OSWEGO, N.Y. – J.C. Cardenas (Brooklyn/Grand Street Campus), Cahal Donovan (Marietta/Marcellus) and Brian Torres (Brooklyn/Grand Street Campus) won league titles, and 10 other Red Dragons earned top-six placements, as Cortland finished in third place out of nine schools at the 2022-23 Empire Collegiate Wrestling Conference (ECWC) Championships, hosted by SUNY Oswego. 
 
Cortland, ranked 25th nationally in Division III, finished with 124 points, eight behind runner-up Brockport and 23 behind team champion Ithaca. Oswego finished fourth with 111.5 points, followed by Alfred St. (101.5), Oneonta (91), Penn College of Technology (82), RIT (40.5) and St. John Fisher (24). 
 
Donovan was named the championship's Most Outstanding Wrestler after winning the 141-pound weight class with a 5-0 record. Three of his victories earned bonus points with a pin, technical fall and a major decision, and he defeated nationally ranked Luis Hernandez of Ithaca, 5-3, in the championship match. 
 
Cardenas, ranked eighth nationally, registered a 5-0 record with a pin and a major decision to win the 133-pound title. He was an 8-3 winner in the finals versus Oneonta's Anthony Romero. Torres went 4-0 with a pin, technical fall and major decision to capture the 184-pound title. He won 6-1 in the finals against Bryce Smith of Oswego. 
 
Angelo Centrone (Mahopac) finished third at 149 pounds with a 4-1 record. Two of his wins were by technical fall and he pinned his opponent in the third-place match. Tyler Goodemote (Berne/Berne-Knox-Westerlo) placed fourth at 184 pounds with a 4-2 record that included two pins. 
 
Four Red Dragons finished in fifth place – Christian Lievano (East Setauket/Ward Melville) at 125 pounds, Chris Mableton (Bay Shore) at 141 pounds, Kyle Klein (Miller Place) at 157 pounds and Roman Jellick (Johnson City/Maine-Endwell) at 285 pounds. Lievano was 4-2 with two pins and a major decision, Mableton went 4-2 with three pins, Klein was 3-2 with a major decision, and Jellick finished 4-2 with a pin. 
 
Cortland's four sixth-place finishers were Justin Amendola (Rocky Point) at 125 pounds (3-2, major decision), Cody Merwin (Walton) at 133 pounds (2-1, pin), Justin Klein (Miller Place) at 149 pounds (4-2, two pins, technical fall, major decision), and Adam Barker (Holbrook/Sachem North) at 174 pounds (2-0, pin).

Cortland returns to action on Dec. 2-3 at the Messiah (Pa.) Petrofes Invitational.

EMPIRE COLLEGIATE WRESTLING CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS (Nov. 19, 2022)

FINAL TEAM SCORES:
1) Ithaca – 147 
2) Brockport – 132 
3) Cortland – 124 
4) Oswego – 111.5 
5) Alfred St. – 101.5 
6) Oneonta – 91 
7) Penn College of Tech. – 82 
8) RIT – 40.5 
9) St. John Fisher – 24 

WEIGHT-CLASS CHAMPIONS
125 – Liam Bullock (Brockport)
133 – J.C. Cardenas (Cortland)
141 – Cahal Donovan (Cortland)
149 – Eli Sims (Brockport)
157 – Wenchard Pierre-Louis (Ithaca)
165 – Jackson Gray (Ithaca)
174 – Charlie Grygas (Oswego)
184 – Brian Torres (Cortland)
197 – Chibueze Chukwuezi (Ithaca)
285 – Jake Pine (Oneonta) 
 
MOST OUTSTANDING WRESTLER:  Cahal Donovan (Cortland)

Cortland Match Results
 
125 pounds

Christian Lievano (4-2) (Fifth Place) 
major dec. John Vicario (Oswego), 16-3 
lost to Danny Poggi (Oneonta), Pin 3:00 
pinned Michael Sandacz (Penn College), 0:52 
pinned Wyatt Gentzel (Cortland), 3:33 
lost to Ryan Berstler (Penn College), Pin 2:32 
Fifth Place: won by medical forfeit vs. Justin Amendola (Cortland) 
 
Justin Amendola (3-2) (Sixth Place) 
dec. Aiden Prunoske (RIT), 7-2 
lost to Ryan Berstler (Penn College), 6-4 
dec. Carl Santariello (St. John Fisher), 10-4 
major dec. Mason Drew (Alfred St.), 10-1 
lost to Danny Poggi (Oneonta), 4-1 
(medically forfeited fifth-place match) 

Wyatt Gentzel (2-2) 
pinned Giovanni Russo (Oneonta), 4:00 
lost to Matt Haycook (Ithaca), Pin 1:45 
major dec. John Freebern (RIT), 15-6 
lost to Christian Lievano (Cortland), Pin 3:33 

133 pounds

J.C. Cardenas (5-0) (First Place) 
major dec. Derek Bernardino (St. John Fisher), 18-4 
dec. Jeff Robinson (RIT), 8-4 
pinned Peter Sacco (Oneonta), 1:40 
Semis: dec. Isaias Torres (Ithaca), 10-5 
Finals: dec. Anthony Romero (Oneonta), 8-3 
 
Cody Merwin (2-1) (Sixth Place) 
pinned Spencer Maja (Brockport), 4:06 
dec. Gabe Scalise (RIT), 6-2 
Semis: lost to Anthony Romero (Oneonta), 8-3 
(medically forfeited next two matches, including fifth-place match) 

Devin Walker (1-2) 
lost to Anthony Romero (Oneonta), 10-2 
major dec. Christopher Gatto (Oswego), 15-1 
lost to Gabe Scalise (RIT), Pin 4:08 

141 pounds 
 
Cahal Donovan (5-0) (First Place) 
tech. fall Wayne Earl (Oswego), 16-1 
pinned Shawn Hall Jr. (Alfred St.), 3:26 
dec. Francis Whitehouse (Brockport), 7-0 
Semis: major dec. Noah Hunt (Penn College), 11-3 
Finals: dec. Luis Hernandez (Ithaca), 5-3 
 
Chris Mableton (4-2) (Tied for Fifth Place) 
pinned Kaleb Carreon (Oswego), Pin 1:50 
pinned Torin Bishop (St. John Fisher), Pin 7:00 
lost to Sean Peterson (Alfred St.), 16-4 
dec. Zachary Ash (St. John Fisher), 16-14 (ot, sv-1) 
pinned Torin Bishop (St. John Fisher), 1:05 
lost to Noah Hunt (Penn College), Pin 2:26 
("no contest" in fifth-place match; both wrestlers already wrestled six times)

Vinnie Santilli (2-2)
lost to Zachary Ash (St. John Fisher), 9-4
major dec. Shawn Hall Jr. (Alfred St.), 19-7
dec. Billy Piatti (Oswego), 13-7
lost to Benjamin Lloyd (Alfred St.), Pin 2:32
 
Noah Orser (0-2) 
lost to Benjamin Lloyd (Alfred St.), 12-2 
lost to Kaleb Carreon (Oswego), Pin 1:25
 
149 pounds

Angelo Centrone (4-1) (Third Place) 
tech. fall Joey Brillo (RIT), 18-3 
dec. Anthony Miraglia (Alfred St.), 6-3 
Semis: lost to Eli Sims (Brockport), 5-3 
tech. fall Justin Klein (Cortland), 22-2 
Third Place: pinned Michael Blando (Oneonta), 3:42 
 
Justin Klein (4-2) (Sixth Place) 
lost to Eli Sims (Brockport), Pin 1:25 
pinned Mahmoud Esa (Brockport), 5:20 
major dec. Ethan Morrison (Alfred St.), 18-6 
pinned Joey Pillittieri (Cortland), 2:21 
tech. fall Anderson Klosner (Oneonta), 16-1 
lost to Angelo Centrone (Cortland), tech. fall 22-2 
Fifth Place: "no contest" since wrestled six times already; opponent finished fifth 
 
Ryan Burgbacher (2-0) 
major dec. Matthew Grant (RIT), 10-2 
pinned Mahmoud Esa (Brockport), 4:22 
(medically forfeited next two matches) 
 
Joey Pillittieri (1-2) 
dec. Liam Goodrich (Penn College), 13-12 
lost to Tyler Rossini (Oswego), 10-8 (ot, sv-1) 
lost to Justin Klein (Cortland), Pin 2:21 
 
157 pounds 
 
Kyle Klein (3-2) (Fifth Place) 
major dec. Pedro Cruz (Ithaca), 10-1 
dec. Travis Kauffman (Alfred St.), 13-10
Semis: lost to Wenchard Pierre-Louis (Ithaca), Pin 3:26 
lost to Adrian Rosario-Beato (Ithaca), 8-3 
Fifth Place: won by forfeit vs. Justin Smith (Alfred St.) (Smith already wrestled six times) 
 
Nick Ross (3-2) 
pinned Damani Johnson (Oswego), 1:06 
pinned Mason Grodzki (RIT), 1:56 
lost to Travis Jones (Ithaca), 11-6 
major dec. Anton Esterbrook (Penn College), 17-7 
lost by injury default vs. Adrian Rosario-Beato (Ithaca), 1:50 
 
165 pounds

Gabe Lynch (1-1) 
pinned Justin Peña (Oneonta), 3:48 
lost by injury default vs. Jackson Gray (Ithaca), 0:23 
(forfeited next match) 
 
174 pounds

Adam Barker (2-0) (Sixth Place) 
pinned Dylan Haubner (St. John Fisher), 1:06 
dec. Konrad Parker (Ithaca), 3-2 
(medically forfeited next three matches, including fifth-place match) 
 
Michael Rivera (1-2) 
lost to Tyler Balent (RIT), 9-7 
pinned Carlos Guzman (Ithaca), 2:53 
lost to Jared Zenie (Brockport), 4-2 (ot, sv-1)
 
184 pounds

Brian Torres (4-0) (First Place) 
tech. fall Michael Patti (RIT), 21-5 
pinned Karam Ali (Brockport), 4:11 
Semis: major dec. Ryan Galka (Ithaca), 8-0 
Finals: dec. Bryce Smith (Oswego), 6-1 
 
Tyler Goodemote (4-2) (Fourth Place) 
lost to Bryce Smith (Oswego), Pin 1:06 
pinned Samuel Berger (Oneonta), 1:13 
pinned Nick Florin (Oneonta), 1:04 
dec. John Layfield (Alfred St.), 8-6 
(won next match by medical forfeit vs. Ryan Galka (Ithaca)) 
Third Place: lost to Sean Malenfant (Alfred St.), Pin 3:59 

197 pounds

No Cortland entries 
 
285 pounds

Roman Jellick (4-2) (Fifth Place) 
lost to Evan Albrecht (Alfred St.), 2-1 
pinned Evan Cataldo (Oswego), 0:56 
dec. Nicolas Galka (Ithaca), 8-5 
dec. Kevin Arriaza (Oswego), 4-2 
lost to Evan Albrecht (Alfred St.), 7-6 
Fifth Place: dec. Nick Barrett (Alfred St.), 5-1