Author: Mike Carey

Below are the results for the top 3 place finishers for each division that was wrestled on Saturday.   Take notice of how many of the top Greco Roman wrestlers compete for the US Army.  In his competitive wrestling days, Section 9 coach Phil Brown (Kingston High School) competed for the Army World Class Athletic Program.  Some of his teammates included 2X Olympian and Bronze Medalist Rodney Smith, Olympian Derrick Wouldrup and UFC icon Randy “The Natural” Couture!   

                       Men’s Freestyle
60kg:  1st Place –  Coleman Scott (Gator Wrestling Club)
              2nd Place – Logan Stieber (NYAC)
              3rd Place – Tyler Graff (NYAC)
Finals Series:  Rd. 1  Scott dec. Stieber 3-0, 1-0    Rd. 2  Scott dec. Stieber 2-0, 0-1, 2-0

74kg:  1st Place –  Jordan Burroughs (Sunkist Kids)
             2nd Place – Andrew Howe (NYAC)
             3rd Place – Trent Paulson (Sunkist Kids/Cyclone Wrestling Club)
Finals Series:  Rd. 1  Burroughs dec. Howe 4-2, 1-2, 1-0   Rd. 2 Burroughs inj. Howe

96kg:  1st Place  – Jake Varner (Nittany Lions Wrestling Club)
             2nd Place – Tommy Rowlands (Sunkist Kids)
             3rd Place – Chris Pendleton (Gator Wrestling Club/Wyoming RTC)
Finals Series: Rd. 1  Varner dec. Rowlands 0-1, 2-0, 1-0   Rd. 2 Varner dec. Rowlands 2-0, 1-0

                                 Men’s Greco Roman
55kg:  1st Place  –  Spenser Mango (US Army)
             2nd Place – Max Nowry (NYAC)
             3rd Place –  Paul Tellgren (MN Storm)
Finals Series:  Rd. 1  Mango pin Nowry 1:53     Rd. 2 Mango dec. Nowry 1-0, 3-0

66kg:  1st Place   – Justin Lester (US Army)
             2nd Place – CP Schlatter (MN Storm)
             3rd Place  – Kendrick Sanders (NYAC)
Finals Series:  Rd. 1  Lester dec. Schlatter 1-0, 2-0  Rd. 2 Lester dec. Schlatter 2-0, 1-2, 1-0

84kg:  1st Place   – Chas Betts (MN Storm)
             2nd Place – Jordan Holm (MN Storm)
             3rd Place  – Peter Hicks (US Army)
Finals Series:  Rd. 1 Betts dec Holm 1-0, 0-3, 2-0   Rd. 2 Betts dec. Holm 2-0, 2-0

120kg:  1st Place   – Dremiel Byers (US Army)
               2nd Place – Steve Andrus (Michigan Wrestling Club)
               3rd Place  – Timothy Taylor (US Army)
Finals Series:  Rd. 1 Byers dec. Andrus 1-0, 1-0   Rd. 2 Byers dec. Andrus 2-0, 2-0

                               Women’s Freestyle
55kg:  1st Place   – Kelsey Campbell (Sunkist Kids)
             2nd Place – Helen Maroulis (NYAC)
             3rd Place – Katherine Fulp-Allen (NYAC)
Finals Series:  Rd. 1  Campbell dec. Maroulis 0-2, 1-0, 2-1   Rd. 2 Campbell dec. Maroulis 2-0,  0-1, 1-0

72kg:  1st Place   – Stephany Lee (Sunkist Kids)
             2nd Place – Ali Bernard (Gator Wrestling Club)
             3rd Place – Iris Smith (US Army)
Finals Series:  Rd. 1 Lee dec. Bernard 3-1, 5-2   Rd. 2 Lee dec. Bernard 3-1, 6-0

 

Updates:
96kg Challenger Final:  Tommy Rowlands vs Chris Pendleton…winner takes on Jake Varner!!!
96kg: Rowlands beats Brewster 3-0, 5-0
96kg: Pendleton beats Kilgore 1-0, 4-3  
74kg Challenger Final:  Andrew Howe vs Trent Paulson…the winner takes on Jordan Burroughs!!!
74kg: Paulson beats Dake 2-0, 0-1, 6-0
74kg: Howe beats Caldwell 1-0, 1-0
60kg Challenger Final:  Coleman Scott vs. Logan Stieber
60kg: Stieber beats Zaddick 1-2, 1-0, 1-0
60kg: Scott beats Valenti (Kittatinny) 1-0, 0-1, 7-0
96kg: Rowlands defeats Zabriskie (High Point)  
96kg: Zabriskie (High Point) beats Hall 3-2, 6-0
55kg Women’s:  Duanesburg (Section 2) grad Amy Whitbeck loses 2-1, 4-0
74kg: Dake (Section 4) over Marable in clinch to advance to semis
60kg: Valenti (Kittatinny) over Graff 0-4,  2-0, 1-0…advances to semis!!!
60 kg:  Valenti (Kittatinny) over Hochstrasser 2-1, 2-0
74 kg: Taylor beats Fay in great match!!

Thanks to matside reporters Kevin Gallagher and Tracy Sutera, SectionIXWrestling.com will be providing real-time updates from the 2012 US Olympic Team Trials being held this weekend at Carver Hawkeye Arena on the campus of the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa.  (I waited until they landed safely to inform them that no Minisink Valley wrestlers are competing at the event!)

The majority of the coverage will be on the men’s freestyle tournament which includes a “touch” of local flavor.  Saturday’s action will include the 60kg, 74kg, and 96kg weight classes.  One of the competitors wrestling at 60kg is Matt Valenti who graduated from Kittatinny Regional HS which just across the S9 border on Sussex County, NJ.  At 96kg, High Point Regional’s David Zabriskie will be a factor.  On Sunday, Max Askren will be competing for an Olympic spot at 84kg.  In Max’s corner will be his freestyle coach….Army Black Knight head wrestling coach Joe Heskett!!!  At 66kg, Army grad Phillip Simpson will take to the mat as well!

Updates will also be provided on Twitter.  Follow me @mec_S9wrestling!

Saturday’s Schedule
Men’s Freestyle: 60 KG, 74 KG, 96 KG
Greco-Roman: 55 KG, 66 KG, 84 KG, 120 KG
Women’s Freestyle: 55 KG, 72 KG

Sunday’s Schedule
Men’s Freestyle: 55 KG, 66 KG, 84 KG, 120 KG
Greco-Roman: 60 KG, 74 KG, 96 KG
Women’s Freestyle: 48 KG, 63 KG

Bios of every wrestler competing at the 2012 US Olympic Team Trials courtesy of Mat.com

There is a NYS Freestyle qualifying tournament at Middletown HS on Saturday 4/21….be there!!!  Freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling will help you tremendously in folkstyle.  Need proof…take a look at the bios of all of the wrestlers competing at this weekend”s Olympic Team Trials!  Bios

Newton, NJ Wrestler To Compete at Olympic Trials

Matt Valenti has won dozens of wrestling tournaments in his life.  If he wins his next one, he could be an Olympian.  Valenti, who graduated just across the Section 9 border at Kittatinny Regional High School, is making his final preparations for the US Olympic Team Trials which take place on Saturday and Sunday in Iowa.  He wrestles in the freestyle division and competes at 60KG (132.25 lbs).  The 2012 Olympics will be held in London, England.

If Valenti is able to win the 60KG weight class this weekend, he still is not guaranteed an Olympic bid.  Because the United States has not yet qualified for the Olympics at 60KG in freestyle, USA Wrestling has decided that two of the top wrestlers at this weight, Reece Humphrey and Shawn Bunch, will not be entered in the 2012 US Olympic Team Trials and will instead continue to prepare for a World Olympic Qualifying tournament in China.  If either Humphrey or Bunch are able to qualify the US at 60KG, they will be given a chance to challenge the winner of this weekend’s tournament for the Olympic spot. 

Valenti graduated from high school in 2002 as a 2X New Jersey state champion.  During his senior year, he finished second at the high school nationals and first at the freestyle Junior Nationals.  After graduating high school, Valenti took his talents to the Ivy League where he wrestled for the University of Pennsylvania.  In college, Valenti was a 2X NCAA champion at 133 pounds and finished 5th at 125 pounds as a sophomore thus making him a 3X NCAA D1 All-American!

Since college, Valenti has served as an assistant coach for Columbia (2007-2009) and Penn (2009-current) while simultaneously training for for the London 2012 Olympics.  He had this to say about his Olympic aspirations.  “I’m really excited to compete at the Olympic Trials. It is a childhood dream of mine to represent the United States at the Olympic Games and to bring home a gold medal. I’ve dedicated so much of my life to accomplishing this goal and no matter what happens I know that I will have given my all. I’m thankful for all of the support of family, friends and coaches that I’ve had along the way.”   

Matt, you can rest assured that the entire Section 9 wrestling community is rooting for you!  Good luck!!!

 

NY native Pat Popolizio has resigned as the head wrestling coach for Binghamton University and will become the new head coach for North Carolina State.  Popolizio graduated from Niskayuna High School (Section 2) and was a NYS Champion in 1996.  After high school Popolizio wrestled for John Smith at Oklahoma State where he was a 3X national qualifier.  New York’s loss is North Carolina’s gain….few people have done more to promote wrestling in New York than Coach Popolizio.  There is no word yet on his replacement at Binghamton.  SectionIXWrestling.com would like to wish Pat the best of luck in his new position. 

NC State website story

Scott Casber’s interview with Popolizio on TDR

The Middle Atlantic Wrestling Association (MAWA) North Regional tournament was held this weekend at Shamokin High School in Coal Township, PA.  As soon as www.sectionixwrestling.com gets the completed brackets, they will be posted.  For the time being, I will post any individual results that I receive. 

MAWA North Regional Results

Michael Raccioppi – Minisink Valley – 1st Place
Travis Edwards – Port Jervis – 1st Place
Jalen Palmer – Delaware Valley – 1st Place
PJ Smoot – Monroe Woodbury – 2nd Place
Sam Weinger – Washingtonville – 2nd Place
Frankie Carrozza – Delaware Valley – 3rd Place
Mason Rambarose – Minisink Valley – 4th Place
Nicky Wentland – Minisink Valley – 6th Place