Nassau-Suffolk CHSAA Wrestling Tournament at
Kellenberg Memorial
February 14-15, 1998
Team Scores
1. Chaminade 390.5
2. St. Anthony's 284.5
3. St. John the Baptist 165
4. Kellenberg 137.5
5. Holy Trinity 45.5
Finals 96 - Andrew Sampson (Chaminade) dec. Brian Neuner (St. Anthony's), 13-11.
103 - Erwin Samson (Kellenberg) dec. Robert Hogan (Kellenberg), 6-2.
112 - Reuben Seguritan (Chaminade) dec. Michael Dantuono (Chaminade), 1-0.
119 - John Paul Igoe (Chaminade) dec. Kieran Southwick (St. John's), 9-0.
125 - Fred Cruz (St. John's) dec. Karcher (St. Anthony's), 3-2.
130 - Jose Osorio (St. Anthony's) dec. Russ Loesch (Chaminade), 7-5.
135 - Lou Dionisio III (Holy Trinity) dec. Jordan Young (St. Anthony's), 11-3.
140 - Cliff Serie (Chaminade) dec. Ed Reis (Chaminade), 8-3.
145 - Evan Howard (St. Anthony's) dec. Tim Cestaro (Chaminade), 14-5.
152 - Mike Fiorvanti (St. Anthony's) dec. Dom Barbieri (St. John's), 9-4.
160 - Chris Murray (St. Anthony's) dec. Mike Edmonds (St. Anthony's), 3-1.
171 - Nick Macchio (Chaminade) dec. Brian Carroll (Chaminade), 10-6.
189 - Phil Murawski (Chaminade) pinned Matt Stern (St. Anthony's), 1:23.
215 - Matt Forrest (St. John's) dec. John Higgins (Chaminade), 9-1.
275 - Joe Minucci (St. Anthony's) dec. Ralph Danise (Chaminade), 5-4 OT.
Most Outstanding Wrestler - Lou Dionisio III (Holy Trinity) and Evan Howard (St. Anthony's). Champion of Champions - Lou Dionisio III (Holy Trinity) and Evan Howard (St. Anthony's). Most Pins / Least time - Phil Murawski (Chaminade), 3 pins in 6:04. Coach of the Year - Dave Geiger (Kellenberg).
Third Place
96 - Greg Hayes (C).
103 - Chris Raab (SA).
112 - Brian Benson (C).
119 - Stephen Beovich (C).
125 - Anthony Sollicito (K).
130 - John Weaver (C).
135 - Tim Gallagher (K).
140 - Mike Eckert (SA).
145 - Brien Shanahan (C).
152 - Vin Calderone (K).
160 - Chris Roman (SJB).
171 - Dennis James (SA).
189 - Lee Tovar (K).
215 - Brian Geary (K).
275 - Ryan Brandle (C).
Ed Reis of Chaminade upset top-seeded Mike Eckert of St.
Anthony's in a 140-pound quarterfinal to become one of 20 Chaminade
wrestlers to advance to today's finals. Chaminade's Reuben Seguritan
(112) will be seeking his third league title. St. Anthony's Matt Roy
(140) also is seeking a third straight league title. Other possible
repeat champions are St. Anthony's Joe Karcher (125), Chris Murray (160)
and Mike Edmonds (160) and Chaminade's Tim Cestaro (145), Cliff Serie
(140) and Ryan Brandle (275).
Chaminade Romps to Three-Peat
By Gregg Sarra.
STAFF WRITER Newsday
The Chaminade wrestling team continued its dominance at the Nassau-Suffolk CHSAA tournament. The Flyers sent 13 wrestlers into the finals and came away with six champions to score 390 1/2 team points and easily win their third consecutive title yesterday at Kellenberg.
"We have 85 kids in the practice room and just to get out of that room with a starting position is an accomplishment," Chaminade coach George Dlugolonski saidec. "We have a lot of spirit in practice and that brings our team together. We tell them not to focus on the destination, but to focus on the journey."
Two of Chaminade's three defending CHSAA state champions-Cliff Serie (140) and Nick Macchio (171)-repeated as league titlists.
Freshman Andrew Sampson (96) won his first title with a thrilling, 13-11, victory over St. Anthony's Brian Neuner. Sampson built a comfortable 13-6 lead with two takedowns and five first period near fall points. Neuner gained a five-point near fall with 14 seconds left to make it close.
"We work hard and push each other and it showed as a lot of our younger kids came through at the tournament," Dlugolonski saidec. "We're a program that really never rebuilds, but just reloads."
The Flyers lost two outstanding wrestlers before the season when 189 - pound CHSAA state champion Tom Gubelli transferred to Baldwin and All-Long Island football player Steve Moroney (215) decided to concentrate on football.
"We have so much depth we were able to replace them," Dlugolonski saidec. "We miss them. But that's the way it is. The important thing is that most kids don't disappear into the hallways. They keep their allegiance and come and support us."
Lou Dionisio III, a sophomore at Holy Trinity, energized the packed gym with a decisive 11-3 victory over top-seeded Jordan Young, a St.
Anthony's senior. Dionisio made his way through the bracket with two pins, a technical fall and the majority decision in the 140 - pound final.
Dionisio comes from excellent bloodlines. His father, Lou Jr., was a two-time Nassau County champion at Baldwin (1975-76) and placed second at the state tournament.
St. Anthony's sophomore Evan Howard was equally impressive as he upended defending CHSAA state champion Tim Cestaro in the 145 - pound final, 14-5. Howard also defeated Serie earlier this year.
"He went out and took it to him," St. Anthony's coach Billy Maisel saidec. "That's about as aggressive as you can be. He was unbelievable."
Disappointments were few for Chaminade. Dlugolonski credited his two assistant coaches, Kiernan Griffin and Erik Kucich, for making the year so successful.
"They're a perfect example of Chaminade wrestling," Dlugolonski saidec. "They wrestled here and now they've come back to help and make it more fun.
"You know what it's like to lose here? When we lose a match, I get e-mails from former wrestlers from all over the place."
Tomorrow's e-mail will be fun to open.
Chaminade 47, St. John Baptist 18 February 4, 1998
Chaminade clinched its third consecutive CHSAA dual-meet championship by beating St. John the Baptist, 47-18. Nick Macchio, who received a forfeit at 171 pounds, finished the season undefeated in 21 matches.
103 - Sampson (C) pinned Jameson, 3:04.
112 - Dantuono (C) pinned Garvey, 1:17.
119 - Seguritan (C) dec. Southwick, 5-4.
125 - Giordano (C) pinned Diaz, 1:23.
130 - Loesch (C) pinned Cruz, 2:59.
135 - Ribera (S) pinned Diakoumakis, 3:07.
140 - Serie (C) dec. Mott, 13-4.
145 - Cestaro (C) dec. Nauronis,13-6.
152 - Barbieri (S) tf. Hehman, 5:10.
160 - Carroll (C) dec. Roman, 7-1.
189 - Murawski (C) dec. Arlotta, 12-2.
Forfeits by: S (171); C (215).
Chaminade 40, St. Anthony's 16 January 28, 1998
Chaminade 3-Peats In CHSAA Wrestling
By Gregg Sarra. STAFF WRITER Newsday
There are three reasons why the Chaminade wrestling team is so difficult to beat in a dual meet. They are Tim Cestaro, Cliff Serie and Nick Macchio. All three are defending Nassau-Suffolk CHSAA champions.
Chaminade traveled to St. Anthony's for a dual meet that would decide the CHSAA dual-meet championship yesterday and the Flyers won nine of 13 bouts to come away with a 40-16 victory and their third straight title.
St. Anthony's wrestlers gave Cestaro and Serie all they could handle, but it was the early 22-0 lead after Russ Loesch's 130-pound class win that did in the Friars.
"We were able to build a big lead and not allow them to get any momentum in the middle of the dual," Chaminade coach George Dlugolonski said. "I thought if we could win three of four in the lower weights and hold our own through the middle we'd be okay."
Chaminade (10-3, 3-0) did more than Dlugolonski expected. The Flyers won the first five weights as Ruben Seguritan (112) and John Paul Igoe (119) turned in first-period pins to help the Flyers gain a big advantage.
"We put ourselves in a hole and never got out," St. Anthony's coach Billy Maisel said. "Chaminade is a very good team. We needed to win all of the tight matches to pull this win out."
Instead, Chaminade eked out wins in the critical weight classes.
Anthony Giordano (126) edged Jose Osorio, 6-4, and in a wild bout at 140, Cestaro held off Mike Eckert to earn a 9-8 overtime victory.
Eckert was on the verge of upsetting the defending champion after he gained two back points early in the third period to take an 8-6 lead. Two stalling points against a tired Eckert in the final seconds of regulation sent the match into overtime.
Cestaro pushed the action for the first two-minute overtime period before gaining an escape eight seconds into sudden death for the win.
After Cestaro survived a gritty performance by Eckert, defending champ Serie lost to the Friars' Evan Howard, 5-0, at 145 pounds.
"We knew they were very strong in the middle weights," Dlugolonski said. "We saw a few previews to our league finals out there."
St. Anthony's (3-1, 2-1), which participated in five tournaments and less dual meets than the Flyers, drew within 25-16 after Chris Murray pinned Brian Carroll in 54 seconds at 160 pounds. The Flyers sealed the win when Macchio got off his back in the first period to come back and pin Mike Edmunds in 3:28 of the second period at 171 pounds.
Edmunds had Macchio in trouble in the waning seconds of the first period when he took him down to his back for a 4-0 lead. Macchio wasn't there long as he gained a reverse and two back points before the horn sounded ending the first period.
He didn't waste any time disposing of Edmunds in the second period, using a powerful half-Nelson to put him on his back.
"I'm very pleased with our performance," Dlugolonski said. "It pretty much went the way we expected."
