ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The Cortland wrestling team, behind two weight-class champions and 12 total top-six finishers, won the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) team title Saturday at RIT's Gordon Field House. 
 
The SUNYAC is sponsoring wrestling for the first time since the 1990-91 season. The conference consists of eight teams - four current full-time league members and four wrestling affiliate members. Cortland captured its eighth SUNYAC title overall and first since the 1987-88 season. The Red Dragons finished with 155.5 points, followed by Ithaca (145), RIT (130.5), Oswego (102.5), Oneonta (92.5), St. John Fisher (90), Brockport (63.5) and Utica (23). 
 
Senior J.C. Cardenas (Brooklyn/Grand Street Campus) was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler after winning the 133-pound title a 4-0 record. He won twice by technical fall, followed by a 7-2 decision in the semifinals and a 13-8 win over Ithaca's Isaias Torres in the finals. Senior Leo Rabinovich (Staten Island/Tottenville) won the 285-pound crown with a 4-0 mark that included two pins and a 3-1 win over Ithaca's Jeremy Mazzella in the finals. 
 
Freshman Culley Bellino (Canastota) finished second at 141 pounds. He won his first three matches, with a pin and a major decision, before losing to St. John Fisher's Alex Samson in the finals. 
 
The top two finishers in each weight class earn All-SUNYAC honors. 
 
Four Cortland wrestlers earned fourth-place finishes - Christian Lievano (East Setauket/Ward Melville) was 3-2 at 125 pounds, Nick Noto (Lima/Honeoye Falls-Lima) went 3-2 at 149 pounds, Pat Ross (Woodstock/Onteora) was 4-2 at 174 pounds and Robby Cunningham (Miller Place) went 5-2 at 184 pounds. 
 
Three Red Dragons finished fifth - Shane Walczyk (Eden) at 141, Hunter Hughes (Selden/Newfield) at 157 and Nick Ross (Woodstock/Onteora) at 165, while Dan Cassera (East Setauket/Ward Melville) placed sixth at 174 and Chris Bold (Miller Place) was sixth at 197.


SUNYAC CHAMPIONSHIPS (Nov. 18, 2023)

FINAL TEAM SCORES:
1) Cortland - 155.5 
2) Ithaca - 145 
3) RIT - 130.5 
4) Oswego - 102.5 
5) Oneonta - 92.5 
6) St. John Fisher - 90 
7) Brockport - 63.5 
8) Utica - 23 

WEIGHT-CLASS CHAMPIONS
125 – Lee Rubin (RIT)
133 – J.C. Cardenas (Cortland)
141 – Alex Samson (St. John Fisher)
149 – Tyler Rossini (Oswego)
157 – Wenchard Pierre-Louis (Ithaca)
165 – Konrad Parker (Ithaca)
174 – Charlie Grygas (Oswego)
184 – Jack Ryan (Oneonta)
197 – Braydon Vandenberg (St. John Fisher)
285 – Leo Rabinovich (Cortland) 
 
WEIGHT-CLASS RUNNERS-UP
125 – Daniel Parkulo (St. John Fisher)
133 – Isaias Torres (Ithaca)
141 – Culley Bellino (Cortland)
149 – Mike Glynn (RIT)
157 – Marek Bush (RIT)
165 – Liam Strouse (RIT)
174 – Jackson Gray (Ithaca)
184 – Xavier Pommells (Ithaca)
197 – Carson Licastri (Oneonta)
285 – Jeremy Mazzella (Ithaca) 
 
(The top two wrestlers at each weight class earn All-SUNYAC honors) 
 
MOST OUTSTANDING WRESTLER:  J.C. Cardenas (Cortland)


Cortland Match Results
 
125 pounds

Christian Lievano (3-2) (Fourth Place) 
dec. Kendricks Pellicci (Ithaca), 6-3 
dec. Jacob Deysher (RIT), 15-14 
Semis: lost to Lee Rubin (RIT), Pin 4:27 
pinned Kendricks Pellicci, 1:39 
3rd place: lost to Liam Bullock (Brockport), tech. fall 19-2 

Wyatt Gentzel (0-2) 
lost to Cosmo Damiani (Ithaca), 10-7 
lost to Giovanni Russo (Oneonta), 10-3 
 
133 pounds
 
J.C. Cardenas (4-0) (First Place) 
tech. fall Lucas Dionne (Ithaca), 19-4 
tech. fall Derek Bernardino (St. John Fisher), 17-0 
Semis: dec. Michael Santore (Oswego), 7-2 
Finals: dec. Isaias Torres (Ithaca), 13-8 
 
Cody Merwin (2-2) 
dec. Johnny Vicario (Oswego), 10-9 
lost to Logan Patterson (RIT), 8-6 
dec. Nathan Finn (Brockport), 10-3 
lost to Trevor Cortright (Utica), 4-3 

Rocco Futia (1-2) 
tech. fall Nathan Finn (Brockport), 21-5 
lost to Isaias Torres (Ithaca), 11-1 
lost to Trevor Cortright (Utica), 1-0 
141 pounds 
 
Culley Bellino (3-1) (Second Place) 
major dec. Santos Ocasio (Oneonta), 15-2 
pinned Shane Walczyk (Cortland), 1:43 
Semis: dec. Josh Post (RIT), 4-1 (ot, sv-1) 
Finals: lost to Alex Samson (St. John Fisher), tech. fall 20-3 
 
Shane Walczyk (4-2) (Fifth Place) 
major dec. Luke Yorke (St. John Fisher), 13-2 
lost to Culley Bellino (Cortland), Pin 1:43 
major dec. Brandon Ribeiro (Ithaca), 16-6 
dec. Santos Ocasio (Oneonta), 7-3 
lost to Bryson Vaughn (RIT), tech. fall 17-2 
5th place: pinned Josh Post (RIT), 5:15 
 
Noah Orser (0-2) 
lost to Bryson Vaughn (RIT), tech. fall 16-0 
lost to Brandon Ribeiro (Ithaca), 8-0

149 pounds

Nick Noto (3-2) (Fourth Place) 
tech. fall Michael Rosenblum (St. John Fisher), 15-0 
dec. Clay Rankin (RIT), 7-1 
Semis: lost to Mike Glynn (RIT), 5-2 
pinned Charles Loucks (Brockport), 2:11 
3rd place: lost to Jared Lee (RIT), 9-7 
 
Ryan Holt (0-2) 
lost to Jared Lee (RIT), 11-0 
lost to Mason Rappold (Oneonta), 11-0 
 
157 pounds 
 
Hunter Hughes (4-2) (Fifth Place) 
pinned Aslanbek Sharipov (Ithaca), 1:50 
lost to Marek Bush (RIT), 14-3 
pinned Joseph Averill (Ithaca), 3:58 
won by medical forfeit vs. Kyle Klein (Cortland) 
lost to Braden Edwards (Ithaca), Pin 4:10 
5th place: major dec. Joshua Maslyn (St. John Fisher), 16-6 
 
Kyle Klein (2-2) 
major dec. Connor Timmons (RIT), 14-2 
lost to Max Yahre (Oneonta), 6-3 
pinned Trevor Sheehan (St. John Fisher), 2:16 
(medically forfeited next match) 
 
Max Kochergin (2-2) 
lost to Braden Edwards (Ithaca), tech. fall 20-4 
pinned Anthony Kelly (Utica), 1:42 
pinned Max Morrison (Brockport), 1:05 
lost to Joshua Maslyn (St. John Fisher), Pin 1:27 
 
165 pounds

Nick Ross (2-2) (Fifth Place) 
pinned Cole Kuhar (Ithaca), 0:43 
dec. Brian Bienus (Ithaca), 12-8 
Semis: lost to Liam Strouse (RIT), 5-1 
(medically forfeited next match) 
5th place: won by no contest vs. Marquis Larmond (Brockport) 
 
Justin Klein (3-2) 
tech. fall Haydin Perez (Brockport), 19-3 
lost to Pedro Cruz (Ithaca), 16-4 
dec. Otto Davidson (St. John Fisher), 5-1 
pinned Sebastian Panzenbeck (Ithaca), 2:39 
lost to Mason Grodzki (RIT), tech. fall 20-5 
 
Tristan Robinson-July (2-2) 
pinned Sebastian Panzenbeck (Ithaca), 1:34 
lost to Pedro Cruz (Ithaca), 6-2 
pinned Steven Felice (Oswego), 4:13 
lost to Mason Grodzki (RIT), 16-8

Gabe Lynch (1-2) 
major dec. Steven Felice (Oswgo), 12-1 
lost to Aaron Nelson (Ithaca), Pin 4:55 
lost to Landen Smith (Oswego), Pin 2:06 
 
Cole Wheet (0-2) 
lost to Liam Strouse (RIT), tech. fall 18-1 
lost to Landen Smith (Oswego), 5-0 
 
Naseem Smith (0-2) 
lost to Mason Grodzki (RIT), tech. fall 15-0 
lost to Steven Felice (Oswego), 10-0 
 
174 pounds

Pat Ross (4-2) (Fourth Place) 
pinned Jace Rehberg (Oswego), 0:45 
lost to Jackson Gray (Ithaca), 10-6 
pinned James Sturek (Oswego), 0:31 
pinned Tommy Coll (Oswego), 0:30 
won by medical forfeit vs. Dan Cassera (Cortland) 
3rd place: lost to Ben Dougherty (RIT), 8-0 
 
Dan Cassera (2-2) (Sixth Place) 
pinned James Sturek (Oswego), 3:34 
dec. Kenny Sauer (Oneonta), 12-8 
Semis: lost to Charlie Grygas (Oswego), 13-2 
(medically forfeited next two matches, including 5th place match) 
 
184 pounds

Robby Cunningham (5-2) (Fourth Place) 
pinned Nicholas Aliani (Oneonta), 4:16 
pinned Michael Watts (St. John Fisher), 5:00 
lost to Jack Ryan (Oneonta), 10-0 
pinned Gavin McLaughlin (Brockport), 1:07 
won by medical forfeit vs. Tyler Goodemote (Cortland) 
pinned Bryce Smith (Oswego), 6:59 
3rd place: lost to Jake Jones (Ithaca), 4-0 
 
Tyler Goodemote (3-2) 
major dec. Elijah Bonet (Brockport), 18-7 
pinned Andrew Mickel (Utica), 4:10 
lost to Jake Jones (Ithaca), Pin 1:48 
won by injury default vs. Michael Watts (St. John Fisher), 2:16 
(medically forfeited next match) 
 
Ryan Monahan (1-2) 
pinned Elon Martin (RIT), 6:05 
lost to Xavier Pommells (Ithaca), Pin 4:59 
lost to James DeLucia (Oneonta), 4-2

197 pounds 
 
Chris Bold (3-3) (Sixth Place) 
pinned Gage Tedesco (Utica), 2:43 
lost to Braydon Vendenberg (St. John Fisher), Pin 0:22 
dec. Charlie Turner (Ithaca), 7-0 
pinned Dustin Koskinen-Falls (Oswego), 6:22 
lost to Anthony Cascen (Oswego), tech. fall 19-3 
5th place: lost to Noah Kennedy (Oneonta), pin 2:27 
 
285 pounds

Leo Rabinovich (4-0) (First Place) 
pinned Luke Coffin (Brockport), 0:49 
dec. Jackson Burns (St. John Fisher), 7-2 
Semis: pinned Jhordyn Innocent (Oneonta), 4:14 
Finals: dec. Jeremy Mazzella (Ithaca), 3-1 
Roman Jellick (1-2) 
dec. Liam Keevill (Brockport), 10-3 
lost to Jhordyn Innocent (Oneonta), 8-1 
lost to Anthony Vasquez (Oswego), Pin 5:26 
 
Josiah Carnegie (0-2) 
lost to Ryan Fischer (RIT), 17-8 
lost to Kevin Arriaza (Oswego), Pin 4:25