AMHERST, N.Y. – Five Cortland wrestlers advanced to the semifinals in their weight classes and three other Red Dragons are also guaranteed top-eight finishes and all-state honors after the first day of competition at the New York State College Wrestling Championships. Cortland is fifth out of 18 teams and is the top non-Division I school in the team standings with 66 points. Buffalo leads with 91.5 points, followed by Army (85), Cornell (71.5), Columbia (69), Cortland and Nassau Community College (57.5).
Still alive for state titles are sophomore
Dave Colagiovanni (Mahopac) at 133 pounds, junior
Paul LeBlanc (Morrisville/Morrisville-Eaton) at 149 pounds, senior
Zack Bogardus (Fulton/G. Ray Bodley) at 165 pounds, sophomore
Corey Barber (Hudson Falls) at 174 pounds and senior
Brett Giehl (Rochester/Greece Athena) at 184 pounds. Three other Red Dragons are still competing in the consolation bracket – junior
Peppy Cabrera (Bay Shore/Brentwood) at 125 pounds, freshman
Tyler Sick (Cohocton/Hornell) at 157 pounds and sophomore
Joe Murphy (St. James/Smithtown) at heavyweight.
Colagiovanni, the third seed at 133, posted two decisions and will face second-seeded Whitt Dunning of Army in the semifinals. LeBlanc, the top seed at 149, earned 14-3 and 4-0 victories to earn a bout with fourth-seeded DJ Meagher of Cornell in the semifinals.
Bogardus, the third seed at 165 pounds, received an early bye before edging sixth-seeded Cam Mills of Oswego, 2-1, in the quarterfinals. He will meet second-seeded Shaheim Bradshaw of Brockport in the semifinals. Barber, the fifth seed at 174 pounds, pinned his first opponent and won, 5-4, versus fourth-seeded Dave Priest of Ithaca. He will face top-seeded Joey Hooker of Cornell in the semis. Giehl entered the 184-pound bracket seeded fifth and won twice, including a 3-1 win over fourth-seeded Nick Coleman of NYU. He will be paired with top-seeded Nate Holley of Cornell in the semifinals.
Cabrera, Sick and Murphy each won his first match, lost his second and won his third. They each can finish as high as third place on Saturday.
Cortland Wrestling at Day 1 of New York State Collegiate Wrestling Championships
Jan. 18, 2008; Univ. at Buffalo; Amherst, N.Y.
TEAM SCORES AFTER DAY 1
1) Buffalo 91.5
2) Army 85
3) Cornell 71.5
4) Columbia 69
5) Cortland 66
6) Nassau CC 57.5
7) NYU 37
8) Ithaca 36.5
9) Oneonta 35
10) Oswego 24.5
11) Niagara CCC 23.5
12) Brockport 19.5
13) Wagner 18
14) RIT 17.5
15) Morrisville 9.5
16) Hunter 8
17) Alfred St. 6.5
18) Jamestown CC 2
Cortland Match Results
PEPPY CABRERA – 125 POUNDS (#5 seed)
major dec. Jarred Lemke (NCCC), 13-4
lost to #4 Frank Perrelli (Cornell), 6-2
major dec. John Scheidell (Ithaca), 11-1
Saturday: vs. Kyle Christensen (NYU)
DAVE COLAGIOVANNI – 133 POUNDS (#3 seed)
def. Josh Bellinger (Brock), 8-5
def. Matt Myers (Hunter), 6-2
Saturday: Semifinals vs. #2 Whitt Dunning (Army)
MIKE ESTEVES – 141 POUNDS (1-2)
lost to #5 Mike Tutunjian (Wagner), 2-0
def. Ryan Fallot (Brockport), 8-2
lost to #6 Andre Harrison (Nassau), 8-6
PAUL LeBLANC – 149 POUNDS (#1 seed)
major dec. Morgan Hoven (Oneonta), 14-3
def. Dusty Truver (Jamestown), 4-0
Saturday: Semifinals vs. #4 DJ Meagher (Cornell)
TYLER SICK – 157 POUNDS
def. Sean Sercu (NCCC), 6-0
lost to #2 Matt Dunn (Columbia), 5-0
major dec. Greg Davis (Ithaca), 12-1
Saturday: vs. #3 Geoff Rosa (Oneonta)
ZACK BOGARDUS – 165 POUNDS (#3 seed)
def. #6 Cam Mills (Oswego), 2-1
Saturday: Semis vs. #2 Shaheim Bradshaw (Brock)
COREY BARBER – 174 POUNDS (#5 seed)
pinned Naum Shuminov (NYU), 4:05
def. #4 Dave Priest (Ithaca), 5-4
Saturday: Semifinals vs. #1 Joey Hooker (Cornell)
BRETT GIEHL – 184 POUNDS (#5 seed)
major dec. Josh Lancaster (Brockport), 10-0
def. #4 Nick Coleman (NYU), 3-1
Saturday: Semifinals vs. #1 Nate Holley (Cornell)
TREAVOR LeBLANC – 184 POUNDS (#6 seed)(0-1)
lost to Kenji Porter (Columbia), 5-2
(medically forfeited next match)
JOE MURPHY – HEAVYWEIGHT
pinned Andy Wright (Alfred St.), 2:22
lost to #1 Trevor Hiffa (Oneonta), 5-0
def. Joe Goetz (Ithaca), 2-1 (ot, sv)
Saturday: vs. Jed Wade (Columbia)
**** CORTLAND'S MATCHES IN “B” DIVISION ****
Frank Witkowski – 125 pounds (1-2)
lost to Lance Penhale (Army), 16-0 (5:09)
tech. fall Kyle Travers (RIT), 16-1 (1:52)
lost to Byron Tuyay (NYU), 8-7
Nick Tonini – 133 pounds (2-1, 3rd place)
lost to Rob Swan (Army), 4-1
pinned Corey Munn (Oswego), 2:53
def. Bogdan Szurant (Oneonta), 7-1
Joe Moran – 141 pounds (3-2, 4th place)
def. Adam Coleman (Hunter), 9-4
def. Andrew Hutchins (Ithaca), 3-0
lost to Casey Smith (Army), Pin 2:00
def. Junior Amazan (Ithaca), 6-3
lost to Steve Perez (Nassau), 6-2)
Marc Gerace – 141 pounds (0-2)
lost to Casey Smith (Army), Pin 2:32
lost to Ryan Cornell (Wagner), Pin 2:37
Kevin Sackett – 149 pounds (3-1, 2nd place)
pinned Ryan Nye (Army), 5:19
major dec. David McLeod (Brockport), 10-0
Semis: def. John Dack (NYU), 8-7
Finals: lost to Evan Veney (Buffalo), 5-3 (ot, sv)
Cory Mahoney – 149 pounds (2-2)
lost to William Simpson (Army), 7-1
major dec. David McLeod (Brockport), 10-0
def. Mark Arpaia (NYU), 13-12
lost to William Simpson (Army), 16-0 (4:00)
Will Brodfuehrer – 157 pounds (2-1, 2nd place)
def. Kyle Bome (Oswego), 4-0
Semis: def. Brock Epps (Army), 9-4
Finals: lost to Rudy Chelednik (Army), Pin 6:41
Matt Champion – 157 pounds (2-2, 4th place)
def. Stephen Andolena (Ithaca), 6-3
lost to Rudy Chelednik (Army), 9-4
def. Kyle Bome (Oswego), 8-3
lost to Marc Collins (Oswego), 3-2
Cameron Gee – 197 pounds (3-0, 1st place)
def. Joel Ford (Oswego), 9-4
Semis: def. Jason Weber (Buffalo), 9-2
Finals: pinned Eric Leusch (Oswego), 1:18
Corey Proscia – 197 pounds (0-2)
lost to Eric Leusch (Oswego), 8-3
lost to Jason Weber (Buffalo), 8-5
