BY MICHAEL KELLY
Gazette Sportswriter
BALLSTON SPA — Another year, another Section II Class A title for the Shenendehowa wrestling team.
The Plainsmen dominated the field at the Feb. 6 event, scoring 263.50 points as a team — well outpacing second-place Columbia’s 167.50. Next year, Shenendehowa will enter the tournament as 11-time defending champions.
“We wanted to keep the streak going,” said Shenendehowa’s Mike DiMonda, a runner-up at 113 pounds.
After a Suburban Council season in which Shenendehowa posted an undefeated season, freshman Kiernan Shanahan said head coach Rob Weeks had simple advice for his crew before the tournament.
Shenendehowa’s Mike DiMonda, foreground, takes on Columbia;s Trent Nadeau during the Section II Class A wrestling tournament Saturday, Feb. 6, 2016 in Ballston Spa. (Michael Kelly/Gazette Sportswriter)
“Our coach just tells us to wrestle how we’ve wrestled all season,” said Shanahan, one of Shenendehowa’s four solo champions. “He has confidence in us.”
Shanahan — one of seven Plainsmen wrestlers to make it to a title match — earned a 12-5 decision win against Schenectady’s Josh Reed in the championship. A year ago, Shanahan had fallen in his final in a one-point decision.
“I wanted to help our team and get us points, but I also wanted to avenge my loss from last year,” Shanahan said. “That was a heart-breaker for me.”
Also earning solo championships for Shenendehowa were Kevin Guardino (138), Dietrich Hartman (132), and Kevin Parker (182). Guardino won by decision, while Parker won via a quick pinfall and Hartman earned a 15-0 technical fall.
Shenendehowa’s Kevin Parker, top, pins Ballston Spa’s Jake Cook in a championship match during the Section II Class A wrestling tournament Saturday, Feb. 6, 2016 in Ballston Spa. (Michael Kelly/Gazette Sportswriter)
Taking runner-up finishes for Shenendehowa were Dustin Bruhns (195), Danny Degennaro (152), and DiMonda (113).
At the event, every wrestler earning a top-six finish qualified for the Feb. 13-14 Section II Division I tournament in Glens Falls, where automatics bids to the state tournament can be won. The Plainsmen qualified a tournament-high 14 wrestlers for that competition, where Shenendehowa’s ambitious bunch will look again to shine.
“Kevin Parker wants to go win another state title, [99-pounder] Cody Deuel wants to place in the section, and Kiernan Shanahan wants to get to states,” said DiMonda, naming just a few of the Plainsmen with individual goals. “We’ve got 14 guys that are going … so we need to all stay together as a team.”
Besides the seven wrestlers to make it to a title match at the Feb. 6 event, the following Shenendehowa wrestlers qualified to head to Glens Falls: Tom Burns (138), Cody Deuel (99), Anthony DiNallo (160), Nick Hotaling (120), Nick Joseph (170), Jacob McGrail (145), Shane Walpole (285).
Team scores
Shenendehowa 263.50, Columbia 167.50, Ballston Spa 165.50, Schenectady 160.00, Niskayuna 117.00, Saratoga Springs 115.50, Colonie 85.00, Albany 82.50, Guilderland 81.00, Shaker 76.00, Bethlehem 70.00.
Championship finals
99 — Jake Kimble (Colo) dec. Ben Catrambone (Nisk), 8-2; 106 — Michael Gonyea (Colu) pinned Ryan Encarnacion (Sara), 0.35; 113 — Trent Nadeau (Colu) technical fall over Mike DiMonda (Shen), 18-2; 120 — John Devine (Colu) pinned Jordan Sartin (Sara), 1:10; 126 — Kiernan Shanahan (Shen) dec. Josh Reed (Sche), 12-5; 132 — Dietrich Hartman (Shen) technical fall over Deyker Edwards (Sche), 15-0; 138 — Kevin Guardino (Shen) dec. Rowan Braga (Beth), 4-1; 145 — Antonio Zamora (Sche) pinned Rob Stagnitta (Beth), 3:39; 152 — Anthony Laniewski (Nisk) pinned Danny Degennaro (Shen), 4:18; 160 — Eoghan Sweeney (Nisk) dec. AJ Melendez (Sche), 7-2; 170 — Tyler Barnes (Ball) dec. Collin Derboghossian (Sche), 5-3; 182 — Kevin Parker (Shen) pinned Jake Cook (Ball), 1:10; 195 — Dylan Dubuque (Colu) pinned Dustin Bruhns (Shen), 5:06; 220 — Garreck Golish (Ball) dec. David Wingate (Colu), 3-2; 285 — Ni-Za’leik Morris (Alba) dec. Spencer Wickert (Sara), 3-2.
Consolation finals
99 — Cody Deuel (Shen) dec. Eric Griskowitz (Sara), 8-2; 106 — Brad Heffernan (Ball) default over Zach Mandsager (Sche); 113 — Anthony Canova (Beth) dec. Tristan Biviano (Sara), 4-1; 120 — Vinnie McCann (Alba) overtime dec. Nick Hotaling (Shen), 9-7; 126 — David Wolanski (Guil) pinned Devin Wright (Beth), 1:23; 132 — Wyatt Gorman (Ball) dec. Thomas Minahan (Nisk), 7-2; 138 — Corey LaQue (Ball) pinned Ryan DiGiuseppe (Sara), 1:30; 145 — Jake DiSanto (Colo) dec. Jacob McGrail (Shen), 14-2; 152 — Joe Mather (Ball) dec. Josh Marcil (Shak), 4-0; 160 — Anthony DiNallo (Shen) dec. Taylor Pfaff (Colo), 8-1; 170 — Nick Joseph (Shen) dec. Tommy O’neill (Colu), 7-2; Sean Hourihan (Guil) 5-bout rule over Johnta Terry (Sche); 195 — Neil Perreira (Sche) pinned Jason Falvo (Guil), 2:45; 220 — Tyson Jones (Alba) forfeit win over Asadbek Koshniyazov (Alba); 285 — Shane Walpole (Shen) dec. Dante Romanucci (Nisk), 3-0.
Fifth-place matches
99 — Steven Hoare (Shak), bye; 106 — Saad Haffez (Colo) pinned Peter Meshkov (Nisk), 2:11; 113 — Kyle Northrop (Ball) dec. Jacob Cafariella (Sche), 2-0; 120 — Dominic Poggoli (Colu) dec. Anthony Mandigo (Shak), 16-2; 126 — Chris Pavelec (Shak) dec. William Gorman (Ball), 14-3; 132 — Kevin Ochs (Guil) dec. Frank Spatafora (Sara), 7-3; 138 — Tom Burns (Shen) and Miles Jackson (Alba), tied, 5-bout rule; 145 — Jacob Edwards (Colu) pinned Josh Bennett (Shak), 0:44; 152 — Connor Haley (Sara) forfeit win over Evan Pollard (Guil); 160 — Mason Wolfe (Sara) dec. Pierce Hurd (Colu), 4-1; 170 — Taylor Mooney (Guild) default win over Ethan Hartlage (Shak); Reggie Melvin (Nisk) pinned Nick Joslin (Alba), 3:30; Aaron Lohaus (Ball) OT dec. Hunter Gerasimovich (Colo), 3-2; 220 — Connor McElroy (Shak) forfeit win over Tyler Briggs (Colo); 285 — Terrell Collins (Colo) pinned Jake Stangle (Ball), 4:07.
