Spanning the Empire (Week #3)

2023 Linda C. Knuutila Memorial (@Niagara County Community College)

Stars

1) Gage LaPlante (170; St. Francis)----In a clash of the current #1 ranked wrestlers in each division, the West Point bound stud [LaPlante] utilized a 1st period takedown to come away with the 3-2 decision over Buffalo commit, Braidon Woodward (Pal-Mac), in the main event of the weekend....Both defending Eastern States Classic Champs, as well as 2023 NHSCA All-Americans, they have combined for three NYSPHSAA placements with the former finishing 7th in 2022, while the latter has a 4th in 2019, as well as a bronze medal in 2022 to his name....The second of two top-5 wins posted by the Red Raider senior, one round earlier he racked up a 15-0 technical  fall against DI #5/5x S6 medalist/2x NYS Qualifier, Michael Schaefer (Lancaster)....LaPlante also earned a 17-1 TF versus 2023 S6 3rd, Evan Braunscheidel (Hamburg)!...LaPlante is now 3x Knuutila titlist, having won at 145 in '21 and 160 in '22!

2) Jordan Joslyn (138; Chautauqua Lake-WP)----Regarded as a potential preview of the S6 finals, as well as the NYSPHSAA DII State title match-up, DII #2/Defending State champ, Joslyn, capitalized off of a TD and reversal in the 1st period, an escape in the 2nd, and a rideout in the final 2:00 to knock off the man above him in the polls, 4x NYS medalist/2023 runner-up, Aiden Gillings (Newfane), 5-3, in the 138-pound finale...The only close appearance of the two-day affair for another future Black Knight, Joslyn was dominant up through the semifinals, as he secured 1st period falls in his first four matches (1:11 stick of 2023 S6  4th, Aidan Senear, of Jamestown in the quarters) before tacking on a 15-0 blanking of 3x S6 placer/2023 State Qualifier, Garrettt Chase (Niagara Wheatfield) in the semis!...Joslyn's gold this past weekend now gives him a pair of Knuutila prizes, as he was also the 2021 titlist!

3) Carmine Calimeri (131; Southwestern)---Ranked 7th (@124) on the DII charts when he rolled into two this past weekend, it is no inevitable that the Trojan sophomore will be shooting up the polls following a brilliant outing that witnessed him bump up to 131 and topple current #2 ranked/2x NYS DII Bronze medalist/2023 NHSCA All-American, Jayden Duncanson (Tioga), 4-1 (reversal + a turn in the 3rd), in the finals....Calimeri punched his ticket to the finals when he banked another top-10 victory, upending DII #7/2x S6 placer/2023 State Qualifier, Victor Cusatis (Wilson), 8-3, in the semis...The quarters was the scene of an 11-5 decision over 2023 Sectional 5th, Brody Heckman (Alexander).....Calimeri is a two-time returning state top-8, but wins like the ones he collected on Saturday are evidence that he is a threat to move several steps up the podium!....Calimeri has now won the Knuutila on two separate occasions, as he previously took the crown in 2021!

4) Cullen Edwards (108; St. Francis)---In his first season wrestling under the guidance of Coach Mike Messore, the second-generation star on the STF campus continued to make noise as he'd register takedowns in each of the first two periods and then add a reversal + rideout in the 3rd to pitch the 6-0 shutout in the finals against returning NYS DII 4th place performer/DII #5 ranked Jakob Lucinski (Newfane), to hoist individual hardware....The third ranked win of the event for Edwards, in previous rounds, he posted almost identical 13-0 and 12-0 major decisions versus DII #6 (@116)/2023 D6 6th, Evan Newman (Falconer), & DII #14/2x S6 placer, Reese Senske (Medina) in the quarterfinals and semis...For good measure, he also had a 2:53 stick of returning S6 5th, Nicholas Rodriguez (Williamsville North-East)!

5) Caden Barrientos (124; Lewiston-Porter)---The second of the brotherly tag-team to bring home the yellow medal (#1 at 108, Jaron, had previously claimed the 116-pound brass ring behind a 5-1 decision against 2022 Sectional Bronze medalist/defending Knuutila champ, Brayden Kellison, of Williamsville North-East) for the Lancers, Caden made it back-to-back prizes for the family when he steam-rolled his over and through the 124-pound field (bonus point outcomes from start to finish)....Himself ranked 5th in the Small School polls, the senior made a statement when in the semifinal and title rounds, he'd rack up a 30-7 advantage en route to registering a 20-7 dub over DII #6/2x NYS Qualifier/defending S6 champ/2022 Knuutila titlist, Kenji Walters (Southwestern), followed by a 10-0 goose-egg over DII #5 (@116)/2023 NYS 8th, Trevor DellaPenta (Eden)!!!...In the round of 16, Barrientos also posted a 13-3 major over 2023 Sectional 3rd, Muntathar Abbas (Niagara Wheatfield)!

6) Grifff LaPlante (152; St. Francis)---Completing the sweep for the LaPlante family was the DI #1 ranked/2022 NYS 5th for Red Raider Nation....His title coming two weight class before his older brother's [Gage] heroics, Griff set the tone and created momentum when he accrued five takedowns, a pair of E1s, and a 2pt NF to blast through 3x Section 4 titlist/DI #6, Daniel Parker (Ithaca), 14-3 in the title contest....His biggest triumph though occurred one round earlier it would be a six-TD clinic that enabled him to pick up a 13-6 decision over DII #3 ranked/2022 NYS DII 5th, Tyler Roe (Tioga)...Commencing his tourney with falls in his first three bouts, LaPlante glued 2x Sectional placer, Brady Wilkinson (Iroquois), at the  3:31 mark of their quarterfinal meeting!....LaPlante repeated as a Knuutila gold medalist!

7) Harrison Aquirre (215; McQuaid Jesuit)---Unseeded in the 215-pound bracket despite being our DI #6 ranked wrestler, the 2x S5 placer for the Knights certainly wrestled with a chip on his shoulder and then some, as he'd survive a gauntlet that took him past three top-10 foes....Earning respective 7-2 and 5-2 decisions in the quarter and semifinals over DII #7 and DII #6, Jared Haers (2023 S5 3rd/NYSPHSAA Qualifier; Pal-Mac) & Mason Maring (2023 S6 runner-up/NYSPHSAA Qualifier; Chautauqua Lake-WP), Aquirre ripped the class slipper right off the foot of DII #9 Kahmari Cook (Lafayette), when he converted a TD with :22 to go in sudden victory to post the 5-3 decision....Cook was fresh off of upsetting DII #3/2x NYS medalist, Trevor Barry (Iroquois), in the semis; so he had a lot of momentum on his side!

8) Luke Herendeen (285; Pal-Mac)---The 2023 S5 Bronze medalist/2023 State Qualifier showed that his DII #4 ranking was more than justified as he'd break a 2-2 deadlock in the 3rd period by securing a set of swipes for 2NF and then later adding a clinching TD to emerge as the 7-3 victor over DII #3/2023 NYS 8th, Hamza Merrick (Wilson)...In the semis, Herendeen won a 3-0 winner over DI #15/2023 S6 3rd, Max Smith (Williamsville North-East) in a complimentary capacity!


Other champions: 101- DI #6 Tanner Catrabone (Williamsville North-East); 116- DII #1 (108) Jaron Barrientos (Lewiston-Porter); 145- DII #8 Ayden Buttery (Newfane), 160- DI #2 Cam Catrabone (Williamsville North-East), & 190- DII #1 Tavio Hoose (Southwestern)

BRACKETS

________________________________________________________________________________________________

2023 Monroe County Championships (@Webster Schroeder High School)

Stars‍

1) Christopher Noto (124; HFL)---Claiming his third consecutive Monroe County Championship, the current DII #2/2x NYS DII State medalist for the Cougars knocked off a pair of top-15 opponents as his way to the three-peat....His title candidacy never in any jeopardy, the youngest of Tony & Susan's award-winning sons secured bonus points in every one of his appearances, highlighted by the 14-1 and 12-1 majors he posted in the semifinals (over DII #15/2023 S5 4th, Devon Weber of Greece) and finals (against DI #5/2023 NYS 7th, Richard Wood, of Brockport)...

2) Samson McKissick Staley (138; Pittsford)---Repeating as a Monroe County King would be the Panther super sophomore, who picked up a pair of top-15 wins on his way to Victoryville!!!...Ranked DI 6th/2023 NYS 6th, McKissick-Staley recorded the only points of his finals bout when he converted a TD with 1:17 remaining in the opening stanza to pitch the2-0 shutout versus DI #13/2x S5 medalist, William Wood (Brockport)....His head-to-to head with Wood being the lone occasion in which he went the full 6:00, McKissick-Staley pinned DII #14/2x S5 placer, Wyatt Bryman (Attica Batavia), in a time of 3:09....Five different sets of near-fall was the catalyst behind a 16-0 TF in the quarters against returning Sectional 5th, Owen Callahan (Irondequoit)!!!

3) Cael Raines (145; Churchville-Chili)----After finishes of 7th, 5th, 3rd, and 3rd from 2018-2022, the senior Saint finally stood atop the Monroe County podium as the highlight of his crusade to the 145-pound gold was a 3-0 blanking in the finale over HFL's Waylan Winseman, in a clash of 2023 Section 5 champs/respective top-10 ranked combatants....Ranked 2nd in the DI polls, Raines' point output in the finals came via a 1st period TD and then escape in the final 40 ticks of the 3rd period; he rode out the duration of the middle stanza to keep the DII #7 off the board....

4) Elijah Diakomihalis (190; Hilton)---Notching his own personal three-peat in utterly menacing fashion, the 2x NYS medalist/2023 Fargo 16U FS National Champion added yet another Monroe County crown to the family's trophy case, as his body of work featured three 1st period sticks, complemented by a 19-4 tech in the finals....Facing off with 2023 Sectional 4th, Reid Johnson (Greece), in for the hardware, NYWN's #3 overall 2025 prospect scored 16 of his 19 points on EIGHT takedowns (to go along with an E1 and one set of swipes)....The present-day DI #1 at 190 spent all of 2:35 on the mat in his first three outings, earning mat slaps in times of 1:04, :52, and :39 versus Owen Englert (HFL),Trever Weeden (Churchville-Chili), and Kieran Hayden (Webster Thomas)!

5) Coy Raines (215; Churchville-Chili)---In a clash of returning NYS qualifiers, as well as a potential 215-pound Section 5 finals preview (if both elect to stay up at this weight), it was DI #2 @190/2023 NYS DI 6th, Raines, demonstrating that bigger has been better for him (up from 160 where he was a Monroe silver medalist), as he struck for three periods in the last 2:00 of regulation to pull away for the 11-3 major decision over DI #5/2023 Sectional runner-up, Mason Depew (Canandaigua Academy) in the title match....Bonus-pointing his way thru the entire bracket, Raines also had a 4:27 pin in the semis against returning S5 6th, Tyler Stewart (Webster Thomas), to earn his fourth mat slap of the tourney!!

6) Ryan Cieslinski (116; Spencerport)---The DI #8 ranked/2023 NYS DI 8th prevented the Rangers from getting shutout of the title hunt as he'd get the better end of exchanges with three fellow Sectional placers in the quarterfinal through final rounds....Striking for three takedowns during the first two periods to establish a 6-2 advantage, he needed every point he could get to seize the gold, as a late rally from 2023 S5 bronze medalist, Jackson Harrison (Webster Schroeder), made things interesting as the finals match ended with Cieslinski holding on for the 7-6 decision....The 11th grader [Cieslinski] previously earned a a 7-3 quarters triumph over 2023 Sectional 5th, Joseph Molica (Greece), as came up clutch in the semis, scoring a TD to the back to record a TD + fall :49 into sudden victory to prevail in what was an 8-8 shootout after 6:00 over another 2023 S5 3rd, Teague Wolcott (Fairport)!‍

Other champions: 101- DI #7 Bennet Palmeri (Fairport), 108- DI #7 Connor Guffey (Webster Thomas), 131- DI #11 Philly Provenzano (Fairport), 152- DI #4 Zach Gerby (Pittsford), 160- DI #4 Jackson Koppers (Rush Henrietta), 170- Andrew Frost (Churchville-Chili), & 285- DI #12 Gael Sanchez (Churchville-Chili)!

BRACKETS‍

________________________________________________________________________________________________

2023 Thomas Chickanis Memorial Tournament (@Salem-Cambridge HS)

Stars

1) Ryan Munn (131; Carthage)----Up several weight classes (102 to 131) from where he won this tournament a season ago, the DI #8 ranked/2023 NYS DI 6th recorded a takedown in the last half minute of the 3rd period to break a 7-7 tie and go on to win a 9-7 decision over DII #6/2x Section II runner-up/2023 NYS Qualifier, Justin Mullis (Hudson Falls), in the finals...The victory over Mullis was the second of a pair that the Comets' sophomore was able to register over a fellow returning sectional medalist, as one round earlier, he racked up a 15-0 TF against 2x S2 placer, Henry Dill (Salem-Cambridge)!

2) Shay Sinitiere (138; Carthage)---Giving the Comets their second straight titlist (of what would be three in a row; Logan Munn at 145), the DI #11 ranked/2x S3 Champion out of Carthage notched a top-15 dub in the 138-pound finals when he was able to build up a 5-0 advantage before pinning DI #15/3x Section 9 placer, Jacob Roger (Middletown), 1:48 into the 2nd period to repeat as a gold medalist at the Chickanis Memorial...

3) Stephan Monchery (285; Middletown)---It was back-to-back Chickanis hardware for the Middletown big daddy as the current DI #1 ranked/2023 NYS DI State runner-up for the Bears utilized an early takedown in the 1st period as the crux behind a 3-1 decision over 2023 S3 Bronze medalist/DI #5 Kamdyn Dorchester (Carthage) in what could potentially be a NYSPHSAA Large School State semifinal down the road....The second of a pair of sectional placers that Monchery knocked off on his way to the prize, in his first appearance of the event, he'd pin 2023 S2 6th, Amari Waters (Schenectady), 20 ticks into the middle stanza....

4) Logan Munn (145; Carthage)---Speaking of the other half of the Munn Dynasty, the senior added the Chickanis to the crown he won previously this season at the Clyde Cole when he converted a takedown with 1:18 to go in regulation of a 4-4 match to emerge as the 6-5 decision victor over 2023 S9 Bronze medalist, Daniel Aviles (Middletown)....Earlier in the tournament (quarterfinals), Munn had an equally intriguing triumph, as he'd jump out to an 11-2 cushion before pinning 2021 Chickanis champ/2022 S2 4th, Thad Miller (Colonie), at the 2:34 mark!!

5) Jesse Mullis (190; Hudson Falls)---A mainstay in the finals, the future member of the NC State Wolfpack made his third trip in a row to the finale and emerged with his second consecutive crown, as he was dominant from "womb to tomb", logging nothing but 1st period sticks....His final outing being his longest, he'd deck Middletown sophomore, Julani Graham, in a time of 1:56 to finish off his mission...

Other champions: 101- Anthony Noboa (Middletown); 108- Jared Lupian-Reyes (Middletown); 116- Ayden Downing (Carthage); 124- DI #10 (@116) Vincent Mastrianni (Colonie); 152- DII #14 Colin Diffee (Hudson Falls); 160- Jacob Estevez (Middletown); 170- DII #13 Skyler Sturdevant (Glens Falls); & 215- DI #4 Bryson Tibbs (Middletown)
‍

BRACKETS

________________________________________________________________________________________________

2023-24 NORTH COUNTRY INVITATIONAL (@Indian River HS)

Stars

1) Vandavian Way (170; Gouverneur)---Count them...1...2...3 North Country crowns now belong to the Wildcat senior, as he'd relay on a takedown and two separate sets of swipes to establish a 7-0 lead on his way to an eventual 7-1 decision over Fulton's Jonathan Clohecy in a main event clash of respective top-3 ranked wrestlers (Way DII #2; Clohecy DI #3), as well as returning State medalists (Way 2x State 4th; Clohecy 2023 State 5th)....

2) Tomah Gummow (131; Indian River)---Making it two years in a row that he pleased the home crowd by claiming a North Country crown was the current DI #5/2x Section 3 champ for the Warriors....Squaring off against returning NYS DII 7th place finisher/DII #11 ranked, Kolton Kelley(Camden), in the finale, Gummow relentless with his attacks, tallying eight takedowns to emerge with the 17-7 major decision....He was just as locked in/in control in the semis, as he'd establish a 17-6 edge before pinning DII #13/2023 S10 Champion, James Minckler (Gouverneur), in a time of 5:12 to prevail in a clash of defending and/or former North Country gold medalists (Minckler won it all in 2021)...

3) Brock Frederick (116; South Jefferson)---It was a successful repeat bid for the Spartan sophomore, Frederick, as the current DI #3/2x NYS Qualifier prevailed in marquee clash of top-10 foes when he struck for four takedowns en route to a 10-2 major decision over DII #8/2023 NYS 5th, Derek Walseman (Beaver River)...One round earlier, Frederick recorded an equally impressive "when" he amassed a 17-2 technical fall over 2x S10 medalist/2022 Sectional runner-up, Kierce Whitney (Ogdensburg)!

4) Carson Brown (101; Watertown)---The Cyclone 8th grader had quite the breakout performance last weekend as two of his three victories came at the expense of currently ranked personnel....In the semifinals, he'd use two takedowns and three sets of NF to pitch the 13-0 major decision over DII #14/2023 Section 7 silver medalist, Colby Roeseler (Saranac)....As encore, he avenged a loss from earlier in the year when leading 12-4, he glued DII #9/2023 S3 5th, Najeed Abel (General Brown), with 47 seconds remaining in regulation....

5) Cyler Baer (138; Gouverneur)---Joining older brother, Carter, who won this tournament on four separate occasions for the Wildcats, DII #15 ranked/2023 Section 10 champ, Cyler, capitalized off of three 3rd periods takedowns to work his way to a 9-8 decision in the 138-pound finals over 2x S3 medalist, Kane Lynch (Indian River)...Lynch being the second of two banner wins for the Fab Freshman [Baer], he'd also knock off his teammate/fellow 2022 S10 king, Ryan Mashaw, 3-1, in the semis!!

6) Patrick Grimsey (145; Lowville)---The Red Raider junior/2x returning All-State performer looked the part of what a top-6 ranked wrestler should resemble as he bonus-pointed his way through his bracket to become a 1st time North County Champion.....Surrendering the initial TD of his finals bout with 2x S3 placer, Collen Austin (Fulton), Grimsey battled back to score 7 of the next 8 points before eventually pinning his opposition in a time of 3:39....NINE takedowns, a 2pt NF, and an escape was the damage he inflicted in the semifinals, as he punched his ticket to the 'ship via a 21-7 major against 2023 Section 10 titlist, Turner Sochia (Gouverneur)!

7) Tavian Camper (160; Copenhagen)---The ultimate sign of growth is when you face the same opponent in back-to-back years and the margin widens in the rematch...And such was the case for the current DII #2/2x NYS DII medalist for the Golden Knights, who turned a 3-2 decision in 2022 North County finale into a 17-6 major last weekend when he collected seven takedowns (and 3rd period set of swipes) to upend 3x S3 placer, Brady Lynch (Indian River) en route to the repeat...Camper reached the finals when he posted a 23-8 tech over 2020 Section 10 bridesmaid, Graham Rozler (Canton)!

8) Sean Kelly (190; Lowville)---It was Deja Vu for the Lowville senior [Kelly], as he took home his second straight title from this event when the DII #6/2023 State 4th, converted two TDs (one each in the 2nd and 3rd periods) and added a count for the full allotment in the 3rd to threaten bonus points before settling for an 8-2 decision in the finals against DII #11/Defending Section 10 champ, Drew Gates (Gouverneur)....The triumph over Gates continued Kelly's "vendetta" against S10, as one round earlier, he racked up a 7-0 lead before sticking 2x Sectional silver medalist, Charlie Rossner (Canton), with just under 1:00 to go in regulation (5:01)!

Other Champions: 108- DI #11 Kymah Gummow (Indian River); 124- DII #14 Talon Kimball (Camden); 152- DII #9 Ryley Monica; 215- Bryce Dadey (JD-CBA); 285- Mykola Fabian (JD-CBA)

BRACKETS

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Battle At The Harbor Duals (@Cold Spring Harbor HS)

Stars

1) Gavin Mangano (Shoreham-Wading River)---The current DII #4/2023 NYS DII State runner-up capped off a monster day (5-0) that later earned him LIWA Wrestler of the Week honors when he bumped up a weight class to 131 to current DI #2/2x Defending State Champion, Matt Marlow (Northport), a 4-3 decision loss!!

2) Chris Colon (Shoreham-Wading River)---Fresh off of a head-to-head win over his teammate, Mangano, that vaulted him into the #3 spot in the DII polls, the 2023 NYS 5th kept momentum moving in the right direction as he finished the weekend with an unblemished 5-0 record, highlighted by a 13-6 decision over 2x Nassau medalist/2023 County runner-up/2023 NYS Qualifier, DI #13 Carlos Salazar (Hewlett)!

3) Will Russell (Manhasset)---4th in Nassau County in 2022, our current DI #6 at 116 brought his "A" game over the weekend, as he finished with a zero in the loss column, going 5-0, with his marquee victory being a fall in 2:24 over DI #13 (@101)/2023 S8 Bronze Medalist/2023 NYSPHSAA Qualifier, Charles Bergonzi (MacArthur)!

4) Lee Faber (Northport)---Earning his spot among the elite this weekend, Faber was a perfect 5-for-5 when it came to putting "6" on the board for his team....Finishing with four pins and a win by forfeit, the two victories that especially caught our eye was his stick of 2x S8 placer/DI #8 Oleg Daniloff (Hewlett) in 5:52, not to mention a 1:43 decking of 2023 Suffolk 4th, Nate Spuhler (SWR)!

5) Greyson Meak (Cold Spring Harbor)---Ranked 2nd in the DII polls following a state runner-up finish last season, the Seahawk junior has picked up where he left off, as evident by the 5-0 resume he posted over the weekend, which included a 66-second stick of returning Nassau County 4th, DI #15 Angel Flores (Westbury), in a collision of ranked opponents!

6) Chris Holm (Northport)---Making a strong case to be put into the next installent of the rankings, the Northport senior went a perfect 5-0, including a comfortable 9-3 decision over current DI #14/3x Nassau medalist, Eric Gendlin (Hewlett)!

7) Anthony Avitable (East Islip)----Compiling a perfect 5-0 record, the DI #9/2023 Suffolk County Bronze medalist/NYSPHSAA Qualifier posted his biggest win of the day when he pitched a 1-0 shutout against Gendlin (Hewlett)!!!


Results by Team
-Cold Spring Harbor
-East Islip
-Garden City
-Hewlett
-MacArthur
-Manhasset
-Northport
-North Shore
-Port Washington
-Rocky Point
-Shoreham Wading River
-Westbury

________________________________________________________________________________________________

2023 Cuneen Doane Tournament (@Walton)

Stars

1) Matt Oosterom (215; Port Jervis)---Prevailing in what has the makings of the Section 4 Championship match, as welll as a potential NYSPHSAA Saturday Night main event, it was DII #2 Oosterom getting on the top of the podium of the Doane for the first time of his career when he stuck DII #4 Dominick Weaver (Windsor), 61 seconds into the finale to dominate a clash of returning and/or former NYS medalists (Oosterom 2x; Weaver 4th in 2022)...

2) Hayden Robinson (108; Walton-Delaware Academy)---Avenging his loss in the Doane finals from a season ago would be the Warrior sophomore, Robinson, turned around a 3-0 loss in 2022 by emerging as a 3-1 decision victor against DII #8 ranked/2x Section 9 Champion/Nationally ranked Female standout, Charlie Wylie (Port Jervis)...3

3) Tim Boyce (145; Windsor)---Adding a second tournament title this season to his name (previously won the Buck Memorial) was the Black Knights' junior, whose 14-3 major decision triumph in the finals over Blake Prisco (BGAH) was actually the last credentialed win he'd post en route to the crown! In prior matches, he pinned 2023 S9 4th, Anthony Theodore (Port Jervis) in 3:18, and then punched his way into the ship via a 4-2 decision against Chenango Valley's Ethan Randis in a semifinal clash of multiple-time Sectional placers and/or 2023 NYSPHSAA Qualifiers!

4) Hunter Lines (131; Homer)---Of the three victories required of himself in order to hoist Doane hardware for the first time in his scholastic career, the current DII #13/2x S3 medalist was able to come away with a pair of dubs over fellow sectional placers, as posted an 11-3 major decision in the semifinals over 2x S4 medalist, Brendan Gumaer (Marathon), and then followed it up by tossing up a 5-0 goose-egging of 2023 Section 9 silver medalist, Justin Harrison (Port Jervis)!

5) Justin Somers (124; Walton-Delaware Academy)---A bridesmaid at this event last season, no man would stand in the way of the 2023 S4 6th place finisher, as he closed out a perfect 3-0 sheet when he was able to knock off top-seed/2023 S3 runner-up, Adam Munz (Vernon-Verona-Sherrill), by a score of 8-2!

6) Darren Florance (116; BGAH)---On the list due to his shear dominance from start to finish to achieve the repeat feat (110 champ in 2022), the current DII #1/2x defending State Champion for the Bears ripped through the field at 116 pounds, pinning Walton-Delaware Academy's Kohl Miller in a time of 1:49 in the title contest after out-scoring Shawn Mann (Susquehanna Valley) & Gabriel McNally (Pine Bush) by a combined margin of 37-6 on his way to tech falls of 19-4 and 18-2 in the quarters and semis!

Other Champions: 101- Dylan Newman (Windsor); 138- Connor Mika (Chenango Valley); 152- Logan Pennell (Pine Bush); 160- DII #9 Ryan Ross (Pine Bush); 170- DII #3 Charlie Foster (Vernon-Verona-Sherrill); 190- DII #4 Mason McCombs (Windsor); & 285- Elliott Briggs (BGAH)

BRACKETS

________________________________________________________________________________________________

2023 Beast of the East (@Bob Carpenter Center on the Campus of the University of Delaware)

Stars

1) Ryan Burton (170; St. Joseph's Regional; NJ)----Just because he chose to not to compete in New York State for high school competition does not mean we are about to refuse to "give flowers" to a native Empire Stater that did us proud!!......Ascending to the #1 ranking in the nation following a 6-0 resume that witnessed him knock off the then #2 Gage Wright (3x West Virginia State Champion; 2x NHSCA All-American/2022 Champion) and #7 Adam Waters [2023 PIAA State Champion; 2023 NHSCA National Champion; 4x Fargo All-American] wrestlers in the nation, the S9 resident has been on fire of late, as he also won the Super 32 in October!!!

2) Zoe Griffith [135; Gouverneur)---With New York sending their first contingent of ladies to the Second Annual Women's Beast of the East, it was the 2023 NYSPHSAA Girls Invitational runner-up/2023 Fargo 16U National Champion/#9 lady in the land, Griffith going 3-1 in Delaware with all of her victories coming by way of fall en route to a bronze medal showing....Pinning the likes of 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐞 𝐀𝐫𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐝𝐚𝐬 (2023 NJ State alternate) and 𝐒𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐚 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐮𝐦 (2x Pennsylvania Girls State medalist/2022 runner-up; 2022 BOE 5th) in times of :33 and 1:08 to win her pool, Griffith was leading her semifinal bout 1-0 in the last :10 before an 11th-hour TD resulted in a 2-1 loss to 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐲𝐧𝐧𝐞 𝐌𝐜𝐍𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐲 (#14 ranked; 2023 Girls 16U Folk National Champion)...She bounced back from the adversity to stick 2023 Pennsylvania Girls State 7th, 𝐙𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐚 𝐑𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐬, with a bundle at the 1:59 mark of the 3rd/4th contest!!

3) Casper Stewart (152; Attica Batavia)---Ranked as both the #1 DII 152-pounder and the top overall 2024 prospect by NYWN, the Blue Devil senior registered a 7-2 overall record, with five of his wins being accompanied by the slap of the mat on his way to a top-5 showing....Reaching the round of 16 behind pins in 2:36 and :34 versus 𝐆𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐬 (PIAA State Qualifier) & Beau Lewis (2023 Virginia State runner-up), the future United States' Military Academy Black White shook off a loss 3x Virginia State finalist/2022 Champion, 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐧, by stringing together wins in five of his last six bouts, including a streak of four in a row that guaranteed him top-8 status...A 1st period double-leg, coupled with an escape in the 2nd, and a rideout of the entire 3rd enabled him to bank a 3-0 shutout in the blood round against 𝐀𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐭  (2023 NJ State 7th). He then headlocked 2023 Fargo Double 16U All-American/GR Champion, Gabe Logan, to reach the consol semis...After the streak was snapped by 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐳 (2023 PIAA State Bronze; 2x NHSCA All-American; 2022 BOE 5th), Stewart had his easiest appearance of the two-day affair, accepting a walkover in the 5th-place match against Jonathan Fuller (2x NJSIAA Medalist/2023 NHSCA runner-up)!

4) Brooke Tarshist (125; Pine Bush)---Her lone blemish coming at the hands of 21st ranked in the nation/2023 Virginia Girls State Invitational runner-up/2022 VHSL Boys State Qualifier, 𝐉𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐲𝐧 𝐀𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧, in the final round of pool-play, the 2023 NYSPHSAA Girls Invitational silver medalist out of S9 was otherwise a woman among girls, as she picked up round-robin wins by way of 8-1 decision and fall in 2:59 against 𝐄𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞 𝐃𝐨𝐥𝐭 & 𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐚 𝐒𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐫 (2023 Virginia State Invitational Qualifier)...In the crossover consolation bracket, she wrapped up 5th place honors by decking 2x West Virginia Girls State medalist, 𝐊𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐭, in 1:07, and as an the cherry, struck for 10 unanswered points (reversal, 3pt NF, TD, 3pt NF) between the 2nd and 3rd periods to seize the 10-0 major decision over Gabi Gartin (2x Ohio Silver medalist)!


Just Missing the Podium:

*Cooper Merli (106; NFA)---The only representative from a NYS based school to reach the quarterfinals, our defending NYSPHSAA DI State Champion/current #1 ranked 108 pounder notched victories over Ben Mann (2022 New Hampshire DI State 5th), William Yordy (2023 PIAA State Qualifier), and talented Keystone State freshman, Thomas Boyce on day #1. by outcomes of fall in 1:09, 3-0 decision, and 5-4 comeback (trailed 4-3 before securing a reversal and rideout in the 3rd)...He dropped both of his appearances on Sunday, losing to #2 in the nation, Joe Bachmann (2023 Super 32 Champion; 2023 UWW U17 FS Bronze Medalist; 2023 Walsh Ironman Champion), 15-5, in the championship round of 8....A controversial penalty point was the difference in a 2-1 blood round loss to returning PIAA Qualifier, Sam Wolford!

*Joseph Clem (132; Wantagh)---Epitomizing that Warrior spirit, the 2x NYS DI medalist/2023 State runner-up with the #1 (@138) next to his name darn-near did the impossible, as he battled back from an opening round loss (not including a pigtail) to win FIVE straight bouts, including a 32-second fall versus 2023 Prep National Qualifier/2023 Maryland Independent School State 4th, Josh Hale; and a 2-0 decision against Tristan Corbin (3x Virginia State medalist/2x Champion) to reach the blood round....Unfortunately, he'd be unsuccessful in adding that needed sixth win in a row, as he dropped an 8-1 decision in the blood round to Jarvis Little (2x Tennessee State Champion; 2x NHSCA All-American; 4th at the 2022 BOE)!
‍
-BOY'S BRACKET
-WOMEN'S BRACKET