SUNY Ulster looks to build on success
Senators optimistic in second season after finishing 4-3 in return from 37-year hiatus
STONE RIDGE, N.Y » Former Highland High wrestling standout and coach Justin Signorelli returns for his second year as SUNY Ulster wrestling coach.
The Senators opens their season at home on Nov. 11 with a dual meet against Sullivan.
The Senators then embark on a seven-meet road trip, traveling to Cornell University in Ithaca for the New York State tournament on Nov. 19; the Cyclone Open at Centenary College in Hackettstown, New Jersey on Dec. 3; the Keystone College Tri-Meet in La Plume, Pennsylvania on Dec. 9; the Williams College Invitational in Williamstown, Massachusetts on Jan. 6; the USMAPS Tri-Meet at West Point on Jan. 13; and a dual meet at Sullivan on Jan 24.
The Senators finish the season at home with a dual meet with Bergen Community College on Feb. 1.
William Parks returns for his second season as an assistant, while Michael McCabe debuts as
the Senators other assistant.
Wrestling returned to SUNY Ulster last season after a 37-year hiatus, and Signorelli’s squad looks to improve on last year’s 4-3 mark.
“I’m very optimistic. We have a very good recruiting class,” said Signorelli, adding he’s seen a noticeable increase in intensity in practice this season.
After sharing space with an indoor baseball batting cage, the team now has a weight room and mats available all day in the basement of Senate Gymnasium.
Signorelli, who became the college’s assistant athletic director on Sept. 1 and teaches a couple of weight training courses, is now on campus full-time. Last season, he balanced his coaching duties with a night job at Craft Beer Guild in New Paltz.
“I’m available to athletes all day long,” Signorelli said.
Former Saugerties High standout Alex Munoz is the only returning wrestler from last year’s squad. Last year he made nationals but failed to advance beyond the first round.
Munoz joined the team last year after taking a couple of years off from wrestling after high school.
He believes this team is a big step up.
“Last year, I walked through practice,” Munoz said. “Bruce (McLee) and Frank (Cincotta) are pushing me for national qualifiers.”
Munoz added his goal was to become an AllAmerican. He added he’s happy to be on a team made up entirely of Section 9 competitors.
“I’m learning different schools techniques,” Munoz said.
Joining the team is Washingtonville High grad McLee, who transferred from Division III Plymouth State University in New Hampshire after wrestling one year.
“He went 12-7,” Signorelli said of McLee. “To have someone with previous college experience is a plus.”
McLee added he’s happy to be part of building a new program.
“We’re getting some big names,” he noted.
McLee said he likes the fact that the Senators team is smaller than his old squad at Plymouth, which featured more than 30 teammates at the beginning.
“It’s easier for everyone to get along,” McLee said.
Signorelli is also excited about recruiting Wallkill High’s Mike Fekishazy, who placed second in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association’ wrestling tournament last year.
“Division I schools were looking at him,” Signorelli said, “He’s got his sites set on nationals and getting on the podium.”
On a recent afternoon before practice, Onteora’s Matt Shields and Rondout’s Frank Cincotta were drilling on the mats.
After having a strong rivalry throughout their high school careers, the two have become fast friends.
Shields said he came to Ulster because he didn’t know what he wanted to do and didn’t want to waste a ton of money on college. He added that being able to continue wrestling only made Ulster a better choice and he’s looking forward to seeing what damage the team could do.
He is studying criminal justice and hopes to be a police officer or detective.
Cincotta came to Ulster for its nursing program and he views wrestling as a bonus.
“I’m going to do something I want to do, but I’m continuing to do something I love,” he said.
This year’s squad features four Kingston grads — Chris Bouton, Patrick Carroll, Javier Casteneda and Lakell Martin.
The team is rounded out by Red Hook’s Vaughn Donovan; New Paltz’s Mohammed Khan and Guy Soumah; Highland’s Will Sickles, Robert Trainor and Kaemar Reynolds; and Newburgh Free Academy’s Will McCartney.
Signorelli said already knowing many of the Section 9 coaches, both from his time wrestling for and coaching Highland, has aided his recruiting efforts.
In his three years with the Huskies, they won a Section 9 title in 2014.
Signorelli graduated from Highland, where he also played football and lacrosse. Right now the team is focusing on their opening meet with the Generals.
“We’re not going to look too far,” Signorelli said. “Right now were just focused on that one.”
With Sullivan being the only other community college in the area offering wrestling, Ulster faces some long trips — including trips to Western New York. Signorelli admitted with all of this athletes being commuters, and many holding down a part-time job, it can be a challenging to find time for them to squeeze everything in.
“We try our best to be as flexible as possible,” he said.