All nine have qualified for the state championships in Albany!
The 2023 Section 9 Division 1 Wrestling Championships have come to an end and once again Minisink Valley has come away victorious with another dominating performance. The Warriors sent nine wrestlers to the finals, crowned six champions and amassed an impressive 323.5 points to run away with the team title. The Most Outstanding Wrestler Award was given to Minisink Valley junior Zack Ryder who won the title at 189 pounds. Ryder, now a 4X Section 9 Champion, will be looking for his 3rd state title. Keep in mind that there was no Section 9 or State Tournament in 2021 due to covid. Ryder’s teammate Ethan Gallo took home gold at 215 pounds, and he is now a 3X Section 9 champion. Saturday’s tournament also saw six other wrestlers take home their 2nd Section 9 title. Luke Satriano from Valley Central, Anthony Tresch from Minisink Valley, Jordan Brown from Monroe Woodbury, Luke Greiner from Minisink Valley, Andrew Filip from Minisink Valley, and Stephan Monchery from Middletown are all now 2X Section 9 champions! We also have a few other wrestlers who are now multiple time state qualifiers. Cooper Merli from NFA, Rocco Futia from Wallkill, Wyatt Boice from Minisink Valley, Zak McKernan from Minisink Valley, Tyler Reed from Cornwall, Braydon Pennell from Pine Bush, Bryson Tibbs from Middletown, and Rahmier Bradley from Middletown are all making their second trip to the NYSPHSAA Championships in Albany on February 24th and 25th!
Finals Results – All 26 Wrestlers Qualify for NYSPHSAA Championships
102: Cooper Merli (NFA) dec 3-2 William Soto (NFA)
110: Luke Satriano (VC) tf 16-1 Brady Judd (Warwick)
118: Rocco Futia (Wallkill) dec 4-1 Wyatt Boice (MV)
126: Richie Degon (VC) pin Griffin Petzold (Warwick)
132: Anthony Tresch (MV) f 1:42 Logan Pennell (PB)
138: Jordan Brown (MW) dec 16-9 Zak McKernan (MV)
145: Luke Greiner (MV) f 3:06 Jackson Brady (Goshen)
152: Zack Filip (MV) dec 8-1 Marcus Charlot (MW)
160: Tyler Reed (Cornwall) tf 19-4 Quinten Morgan (MV)
172: Andrew Filip (MV) f 4:32 Joe Ponesse (NFA)
189: Zack Ryder (MV) f 3:15 Braydon Pennell (PB)
215: Ethan Gallo (MV) f 1:16 Bryson Tibbs (Midd)
285: Stephan Monchery (Midd) f 4:14 Rahmiere Bradley (Midd)
Team Scores (top 10)
1. Minisink Valley – 323.5
2. Monroe Woodbury – 186
3. Middletown – 165
4. Newburgh – 137
5. Cornwall – 111.5
6. Valley Central – 95.5
7. Washingtonville – 94
8. Wallkill – 93.5
9. Warwick – 82
10. Goshen – 73
Special Awards
Most Outstanding Wrestler
189 – Zack Ryder (Minisink Valley)
Mike DeCapua Most Exciting Finals Match
126 – Richie Degon (Valley Central) vs Griffin Petzold (Warwick)
Patrick Michael D’Aliso Most Improved Senior Wrestler
152 – Marcus Charlot (Monroe Woodbury)
Facts and Figures
* State Tournament qualifiers by team – MV (9), Middletown (3), NFA (3), Valley Central (2), Warwick (2), Pine Bush (2), Monroe Woodbury (2), Wallkill (1), Goshen (1), Cornwall (1)
* Lowest seed to win the title – Richie Degon from VC came in as the 6 seed and took first place at 126 pounds
* Only one wrestler who was not seeded in the top-8 made the podium – Jacob DeJesus from Washingtonville entered the tournament as the #9 seed and placed 4th at 215 pounds
* Highest jump from seed to placement – we saw four wrestlers place 5 spots higher than their seed:
126: Richie Degon (VC) – seeded 6th, placed 1st
126: Nate Racz (MV) – seeded 8th, placed 3rd
172: Mikey Loundsbury (MV) – seeded 8th, placed 3rd
215: Jacob DeJesus (Wash) – seeded 9th, placed 4th