CORTLAND, N.Y. – The Cortland wrestling team tied for first place at the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Championship, hosted by the Red Dragons at Lusk Field House.
 
Cortland finished first in the conference for the second straight season; the league began sponsoring in 2023-24 for the first time since the 1990-91 season. Cortland and Oneonta tied for the team title with 141 points each. Brockport place third with 134, followed by Oswego (120), RIT (107.5), Ithaca (104), St. John Fisher (63.5) and Utica (24). Cortland, Oneonta and Oswego are full-time SUNYAC members, while the other schools are wrestling affiliate members. Team scores were determined by each school's highest scorer at each weight class.
 
Angelo Centrone (Mahopac) was named the championship's Most Outstanding Wrestler after finishing first at 149 pounds. He finished 5-0, starting with a pin and three technical falls. In the final, he defeated Oneonta's Avery Leonard, 8-5, with a takedown 48 seconds into the first sudden-victory overtime period. Centrone is 22-0 this season with four pins and 16 technical falls.
 
Shane Walczyk (Eden) finished second at 141 pounds. He won his first three matches, two by pin, before losing to Oswego's Gabe Goss in the finals.
 
The top two finishers in each weight class are recognized as All-SUNYAC.
 
Five other Red Dragons earned top-4 finishes. Dom Vinci (Spencerport) finished third at 141 with a 5-1 record. He won his first three matches, lost to Walczyk in the semis, and then won two more matches, capped by a pin in the third-place match. Cade Sands (Addison/Addison Central) finished fourth at 125 with a 3-2 record, with all three wins by pin. Cody Merwin (Walton) finished fourth at 133 with a 4-2 mark that included two technical falls. Robby Cunningham (Miller Place) went 2-2 with two pins to place fourth at 184 and Chris Ayala (Brentwood) posted a fourth-place finish at 285 with a 3-2 record, including two pins.

SUNYAC CHAMPIONSHIP (Jan. 18, 2025)

FINAL TEAM SCORES

T1) Cortland - 141
T1) Oneonta - 141
3) Brockport - 134
4) Oswego - 120
5) RIT - 107.5
6) Ithaca - 104
7) St. John Fisher - 63.5
8) Utica - 24

WEIGHT-CLASS CHAMPIONS

125 – Tomah Gummow (Ithaca)
133 – Trevor Cortright (Utica)
141 – Gabe Goss (Oswego)
149 – Angelo Centrone (Cortland)
157 – Tyler Rossini (Oswego)
165 – Gavin McLaughlin (Brockport)
174 – Kiam Coleman (Brockport)
184 – Jack Ryan (Oneonta)
197 – Anthony Cascen (Oswego)
285 – Josh Harkless (RIT)
 
WEIGHT-CLASS RUNNERS-UP

125 – Jacob Deysher (RIT)
133 – Derek Bernardino (St. John Fisher)
141 – Shane Walczyk (Cortland)
149 – Avery Leonard (Oneonta)
157 – Marquis Larmond (Brockport)
165 – Mason Rappold (Oneonta)
174 – Tyler Balent (RIT)
184 – Xavier Pommells (Ithaca)
197 – Carson Licastri (Oneonta)
285 – Nick Franco (Brockport)
 
(The top two wrestlers at each weight class earn All-SUNYAC honors)
 
 
MOST OUTSTANDING WRESTLER: Angelo Centrone (Cortland) - 149 pounds
 

Cortland Match Results


125 pounds

Cade Sands (3-2) (Fourth Place)
pinned Carl Santariello (St. John Fisher), 0:45
pinned Cosmo Damiani (Ithaca), 1:31
Semis: lost to Jacob Deysher (RIT), 12-11 (ot, sv-1)
pinned Wyatt Gentzel (Cortland), 1:37
3rd place: lost to Liam Bullock (Brockport), Pin 6:15
 
Wyatt Gentzel (4-2) (Fifth Place)
lost to Tomah Gummow (Ithaca), Pin 2:53
pinned Konnor Rosenzweig (Oneonta), 0:55
pinned John Freebern (RIT), 1:48
pinned Tristan Hinchcliff (Oneonta), 0:30
lost to Cade Sands (Cortland), Pin 1:37
5th place: won by medical forfeit vs. Christian Lievano (Cortland)

Christian Lievano (3-3) (Sixth Place)
dec. Andrew Montagano (Oneonta), 11-6
lost to Jacob Deysher (RIT), 7-5
pinned Matt Dougherty (Oswego), 2:30
dec. Timothy Pescatore (St. John Fisher), 2-1
lost to Liam Bullock (Brockport), tech. fall 18-0 (2:57)
(medically forfeited 5th-place match)
 
Noah Barke (0-2)
lost to Tristan Hinchcliff (Oneonta), 13-10
lost to Andrew Montagano (Oneonta), 18-8
 
133 pounds

Cody Merwin (4-2) (Fourth Place)
lost to Danny Poggi (Oneonta), 9-7
tech. fall Logan Banks (Utica), 15-0 (1:52)
won by forfeit vs. Matt Reehil (Brockport)
tech. fall Kendricks Pellicci (Ithaca), 18-2 (6:35)
dec. Lawrence Liss (RIT), 16-15
3rd place: lost to Danny Poggi (Oneonta), 10-0
 
Culley Bellino (2-2) (Sixth Place)
pinned Rian Kirker (Utica), 1:13
pinned JT Guyette (Brockport), 0:40
Semis: lost to Derek Bernardino (St. John Fisher), 10-9
(medically forfeited next match and forfeited 5th-place match)

141 pounds
 
Shane Walczyk (3-1) (Second Place)
pinned Shay Sinitiere (St. John Fisher), 0:26
dec. Jackson Maby (Oneonta), 11-7
Semis: pinned Dom Vinci (Cortland), 5:00
Finals: lost to Gabe Goss (Oswego), 15-4

Dom Vinci (5-1) (Third Place)
pinned Brandon Ribeiro (Ithaca), 5:00
major dec. Billy Beseth (Utica), 9-0
dec. Michael Santore (Oswego), 7-2
Semis: lost to Shane Walczyk (Cortland), Pin 5:00
dec. William Bentrim (Ithaca), 11-7
3rd place: pinned Jaden Friel (Brockport), 4:45
 
Rocco Futia (2-2)
pinned John Naparano (Ithaca), 3:42
lost to Jaden Friel (Brockport), 22-11
dec. Luke Yorke (St. John Fisher), 7-3
lost to William Bentrim (Ithaca), tech. fall 18-1 (3:57)
 
Max DeSousa (2-2)
lost to William Bentrim (Ithaca), 12-0
won by medical forfeit vs. Shay Sinitiere (St. John Fisher)
tech. fall James Post (Utica), 15-0 (3:00)
lost to Michael Santore (Oswego), Pin 2:43
 
149 pounds

Angelo Centrone (5-0) (First Place)
pinned Mac Davidson (RIT), 0:39
tech. fall Anthony Avitabile (Oswego), 19-4 (2:27)
tech. fall Brandon Drummond (Brockport), 17-2 (1:23)
Semis: tech. fall Matthew Grant (RIT), 19-4 (2:10)
Finals: dec. Avery Leonard (Oneonta), 8-5 (ot, sv-1)
 
David Ensminger (1-2)
pinned Dylan Kolk (Brockport), 2:02
lost to Matthew Grant (RIT), 10-5
lost to Anthony Avitabile (Oswego), 10-5
 
157 pounds
 
Justin Klein (2-2)
lost to Dara Heydarpour (RIT), 17-3
dec. Ocean Rados (Oneonta), 9-3
pinned Borese Antropov (RIT), 6:39
lost to Carter Tadusz (RIT), Pin 2:08
 
Naseem Smith (0-2)
lost to Carter Tadusz (RIT), Pin 3:29
lost to Austin Boff (Brockport), tech. fall 16-1 (5:16)
 
Jack DiMaggio (0-2)
lost to Borese Antropov (RIT), 10-3
lost to Will Burnell (Oswego), 10-7 (ot, sv-1)
 
165 pounds

Jack Pickersgill (2-2)
pinned David Hammerle (Oswego), 3:27
lost to Otto Davidson (St. John Fisher), 5-3
pinned Jason Downer (Brockport), 2:10
lost to Maxwell Morrison (Brockport), 11-6
 
Thomas Mancini (2-2)
lost to Mason Rappold (Oneonta), Pin 3:40
pinned Dante Coppola (St. John Fisher), 5:00
won by injury default vs. Max Kochergin (Cortland), 4:08
lost to Matthew Coffey (Oneonta), Pin 3:41

Max Kochergin (1-2)
pinned Jason Downer (Brockport), 4:32
lost to Joel Zea Marino (Oneonta), 15-3
lost to Thomas Mancini (Cortland), injury default 4:08
 
Ryan Closterman (0-2)
lost to Max Casiano (Ithaca), 22-11
lost to Cole Kuhar (Ithaca), Pin 5:26
 
174 pounds

Gavin Seiler (4-2) (Fifth Place)
lost to Kenny Sauer (Oneonta), 11-1
pinned Khol Klafass (Brockport), 0:34
tech. fall EJ Bonet (Brockport), 17-1 (4:09)
pinned Trevor Sheehan (St. John Fisher), 0:28
lost to Kenny Sauer (Oneonta), Pin 1:29
5th place: pinned Aaron Fredenburg (Oswego), 1:03
 
Joe Dabovich (1-2)
lost to Tyler Balent (RIT), Pin 2:43
pinned Andrew Mickel (Utica), 2:57
lost to John Hecht (Ithaca), Pin 2:00
 
Owen Windram (0-2)
lost to Trevor Sheehan (St. John Fisher), tech. fall 15-0 (5:26)
lost to Aaron Fredenburg (Oswego), Pin 0:55
 
184 pounds

Robby Cunningham (2-2) (Fourth Place)
pinned Shaquille Daniel (Oswego), 4:09
Semis: lost to Xavier Pommells (Ithaca), Pin 6:15
pinned Tymothey Murrell (Cortland), 0:12
3rd place: lost to Avery Canzano (Oswego), 4-1 (ot, sv-1)
 
Tymothey Murrell (4-2) (Fifth Place)
pinned Charlie Rossner (St. John Fisher), 3:42
lost to Avery Canzano (Oswego), Pin 6:23
pinned Travis Robinson-Becker (Brockport), 2:55
pinned RJ Holt (Oswego), 1:35
lost to Robby Cunningham (Cortland), Pin 0:12
5th place: pinned Kyle Peske (Cortland), 5:54
 
Kyle Peske (2-3) (Sixth Place)
lost to Jack Ryan (Oneonta), Pin 1:15
pinned James Sturek (Oswego), 0:58
pinned Shaquille Daniel (Oswego), 3:59
lost to Avery Canzano (Oswego), Pin 3:38
5th place: lost to Tymothey Murrell (Cortland), Pin 5:54

Jackson Campbell (0-2)
lost to Xavier Pommells (Ithaca), Pin 2:55
lost to RJ Holt (Oswego), Pin 2:32
 
197 pounds
 
Bryson Tibbs (3-2) (Fifth Place)
pinned Nathan Coon (St. John Fisher), 4:41
pinned Dustin Koskinen-Falls (Oswego), 1:44
Semis: lost to Anthony Cascen (Oswego), injury default 1:20
forfeited next match
5th place: won by medical forfeit vs. Ryan Galka (Ithaca)
 
Ansar Omarov (0-2)
lost to Anthony Cascen (Oswego), Pin 2:03
lost to Evan Cataldo (Oswego), 8-3
 
285 pounds

Chris Ayala (3-2) (Fourth Place)
lost to Nick Franco (Brockport), Pin 1:29
pinned Andrew Morris (Oneonta), Pin 1:55
won by forfeit vs. Seth Parker (Cortland)
pinned Josh Lanka (RIT), 0:18
3rd place: lost to Kenny Jackson (Oneonta), Pin 2:49
 
Seth Parker (2-2)
dec. Luke Coffin (Brockport), 7-5
lost to Dylan Cogswell (Oswego), 2-1
dec. Nathan Rourke (St. John Fisher), 8-1
lost by forfeit vs. Chris Ayala (Cortland)
 
Nick Aldino (1-2)
lost to Andrew Morris (Oneonta), 3-0
pinned Devin Champagne (St. John Fisher), 3:50
lost to Kenny Jackson (Oneonta), Pin 2:26