Month: February 2019

Congratulations to our two local JUCO wrestling programs for sending a total of six wrestlers to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Wrestling Championships! The tournament is this weekend March 1st & 2nd at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Match-by-match results will be posted here! Let’s meet all five of the qualifiers.

SUNY Sullivan
Robert Satriano (149, sophomore)
Satriano is a 2016 graduate of Valley Central High School where he finished 3rd in Section 9 as a senior. Robert was 14-7 this year for the Generals and punched his ticket to nationals by finishing 2nd at the Eastern District Championships.

Dan Mandic (149, freshman)
Mandic is a 2017 graduate from Goshen High School where he placed 6th at 145 as a senior. Mandic wrestled in Ohio prior to moving to Goshen for his senior season. Dan had a 6-9 record this season but got the job done when it mattered and place 3rd at Districts.

J’havon Innocent (174, sophomore)
J’havon is a 2017 graduate of East Ramapo High School in Section 1. Innocent finished 2nd in Section 1 as a senior and received an at-large birth to the state tournament where he went 1-2. J’havon was 14-8 this season and advanced to the nationals by taking 2nd at the district tournament.

SUNY Ulster
Gavin Pasqualini (125, freshman)
Gavin is a 2017 graduate of Arlington High School where he won the Section 1 championship at 120 pounds as a senior. Pasqualini went 14-8 this season and finished 2nd at the districts to punch his ticket to Council Bluffs!

Matthew Shields (165, sophomore)
Matt is a 2017 graduate of Onteora where he placed 2nd in Section 9 as a senior. Shields is now a 2X NJCAA qualifier! He knocked of nationally ranked Brian Torres from Nassau CC in the semis and then finished 2nd in the districts to qualify for nationals. Matt has 14 wins this season and finished 4th at the Williams Open.

Adonis Morano (174, freshman)
Morano is a 2018 graduate of Middletown High School. Adonis missed his senior year due to injury however he won the Section 9 crown at 170 pounds as a junior. This season Adonis went 11-7 and placed 4th at the districts tournament to advance to the nationals!

Congratulations to Da’mani Burns, AJ Aeberli, James Bethel, and Michael Raccioppi for qualifying for their respective 2019 NCAA National Championships! Burns, Aeberli, and Bethel will be competing in the DIII championships which takes place on March 8-9 at the Berglund Center in Roanoke, Virginia. Raccioppi will take the mat for the DII championships on March 8-9 at The Wolstein Center on the campus of Cleveland State University in Cleveland, OH.

Da’mani Burns, a 2015 graduate of Newburgh Free Academy, wrestles at 149 pounds for Johnson & Wales University. He is is 30-3 on the season including a 2nd place finish in the Northeast Regionals where he forfeited the finals after clinching his birth to nationals. As a senior at NFA Burns finished 3rd in NYS at 132 pounds. Da’mani is currently the #1 ranked 149 pound D3 wrestler in the nation by Intermat Wrestling.

2016 Minisink Valley graduate AJ Aeberli wrestles at 174 pounds for the Coast Guard Academy. Aeberli, a junior, took first place at the Northeast Regionals and will be competing in the D3 nationals for the second straight year. AJ is 22-4 this season and is currently ranked 7th in the nation. Aeberli was a 2016 NYS champion at 160 pounds wrestling for the Warriors.

SUNY Oneonta heavyweight James Bethel is a 3X Division III All American and is looking to finish his collegiate career on the top step of the podium. Bethel is a 2014 graduate of Saugerties HS where he finished 3rd in NYS at 220 pounds as a senior. James punched his ticket to the national tournament by capturing his 4th straight regional championship and running his season record to 45-1. He was voted MOW of the Mideast Regionals. His only loss this season is to the topped ranked DII wrestler in the country.

2015 Minisink Valley graduate Michael Raccioppi punched his ticket to the DII National Championships by finishing 2nd at the Super 1 Regions this past weekend. Raccioppi, a redshirt junior at East Stroudsburg University, is currently ranked 7th in the nation at 174 pounds in InterMat Wrestling’s Division II rankings. Michael was a 4X NYS tournament qualifier and placed 2nd in the state at 145 as a senior.

Upstate New York Chapter of National Wrestling Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Sunday, September 22, 2019 – Double Tree Hotel – East Syracuse, New York

National Wrestling Hall of Fame – Upstate New York Chapter

The National Wrestling Hall of Fame of the Upstate New York State Chapter would like to announce their new inductees into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Lifetime Service Award winners, this year’s recipients of the Outstanding American Award, and the Stanbro Media Award. The Upstate New York Chapter is committed to the core goals of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame which are (1) recognizing excellence in wrestling, (2) preserving the rich and colorful history of wrestling in New York and (3) inspiring future generations of New Yorkers to
participate in one of the oldest and best sports in the world.

This year we take great pride in recognizing the individuals who will be honored on September 22, 2019. The individuals who will be receiving the Lifetime Service Award and induction into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame at this occasion are: Mark Cody – Presbyterian College and former Oklahoma University wrestling coach; Paul Cummings – Valley Central High School; Steve Dalberth – New York State High School Rules Interpreter and official; Tim Jenks – Greene Central School; Pete Rao – college wrestling official; Anthony Servidone – Columbia High
School – Section II and Brian Tompkins – Sleepy Hollow High School – Section I. In addition, this year the Upstate New York Chapter will present Rear Admiral Donald P. Quinn the Outstanding American Award. Michael Carey will be presented with the annual Stanbro Media Award for his work promoting wrestling in Section IX and New York State.

The awards reflect on their distinguished careers in wrestling and life. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at any time. Thanks for supporting wrestling in your area and the state of New York. I will be forwarding their bios and more details pertaining to each honoree as we draw closer to the Annual Ceremony. Thanks for your assistance in advocating for the sport of wrestling.

Carl Koenig
President – Upstate NY Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame
PO Box 83
Oxford, New York 13830
carlkoenig@stny.rr.com
607.244.8432 – cell phone

The 2019 NYSPHSAA Wrestling Championships are officially in the books and Section 9 had a great showing. There are several things to discuss, however without question the highlight of the tournament from a local perspective occurred at 220 pounds where Cornwall senior Will Leonard won a state title in the last match ever coached by Hall of Famer Don Blaine. Leonard, who finished the season 45-0, had to battle for each of his four victories on his way to the title. Leonard started with a 4-2 win over Nolan Thomas in the opening round and followed that up with a 4-2 utb win over Emre Mabocoglu in the quarters. Leonard then went onto beat Dequan Stewart from Section 8 Roosevelt 2-1 in the semis before setting the stage for his dramatic 6-1 victory over Section 4’s Lucas Scott in the finals. Leonard and Scott were tied 1-1 when the Cornwall start scored a take down and picked up near fall points in the closing seconds on the match! On behalf of the entire Section 9 wrestling community I would like to say “congratulations” and “thank you” to Will. Congratulations for winning a state title….and thank you for sending off Coach Blaine in style! There is nobody more deserving!

12 Medals Including 5 for Division 2
The 2019 tournament was an extremely successful year for the Section 9 team! Our local contingent finished with a total of 12 state medals including 5 for our small school division – our highest total ever! And what’s even more exciting – 9 of the 12 medalists are underclassmen! Let’s look at look at each state place winner.

Will Leonard (Cornwall, senior) – Champion @ 220 lbs D1
As described above, Leonard finished his senior season a perfect 45-0 and was crowned champion at 220 pounds. Leonard also won the Eastern States Classic in January.

Zack Ryder (Minisink Valley, 7th grade) – 2nd @ 106 lbs D1
The Minisink Valley middle schooler almost shocked the nation! After pinning his first two opponents and winning comfortably in the semis against a returning state finalist, Ryder lost a heartbreaking 4-3 decision in the finals to Stevo Poulin from Section 2. Poulin, a sophomore at Shenendehowa, was a state champion last year, a 2X ESC champion, and is ranked #2 in the nation by FloWrestling! Congratulations Zack – you have an amazing future ahead of you!

Nick Ross (Onteora, sophomore) – 3rd @ 138 lbs D2
Ross’s 3rd trip to the state tournament was a memorable one as the Onteora sophomore went 5-1 and took home the bronze at 138. Ross won his opening match 8-6 before falling 13-2 in the quarters to eventual finalist John Worthing. Ross then rattled off 4 straight wins including 2 pins to finish 3rd! Great job Nick!

Maxx DeCapua (NFA, junior) – 3rd at 220 lbs D1
The NFA junior accomplished one of the hardest things to do in the sport of wrestling – he lost his first match and then wrestled all the way back to 3rd place! DeCapua, who placed 6th at this tournament last season, was pinned in his opening round match on Friday at 5:19. Rather than letting is get the best of him mentally, DeCapua put his nose to the grindstone and rolled off 5 straight wins and finished 3rd! Two of the wins were sudden victor wins – you showed tremendous heart Maxx! Congratulations!

Tommy Askey (Pine Bush, junior) – 4th @ 145 lbs D1
The 145 was considered by many to be one of the toughest weight classes in this year’s state tournament -Askey was not phased one bit! The Pine Bush junior won his opening match 10-5 before dropping a hard fought 8-5 decision to eventual champ AJ Kovacs in the quarters. Askey followed up with wins over Aiden Poe, Brock Delsignore, and Lee Mauras before losing 9-3 in his medal match to Kris Ketchum. Congratulation Tommy…awesome job!!!

Joe McGinty (Monroe Woodbury, junior) – 4th @ 152 lbs D1
When the brackets were released last week, McGinty was unseeded at 152 and had a brutal draw. The Monroe Woodbury junior responded by knocking off the #5 seed Joe Simons in the R16 and #4 seed Ty Raines in the quarters before losing to the #1 seed in sudden victory overtime! McGinty then defeated the #3 seed in the consie semis before dropping his medal match to Raines 3-1. Congrats Joey – great job this weekend!

Mat Malherio (Highland, senior) – 5th @ 132 lbs D2
The Highland senior made his final trip to the state tournament a memorable one by advancing all the way to the semifinals and finishing in 5th place! Malherio, who came into the tournament as the 6th seed, started off by defeating Malachi Porter in the opening round before picking off the #3 seed Mike O’Brien in the quarters by a score of 1-0. Malherio then dropped a close 8-6 decision to the #2 seed Perlleshi fore wrestling back to 5th. Congratulations on a great tournament and a great career Mat!

James Oosterom (Port Jervis, junior) – 5th @ 220 lbs D2
Along with the aforementioned Malherio, the 3rd seeded Oosterom was the second Section 9 D2 wrestler to advance to the semifinals. The Port Jervis junior defeated Sterling Spoon in the R16 before decking Alex Thompson from Section 3 in the quarters in 1:31. Oosterom lost his semifinal match but did pick up a win in his medal match over Connor Sykora from Section 5! Well done James!

Adam Fenner (Minisink Valley, sophomore) – 5th @ 285 lbs D1
Being perhaps the smallest 285 pounder in the tournament did not scare Fenner at all! The Minisink Valley sophomore finished 4-2 for the weekend and walked away with a 5th place finish! Fenner won his opening match but lost in the quarters to eventual third place finisher Burns from Hilton. He then knocked off Mena from Section 2 in a wrestle back before notching an impressive 6-2 overtime win over 2nd seeded Jacob Stangle in the blood round. Fenner then lost his consie semi and won his medal match on his way to a 5th place finish! Congratulations Adam!!

Matt Morris (Red Hook, junior) – 6th @ 113 lbs D2
Morris went 0-2 in Albany last year but the experience definitely paid off because this year the Red Hook junior left with a medal around his neck! Morris dropped his first match to DeLia from S11 then reeled off three straight wins in the consies before narrowly losing to Delia again in the consi semis 4-2. In his medal match Morris was defeated 9-8 by Section 4’s Kyle Willard who was a semifinalist this year. Congratulations Matt – job well done!

Marco Vespa (Monroe Woodbury, senior) – 6th @ 120 lbs D1
Along with 145, the 120 pound weight class was considered among the deepest in this year’s tournament! Vespa, who finished 3rd in NYS last season and 4th the season before, wrestled very well and still only finished in 6th place! Vespa pinned his opening round opponent before dropping a heart-breaker to Ivan Garcia 3-2 utb in the quarters. Marco wrestled back well notching wins over two tough wrestlers, CJ Lee and Kole Mulhauser to guarantee his top-6 finish before losing two straight matches to seeded wrestlers and finishing 6th! Congrats Marco on a great season and a phenomenal career!

Nate Ross (Onteora, junior) – 6th @ 152 lbs D2
It was a great weekend for the Ross brothers as Nate made it 2 for 2 with state medals! Nate really grinded this weekend! He lost his opening match 10-8 to Logan Duers from Section 2 and then had to run off three straight wins to get back to the medal rounds. Ross then ran into the #3 and #4 seeds, Putney and Campo, and left Albany with a 6th place finish! Congratulations and great job Nate!

Jacob Chenier (Kingston, junior) – 7th/8th @ 113 D1
Chenier’s first trip to the state tournament was a success as the Kingston junior left with some hardware! Chenier won his opening match but lost in the quarters. He then won a wrestleback match before losing in the blood round. However since there was a non NYSPHSAA finisher above him (Adams from CHSAA), the tournament recognizes the top 8 finishers! Great job Jacob!!!

Wayne Carroll Inducted into NYS Wrestling Hall of Fame

Let’s extend a huge congratulations to one of the icons of Section 9 Wrestling, Wayne Carroll! Wayne has been inducted into the NYS Wrestling Hall of Fame for his dedication and service to the sport which spans over 50 years! Carroll graduated from Goshen High School where he was a decorated wrestler including a 5th place finish in NYS in 1975. Wayne went on to have an extremely successful college wrestling career at East Stroudsburg and also coached for 10 years. However it is without question that Wayne is most know in the wrestling community for his work as an official. Wayne has served the state as an official for 38 years! He was ranked as the top official in Section 9 an incredible 15 times! Carroll is also a member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Congratulations Wayne!

Just a few other nuggets of info….

• Eastport South Manor senior Adam Busiello became only the 3rd wrestler in NYS history to win 5 state championships. Busiello joins Troy Nickerson and Jacori Teemer in this rarefied air. Busiello finished his career with an astonishing 299 wins!
• Section 5 won the D1 tournament breaking Section 11’s 10-year stranglehold on the sectional team title. They went 5 for 6 in the finals and one of the teams from Section 5, Hilton, had FOUR state champions!
• 9 of the 15 D1 champs also won Eastern States Classic; 5 D2 finalists were also ESC finalists
• Hilton won the team title in D1; Tioga won it for D2
• MOWs: Adam Busiello (D1) & Anthony Noto (D2)

Finals
99 D1: McNeil (S5) maj 17-5 Foy (S8)
99 D2: Schafer (S5) dec 2-0 Lucinski (S6)
106 D1: Poulin (S2) dec 4-3 Ryder (MV)
106 D2: Geislinger (S4) dec 3-0 Svingala (S2)
113 D1: Diakomihalis (S5) wbf 1:08 Encarnacion (S8)
113 D2: Noto (S5) wbf 3:44 Roes (S3)
120 D1: Ryan (C) dec 3-0 Carter (S11)
120 D2: Titus (S11) dec 5-1 Garland (S3)
126 D1: Burgos (S5) dec 5-4 Kellison (S3)
126 D2: Merwin (S4) dec 7-2 Cheek (S5)
132 D1: Samson (S5) dec 8-5 Pommells (S8)
132 D2: B. Worthing (S4) dec 5-1 Perlleshi (S1)
138 D1: Busiello (S11) wbf 3:28 McDougald (S6)
138 D2: J. Worthing (S4) dec 4-2 Bradell (S6)
145 D1: Kovacs (C) dec 3-2 Spadafora (S11)
145 D2: Shaut (S3) dec 3-2 Runfola (S5)
152 D1: Mauriello (S11) dec 3-2 utb McDougald (S6)
152 D2: Lawrence (S2) dec 3-2 Squires (S4)
160 D1: Mosher (S8) maj 8-0 Kropman (S5)
160 D2: Day (S6) dec 8-3 Null (S3)
170 D1: Wolk (S1) wbf :58 Gannone (S11)
170 D2: Nolan (S7) dec 8-4 Wolf (S5)
182 D1: Logan (S1) tech 19-3 Petrakis (S8)
182 D2: Meglino (S1) dq McFarland (S3)
195 D1: DePrez (S5) dec 4-2 McIntyre (S11)
195 D2: Penhollow (S6) dec 8-1 Fillon (S10)
220 D1: Leonard (Corn) dec 6-1 Scott (S4)
220 D2: Rigerman (S6) dec 5-3 Carmenatty (S5)
285 D1: Slackman (S11) dec 4-2 Norris (S8)
285 D2: Houseknetch (S4) dec 4-2 sv Rupert (S4)

Saturday morning is always the most exciting round of the tournament! In the center mats we will have the semifinals…on the outer mats we will see the “blood rounds” … for those new to the sport, the blood round is the round where the winners are guaranteed a spot on the podium – the losing is eliminated! Let’s take a look at the Section 9 wrestlers still alive at the 2019 NYSPHSAA Championships!

Section 9 Medal Matches
113 D1: Chenier (King) 7th/8th
113 D2: Willard (S4) dec 9-6 Morris…Matt takes 6th
120 D1: Rivera (S1) dec 6-5 Vespa… Marco takes 6th
132 D2: Malherio (High) dec 5-3 Stewart (S5) Matt takes 5th
138 D2: Ross (Ont) wbf 3:16 Gardner (S6) ..Nick takes 3rd
145 D1: Ketchum (S11) dec 9-3 Askey .. Tommy takes 4th
152 D1: Raines (S5) dec 3-1 McGinty (MW) … Joe takes 4th
152 D2: Campo (S11) wbf – sv Ross (Ont) …Nate takes 6th
220 D1: DeCapua (NFA) inj :50 Stewart (S8)…Maxx takes 3rd
220 D2: Oosterom (PJ) wbf :34 Sykora (S5)…James takes 5th
285 D1: Fenner (MV) dec 2-1 Castillo (S11)…Adam takes 5th

Consie Semis
113 D2: Delia (S11) dec 4-2 Morris (RH)
120 D1: Scott (S5) dec 5-1 Vespa (MW)
132 D2: DeNatale (S8) dec 2-1 Malherio (High)
138 D2: Ross (Ont) dec 8-7 Peryea (S7)
145 D1: Askey (PB) dec 8-4 Mauras (S8)
152 D1: McGinty (MW) dec 8-2 Gibbons (S8)
152 D2: Putney (S6) dec 7-0 Ross (Ont)
220 D1: DeCapua (NFA) dec 3-1 Finn (S1)
220 D2: Osmono (S8) dec 7-1 Oosterom (PJ)
285 D1: Crane (S5) dec 5-4 Fenner (MV)

Semifinals
106 D1: Ryder (MV) dec 5-2 Liardi (S8)
132 D2: Malherio (High) vs Perlleshi (S1)
152 D1: McGinty (MW) vs McDougald (S6)
220 D1: Leonard (Corn) dec 2-1 Stuart (S8)
220 D2: Carmenatty (S5) dec 13-6 Oosterom (PJ)

Blood Round
113 D1: Rigal (S4) dec 4-0 Chenier (King)
113 D2: Morris (RH) dec 7-1 Merwin (S4)
120 D1: Vespa (MW) wbf 1:37 Kolhauser (S3)
126 D2: Marchand (S8) dec 7-6 Tigue (PJ)
138 D2 Nick Ross (Ont) wbf 1:35 Murphy (S5)
145 D1: Askey (PB) dec 3-1 Delsignore (S2)
145 D2: Kramer (S6) maj 11-1 Curreri (E/L/SW)
152 D2: Nate Ross (Ont) dec 6-0 Carman (S8)
220 D1: DeCapua (NFA) dec 6-4 Mabucaglo (P)
285 D1: Fenner (MV) dec 6-2 2OT Stangle (S2)

Let’s take a look at how our local wrestlers did during Day 1 of the 2019 NYSPHSAA Wrestling Championships.

Wrestleback Rd 2
99 D1: Wellington (C) maj 12-0 Marchese (Wash)
106 D1: Flick (C) maj 12-4 Morales (Midd)
106 D2: Noto (S5) maj 12-0 Bender (High)
113 D1: Chenier (King) dec 2-1 Hassan (P)
113 D2: Morris (RH) dec 2-1 Skowronski (S6)
120 D1: Rivera (S1) dec 2-1 Picariello (MV)
120 D1: Vespa (MW) dec 4-3 Lee (S5)
120 D2: Shubert (S5) dec 10-5 Bullock (Chester)
126 D1: Cook (S1) dec 3-2 Suarez (MV)
126 D2: Tigue (PJ) wbf 2:37 Cullen (S2)
132 D1: Witham (S4)maj 9-1 Maddox (Wash)
138 D2: Nick Ross (Ont) wbf 1:31 Lehr (S4)
145 D1: Askey (PB) dec 9-3 Poe (S3)
145 D2: Curreri (E/L/SW) dec 15-8 McKenna (S2)
152 D2: Nate Ross (Ont) dec 2-0 Mayden (S3)
160 D1: Galvin (S3) dec 6-5 Gazzillo (Corn)
182 D1: Tyrell (S11) dec 9-3 Serafini (NFA)
220 D1: DeCapua (NFA) dec 6-1 Funchess (S8)
285 D1: Fenner (MV) wbf 1:50 Mena (S1)
285 D2: Cheatham (S4) maj 11-3 Havison (MW)

Semifinals
106 D1: Ryder (MV) vs Liardi (S8)
132 D2: Malherio (High) vs Perlleshi (S1)
152 D1: McGinty (MW) vs McDougald (S6)
220 D1: Leonard (Corn) vs Stuart (S8)
220 D2: Oosterom (PJ) vs Carmenatty (S5)

Blood Round
113 D1: Chenier (King) vs Rigal (S4)
113 D2: Morris (RH) vs Merwin (S4)
120 D1: Vespa (MW) vs Kulhauser (S3)
126 D2: Tigue (PJ) vs Marchand (S8)
138 D2 Nick Ross (Ont) vs Murphy (S5)
145 D1: Askey (PB) vs Delsignore (S2)
145 D2: Curreri (E/L/SW) vs Kramer (S6)
152 D2: Nate Ross (Ont) vs Carman (S8)
220 D1: DeCapua (NFA) vs Mabucaglo (P)
285 D1: Fenner (MV) vs Stangle (S2)

Wrestleback Rd 1
99 D2: Kurtz (S5) dec 6-2 Tufano (PJ)
106 D1: Morales (Midd) dec 7-4 Fortugno (S1)
106 D2: Bender (High) dec 4-2 sv Egan (S1)
113 D2: Morris (RH) wbf 2:02 Horan (I)
120 D2: Bullock (Chester) wbf 4:33 Bosco (I)
126 D1: Suarez (MV) dec 8-6 sv Diaz (S1)
126 D2: Tigue (PJ) wbf 2:17 Martin (S6)
132 D1: Maddox (Wash) dec 5-4 Pirozzolo (S3)
138 D1: Szilagyi (C) dec 4-1 Savacool (MV)
145 D1: Burligham (S3) dec 6-5 Albornoz (MV)
145 D2: Curreri (E/L/SW) wbf 1:18 Giaramita (S11)
152 D2: Nate Ross (E/L/SW) dec 4-2 Youngs (S5)
160 D1: Gazzillo (Corn) wbf 4:59 Hulse (S11)
160 D2: Conaway (S5) wbf 5:00 Horner (PJ)
170 D1: Podolsky (C) wbf 2:02 Bucci (Saug)
170 D2: Schmidt (S11) dec 11-3 Santiago (E/L/SW)
182 D1: Serafini (NFA) dec 3-1 Azah (S3)
182 D2: Vega (S11) dec 10-6 Bendy (E/L/SW)
195 D1: Hegi (S8) wbf 2:11 Santander (MW)
195 D2: Farah (I) dec 8-4 DeAveiro (S3)
220: DeCapua (NFA) dec 14-10 Beilec (S6)
285 D2: Martinez (S2) inj 1:15 Lonstein (Ellenville)

Quarterfinals
99 D1: Foy (S8) wbf 3:57 Marchese (Wash)
106 D1: Ryder (MV) wbf 4:44 Echevarria (S8)
113 D1: Encarnacion (S8) maj 11-0 Chenier (King)
120 D1: Scott (S5) dec 8-3 Picariello (MV)
120 D1: Garcia (S1) dec 3-2 ot Vespa (MW)
132 D2: Malherio (High) dec 1-0 O’Brein (S11)
138 D2: Worthing (S4) maj 10–2 Nick Ross (Ont)
145 D1: Kovacs (C) dec 8-5 Askey (PB)
152 D1: McGinty (MW) dec 10-9 Raines (S5)
220 D1: Leonard (Corn) dec 4-2 utb Mabocoglu (P)
220 D2: Oosterom (PJ) wbf 1:30 Thompson (S3)
285 D1: Burns (S5) wbf 3:25 Fenner(MV)
285 D1: Crane (S5) wbf 5:38 Havison (MW)

Round 16
99 D1: Marchese (Wash) tech 15-0 Crawford (S1)
99 D2: Lucinski (S6) wbf :48 Tufano (PJ)

106 D1: Ryder (MV) wbf 5:07 Alberti (S6)
106 D1: Amoa (S11) dec 5-2 Morales (Midd)
106 D2: Noto (S5) maj 8-0 Bender (High)

113 D1: Chenier (King) dec 5-4 Booth (S3)
113 D2: Delia (S11) maj 12-1 Morris (RH)

120 D1: Picariello (MV) dec 6-5 Snowden (S6)
120 D1: Vespa (MW) wbf 1:42 Peral (P)
120 D2: Bullock (Chester) wbf 4:25 Ferrara (P) (pigtail)
120 D2: Garland (S3) maj 12-3 Bullock (Chester)

126 D1: Kellison (S3) wbf 1:44 Suarez (MV)
126 D2: Bush (S3) dec 7-2 Tigue (PJ)

132 D1: McDougald (S6) wbf 5:23 Maddox (Wash)
132 D2: Malherio (High) dec 8-1 Porter (P)

138 D1: Albis (S1) wbf 3:35 Savacool (MV)
138 D2: Nick Ross (Ont) dec 6-5 Hotaling (S2)

145 D1: Askey (PB) dec 10-4 Breyer (S1)
145 D1: Hothi (S5) wbf Albornoz (MV) 3:05 pigtail
145 D2: Farrell (S5) dec 11-5 Curreri (E/L/SW)

152 D1: McGinty (MW) wbf 4:27 Simons (S8)
152 D2: Duers (S2) dec 10-8 Ross (Ont)

160 D1: Dorfman (S2) wbf 5:00 Gazzillo (Corn)
160 D2: Chesman (S1) wbf 1:56 Horner (PJ)

170 D1: Thibeault (S6) dec 7-2 Bucci (Saug)
170 D2: Santiago (E/L/SW) dec 7-3 Shepardson (I) pigtail
170 D2: Tupper (S10) wbf 4:42 Santiago (E/L/SW)

182 D1: Damboise (S5) dec 3-1 Serafini (NFA)
182 D2: Quinn (S8) dec 11-8 Bendy (E/L/SW) pigtail

195 D1: Kelly (C) dec 17-10 Santander (MW)
195 D2: McNeil (S2) wbf 3:46 DeAveiro (E/L/SW)

220 D1: Leonard (Corn) dec 4-2 Thomas (C)
220 D1: Finn (S1) wbf 5:19 DeCapua (NFA)
220 D2: Oosterom (PJ) dec 12-9 Spoon (S2)

285 D1: Fenner (MV) dec 8-3 Cheatham (S4)
285 D1: Havison (MW) dec 7-2 Anderson (P)
285 D2: Szymanowsk1 (S6) wbf 5:13 Lonstein (Ell)

Busiello’s Quest to Become a 5X NYS Champ
Eastport South Manor senior Adam Busiello seeks to become only the 3rd wrestler in NYS history to become a 5X state champion. Busiello looks to join Troy Nickerson (Chenango Forks, 2001-2005) and Jacori Teemer (Long Beach, 2014-2018) as the only three wrestlers in state history to achieve this incredible accomplishment. Busiello will be wrestling at 138 pounds this weekend and will definitely be tested. His biggest test will likely come in the finals in an anticipated showdown with Willie McDougald from Niagara Falls. McDougald, a junior, won the 132 pound state champion last year by defeating another state champion, Justin Vines, in the finals. Can McDougald knock off another state champion? Busiello and McDougald met in the Eastern States Classic finals in January where Busiello won by a razor close 3-2 decision. If the seeds play out at 138, a Busiello vs McDougald II would be the most anticipates match of the tournament.

Will Section 11 Continue to Dominate?
Section 11 (Suffolk County) has won the sectional team race for the last 10 years at the NYSPHSAA wrestling tournament! Yes, 10 straight years! Is this the year that the streak will end? Although they are extremely strong in several weight classes and will inevitably win a few titles, it can be argued that there are two sections that have shot at taking top honors this year. Section 5 (Rochester area) is definitely one of the teams in the hunt. They probably will not crown as many champs as S11 but they have a very solid team this year and could possibly have the most top-4 place winners. Section 8 (Nassau County) will also be in the mix. Similar to S5 they will not crown as many champs as Suffolk but they have a let of depth and could possibly chase after the team tile by Saturday night!

CHSAA Looking to Make History
The Catholic High School Athletic Association is bringing a strong contingent to Albany this year! Since they have joined the tournament, the CHSAA has had 9 champions – Andrew Lenzi 2X, Richard Sisti 2X, Robert Murphy, Lucas Magnani, Grant Greene, Jamel Hudson, and Terry Adams. This year, however, could be the first time that the CHSAA has every crowned 2 champions in one year! They are strong at several weights but let’s pay extra attention to James Ryan (Monsignor Farrell) at 120, Preston Maucere (St. Anthony’s) at 132, and AJ Kovacs (Iona Prep) at 145. All three wrestlers are absolute hammers and it would surprise very few people if one, two, or all three are wearing a gold medal on Saturday night!

The Eastern States Classic Connection
This section will be completed after the tournament. Each year at the completion of the state tournament, the Friends of Section 9 will analyze the results of both the Eastern States Classic and the NYSPHSAA Championships. The correlation is typically mind blowing! For now, we know that 20 of the 30 #1 seeds in the state tournament finished in the top 3 at the ESC. Steel sharpens steel! To be continued….

The New York State Sportswriters Association has released it’s final team rankings for the 2018-2019 season and the Minisink Valley Warriors have been recognized as #3 in NYS! This is an absolutely amazing accomplishment considering the Warriors graduated 6 Section 9 champions last season….not too bad for a “rebuilding” year! The is the sixth year in a row that Minisink has finished in the top 10 in the state! The future looks very bright for Minisink too considering they are only losing 3 starters to graduation! Congratulations to Coaches Gallagher, Hendershot, Potter, and Byrne, and to the rest of the Minisink Valley wrestling program which includes their outstanding Mat Maids program lead by Michelle Fenner!

Let’s also extend out congratulations to the Monroe Woodbury and Eldred/Liberty/Sullivan West wrestling programs for also being recognized by the NYSSWA! The Crusaders finished 15th in the Division 1 rankings and E/L/SW was ranked 23rd among small schools. Several other Section 9 team received honorable mention recognition. Click on the link below for the complete list.

2019-2019 NYSSWA Wrestling Rankings – Final