102 Pound Qualifiers
Section 1 – Joseph Tornambe (Yorktown)
Section 1 – George Johnson Jr. (Mahopac)
Section 2 – Ralph Keeney (Ballston Spa)
Section 2 – Vincent Graulau (Mohonasen)
Section 3 – Frederick Pagan (Fulton)
Section 4 – Ryan Ferrara (Chenango Forks)
Section 4 – Quentin Getzin (Ithaca)
Section 5 – Kiernan Magee (Penfield)
Section 5 – Ryan Cielinski (Spencerport)
Section 6 – Eian Peterson (Niagara Falls)
Section 6 – Cullen Edwards (Frontier)
Section 8 – Dunia Sibomana (Long Beach)
Section 8 – Carlos Arango (Massapequa)
Section 8 – Shane Dobbins (Plainedge)
Section 9 – Luke Satriano (Valley Central)
Section 9 – Cooper Merli (Newburgh)
Section 11 – Mason Mangialino (Comsewogue)
Section 11 – Connor Sheridan (Hauppauge)
Section 11 – Jason Euceda (Brentwood)
CHSAA – Jacob Kennedy (St. Anthony’s)
PSAL – Evin Gursoy (Midwood)
Mason Mangialino is one of several wrestlers in the hunt for a state title at 102 in Albany!
What To Watch For….
The 102-pound weight class is going to provide us with fireworks at the state tournament – the lightweights always do!!! There is also a lot of “unknowns” with the lightweights because many of the entries are first-year varsity wrestlers. This year’s field at 102 is loaded with talent and our Section 9 champion Luke Satriano will be one of the wrestlers in the mix for the title. The Valley Central freshman is a perfect 25-0 and has wins over three wrestlers in the field, Joeseph Tornambe, George Johnson, and fellow Section 9 qualifier Cooper Merli from NFA. Section 8 champion Dunia Sibomana will be another contender here. The Long Beach 8th grader is having a great year and has wins over a few wrestlers in the field. Sibomana has majored Carlos Arango twice, he’s beaten Connor Sheridan twice, and has a pin over Shane Dobbins. Section 11 champ Mason Mangialino from Hauppauge is undefeated and is definitely a contender as is Brentwood’s Jason Euceda whose only loss came in the quarters of the Section 11 tournament. He avenged that loss by pinning the wrestler who defeated him in the first period of their 3rd/4th match. Another wrestler who definitely needs to be watched at 102 is PSAL champ Evin Gursoy from Midwood. Gursoy is undefeated and he has pinned every opponent who he has faced, however he has only competed against other PSAL opponents this year thus far. Ralph Keeney from Section 2 has only one loss this season and that was up at 110 so he’s likely going to be in the hunt as will Ryan Ferrara from Section 4 whose only on-mat losses this year have been to Division 2 hammers Florance and Noto.
110 Pound Qualifiers
Section 1 – Dillon Arrick (Arlington)
Section 1 -Joe Gabriele (John Jay-Cross River)
Section 2 – Clayton O’Connor (Mohonasen)
Section 2 – Tyler Whiteley (Burnt Hills)
Section 3 – Tomah Gummow (Indian River)
Section 3 – Aiden Cali (Baldwinsville)
Section 4 – Kaeden Hubbard (Chenango Forks)
Section 5 – Dom Attardi (Victor)
Section 5 – Zach Gerby (Pittsford)
Section 6 – Travis Browning (Frontier)
Section 6 – Ken Schmitz (Hamburg)
Section 8 – Joseph Manfredi (Herricks)
Section 8 – Angel Banegas (Uniondale)
Section 8 – Anthony Clem (Wantagh)
Section 9 – Nicholas Weeden (Valley Central)
Section 9 – Wyatt Boice (Minisink Valley)
Section 11 – Mikey Manta (Hauppauge)
Section 11 – Jason Kwaak (Brentwood)
Section 11 – Sean Campbell (Copiague)
CHSAA – Austin Zimmerman (St. Joe’s Collegiate)
PSAL – Avi Davydov (Benjamin Cardozo)
What To Watch For…
The 110-pound weight class will be great to watch and will likely end up being a showdown between a handful of Long Island wrestlers plus one hammer from the opposite end of the state! Joe Manfredi from Herricks is one of the definite favorites here. The Section 8 sophomore was a state finalist in 2020 and he is undefeated this season. Manfredi has wins over a few wrestlers in the field including an early season 4-2 decision over one of the other favorites here, Mikey Manta from Section 11. Manta, a Hauppauge senior who suffered his only loss this season to Manfredi, had all he could handle in the Section 11 finals against Jason Kwaak who he defeated 5-4. Kwaak is having a great year and will definitely contend here. On the opposite end of the state, Travis Browning from Section 6 has also put together an incredible year. The Hamburg senior is 26-1 this season and his only loss was to a 118-pound state qualifier. Browning placed 7th in the state at 99 in 2020. Section 5 has two very solid entries here in Dom Attardi from Victor and Zach Gerby from Pittsford. Section 1 champ Dillon Arrick from Arlington has only one loss this year and that was to another wrestler in the field, Anthony Clem from Section 8. Section 9 champion Nick Weeden’s only losses this season have been to Arrick and to Minisink Valley’s Wyatt Boice, who he beat in 2 of 3 meetings this season. Uniondale’s Angel Banegas, Mohonasen’s Clayton O’Connor, Indian River’s Tomah Gummow, and Copiague’s Sean Campbell will also contend for medals here at 110.
118 Pound Qualifiers
Section 1 – Neil Paulercio (Byram Hills)
Section 1 – Shane Acheson (Tappan Zee)
Section 2 – Michael Santore (Shaker)
Section 2 – Nico Rivera (Mohonasen)
Section 3 – Shay Sinitiere (Carthage)
Section 4 – Ryan Massengale (Horseheads)
Section 4 – Dylan Furman (Chenango Forks)
Section 5 – Jackson Koppers (Rush Henrietta)
Section 5 – Cael Raines (Churchville-Chili)
Section 6 – Jaden Crumpler (Niagara Falls)
Section 6 – Zachary Dellinger (Williamsville North)
Section 8 – Joseph Clem (Wantagh)
Section 8 – Ray Adams (Calhoun)
Section 8 – Jonathan Fox (MacArthur)
Section 9 – Alex Greco (Warwick)
Section 9 – Rocco Futia (Wallkill)
Section 11 – Matt Marlow (Northport)
Section 11 – Christian Lievano (Ward Melville)
Section 11 – John Tietjen (Sachem East)
CHSAA – Mike Adams (Monsignor Farrell)
PSAL – Jacob Levin (Tottenville)
Joseph Clem is one of the favorites to win a state title at 118!
What To Watch For…
There will be no shortage of talent at 118 in Albany however undefeated Section 8 champion Joseph Clem has to be considered the favorite. The Wantagh sophomore is a perfect 39-0 this year including three close wins over fellow Section 8 state qualifier Ray Adams. Adams, a junior from Calhoun, has only one other loss than his three to Clem and will definitely contend here. CHSAA champion Mike Adams placed 5th in NYS in 2020 and is having a great season as is Section 9 champion Alex Greco who placed 8th in NYS in 2020. All three Section 11 qualifiers here at 118 are legit medal contenders. Matt Marlow from Northport is the Section 11 champion. He is 29-1 and has two wins over Section 11 runner-up Christian Lievano from Ward Melville who placed 4th in the state in 2020. Sachem East senior John Tietjen’s only loss this season this season was in the Section 11 tournament to Lievano. We have another former state placer at 118 in Michael Adams from Monsignor Farrell. The CHSAA champ placed 5th at 99 in 2020. Let’s also keep an eye on PSAL champ Jacob Levin from Tottenville, Section 2 champ Michael Santore from Shaker, and Section 6 champ Jaden Crumpler from Niagara Falls as medal contenders here at 118 pounds.
126 Pound Qualifiers
Section 1 – Justin Fortugno (Byram Hills)
Section 1 – Nicolas Greco (Mahopac)
Section 2 – Ayden Robles (Shenendehowa)
Section 2 – Liam Carlin (Burnt Hills)
Section 3 – Brogan Fielding (Carthage)
Section 3 – Ashton Thompson (Rome)
Section 4 – Tyler Ferrara (Chenango Forks)
Section 5 – Cael Russo (Spencerport)
Section 5 – Joe Berenson (Webster Schroeder)
Section 6 – Amarfio Reynolds (Niagara Falls)
Section 6 – Myles Gronowski (Lancaster)
Section 8 – Ryan Arbeit (Wantagh)
Section 8 – Ariel Waldman (Hewlett)
Section 8 – Luke Nieto (Plainedge)
Section 9 – Anthony Tresch (Minisink Valley)
Section 9 – Sebastian Vidacovich (Valley Central)
Section 11 – Brayden Fahrbach (Mt. Sinai)
Section 11 – Vincent Ziccardi (Kings Park)
Section 11 – Michael Giugliano (Miller Place)
CHSAA – Kevin McCarvill (Iona Prep)
PSAL – Isaias Torres (Grand Street Campus
The 126-pound weight class is always a meat grinder, and this season will be no different. Where to begin? Let’s start with our two 2020 NYS top-3 finishers. Section 4 champion Tyler Ferrara finished 2nd in NYS D1 at 106 in 2020. The Chenango Forks junior is a perfect 30-0 this season with 28 of those wins coming with bonus points. The other 2020 top-3 finisher here is Brayden Fahrbach from Section 11 Mt. Sinai. Fahrbach, who placed 3rd at 99 in the D2, has only one loss this season and that was to Division 2 hammer Max Gallagher. Fahrbach earned his Section 11 title this year by knocking off another former state place winner when he defeated Vincent Ziccardi by sudden victory pinfall. Ziccardi placed 8th at 99 D1 in 2020 and will definitely be in the mix for the title this year. The PSAL has a legit title contender at 126 this year in Isaias Torres. The Grand Street Campus senior is 38-0 and has major decision wins this season over state qualifiers Michael Adams and Jacob Levin. The Section 1 champion Justin Fortugno is another contender here. The Briarcliff-Byram Hills-Valhalla-Westlake senior is 40-1 this season and his only loss came at 132 to Andrew Marchese. Fortugno notched a win this season over Section 3 champ Brody Fielding who is 41-2 this year and has a good chance of placing here. This weight class is very deep with talent. A few others to keep our eyes on are Section 6 Amarfio Reynolds, the Section 5 duo of Cal Russo and Joe Berenson, Section 2 champ Ayden Robles, and Section 9 freshman champ Anthony Tresch!
132 Pound Qualifiers
Section 1 – Justin Gierum (Fox Lane)
Section 1 – John Frustace (Arlington)
Section 2 – Gabriel Goss (Burnt Hills)
Section 2 – Taylor Beaury (Saratoga Spr.)
Section 3 – Alex Booth (Indian River)
Section 4 – Cael Owen (Horseheads)
Section 4 – Drew Arnold (Elmira)
Section 5 – Jake Daly (Brockport)
Section 5 – Dino Battisti (Brockport)
Section 6 – Griff Laplante (Starpoint)
Section 6 – Tremell Mathews (Niagara Wheat.)
Section 8 – Kyle Moore (Levittown Division)
Section 8 – Thomas Wagner (SSER)
Section 8 – Thomas Bonasera (Wantagh)
Section 9 – Andrew Marchese (Washingtonville)
Section 9 – Zak McKernan (Minisink Valley)
Section 11 – Nick LaMorte (Rocky Point)
Section 11 – Stephan Lukas (Eastport South Manor)
Section 11 – Devin Walker (Brentwood)
CHSAA – Ryan Paladino (Kellenberg Memorial)
PSAL – Eric Yu (Benjamin Cardozo)
As the only returning NYS place winner, Section 9 champion Andrew Marchese has to be considered one of the favorites to take home the state title at 132 this year. The Washingtonville senior placed 5th in NYS at 113 in 2020 and is a perfect 44-0 this season. Although the favorite, Marchese will definitely be challenged by several talented wrestlers in this bracket. Section 3 champion Alex Booth is no stranger to the state tournament, and he is 38-1 this season with his only loss coming to D2 stud Nicholas Noto. Section 11 has a few wrestlers here who can contend for the top of the podium. Nick LaMorte from Rocky Point was victorious in the Section 11 finals over Eastport South Manor’s Steven Lukas by a 5-1 margin. Both wrestlers only have one loss each on the season and can definitely push Marchese. Section 8 champ Kyle Moore has only one loss this season and that was at 138 to Killian Foy who won Section 8 at that weight and is a former state finalist. There is definitely some depth at 132 and we should keep our eye on Section 5 champ Jake Daly, Section 6 champ Griffin LaPlante, Section 2 champ Gabe Goss, Section 8 runner-up Thomas Wagner, and Section 1 champion Justin Gierum. Section 9 runner-up Zak McKernan is scrappy and can surprise a few people up in Albany.
138 Pound Qualifiers
Section 1 – Owen Deutsch (Mamaroneck)
Section 1 – Robert DePolito (North Rockland)
Section 2 – Jashon Holmes (Shenendehowa)
Section 2 – Tyler Rossini (Burnt Hills)
Section 3 – Manuel Gonzales (Indian River)
Section 3 – Max Fesinger (West Genesee)
Section 4 – George Oroudjov (Ithaca)
Section 5 – Casper Stewart (Attica Batavia)
Section 5 – Tyler Jeffers (Churchville-Chili)
Section 6 – Collin Coughenour (Niagara Wheatfield)
Section 6 – Te’Shaun Mathews (Niagara Wheatfield)
Section 8 – Killian Foy (MacArthur)
Section 8 – Matthew Castillo (Port Washington)
Section 8 – Jacob Brockey (Syosset)
Section 9 – PJ Duke (Minisink Valley)
Section 9 – Jordan Brown (Monroe Woodbury)
Section 11 – Jared Weinhaus (Sachem East)
Section 11 – Zach Miller (Islip)
Section 11 – Yidraw Rivera (Sayville)
CHSAA – Mick Brown (St. Anthony’s)
PSAL – Askar Imanbekov (Murrow)
Under normal circumstances, a weight class with Oroudjov, Foy, Stewart, Weinhaus, Holmes, Rossini, Brown, and Deutsch would be considered a loaded, wide-open weight class with several contenders for the title. However, when you add PJ Duke into the equation, things change. Duke, only a freshman at Minisink Valley, is currently ranked #4 in the nation by FloWrestling at 138 is considered a heavy favorite to take home NYS title #2! Duke won the state crown at 99 pounds in 2020 as a 7th grader and his accolades have exploded ever since. This past season PJ won the Super 32 Challenge and in December he made it to the finals of the Ironman before getting injured and settling for 2nd place. Since returning to action Duke is undefeated and notched a pin and a major decision victory over fellow Section 9 entry Jordan Brown. Brown, a junior at Monroe Woodbury, placed 6th in NYS at 99 pounds in 2020 could place very high at 138 this season as could Section 4 George Oroudjov who placed 2nd in NYS at 126 in 2020. Section 2 champion Jashon Holmes from Shenendehowa is having an incredible season and is sporting a perfect 34-0 record! Holmes has a few wins over the other Section 2 entry at 138, Tyler Rossini from Burnt Hills. Another undefeated wrestler in this bracket is Jared Weinhaus from Section 11. The Sachem East senior is 34-0 and has a win over the Section 8 champion Killian Foy who himself is a former state finalist. Not done yet…Casper Stewart from Attica Batavia is a perfect 43-0 this season! The Section 5 champ is no stranger to Albany either; Stewart placed 3rd at 113 in 2020. Just for good measure let’s mention that Section 1 champ Owen Deutsch is also undefeated this year. He is 27-0 and has scored bonus points in every match except one this year! This weight class is loaded!
145 Pound Qualifiers
Section 1 – Angelo Centrone (Mahopac)
Section 1 – Matt Masch (Ketcham)
Section 2 – Josh Warland (Burnt Hills)
Section 2 – Renso Montalvo (Amsterdam)
Section 3 – Charles Foster (VVS)
Section 4 – Daniel Parker (Ithaca)
Section 5 – Jayden Scott (Rush Henrietta)
Section 5 – Nolan Liess (Penfield)
Section 6 – Cameron Catrabone (Williamsville N)
Section 6 – Gage Laplante (Starpoint)
Section 8 – Anthony Conetta (Massapequa)
Section 8 – Paul Lichter (MacArthur)
Section 8 – William McMullen (Bethpage)
Section 9 – Luke Greiner (Minisink Valley)
Section 9 – Jackson Merli (Newburgh)
Section 10 – Colden Hardy (Massena)
Section 11 – Justin Klein (Miller Place)
Section 11 – Christian Paredes (Connetquot)
Section 11 – Frankie Volpe (Rocky Point)
CHSAA – Sean Degl (Iona Prep)
PSAL – Nicholas Campanella (James Madison)
The 145-pound weight class is another absolutely loaded bracket several returning state place winners and one nationally ranked hammer. Let’s begin with Section 6 champion Cameron Catrabone. The Williamsville North sophomore is currently ranked 4th in the nation by Flo….but that’s at 132 pounds. Catrabone wrestled at 132 at both the Super 32 and Powerade tournaments and he finished 3rd at both events. Catrabone also finished 6th in NYS in 2020 at 120. Will he have the same success at 145? Catrabone’s biggest challenge might come from Section 5 champion Jayden Scott. The Rush Henrietta senior is a 2X NYS finalist and hoped to cap off a stellar high school career with a state title. Scott is a perfect 19-0 this season. One of the other top contenders at 145 is Mahopac senior Angelo Centrone. The Section 1 champ is 35-1 this season with his only loss coming to 152-pound Section champ Tim Bova. It’s no surprise that Long Island also has a few hammers entered here! Section 8 champion Anthony Conetta is a former NYS place winner and is having a great year. His only two losses this year came at The Beast of the East. Section 11 champion Justin Klein is 42-1 and his only loss is to Centrone. He will definitely contend for a medal here as will the other two Section 11 entries, Christian Paredes from Connetquot and Frankie Volpe from Rocky Point. All three of these Suffolk County wrestlers are evenly matched. In the Section 11 tournament, Klein beat Paredes 5-3 in the finals while Paredes only beat Volpe 2-1 UTB in the semis. Sections 2 and 9 cannot be overlooked here either. Section 2 champ Josh Warland from Burnt Hills and runner-up Renso Montalvo from Amsterdam and legitimate medal contenders and do not be shocked if Section 9 champ Luke Greiner and runner-up Jackson Merli make a run at the podium. There is plenty of depth here – we should keep an eye on Section 4 champ Daniel Parker, Section 6 runner-up Gage LaPlante, Section 5 runner-up Nolan Liess, and Section 10 champion Colden Hardy.
152 Pound Qualifiers
Section 1 – Tim Bova (Arlington)
Section 1 – Jake Hoffman (Fox Lane)
Section 2 – Connor Gregory (Ballston Spa)
Section 2 – Gordon Murray (Saratoga Springs)
Section 3 – Gabe Lynch (Indian River)
Section 4 – Charles Loucks (Corning)
Section 5 – Rocco Camillaci (Hilton)
Section 5 – Isaiah Rodriguez (Brockport)
Section 6 – Carson Alberti (West Seneca West)
Section 6 – Cameron Millender (Sweet Home)
Section 8 – Ben Rogers (Wantagh)
Section 8 – Alex Giuliani (Massapequa)
Section 8 – RKelly Trejean (Uniondale)
Section 9 – Eric Tigue (Minisink Valley)
Section 9 – Tyler Reed (Cornwall)
Section 10 – Rocco Ferriero (Massena)
Section 11 – Matt Hole-Lopez (Islip)
Section 11 – Gavin Cirolli (Miller Place)
Section 11 – Jamisen Colongione (Sayville)
CHSAA – Max Watson (Iona Prep)
PSAL – Aslanbek Sharipov (F.D.R.)
The 152-pound weight class has a few absolute hammers who will battle it out for the 2022 state title. Section 5 champion Rocco Camillaci finished 3rd in NYS at 126 in 2020, and the undefeated Hilton senior is one of the top contenders here. Camillaci has a few great wins this year including a 4-3 win over the Section 5 160-pound champ Nick Sanko. One of the biggest challenges for Camillaci will likely come from Section 1 champion Tim Bova. The Arlington senior has an incredible 49-0 record this season and has a few wins over other wrestlers in the bracket. One of his toughest matches came from within his own Section. Fox Lane’s Jake Hoffmann dropped two close matches to Bova this season and will definitely contend here. Bova also has a win over Section 8 champ Benny Rogers. Rogers, a Wantagh senior, is battle tested this season and has some wins over tough wrestlers including Minisink Valley’s Eric Tigue. Section 9 champ Tigue and Rogers had a great match at the state duals where Tigue led most of the match, but Rogers scored late and prevailed 7-5. Tigue is having a great season but one of his other losses this year was to Section 2 champ Connor Gregory. The Ballston Spa senior’s only loss this year was to D2 wrestler Hunter Devins. Section 5 runner-up Isaiah Rodriguez from Brockport finished 8th at this exact weight in 2020 and will definitely be in the medal hunt – possibly high on the medal stand! A few others to watch at this wight are Carson Alberti from Section 6, Matt Hole-Lopez from Section 11, Gabe Lynch from Section 3, Tyler Reed from Section 9, and Alex Giuliani from Section 8.
160 Pound Qualifiers
Section 1 – Dillon Carter (Yorktown)
Section 1 – Tristan Robinson-July (Ossining)
Section 2 – Sachiel Chuckrow (Saratoga Sp)
Section 2 – Thomas Pawlinga (Burnt Hills)
Section 3 – Jack Clough (Watertown)
Section 4 – Ethan Hart (Corning)
Section 4 – Liam Levantovich (Horseheads)
Section 5 – Nick Sanko (Pittsford)
Section 5 – Brady Unger (Fairport)
Section 6 – Michael Syposs (Niagara Falls)
Section 6 – Jesiere Carter (Niagara Falls)
Section 8 – Josh Gendlin (Hewlett)
Section 8 – Joseph Mattei (Herricks)
Section 8 – Luke Ciolino (Massapequa)
Section 9 – Zack Ryder (Minisink Valley)
Section 9 – Anthony Manzi (Newburgh)
Section 11 – Tom Andria (Islip)
Section 11 – Braeden Ainslie (Sayville)
Section 11 – Robert Cunningham (Miller Place)
CHSAA – Frankie Theroux (St. Anthony’s)
PSAL – Shane Phillips (Benjamin Cardozo)
This is not meant to discredit the rest of the field at 160, but this weight class looks like it’s a two-horse race…and one of the horses is Secretariat! Minisink Valley sophomore is the heavy favorite to capture his 2nd NYSPHSAA championship! Ryder was a state finalist as a 7th grader, state champion as an 8th grader, and won the Journeymen NYS title as a freshman. He has also won a cadet freestyle title in Fargo and placed 3rd at this year’s Ironman. Ryder is currently ranked 11th in the nation by FloWrestling. His toughest NYS competition this season came from one of the other wrestlers in this bracket, Section 5 champ Nick Sanko. Ryder defeated Sanko 8-1 at the state dual meet championships in Syracuse. Sanko, a senior from Pittsford, placed 4th in NYS at 152 in 2020 and is sporting a 26-2 record this season. One of the other top contenders here at 160 will be Section 5 runner-up Brady Unger from Fairport. Unger and Sanko engaged in a shootout earlier this season won by Sanko by the score of 19-12. The rest of this field is pretty open and will be fun to follow. Let’s keep our eyes on Jack Clough from Watertown, Josh Gendlin from Hewlett, Anthony Manzi from NFA, and Tom Andria from Islip.
172 Pound Qualifiers
Section 1 – Leo Venables (Carmel)
Section 1 – Kiam Coleman (Yonkers)
Section 2 – Dylan Schell (Queensbury)
Section 2 – Ryan Buthfer (Burnt Hills)
Section 3 – Dylan Firenze (Cicero)
Section 3 – Jaiden Burdick (Cen Square)
Section 4 – Zander Arnold (Chen Forks)
Section 5 – Jake Scherbyn (Spencerport)
Section 5 – Elijah Diakomihalis (Hilton)
Section 6 – Brian Bielec (Grand Island)
Section 6 – Evan Stencel (Lancaster)
Section 8 – Noah Corwin (Wantagh)
Section 8 – Travis Shaver (Plainedge)
Section 8 – Anthony DiGennaro (Massapequa)
Section 9 – Michael Altomer (Minisink Valley)
Section 9 – Mike Zrelak (Monroe Woodbury)
Section 11 – Mack Murtha (Sayville)
Section 11 – Eric Wetherbee (Sachem North)
Section 11 – Ion Bobac (Connetquot)
CHSAA – Griffin Goldstein (St. Anthony’s)
PSAL – Gavin Ozoria (Flushing)
Minisink Valley senior Mikey Altomer is the only returning state place winner in this bracket and must be considered one of the favorites to win a state title this year. Altomer placed 5th in 2020 and he’s having a great season! Altomer’s only two losses this year came back in December at the Ironman. Altomer will be challenged by several talented wrestlers including Section 6 champ Brian Bielec. The Grand Island senior is a perfect 42-0 this season with nearly every one of his wins earning bonus points. His closest match of the year was a 2-1 win over Section 5 champion Jake Scherbyn in the finals of the Lockport Tournament. Scherbyn, a senior from Spencerport, is also in this bracket and will definitely be a contender. Scherbyn is 24-2 this season with his other loss coming to Hilton’s Elijah Diakomihalis during the regular season. Scherbyn would defeat Diakomihalis in the Section 5 finals however both wrestlers have qualified for the state tournament. Diakomihalis, only a freshman, suffered his only loss on the season in the Section 5 finals and will definitely be one of the contenders for a state crown. If successful, it would be the 10th state title in the Diakomihalis family – Yianni won four and Greg won five! Let’s not forget about Section 11 champ Mack Murtha! Murtha, a senior from Sayville, is a perfect 35-0 this year and will definitely be in the hunt as will undefeated Section 2 champ Dylan Schell! A few others who could find their way on the medal stand include Section 9’s Mike Zrelak, Section 8’s Travis Shaver, Section 6’s Evan Stencel, and Section 2’s Ryan Buthfer.
189 Pound Qualifiers
Section 1 – John McGowan (Mamaroneck)
Section 1 – Connor McGannon (Lakeland)
Section 2 – Dillon Blanchard (Guilderland)
Section 2 – Farzad Ahmad (Shaker)
Section 3 – Kole Mulhauser (Central Sq)
Section 4 – Tyler Keefe (Elmira)
Section 4 – Henry Miller (Binghamton)
Section 5 – Joe Marcello (Spencerport)
Section 5 – Nick Smith (Pittsford)
Section 6 – Chris Bargy (Olean)
Section 6 – Jack MacDonald (Orchard Park)
Section 8 – Kwasi Bonsu (Baldwin)
Section 8 – Eric Carlson (Manhasset)
Section 8 – Benjamin Velasquez (MacArthur)
Section 9 – Andrew Filip (Minisink Valley)
Section 9 – Braydon Pennell (Pine Bush)
Section 11 – Jabali Zoia (Longwood)
Section 11 – Jake Trovato (Lindenhurst)
Section 11 – James Tomlinson (Patchogue-Medford)
CHSAA – Claudio Pinto (Chaminade)
PSAL – Joseph Masica (MSIT)
The 189-pound weight class has no shortage of talent; however, one wrestler stands out above the rest. Section 3 champion Kole Mulhauser, who finished 3rd in NYS in 2020, is undefeated this season – very undefeated! Every single one of his matches has ended in either a first period pin or a technical fall! Mulhauser, currently ranked 8th in the nation by FloWrestling has committed to wrestle for Princeton next year. So who are the wrestlers with the best chance of pulling off the upset and knocking off Mulhauser? Let’s start with the duo from Section 5. Joe Marcello from Spencerport is your Section 5 champion. He is undefeated on the season however his two closest wins came to the Section 5 runner-up, Nick Smith from Pittsford. Both Marcello and Smith are in contention for a place high on the podium. Smith was pushed to the limit (6-4 sv) at the state duals in Syracuse by Section 9 champion Andrew Filip who is also in this bracket. The loss to Smith was the Minisink Valley junior’s only loss of the season. Filip had a very nice 7-5 win over Section 2 champ Dillon Blanchard who will also be in the medal hunt. Section 9 runner-up Brayden Pennell only lost 3-2 to Filip so he’s in contention as is Section 11 champ Jabali Zoia from Longwood who is undefeated this year! Zoia isn’t the only undefeated wrestler on Long Island at 189 in this bracket! Section 8 champ Kwasi Bonsu has yet to taste defeat this year and will definitely be in the mix. A few others to keep our eyes on are John McGowan from Section 1, Eric Carlson from Section 8, Jake Trovato from Section 11, and Joe Masica from PSAL.
215 Pound Qualifiers
Section 1 – Steven Burrell (New Rochelle)
Section 1 – Jack Raspanti (Pearl River)
Section 2 – Ryan Stein (Shaker)
Section 2 – Darrien Insogna (Ballston Spa)
Section 3 – Cain Roberts (Watertown)
Section 3 – Rocky Files (Central Square)
Section 4 – Camden McConnel (Corning)
Section 5 – John Santowski (Pittsford)
Section 5 – Jackson Burns (Spencerport)
Section 6 – Kevin Daskavitz (Lockport)
Section 6 – Casey Robinson (Niagara Wh)
Section 8 – Keno Zachary (Syosset)
Section 8 – Kevin Arriaza (Roosevelt)
Section 8 – James Clarkson (MacArthur)
Section 9 – Ethan Gallo (Minisink Valley)
Section 9 – Bryson Tibbs (Middletown)
Section 11 – Robert Smith (Huntington)
Section 11 – Jaiden Green (Bellport)
Section 11 – Gabriel Willins (Brentwood)
CHSAA – Andrew Bardak (St. Anthony’s)
PSAL – Jake Gulino (Tottenville)
With the level of talent in the bracket this year, 215 is going to be a great weight class to follow in Albany. Section 9 champion Ethan Gallo is undefeated and a former state place winner so we will start with him. The Minisink Valley junior placed 6th in the state as a freshman at 182 in 2020. This season he has dominated the competition and has convincing wins over several wins in the field! One of the wrestlers Gallo hasn’t faced is Section 1 champion Steven Burrell. Also undefeated, Burrell, a senior at New Rochelle, is sporting a perfect 22-0 record for the season. CHSAA champion Andrew Bardak is a wrestler who will also contend here. Bardak is battle tested having faced nationally ranked Wyoming Seminary wrestler Jack Darrah twice this season. Bardak lost both bouts however he has notched a few impressive wins over wrestlers in this bracket including Section 11 champ Robert Smith and Section 11 runner-up Jaiden Green. Smith, a senior from Huntington, is 40-1 this season with his only loss coming to Bardak. Green has also had a great year only suffering losses to Bardak, Smith, and Gallo. Section 2 has two solid entries at 215 in Ryan Stein from Shaker and Darrien Insogna from Ballston Spa. Section 5 champion John Santowski from Pittsford is also going to be in the hunt. Both Stein and Santowski each have only one loss on the season – both wrestlers were pinned by Gallo. A few others to watch here include Section 6 champ Kevin Daskavitz, Section 9 runner-up Bryson Tibbs, and Section 8 champ Keno Zachary.
285 Pound Qualifiers
Section 1 – Marc Berisha (Fox Lane)
Section 1 – Joel Venables (Carmel)
Section 2 – Will Hotaling (Colonie)
Section 2 – Jaydon Aguirre-Hamlin (Colonie)
Section 3 – Charles Tibbitts (New Hartford)
Section 4 – Gannon Johnston (Horseheads)
Section 5 – Nathan Zimmerman (Webster Sch)
Section 5 – Bobby Foltz (Pittsford)
Section 6 – Konrad Krzyszton (Frontier)
Section 6 – Stefaan Fearon (Lockport)
Section 8 – Romeo Turcios (Westbury)
Section 8 – Jacob Maiorano (Hewlett)
Section 8 – Jakob Menichini (Massapequa)
Section 9 – Stephen Monchery (Middletown)
Section 9 – Rahmiere Bradley (Middletown)
Section 10 – Roy Gamble (Massena)
Section 11 – Sebastian Regis (East Islip)
Section 11 – John Feramola (Connetquot)
Section 11 – Cole Blatter (Comsewogue)
CHSAA – Capri Martin (Iona Prep)
PSAL – Nicholas Rozo (Benjamin Cardozo)
The heavyweights are going to bring the house down in Albany! This weight class is loaded with at least six or seven wrestlers with a legit shot at winning it all! Let’s start with Charles Tibbitts from Section 3. Tibbitts, a senior from New Hartford, is a perfect 31-0 this season and he is laser focused on a state title. Middletown sophomore Stephan Monchery has absolutely dominated his opponents this season and is definitely one of the favorites. Monchery is 40-0 has pinned everyone – 37 have been pinned in the first period! Marc Berisha from Fox Lane in Section 1 is also undefeated. He is 36-0 and has pinned 34 of his opponents. Section 11 champion Sebastian Regis from East Islip is another undefeated wrestler in this bracket, and he will definitely be in the mix as will Section 11 runner-up John Feramola who has only lost to Regis and Monchery. Section 4 champion Gannon Johnston has only one loss this season and it was to Tibbitts in sudden victory so he’s a certain contender as is Section 5 champion Nathan Zimmerman who is 29-1 on the season. Section 6 champ Konrad Krzyszton has only one loss and that was to Section 6 runner-up Stefaan Fearon, a loss he avenged in the Section 6 finals. A few others to keep an eye on here are Bobby Flotz from Section 5, Rahmiere Bradley from Section 9, Romeo Turcios from Section 8, and Section 2 champion Will Hotaling who has wrestled at 215 for most of the season!
Many thanks for an amazing breakdown of the tourny!
Incredible coverage! Fascinating how in the 70s a defending state champ could loose in the sectionals and were unable to defend the title. It was rte the case in section eight and eleven. Now wrestlers from the same town competing at states! (Middletown Hwts).