Top wrestlers from eight states to compete at Eastern States Classic this weekend
SUNY Sullivan will be the host for the 20th Eastern States Classic, considered one of the top scholastic wrestling tournaments in the nation. The event will be held Friday and Saturday.
Eastern States were most recently held in 2020 and 2023 – the event was cancelled due to the COVID outbreak in 2021 and 2022.
Section 9 wrestlers have fared very well in the tournament. Returning from 2023, Middletown senior Stephan Monchery (285 pounds) and Newburgh sophomore Cooper Merli (102, now 108) were champions; and, Valley Central junior Luke Satriano (110, now 124) placed third. Minisink Valley junior P.J. Duke (now 160) was injured in 2023 but won at 99 pounds in 2020.
Ten returning place winners are currently nationally ranked by InterMat, including Merli, Duke and Monchery.
More: Minisink Valley, Port Jervis are top divisional seeds for Section 9 wrestling Duals
A total of nine mats will be used to accommodate the large number of matches. Competition will begin at 10:20 a.m. Friday with round-of-64 action, followed by the second round starting at 11:25. Consolation round matches will begin at 3:45 p.m., and winners’ bracket round of 16 should start at 4:45 p.m. Friday’s competition is expected to end around 10 p.m. with 208 wrestlers (out of 1,508) set to return on Saturday.
Saturday quarterfinals will start at 9:15 a.m. Semifinals will start at 1 p.m. Medal-round bouts will start at 4 p.m.
There will be a separate girls tournament held on Saturday with action to start at noon with quarterfinals. The semifinals start at 2 p.m. and finals at 4 p.m.
Perennial Section 9 team champ Minisink Valley will send 13 wrestlers to this invitational event – the Warriors placed fourth in team points at the 2023 event, trailing only Ponagansett (Rhode Island), Wantagh and Starpoint. Middletown placed 23rd, Cornwall 33rd, Newburgh 35th, Wallkill 36th Monroe-Woodbury 44th, New Paltz 47th and Goshen 49th.
Former Section 9 wrestlers who won ESC championships (since 2009) include Tommy Askey of Pine Bush (2020); Will Leonard of Cornwall (2019); Chris Cuccolo of Pine Bush (2013); Michael McGrath of Kingston and Mitch Wightman of Warwick (2010); and, Jamie Franco of Monroe-Woodbury, Cody Ruggirello of Valley Central and Steve Butler of Port Jervis (2009).
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Section 9 entries
Cornwall (6): Keaton Venarchick (Jr., 108); Xavier Clavell (Jr., 131); Christian Turingan (Sr., 145); Patrick Cossgrove (Sr., 160); Andrew Kroemer (Jr., 170); Hezekiah Hill (Sr., 190)
F.D. Roosevelt (2): Luka Zakaidze (Sr., 160); Avery Ali (Sr., 170)
Goshen (4): Jacob Perales (Sr., 131); Michael Lombardi (Sr., 138); Evan Weeden (Soph., 145); Dan Weeden (Sr., 160)
Marlboro (1): Reese Greathouse (Sr., 131)
Middletown (6): Jared Lupian (Jr., 108); Jacob Roger (Sr., 131); Daniel Aviles (Soph., 138); Bryson Tibbs (Sr., 215); Rahmiere Bradley (Sr., 285); Stephan Monchery (Sr., 285)
Minisink Valley (13): Gabe Simpson (Soph., 108); Colin Matone (Fr., 116); Nate Racz (Soph., 131); Wyatt Boice (Fr., 138); Joseph Uhrig (Fr., 138); Anthony Tresch (Jr., 145); Luke Greiner (Sr., 152); P.J. Duke (Jr., 160); Quinten Morgan (Sr., 170); Zack Filip (Soph., 190); Jayden Pressley (Soph., 215); Timmy Duke (Soph., 215); Kevin Crowe-Bailey (Jr., 285)
New Paltz (1): Justin Coiteux (Sr., 145)
Newburgh Free Academy (5): William Soto (Fr., 101); Cooper Merli (Soph., 108); Matthew Mercado (Jr., 131); Ivan Duran (Sr., 138); Christopher Leggett (Jr., 215)
Pine Bush (4): Griffyn Alfalla (Eighth, 101); Gabe McNally (Jr., 116); Rich Urena (Sr., 131); Logan Pennell (Jr., 152)
Port Jervis (6): Charlie Wylie (Soph., 101); Richard O’Lena (Sr., 116); Justin Harrison (Jr., 124); Ryan Ross (Sr., 160); Maddox McCormick (Jr., 190); Matthew Oosterom (Sr., 215)
Valley Central (4): Luke Satriano (Jr., 124); Edward Vass (Eighth, 101); Max Smith (Fr., 138); Mike Gianonni (Fr., 152)
Wallkill (3): Marco Futia (Soph., 108); Liam McCarthy (Jr., 116); Banda Viktor (Sr., 124)
Warwick (3): Garrett Judd (Fr., 101); Brady Judd (Jr., 116); Griffin Petzold (Jr., 138)
Washingtonville (1): Mason Ketcham (Jr., 145)
This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: SUNY Sullivan to host Eastern States Classic wrestling event
