In the process, he entered the national rankings and looked primed for a breakout campaign.  Unfortunately, an injury prevented that from taking place.  He made a return to the lineup very late in the season, competing just once before the CAA tournament. The Bearcats are excited to have the Rochester native back.

“Joe’s doing really well,” Borshoff said. “He was doing really well last year early on too.  He came back for the CAAs last year, but it was too long of a layoff before that. It will be interesting to see how the move to 149 works – he’ll be tested right away at the Open. He’s a guy to keep an eye on this year. He’s definitely very talented and he gives [assistant coach] Teyon [Ware] trouble in the room and we know how good Teyon is.”

157:

Last year’s starter Jack McKeever will redshirt, and three wrestlers will look to get the nod in this class – Nick Mauriello, Ben Price and Brian Conrad.  Conrad was a spot starter last season, while Mauriello redshirted.  In high school, Mauriello earned fourth in New York as a senior for Hauppauge while Price was a two-time Vermont state champion and Conrad won the Section 8 title, according to the Binghamton athletics website.

165:

Vincent Grella returns after handling the starting duties in 2012-13.  He topped Drexel’s Connor Moran at the CAA championships.

“He got a lot better at the end of last year,” Borshoff said. “He wrestles hard and got some good experience.  We think he’ll have a good year for us.”

174:

In 2011, John Paris was the CAA Rookie of the Year.  But injuries have interrupted him since then. However, he’s expected to be the starter once again after winning the job for the postseason a year ago.

“John’s a talented wrestler but he’s always been plagued by injuries,” Borshoff said. “Last year, John and Caleb Wallace kept flip flopping back and forth as our starter, but John won the final wrestleoff to take the spot.  Bringing in [two-time New York state champion] Zack Zupan, who is doing very well but probably redshirting, has made John a lot better.  He’s been fighting hard – he sees the competition and wants the spot.”

184:

After battling both Paris and injuries last season, Caleb Wallace is ready to take hold of the 184-pound role.  Wallace began the 2012-13 campaign well, defeating eventual EIWA champion Nathaniel Brown of Lehigh in an early dual by fall.

“Caleb is another good wrestler for us who has had trouble staying healthy,” Borshoff said. “We’re excited to see how he does moving up a weight after having a decent cut to make 174 last year.”

197:

Cody Reed is the only projected starter who wrestled at the NCAAs last year.  In fact, he has been to Nationals twice. In 2012, he registered one of the big upsets of the first round in St. Louis when he topped fourth-seeded Christian Boley of Maryland at 197 pounds, before finishing 2-2.  Last season, Reed dropped down to 184 and once again qualified for the “Big Show”, going 0-2 following an 18-win campaign.  Now, he’ll be back at 197 again, looking to win a few more matches on the national stage.

“Cody went down to 184 last year when Nate Schiedel moved up, but Cody’s much better off at 197,” Borshoff said. “He’s very capable – I wouldn’t count him out at Nationals.  He was up and down last year, but got the job done in the qualifier.  He wanted to do better at Nationals, but he has his senior year to look forward to.”

285:

Tyler Deuel moved from 197 to heavyweight before last season and wound up with the third most wins on the team, according to Borshoff.  Now, with a year of experience at the heaviest weight class, the coach thinks he’s ready to show even more.

“Tyler’s a great kid, always working out extra and trying to learn,” Borshoff said. “He had a good year last year and he’ll do even better this year because he’s acclimated to the weight.  This year he’s a very solid 245 pounds – he’s ripped for a heavyweight.”

Borshoff had very positive things to say about the standout rookie class. Some were mentioned above.  Others, such as multiple-time New York State champion Kyle Kelly, NYS placer Robert Person and two-time silver medalist Bryce Mazurowski, will likely redshirt.

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How will the first year in the EIWA go? How many wrestlers will Binghamton qualify for the NCAAs this year?  We’ll find out more as Binghamton opens the season on November 10 at home with the Bearcat Open.

Note: the Bearcat Open has been renamed the Jonathan Kaloust Bearcat Open to honor the memory of Navy Seal (and former Binghamton wrestler) Jonathan Kaloust, who died during a training accident this spring.

 

From Russia to Ithaca: Dake, Simaz, Perrelli to Compete for Team USA in a World-Class Freestyle Dual vs. Russia at Cornell

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You don’t have to go across the globe to see some of the top wrestlers in the world.  On November 17, some of the best will be making the trip to Ithaca, NY.

Some Cornell greats will be involved in the festivities as Kyle Dake, Cam Simaz and Frank Perrelli, who combined for five national championships and nine All-American showings, will get another chance to perform in front of the home crowd.

“They’re all excited,” said head coach Rob Koll.  “They thought their Cornell wrestling days were over, but we just keep bringing them back in.”

The former Big Red stars will take part in a world-class freestyle dual between Team USA and the Russian National Team at 1 p.m. in Bartels Hall on the Cornell campus.

The American squad features a number of standouts, including Perelli (55 kg), Jimmy Kennedy (60 kg), Kellen Russell (66 kg), Dake (74 kg), Clayton Foster (84 kg), Simaz (96 kg) and either Olympian Tervel Dlagnev or Zach Rey at heavyweight.

“For us, it’s a great way to highlight what we have going on in upstate New York,” Koll said. “When we started here at Cornell, to think we’d have three guys who could wrestle at that level would have been a big jump.  It just shows you that you can get an Ivy League education and be training for the highest levels of wrestling in the world.”

Tickets for the event are $10 for general admission and $15 for chair back seats. As part of that price, USA National team coach and Olympic medalist Zeke Jones will be hosting a freestyle clinic from 10-12.

“We would like to sell out Bartels Hall, which holds about 4,500,” Koll said.  “Tickets have only been available for a couple of days and there are already 900 seats accounted for.”

In addition to world-class freestyle wrestling, there will be some high quality folkstyle action one day earlier in Ithaca as well.  On November 16, the Red-White Eliminations (wrestleoffs) will take place, helping to determine the starting lineup for the Big Red in 2013-14.

To purchase tickets, see Cornell Big Red tickets or call (607) 254-2327.

 

 

Moving to the Midwest: State Placer John Muldoon of Pearl River Selects SIUE

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Pearl River’s John Muldoon was really excited to be first.

First for what? The first announced recruit at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville under new head coach Jeremy Spates.

Courtesy of John Muldoon

“That’s a pretty cool thing to be able to say,” Muldoon said. “It felt like a perfect time to go to SIUE. You’re going somewhere you know you’re wanted and you know they’ll be taking care of you.  Coach Spates has been around success wherever he’s been and I’m excited to help him build a program.”

Spates, an All-American at Missouri who recently was an assistant at Oklahoma and Cornell, took over the SIUE program a few months ago, just a year after the team moved into Division I.

Muldoon, who also considered schools like Sacred Heart, didn’t expect the Midwestern institution to be his destination when he began the recruiting process.

“Going in, I really didn’t think I would be going there,” he said. “But on my visit, I met the community and everyone was so friendly and nice.  They are putting so much time and effort into the wrestling program.  There is so much support academically and athletically and the coaches were great.  It’s a little far from home, but it just felt right. It felt like a perfect fit.”

In fact, Muldoon called his college decision the biggest accomplishment he’s had in wrestling to this point.

“Placing at the states [fourth at 120 pounds] was great, but finding a college that fits me is even better,” he said. “All the summers I missed out on vacations and hanging out with friends, all the work – it’s great to see it all pay off.”

It seems that it’s been paying off for years for the Pearl River senior.  As a freshman, he notched third in Section 1 after racking up close to 25 victories.  A year later at 113 pounds, he went 30-5, moving up to second in the Section behind [2013 state gold medalist] Alex Delacruz of Ossining. [It was a loaded bracket, as Dylan Realbuto of Somers, the state champion that season, took third in the Section].

Going into his 2012-13 junior campaign, Muldoon felt that he was ready to take a few more steps forward.

“Before last season, I had teammates, coaches, everyone telling me I could I compete at the highest level in the state of New York,” Muldoon said. “I started believing it myself.  I felt like the sky was the limit.”

He certainly followed through with a breakout year in another brutal weight in Section 1.  [Both the Division I and II state champions at 120 came from Section 1 and between the two divisions, four Section wrestlers placed in Albany].

“There were no slouches,” Muldoon said. “It was pretty cool to see how stacked it was at 120. You knew what to expect when you went to states after wrestling everybody.”

Muldoon said he believes many of those wrestlers will spread out among different weight classes in 2013-14 to make a stronger Section 1 squad at the Times Union Center.  But there’s one familiar opponent he welcomes another battle with this year.

“You could see another Muldoon-Delacruz matchup,” he said. “He might bump up to make it happen. That would make me happy – to get an extra shot at him.”

Muldoon took two of three contests from Delacruz in 2012-13, including a victory by disqualification on the way to a silver medal at the prestigious Eastern States Classic and a triumph in the Section 1 championship bout to earn his first title.

However, at the state tournament, Delacruz captured an overtime win in a semifinal bout on his way to the New York State crown.  Muldoon bounced back strong, winning his first consolation match and earning All-State honors with a fourth place finish.

This year, Muldoon plans to wrestle at 132 pounds, and while he has personal goals, he is focusing just as much on some other things he’d like to see happen before he leaves the Empire State for college.

“Pearl River hasn’t had a winning team record in a while,” he said. “For the coaches and everyone, this would be the year to do it.  I’d like to see more guys from Pearl River make names for themselves in the Section this year – I think we can be good county-wise.  I obviously also want to win a state title, for myself and also for my coaches. Last year, I thought I had a pretty good shot.  Knowing where I’m going to college, now I can focus on the state title. Before I go to SIUE, that’s another goal I want to knock off my list.”

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John Muldoon wanted to thank the Pearl River coaches — Grier Yorks, Billy Allison and Billy Donnelly — as well as the Pearl River alumni who helped to train him – Phil Donnelly and Matt Homenick.  In addition, he wanted to thank Bob Gullo, the Pearl River parents, all of the people that help out with the Michael O’Connell tournament, Athletic Director Mr. Santabarbara and of course, his parents.

Cohen, Raccioppi Take Titles at the Hudson Valley Challenge; Grant, Feola Win at Farrell

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The Iron Horse Invitational wasn’t the only big tournament last weekend.  Numerous New York wrestlers took the mat at Port Jervis High School for the Hudson Valley Challenge where 2013 All-State grappler Golan Cohen of Colonie and state qualifier Mike Raccioppi of Minisink Valley won titles.  Meanwhile, several others competed at the Farrell tournament, where state qualifier Malik Grant (Curtis) and NHSCA All-American Vincent Feola (Walt Whitman) were among the winners.  For results, see below.

Hudson Valley Challenge

99 Pounds: Thomas Cox (631 Elite) over Jon Loew (Wantagh)

106 Pounds: Alfredo Olmedo (Arlington) over Kyle Mock (Huntington)

113 Pounds: Ben Tepperman (Hauppauge) over Edward Lovely (Newtown)

120 Pounds: Gerard Daly (Minisink Valley) over Lamont Wallace (Rugged WC)

126 Pounds: Golan Cohen (NY Titans) over Doug Iadanza (Sachem East)

132 Pounds: Christian Silva (SIR) over Joe Hill (Wantagh)

138 Pounds: Mike Raccioppi (SIR) over Sean O’Hagan

145 Pounds: Tom Murphy (Pope John) over Hussain Hasan (Valley Central)

152 Pounds: Frank Carrozza (Delaware Valley) over Jimmy Devine (NY Titans)

160 Pounds: Nick Vines (Wantagh) over Brad Marvin (Starvin Marvins)

170 Pounds: John Donahue (Hauppauge) over Victor Viera (Cactus)

182 Pounds: Tyler Blasko (Walkill) over Sean Roesing

195 Pounds: Robert Cuomo (Ironmen) over Justin Baker (Wantagh)

220 Pounds: Justin Baker (Wantagh) over Rich Jones (Walkill)

285 Pounds: Sam Weinger (Washingtonville) over Brandon Mascaro (Walkill)

For brackets, see Hudson Valley Challenge.

 

Farrell High School Tournament

99 Pounds: Brian Kelly over Nick O’Byrne

106 Pounds: Malik Grant over Joseph Marino

113 Pounds: Peter Dee (Howell) over PJ Guhn

120 Pounds: Denzel Tovar over Eddie Matyka

126 Pounds: Vincent Concina (Bishop Ahr) over Joseph Ferinde

132 Pounds: Matt Seitz over Mark Gerstacker

138 Pounds: Josh Pierre-Louis (Howell) over Tyler Tepe (Passaic Valley)

145 Pounds: Kevin Jackson over Paul Capaldo

152 Pounds: Dave Nocks (Howell) over Addrian Ferrarie

160 Pounds: Joseph Connolly over Matt Assael

170 Pounds: Ryan Forero over Ryan Gerena (William Floyd)

182 Pounds: No results

195 Pounds: Mike Newman (Lions) over Sean Silverstein (Howell)

220 Pounds: Vincent Feola (VHW) over Steven Flynn

285 Pounds: No results

For brackets, see Farrell.

For results from the novice and schoolboy divisions of the Farrell event, see this link.

 

 

New York Boasts Multiple Champions, Including Repeat Winner Nick Piccininni, at the Iron Horse Invitational

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Last year, two New York wrestlers emerged as champions at the Iron Horse Invitational in New Jersey.  On Sunday, the Empire State boasted many more first place finishers, including a repeat performance by Nick Piccininni.

The Ward Melville grappler went 4-0 on the day, outscoring his opponents 29-1 along the way.  One of his victories was over New Jersey state champion Anthony Cefolo.

In addition to Piccininni, Long Island was well represented in the Garden State with Eastport South Manor’s Jimmy Leach, Rocky Point’s Tommy Dutton, MacArthur’s Steve Schneider and Syosset’s Vito Arujau also collecting crowns.

Steve Schneider, Photo by BV

All four of those wrestlers finished with unblemished records.  Leach, a Section 11 finalist in February, beat 2013 NYS placer Sam Ward 6-3 on his path. Meanwhile, Dutton notched an impressive 3-2 triumph over two-time New Jersey runner up Gary Dinmore, a competitor ranked as one of the top 100 seniors in the land by Intermat and FloWrestling. Schneider bested state champion Adis Radoncic a few weeks after losing to him at the Journeymen Classic, while fellow Nassau representative Arujau notched a trio of victories, including a 4-0 decision over All-Stater Jesse Dellavecchia of East Islip.

There were many more gold showings for New York, including by returning state silver medalists Levi Ashley of Shenendehowa and Christian Dietrich of Greene.  [Ashley’s only setback was to fellow New Yorker Nick Weber of Kings Park, another All-Stater in 2013]. For Dietrich, it was another offseason title after taking first at the Journeymen Classic a few weeks ago.

We haven’t forgotten about Anthony DePrez of Hilton and Brett Perry of John Jay East Fishkill, who also returned to the Empire State on Sunday night as champions.

Quite a few New Yorkers ended the top notch event with second place showings.  John Muldoon of Pearl River was one of them, after going 3-1 with his only loss in overtime to New Jersey medalist Christian Innarella of Delbarton.

Yianni Diakomihalis of Hilton pinned Wantagh’s Kyle Quinn in a meeting of returning state champions and defeated New Jersey’s Nick Santos, before dropping a 5-3 battle to Nick Suriano, the #1 ranked grappler in the land at 113 pounds, to take second.

In addition, Jakob Restrepo continued his stellar offseason with silver, including a 5-4 decision over two-time New York runner up Vincent DePrez of Hilton.  Restrepo wasn’t the only Section 11 wrestler to take second – Greg Chery of Connetquot and Jesse Dellavecchia of East Islip did the same.

To see full results, follow this link.

 

 

 

 

Rob Koll Previews the 2013-14 Season for the Cornell Big Red

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BY ROB KOLL

[For a PDF version of Rob Koll’s newsletter, see Cornell newsletter Fall].

We pride ourselves on consistency within the program.  If we recruit hard, and work harder, then there is no reason to ever suffer through a “rebuilding” year.  This year that philosophy will be put to the test.  It’s been seven years since we started a season without the services of one or more national champions.  In addition, in the last two years we have lost four national champions to graduation.  Despite these facts there is reason for optimism in the Cornell camp!

The 2013-2014 team ushers in a new era.  No more Dake, Bosak and Simaz to the rescue.  We need to find, and develop, the next Cornell wrestling legends.  The good news is that within our wrestling room nebula I am confident we have the material and conditions to incubate future wrestling stars!

Although I cry youth, the truth is we are in the enviable position of possessing two not-so-secret weapons in Nahshon Garrett (125 pounds, third at last year’s NCAAs) and Mike Nevinger (141 pounds, seventh and fifth at the last two NCAAs). In addition to these two we have past NCAA qualifiers in Chris Villalonga (149), Marshall Peppelman (165), Jace Bennett (197) and Stryker Lane (285).  These returning starters give us a good base, but we have a few openings that will need to be filled.

 

Garrett, Photo by BV

125: Nahshon Garrett returns for his sophomore year with the intent, and ability, to claim the first of multiple NCAA championship titles.  Nahshon is vastly improved, and he wasn’t too shabby last year!  Bricker Dixon will move down to challenge Nahshon.  These two provide us with amazing depth.  Ryan Radwanski, a freshman from Bridgewater, NJ will also challenge for a spot.

 

133: Freshman Mark Grey, the self-proclaimed better looking and more intelligent Grey brother, will make an immediate impact at this weight.  Sophomore Logan David and senior Josh Kennedy will also complete for the role.  Last year, David had six wins wrestling at 125 and 133, while Kennedy went 4-6. Former NCAA qualifier Nick Arujau will either compete at 133 or 141.

 

141: Mike Nevinger comes back for his senior year with the goal of making it to the top of the podium.  Mike always works hard, but this summer, he was particularly focused and intense. Mike has enjoyed a spectacular Cornell career, ranking 20th on the all-time wins list with 99 victories. Challenging Mike for the spot will be sophomore Joe Rendina (9-5 last year), Nik Peña,  (11-11 two years ago), as well as a host of outstanding freshmen including Corey Dake (Lansing, NY), Eli Bienstock, (Gaithersburg, MD) and three-time California state champion, Alex Cisneros.

 

149: Junior Chris Villalonga has amassed 58 victories and two trips to the NCAA tournament during his career. Despite this impressive resume, we expect significantly more out of him this year.  Chris has grown into a full sized 149-pound wrestler and will no longer be overpowered by anyone.  If Chris gets banged up, we can fall back on the services of seniors Ryan Dunphy and Conner David.

 

157: Two outstanding freshmen, Brian Realbuto and Taylor Simaz, will take over this weight class.  Realbuto is a three-time New York state champion and Fargo National Champion who placed third at the FILA Junior World Team Trials over the summer.  Simaz, whose brother Cam won a national title for the Big Red in 2012, was a two-time Michigan state champion.

 

165: Marshall Peppelman, Craig Eifert and Dylan Palacio make this our most hotly contested weight.  Any one of the three could make the team and I expect the person who ultimately prevails will compete for All-American honors in March.  Also battling for the spot is freshman Jake George.  Jake is Billy’s younger, and naturally better looking and smarter, brother.

 

174: This is another weight class with a great deal of talent.  Sophomores Duke Pickett and Owen Scott will battle it out with junior Jesse Shanaman.  Pickett started for half of last year and racked up an 18-15 record.  Jesse has bumped up two weight classes.  Last year he struggled with injuries but still managed to grind out 12 victories against 10 defeats.  Owen Scott missed all of last year due to injury.

 

184: Billy George wrestled 197 last year and 174 as a freshman, so it only seemed appropriate to move to 184 this year.  Last season, Billy finished with a 19-11 record.  Billy will be challenged by freshman Gabe Dean, who was first and second at the Michigan state championships and senior Mike Alexander.

 

197: A beefed up Jace Bennett returned to campus ready to improve on last year’s impressive 31 victories. Pushing Jace will be Steve Congenie, a two-time Illinois state champion, and 2013 New York state titlewinner, Daniel Choi.

 

285: Stryker Lane, who has a 68-38 career record, returns for his senior year hoping to finally get on the podium in Oklahoma City.  Pushing Stryker will be sophomore Jacob Aiken-Phillips (15-8 last year), George Famutimi and former 184 pounder (now 235 pounds and growing), Craig Scott.

Here are a few other notes about the upcoming season:

Nahshon Garrett at the All-Star Classic:

Before our season officially kicks off, you can see Nahshon Garrett in action at the All-Star Classic, where he will face All-American Jarrod Patterson of Oklahoma at 125 pounds.   The event, which features a number of the nation’s top wrestlers, will take place on November 2 at 7:15 p.m. on the campus of George Mason University.

To purchase tickets, visit the Ticketmaster website.  For more information on the All-Star Classic, visit the NWCA website.

2013-2014 Schedule:

We have put together another challenging schedule this year.  You can take a look at the following link: http://cornellbigred.com/schedule.aspx?path=wrest& or here.

 

Team USA vs. Team Russia in Ithaca!

On November 17, join us in Bartels Hall for a 1 p.m. dual between the Russian national team and a USA squad featuring former Big Red stars Kyle Dake, Cam Simaz and Frank Perrelli as well as Kellen Russell, Clayton Foster, Jimmy Kennedy and Tervel Dlagnev /Zach Rey.   As part of the ticket price, national team coach Zeke Jones will host a freestyle clinic from 10-12.  I hope you will be able to support our team!

 

New Book!

Former Cornell wrestler Jamie Moffatt recently released his latest work on the fight to save Olympic wrestling.  Please check it out at: https://www.facebook.com/SavingWrestlingBook

 

By Lindsey Mechalik

 

 

Iron Horse Invitational: Elite New York Wrestlers Ready for Top Notch Competition in New Jersey

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The ninth annual Iron Horse Invitational will take place on Sunday in East Hanover, New Jersey.  The event features some of the very best from the host state as well as representatives from Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia, Florida, Maryland and of course, New York.

Last year Ward Melville’s Nick Piccininni and Pearl River’s John Muldoon won their brackets at the event, and both are back to try to make it two in a row.

Who will come out on top this weekend? Here are some of the New Yorkers scheduled to participate*:

Vito Arujau, Syosset
Jake Ashcraft, Burnt Hills
Levi Ashley, Shenendehowa
Brandon Aviles, Newfield
Nick Casella, Locast Valley
Greg Chery, Connetquot
Mike D’Angelo, Commack
Jesse Dellavecchia, East Islip
Anthony DePrez, Hilton
Vincent DePrez, Hilton
Matteo DeVincenzo, Port Jefferson
Yianni Diakomihalis, Hilton
Christian Dietrich, Greene
Tommy Dutton, Rocky Point
Ken Gallagher, Northport
Louis Hernandez, Mepham
Jimmy Leach, Eastport South Manor
Chris Mauriello, Huappauge
John Muldoon, Pearl River
Kevin Parker, Shenendehowa
Travis Passaro, Eastport South Manor
Brett Perry, John Jay East Fishkill
Nick Piccininni, Ward Melville
Jesse Porter, Shenendehowa
Kyle Quinn, Wantagh
Adis Radoncic, Poly Prep
Jakob Restrepo, Sachem East
Blake Retell, Shaker
Rafal Rokosz, Southhampton
Steve Schneider, MacArthur
Tyler Silverthorn, General Brown
Daniel Smith, South Jefferson
Ryan Snow, General Brown
Sam Ward, Locust Valley
Nick Weber, Kings Park

 

*Participation subject to change

The Newest Bearcat: After Beating a National Champ, Connor Calkins Commits to Binghamton

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A national champion [Vermont’s Jesse Webb] stood in front of Alfred-Almond’s Connor Calkins in the 285-pound title bout at the Journeymen Classic at the end of September.  Webb was also the defending gold medalist at the Journeymen event.

Calkins didn’t allow him to repeat as he captured a 6-3 victory and the crown.

“I scouted him out and knew what he does,” Calkins said. “He’s a grinder and he likes to go for the bear hug.  I was able to score off that bear hug attempt myself. It turned out to be a really good match. I absolutely, 100% expected to beat him.  Wrestling is a mental game and I’ve been training so hard.  It was a good win to pick up.”

Calkins vs. Jesse Webb

Calkins has recently made a habit of big wins.  After securing a wildcard bid to the New York State championships in February, the Section 5 senior entered the 16-person heavyweight bracket as the #16 seed.

In round one, he was set to face returning finalist Alex Soutiere.   As is often the case in the opening match for the top seed, the match wasn’t close.  However, it was Calkins who took control, building a sizable lead before recording a pin with just seconds remaining in the third period to score the upset.

“When I watched video on [Soutiere], I knew he finished second in the state the year before, but I really thought I could win,” Calkins said.

He wasn’t done winning.  In the next round, he notched a 9-1 major decision over Byron Bergen’s Mike Saxman, a grappler who finished ahead of him at the SuperSectional qualifier (although they didn’t meet there).

Things got a little more difficult, however, as Calkins dropped his semifinal contest to eventual champion Matt Abbott.  In the process, he suffered an injury that led him to forfeit his first consolation bout, sending him to the fifth place match.

“I hyperextended my elbow and hurt my bicep in the semis,” he said. “When I saw that it was the same guy [Saxman], I talked to my coach and said I had to wrestle.  It would be important to get points for next year’s seeding and to finish as high as I could.  I felt like I showed some heart going out there and gutting it out.”

His efforts paid off, as he topped Saxman 6-2 to earn a fifth place medal.

It didn’t always look like Calkins was destined for All-State status.  Back in eighth grade, he said his record was around .500.  However, he came back to take a Class B Sectional title as a freshman at 160 pounds and was determined to keep climbing the ladder.

“I sat down with my dad to have a serious talk,” Calkins said.  “He asked me what I wanted to do and I said I wanted to take my wrestling to a whole new level.  I dedicated myself to that.”

According to Calkins, his father Richard, a former wrestler, fully understood what dedication to the sport entailed.  Now, father and son have yet another thing in common – being Bearcats.

Earlier this week, Connor Calkins committed to Binghamton University.  He said that while his father went there as well, there were many other reasons for his decision.

“When I took my official visit, I had one of those gut feelings that it was right,” he said, adding that he also considered Buffalo and Cornell. “Everything felt right to me. I really liked all the coaches – they seemed really loyal to me.  The coaches and wrestlers seemed like the kind of people I want to be surrounded by.  Having so many New York wrestlers there was actually a really big factor.  I felt comfortable because I know a lot of them from the state tournament.”

The state tournament came up often and is definitely on his mind.  While his trip to the Times Union Center ended well with the previously mentioned fifth place showing, Calkins didn’t have an easy path as a junior despite a strong 38-4 mark with 20 pins.

He suffered an injury to his dominant hand in late October of 2012, which he said slowed him down for much of the campaign.  And he moved up to the 285-pound class in February despite weighing about 210. [His workout partner, Zack Bacon of Hornell, was the state champion at 220].

Calkins said he’s nowhere near that weight now.  In fact, with the training schedule he has in place, he mentioned that he’s closer to 240 pounds.

“Honestly, I felt sorry for myself after losing in the semifinals [at the state tournament] last year, but that will never happen again.  It made me want to push hard and I have been.  I’ve made major gains. I’ve been wrestling twice a week at the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club and I lift and work out every single day.  I make sure I do something every day to make myself better.”

Given that, he feels that his best performances are ahead of him.

“I just beat a top kid in the nation,” he said of the triumph over Webb. “There’s still a lot I want to do.  Committing to Binghamton makes me want to work harder.  Now I don’t have to think about college coaches calling me. I can just focus on winning a state title.”

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Connor Calkins wanted to his parents (Richard and Kirsten Calkins), his head wrestling coach (Greg Cook) and his trainer (Chris Gorman).

Working for #1: New York's Top Junior Nick Piccininni Looks to Add A National Championship to His Resume

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We have been discussing some of the top wrestlers in New York over the past few weeks.  We started with our #1 Junior High School grappler in the state, Penfield eighth grader Frankie Gissendanner (see link),then profiled top freshman Yianni Diakomihalis and discussed other ninth graders to watch.  Then, we wrote about the wrestler at the top of the Class of 2016 rankings – Christian Dietrich and additional tenth graders to watch. Now, here’s more about the #1 junior in New York, Nick Piccininni.

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It was the match that people were waiting to see. Even before the 2013-2013 season started, there was buzz about a possible clash of champions at 113 pounds at the state tournament.  Fans were excited about the possibility of watching 2012 gold medalist Nick Piccininni against the last wrestler to beat him in New York (in 2011) – two-time NYS title winner Kyle Kelly of Chenango Forks.

The matchup came to fruition and both Piccininni and Kelly were unbeaten entering the 2013 state final. But the Ward Melville star said he wasn’t thinking about simply winning the bout. He was determined to make a statement.

“I definitely wanted to dominate and show everybody that I was on another level,” Piccininni said.  “I was looking to come out and dominate right away.”

Photo by BV

He did. The Suffolk County grappler took control from the start and didn’t stop until the final whistle. In the end it was a 14-4 major and a second state crown.

And that was just the start of a string of big victories for Piccininni. He followed up with a second place showing at the FloNationals, dropping a 2-1 bout in the championship contest to Nathan Boston. However, on his way to the title match, he defeated some quality foes, including Oklahoma’s Markus Simmons [ranked 11th in the nation] in a match he trailed 4-0 early on before storming back for an 8-5 decision.

“The competition was tough during that whole tournament,” Piccininni said.  “I did pretty good up until the finals. Then I don’t know what happened. It was a tough match and I just slipped up a little.”

If he “slipped up”, he quickly rebounded. At the Disney Duals in Orlando, he earned “Gold” Status after sporting a perfect record against top-notch opposition. He and the New York Kong squad went all the way to the championship match of the prestigious event where they faced Young Guns, a team from Pennsylvania.  While the Keystone State group captured the dual, Piccininni stood out, registering a 7-5 victory over Luke Pletcher.  WIN Magazine called that victory the biggest win of the offseason at 113 pounds anywhere in the United States.

“I knew [Pletcher] was tough,” Piccininni said. “He was actually on my team the week before at the NHSCA National Duals, so we’re friends.  We were joking around about having to wrestle each other.  I knew going into the match that I was older and had more experience. I thought I had something over him in the match, even though he’s a national champ and I’m not yet.”

Piccininni continued to excel throughout the offseason with undefeated performances at the Waterway Duals and the Journeymen Classic. In fact, he took on another national champ, Florida’s Radley Gillis, for first place at the Journeymen event and cruised to a 10-2 major. He nabbed Outstanding Wrestler honors … and did it all at far less than 100 percent.

“It was tough because I actually strained my hamstring in my second match,” Piccininni said about his Journeymen Classic experience. “I wrestled uncomfortably in the rest of my matches.  I won, but I actually wish I did a little bit better.”

It’s hard to see how much better he can do, but he’ll have a chance at the Iron Horse Invitational in New Jersey and then at the Super 32 Challenge in North Carolina. The latter is an event Piccininni has waited to get another chance at after missing the podium by one win a year ago despite defeating the nation’s #1 ranked wrestler at the time, Zahid Valencia of California.  (The two met twice and split the bouts).

“My goal is to win Super 32 this year. That’s what I’m going there for,” he said. “I would like to face [the nation’s top ranked 120 pounder] Sean Russell again but I’m ready for anyone I’ll face there.” [Russell defeated Piccininni on the way to a runner up finish at the Super 32 last year].

Russell is one of many heralded grapplers registered for the Super 32. In fact, at least 10 of the top 20 120 pounders in the land are listed in the field, including, of course, #4 ranked Piccininni.

He relishes the competition, as do his favorite wrestlers – Matt McDonough, David Taylor, Tony Ramos, Logan Stieber, Kyle Dake and Jordan Burroughs.  Piccininni also said he admires Derek Jeter, who he calls a hard worker and a respectable person.

All those athletes have something in common – spending significant time at the top.  That’s something Piccininni is looking to accomplish on the national level after two consecutive undefeated state championship seasons in New York.

“I don’t think about the rankings much,” Piccininni said.  “But no one wants to be #4 or #2 or anything but #1.  I’m definitely working to get the #1 spot.  I’m going to keep doing everything I’ve been doing since eighth and ninth grade.  I’m keeping my work ethic up and I’m not stopping.  I want to be an undefeated state champ again and an undefeated national champ.”

Niagara CCC Adds Impact Newcomers (Including State and National Champs) to Strong Group of Returners; Looks For Big Year

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Which New York college team could start a Fargo National champion, a three-time state champion and a two-time New York titlewinner in the middleweights this year?

If you answered Niagara County Community College, you’re correct.

The squad accomplished quite a bit during last season, collecting conference and region titles and a fourth place showing at the NJCAA National Duals, according to head coach Keith Maute.  With some quality returners and talented newcomers, expectations are once again high.

“We did some really good things last year,” Maute said. “We didn’t have a great national tournament, but ended up with two All-Americans.”

Those All-Americans, Kris Schimek and Irvin Buck, won’t be in the lineup for the Thunderwolves this year.  But there will still be plenty of threats to make the podium at the end of the campaign.

One will be Kevin Strong (149), who fell just one win shy of being on the medal stand a year ago.  According to Maute, Strong faced a tough road at the Nationals, losing by a point to the eventual champion and then in the Round of 12 to the bronze medalist.

In addition, Max Antone and Gunner Thomas, both regional champions in 2013, will return, but in different spots.  Antone will move from heavyweight to 197, while Thomas will transition from 197 to 184.  (Maute said Cedrick Stephens, a New York State qualifier, will also contend at 184). Meanwhile, Tyler Bruce will get a chance to show what he can do.  Maute said Bruce won close to 30 matches last year, but couldn’t consistently break into the starting group.

Bruce, a 157-pounder, could be surrounded in the lineup by some of the incoming talent.  A pair of transfers from Buffalo, Chris Nevinger (a three-time state champion from Letchworth Central) and Jimmy Kloc (a 2011 and 2012 gold medalist from Iroquois), both look to win big right out of the gate.  Nevinger will be at 165 while Kloc could compete at 141 or 149. (Maute mentioned that Barry Hart and Michael Carson add great depth in the middleweights and are working extremely hard).

In addition, Mark Havers, the aforementioned Fargo National champion, joined Niagara from Clarion.  The two-time Pennsylvania state finalist will take the mat at 174 for NCCC this winter.

“I expect all of those guys to do very well,” Maute said. “They’re all really good wrestlers who are ready to contribute.”

They all certainly came in with strong credentials.  The same could be said at the heavyweight spot, where Maute has a plethora of options.  Fans in Albany have seen Aaron Kroll, El Shaddai Van Hoesen, Kacee Sauer and Matt Montesanti wrestle in the state finals over the past few years. They’re all on the roster, as is Jim Donner, another formidable big man.

“They’re all pretty good,” Maute said. “Donner’s a little older and he wrestled Division I a few years ago.  It’s hard to pick just one to talk about.  There will definitely be interesting wrestleoffs for that heavyweight spot.  We’ll see who comes out on top and some will probably redshirt.”

In the lightweights, Cody Carberry returns after competing as a bit of an undersized 125 for NCCC a year ago.  Maute said Eric Velez, Marcus Popp, Jude Gardner and Lance Compton will be in the mix for starting roles.

“Eric Velez is going to be very good,” the coach said. “Out of high school he went to Brockport and he’s been working, taking care of his family.  He did some MMA, stayed in good shape.  I’m looking forward to seeing him.  We have a lot of good guys who can step in across the lineup.  We feel like we have a really nice roster.”

That roster will once again look to make an impact at the National Duals.  But first Maute said he looks forward to competing with all the other Empire State teams at the New York State Intercollegiates in November in Ithaca.

“We’re really excited about the team we have,” Maute said. “We have to get everyone in the right weights, stay healthy and stay on the right path academically and we’ll be ok.  This is the long part – the preseason. We’re looking forward to getting on the mat with some competition and seeing how this all plays out.”

NCCC Roster (As Provided by Keith Maute)

NAME WEIGHT
CODY CARBERRY 125
ERIC VELEZ 125/33
DOMINIC RICCIO 125
ADAM ARENA 125
JORDAN JACKSON 125
JOE DOWDALL 125/33
MARCUS POPP 133/41
LANCE COMPTON 133/41
JUDE GARDNER 141/49
NICK ROBERTS 141/49
JIM KLOC 141/49
KEVIN STRONG 149
TIAL THANG 149
STEPHEN LEIBLER 149
CARMEN ODONNELL 141/149
BARRY HART 149
TJ ACKER 149
CONNOR KLEITZ 149
TYLER BRUCE 157
MICHAEL CARSON 157
THOMAS CONFER 165/74
AXIL JAKUBOWSKI 157
CHRIS NEVINGER 165
MARK HAVERS 165/74
JOE MCGRATH 165
NOAH JONES 165
TY CHRISTOPHER 174
JUSTIN STEVENSON 174
SHANE CURREY 174
TREY BRUNI 184
GUNNER THOMAS 184
CEDRICK STEPHENS 184
MAX ANTONE 197
BRIAN KERWIN 197
NICO BURGOS 197
STEVE WARTHLING 197
JIM DONNER 285
KACEE SAUER 285
EL SHADAI VANHOESSEN 285
AARON KROLL 285
FRANK SHOMERS 285
MATT MONTESANTI 285
RION ELSON 285