Cover photo courtesy of Jeff Pataky
Top seeded large school Niagara Wheatfield and 5th seeded Chautauqua Lake each wrestled to 1-1 performances at the 6th NYSPHSAA Dual Meet Wrestling Championships on Saturday at SRC Arena in Syracuse. With both teams falling in their pools Section VI went unrepresented in the Dual Meet semifinals for only the second time in tournament history, the only other occasion being the first Championship in 2018.
The Falcons fell to unseeded Section XI champion North Babylon in the opening round on Saturday, 35-25. Wheatfield picked up six wins and two pins in the dual, but the Bulldogs were victorious in seven bouts while earning four pins and one technical fall in those wins.
Pataky
Jacob Sweeney (pin, 108-pounds), Garrett Chase (138), Chase Richards (145), Te’Shaun Mathews (160), Joe Cicco (pin, 170), and John Fike (215) earned wins against North Babylon, who went on to advance to the Division I semifinal round.
Niagara Wheatfield's Richards // Pataky
In their second pool match, Wheatfield took on 8-seeded Section III champion Cicero-North Syracuse. The Falcons took down the Northstars, 31-29, winning six weights to seven, but earning more team bonus points than CNS with four pins and a major to only two pins and two majors.
Muntathar Abbas (124), Evan Azbell (pin, 131), Chase (138), Mathews (pin, 152), Cicco (pin, 160), and Fike (pin, 285) won bouts for Wheatfield against CNS. Although she fell in the 101-pound match, NW’s Gabriella Barone held CNS’s Kasey Kalfass to a major decision which sealed the win for the Falcons with one match left.
Niagara Wheatfield's Abbas // Pataky
Niagara Wheatfield (13-2) hosts Niagara Frontier League rival North Tonawanda on Wednesday to wrap up their 2023-2024 dual schedule.
Niagara Wheatfield head coach Rick Sweney // Pataky
In the Division II tournament, 5-seeded Chautauqua Lake earned an impressive 54-10 victory over Section VII’s Northern Adirondack in their first pool match of the day. The Eagles won ten of thirteen weights against the Bobcats, collecting seven pins in those matches.
Chautauqua Lake's Joslyn // Pataky
Gavin Burchanowski (pin, 108), Thandon Bensink (pin, 116), Noli Paddock (124), Mason Munoz (pin, 138), Jordan Joslyn (pin, 152), John Watson (160), Evan Riedesel (pin, 170), Jayden Malecki (190), Mason Maring (pin, 215), and Walter Lukasiak (pin, 285) all earned victories in the dual against Northern Adirondack.
Chautauqua Lake's Paddock // Pataky
Chautauqua Lake's Lukasiak // Pataky
A 4 vs. 5-seed pool dual put Section V champion Palmyra-Macedon against Chautauqua for a rematch of P-M’s 36-33 win over the Eagles from Dec. 28th.
Against the Red Raiders, Burchanowski started off with a pin at 116-pounds but Pal-Mac won each of the next three bouts to take a 14-6 lead. Joslyn closed the gap to make a 14-12 deficit for CL with a pin at 145-pounds. However, Palmyra tacked on twenty one more team points thereafter with two pins, a decision, and a win by injury default to take a 35-12 lead with only four bouts remaining.
Chautauqua Lake's Bensink // Pataky
Chautauqua would win three of the last four weights with a decision from Maring at 215, a technical fall from Alex Bourgeois at 101, and a forfeit to Chris Bowen at 108 but the Raiders would maintain enough of a margin to hold on and win 38-26 to advance to the Division II semifinals for the first time in program history.
Chautauqua Lake's Malecki // Pataky
The Eagles finish their 2023-2024 dual slate with an 18-3 overall record with CCAA I league and Section VI Dual Meet championships honors.
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