For just the second-time in the 28-year history of the prestigious event, a wrestler from a New York based school claimed a title at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman!!!
Seeded 2nd in the 150-pound bracket, 2x NYSPHSAA DI State champion, #2 ranked PJ Duke (Minisink Valley) culminated a perfect 5-0 weekend in the Buckeye State when he converted four takedowns (including a pair of double-legs in the 1st period and a foot sweep in the 3rd) to emerge with an 8-6 decision over #9/2022 Prep National runner-up/former Fargo National FS gold medalist, William Henckel (Blair Academy)...
The win over the Buc sophomore [Henckel] was the second of a pair of top-10 victories earned by NYWN/National #1 overall 2025 prospect [Duke] on day #2....In his semifinal, Duke came out on top of a scramble in the final :45 to break a 2-2 tie and emerge with a 4-3 decision over fifth-ranked/2x Colorado State Champion/2022 Super 32 runner-up, Weston Dalton!
Surrendering the first offensive points against himself in months (and probably the last of its kind he will allow the rest of 2022-2023), Duke survived a minor scare in Friday's night quarterfinals, winning an 11-9 decision over fellow NYer/19th ranked/2022 NHSCA 4th/2022 Fargo 16U FS 4th, Christopher Crawford (Wyoming Seminary)...
Duke's remaining two victories at the start of the opening day came over 2x Idaho State titlist/2021 Fargo 16U GR AA (6th), Cade White; and 2022 Prep National 7th, Nathan Rickards....He pinned the former in 3:06 before lighting up the scoreboard in a 26-11 tech against the latter!!!
A runner-up at this tournament a year ago (his only career scholastic loss) when he was forced to injury default in the 138-pound finals, Duke's triumph this past Saturday puts him in the exclusive company of former 5x State finalist/3x champion, Jordan Titus (formerly of Center Moriches; now at West Virginia University), who made history in 2019 when he won the 120-pound bracket!!!
While Duke was the lone individual champ for the small Empire State contingent, he was NOT the only gem to secure his spot on the podium...Current NYWN #1s in their weight classes---Max Gallagher and Ethan Gallo, also enjoyed immense successes!!
Launching himself from 9th in the nation polls to #5 (announced yesterday) was defending NYSPHSAA DII king, Max Gallagher (Bayport-Blue Point), who posted a 4-2 overall record to finish 4th in a loaded 126-pound field!!!
Going 3-0 on Friday, including a 6-4 decision victory over 17th-ranked wrestler in the country/2x Ohio State Champion/2x Super medalist/3x Fargo AA, etc., Dillon Campbell, in the quarterfinals, NYWN's top-rated senior prospect joined his KD Trained teammate [Duke] in the semifinals...
After sustaining a loss in the semifinals (6-3) to the eventual champion, #2 ranked Ben Davino) 2x Illinois State Champion; 2022 Super 32 Champion; 2022 USAW Fargo 16U FS National Champion; 2021 Walsh Ironman runner-up), Gallagher split his final two bouts...
Deadlocked at 1-1 at the end of regulation in his consolation semifinal match with #19 ranked/2x Missouri medalist/2021 NHSCA 4th/2021 Fargo 16U 5th, Draegen Orine (Wyoming Seminary), it was the NYer striking for the winning takedown in sudden victory to emerge as a 3-1 victor!!
Campbell got his revenge in the bronze medal match, as he used a tilt and a takedown in the 3rd period to defeat Gallagher, 5-2, to square the weekend series at one apiece!!!
On day #1, Gallagher also notched a 9-4 decision over 2022 Colorado State titlist/2021 Fargo 16U FS AA (6th), Jacob Myers!
The future UPenn Quaker added his 4th at the Ironman to a growing string of big stage achievements...In the past calendar year, he has been a NHSCA Junior 4th, a Fargo Junior FS 5th, and a Super 32 5th!!
Not a bad gift to give to his mom, who was celebrating her birthday!
Described as "boom or bust" by MatScouts/Willie Saylor because of his lack of a national pedigree, 2x NYS finalist/defending DI champ, Gallo, now finds himself in the top-20 (#11) following a 5-2 showing at 215 pounds...
Pinning 2022 Oregon State 5th, Jayden Cobb, in 1:23 in his first outing, and then adding a 6-3 decision in the round of 16 over 2022 Ohio State 4th; 2022 NHSCA All-American (6th), Zach Delsanter, the three-sport "freak" out of Minisink Valley [Gallo safely} moved onto the quarterfinals...
A heartbreaking 5-3 loss (was close to scoring an equalizer late) in the quarters to ninth-ranked/2x Ohio State Champ/2x NHSCA titlist, Dylan Russo, ended Gallo's title journey, but it did not break his spirit...
Fighting back to win two straight consolation bouts, the 6-1 decision in the blood round over Maverick Blackburn, guaranteed Gallo top-8 status, and then a fall via cradle in 1:43 against Will Clark (2022 Indiana State 5th; 2021 Fargo 16U FS 8th; 2022 USAW Folk National runner-up) further jumped up on the totem pole...
Handed his only other defeat in the consolation semis by Oklahoma State bound, 2x State champion, #19 Jersey Robb, 7-3, Gallo went out on a high note, scoring takedowns in the 1st and 3rd periods, coupled with an escape in the 1st and a free release in the 3rd to improve to 2-0 against Delsanter behind a 6-4 decision in the 5th place match!
Just missing the podium at 150 and 175 pounds with identical 3-2 record were Frankie Volpe (Hauppauge) and Andrew Filip (Minisink Valley)...
Volpe posted wins against 2x Colorado State medalist, Vincent Cabral (pin in 2:59), and 3x Missouri State medalist, Kolby McClain (5-4 decision)...The 2x NYS medalist/2x NHSCA AA came was two dubs short of placement...
2x State placer, Filip, raised his profile when he advanced to the blood round with "w's" over the likes of 2022 Illinois State Qualifier, AJ Hernandez (Fall 1:13); 2022 Ohio State Champion; 2021 USAW Preseason Nationals silver medalist, Connor Havill (3-2 decision); and 2022 Indiana State 4th, Cody Goodwin (fall 2:35)...
2022 NYS DI Qualifiers---Anthony Tresch (0-2 @132), Zackary McKernan (0-2 @138), and Luke Greiner (1-2 @144) also represented Warrior Nation (Minisink Valley)!
Accumulating 58.5 points, the 2x defending NYSPHSAA DI Dual/2022 NYS Tournament champs out of Section 9 [Minisink Valley) ended up 18th out of 90 teams...
Had they had the services of 3x State titlist/2022 UWW U17 World FS Bronze medalist, Zack Ryder, there is no doubt that a top-10 display would have been likely!
About as even and/or competitive a field as you could ever hope to see in a wrestling tournament, there was no dominant school in 2022, as our 13 champions hailed from 11 different programs in four separate sections, as well as two different states!!
Anchored by an overall stirring collective performance from the Section II contingent (7 individual champions), the only two squads to place multiple representatives on the top step of the podium were Cobleskill-Richmondville & Colonie, who took turns cleaning up down low and at the back end!
Wasting no time at all in getting the Bulldogs [Cobleskill-Richmondville] on the board, it was #10 (DII) Ashten Haley (2022 NYS Qualifier/2022 S2 bronze medalist), making a statement in the 110-pound finals, as he secured bonus points to the tune of an 11-0 major decision over fellow 2022 State Qualifier/returning sectional runner-up, #5 (DI @102) Vincent Graulau (Mohonasen), in the crossover finals....To win his pool, Haley posted a 7-1 decision over the up-and-comer out of SI, Nick Fortugno (BBHV)!
Two weight classes later (126), it was #2 (DII) Liam English (2x NYS medalist; 2022 NHSCA All-American), registering one takedown in each of the three periods en route to a 7-1 decision in the crossover finale versus Uniondale's Anthony Araque....Knocked from the top-spot in the Small Schools pools following a loss in the finals of the Bailey Memorial, English certainly looked the part of numero uno this weekend, as his journey to the 'ship required him to first go through a series of respective sectional medalists and/or NYSPHSAA Qualifiers---Kyle Carter (Plainedge; S8 5th), Joe Gabriele (John Jay Cross River; S1 runner-up/State tournament participant), and Taylor Beaury (Saratoga; S2 silver medalist/NYS Qualifier)...His triumphs in this gauntlet came by scores of 6-1, 13-3, and 1-0!
Going back-to-back to close the show at 215 and 285 were Raider [Colonie] teammates, Jayden Aquirre-Hamlin and Will Hotaling!
Aquirre-Hamlin, a 2022 NYS Qualifier/current 14th-ranked (DI) man in his weight class, surrendered a takedown to begin the day, but was utterly imposing the rest of the way, as he pinned all three of his foes to emerge atop of a four-person round-robin....Never seeing the 2nd period in any of his appearances, his fall in 1:44 over Guilderland's Antonio Cipollo, in round #1, proved to be the deciding factor!
In the anticipated rematch of two of Albany area's BIGGEST and brightest superstars, it was the defending Section II titlist, #5 (DI) Hotaling, improving to 2-0 this season versus rival/2021 Fargo Greco-Roman AA, #6 (DI) Cameron Groncki (Mohonasen), by way of a 4-2 decision. The match scoreless after the 1st period, the University of Buffalo commit [Hotaling] took control in the middle stanza, earning a reversal early into the 2nd period and then later adding a takedown in the final 10 ticks to account for his output....The win over Groncki was the second of a pair posted by Hotaling against ranked counterparts. In Round #1 of the RR format, he pinned 2022 S8 5th/current DI #14, Vincent Petzold (Plainedge), at the 2:38 mark!
Freshman sensation/returning S2 5th, Vinny Mastrianni, got the proverbial ball rolling in the lightest weight class (102), pinning his way through the pool, and then making a serious argument to be included in the new edition of the NYWN top-15 when he showcased his full skill set (TD in 1st, ride out in 2nd, escape in 3rd) to pull the 3-0 "upset" over #10 (DI) Brody Dicaprio (Burnt Hills)!
Speaking of O.W. caliber displays, Angel Banegas (118), Liam Carlin (138), and Jordan Brown (145) made sure that Hotaling did not hog all the glory!!!
Banegas, the 2022 Nassau County silver medalist/NYS DI Qualifier hanging his hat in Uniondale, recorded one of the signature victories of the weekend in the Evil Empire when he escaped in overtime and then rode out the other :30 period to upend returning NYS DII runner-up/#1 (DII) ranked, Gabriel English (Cobleskill-Richmondville), 2-1, in tiebreakers to win his pool....Having passed the test against the "best", the Knight senior later got the "w" in an All-S8 final over returning Nassau bronze medalist/NYS DI Qualifier, #12 (DI) Shane Dobbins (Plainedge), 7-3...Striking for four of his seven points during the opening 2:00, Banegas converted the TD and got swipes half a minute into the match and never looked back, adding a reversal in the 2nd, and an escape in the 3rd!
#6 (DI) @132, Carlin (Burnt Hills) demonstrated the same elite form that garnered him top-4 status last season at MVP Arena, as he defeated not one, not two, but three ranked opponents, not to mention a former S2 runner-up to survive a loaded 5-man round-robin at 138 pounds....Kicking off his title journey behind a 3-0 blanking of 2022 NYS DII 8th/current #2 (DII) Dylan Devine (Schalmont), in round 1, the Spartan sophomore tacked on wins by scores of 5-0 and 7-4 over 2x S2 medalist/2020 sectional bridesmaid, Vincent Grembocki (Shenendehowa), and 2022 NYS DII 5th, #4 (DII) Tyler Roe (Tioga) to put himself on the cusp....In his last outing of the day, he'd utilize a 2nd period reversal and a 3rd period takedown to post a 4-1 decision versus 2022 S2 bronze medalist, #7 (DI) David Ensminger (Shenendehowa) in what ultimately was the title-determining contest!!
#2 (DI @138) Brown (Monroe Woodbury), the lone gold medalist for Section IX, cruised in his first two matches of round-robin play, teching Rory White (St. Francis), 17-2, before pinning JoJo Kern (John Jay Cross River) in exactly 2:00....However, when stakes got serious, the Crusader senior remained unfazed, as he scored three takedowns (two in the 3rd period) to serve as the foundation in a 7-2 decision over #3 (DI) Renso Montalvo (Amsterdam), in a war of returning NYSPHSAA medalists!!
Ranked student-athletes at 132 (Luke Nieto), 152 (Owen Hicks), and 189 (Alex Berisha) all held serve to bring home the bacon in their brackets!
10th-ranked (DI) Nieto, a 2022 NYS Qualifier after finishing 3rd in S8, stuck S2 4th, Danny Dacey (Saratoga) in a time of 1:40 to win his pool; then as a complement in the crossover gold match, he overwhelmed another section II rep, Myles White (S2 6th in 2022), pinning the Guilderland wrestler in just 27 seconds!
Hicks, who presently sits atop the 152 (DII)-pound throne after finishing 3rd in the state and then earning AA honors in Fargo (Jr. GR 8th), won his pool in domineering fashion, emerging with a 10-2 major decision, followed by a pin in 3:23 over three-time S2 placer, #4 (DI) Colin Carlin (Burnt Hills), and returning sectional 3rd, Gordon Murray (Saratoga)...In the crossover title bout, he pinned surprise finalist, Devin Downes (Plainedge) in 65 ticks....Downes punched his ticket by earning double-goose egg victories in pool-play over 2022 S2 champ/NYS Qualifier, #3 (DI) Josh Warland (Burnt Hills), and 2022 Vermont State 4th, Shawn Gassaway (Mt. Anthony), 3-0 & 9-0!
After comfortable triumphs of 15-6 and 8-1 over 2022 S2 4th and CHSAA State 5th, Arman Hashimee (Shenendehowa) & Connor Miller (St. Francis), the 2022 S1 4th/present #5 (DI) stud from Fox Lane [Berisha] made the most of a reversal and TD in the 2nd period to hang on for the 4-3 victory against S2 5th, Lorenzo Palleschi (Saratoga), to finish unblemished in the round-robin!
John Jay Cross River's Cameron Weirl and 2x Vermont State runner-up, Aaron Johnson (Mount Anthony), won the remaining crowns at 160 and 172!....
Weirl pinned 2022 NYS Qualifier/14th-ranked @160 Thomas Pawlinga (Burnt Hills) to win his pool...Trailing 5-4 in the finals to Saratoga's Gianni Delgado, his reversal + rideout sent him to a 6-5 decision!
Finals:
102: Vinny Mastrianni (Colonie) dec. Brody Dicaprio (Burnt Hills), 3-0
110: Ashten Haley (Cobleskill-Richmond.) Maj Dec. Vincent Graulau (Mohonasen), 11-0
118: Angel Banegas (Uniondale) dec. Shane Dobbins (Plainedge), 7-3
126: Liam English (Cobleskill-Richmond.) dec. Anthony Araque (Uniondale), 7-1
132: Luke Nieto (Plainedge) pinned Myles White Guilderland) 0:37
138: Liam Carlin (Burnt Hills)---Won a 5-person Round-Robin
145: Jordan Brown (Monroe Woodbury)--Won a 4-person Round-Robin
152: Owen Hicks (Fonda-Johnstown) pinned Devin Downes (Plainedge) 1:05
160: Cameron Weirl (John Jay Cross River) dec. Gianni Delgado (Saratoga), 6-5
172: Aaron Johnson (MAU)---Won a 5-person Round-Robin
189: Alex Berisha (Fox Lane)--Won a 4-person Round-Robin
215: Jayden Aquirre-Hamlin (Colonie)--Won a 4-person Round-Robin
285: Will Hotaling (Colonie)--Won a 4-person Round-Robin
Proudly defending home soil behind a perfect 5-0 dual record were the sixth-ranked (DII) Thunder of Central Valley Academy, who posted wins over the likes of Chittenango (60-12), Mount Markham (72-6), West Genesee (57-8), Little Falls (60-12), and the team just above them in the polls, #5 (DII) Gouverneur (43-24)!
The dual wins against the two respective Wildcat programs coming in rounds 3 [West Genesee) and 5 (Gouverneur) of the round-robin, surprisingly, it was the former that proved to be the title winner for CVA...
Significant "acts of valor" in the clinching victory over their fellow section III peers came courtesy of Gene Edwards (118), Sixx Cook (152), and Cole Wheet (160)!
Edwards, a returning NYS DII 5th, who entered ranked (DII) 3rd in the polls, stuck returning sectional 4th, Austin Fesinger, in a time of 0:54....Cook, the two-time state medalist (3rd in 2022) light up the scoreboard to the tune of a 15-0 technical fall over 2022 NYS DII Qualifier, Maxx Fesinger...2022 S3 5th, Wheet, prevailed in a clash of section placers, beating 6th place finisher, Jack Wade, via a 5-1 decision!!
Top-15 ranked---Cooper Reed ( DII 8th @138; 2022 NYS DII 6th) and Ethan Randall (DII #1 @189; 2022 NYS DII runner-up) also earned dubs in the win over West Genesee, as they secured falls in times of 0:43 and 3:42 over Mason Doran & Raul Colon!
In the conquering of Gouverneur, the "clap" came in 8 of 13 matches, including a string of four in a row (5 out of 6) from 189 to 126 to pull away in the dual!!
Randall served as a catalyst to this rally, as he pinned James Hayden in 24 ticks...
Sal Fresco and Jeremy McRedmond then followed suit, gluing Gage Cornell & Avery Winters at the 3:53 and 0:31 marks of the 215 and/or 285-pound matches....
Sandwiched around 2022 S10 silver medalist, James Minckler's fall (over Matt Osley) at 110 pounds to temporarily disrupt the streak, were "w"s at 102 (7-3 over Paul Minckler) and 118 (fall in 1:15 against Mason Dusharm) by Jacob Hurd and Edwards!
2022 Section III 6th, Aden Mead, rose to the occasion too, as he earned bonus points in a 10-2 major decision over DII #14/2x S10 titlist/2022 Fargo Jr. Women's 4th, Zoe Griffith, at 138 pounds!
Despite the losing effort, top-ranked 160-pounder/2022 NYS DII 4th, Vandavian Way, got the better of the dual's marquee match-up, as he dropped to 152 to pitch the 3-0 shutout over Cook!
Hurd, Edwards, Reed, Mead, Wheet, Fresco, and McRedmond all ended the event with immaculate 5-0 resumes!!
Final Standings
1. Central Valley Academy: 5-0
2. West Genesee: 4-1
3. Gouverneur: 3-2
4. Mount Markham: 2-3
5. Chittenango: 1-4
6. Little Falls: 0-5
Top-15 Ranked Head-to-Heads:
152: #1 (DII @160) Vandavian Way (Gouverneur) dec. #3 Sixx Cook (Central Valley Academy), 3-0
189: #2 (DII) Andrew Bailey (Chittenango) dec. #1 Ethan Randall (Central Valley Academy), 11-4
While many of the match-ups of top-15s that we previewed never ended up coming to fruition with certain schools sending split squads to different events throughout the Rochester area, there were still a few bouts that were price of admission!!
#3 (DI) Kiernan Magee gave the Patriot faithful a season to rejoice, as his crown at 118 pounds was the lone gold earned by the host school in the men's varsity tournament....Posting a 3-0 record to win the four-man round-robin, the 2021 Journeymen NYS Championship 6th had victories over a pair of respected S5 placers, defeating sectional bronze medalist, Yousef Allen (Brighton), 10-2, in round #1, and then complementing it with a 4-0 goose-egging in round #3 versus S5 5th, William Wood (Brockport)!
At 126 pounds, it was #15 (DI) @118 Richard Wood (Brockport) continuing to dominate the weekly rivalry with HFL opponents, as he pitched the 1-0 shutout over #5 (DII)/2022 NYS DII runner-up, Andrew Spaulding...The win over Spaulding marked the third time already this season that the returning Section 5 silver medalist knocked off a highly-touted Cougar foe...Previously, he posted wins by injury default (Marino Invitational finals) and 2-0 decision against DII #4 @118/2022 DII State 4th, Jacob McVige!...
Top-ranked Small School 145-pounder, Nicholas Noto (HFL), had to defeat two ranked oppositions just to reach the finals...In the quarterfinals, he scored from every position (TD, reversal, NF) en route to an 8-0 major decision against #11 (DI) @138/2022 State Qualifier, Dino Battisti (Brockport)....The semis them saw him handle 2x S5 placer/#14 (DI) Jacob Mendola (Webster Thomas)...The three-time NYS medalist later polished off his perfect weekend by using an explosive 7-point 3rd period to blow open his finals bout with multiple-time S6 placer, Carter Tadusz (Lancaster), 11-1!!....Tadusz punched his ticket via a 3-2 decision in the semis over #15 (DI)/2022 NYS DI Qualifier Cael Owen (Horseheads)!
In addition to the seven phenomenal talents recognized above, seven other top-15 studs would also taste individual glory, as the champions at 102, 110, 132, 138, 172, 189, and 285 all have #s next to their names!!
Winning the first of four individual golds on behalf of HFL was the youngest of the famed Noto siblings, Christopher....Getting in and out with as little pain as possible, the 2022 NYS DII 3rd/ #3 (DII) secured 1st period falls in times of 1:32, 1:00, and 0:34...His pin of Colin Mastin (Webster Thomas) in just over half-a-minute closed out his 110-pound mastery!
Joining the Noto brothers in claiming brass rings were Waylan WInseman and Jazz Spaulding, whose titles at 132 and 138 laid the tracks for the eventual trifecta (three straight weight classes won by the same school)!...
Ending the event with two falls and a pair of major decisions, the returning S5 bronze medalist/#12 (DII), Winseman, just missed out on a tech fall in the finale, as he exploded for 17 points in a 17-3 triumph over 2022 section 5 4th, Paul Rose (Brockport)...In the quarters, he bested another S5 medalist, winning 9-0 over sectional 6th, Sam Gray (Brighton)!
2022 NYS 7th/ #6 (DII) Spaulding never had a moments doubt in his two outings, as he pinned 2022 Section 4 4th, Coleton Owen (Horseheads) in 46 seconds in the semis, before racking up a 16-1 technical fall in the title contest over Brockport's Austin Boff!
Lancaster teammates, Michael Schaefer and Evan Stencel, gave "Legendary" performances in seizing the prize in back-to-back weights at 172 and 189!
Fourth-ranked (DI) Schaefer needed less than 90 ticks (1:29) to earn his third fall of the day in the finals over Max Morrison (Brighton)...
#11 (DI) @215, Stencel, kept the pin party going, as he peeled off four in a row, culminated by a stick in 1:20 against Zachary Bonanza (Eastridge)!
#9 (DI) @110 Cullen Edwards (Frontier) & #11 (DII) Landon Andrade (Sherburne Earlville) got the job done at the bookends, seizing the first and last titles of the tourney!
Posting identical 17-2 techs in each of his two appearances, the 2022 S6 silver medalist/NYS Qualifier [Cullen] bested Jayden Miesch (Brockport) and John Winseman (Honeoye Falls-Lima)!
After pinning his first two opponents in the 1st period, returning S3 6th, Andrade, took home the hardware when he recorded a 15-0 tech in all-Marauder showdown with teammate Brier Cox!
Finals
102: Cullen Edwards (Frontier) TF John Winseman (HFL), 17-2
110: Christopher Noto (HFL) pinned Colin Mastin (Webster Thomas) 0:34
118: Kiernan Magee (Penfield)---Won a 4-man Round-Robin
126: Richard Wood (Brockport) dec. Andrew Spaulding (HFL), 1-0
132: Waylan Winseman (HFL) Maj Dec. Paul Rose (Brockport), 17-3
138: Jazz Spaulding (HFL) TF Austin Boff (Brockport), 16-1
145: Nicholas Noto (HFL) Maj Dec. Carter Tadusz (Lancaster), 11-1
152: Andrew Mark (Brighton) Maj Dec. William Lotocky (Horseheads), 16-8
160: Joseph Caudle (Brockport) won by MFF over Jonathan Schmitt (Webster Thomas)
172: Michael Schaefer (Lancaster) pinnedMax Morrison (Brighton) 1:29
189: Evan Stencel (Lancaster) pinned Zachary Bonanza (Eastridge) 1:20
215: Mason Depew (Canandaigua Acad.) pinned Cody Clarkson (Sherburne-Earlville) 0:36
285: Landon Andrade (Sherburne-Earlville) TF Brier Cox (Sherburne-Earlville), 15-0
Putting the "star" in Starpoint was our #2 (DI) ranked program who came, saw, and conquered all six of their adversaries to emerge as the team champs at the 2022 Pioneer Duals...
Highlighted by a pair of top-25 victories over DI #10 Hilton (40-20) and DII #17 Newfane (51-13), the Spartans were never seriously threatened during the weekend as their other wins came by margins of 66-4, 62-12, 62-6, and 66-0 over Iroquois, Orchard Park, Pioneer, and Fredonia!!!
In the aforementioned clash of Large School top-10s versus the Cadets [Hilton], Starpoint wrestlers got their arms raised in 8 of 13 bouts, highlighted by a mano-a-mano top-15 showdown at 285 points that witnessed #12 (DI) @215 Matthew Caldwell, double up 15 (DI) Chris Fronczak, 4-2!!
Caldwell's dub the most hotly contested, all five of the Spartan student-athletes with numbers decorating their names reigned supreme in the hardware-yielding dual, as #4 (DI) @160 Gage LaPlante (2022 NYS 7th), 14th-ranked 102-pounder Jaron Barrientos (4th in S6), #4 (DI) @118 James Leuer Jr. (2021 Journeymen State 5th), and third-ranked 138-pounder Griffin LaPlante (2022 NYS 5th) all took turns securing some denomination of bonus point outcome!
A true family affair, competing at opposite ends of the spectrum (dual started at 160), it was the first of the two LaPlante brothers [Gage] pinning Troy Davis in 1:49 at 172 pounds to turn a then 4-0 deficit into a 6-4 advantage....The "w" not yet clinched (28-20), it was Griff doing the honors of making it official when he glued Alex Chirdo in 1:42 of their 145-pound bout!
Barrientos, himself part of a sibling tag team, bumped all the way up to 118 to earn the mat slap over Aiden Keable :49 into the 2nd period!
Leuer Jr. piled up the points on his way to a 15-4 major versus returning sectional 6th, James Hargather!
At 132 pounds, the other Barrientos bro, 2x S6 medalist, Caden, pulled off a slight upset when he registered a 3-1 decision over returning S3 bronze medalist/DI 15th-ranked Tyler Simons!
Multiple-time Section 6 placer, Christopher Uptegrove, provided insurance in the final match of the dual by beating the clock in the 2nd period by pinning 2022 S5 6th, Max Meagher, with :01 remaining in the stanza!
The commanding victory over Newfane was propelled by Griff LaPlante, who toppled 3x NYS medalist/#2 (DII) ranked @132, Aidan Gillings, 9-6, at 145 pounds!
152-pounder, Zach Caldwell, also came up big, as he won a collision of respective sectional 5th, 8-3, over Miguel Salas!
Leuer Jr., C. Barrientos, Griff LaPlante, Uptegrove and M. Caldwell all wrapped up the event with unblemished 6-0 resumes....Gage LaPlante was also unbeaten at 5-0!
Final Standings:
1. Starpoint: 6-0
2. Hilton: 5-1
3. Newfane: 4-2
4. Pioneer: 3-3
5. Orchard Park: 2-4
6. Iroquois: 1-5
7. Fredonia: 0-6
Ranked vs. Ranked H2H Results
118: #2 (DII) @102 Brayden Kellison-Neglia (Newfane) dec. #14 (DI) @102 Jaron Barrientos (Starpoint), 3-0
132: #3 (DII) @138 Ayden Buttery (Newfane) pinned #15 (DI) Tyler Simons (Hilton) 3:23
145: #3 (DI) @138 Griff Laplante (Starpoint) dec. #2 (DII) @132 Aidan Gillings (Newfane), 9-6
172: #4 (DI) @160 Gage Laplante (Starpoint) Maj Dec. #9 (DII) Brady Heckathorn (Pioneer), 11-1
215: #12 (DI) Matthew Caldwell (Starpoint) Maj Dec. #14 (DII) @285 Luke Matheis (Pioneer), 9-0
215: #9 (DI) @189 Jack MacDonald (Orchard Park) pinned #14 (DII) @285 Luke Matheis (Pioneer)
215: #12 (DI) Matthew Caldwell (Starpoint) dec. #9 (DI) @189 Jack MacDonald (Orchard Park), 2-1
215: #3 (DI) @189 Elijah Diakomihalis (Hilton) pinned #9 (DI) @189 Jack MacDonald (Orchard Park) 0:29
285: #12 (DI) @215 Matthew Caldwell (Starpoint) dec. #15 (DI) Chris Fronczak (Hilton), 4-2
285: #14 (DII) @285 Luke Matheis (Pioneer) dec. #15 (DI) Chris Fronczak (Hilton), 5-2
For the second weekend in a row, it was the depth of our #8 (DI) ranked program, Long Beach, that ultimately won them the day, as the Marines crowned two individual champions, put four in total in the finals, and earned 13 overall placers to emerge as the team champions at the King of the Mat tournament hosted on the campus of Hewlett!
Locked in what may have been his closest in-state bout in quite some time was NYWN's top-rated 2026 prospect/defending NYSPHSAA DI State Champion, #1 (DI) Dunia Sibomana-Rodriguez, who came out on top of an 8-7, 110-pound barnburner over returning State 4th, #7 (DI) Evin Gursoy, of Midwood, for the first of LB's aforementioned two golds!!
Also winning for the Ray Adams mentored squad at 145 pounds was 13th-ranked (DI) Jack Valentin, who after squeaking by teammate, Freedom Excel, in the semis, really came on strong in the finale, knocking off 2022 CHSAA State 4th, Nick DeNatale (Chaminade), via a 10-1 major decision...The Flyer junior [DeNatale] punched his ticket to the 'ship when he recorded a 7-6 decision in his semifinal bout over DII #15, Vakramogo Dosso (Eagle Academy)!
Three other schools also boasted title-winning duos as Herricks earned the top prize at 138 and 160 pounds; MacArthur were kings at 152 and 215 pounds, and the host schools [Hewlett] got the job done down low at 118 and 132 pounds respectively!
Needing to look no further than their three-time state finalist/2x defending champion, Joseph Manfredi (DI #2 @132), to get on the board, the #5 wrestler in the NYWN 2024 polls put on an offensive clinic, registering a pin and three technical falls en route to the victory. Making his feat all the more impressive was the fact that in the finals, he was pitted against DII (#7)/2020 NYS DII medalist (8th), Cameron Mayfield (Eagle Academy)!
Manfredi's teammate, 7th-ranked (DI) Joseph Mattei (2022 NYS DI 8th) was even more dominant, as the last of his four consecutive pins occurred at the expense of Freeport's Kesson Sorsor, in a time of 3:43...
Prevailing in one of the deepest brackets of the afternoon (3 ranked competitors) to give the [MacArthur] Generals the first of their pair was returning NYSPHSAA DI Qualifier/8th (DI) ranked Paul Lichter....Sticking his way into the finals with falls over opponents from Herricks, Chaminade, and Baldwin, as the top-seed in the bracket, Lichter wrapped up a strong showing when he posted an 8-0 major decision in the championship contest versus Long Beach's Greg Milone (DI #12)... After losing to him 12-3 one week prior, Milone secured a finals berth behind a 3-2 decision over (DII) sixth-ranked Devone Bogie (Eagle Academy)!
Complementing Lichter was his fellow returning state qualifier, Benjamin Velasquez (DI 7th), who never went the distance in any of his four appearances at 215 pounds...Extended no further than 5:44 (in the semis against LB's Jack Miller), Velasquez cemented his triumph when he pinned the representative from Baldwin, Rodney Mills, with 23 ticks remaining in the 3rd period of their title showdown!
Giving the home crowd something to cheer about were Eric Gendlin and Ariel Waldman, who highlighted a murder's row effort that saw three Bulldogs (Kirk Smith at 126 being in the middle) all advance to title bouts from 118-132)...
In full control early on (falls in his first two outings), returning Section VIII 6th, Gendlin, showed poise, as he handled the stress late, winning his semifinal and final matches by razor thin margins of 3-2 and 1-0 over Greg Walpole (Long Beach) and Matt Lichter (MacArthur)!
Hearing the beautiful sound of a mat slap (5:21) in his semifinal win over 11th-ranked (DI) Santiago Pelaez (Levittown Division), the two-time Nassau runner-up/2022 NYS DI Qualifier, #9 (DI) Waldman, seized the "precious" with a 7-4 decision against Michael Berube (Long Beach)!
Making it a perfect 13-for-13 in terms of ranked personnel winning gold were the likes of Connor Sheridan (Hauppauge), Shane Meenaghan (Chaminade), Greyson Meak (Cold Spring Harbor), Kwasi Bonsu (Baldwin), and Christian Solano (Eagle Academy) who rounded out our champions list with wins at 102, 126, 172, 189, and 285 pounds!!
After defeating hot-shot 7th grader, Ethan Andruela (Long Beach), who we highlighted in last week's recap, 6-1, in the semis, #2 (DI) Sheridan (2022 NYS Qualifier) won an All-Eagles clash in the finals when he recorded a 6-2 decision over teammate/15th-ranked (DI), Gino Manta!
Meenaghan, a 2020 NYS DI 7th, was a champion for a second consecutive weekend, as he followed up his title at the MacArthur tournament to commence his swan song, by picking up wins over two ranked oppositions this past Saturday....Ranked 5th at 118 pounds, the two-time CHSAA State Champ hailing from Hicksville pinned his fellow 2022 State Qualifier/#12 (DI) @138, Jon Fox (MacArthur) in 1:35 to reach the finals....He then spoiled the party on a Hewlett hat trick when he knocked off the previously cited two-time Nassau placer/9th-ranked (DI), Smith, 10-4, in the money match!
Meak, the two-time S8 runner-up, who made the trip to Albany last winter on behalf of the Seahawks, got his arm raised in emphatic fashion in the semifinals, winning a 10-2 major decision over Luke Anfossi (Long Beach) in a battle of #15s (Affronti-DI, Meak-DII)...He then finished his title journey by pitching a 4-0 shutout over Ryan Goodman (Hewlett) in the 172-pound finale!
Ranked 10th in the large school polls, returning Nassau titlist/2022 State Qualifier, Bonsu, certainly earned his respect, as he emerged with a 5-1 decision over 2022 Catholic State champ/2022 NYS DI Qualifier, Claudio Pinto (Chaminade)!
Closing the show at 285 was the returning NYS DII 8th, Solano (currently ranked 4th), whose third pin of the day (2:58 over Jake Rodgers of Sewanhaka East) landed him on the top step of the podium!
Finals
102: Connor Sheridan (Hauppauge) dec. Gino Manta (Hauppauge), 6-2
110: Dunia Sibomana (Long Beach) dec. Evin Gursoy (Midwood), 8-7
118: Eric Gendlin (Hewlett) dec. Matt Lichter (MacArthur), 1-0
126: Shane Meenaghan (Chaminade) dec. Kirk Smith (Hewlett), 10-4
132: Ariel Waldman (Hewlett) dec. Michael Berube (Long Beach), 7-4
138: Joseph Manfredi (Herricks) TF Cameron Mayfield (Eagle Academy)---Score N/A
145: Jack Valentin (Long Beach) Maj Dec. Nick DeNatale (Chaminade), 10-1
152: Paul Lichter (MacArthur) Maj Dec. Greg Milone (Long Beach), 8-0
160: Joseph Mattei (Herricks) pinned Kesson Sorsor (Freeport) 3:43
172: Greyson Meak (Cold Spring Harbor) dec. Ryan Goodman (Hewlett), 4-0
189: Kwasi Bonsu (Baldwin) dec. Claudio Pinto (Chaminade), 5-1
215: Ben Velasquez (MacArthur) pinned Rodney Mills (Baldwin) 5:37
285: Christian Solano (Eagle Academy) pinned Jake Rodgers (Sewanhaka East) 2:58
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