Author: Mike Carey

Journeymen Fall Classic

section9The 2016 Journeymen Fall Classic takes place this weekend on the campus of Union College in Schenectady, NY.  The two day event features the OverFlo tournament on Saturday followed by the main event, The Classic, on Sunday.  The Classic has quickly become one of the premier preseason wrestling events in the nation showcasing nationally ranked wrestlers from New York to California!  The OverFlo serves as a qualifying event for the Classic.

Section 9 will be very well represented this weekend as some of our best and brightest will be competing in this invite-only tournament.  Take a look at the locals who will be laying it on the line against some of the toughest wrestlers in the country.

Journeymen Fall Classic
Marco Vespa (Monroe Woodbury, 113)
Vespa dec Robert Hartling 5-1
AJ Burkhart dec Vespa 4-0
Dylan Shawver pin Vespa 4:37
Vespa dec Drew Schafer 13-6
Connor Greiner (Minisink Valley, 125)
Mel Ortiz dec Greiner 7-6
Randy Earl dec Greiner 6-2
Jake Rotunda dec Greiner 7-1
Satoshi Abe dec Greiner 7-5
Evan Barczak (Monroe Woodbury, 152)
Barczak dec Nick Santos 3-0
Barczak dec Ron Miller 4-0
Barczak dec Conor Melbourne 3-1
Barczak 9-5 over Michael Ross….152A Champion!!!!
Noah Curreri (Eldred, 170)
Curreri dec Matt Sells 4-2
Curreri dec Martin 10-9
Michael Battista dec Curreri 7-3…Noah 2nd at 170B!
Kendall Elfstrum (Monroe Woodbury, 182)
Anthony Falbo dec Elfstrum 5-0
Louis Deprez dec Elfstrum 8-2
Elfstrum maj JT Brown 12-0
Dawson Peck dec Elfstrum 7-0..Kendall 4th in a loaded 182A pool!
Ryan Ellefsen (Goshen, 225)
Ellefsen dec Victor Lacombe 10-6
Ellefsen pin Eric Keosseian 2:36
Ellefsen dec Peter Acciardi 8-0
Max Darrah dec Ellefsen 2-0…Ellefsen still wins 225A on criteria!!!

OverFlo
Dylan Earl (Monroe Woodbury, 113)
Rd 16:Earl over Tyson Sauer 6-3
Quarters: Cade Davis wbf Earl 1:06
Consies: Tyson Sauer over Earl 3-0
Tommy Askey (Pine Bush, 113)
R16: Patrick Wunderlich dec Askey 2-1
Consie: Askey dec Joe Manginelli 3-1
Consie: Dominic Rossetti dec Askey 6-1

Congrats to the Newest Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame – Coach Bob Zifchock

Coch Bob Zifchock with fellow HOF inductee John Drew from cnywrestling.com
Coach Bob Zifchock (right) with fellow HOF inductee John Drew from cnywrestling.com

Exerpt from nwhof.org 

Bob Zifchock

Bob has had an illustrious career in all aspects of the sport wrestling from wrestler, to official, to coach and to athletic administrator. Bob was a standout wrestler at Lansing High School and followed up with a strong career at Tompkins-Cortland Community College and Ithaca College. At Ithaca, he was a two-time qualifier for the Division III NCAA wrestling championships and placed third in the 142-pound weight class at the New York State Collegiate Wrestling Championships.

Coach Zifchock started his coaching career at Candor Central and then later moved on to Valley Central High School in Section IX. The Zifchock-led teams had a 163-89-3 dual meet record. While at Valley Central, Bob’s teams won six consecutive Orange County League titles. Coach Zifchock’s teams also won five Section IX Tournament Team championships and enjoyed a 48 consecutive dual match win streak within Section IX. In 1988, his Valley Central High School team won the New York State Wrestling Tournament team championship. During his tenure at Valley Central, he coached 25 individual Section IX champions, 11 all-state wrestlers and two individual New York State champions – Lou Ruggirello, Sr. and David Hardwick. In addition, he received recognition and honors by being named the 1995 USA Wrestling Man-of-the Year Award, honored with the 2010 Section IX Lifetime Achievement Award and in 2013 he was inducted in the New York State Wrestling Coaches Association’s Hall-of-Fame.

His officiating career ran from 1974 to 1992 and included officiating in ten Empire State Games, two New York State Wrestling Cups held at West Point and serving as the Orange-Sullivan Rules Interpreter for four years. Bob’s administration career incorporates being Athletics Director at several schools, serving on several state committees (New York State Athletic Administrators, Council of Administrators and New York State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance) and coauthoring state-level guidance documents. As well as the work that he performed on a daily basis to enhance physical education programs in his schools and sections. Bob’s credentials speak for themselves and exemplify excellence in all aspects of the sport of wrestling. The Upstate Chapter honors Bob with his induction into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Coach Zifchock HOF Induction Information

As many of you already know, former Valley Central wrestling coach Bob Zifchock will be entering the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Upstate New York Chapter this year. The induction ceremony will take place on Sunday, September 18th in Syracuse.  Below is the registration information for anyone interested in attending the ceremony.  Congratulations Coach!

Coach Zifchock 2016 NWHOF Registration Invite

NYS Well Represented On FloWrestling National Rankings

Barczak
Photo by Adam Burgos

Barczak Moves Up To #18 @ 145!!!

Take a look at the number of NYS wrestlers who have cracked the national rankings!  As a side note – 11 of the 13 wrestlers listed below competed in last year’s Eastern States Classic…7 won titles!

FloWrestling Ranked NYS Wrestlers 
106 – Greg Diakomihalis (Hilton, S5) #13
113 – Adam Busiello (Eastport SM, S11) #8
126 – Vito Arujau (Syosset, S8) #1 … #5 P4P Rankings
132 – Jacori Teemer (Long Beach, S8) #4
138 – Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton, S5) #1 … #2 P4P Rankings
145 – Connor Melbourne (John Jay CR, S1) #15
145 – Evan Barczak (Monroe Woodbury, S9) #18
152 – Frankie Gissendanner (Penfield, S5) #7
152 – Hunter Richard (Holland Patent, S3) #8
170 – Louie Deprez (Hilton, S5) #4
182 – Jake Peru (Falconer, S6) #12
220 – Terron Robinson (Walt Whitman, S11) #18
285 – Andrew Tanner (Adirondack, S3) #15

Section 9 Results from NUWAY Summer Nationals; Barczak MOW

section9Several Section 9 wrestlers took to the mat this weekend for the NUWAY Summer Nationals held in Long Branch, NJ.  The event featured a dual meet tournament as well as an individual event.  The dual meet was won by Team NYWAY whose 155 pound wrestler was Monroe Woodbury senior Evan Barczak.  The team also featured nationally-ranked NY studs Yianni Diakomihalis, Vito Arujau, and Greg Diakomihalis. Barczak had a great tournament going 5-0 including wins over NJ state qualifier Evan Deluise (5-1), PA AA state placer Chase Anklam (8-1), and OH D1 state placer Eric Beck (4-0).  Evan was voted MOW of the tournament!

Apex wrestling, based out of NJ, entered two teams into the dual tournament, Apex Black and Apex Red.  Goshen seniors Ryan Ellefsen and Mike Kubick as well as recent New Paltz grad Theo Chazkel wrestled for Apex Black who finished tied for 3rd in the team race.  Ellefsen, a NYS runner-up last year,  finished 2-2 for the day while Kubick was 1-3 and Chazkel went 3-1.

Goshen wrestling was well represented on Apex Red by Nick Fea, Frank Fea, and Tom Kearns.  Both Fea brother went a perfect 4-0 while Kearns went 3-1 for the tournament!  Great job guys!

In the HS individual tournament Section 9 had only one place winner as Frank Fea finished in 4th at 117.  Tom Kearns went 2-2 at 220 and was a win away from winning while Ellefsen suffered a 2-1 loss to the eventual winner at HWT but needed to injury default out of the tournament in his next bout.  Nick Fea was the champion at 85 pounds for the MS tournament.

The tournament also had a girls division and Section 9 was very well represented by the Venom Girls Wrestling Club based in Otisville (Minisink Valley School District).  Several of the girls fared very well in their individual tournament brackets however they really shined in Sunday’s team tournament where they took home the team title!  Great job girls!!!