MAT NOTES AND RUNNING UPDATES:

     The 92nd annual NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships begins at 12 noon at the BOK Center in Tulsa, OK. Session One will be televised on ESPNU.

     The first NY native bouts are in the 125-pound class as 8th ranked Anthony  Noto (29-2) will meet Joey Prata (20-9) of Appalachian State and # 6- Stevo Poulin (28-5) is pitted against Virginia Tech's Eddie Ventresca (16-7).

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     Also in this weight class is EIWA finalist and talented freshman Brett Ungar (14-10) of Cornell vs Penn's Ryan Miller (19-10). That winner will face second-seeded and unbeaten Patrick Glory (20-0) of Princeton in second round action.

     As expected Penn State with 16 points leads NC State (12.5) and Iowa (12) after the first round at the NCAA Championships. Rounding out the top teams are Ohio State (10), Northern Iowa (10), Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin all with 9 points, followed by Nebraska (8) and EIWA champions Cornell with 8 points.

     The Big Red advanced six wrestlers into the second round, including three-time champion Yianni Diakomihalis (17-1, 111-2 career) who posted a solid 6-1 decision over former All-American Don Demas (Cal Poly), 6-1, at 149 pounds. The only Cornell wrestler to drop a match in the first round was EIWA champion Julian Ramirez (23-4) who was edged by Caleb Fish (Michigan State), 6-3, at 165 pounds.

     All other ten returning NCAA champions advanced to the second round including thee-time NCAA titlist  Iowa's Spencer Lee (17-0) who posted a first period pin at 125 pounds. He will meet Anthony Noto (31-2) in the quarterfinals. Noto edged Wisconsin's Eric Barnett with a takedown with three seconds remaining in their bout and emerged with an exciting 5-4 decision.

     The Big Red sit in 6th place and pushed three wrestlers into the quarterfinals, including NY natives, Vito Arujau (22-1) and three-time champ Yianni Diakomihalis (18-1). Arujau posted a 12-4 major decision over Iowa State's Zach Redding (ESM) and will meet nemesis Sam Latona (Virginia Tech) in the quarterfinals. Diakomihalis flattened Jackson Arrington (NC State) in the first period and is pitted against Iowa's Max Murin (21-4).

     The other Cornell grappler in the quarters is tough Chris Foca (26-1) who will face Oklahoma's State Dustin Plott (23-4) at 174. 

     Cornell is now in 4th place and has three semifinalists. Vito Arujau (23-1) defeated Sam Latona (VTech), 8-5, and now will meet unbeaten daton Fix (29-0) in a semi final battle. Yianni Diakomihalis (19-1, 113-2 career) was coasting in the quarterfinals and held on for a nail-biting 8-7 decision over Iowa's Max Murnin, he will face Penn State's Shayne Van Ness in the semifinals. Fourth-seeded Chris Foca (27-1) had a stunning 1:53 first period pin over Dustin Plott (Okla State), he is pitted against reigning NCAA champion Carter Starocci (22-0) of Penn State.

     Another marquee semifiinal skirmish to watch will be returning NCAA king David Carr (25-0) of Iowa State against Princeton's Quincy Monday (25-2). Looming in the bottom bracket of the loaded 165-pound class is defending

NCAA champion Keegan O'Toole (18-2) of Missouri.

   The Big Red had a strong NCAA finish as they crowned two NCAA champions, had two other All-Americans and earned the third place team trophy. Earning AA accolades were underclassmen, Chris Foca (29-2), 3rd at 174 and Jacob Cardenas (22-5) 8th at 197 pounds. Winning NCAA titles were junior Vito Arujau (25-1, 75-7 career) who also took home the OSW Award for dominating the loaded 133-pound bracket. Teammate and college roommate Yianni Diakomihalis (21-1, 115-2) captured his fourth NCAA crown and defeated rival Sammy Sasso (Ohio State) in the 149-pound final.

    Diakomihalis now joins the elite group of only four other four-time NCAA kings; PatSmith (OK- Oklahoma State), Cael Sanderson (UT- Iowa State), Kyle Dake (NY- Cornell) and Logan Stieber (OH- Ohio State).

     PA led all home states with 11 All-Americans, followed by Illinois (8), NJ (7), CA (6) and Ohio with four AAs. The last time New York State had two NCAA champions was in 2010, when Kyle Dake (141) of Cornell and J.P. O'Connor (157) of Harvard won titles. Finishing fourth that year was TroyNickerson (125) of Cornell. Nickerson was the first-ever NY five-time state champion and won both a high school national championship (2005) and his NCAA title in 2009. He had his first NCAA champion this year as Colorado native Andrew Alirez of Northern Colorado won the 141-pound title.

     Missing from the 2023 NCAA Champions photo was NC's two-time titlist Austin O'Connor (157). The last time an NCAA champion were absent from the champs photo was in 1987 at Maryland. Missing was Lehigh's Peter Yozzo (Sayville HS) who pinned Pitt's Rich Santoro at the 3:42 mark in the 142-pound final. Iowa State won the team title and New York had seven All-Americans.       

     Earning AA accolades for NY were the aforementioned Yozzo, finalist Brad Penrith (126) of Iowa, Al Palacio (7th at 118) of NC and Dennis Mejias (8th at 118) of Wilkes, Glen Lanham (5th at 158) of Okla State, Brian Kurlander (8th at 158) of James Madison and Dan Mayo (3rd at 177) of Penn State

     Head coach Mike Grey also was voted the NCAA Coach-of-the-Year and concluded his second year at the helm. At the 2024 NCAA Championships, Cornell could challenge reigning champion Penn State for the team title.

  1. Penn State  (137.5 points)
  2. Iowa  (82.5)
  3. Cornell  (76.5)
  4. Ohio State  (70.5)
  5. Missouri  (64.5)
  6. Michigan  (58.5)
  7. Arizona State  (55)
  8. Nebraska  (54)
  9. Virginia Tech  (49)
10. NC State  (48)
11. Iowa State  (47)
12. North Carolina  (42)
13. Princeton  (37.5)
14. South Dakota State  (37)
15. Minnesota  (30.5)
16. Northern Iowa  (29)
16. Wisconsin  (29)
18. Air Force  (28.5)
18. Oklahoma State  (28.5)
20. Lehigh  (28)
20. Purdue  (28)​​​​​​

  1. Penn State  (137.5 points)
  2. Iowa  (82.5)
  3. Cornell  (76.5)
  4. Ohio State  (70.5)
  5. Missouri  (64.5)
  6. Michigan  (58.5)
  7. Arizona State  (55)
  8. Nebraska  (54)
  9. Virginia Tech  (49)
10. NC State  (48)
11. Iowa State  (47)
12. North Carolina  (42)
13. Princeton  (37.5)
14. South Dakota State  (37)
15. Minnesota  (30.5)
16. Northern Iowa  (29)
16. Wisconsin  (29)
18. Air Force  (28.5)
18. Oklahoma State  (28.5)
20. Lehigh  (28)
20. Purdue  (28)​​​​​​

  1. Penn State  (116.5 points)
  2. Iowa  (77.0)
  3. Cornell  (64)
  4. Ohio State  (62)
  5. Missouri  (55)
  6. Michigan  (51)
  6. Nebraska  (51)
  8. Iowa State  (44)
  9. NC State  (41.5)
10. Virginia Tech  (40.5)
11. Arizona State  (37.5)
12. North Carolina  (34.5)
13. South Dakota State  (34)
14. Minnesota  (29.5)
15. Northern Iowa  (29)
15. Princeton  (29.0
15. Wisconsin  (29)
18. Purdue  (27)
19. Oklahoma State  (25)
20. Northwestern  (23.5)​​​​​​

 NCAA TOURNAMENT

TEAM SCORES

  The Empire State garnered 3 All-Americans had 19 high school prepped wrestlers in the NCAA field. They are:

  125- Anthony Noto - Lock Haven - (Honoye Falls-Lima HS) - 4th - AA

           Stevo Poulin - U No Colorado - (Shenendehowa HS) - DNP

  133- Vito Arujau - Cornell - (Syosset HS) - NCAA Champion

           Zach Redding - Iowa State - (Eastport S Manor HS) - DNP

  141- Jordan Titus - West Virginia - (Center Moriches HS) - DNP

  149- Yianni Diakomihalis - Cornell - (Hilton HS) - NCAA Champion

           Ryan Burgos - Edinboro - (Hilton HS) - DNP

           Colin Realbuto - U Northern Iowa - (Iona Prep HS) - DNP

  157- Tommy Askey - Appalachian St - (Pine Bush HS) - DNP

           Peter Pappas - George Mason U - (Plainview JFK HS) - DNP

  165- Evan Barczak - Drexel - (Monroe-Woodbury HS) - DNP

           Tanner Cook - S Dakota St U - (Central V Academy) - DNP

  174- Sam Wolf - Air Force - (Warsaw HS) - DNP

           John Worthing - Clarion - (Tioga HS) - DNP

  184- Jacob Ferreira - Hofstra - (Horace Greeley HS) - DNP

           Giuseppe Hoose - Buffalo - (Southwestern HS) - DNP

           Jacob Nolan - Binghamton - (Saranac HS) - DNP

  285- Cory Day - Binghamton - (Iroquois HS) - DNP

           Sam Schuyler - Iowa State - (Kings Park HS) - DNP​​

NEW YORK STATE WRESTLERS IN NCAA TOURNAMENT

                                   FINAL RESULTS

125 lbs. - Pat Glory (Princeton) d. Matt Ramos (Purdue) 4-1

133 lbs. - Vito Arujau (Cornell) d. Roman Bravo-Young (Penn State) 10-4

141 lbs. - Andrew Alirez ( Northern Colorado) d. Real Woods (Iowa) 6-4

149 lbs. - Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell) d. Sammy Sasso (Ohio State) 4-2

157 lbs. - Austin O`Connor (North Carolina) d. Levi Haines (Penn State) 6-2

165 lbs. - Keegan O'Toole (Missouri) d. David Carr (Iowa State) 8-2

174 lbs. - Carter Starocci (Penn State) p. Mikey Labriola (Nebraska) 2:46

184 lbs. - Aaron Brooks (Penn State) d. Parker Keckeisen (Northern Iowa) 7-2

197 lbs. - Nino Bonaccorsi (Pittsburgh) d. Tanner Sloan (South Dakota State) 5-3

285 lbs. - Mason Parris (Michigan) d. Greg Kerkvliet (Penn State)​ 5-1

OSW - Vito Arujau (Cornell - 133 pounds)