Locals earn honors at wrestling Sectionals
Lonstein, Morris lead local wrestlers at Section 9, Division 2 tourney
STONE RIDGE, N.Y. >> Ellenville High’s Jason Lonstein was a winner on and off the mat Sunday at the Section 9, Division 2 wrestling tournament at SUNY Ulster.
The senior fulfilled his dream of winning a championship, taking the 285-pound title.
“It’s an absolutely amazing feeling. Ten years of wrestling and the dividends are finally paying off,” said Lonstein, who was third last year and was in the finals for the first time. He became Ellenville’s first champion in nine years.
“I’ve been dreaming for this probably since I started wrestling, watching my cousins from Rondout (Ian and Eric Morse) win sections,” he said. “I figure I got to follow in their footsteps and I got to make a name for myself and Ellenville”
Lonstein was voted as co-Most Outstanding Wrestler along with Red Hook’s Matt Morris, who repeated as champion.
There was only one trophy, which the duo posed for photos with. The big question of who takes possession was settled in five rounds of rock-paper-scissors. Lonstein won.
“That was probably the toughest match of the night. It was hard
fought, five rounds,” Lonstein laughed.
There were six local champions in all, earning berths in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association championships Feb. 27-28 at the Times Union Center in Albany.
Highland and Onteora are both sending two wrestlers to states. The Huskies have Mat Malherio, who won his third title, and Peter Bender. Onteora is sending brothers Nick and Nate Ross.
Lonstein broke a 2-2 tie with Chester’s Devin McGovern with a takedown with 27 seconds left in the third and soon finished with a 3:47 pin.
Morris, the 2018 titlist as a sophomore at 106, won a much anticipated match at 113, decisioning two-time champion Nikko Walsh of Rondout Valley 3-0 in the finals. He scored two points 30 seconds into the match and held Walsh at bay the rest of the way.
“I knew from the first period that I had to get a takedown so that I could start the match off right,” Morris said. “I knew that if stuck to my game plan, I would be able to make those points worth it. I had to get to the leg. I knew that even if I didn’t finish on the first try, I’d definitely have to get to the leg again so I can finish.
“Ever since seventh grade when I started wrestling, I went up to states and watched,” he added. “Ever since then I knew that one of my goals was to place and to eventually win up there.”
Bender, a sophomore, scored three points in the third period to pull out the 7-4 victory over Rondout’s Rocco Deaveiro for the 106 title.
Malherio and Nick Ross both captured their third championships.
Malherio, who lost in the finals as a freshman, made it three straight with a 7-3 triumph over Port Jervis’ Joey Amato.
“I’m a ten times better wrestler now than I was in my sophomore year,” said the Highland senior, looking back.
“When I first started, I really didn’t know much about the sport. I just knew coach (John) McFarland and a couple of wrestlers on the team,” said Malherio, who saw former teammate Austin Ingraham as a role model.
“He was someone that I looked up to when I was younger,” he said. “I told my coach I want to be like Austin when I get to varsity and, winning three section titles, I think I accomplished that goal because Austin a three-time champion also. I think he placed at states his senior year (sixth in 2013) and, hopefully, I can do the same thing.”
Ross’ three-peat comes as a sophomore via a dominant 11-2 major decision over Port Jervis’ Gavin Staerker. Ross won the 113-pound title as an eighth-grader and 126 as a freshman.
“I’m confident in my neutral (position) with anybody I wrestle. Top and bottom I still need to work on, but I know I’m right there with all the top guys and I know I can compete with them,” said Ross, who benefits from sound technique and hard work. He’s looking forward to the state tourney.
“It’s a fun experience, but now that I’m getting older, I can take it serious because I know I’m supposed to be there,” he said. “I can place high this year and I can win it if I want to win it.”
Nate Ross, Nick’s older brother by one year and his practice partner, won his second title in three years with a 5:50 pin of Highland’s Logan Smith at 152. His loss in the 138 finals in ‘18 to Malherio provided motivation.
“It was nice to come back. Last year was a little stumble on my path. It made me realize that I needed to work to get where I wanted to be for the next season,” said Ross, who is also aiming to do well at states. He won one of three matches there two years ago as a freshman.
“I have my sights set on Albany,” he said. “I’m working to get up on the podium this year.”
Highland, which finished second as a team with 174 points to Port Jervis (218), sent seven members to the finals. Justin Halbert (145), Adain Maduro (170), Ben Swart (195) and John Perez (220) were runners-up.
Also placing second were Alex Lopez (126) of Red Hook and Marlboro’s John Antonelli at 120.
Antonelli’s match with Chester’s Liam Bullock won the Michael J. DeCapua award for most exciting match. Bullock broke a 2-2 tie with an escape with two seconds left in the first period and had built a 7-3 advantage in the second period. The Duke junior fought back and got within 8-7 with a takedown with 36 seconds remaining, but Bullock hung on to win 9-7. Team scores: Port Jervis 218, Highland 174, Eldred-Liberty-Sullivan West 146, Red Hook 128, Onteora 109, Chester 106, Rondout Valley 72, Burke 31.5, Ellenville 30.5, Marlboro 16, Tuxedo 0. 99 Championship: Trevor Tufano (Port Jervis) pinned Brandon McKay (Red Hook), 3:26 Semifinals: Trevor Tufano (Port Jervis) pinned Quintin Herzog (Eldred-Liberty-Sullivan West), 1:55; Brandon McKay (Red Hook) pinned Rian Kirker (Red Hook) :42 Consolation Final: Rian Kirker (Red Hook) pinned Quintin Herzog (Eldred-Liberty-Sullivan West)m, 3:40 106 Championship: Peter Bender (Highland) dec. Rocco Deaveiro (Rondout Valley), 7-4 Semifinals: Peter Bender (Highland) maj. dec. Benjamin Finch (Red Hook), 15-1; Rocco Deaveiro (Rondout Valley), 5:02 Consolation Final: Lucas Ospina (Rondout Valley) pinned Benjamin Finch (Red Hook), :42 113 Championship: Matt Moris (Red Hook) dec. Nikko Walsh (Rondout Valley), 3-0 Semifinals: Matt Morris (Red Hook) pinned Landen Frey (Rondout Valley), :35; Nikko Walsh (Rondout Valley) pinned Chris Gatto (Highland), 1:23 Consolation Final: Landen Frey (Rondout Valley) dec. Chris Gatto (Highland), 10-8 120 Championship: Liam Bullock (Chester) dec. John Antonelli (Marlboro), 9-7 Semifinals: Liam Bullock (Chester) pinned Robert Harrison (Port Jervis), 1:27; John Antonelli (Marlboro) dec. Joseph Curreri (Eldred-Liberty-Sullivan West), 6-0 Consolation Final: Joseph Curreri (Eldred-Liberty-Sullivan West) pinned Shawn Keefe (Highland), :37 126 Championship: Eric Tigue (Port Jervis) pinned Alex Lopez (Red Hook), 2:00 Semifinals: Eric Tigue (Port Jervis) pinned Justin Vandendooran (Onteora), 4:30; Alex Lopez (Red Hook) maj. dec. Timmy Pereira (Rondout Valley), 11-3 Consolation Final: Justin Vandendooran (Onteora) dec. Logan Zehr (Highland), 5-1 132 Championship: Matt Malherio (Highland) dec. Joey Amato (Port Jervis), 7-3 Semifinals: Matt Malherio (Highland) maj .dec. Hunter Eberhard (Red Hook), 14-0; Joey Amato (Port Jervis) won by injury default over Pat Ross (Onteora) Consolation Final: Pat Ross (Onteora) pinned Mark Bruckenstein (Chester), 2:20 138 Championship: Nick Ross (Onteora) maj. dec. Gavin Staerker (Port Jervis), 11-2 Semifinals: Nick Ross (Onteora) pinned Dan Klotz (Port Jervis), 1:02; Gavin Staerker (Port Jervis) dec. Ceaser Luna (Highland), 6-1 Consolation Final: Ceaser Luna (Highland) pinned Dan Klotz (Port Jervis), 1:50 145 Championship: Nick Curreri (Eldred-Liberty-Sullivan West) pinned Justin Halbert (Highland), 3:08 Semifinals: Nick Curreri (EldredLiberty-Sullivan West) pinned Sam Buono (Onteora), 1:57; Justin Halbert (Highland) dec. Tyler Benincasa (Red Hook), 11-9 Consolation Final: Sam Buono (Onteora) dec. Tyler Benincasa (Red Hook), 10-8 152 Championship: Nate Ross (Onteora) pinned Logan Smith (Highland), 5:50 Semifinals: Nate Ross (Onteora) pinned Kwalin Gonzalez (Chester), 1:14; Logan Smith (Highland) pinned Owen Allison (Onteora), 4:44 Consolation Final: Erik Quick (Port Jervis) pinned Kwalin Gonzalez (Chester), 3:52 160 Championship: Bryce Horner (Port Jervis) dec. Henry Peters (Eldred-Liberty-Sullivan West), 7-6 Semifinals: Henry Peters (Eldred-Liberty-Sullivan West) dec. James Shaw (Burke), 3-1; Bryce Horner (Port Jervis) pinned George Reid (Onteora), :47
Consolation Final: James Shaw (Burke) tech. fall over George Reid (Onteora), 16-0 170 Championship: Cesar Santiago (Eldred-Liberty-Sullivan West) maj. dec. Adain Maduro, 15-6 Semifinals: Cesar Santiago (Eldred-Liberty-Sullivan West) pinned Teddy Szymanski (Chester), 5:30; Adain Maduro (Highland) pinned Brendan Douthit (Burke), 2:21 Consolation Final: Brendan Douthit (Burke) pinned Teddy Szymanski (Chester), 3:54 182 Championship: Drew Bendy (Eldred-Liberty-Sullivan West) maj. dec. Joe Reed (Port Jervis), 8-0 Semifinals: Drew Bendy (Eldred-Liberty-Sullivan West) pinned Marshall Thomas (Eldred-Liberty-Sullivan West), 1:48; Joe Reed (Port Jervis) pinned Cole Greco (Chester), 4:44 Consolation Final: Cole Greco (Chester) pinned Marshall Thomas (Eldred-Liberty-Sullivan West), 2:59 195 Championship: James Deaverio (Eldred-Liberty-Sullivan West) pinned Ben Swart (Highland), :42 Semifinals: James Deaverio (Eldred-Liberty-Sullivan West) pinned Kendrick Ferrara (Port Jervis), 1:02; Ben Swart (Highland) dec. Dylan Bullock (Chester), 9-7 Consolation Final: Dylan Bullock (Chester) pinned Kendrick Ferrara (Port Jervis), :35 220 Championship: James Oosterom (Port Jervis) pinned John Perez (Highland), 1:56 Semifinals: James Oosterom (Port Jervis) pinned Christopher Clark (Red Hook), :29; John Perez (Highland) pinned Ricky Mendoza (Port Jervis), 3:55 Consolation Final: Christopher Clark (Red Hook) pinned Ricky Mendoza (Port Jervis), 3:33 285 Championship: Jason Lonstein (Ellenville) pinned Devin McGovern (Chester), 3:47 Semifinals: Devin McGovern (Chester) pinned Jacob Southard (Port Jervis), 1:15; Jason Lonstein (Ellenville) pinned Shamar Gittens (Highland), 5:34 Consolation Final: Jacob Southard (Port Jervis) pinned Shamar Gittens (Highland), :58