It isn’t often that a wrestler is nominated for an ESPY Award. Cornell’s Kyle Dake is one of four candidates for Best Male College Athlete.
Voting is at this link.
The following is a great highlight video by Riccio Productions to get out the vote for Dake:
On July 1, recruiting season officially begins for the Class of 2014. With that in mind, we will be bringing some recruiting-related content, including articles from the perspective of college coaches and a New York State champion headed to Division I wrestling this fall.
For now, here’s a list of where New Yorkers are going for the 2013-14 campaign (as well as out of staters who will attend Empire State institutions). These are commitments we have been made aware of, but if you see something that should be added or changed, please contact newyorkwrestlingnews@gmail.com.
Alfred
Zack Bacon, Hornell (NY), Football
Kevin Thayer, Unatego (NY)
Air Force
John Diekel, Whitehall (NY)
Conor O’Hara, Sachem East (NY)
Arizona State
James Brundage, Ossining (NY)/Rider
Kyle Colling, Pioneer (NY)/Oklahoma
Army
TJ Brandt, Altoona (PA)
Christian Doyle, McKinney Christian Academy (TX)
Logan Everett, Williamson (PA)
Nick Frank, Urbana (MD)
Ruben Jurado, Concord (NC)
Mason Kumashiro, Los Alamitos (CA)
Lincoln Mallinger, St. Michael-Albertville (MN)
Tristan Manderfield, Foley (MN)
Mark Marchetti, Father Ryan (TN)
Russell Parsons, Blair Academy (NJ)
Trevor Smith, Ripon (CA)
Troy Taylor, Ironwood Ridge (AZ)
Jack Wedholm, Blair Academy (NJ)
Binghamton
David Almaviva, Shenendehowa (NY)
Thierno Diallo, Duval (MD)
Nick Kelley, Shenendehowa (NY)
Kyle Kelly, Chenango Forks (NY)
Bryce Mazurowski, Avon (NY)
Robert Person, Bellmore JFK (NY)
Nick Tighe, Phoenix (NY)
Zack Zupan, Canastota (NY)
Kevin Rodriguez, Patchogue Medford (NY)
Brockport
Jeff Bechen, Whitman Hanson (MA)
Peter Ottaviano, Colts Neck (NJ)
Pete Hailer, Milton (MA)
Dillon Stowell, Gouverneur (NY)
Boston
Lewis Yablans, Jericho (NY)
Brown
James Corbett, Wantagh (NY)
Bucknell
Connor Lapresi, Lansing (NY)
James Benjamin, Vestal (NY)
Jake Campana, Southern Regional (NJ)
Roy Daniels, Olentangy Liberty (OH)
Corey Hollister, Perry (NY)
Alex Francik, Vestal (NY)
Nick Flannery, Cleveland State
Carmine Goldsack, Bergen Catholic (NJ)
Anthony Liberatore, Williamsville South (NY)
Brandon Muntz, Falconer (NY)
Rrok Ndokaj, Monsignor Farrell (NY)/Bloomsburg
Tyler Rill, Mount St. Joseph’s (MD)/Bloomsburg
Mike Silvis, Holley (NY)
Andrew (AJ) Voelker, Monroe Woodbury (NY)
Austin Weigel, Onteora (NY)
Clarion
Quinton Murphy, Holley/Indiana (NY)
Tim Schaefer, Warsaw (NY)
Danny Sutherland, Mepham, Nassau CC (NY)
Coast Guard Academy
Dan Fiorvanti, Commack (NY)
Coker
John Florio, Valley Central (NY)
Columbia
Chris Araoz, Wantagh (NY)
Britain Carter, Maple Mountain (UT)
Mike Fetchet, South Fayette (PA)
Troy Hembury, Muncy (PA)
Matt Leshinger, Sayville (NY)
Justin Mann, Ladue (MO)
Vince Pallone, Mendham (NJ)
Andrew Psomas, Monsignor Farrell (NY)
Garrett Ryan, Wyoming Seminary (PA)
Markus Scheidel, St. Edward (OH)
Cornell
Dan Choi, Syosset (NY)
Jake George, Long Branch (NJ)
Griffin Higginbotham, Union Grove (GA)
Dylan Realbuto, Somers (NY)
Jake Taylor, Bald Eagle Area (PA)
Ty Walter, Mifflinburg (PA)
Cortland
Chris Alianakian, Kellenberg (NY)
Colin Barber, Westfield (NJ)
Nick Bellanza, John Glenn (NY)/Jacksonville
Mat Bradice, William Floyd (NY)
Brian Bulger, Westfield (NJ)
Chris Cataldo, MacArthur (NY)
Lucas Ciancamino, Sayville (NY)
Antonio DeLuco, Rome Free Academy (NY)
Brendan Dent, Connetquot (NY)
Matt Dillon, Nanuet (NY)
Troy Feniger, North Rockland (NY)
Jake Green, Chenango Forks (NY)
Casey Lanave, Chenango Forks (NY)
Tyler Lilly, New Rochelle (NY)
Lance Moore, Johnson City/Binghamton (NY)
Jagger Rebozo, Half Hollow Hills West (NY)
Mark West, Hauppauge (NY)
Duke
Alex Tanzman, Westhampton Beach (NY)
East Stroudsburg
Eric Januszkiewicz, New Paltz (NY)
Edinboro
Terrence Cheeks, Newburgh (NY)
Lester Enriquez, Hewlett (NY)
Franklin & Marshall
Tommy Quinlan, Fayetteville-Manlius (NY)
Gannon
Eric Lewandowski, Lancaster (NY)
Harvard
Tyler Grimaldi, Half Hollow Hills West (NY)
Hofstra
Mike Hughes, Smithtown West (NY)
Kyle Krasavage, Wyoming Valley West (PA)
Ithaca
Travis Berube, St. Joseph’s Collegiate (NY)
Jimmy Kaishian, Yorktown (NY)
Steven Sabella, Yorktown (NY)
Joe Sprung, Berne-Knox-Westerlo (NY)
Carlos Toribio, Brentwood (NY)
Lake Erie College
Keanu Thompson, Grand Street (NY)
Lehigh
Drew Longo, Ardsley (NY)
Thomas Murray, Yorktown (NY)
Life University (Georgia)
Rowdy Prior, Phoenix (NY)
Maryland
Chris Reilly, Half Hollow Hills West (NY)
Mercyhurst
Austin Hedges, Letchworth (NY)
Dan Reagan, Lewiston Porter (NY)
Messiah
Lucas Malmberg, Marathon (NY)
Nassau
Josh Bonneau, Minisink Valley (NY)
Gio Santiago, Sachem North (NY)
Vinny Turano, Wantagh (NY)
Nebraska
Anthony Abidin, Nassau CC (NY)
Niagara CCC
Jude Gardner, Fredonia (NY)
North Carolina
Jacob Pincus, Pittsford (NY)
NYU
Roman Accetta, Poly Prep (NY)
John Messinger, Putnam Valley (NY)
Amit Naik, Providence Day (NC)
Nick Matthews, West Morris (NJ)
Joey Rizzolino, Campbell
Ethan Walker, Heritage Hall (OK)
North Carolina State
Shayne Brady, Carthage (NY)
Joe Mastro, Yorktown (NY)
Oklahoma State
Chris Koo, Great Neck South (NY)
Oswego
Simon Greebel, Hewlett (NY)
Taylor Jones, Palmyra Macedon (NY)
Penn
Dan McDevitt, Wantagh (NY)
Jun Yoo, Jericho (NY)
Princeton
Trey Aslanian, Edgemont (NY)
RPI
Steven Mills, Sachem North (NY) – Football
Roger Williams
Tom Carta, South Glens Falls (NY)
Sacred Heart
Nick Allesandrini, St. Anthony’s (NY)
TJ Fabian, Shoreham Wading River (NY)
Tom Filipkowski, Mattituck (NY)
Matt Fisher, Oneida (NY)
Brendan Goldup, LaSalle (NY)
Daniel Hayden, East Islip (NY)
Patrick Henn, Lindenhurst (NY)
Austin Hulse, Stony Brook School (NY)
Nick Lupi, Huntington (NY)
Zak Mullen, Shoreham Wading River (NY)
Alex Swanson, Smithtown West (NY)
Johnny Vrasidas, St. Anthony’s (NY)
Springfield
Corey Ali, Shenendehowa (NY)
Hunter Ayen, Gouverneur (NY)
Zach Joseph, Shenendehowa (NY)
David Varian, Yorktown (NY)
Stanford
Kevin Tynes, Brooklyn Tech (NY)
Virginia
Drew Hull, Royalton Hartland (NY)
Waynesburg
Tim Raner, Mexico (NY)
Wesleyan
Robert Rosenberg, Hewlett (NY)
Western New England
Andrew Cole, Ogdensburg (NY)
Matt Jarvis, Carle Place (NY)
West Virginia
John Pellegrino, Division (Nassau CC) (NY)
Gunnar Van Curen, Portville (NY)
Wheeling Jesuit
Justin Jimenez-Castillo, Irvington (NY)
Wilkes
Pankil Chander, Lawrence (NY)
The recognition continues for Cornell’s four-time NCAA champion Kyle Dake. Voting opened for ESPN’s ESPY Awards on Thursday and Dake is one of the four nominees for Best Male College Athlete, along with Michigan basketball player Trey Burke, Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel and St. Cloud hockey standout Drew LeBlanc. Both Burke and LeBlanc were finalists for Sports Illustrated’s Male College Athlete of the Year honor, which Dake won in the spring.
To vote for the ESPYs, see ESPY voting link.
Mark Grey represented the United States at the Junior World Championships in 2011, taking fifth at 55 kg. After his stellar performance in Stillwater, Oklahoma on Sunday, he’ll once again aim for a Junior World title as he earned the 60 kg spot on Team USA with a perfect day in a loaded field.
Grey began with an 8-3 decision over Earl Hall, a 2012 World Team member who spent the last year at the Olympic Training Center. He followed with a hard fought 6-4 triumph over former Blair Academy teammate Joey McKenna, the eventual third place finisher.
Grey, photos.nj.com
That put Grey into the best-of-three championship series against Zane Richards of Illinois. At the recent FILA Junior Nationals in Las Vegas in the spring, the two grapplers met for bronze, with Richards coming away with a 2-0, 5-1 victory.
Grey turned the tables on Sunday, capturing the opening bout 5-4. In the second contest, Richards got off to a strong start, but Grey rebounded to win 6-4 and punch his ticket to Bulgaria, where the World championships will be held in August.
Grey will be a freshman at Cornell in the fall, as will three other wrestlers who placed at the event, including a pair at 74 kg/163 pounds.
Dylan Palacio went directly to the championship series after his FILA Junior National crown in Las Vegas. He faced Alex Dieringer of Oklahoma State, who took third at the NCAAs in March. On Sunday, the Cowboy defeated Palacio in two matches to take the World Team slot.
In order to get to the championship series against Palacio, Dieringer squared off with another future Big Red wrestler in the title bout of the Challenge Tournament – Brian Realbuto. Realbuto had a strong showing with a 4-1 record. He started with a 7-0 win over McCoy Newburg and followed with a 6-4 decision over Yoanse Mejias. He then came out on top of two high scoring affairs, a 20-13 triumph over Dylan Reel and a 15-10 victory over Isaiah Martinez.
Another Cornellian, Gabe Dean, dropped his opener at 84 kg/185 pounds, but bounced back with three consecutive wins, by a combined score of 24-4, to get to the bronze bout before taking fourth in the Challenge Tournament.
Those weren’t the only Ivy Leaguers to have success on Sunday. Columbia recruit Garrett Ryan notched second in the 120 kg Challenge bracket after defeating the second seed, Brooks Black, 8-6 in the semifinals.
On the Greco side, a pair of New Yorkers took third place in the Challenge event. Jessy Williams, a Section 4 native, grabbed bronze at 60 kg, while Warsaw state champion Burke Paddock did the same at 74 kg. Paddock came back from a first round loss to score 22 points in his consolation matches on his way to third.
Hofstra’s Jamel Hudson recorded two technical falls at 60 kg in freestyle during a 2-2 day in which both setbacks came against third placer Joey McKenna.
For full results, see here.
Press Release Courtesy of MSG Sports
New York, NY, June 20, 2013 — MSG Sports announced today that Army, Bloomsburg, Boston University, Cornell, Drexel, George Mason, Hofstra, Illinois, Maryland, Penn, Princeton and Rutgers will participate in the second annual Grapple at the Garden college wrestling event on Sunday, December 1 at The World’s Most Famous Arena.
Following the success of last year’s first-ever collegiate wrestling meet at Madison Square Garden, the second annual Grapple at the Garden has once again attracted a bevy of elite college wrestling programs. Six of the participating schools finished in the top 25 Final 2012-2013 Regular Season rankings, including Illinois at No.8; Cornell which tied at No. 9; Bloomsburg at No. 15; Penn at No. 21 along with Maryland and Rutgers, at No. 24 and 25, respectively.
“The success of last year’s first-ever college wrestling meet at Madison Square Garden proves that there is a strong appetite for college wrestling in the New York area,” said Joel Fisher, executive vice president, MSG Sports. “We are thrilled to once again host several of the country’s top wrestling programs in the second-annual Grapple at the Garden where college wrestling fans will see elite NCAA competition while experiencing the fully-transformed Madison Square Garden on Sunday, December 1.”
Cornell’s Kyle Dake, who made history this year when he became the first NCAA wrestler to win four NCAA titles in four different weight classes, shined at last year’s historic event. All eyes were on arguably the all-time greatest college wrestler when he opened with a 4-0 victory over Zach Toal of Missouri and followed with a 4-1 victory over No. 3 ranked Tyler Caldwell from Oklahoma State. Dake went on to receive the Bill Farrell Outstanding Wrestler Award.
“Wrestling in such an historic venue like the Garden was super exciting and a ton of fun,” said Dake. “It was one of my favorite venues I have wrestled at, and I hope we can get a major national tournament in Madison Square Garden in the future, especially one that I can compete in again!”
Grapple at the Garden will feature several standout wrestlers including Illinois’ Jesse Delgado, who won his first-ever NCAA Championship at 125 pounds this year. Delgado defeated No. 4 seed Nico Megaludis from Penn State 7-4 in the championship match to give the Illini their first national champion in that weight class. Additionally, Cornell’s Nahshon Garrett placed third in the same weight class at the 2013 NCAA Championships.
The full day of wrestling on December 1 will consist of two separate sessions with the first starting at 10:00 a.m. with Maryland vs. Cornell, Rutgers vs. George Mason, Illinois vs. Bloomsburg, Hofstra vs. Army, Boston U. vs. Penn and Drexel vs. Princeton. Session two is set to begin at 12:00 p.m. and will feature Cornell vs. Illinois, Rutgers vs. Maryland, Princeton vs. Army, Bloomsburg vs. Penn, George Mason vs. Drexel and Hofstra vs. Boston U.
Tickets will be available at a later date. To sign up for the exclusive Pre-Sale, please visit http://www.MSGINSIDER.com.
Collegiate wrestling debuted at Madison Square Garden on December 16, 2012 with the inaugural Grapple at the Garden which featured 14 teams; 6 No. 1 ranked NCAA wrestlers; 5 returning National Champions and 6 of the top 10 teams in the country. You can now relive the historic event through INSIDE TRIP: GRAPPLE AT THE GARDEN. This special 30 minute DVD is now on sale via http://www.XCELONLINESTORE.com for $24.95, which includes an official event program from the live event. INSIDE TRIP is your exclusive all-access, behind-the-scenes pass to this historic first-ever event. See the big names that attended the event, hear from some of the greatest past and present wrestlers of all-time, and watch the greatest sport take place at The World’s Most Famous Arena with
INSIDE TRIP: GRAPPLE AT THE GARDEN. INSIDE TRIP: GRAPPLE AT THE GARDEN was produced by X-CEL Worldwide in association with MSG Sports.
COACHES QUOTES
Army Head Coach, Joe Heskett:
“Last year the Garden hosted one of the greatest collegiate events I have ever seen outside of the NCAA Championships. Our team is excited to compete and to win at MSG. This season’s Grapple at the Garden will be another outstanding day of collegiate wrestling in the world’s greatest city.”
Bloomsburg Interim Head Coach, Danny Song:
“After falling to then #7 Missouri in last year’s inaugural event, Bloomsburg is hungry to get back to the Garden. We look forward to competing with a very high-level opponent in Illinois, and also renewing our rivalry with Penn. The Garden is among the world’s most famous venues, and has proven to be ideal for an American wrestling showcase.”
Boston University Head Coach, Carl Adams:
“The Boston University wrestling team is looking forward to the competition at the Garden. We feel very fortunate to be able to face two very tough teams in Hofstra and Penn. Competing at the Garden amongst some of the elite wrestling programs in the country will be exciting, and it provides us an opportunity to showcase what the Boston University wrestling program is all about.”
Cornell Head Coach, Rob Koll:
“It was an incredible experience for our Cornell wrestlers to compete in the world’s most iconic arena in front of our NYC fans and alumni. The fans, wrestlers and I had a chance to be a part of history and for that, I am extremely grateful.”
Drexel Head Coach, Matt Azevedo:
“Drexel University Wrestling is thrilled to be a part of the Grapple at the Garden once again this year. We have a lot of alumni that live and work in the NYC area. This will be a great opportunity for them to see our student-athletes compete in ‘The World’s Most Famous Arena’ against two outstanding Universities in Princeton and George Mason.”
George Mason Head Coach, Joe Russell:
“We were able to participate in the Grapple at the Garden last year. To a man, everyone on the team spoke of the event as a highlight for their season. I am elated to have the team compete at the event again on December 1, 2013. We will come prepared to put on an exciting show for the Wrestling fans in New York City. Go Patriots.”
Hofstra Head Coach, Rob Anspach:
“Last year was a great event and we were honored that we were a part of the first Grapple at the Garden. The team was able to wrestle in front of 10,000 people which was amazing and something they will remember for the rest of their lives. We look forward to being a part of many future events at Madison Square Garden.”
University of Illinois Head Coach, Jim Heffernan:
“We are very fortunate to have the chance to participate in the Grapple at the Garden event. It will be a tremendous opportunity for our student-athletes to compete at Madison Square Garden, one of the greatest sport venues in the world. The environment and level of competition will certainly play a role in preparing us for the post season, and will be great exposure for our program. It is an honor for Illinois Wrestling to be chosen to showcase our great sport in New York City at this unique event.”
University of Illinois Associate Head Coach, Mark Perry:
“This event truly is something our athletes and coaching staff will remember for many years to come. It is an honor to come into the Garden, and put on a great show for all the wrestling fans.”
Maryland Head Coach, Kerry McCoy:
“I am very excited to return to the Grapple at the Garden. Last year’s event was so awesome; everyone connected with our program could not wait to get back. This year will be another exciting event and we look forward to participating again in what is quickly becoming one of our sports premiere marquee events. Special thanks to everyone who made it possible.”
Penn Head Coach, Rob Eiter:
“This event is a great opportunity for Penn and we are excited to participate in the Grapple at the Garden. Madison Square Garden is known as ‘The World’s Most Famous Arena’, and it will be an amazing experience for our team to be a part of this unique atmosphere. We have a very strong alumni base in New York City, and I know they will be excited to support Penn wrestling in a venue like MSG.”
Princeton Head Coach, Christopher Ayres:
“To be included in such a fabulous event in such a historic athletic venue is an exciting opportunity for our program and athletes. We look forward to competing against and alongside some of the best programs in the country as we showcase the greatest sport in world in the greatest city in the world!!!”
Rutgers Head Coach, Scott Goodale:
“Rutgers University is very excited to be back wrestling in the Garden! The inaugural Grapple at the Garden event was a great experience last year. Our student-athletes loved the competition, our fans enjoyed the atmosphere and the event was perfect. Wrestling at MSG!!”
The Jersey Shore has a lot to offer, especially this time of year. On Saturday, that will include the chance to watch high quality wrestling and contribute to a cause close to the hearts of many wrestling fans at the fifth annual Adam Frey Classic at Long Branch High School. Frey, a standout wrestler at Blair Academy and Cornell, passed away after a battle with cancer in 2009.
This year, the event will have a new feature – a high school dual meet tournament, featuring teams from New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware that will begin in the morning.
“We changed it up a little bit this time, adding the dual tournament,” said organizer Josh Liebman. “We’re just trying to do different things to improve the day and make it more interesting. We’ve done exhibition matches in the past, we’ve done clinics in the past. I’m looking forward to this – we have some very good teams coming.”
Each of the squads will get between four and five matches, with a championship meet between winners of the two pools. (10 teams are slated to compete).
In the future, Liebman added that he’d like to ensure there’s at least one squad from each of the states Adam Frey was “from” – Pennsylvania (his home state), New Jersey (Blair Academy) and New York (Cornell).
Each of the participants in the dual portion of the day will then get a ticket into the evening main event beginning at 7 p.m.
“We’re excited to give all the kids a chance to see some great college wrestling up close,” Liebman said. “Some of them haven’t had the chance to see that kind of wrestling in person.”
That wrestling will feature four All-Americans, more than 10 other NCAA qualifiers and some elite high school talent.
“This year, we have a lot more younger guys competing,” Liebman said. “The timing was hard because a lot of guys were going to the World Team Trials and some camps have already started. We tried to get matchups that are as competitive as possible with guys that are aggressive and entertaining to watch.”
Some of the bouts that Liebman pointed to include a battle between All-American Evan Henderson of North Carolina and Ricky Durso of Franklin & Marshall, who came within one win of placing (and was the EIWA champion at 141). In addition, he mentioned a few future Lehigh-Rider battles (Randy Cruz vs. BJ Clagon) and (Darian Cruz vs. JR Wert).
“I think Cruz and Wert might just steal the show,” Liebman said. “They’ve gone 1-1 with each other in the past and they are both so much fun to watch.”
A pair of 2013 NCAA entrants, Jamie Franco of Hofstra and Sam Speno of North Carolina State will square off as will All-American Jarrod Garnett and Brown’s Billy Watterson. Former New Jersey stars Scott Delvecchio (vs.Mike Pongracz) and Rob Deutsch (vs. NCAA Round of 12 grappler Nathan Kraisser) will also take the mat, as will Deutsch’s future Rider teammate Jim Resnick. The Bronc upperweight will face Lehigh’s two-time NCAA runner up Robert Hamlin.
“I think a lot of people might be surprised with Resnick,” Liebman said. “He’s really tough and he’s on the cusp of something really great. His match with Hamlin will be a lot closer than people think.”
Another contest of interest will be the clash between FloWrestling’s #1 nationwide wrestlers in the classes of 2014 and 2015 – Chance Marstellar and Myles Martin, respectively. And former All-American Tyler Nauman will meet Boston’s Nestor Taffur.
That’s just a sampling – the full slate of scheduled matches is below.
For those who can’t attend in person, Nside Wrestling is set to stream the All-Star matches.
“People can come online and make a donation to the Adam Frey Foundation and then watch the video,” Liebman said. “Nside will also archive it and share it. The high school dual matches will also be archived.”
But Liebman hopes to see many fans in person in Long Branch on Saturday to celebrate the life of Adam Frey and to contribute to the work done by his foundation.
“It should be a great day at the shore,” Liebman said. “If people want to come down, they can make a day of it – having a great time at the beach, enjoying the shore while things rebound from Hurricane Sandy and supporting the Adam Frey Foundation while enjoying some great wrestling.”
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Entry is $5 for the high school duals and $15 for the All-Star matches. For more information on the Adam Frey Foundation or the event, see this link.
Scheduled Matches
Nathan Kraisser N. Carolina (NCAA R12) vs Robert Deutsch, Rider (NCAA Qualifier)
Jarrod Garnett, Va Tech (All-American) vs. Billy Watterson, Brown (NCAA Qualifier)
Darian Cruz, Lehigh vs JR Wert, Rider
Sal Marandino vs. Jan Rosenberg, Rutgers
Sam Speno NC State (NCAA Qualifier) vs. Jamie Franco, Hofstra (NCAA Qualifier)
Evan Henderson, N. Carolina (All-American) vs. Ricky Durso F&M (NCAA R12)
BJ Clagon, Rider (NJ State Champ) vs. Randy Cruz, Lehigh (NCAA Qualifier)
Scott Delvecchio, NC State vs. Mike Pongracz UTC
Ryan Dunphy, Cornell vs. BJ Young, Newberry
Nestor Taffur, Boston (NCAA Qualifier) vs. Tyler Nauman, Pitt/Drexel (All-American)
Chris Dowdy, Cornell vs. Tj Guidice, Maryland
Tyler Hunt, NC State vs. Scott Festejo, Old Dominion (NCAA Qualifier)
Chance Marsteller (#1 HS Junior in the Nation) vs. Myles Martin (FloWrestling’s #1 Sophomore in the Nation)
Jermaine John, Hofstra vs. Bubba Scheffel, West Virginia
Jimmy Resnick, Rider (NCAA Qualifier) vs. Robert Hamlin, Lehigh (3x All-American)
AJ Vizcarrondo, WVU vs. Brandon Palik, Drexel (NCAA Qualifier)
AJ Mott, Grand View vs. Ophir Bernstein, Brown (NCAA Qualifier)
Josh Davis, Clarion vs. Eric Thompson, Grand View
Expected Club Teams in the Dual Meet Tournament
FURY WC NJ
SEAGULL WC NJ
LONG BRANCH NJ
MANALAPAN NJ
BOUND BROOK NJ
BEAT THE STREETS PHILLY
OCEAN TWP NJ
DELAWARE ALL-STARS
Team 78 (REGION 7 ALL-STARS) NJ
One more TBA
BY MATT DIANO
The final day of the 2013 ASICS FILA University National Tournament could best be described as something of an up-and-down affair for the contingent from the Empire State. Beginning Sunday morning with eight wrestlers still in contention for gold and an additional 17 grapplers still alive in the consolation brackets, at first glance, when you see that New York was only able to secure seven placement finishes, it might strike you as slightly underwhelming. However, to focus only on the quantity instead of the quality would be to overlook the fact that there were more than a few solid efforts put forth.
Leading the way for the group from New York with a runner-up finish at the 84 kg weight class was 2012 NCAA National Champion, Cam Simaz, formerly of Cornell University and now wrestling on behalf of the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club. Opening the second day of freestyle competition by cruising to victories in the quarterfinal (13-6 over Lehigh’s Nathaniel Brown) and semifinal (10-0 over Alex Meyer of the University of Iowa) rounds, the four-time Division I All-American from Allegan, Michigan would be the lone wrestler with ties to New York to advance to the best 2-of-3 title series. In the championship, Simaz would be pitted with the two-time defending National Champion, Ed Ruth, of Penn State fame. Attempting to dictate pace and wear out his opponent, as he did countless times while competing for the Big Red, Simaz would continually push forward. However, in the end, as hard as he worked, he simply would not have an answer for Ruth’s superhuman athleticism, dropping the series in straight matches, 6-4 and 10-0.
Simaz’s silver medal showing would not be the only cause for celebration among the Cornell faithful as four other present or future members of the Ithaca based, Ivy League institution’s squad would also earn their way onto the podium with top-8 finishes. Posting 5th place performances at 60 kg and 79 kg respectively were incoming freshman Mark Grey and junior Jesse Shanaman. Both 10-0 technical winners in the quarterfinal round over opponents who were 2013 NCAA National Tournament qualifiers, the former teammates at Blair Academy who will be reunited next fall would see their title hopes dashed in the semifinal round when they were defeated by the eventual champions in their weight classes, Tyler Graff of Wisconsin (6-2 over Grey) and Oklahoma’s Andrew Howe (10-0 over Shanaman). Second consecutive losses to Joe Colon (12-11 over Grey) and Tyler Wilps (13-4 against the upperclassman from Blairstown) would send each to the 5th place bout where they would end their weekend on a high note. Grey would dominate Jade Rauser 11-0, while Shanaman would receive a forfeit.
An individual who fell just short of matching his teammates’s top-5 finish would be Gabe Dean. The only placewinner of the seven who was not in the morning’s quarterfinals, Dean would peel off four straight wins in the consolation bracket to ensure himself a spot on the medal stand. Unfortunately, after notching a very impressive ‘w’over 2013 EIWA Conference Champion, Brown of Lehigh (same person Simaz beat in the quarters) by injury default (Dean led 6-1 at the time of the stoppage), the native of the Great Lakes State (Michigan) would be upended in his last two matches of the tournament, losing a 3-1 decision in the consolation semifinals to Pittsburgh redshirt sophomore, Max Thomusseit, and then dropping a heartbreaker in the match for 5th, 6-5 to the Hawkeye, Meyer.
Duke Pickett would be the final Cornell placewinner, finishing 8th at 79 kg.
Rounding out the list of placewinners for New York would be a pair of former Scholastic State Wrestler of the Year recipients, 2012 honoree Jamel Hudson (currently a true freshman at Hofstra) and the man who preceded him in winning the top honor, Nick Gwiazdowski, an All-American in 2012 who sat out the 2012/2013 season following a transfer from Binghamton to North Carolina State.
Sharing the highest finish of any Empire State representative not named Simaz, Hudson and “Gwiz” would claim bronze at the 63 and 120 kg weight classes, respectively. In what seemingly was a bit of a running pattern, in similar fashion to Grey and Shanaman, both the Pride student-athlete and the Wolfpack member would lose to the eventual champions in their bracket, Clarion’s Sam Sherlock (11-1 over Hudson) and Tyrell Fortune (8-0 over Gwiazdowski). However, these would be the only blemishes on otherwise immensely strong resumes that witnessed each win three matches over game opponents. Hudson would earn the bronze with an 8-2 (match not as close as the score) decision over Bloomsburg’s Matthew Rappo, while Gwiazdowski would rally from a 5-0 deficit to record the last seven points of the match to slay Austin Marsden, the polished big man from Oklahoma State who would have been an All-American contender this season if not for the fact that he was stuck on the Cowboy bench behind Alan Gelogaev (3rd at the NCAAs this season).
Full results can be found by visiting TrackWrestling.com
The awards just keep on coming in for Kyle Dake. On Tuesday night, he received the Charles H. Moore Outstanding Senior Varsity Athlete award at Cornell, along with Rob Pannell (widely considered the best lacrosse player in the country).
On Wednesday, Sports Illustrated announced that Dake was the winner of its inaugural College Athlete of the Year honor. The four-time NCAA champion from Lansing came out on top in fan voting against Khaled Holmes (USC football), Drew LeBlanc (St. Cloud hockey), Trey Burke (Michigan basketball) and Tyler Thornton (Duke basketball).
To read Sports Illustrated’s story and watch the video, see here.
For a look back at Dake’s journey to his four titles, see here.
When he arrived at Cornell, Steve Bosak knew he was joining a very talented team. But having three NCAA titlewinners in one season? That hadn’t happened in the history of Big Red wrestling.
But it all changed in March of 2012 when Bosak (184 pounds), Kyle Dake (157) and Cam Simaz (197) all came out on top at the biggest tournament of the season.
“I never would have guessed that we would have three champions in one year,” he said. “Not in my wildest dreams. It was an accomplishment that seemed nearly impossible, but we did it and it was great.”
That March night at the NCAAs in St. Louis was the last time the trio of gold medalists competed together, as Simaz graduated that spring.
But the three wrestlers are teaming up again June 8th and 9th in Bosak’s hometown of State College, Pennsylvania for the “Big Red Champs Clinic”, to pass along some of the knowledge and skills that led them to the top of the podium.
“It will be a great time,” Bosak said. “We’re really excited to do this clinic. We want to get kids motivated to work hard at wrestling, have fun and learn great technique to use throughout their careers. What’s great is that they’ll learn from three wrestlers who are different in their styles, but all found a way to win national championships.”
Wrestling has been such an integral part of Bosak’s life that he wants to make sure to pass along the skills he’s acquired along the way.
But there was a time in 2012 when the sport wasn’t close to the top of his mind. Prior to the start of the 2012-13 season, Bosak was diagnosed with a staph infection and spent time in the hospital.
“At that point in time, I took a reality check,” he said. “I knew I had to get through it and do what it took to get healthy because my life was at stake. Wrestling was on the backburner.”
But it wasn’t off his mind for long. When he was declared free of the infection, the Big Red wrestler wrestler jumped back in, hoping to get back on the mat as soon as possible. He wasn’t sure, however, whether he’d be able to return to national championship level.
“Even in November, when I was in the recovery process, there was a lot of confusion and it wasn’t clear whether I would be able to get back to my full potential by the end of the year,” he said. “I had to just keep focusing on working hard and mentally preparing.”
The confidence of those around him certainly helped. As the Grapple at the Garden event approached in December, Bosak had only two to three weeks of training under his belt. But the opportunity to compete at the famous Madison Square Garden venue against two of the nation’s top teams – Oklahoma State and Missouri – was one he couldn’t pass up. And it wouldn’t be easy, as he would be squaring off with a pair of nationally-ranked opponents – Mike Larson and Chris Chionuma – in his first action of the campaign.
“Before the Grapple took place, I told Coach Koll that I didn’t know if I would be at my best for the matches,” Bosak said. “He joked that I could be at 30% and still win by tech fall. I knew that wasn’t actually true, but it was a nice confidence boost when he put it that way. I just wanted to go out and perform for the team.”
He did that, winning both bouts.
“I was probably about 75%,” he said. “I was exhausted in the first period of both of my matches and had to mentally push through to come out on top. It was really difficult.”
But as the season progressed, it got less difficult. Bosak said by sometime in February he felt nearly 100%.
Back in peak form, Bosak set out to capture a title he had never won before (EIWA) and one he had collected in 2012 (NCAA).
The first goal on the list – the conference championship – seemingly would run through Lehigh’s Robert Hamlin, who had defeated Bosak for the EIWA crown in both 2011 and 2012.
“Hamlin’s a good buddy of mine,” Bosak said. “Sometimes, with rivals, you wind up hating each other. But I consider him a pretty good friend. But, I was hoping to get a little bit of revenge in the EIWAs. He got the better of me head to head over the years and I was hoping to have the opportunity to beat him in the finals.”
However, the rematch didn’t happen as the Mountain Hawk senior injury defaulted to sixth while Bosak cruised to the crown. With that result, the Big Red coaches expected the 184-pounder to receive the #3 seed at the NCAAs.
However, to their surprise, he was slotted into the fourth spot, bringing a possible semifinals matchup with another defending national champion, Ed Ruth of Penn State.
“What the seeding committee decided was completely surprising,” Bosak said. “Going into nationals, I felt totally disrespected. It was uncharacteristic of past seeding and we were all shocked. But I knew I had to wrestle everyone anyway, so I had to keep my head on straight and perform.”
He did that, breezing through his first three matches by a combined score of 18-1. When it came time to face Ruth in the semis, the Big Red senior was ready with his game plan.
“I felt that if I slowed down his shots from the outside and kept pressure forward, I would be ok,” he said. “I needed to dominate the ties to prevent his quick, sudden takedowns. Unfortunately, he caught me in the first five seconds. After that, I recovered and almost had a takedown on the edge that would have put me in a great position to win.”
After the 4-1 defeat, he responded like a champion, winning his consolation matches on Saturday morning to complete his career in third place. The audience showed its appreciation for the three-time All-American as he walked off the mat.
Photo by BV
“It was great to end that way,” he said. “It was also nice that I got a standing ovation from the crowd. I felt appreciated and it was an awesome experience.”
It was especially significant for Bosak because he said it was his last competitive match.
“I’ve always felt that I’m a much better folkstyle wrestler,” he said. “My style doesn’t translate well to freestyle. So I’m ready to focus on the next stage of my life.”
What is that next stage? Bosak said he is pursuing two possible paths.
“I’m heavily considering coaching,” he said. “I have a bunch of offers from college programs and I’m looking at my options. I’m also interested in marketing and have talked to some places and am going through the interview process.”
But whether it’s marketing or wrestling next year, on June 8 and 9, he’ll definitely be on the mat in State College, knee deep in the sport he loves.
“After the season, I wanted to go and give back to wrestling,” he said. “I felt that doing a clinic like this was a great opportunity to help young kids perfect technique and what better way to teach them than to have Cam and Kyle join me to share what we know?”
Going back to the community in which he grew up seemed like a natural choice for the clinic.
“The area is rich with wrestling. It’s wrestling country,” he said. “I wanted to go home to my roots and give back. There are so many people who impacted my life and career there.”
In addition, he is excited to be able to help his high school, as part of the proceeds of the camp will be donated to the State College Wrestling Booster Club.
“Our goal coming out is to have a quality camp at a cheap price [$99] with a fun atmosphere,” he said. “When it’s over, we’ll have free posters for the kids and we’ll do autographs and pictures. The three of us all have different strengths and we’ll each teach the moves that worked best for us. We want to motivate kids to work hard at wrestling, have fun and learn great technique. We want to help create the next generation of national champions.”
For more information on the Big Red Champs clinic with Steve Bosak, Kyle Dake and Cam Simaz, see this link.
Four-time NCAA champion Kyle Dake of Cornell will compete for the United States team at the Beat the Streets Rumble on the Rails event in New York City on May 15. The Lansing High School graduate will take the mat at 74 kg (163 pounds) against Hassan Tahmasebi of Iran in the first dual of the day, which begins at 3:30 p.m. at Vanderbilt Hall in Grand Central Terminal.
Photo by BV
Following that opening meet, there will be Beat the Streets exhibition bouts at 5 p.m., followed by a 6 p.m. dual between the USA and Russia. The evening will conclude with the Beat the Streets Gala at the Bryant Park Grill.
For information on tickets, see Here.
The full lineups for the dual meets:
USA vs. Iran, Freestyle
55 kg/121 lbs. – Obe Blanc (USA) vs. Hassan Rahimi
60 kg/132 lbs. – Reece Humphrey (USA) vs. Masoud Esmailpour Jouybari
66 kg/145.5 lbs. – Kellen Russell (USA) vs. Mehdi Taghavi Kermani
74 kg/163 lbs. – Kyle Dake (USA) vs. Hassan Tahmasebi
84 kg/185 lbs. – Keith Gavin (USA) vs. Ehsan Lashgari
96 kg/211.5 lbs. – J.D. Bergman (USA) vs. Hamed Tatari
120 kg/264.5 lbs. – Tervel Dlagnev (USA) vs. Komeil Ghasemi
USA vs. Russia
60 kg/132 lbs. – Coleman Scott (USA) vs. Opan Sat
60 kg/132 lbs. – Logan Stieber (USA) vs. Artas Sanaa
66 kg/145.5 lbs. – Brent Metcalf (USA) vs. Soslan Ramonov
74 kg/163 lbs. – Jordan Burroughs (USA) vs. Rasul Dzhukaev
74 kg/163 lbs. – David Taylor (USA) vs. Saba Khubetzhty
66 kg/145.5 lbs. – Kendrick Sanders (USA) vs. Asker Orshokdugov (Greco)
74 kg /163 lbs. – Ben Provisor (USA) vs. Ambako Vachadze (Greco)
84 kg/185 lbs. – Jordan Holm (USA) vs. Evgeni Saleev (Greco)
55 kg/121 lbs. – Helen Maroulis (USA) vs Irina Kisel (Women’s Freestyle)
New York Wrestling News 2012-2013 Archive 