Grapplers "Rock" At Counties - ALL Qualify For States!

Head Coach Paul Gillespie with Schoolboys Michael Lofrese and Brandon Warshall.

"I WANNA ROCK!" is the GC Grapplers mantra, as the Youth Tournament Team continues to be an in-your-face presence on Long Island. ALL 22 Grapplers "placed" at the Nassau County Qualifier on Sunday, Feb 4th, earning them the privilege to compete at the New York State Championships in Port Jervis, March 10-11.

To qualify for States, a wrestler had to place 1st through 6th in his age division and weight bracket. NY State 2007 age divisions are: "Schoolboy" (born 1993-94), "Novice" (1995-96), and "Midget" (1997-98). Weight brackets are in 5-lb increments.

Schoolboy wrestlers Matty Schmelzinger, 90 lbs, and Brendan Bishop, 110 lbs, continue to dominate their Nassau County competitors. Each rocked their bracket, winning 1st place and a Gold Medal. 95-lb Schoolboy Michael Lofrese and 85-lb Brandon Warshall each rocked their way to a final round, and both took home a very impressive 2nd Place Silver. Schoolboys Tom Cozier, 75 lbs. and Dylan Cohen, 95 lbs. did a great job in their brackets, winning 3rd and 5th Place respectively. Veteran Schoolboy Joe Barbato was noticeably absent; he got an injury exemption for the Qualifier, but he will be ready to rock at the State Championship!

Twin brothers Thomas and Jack Reina wound up opponents in the Final round for 1st and 2nd Place!

The 5th and 6th grade Novices earned their keep, winning 1 1st Place Gold, 4 2nd Place Silvers, 1 3rd Place Bronze, and a 5th Place. The 70-lb bracket turned into both a parent's dream and a nightmare, as the Reina twins, Jack and Thomas, came down to battling EACH OTHER for 1st place! (Reminiscent of life at home!) This time it was Thomas with the Gold and Jack with the Silver. Great job, Reina's!

The 75, 80 and 85-lb Novice brackets had 12 and 13 boys each, so just placing was an outstanding feat! Eddie Gillespie (75 lbs.), Quinn Knauer (80 lbs.), and Louie Hernandez won 2nd Place, and Danny Simmons (80 lbs.) grabbed 3rd. It is important to note that the ONLY LOSS each of these 4 boys had was to the 1st Place finisher in their bracket! Pretty impressive!

75-lb. Matt Jarvis, an absolute "whirling dervish", held his own against fierce, always-taller opponents. With a sweet pin in his second match, Matt went on to take 5th Place.

Matt Jarvis holds a cradle in the 3rd round of this match for a win.

The 3rd and 4th grade Midgets had tough acts to follow, but of course they rose to the occasion! James Sullivan in the 87 lb. bracket won his 2 bouts handily to earn 1st Place and a Gold. Lex Pinkiert and Andrew Toback headed up the 75 lb. group, which came down to a Grappler vs. Grappler final bout; Lex took the Gold and Andrew took the Silver.

The 60-lb. and 65-lb Midget brackets (the most common weights for 8- and 9-year-old wrestlers) are always the most crowded, and this year they each had 16 boys. John Simmons (60 lbs.) and Timmy Schmelzinger (65 lbs.) were both outstanding as they each won 3 bouts to make it to their 4th and final rounds. Both Timmy and John held fast but ultimately lost their finals bouts, each winning 2nd Place. (Timmy endured a fierce 0-0 match that went into sudden-death overtime!)

60-lb. Midget Andrew Wood, in his first County Qualifier tournament, was also outstanding, winning his first, third and fourth matches to earn himself an impressive 4th Place finish. Town Team member Mitch Calandra proved he's ready for the big time, beating out more experienced competition and nabbing 3rd Place in the 80-lb. Midget group.

The Alex Wood Method. First step: Roll 'em, Second step: Pin 'em!

87-lb. Midget Alex Wood fought relentlessly and pinned his opponent in his first bout; Alex proudly took 4th Place in his first County Qualifier tournament!

These 22 Grapplers are ready to ROCK at the New York State Championship. The boys and their parents thank our dedicated coaches for their commitment to the Team: Paul Gillespie, John Masa, Rob Jarvis, and Ron Lofrese.

Danny Simmons uses the half-Nelson to flip this guy; Danny won Bronze in his bracket. Timmy Schmelzinger pushes hard and earns some back points; Timmy won Silver in his bracket. John Simmons clearly has the upper hand in this match! John won Silver in his bracket. James Sullivan just can't stop PINNING everyone he meets! James won Gold in is bracket. Michael Lofrese works on the Takedown; Michael won Silver in his bracket.