Minisink Valley’s Takes Charge in the Team Race
All 18 of Minisink Valley’s wrestlers have advanced to Day 2 and will place in the top 6! That’s right – 18 for 18! The Warriors have 15 wrestlers in the semifinals and 3 in wrestlebacks. Monroe Woodbury has 8 in the semis and 2 in wrestlebacks and sit in 2nd place in the team standings with a one point lead over 3rd place Middletown. The Middies have 7 in the semis and 4 in wrestlebacks. NFA has 7 in the semis and 3 wrestling back and sit in 4th in the team race.
- Minisink Valley – 177
- Monroe Woodbury – 118
- Middletown – 117
- Newburgh Free Academy – 103
- New Paltz – 75.5
- Kingston – 60
- Washingtonville – 56
- Warwick – 54
- Valley Central – 52
- Pine Bush – 45
Girls Division Takes Center Stage
126 Pound Section 9 Girls Champion
The inaugural Girls Division for the Section 9 Wrestling Championships was a success! All wrestling was stopped for about 15 minutes so the girls finalists could be introduced to a captive audience. All seven of the girls finals were wrestled on Mat #1 so they could receive the recognition which they absolutely deserve. Perhaps this is a prelude to what will happen in the future at the state level? Great job ladies!
Girls Division Championship Finals
126 – Grace Pauls (MV) wbf :53 Citrus Triplett (Red Hook)
132 – Sanyadia Wheeler (Fallsburg) dec 10-4 Kaida Miller (Midd)
138 – Carolyn Santiago (NFA) wbf 3:47 Eneka Goicolea-Cid (NP)
145 – Alexa Ligouri (FDR) win by dq 4:45 Shakira Morris (King)
152 – Eliyah Constant (PB) wbf Jazmine Taylor (Midd)
170 – Jo Jo Tanzi (NP) vs Gabrielle Colon (NFA)
Teammates Going Head-To-Head
Now with teams permitted to enter 18 wrestlers into the tournament we are seeing even more situations where teammates have to wrestle one another. This is nothing new as it happens every year but the addition of the 2 additional wrestlers per team seems to have increased these rather uncomfortable situations. Let’s take a look at some of the teammate vs teammate matches which have already occurred, will occur today and could possible happen in the finals!
Rd 16 – Gordon (Kingston) vs Straker (Kingston) @ 152
Quarters – Giumarra (Cornwall) vs Reed (Cornwall) @ 113
Consie Quarters – Felice (MW) vs Paravati (MW) @ 182
Semis – Palanca (New Paltz) vs Cuppett (New Paltz) @ 145
Semis – Brown (MW) vs Wernicki (MW) @ 170
Semis – Henry (Minisink) vs Cabrera (Minisink) @ 220
Possible Finals – Ryder (Minisink) vs Macaluso (Minisink) @ 126
Possible Finals – Savacool (Minisink) vs Lombardi (Minisink) @ 138
Mia Mac Busts Up The 126 Bracket
One year ago at this tournament Minisink Valley freshman Sofia Macaluso made history when she became the first ever girl to place at the Section 9 Wrestling Division 1 Championships. Sofia suffered an injury so she could not compete this year – so her sister Mia decided to see if she could top little sis! Mia, a senior at Minisink, came into the tournament as the #10 seed but everyone knew that she was a “dangerous” 10 seed. Wow they were right! Mia began her incredible day by pinning the #7 seed Elliot Crocco from New Paltz in 4:35. The win would pit her against the #2 seed, Drew Greco from Warwick in the quarters. The match began with a takedown by Greco but Mia Mac was able to score a reversal and tie the score at 2. After a quick scramble, Macaluso hit a chin whip and put Greco to his back securing the fall at the 1:28 mark! Macaluso advances to the semis where she will take on Middletown’s Moises Diaz. A win in the semis would earn Mia Mac a spot in the finals and guarantee her at least a 2nd place finish and a potential showdown with her teammate and close friend Zack Ryder. Congratulations Mia – what an incredible way to closeout a spectacular high school wrestling career!