Wrestling: Stakes raised for 2024 Section 1 tournament after loss of state-tournament bid

There is no doubt that winning a Section 1 wrestling title is euphoric, but this year, the crown comes with added significance − and greater pressure for those in pursuit of it.

For those with state championship or all-state aspirations, the Section 1 title is now the only road to Albany. This postseason will be the first time since 2006 that only the Section 1 champions will compete at the NYSPHSAA championships. There are no automatic qualifiers, wild cards or second chances this year for Section 1.

The stakes will be higher and the margin for error even slimmer at sectionals this weekend. Unlike in recent years, when Section 1 sent 26 Division I and 13 Division II wrestlers to states, there will be exactly 13 representatives in each division.

"It really stinks, because I think there's people that deserve to be out at states that just mathematically can't make the tournament," Yorktown coach Jimmy Kaishian said. "We have to get our Section 1 guys that do go up to Albany to place. For some of my better guys (at Yorktown), we'll try to get them at the right weights, make sure they're doing everything they can and get to that podium.

"Hopefully, we can get more qualifiers and more opportunities for our kids later on, but what I'm preaching to the kids is to not worry about that. Just score the first point, score the next points, and worry about the next match, setup, and the shot right in front of you; then everything will take care of themselves."

How did we get here? A look at NYSPHSAA's qualification process

Unfortunately for Section 1, recent performances at the NYSPHSAA championships resulted in the loss of one qualifier spot per weight class in Division I (large-school). For Division II (small-school), nothing has changed.

Why?

To determine the number of qualifiers, the NYSPHSAA's selection system ranks sections according to their "power points" – a formula that takes into account the number of all-state finishers, state champions and the performance of section champions at Albany during a three-year window.

The formula only counts how well the section champion performed. So the third-place finishes by Nyack's Sam Szerlip and Arlington's Dillon Arrick last season did not yield any points, and only Carmel's Leo Venables and Ossining's Tristan Robinson-July performances counted. In 2022, seven Section 1 champs reached the podium.

"The way they did the scoring to determine strength of section actually hurt us last year, because they only scored the section champs and our two highest place-finishers were section runner-ups," Arlington coach Dave Grafmuller said. "From what I understand, they're changing the scoring format for this year, and now it's your highest placer at each weight, which would have benefitted us if they had that last year.

"This year, it maybe hurts us because now you can have runner-ups and third-place finishers in other sections place higher than their champs, and now they benefit, where we didn't have that last year."

Since there was no 2020-21 state finals due to the COVID-19 pandemic, points were calculated based on the results of the 2019-20, 2021-22 and 2022-23 NYSPHSAA tournaments. After calculating power points, sections are divided into three tiers.

The top two sections get three NYSPHSAA qualifiers in each weight class, the next five-highest sections receive two bids each. All other sections land in the bottom tier and get one qualifying spot, which goes to the section champion.

This year, in Division I, sections 9 and 11 will get three qualifiers each. Sections 2, 4, 5, 6 and 8 gets two bids. Sections 1, 3 and 10 will send their champions only.

Section 9 moved into the top tier, while Section 8 moved down. Section 4 gained a second bid, switching places with Section 1. There are no Division I schools in Section 7.

For Division II, sections 3 and 4 get three bids, while sections 2, 5, 6, 8 and 11 get two each. Section 1 remains at one qualifier, alongside sections 7, 9 and 10.

The old wild card system

From 2007-20, the NYSPHSAA used a wild card system. While a section title guaranteed a spot in Albany, the state utilized a time-consuming process in which the top four non-section champions across the state were rewarded a state tournament bid, using a formula that weighed marquee wins against all-section, all-state and section champs, and their overall resumes.

Section 1 earned 15 Division I wild card bids in the final year it was implemented in 2020. In some weight classes, it had three or four representatives in a single bracket.

"We were rolling with the wild card system," Grafmuller said. "Now, you really have to pull off the upset when you have the opportunity. You can't take a loss in the section tournament. There's no shot to come back and make the state tournament, you have to be unblemished. It's a different mindset going in.

"You also have to guard against the self-defeatist mindset. 'Oh, there's no way I can be champ, so let's just see where I can get on the podium.' They still have to push to try and be a section champ, because that's everybody's goal. My job is to really convince the kid that it's a wrestling match. Anybody can win on any given day. There's no 30-point shot in basketball, there's no 50-point touchdown in football, but in our sport, you can be losing 14-0 and in two seconds, you can win that match with a pin."

Section title or bust

The stakes will be higher for the weekend, but for those in title contention, it doesn't really change much.

"It's disappointing to see that only first-place gets to go, but at the same time, that's what everybody's aiming for anyway," Mahopac senior Nick Greco said. "If you're trying to aim for it, then it doesn't really make a difference. My confidence, I would say, is at an all-time high. As my coach would say, 'like the rhino, we keep moving forward.'"

Greco's coach, Steven Tornambe, echoes the same sentiments. Tornambe was a standout grappler at Ossining in his heyday, amassing 170 victories and winning two section titles in an era when there were no split divisions and only the section champ got to compete at states. The Section 1 Wrestling Hall of Famer is familiar with the feeling.

"When I was wrestling, only the section champ got to go, but really, the goal is to win it all anyway," Tornambe said. "I understand that there were a few kids who took second, was a wildcard and went on to win a state championship, but our goal is always winning a section title. A lot of these kids' goals are to win that section title. If you aim for it, that's what you work for, that's what you're trying to achieve."

Could there be some relief?

There are some whispers and rumors surrounding a potential lifeline from Section 10, which is not sending any Division I wrestlers to Albany this year.

According to multiple sources, the bids for Section 10 could potentially be divided between sections 1 and 3, but the methodology and selection of weight classes for each section is not yet determined.

The speculation isn't completely unfounded – Section 10, which only has one competing Division I school, has previously given up its bids to other sections in the bottom tier that only get to send their section champ.

Last year, Section 10 sent two qualified wrestlers to Albany and Section 4, which had a higher power point index, received six additional bids, while Section 3 got five bids. In 2022, Section 10 had three representatives, while sections 3 and 4 split split the remaining 10 bids evenly.

Even if it were to come into fruition, there are weight classes that would be unlucky and unaffected. The section title is the only guaranteed passage to Albany.

"I just shifted my mindset to let the best man win," North Rockland junior Amari Payton said. "It shouldn't really be like two people go, or three people go – it's good for the section and it gets your name out there, but we want to send the best of the best. Whoever it is on that day, we're going to send them out. Having only one representative this year, it isn't too detrimental to me, because the goal wasn't to be a wild card, it was to be the best in the section and then the state."

Payton is looking to contend for the 131-pound title. A two-time all-section finisher, who recently got his third straight Rockland County title, Payton boasts an undefeated record against Section 1 opponents entering sectionals, but like everybody else, he's taking the one-match-at-a-time approach.

One sudden move could be the difference between the title and and a broken dream.

"Regardless of what seed I get, I got that seed for a reason and it's just a reflection of the work I put in, but it doesn't show I'm able to do on that day," Payton said. "You could be the 5-seed and win the whole thing, or be the 1-seed and not even place. I've learned to not look too far ahead and not look back, just keep your mind on the present and take it one match at a time. If I can win both matches on Saturday (to get to Sunday), it'd be great, but I haven't won the second one and I haven't won the first one yet, either."

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

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Section 1 wrestling tournament: Stakes raised after loss of bid