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See lohud's 2024 Section 1 championship wrestling predictions for every weight class

eugene rapay, rockland/westchester journal news
·6 min read

The weekend is almost here. After releasing the Journal News/lohud.com large- and small-school tournament previews, let's further the postseason conversation with final-four predictions for every weight class.

Section 1's Division I tournament is set to begin at 8:45 a.m. Saturday at the Westchester County Center. The tournament will resume on Sunday, at 10:15 a.m., starting with semifinal matches.

As for Division II, the one-day event is slated to begin 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the Westchester County Center, following the end of the Division I tournament opening day bouts.

Alexander Berisha from Fox Lane on his way to defeating Rocco Lore from Yorktown in the 215 pound match during the wrestling divisional at Clarkstown South High School in West Nyack, Feb. 3, 2024.
Alexander Berisha from Fox Lane on his way to defeating Rocco Lore from Yorktown in the 215 pound match during the wrestling divisional at Clarkstown South High School in West Nyack, Feb. 3, 2024.

Division I (large-school) predictions

101 POUNDS

Semis: No. 1 Vincenzo Mannello (Byram Hills/Briarcliff/Valhalla/Westlake) over No. 5 Luke Iasiello (Scarsdale); No. 2 Fotis Koufalis (New Rochelle) over No. 3 Gio Tornambe (Yorktown)

Finals:  No. 1 Mannello (Byram Hills/Briarcliff/Valhalla/Westlake) over No. 2 Koufalis (New Rochelle)

108 POUNDS

Semis: No. 1 Nick Fortugno (Byram Hills/Briarcliff/Valhalla/Westlake) over No. 5 Tatsu Homma (Mamaroneck); No. 3 Ethan Steuber (Somers/North Salem) over No. 2 Carlos Deoleo (Yonkers)

Finals: No. 1 Fortugno (Byram Hills/Briarcliff/Valhalla/Westlake) over No. 3 Steuber (Somers/North Salem)

116 POUNDS

Semis: No. 1 Ryan Ball (Somers/North Salem) over No. 5 Matteo Crino (New Rochelle); No. 2 Charles Przymylski (Mahopac) over No. 6 Thomas Looby Jr. (Brewster)

Finals: No. 1 Ball (Somers/North Salem) over No. 2 Przymylski (Mahopac)

124 POUNDS

Semis: No. 1 Dillon Arrick (Arlington) over No. 5 Henry Ramirez (Mahopac); No. 2 Dylan LaRocco (Clarkstown North) over No. 3 Justin Reiss (Tappan Zee)

Finals: No. 1 Arrick (Arlington) over No. 2 LaRocco (Clarkstown North)

131 POUNDS

Semis: No. 1 Amari Payton (North Rockland) over No. 4 Liam Dwyer (Somers/North Salem); No. 2 Neil Paulercio (Byram Hills/Briarcliff/Valhalla/Westlake) over No. 3 Joe Gabriele (John Jay-Cross River)

Finals: No. 1 Payton (North Rockland) over No. 2 Paulercio (Byram Hills/Briarcliff/Valhalla/Westlake)

138 POUNDS

Semis: No. 1 Joe Tornambe (Yorktown) over No. 4 Robert DeMauro (Mahopac); No. 3 Parker Trento (Tappan Zee) over No. 2 Ryan Ciardullo (Clarkstown North)

Finals: No. 1 Tornambe (Yorktown) over No. 3 Trento (Tappan Zee)

145 POUNDS

Semis: No. 1 Thomas Iasiello (Scarsdale) over No. 4 Robert Vrabel (Somers/North Salem); No. 2 Justin Riello (North Rockland) over No. 3 Thomas Tsoi (Byram Hills/Briarcliff/Valhalla/Westlake)

Finals: No. 1 Iasiello (Scarsdale) over No. 2 Riello (North Rockland)

152 POUNDS

Semis: No. 1 Chris Nocca (Horace Greeley) over No. 4 Wesly Guzman (North Rockland); No. 2 Anthony Lofaro (Ossining) over No. 6 Austin Omin (John Jay-Cross River)

Finals: No. 2 Lofaro (Ossining) over No. 1 Nocca (Horace Greeley)

160 POUNDS

Semis: No. 1 Sam Szerlip (Nyack) over No. 4 Nick Greco (Mahopac); No. 2 Martin Palomeque (Peekskill) over No. 3 C.J. Luth (Rye)

Finals: No. 1 Szerlip (Nyack) over No. 2 Palomeque (Peekskill)

170 POUNDS

Semis: No. 1 Leo Venables (Carmel) over No. 5 Danny Morrison (John Jay-East Fishkill); No. 2 Dylan Shelton (North Rockland) over No. 3 Vincent DiRenno (Suffern)

Finals: No. 1 Venables (Carmel) over No. 2 Shelton (North Rockland)

190 POUNDS

Semis: No. 1 Justin Daniyan (Somers/North Salem) over No. 4 Steven Hill (Scarsdale); No. 3 Ian Sutherland (Brewster) over No. 7 Barron Ransom (Fox Lane)

Finals: No. 3 Sutherland (Brewster) over No. 1 Daniyan (Somers/North Salem)

215 POUNDS

Semis: No. 1 Alex Berisha (Fox Lane) over No. 5 Ryan Brace (Brewster); No. 3 Rocco Lore (Yorktown) over No. 2 Thomas Anderson (Rye)

Finals: No. 1 Berisha (Fox Lane) over No. 3 Lore (Yorktown)

285 POUNDS

Semis: No. 1 Michael Mauro (John Jay-East Fishkill) over No. 4 Dan Hurley (Lakeland/Panas); No. 2 George Gjergji (Yorktown) over No. 3 Marlon Wheatley (Ossining)

Finals: No. 1 Mauro (John Jay-East Fishkill) over No. 2 Gjergji (Yorktown)

Hendrick Hudson's Mason Dietz on his way to defeating Putnam Valley's Jaden Tesher in the 285-pound weight class during the Section 1 Division II wrestling championships at Hendrick Hudson High School in Montrose Feb. 11, 2023.
Hendrick Hudson's Mason Dietz on his way to defeating Putnam Valley's Jaden Tesher in the 285-pound weight class during the Section 1 Division II wrestling championships at Hendrick Hudson High School in Montrose Feb. 11, 2023.

Division II (small-school) predictions

101 POUNDS

Semis: No. 1 Kelvin Jimenez (Sleepy Hollow) over No. 4 Kobe Rodriguez (Pleasantville); No. 2 Andrew Amendola (Ardsley) over No. 6 Mateo Pellegrino (Nanuet)

Finals: No. 1 Jimenez (Sleepy Hollow) over No. 2 Amendola (Ardsley)

108 POUNDS

Semis: No. 1 Brendan O'Sullivan (Pearl River) over No. 4 Fredy Mejia (Pleasantville); No. 3 Dorian Hidalgo (Sleepy Hollow) over No. 2 Alex Wish (Pleasantville)

Finals: No. 3 Hidalgo (Sleepy Hollow) over No. 1 O'Sullivan (Pearl River)

116 POUNDS

Semis: No. 1 Jesse Straus (Pleasantville) over No. 4 Peter Anagnostidis (Nanuet); No. 2 Ruben Villeda (Hen Hud) over No. 3 Andy Kllobocishta (Edgemont)

Finals: No. 1 Straus (Pleasantville) over No. 2 Villeda (Hen Hud)

124 POUNDS

Semis: No. 1 John Parisi (Nanuet) over No. 5 Wyatt Aslanian (Edgemont); No. 2 Silas Corveddu (Sleepy Hollow) over No. 3 Nick Paonessa (Putnam Valley)

Finals: No. 1 Parisi (Nanuet) over No. 2 Corveddu (Sleepy Hollow)

131 POUNDS

Semis: No. 1 Esuar Ordonez (Putnam Valley) over No. 4 Ben Balazs (Pleasantville); No. 2 Declan O'Meara (Pearl River) over No. 6 Marco DeMaio (Edgemont)

Finals: No. 1 Ordonez (Putnam Valley) over No. 2 O'Meara (Pearl River)

138 POUNDS

Semis: No. 1 Ethan Badillo (Nanuet) over No. 4 Ben Kushnir (Hen Hud); No. 2 Giovanni Gioio (Hen Hud) over No. 3 Ciaran Egan (Pleasantville)

Finals: No. 1 Badillo (Nanuet) over No. 2 Gioio (Hen Hud)

145 POUNDS

Semis: No. 1 Rafael Rodriguez (Sleepy Hollow) over No. 5 Grant Kelly (Pleasantvile); No. 2 Joey Saito (Edgemont) over No. 3 Bobby Hardwick (Nanuet)

Finals: No. 1 Rodriguez (Sleepy Hollow) over No. 2 Saito (Edgemont)

152 POUNDS

Semis: No. 1 Henry Martin (Croton-Harmon) over No. 4 Luke Amuso (Pawling); No. 3 Ismael Andrade (Hen Hud) over No. 2 Steven Pinos (Nanuet)

Finals: No. 1 Martin (Croton-Harmon) over No. 3 Andrade (Hen Hud)

160 POUNDS

Semis: No. 1 Michael Malfitano (Pearl River) over No. 5 Miles Sheridan (Sleepy Hollow); No. 2 Jordan Fisher (Edgemont) over No. 3 Nick DiMichele (Putnam Valley)

Finals: No. 1 Malfitano (Pearl River) over No. 2 Fisher (Edgemont)

170 POUNDS

Semis: No. 1 Kenny Saito (Edgemont) over No. 4 Conor Kenny (Irvington); No. 2 Fred Mekhi Smithwick (Croton-Harmon) over No. 3 Ryan Kempf (Nanuet)

Finals: No. 1 Saito (Edgemont) over No. 2 Smithwick (Croton-Harmon)

190 POUNDS

Semis: No. 1 Kyle Peske (Hen Hud) over No. 4 Ethan Suissa (Edgemont); No. 2 Asa Nunberg (Pleasantville) over No. 3 Gus Parsons (Edgemont)

Finals: No. 1 Peske (Hen Hud) over No. 2 Nunberg (Pleasantville)

215 POUNDS

Semis: No. 1 Thomas Kellas (Sleepy Hollow) over No. 4 Hudson Garbarino (Pawling); No. 2 Nick Espinal (Pearl River) over No. 3 Alex Gecaj (Putnam Valley)

Finals: No. 1 Kellas (Sleepy Hollow) over No. 3 Gecaj (Putnam Valley)

285 POUNDS

Semis: No. 1 Mason Dietz (Hen Hud) over No. 4 Carlton Evans (Sleepy Hollow); No. 2 Jaden Tesher (Putnam Valley) over No. 3 David Perez (Hen Hud)

Finals: No. 1 Dietz (Hen Hud) over No. 2 Tesher (Putnam Valley)

Follow Eugene Rapay on Twitter at @erapay5 and on Instagram at @byeugenerapay.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Section 1 wrestling: 2024 championship predictions for every weight