2014 New York State Wrestling Championship Preview

 Division 1 Brackets         NYS Wrestling Championships Schedule        Division 2 Brackets

                                                 99 Pounds

Section 9 Division 1:  Anthony Stramiello (Pine Bush, Soph.) 33-5
Opening Round Opponent: Anthony Sparacio (Section 11, Soph.) 35-1
Stramiello’s Record Against The Field: 0-3 (Olmedo, Baker, Gramuglia)
Preview: The younger Stramiello will have his hands full as this year’s field at 99 is one of the deepest in recent memory.  Eastern States Classic champion Kelan McKenna from Section 3 placed 6th at this weight last year and goes into the tournament as one of the favorites.  Western NY is well represented at 99 as Derek St. James (S5) and Dylan Arena (S6) will both be in contention.  Others to keep an eye on this year are Anthony Sparacio (S11), Anthony Gramuglia (S2), Jacori Teemer (S8), and Tommy Cox (S11).

 

Section 9 Division 2: Dean Artrip (Tuxedo, Fr.) 18-2
Opening Round Opponent: Jacob Nolan (Section 7, 7th) 33-2
Artrip’s Record Against The Field: 0-0
Preview: Artip avenged a loss to Rondout Valley’s Ian Houck to punch his ticket to Albany.  99 D2 is not quite as deep as D1 but the top few are as good as any lightweights in NYS.  Leading the way is Section 5’s Dane Heberlein.  The freshman from Alexander HS is 39-0 this season with 36 of his wins collecting bonus points.  Section 4’s Dean Raymond and Section 2 7th-grader Zach Lawrence could also contend.  Jonathan Gomez from Section 8 should not be taken lightly; the Locust Valley freshman has 8 loses this year however 7 of them come to wrestlers who are in the 99 D1 bracket.

                                              106 Pounds

Section 9 Division 1: Vinny Vespa (Monroe Woodbury, Jr.) 35-2
Opening Round Opponent: Blake Abbey (Section 4, Sr.) 24-3
Vespa’s Record Against The Field: 2-1 (wins over D’Angelo & Fay; loss to Kropman)
Preview:  After a triumphant battle against Stage 4 Lymphoma, Vespa finished 5th at 99 last year and hopes to ascend higher up the podium this year.  In order to reach the top step, Vespa will have to get past heavy favorite Yianni Diakomihalis from Section 5.  The Hilton HS freshman finished 1st in NYS at 99 last year and is currently the #1 ranked 106 pounder in the USA according to every poll.  Yianni’s toughest competition could like come from fellow Section 5 wrestler Parker Kropman, Peter Pappas from Section 8, and the aforementioned Vespa.  Kropman is ranked 17th in the nation by Flo.

Section 9 Division 2: Mike Feliciano (Highland, Jr.) 32-6
Opening Round Opponent: Chris Cirigliano (Section 4, Soph.) 33-1 
Feliciano’s Record Against The Field:  0-1 (loss to Carroll) 
Preview:  Feliciano is the defending S9 champ at this weight and hopes to pick up a few wins in Albany this year after going 0-2 at last year’s state tournament.  Section 11’s Matt Devincenzo, who finished 2nd at 99 last season, is definitely one of the favorites to take the title this year.  The Port Jefferson sophomore is 32-1 this year with his only loss coming in the finals of the Eastern States Classic with a 3-2 loss to D1 qualifier Parker Kropman. His stiffest competition will likely come from Section 3’s Theo Powers, Section 4’s Chris Cirigliano, and Hector Colom from Western New York’s Section 6. 

                                                113 Pounds

Section 9 Division 1 Champion: Gerard Daly (Minisink Valley, Jr.) 43-4
Opening Round Opponent: Joe Calderone (Section 11, Sr.) 41-2

Section 9 Division 1 Wildcard: Johnny Stramiello (Pine Bush, Sr.) 39-4
Opening Round Opponent:  Kyle Quinn (Section 8, Jr.) 40-3

Records Against The Field:
     Daly 2-2 (wins over Albis and Stramiello; losses to Calderone 2X)
     Stramiello 2-4 (wins over Cohen and Arceri; losses to Calderone 3X and Daly)

Preview: Arguably the deepest weight class in the tournament in either division, 113 has 8 or 9 wrestlers who can win this tournament on any given day!  If we have to declare a favorite, there is little argument that the wrestler most would pick is Section 8’s Vito Arujau.  The Syosset freshman is ranked 9th in the nation by Flo, finished 2nd in NYS to Yianni last year, and is currently undefeated this season including three wins over defending state champ Kyle Quinn (Section8) who is also in this bracket. Other favorites here include Joe Calderone (Section 11), John Twomey (CHSAA), Jonathan Haas (Section 5), John Arceri (Section 11), plus the aforementioned Daly and Stramiello.

Section 9 Division 2: Taylor Benson (Red Hook, Fr.) 25-8
Opening Round Opponent: Anthony Recco (Section 5, Jr.) 44-3
Benson’s Record Against The Field: 0-0
Preview: Benson, who was the S9 champ at 99 last year, hopes to notch a few victories at this year’s state tournament.  In order to make the medal stand though, the Red Hook freshman will have to beat some very formidable foes.  Defending D2 99 pound state champ Derek Spann from Section 3, along with Section 4’s Joe Nelson, are considered two of he favorites to win this weight.  Others to watch include Section 5’s Anthony Recco, Section 6’s Tito Colom, and Section 8’s Hunter Dusold.

                                                 120 Pounds
Section 9 Division 1 Champion: Dylan Booth (Port Jervis, Sr.) 31-4
Opening Round Opponent: Mike Lainhart (Section 2, Sr.) 30-8

Section 9 Division 1 Wildcard: Evan Barczak (MW, Fr.) 40-3
Opening Round Opponent: Kevin Marcano (Section 5, Jr.) 39-6

Records Against The Field:
       Booth 2-2 (2 wins over Barczak, losses to Piccininni and Dellavechia)
       Barczak 1-2 (win over Colgan, 2 losses to Booth)

Preview: Booth hopes to improve upon his 5th place finish at least year’s state tourney while Barczak, only a freshman who was last year’s S9 rep at106, hopes to make the podium for the first time.  The heavy favorite at this weight is Section 11’s Nick Piccininni.  The junior from Ward Melville is a returning state champion who is ranked #4 nationally by FlowWrestling.  Expect strong performances from S11 runner-up Jesse Dellavechia as well as CHSAA’s Ben Lamantia.

 

Section 9 Division 2: Austin Ingraham (Highland, Sr.) 33-7
Opening Round Opponent: Drew Marra (Section 6, Sr.) 42-1
Ingraham’s Record Against The Field: 0-1 (loss to Morris)
Preview: Ingraham has every intention of improving upon his performance last year where he finished 6th in NYS.  His 2-0 loss to top-seeded Matthew Morris shows that the Highland senior can wrestle with the very best in this very tough bracket which includes 2 former state champs, Nick Casella (Section 8) and Luis Weierbach (Section 2), along with former D1 placewinner Bryan Lantry (Section 5).

 

                                              126 Pounds
Section 9 Division 1: Da’mani Burns (NFA, Jr.) 30-5
Opening Round Opponent: Joe Russ (CHSAA, Sr.) 38-4

Section 9 Division 1 Wildcard: PJ Smoot (Monroe Woodbury, Sr.) 32-7
Opening Round Opponent: Anthony Orefice (Section 6, Jr.) 43-0

Records Against The Field:
           Burns:  2-2 (2 wins over Smoot, 2 losses to Delacruz)
           Smoot: 0-4 (losses to D’Angelo, Stamm, and Burns 2X)

 

Preview:  Both S9 entries will have their hands full as 126 is one toughest weights year in and year out.  Section 11’s Travis Passaro and Section 1’sAlex Delacruz are the favorites here but they will be pushed by several others.  Section 11’s Mike D’Angelo is as tough as they come and we can expect to see Anthony Orefice (S6) and Richie Burke (S4) on the medal stand on Saturday night.  Passaro is undefeated and nationally ranked at #15 by Flo while Delacruz has lost only twice; once to Passaro and once to nationally ranked Kevin Jack.  Orefice is undefeated this year and has some wondering whether he can challenge for the title.

 

Section 9 Division 2: Matt Rauch (Red Hook, Sr.) 33-4
Opening Round Opponent: Rashid Powell (PSAL, Sr.) 28-9
Rauch’s Record Against The Field: 0-0
Preview:  Section 6’s Kellen Devlin is clearly the favorite at 126 D2 but the field is pretty wide open after him opening up the door for a wrestler like Rauch to make his way to a podium step. Others to watch here are Rafael Mateo (Section 5), Ryan Snow (Section 3) and Nate Hayes (Section 4).  Devlin is as good as any 126 pounder in the state from either division and Mateo is a returning state place winner and is undefeated this year.

                                              132 Pounds

Section 9 Division 1: Chris Truglio (Minisink Valley, Jr.) 28-4
Opening Round Opponent: Jack Reina (Section 8, Sr.) 30-4
Truglio’s Record Against The Field: 1-1 (Win over Reina, loss to Muldoon)
Preview: Truglio hopes that his second trip to Albany leads to his first visit to the medal stand as the field at 132 is pretty open.  Section 11’s Chris Mauriello and Section 1’s John Muldoon are the favorites but a good performance from the Minisink junior could definitely put him in the top 6.  Others to watch here are Section 5’s Frankie Gissendanner and Section 11’s Brad Wade.  PSAL champ Said Kakhramonov has the potential to make some noise as well as Section 8’s Jack Reina.

 

Section 9 Division 2: Andrew Suleiman (Highland, Jr.) 28-7 
Opening Round Opponent: Austin Acquard (Section 6, Sr.) 40-3
Suleiman’s Record Against The Field: 0-0
Preview: Former state champs Will Koll (Section 4) and Sean Peacock (Section 5) are the favorites to make it to the finals at this weight.  To make his way to the podium Suleiman will have to content with some other very talented wrestlers including Cody McGregor (Section 6),  Carter Merecki (Section 2), and Austin Acquard (Section 6).

 
                                                  138 Pounds

Section 9 Division 1: Michael Raccioppi (Minisink Valley, Jr.) 38-6
Opening Round Opponent: Bertin Saimbeau (PSAL, Sr.) 27-7
Record Against The Field: 2-3(wins over Caputo&Russo, losses to Lapi&Cooksey 2X)
Preview: Similar to 113 D1, this weight has a favorite (Brandon Lapi, S2) and about 7 other wrestlers who can win this tournament on any given day.  3X state qualifier Raccioppi lost a close 3-1 decision to Lapi at the Eastern States Classic and is definitely one of the favorites.  Other wrestlers to match include Freddie Dunau (CHSAA), Matt Caputo (Section 1), Rocco Russo (Section 6), Jake Einbinder (Section 8), Justin Cooksey (Section 8) and Jimmy Leach (Section 11).

 

Section 9 Division 2: Josh Santiago (Rondout Valley, Sr.) 30-10
Opening Round Opponent: Derian Woodard (Section 5, Jr.) 44-2
Santiago’s Record Against The Field: 0-o
Preview:  Santiago hopes that his first trip to Albany leads to a few wins in this extremely competitive class featuring 3 favored wrestlers in Tristan Rifanburg (Section 4), Sam Ward (Section 8) and Dakota Gardner (Section 6).  Rifanburg is now a 5X state qualifier and is only a junior.  His only loss this year is to Ward at the ESC.  Ward also has only one loss; his at the hands of D1 favorite Brandon Lapi also at the Classic. Others to watch here are Section 3’s Laken Cook, Section 5’s Derian Woodard, and Section 7 champ Codie Gillette.

                                                  145 Pounds

Section 9 Division 1: Thomas Wightman (Warwick, Jr.) 15-3
Opening Round Opponent: Jim Devine (Section 2, Sr.) 41-4
Wightman’s Record Against The Field: 0-0
Preview:  After suffering a knee injury at the Eastern States, Wightman basically shut it down until the sectional tournament where he looked strong.  He is rested, healthy and primed to make a run at the podium.  The 145 pound weight class has 4 competitors that are on a crash course for a very entertaining semifinal round where we could see Vincent Deprez (S5), Thomas Dutton (S11), Jake Restrepo (S11), and Joey Butler (S2) collide.  Trevor Hoffmeir (S4), Kirk Feeney (S6), and Ben Ettlinger (S1) should not be overlooked here.

Section 9 Division 2: Karl Linneman (New Paltz, Jr.) 21-8
Opening Round Opponent: James Hoeg (Section 11, Fr.) 30-7
Linneman’s Record Against The Field: 0-0
Preview:  Although he came in as the #4 seed, Linneman rolled through the Section 9 Tournament punching his ticket to Albany.  A month ago this weight was considered a race for 2nd place, however a season ending injury to nationally-ranked Renaldo Spencer-Rodriguez has turned 145 D2 into a wide open field.  The favorites are probably Andrew Shomers from Section 6 and Alex Herringshaw from Section 3 while Section 2 has two serious title contenders in Andy Mollevik and Jason Hoffman.

                                                     152 Pounds

Section 9 Division 1: Ryan Ferro (Warwick, Fr.) 32-7
Opening Round Opponent: Anthony Bell (Section 5, Jr.) 37-6
Ferro’s Record Against The Field: 0-1 (loss to Porter)
Preview: Although still only a freshman, Ferro is a seasoned varsity wrestler and has the potential to make some noise up in Albany this year.  The heavy favorite to win 152 is Louis Hernandez from Section 8.  Hernandez is ranked nationally by FloWrestling at #6 and has only suffered one loss this season; a dq from an illegal slam at the ESC.  Jesse Porter (S2), Anthony Deprez (S5), and Blaise Benderoth (S1) are three wrestlers that may have something to say about Hernandez climbing to the top of the medal stand.

Section 9 Division 2: Samuel Cruz (Highland, Sr.) 23-13
Opening Round Opponent: Frank Garcia (Norwich, Jr.) 43-2
Cruz’s Record Against The Field: 0-1 (loss to Milliken)
Preview: Cruz is hoping to ride the momentum of a strong qualifying tournament to a win or two up in Albany.  The favorites at this class are Section 4’s Frank Garcia, Section 3’s Tyler Silverthorn and Dan Woughter from Section 5.  Cameron Milliken from Section 2 has also been impressive sporting a 34-2 record.

                                                   160 Pounds

Section 9 Division 1:  Dan DeCarlo (Port Jervis, Sr.) 36-1
Opening Round Opponent: Matt Porello (Section 11, Jr.) 36-3
DeCarlo’s Record Against The Field: 1-0 (win over Didio)
Preview:  DeCarlo is a 3X S9 champion who finished 5th in NYS last year.  This season, the Port Jervis senior has his sights set on the top step of the medal stand.  In order to win this weight, Decarlo will have to get past defending state champ Shakur Rasheed.  The Section 11 wrestler is undefeated this year and is ranked #6 in the country by FloWrestling.  Others to watch in this weight will be Derek Holcomb from Section 4, Angelo Kress from Section 2, Nate Schwab from Section 6, and a very talented Jaison White from Section 8.  

Section 9 Division 2: Eric Morse (Rondout Valley, Sr.) 35-5
Opening Round Opponent: Jordan Bushey (Section 7, Jr.) 35-3
Morse’s Record Against The Field: 0-1 (loss to Lawrence)
Preview: With his 35-5 record, Morse had an outstanding regular season and has the potential to win some matches up in Albany.  There are no clear favorites at 160 D2 but rather a group a very good wrestlers who all have a shot at winning the title.  Some of these favorites include Jordan Bushey (Section 7), Alex Smythe (Section 6), Nik Hansen (Section 4), Connor Lawrence (Section 2), and Jordan Torbitt (Section 4). 

                                                 170 Pounds

Section 9 Division 1: Quinn Zsido (Cornwall, Jr.) 36-6
Opening Round Opponent: Andy Huang (PSAL, Sr.) 28-7
Zsido’s Record Against The Field: 0-1 (loss to Ashcraft)
Preview: Zsido earned a birth to his first state tournament with a last minute score against Wallkill’s Tyler Blasko avenging a loss from earlier in the season.  The 170 pound class in D1 is talented but there is one wrestler who has to be considered a clear favorite.  Section 8’s Steven Schneider is 45-1 this year with his only loss coming to Prep School stud and former NYS champion Adis Radoncic at the Eastern States.  Schneider has already recorded victories this year over many of the other contenders at the weight including Jake Weber (S6), Jake Ashcraft (S2), Gino Gioielli (S1), and Frankie Nassivera (S2).  Others to keep an eye on here are Ken Gallagher (S11), Eric Adon (S11), and Sonny McPherson (S3).

Section 9 Division 2: Theodore Mapes (Highland, Jr.) 23-11
Opening Round Opponent: Alex Cole (Section 10, Sr.) 21-9
Mapes’s Record Against The Field: 0-0
Preview:  Mapes pinned his way through the section tournament and hopes to carry that momentum into Albany.  170 D2 is a solid weight with several very good wrestlers….but one wrestlers stands out above the rest.  Iowa bound Section 5 champion Burke Paddock is the defending state champion, he is undefeated this season, and he is ranked #13 in the nation by Flo!  Other hoping to join Paddock on the medal stand include Ryan Marzal (Section 4), Gino Brancati (Section 2), Jacob Woolson (Section 3) , and Triston Engle (Section 3).

                                                182 Pounds

Section 9 Division 1: Nick McShea (Monroe Woodbury, So.) 34-4
Opening Round Opponent: Gunnar Sutphen (Section 3, Sr.) 38-7
McShea’s Record Against The Field: 0-2 (losses to Tracy  and Hamil)
Preview: Only a sophomore, McShea is probably making his first of several trips to the state tournament.  182 D1 is a solid weight class without any clear favorites opening the door for McShea to possibly medal.  Section 1’s Brett Perry, Section 5’s Colin Pittman, and Section 11’s Mark Tracy are definitely three of the strongest wrestlers here while Section 8’s Robert Ng and Section 4’s Sammy Davis can not be overlooked!

 

Section 9 Division 2: Kevin Morgans (Eldred/Falls/Liberty, So.) 30-6
Opening Round Opponent: Chris Pinkney (Section 3, Jr.) 39-1
Morgan’s Record Against The Field: 0-0
Preview: Like McShea, Morgans is only a sophomore and will likely make several trips to Albany over the next few years.  182 D2 is tough…actually quite a bit tougher than D1.  The clear favorite here is Christian Dietrich, a sophomore from Section 4 who is nationally ranked by Flo at #15.  Nipping at Dietrich’s heels will Dan Smith of Section 3 and Nick Gallo of Section 2.  Smith has suffered his only two losses of the season to Dietrich with the most recent defeat being a 4-0 decision in the finals of the Eastern States Classic.  Gallo lost in the semis of the classic to Smith in UTB.  Trey Duvall (S5), William Hilliard (S3), and Chris Pinkney (S3)will also be very competitive in this weight class.

                                                 195 Pounds

Section 9 Division 1 Champion: Erik Jessell (Cornwall, Jr.) 33-7
Opening Round Opponent: Lantze Lange (Section 11, Jr.) 33-4

Section 9 Division 1 Wildcard: Rob Cuomo (Saugerties, Sr.) 34-5
Opening Round Opponent: Trent Egenlauf (Section 5, Sr.) 38-3

Records Against The Field:
  Jessell 3-3(wins Cuomo 2X & Newman, losses to Cuomo, Grella, Empfield)
  Cuomo 1-4 (win over Jessell, losses to Jessell 2X and Grella 2X)

Preview: Both Jessell and Cuomo have the potential to notch a few wins in the 195 D1 weight class this year.  Nationally ranked Section 2 champion Levi Ashley is the favorite here but in order to reach his goal of a state title he’ll have to beat his nemesis Reggie Williams (Section 4) for a third time this season.  This is not a two-man show however; Section 3 ‘s Ben Honis has only suffered one loss this year while Section 1 champ Andrew Grella is 42-2.  Section 11’s Nick Weber, Section 6’s James Empfield, and Section 5’s Trent Egenlauf will all be in the hunt for medals as well.

 

Section 9 Division 2: Dustin Mackenzie (Onteora, Sr.) 28-3
Opening Round Opponent: Kai Sabada (Section 4, Sr.) 27-6
Mackenzie’s Record Against The Field: 0-0
Preview: Mackenzie has a 28-3 record and has not been beaten since 12/27.  195 D2 is a wide open weight so if the Onteora senior brings his “A” game to Albany he may be able to reach the medal stand.  PSAL champion Nathaneal Rose is definitely one of the favorites here along with Lane Frost and Logan LaFlamme both from Section 3.

      
                                          220 Pounds

Section 9 Division 1 Champion: James Bethel (Saugerties, Sr.) 40-0
Opening Round Opponent: Joe Nasoni (Section 3, Sr.) 42-3

Section 9 Division 1 Wildcard: Rob Kelly (Monroe Woodbury, Sr.) 34-4
Opening Round Opponent: Youssif Hemida (Section 1, Jr.) 8-0

Records Against The Field:
        Bethel 1-0 (win over Kelly)
        Kelly 2-3 (wins over Hartnett & Veola, losses to Bethel, Eagan, & Sisti)

  

Preview: Bethel has absolutely dominated every opponent he has faced this year and sports a perfect 40-0 record.  Many people are anticipating a showdown between him and defending state champion Richard Sisti from CHSAA. Sisti is ranked #14 in the nation by FloWrestling. Kelly is strong and athletic and definitely has the potential to place in Albany this year.  Other wrestlers to watch at 220 include Youssif Hemida (Section 1), Wayne Burt (Section2), Tyler Schaefer (Section 5), and Vin Feola (Section 11).

 

Section 9 Division 2: Troy Grant (New Paltz, Sr.) 22-4
Opening Round Opponent: Nestor Naranjo (Section 5, Sr.) 39-9
Grant’s Record Against The Field: 0-1 (loss to Rokosz)
Preview: Grant was the S9 champ at 285 this year but has decided to trim down to 220 for his senior campaign.  His only match against a wrestler in this weight class was a hard fought 5-1 loss to Rafael Rokosz from Section 11.  The heavy favorite in this class is Ryan Wolcott from Section 4.  Wolcott was a state finalist last year and is undefeated this season.  Jake Benedict and Garrett Duvall from Section 3 should both be competitive at the weight class.

                                                285 Pounds

Section 9 Division 1: Samuel Weinger (Washingtonville, Sr.) 33-4
Opening Round Opponent: Matt Holton (Section 2, Sr.) 35-9
Weinger’s Record Against The Field: 0-0
Preview: A natural 220 pounder, Weinger bumped up to 285 and rolled through the Section 9 tournament.  He is strong enough and athletic enough to win some matches at 285 in Albany and could find himself on the medal stand when all is said and done.  The definite favorite to win it all here is James O’Hagan from Section 8. O’Hagan is ranked 10th in the nation by Flo and his only loss this year is to 8th ranked Jesse Webb of Vermont.  Other to keep an eye on include Ian James (Section 5), Edwin Rubio (Section 11), Mike Manni (Section 1) and Trevor Gibbons (Section 3). 

Section 9 Division 2: Andrew Friedel (Onteora, Sr.) 16-1
Opening Round Opponent: Tyler Hallett (Section 4, Sr.) 26-4
Friedel’s Record Against The Field: 0-0
Preview: Friedel did not wrestle his first match this season until January 8 and holds a 16-1 record.  At the state level, 285 pounds has been owned by Section 5’s Connor Calkins.  Calkins, ranked 7th in the nation by Flo, is 51-0 this season with 37 pins, 13 forfeits, and 1 technical fall.  His tech fall victory came in the finals of the Eastern States Classic where he absolutely dominated the field.  Other wrestlers to watch here include Marcus Ramundo (Section2), Tyler Havener (Section 3), and Erik Feitshans (Section6).