Long Island boys wrestling: How Terrific 10 won state titles

Long Island represented at this year’s state boys wrestling championships. Ten — count them, 10! — brought home titles. For five of them, it was their second crown. The other five experienced the thrill for the first time. 

Here is a recap of how they did it, with the first four state champions from Division I and the following six from Division II. 

DUNIA SIBOMANA-RODRIGUEZ, LONG BEACH, 116, JR. 

Dunia Sibomana-Rodriguez has taken the wrestling world on quite the ride through his first four years with the Long Beach varsity team. The journey has been a wild one, filled with ups and downs and inspiring moments. 

There was the surprise of winning the state 102-pound championship as an eighth grader when he basically surged through a momentum-building tournament run to win his first state crown. 

Then there was the disappointing loss in the state semifinals and the bounce-back through the loser’s bracket to finish third as a freshman. 

And the heartbreak of a sophomore year that ended with a devastating 1-0 loss to Cooper Merli of Newburgh Free Academy in the state 110-pound finals. 

Sibomana-Rodriguez has raised the expectations over the years. He has always persevered through the tough losses and injury and managed to finish with a positive outlook. 

He vowed in this, his junior year, that the outcome would be different at the state tournament. He would rise again to the top of the podium. 

And he delivered. 

Sibomana-Rodriguez pinned Merli, the two-time defending state champion, in overtime to claim the 116-pound Division I title in 6:44 at the MVP Arena in Albany. It was his second state championship and just as brilliant as the first. 

“I was not going to be denied this year,” he said after also performing a show-stopping backflip to celebrate his win. “I have a lot of respect for Cooper and he beat me last year because I let him wrestle his match. This time I kept moving and wrestled it my way. This is the biggest win of my life.”

Sibomana-Rodriguez, who has committed to wrestle for North Carolina, finished with a 48-2 record.

“He’s an amazing young man,” Long Beach coach Ray Adams said. “Everything about Dunia’s story is incredible. And when you get to know him the life story is even better. He inspires me every day.”

The realization of what Sibomana-Rodriguez has been through and where he has traveled is incomparable, almost unbelievable. His story of courage and survival continues through his success on the mat. 

It is an inspiring story of a 6-year-old who was badly disfigured by a troop of chimpanzees in the Virunga National Park in his native Congo. His brother and cousin were killed in the attack. Sibomana-Rodriguez survived with traumatic injuries to his lips, face, hand and right ear. He has had 21 surgeries to reconstruct his face. He was saved by doctors here in the United States and foster families who took him in and gave him a life. 

Sibomana-Rodriguez doesn’t like to go back there and talk about that fateful day. He prefers to look ahead at all the endless possibilities. 

“I am blessed with a great family and the best coaches,” he said. “I’m happy.” 

He has one year left to go for a third state title. Don’t bet against a boy who only looks forward and sees the beauty in life.

CAMRYN HOWARD, BELLPORT, 138, Fr.

It was always a matter of when, not if, Howard would win his first state title. Howard placed eighth at 126 pounds as a seventh-grader and took third at 138 pounds last year.

The freshman entered this year’s 138-pound bracket as the No. 2 seed and dominated each round. He picked up two technical falls before winning a 13-3 major decision over No. 3 Vinny Tripaldi (Iona Prep) in the semifinals. He pinned top-seeded Samson McKissick-Staley (Pittsford) in 1:14 to claim the title.

Howard and the legendary Jesse Jantzen are the only wrestlers to win a Suffolk title in the seventh, eighth and ninth grades. He pinned Commack’s Niko Marnika in just 11 seconds in this year’s county finals – the fastest pin time in the 85-year history of the Suffolk finals.

Howard went 52-2 and improved his career record to 142-7. He won the 145-pound title in the freshman division of the NHSCA Virginia Beach Nationals in March.

“People say they want to be good, but very few people are willing to do what it takes to be great,” coach Chuck Maragioglio said. “He says it and he does it. It’s pretty remarkable for a freshman.”

JASON KWAAK, BRENTWOOD, 160, Sr.

Kwaak’s senior season was the perfect end to a career filled with ups and downs and mired by injuries.

For the first time, Kwaak entered the state tournament feeling fully healthy. It made all the difference.

Top-seeded Kwaak defeated No. 3 Jackson Koppers (Rush-Henrietta) by 12-2 major decision to win his first state title and become Brentwood’s first state champion since 2013.

“We knew going in that he was the best guy in the weight class,” coach Ralph Napolitano said. “I told him his toughest opponent was gonna be between his ears. To his credit, he stayed focused and he never let the moment get too big for him.”

The NC State commit finished the season 41-0 and improved his career record to 162-8. He won his first East States Classic championship in January, defeating fellow NC State commit Griffin LaPlante (St. Francis) by 10-5 decision. Kwaak also won his second straight Suffolk title.

JON TUTKU, MASSAPEQUA, 101, 8TH

Tutku kicked off the Division I state finals with a bang.

No. 6 Tutku scored a takedown in each of the first two periods of his championship bout with top-seeded St. Francis freshman Tanner Catrabone. Tutku earned a reversal with 47 seconds left in the third period to seal an 8-2 decision.

He became the third Nassau wrestler to win a state title as an eighth-grader and Massapequa’s first state champion since 2003 and fourth overall.

“He’s in a small group of people that have gotten to the top of that podium at such a young age,” coach Mike McCann said. “The company that he’s in are among some of New York State wrestling royalty.”

Tutku maneuvered through an incredibly deep weight class. He knocked off No. 3 Xavier Seabury of North Babylon with a 7-6 decision in the quarterfinals and won a 7-5 decision over No. 2 Trevor Patrovich of Hauppauge in the semifinals.

Tutku went 50-1 and won his first county title, defeated Calhoun’s Zachary Gubba by 9-2 decision. He won the 100-pound title in the middle school division of the NHSCA Virginia Beach Nationals in March.

“He has a very unusual calmness about him,” McCann said. “You don’t see kids warm up like him. He’s pretty special, he’s different. All kids get nervous, but he is as calm and confident as any kid I’ve ever seen.”

GAVIN MANGANO, SHOREHAM-WADING RIVER, 138, Soph.

When Mangano stood up after riding out Ashten Haley (Cobleskill-Richmondville) for most of the first period, it was clear that something was wrong.

Mangano collapsed after the first period of the Division II 138-pound final with a broken right ankle. For Mangano, it was nothing a heavy tape job couldn’t fix.

“Ever since I was a kid, I’ve never liked losing and it’s only gotten worse as I’ve grown up,” Mangano said. “I was like, ‘Unless I have a broken neck and I can’t move the rest of my body, I’m gonna keep wrestling.’ I might lose, but I’m not gonna leave the mat because I’m injured.”

Mangano stayed on the mat and gutted out a 6-3 decision for his second straight title. He was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler. In January, he won his third straight Eastern States Classic title. He went 50-0 this winter and improved his career record to 167-3.

TOMMY AIELLO, GLENN, 116, Sr.

After losing in last year’s state semifinals, there was only one way Aiello would end his career: back on top of the podium.

He trailed 4-0 entering the third period of the Division II 116-pound final, but earned an escape and a takedown to force overtime. He scored a quick takedown for a 7-4 win in sudden victory over Drayton Dekay (Waverly) to become Glenn’s first two-time state champion.

The LIU commit won the 102-pound title as a sophomore. He went 40-3 this season and finished with a career record of 151-15.

“His opponent was very good defensively and good at stopping a lot of what Tommy does,” coach TJ Brocking said. “But Tommy is as good as he is because he adjusted and scored twice off of the same defense that stopped him earlier in the match.”

DEVIN DOWNES, PLAINEDGE, 190, JR. 

Downes announced himself at last year’s state tournament.

This year, everyone knew the Division II 190-pound class ran through top-seeded Downes.

The Maryland commit defeated Trent True (Holland Patent) by 10-1 major decision to become Plainedge’s first two-time state champion. He picked up two pins and a technical fall in 7:26 on his way to the final. Downes was last year’s Division I 170-pound champion.

“It was no different from last year, except for the fact that now, everybody knows you and kids want to beat you even more than they did before,” Downes said.

He went 46-4 and improved his career record to 165-26. Downes also won his second straight Nassau title. He was the runner-up at 190 pounds at the Eastern States Classic in January.

GREYSON MEAK, COLD SPRING HARBOR, 215, SR. 

When Meak was a seventh-grader, he wanted to become Cold Spring Harbor’s first state champion.

Christian Hansen and Jackson Polo beat him to the top of the podium, but Meak has carved out his own legacy.

The Penn commit picked up two pins and two technical falls in a total of 6:03 in this year’s state tournament. He beat Chris Howatt (Pioneer), 18-3, by technical fall in 2:17 to claim the Division II state title at 215 pounds.

Meak, who won last year’s 190-pound title, is the Seahawks’ first two-time state champion. He went 43-3 this season and compiled a 198-30 career record. He followed his state title win by winning the 195-pound title in the senior division of the NHSCA Virginia Beach Nationals in March.

“He’s worked so hard since seventh grade with us. He worked all year, every year,” coach Mike Ferrugiari said. “He was an All-State football player in the fall and he still was able to do what he did this year.”

LUKE NIETO, PLAINEDGE, 152, SR. 

There were tears in Nieto’s eyes as he stood on the mat with his hand raised.

Nieto defeated Gabe English (Berne Knox Westerlo/Middleburgh) by 4-2 decision for the Division II 152-pound title. He was the Division I runner-up at 138 pounds as a junior.

“It meant everything. It meant that I’m finally there,” Nieto said. “All those times where I came close and I didn’t want to continue with the sport, it just made everything worthwhile. It made the journey worth it.”

Nieto picked up a pin and two technical falls on his way to the final. He won his second straight Nassau title and helped lead Plainedge to the Nassau dual meet title. He went 46-3 this season and finished his career 176-23.

COLTON SCHMIESING, Oyster Bay, 108, Fr.

After knocking off top-seeded Mason Tanner (Jordan-Elbridge) by 7-3 decision in the Division II 108-pound quarterfinals, Schmiesing admitted he wasn’t all that confident entering the match. But afterward, he had all the confidence in the world.

“I’m gonna win the tournament now,” Schmiesing said after the upset.

The ninth-seeded freshman kept his promise, earning a quick takedown in sudden victory against No. 2 Andrew Juliano (Holland Patent) for a 10-7 decision and the title. Schmiesing trailed 7-2 after the first period but used his excellent conditioning to his advantage.

“I’m pretty confident now, but I still have to keep working hard. No match is gonna be easy,” Schmiesing said. “I’m excited for the next few years. I want to get more.”

Schmiesing went 37-3 and brought his career record to 72-8. He took eighth place at 101 pounds as an eighth-grader.