11 Local Grapplers Reach Top Spot on Podium

This past weekend, the top youth wrestling teams in New York traveled to Syracuse to compete in the 2023 Open State Championship at the New York State Fairgrounds.

Five, four, and two wrestlers from the Westfield/Ripley/Chautauqua Lake Wrestling Club, the Gowanda Wrestling Club, and the Falconer Youth Wrestling Club, respectively, won the top spot in their divisions.

Walter Lukasiak, Mae Machemer, Kassidy Benedetto, Aurora Maring, and Noli Paddock placed first for WRCL; Maverick Olszewski, Thatcher Gernatt, Bryson Olszewski, and Carter Ray were victorious for Gowanda; and Kamdyn Schimek and Kyle Dilker were the top two finishers for Falconer.

In the D9 division for wrestlers born in 2009, Lukasiak won first place with three pins at 245 pounds. He first submitted Dylan Baxter in just 12 seconds, then Peyton Mullin in just 38, and finally Kamdyn Dittmann in just 25.

At 50–54 pounds, Mae Machemer won the girls Division 2, G2 (2014–2012) competition. She started out by falling to Gowanda’s Daphne Twoguns in a sudden victory match, 9-7, but she fought back with pins over Honor Smoke, Aris Beauchamp, Monica Phillips, and Hailey Reese in quick succession (44 seconds, 1 minute, 42 seconds, and 17 seconds, respectively). Finally, she defeated Reese 6-0. At 53 pounds, Machemer competed against the 2014 boys and finished sixth.

Benedetto won the G2 60-65 pound division by defeating Emma Della-Penta in the championship match 7-2. Maring defeated Aubrey Brown in 35 seconds, Julia Reid in 18 seconds, Niya Mateo in 26 seconds, Madison Olmo in 30 seconds, and Ariana Caballeros in 46 seconds to win G2 at 74-81 pounds. Paddock won G3 (2011-2009) at 126-140 pounds by pinning Gowanda’s Isabella Bailey at 2:43 and Kaitlyn Young at 1:34, as well as defeating Kaibree Gaba by forfeit, Naomie Horn by medical forfeit, and Nevaeh Senik by a score of 15-0. She also defeated Kaitlyn Young by forfeit and Kaitlyn Young by pin.

Olszewski of Gowanda won the D1 (2017) 50-pound division by pinning Adrian Lacognata in 38 seconds; Gernatt won the D2 (2016) 63-pound division by pinning Gideon Gabler in 32 seconds; Olszewski won the D4 (2014) 59-pound division by a razor-thin 2-0 decision over Callen Livermore; and Ray won the D4 at 67 pounds by defeating Kannon Kline 4-0.

Schimek of Falconer won the 56-pound D1 division match by pinning opponents Zayden Sell, Tallon Price, and Eddie Liszewski in under a minute each. He then defeated runner-up Keegan Carpenter by a score of 16-4. Dilker won the 101-pound division title by defeating Luca Acciari 7-3, followed by pins over Sully Worytko in 17 seconds, Brock Keeler in 27 seconds, and Gregory Pym in 22 seconds.

Three wrestlers brought home silver and five wrestlers brought home bronze, so the WRCL had a number of wrestlers leave with a medal and a victory.

The following wrestlers finished in second place: Rocco Muscarella was pinned by Mert Ozturk in the D9 87-pound final, Thandon Bensink lost the D10 (2008-2004) 110-pound final to Drew Schiavo 7-4, and Tanner Foster lost the D6 (2012) 102-pound final to Ty Bartlett by a score of 2-0.

Charlie Machemer, who won D2 50 pounds by forfeit, Bruno Muscarella, Chase Shirley, Anthony Perrino, Lance Franklin, Mason Maring, and Zayne Woodwor, who won D3 (2015) 57 pounds, D6 83 pounds, D9 106 pounds, D10 215 pounds, and D2 50 pounds, respectively, took third place.

For the WRCL, Tyler Foster (D7, 2011, 80 pounds) and Jordin Eddy (D8, 2010, 120 pounds) finished in fourth and fifth place, respectively. Chester Machemer (D6, 70 pounds) finished in sixth, followed by Mae Machemer, Izzy Hurlburt (G4, 2008-2004, 120 pounds), and Kieara Graves (G4, 130 pounds).

Bronze medals were won by three wrestlers from Gowanda. In D4 75 pounds, Kasen Hill defeated Sawyer Hatch 8-5; in G2 50-54 pounds, Daphne Twoguns defeated Aris Beauchamp in 1:13; in D4 75 pounds, Honor Smoke was defeated 13-3; and in D4 75 pounds, Isabella Bailey defeated Naomie Horn 9-7; and in D4 75 pounds, Kasen Hill defeated Sawyer Hatch 8-5; and in D4 75 pounds, Kasen Hill defeated Sawyer Hatch in 16 seconds by pin.

Bailey, who finished fourth in D7 142 pounds, Twoguns, who finished fifth in D5 (2013) 54 pounds, and Raelyn Diebel, who finished sixth in G3 74-82 pounds, all placed for Gowanda.

At D9 155 pounds, Patrick Braley represented Falconer and lost to Jayden Hutchinson in the championship match by a score of 9-5. Dylan Newman won bronze at D10 110 pounds by pinning Derek Walseman in the third-place match at 4:11, and Carson Braley finished third in D7 at max 175 pounds.

Fisher Ward (D2, 54 pounds), Evan Newman (D10, 110 pounds), and Conner Howard (D4, 75 pounds) made up the remainder of the Falconer wrestlers and finished fifth and sixth, respectively.

Reference: www.observertoday.com