But, after the Shoreham-Wading River phenom won the national wrestling championship at the National High School Coaches Association in Virginia Beach, there was no doubt in every major wrestling rankings website that Mangano was undoubtedly the No. 1 recruit in all of New York in the 2027 class. 

When he won his second consecutive New York State title at the end of his sophomore season, a title which he literally won on one leg, fighting through a broken ankle, the Iron Man performance vaulted him up to the national rankings. According to Flowrestling.org, Mangano is now the No. 17-ranked recruit regardless of weight class in all of the country within the 2027 class.

“I was running on adrenaline at the time,” Mangano told the Riverhead-News Review after the New York State championship win. “Yeah, I was in pain, but honestly, I wanted to win more than anything else. I was going to wrestle until I saw a bone sticking out of my body.”

But based on the recruiting guidelines, no college was able to reach out to the wrestling phenom until this summer — the summer of his incoming junior season.

“As soon as they could they started calling him,” SWR head coach Joe Condon said. “The recruiting period opened at midnight and his phone immediately started buzzing.”

Every elite wrestling Division I school showed tremendous interest. Schools like Oklahoma State, West Virginia and Penn State clamored for his verbal commitment. But Penn State stood out among the pack. Mangano announced his verbal commitment to Penn State on his Instagram on Sept. 28. 

“I feel there is no better place for me to continue my progress and success than Penn State with their amazing coaching staff,” Mangano wrote on his Instagram post. “Thank you to all the coaches that have reached out to me throughout this process.”

Penn State University is the wrestling powerhouse in all of college athletics. They’ve won the last four NCAA Men’s Wrestling Championships and have 13 championships overall. Every world-class wrestler wants to be developed by Penn State. Led by head coach Cael Sanderson, the former Iowa State wrestler, who won an Olympic gold medal, four NCAA Division I championships and never lost a match in college (159-0), Penn State is simply an elite training facility to be the best in the world.

“All Gavin has ever wanted was to be the best,” Condon said. “What better place to be the best than to train with the best. We’re all so proud of him. He’s a staple of hard work and dedication.”

Sanderson came to visit Mangano in school at the end of September, which eventually sealed the deal. It’s not often you have the head coach of a program come to visit a recruit in person, but they clearly wanted to show their commitment. 

“With a blue-chip recruit like Gavin, these coaches have to separate themselves,” Condon said. “I think when a guy like Sanderson comes and meets with you in person, it really makes a massive difference. He wants to be the guy at Penn State, and Sanderson assured him he wouldn’t be going after him if he felt like he wouldn’t be able to do that.”

Mangano only spent two months rehabbing after his surgery — he made his debut after training all summer in the Journeymen Fall Classic Championship this weekend. The junior won the 140-lb weight class and was also named Most Outstanding Wrestler of the Classic. He won in the final by technical fall (16-1).  

Looks like Mangano hasn’t skipped a beat. Penn State is getting a winner.

The post SWR’s Gavin Mangano commits to Penn State for wrestling appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

After taking care of his first three opponents by a pin and two technical falls, Mangano matched up against Ashten Haley of Cobleskill-Richmondville. Haley (46-2) came into the matchup already losing to Mangano once in the Eastern States semifinals, so he knew he needed a big performance to come out on top. Mangano was the only undefeated wrestler in all of Division II with a 49-0 record.

Shortly after the match started, Mangano took control and earned a takedown, getting credited with three points. Once he hit the ground however, he felt something was off.

“As soon as I took him down, my lower right leg felt like jello,” Mangano said. “I knew something was wrong but I didn’t want to stop the match right there for an injury until there was a reset.”

There was still 90 seconds left in the period. Mangano started to hobble around, trying to keep his opponent on the ground so he didn’t need to put pressure on his leg. With 30 seconds left in the first, the referee called a restart and Mangano got up, took two more steps to the center and collapsed. Coaches rushed up to him and taped up his ankle and asked if he was still good to go. What he didn’t know at the time was that he broke his fibula and his ankle was hanging on by a thread.

“I was running on adrenaline at the time,” Mangano said. “Yeah, I was in pain, but honestly I wanted to win more than anything else. I was going to wrestle until I saw a bone sticking out of my body.”

The last 30 seconds of that first period set the tone for the rest of the match. Though Haley was able to snag two points right away, Magano maneuvered on the ground and outclassed Haley grabbing those two points right back with just seconds left on the clock. Once the period whistle blew, Haley laid on the mat for an extra second or two after Mangano instantly jumped up to his feet — or rather his foot.

The last two rounds were uneventful for a typical Mangano match, as he continued to wrestle on one leg. His mentality had to be more on the defensive. Haley knew that Mangano was compromised and tried to attack that leg in hopes of earning points but he never got close. Only two reversals by each wrestler were scored in the final two periods, and the match ended at 6-3.

“All I could think of doing is sitting down at that point,” Mangano said. “I wasn’t even thinking about how cool it was to win my second state title. I was in so much pain, I’m glad I was carried off.”

Mangano had to get his medal in a wheelchair — something you don’t really see much on the grand stage. Dealing with an injury is normal as a wrestler but literally breaking a bone and still winning puts you in elite territory. Mangano refused to be denied. There’s a reason the wrestling phenom hasn’t lost in two years. For his efforts, he was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament.

Now Mangano has to begrudgingly take a break from the sport he loves the most. He’s going to have to miss the Nationals in Virginia Beach — an event he won last year.

“I’m very disappointed and frustrated with the break I have to take now,” Mangano said. “The doctor told me it’s going to take like eight to 12 weeks to heal. But honestly after this week, I want to start working out again. Obviously not with my legs but with my upper body, so I can stay in some shape.”

Spoken like a true warrior. He’ll be back.

The post Mangano wins another state title despite breaking his leg appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

Reigning state champion Gavin Mangano is at the forefront of that conversation having already won nearly every tournament he’s set foot in since he was a varsity wrestler. Last year, not only did he win the New York State championship but he also won the NHSCA High School Nationals, the most prestigious tournament in high school wrestling, later in the year. He’s won the Eastern States Classic title three years in a row, including this year in January.

But this year also brought new challenges. He stepped into a new weight division at 138 pounds. It’s hard to say it’s been much of a challenge to Mangano, though. He skated through the Suffolk County tournament, pinning every opponent along the way in 40 seconds or less. He’s posted an undefeated record this year and has lost only three times ever on a varsity stage — and that was before he even stepped into a high school hallway. The sophomore is poised to bring home another state championship.

“Mangano never leaves any question to who is the best wrestler on the mat,” Condon said. “He just dominates. Can’t say it any simpler than that. He is the best wrestler in the county and he’s continually proving he’s one of the best in nation.”

Shoreham-Wading River earned two other first-place medals back to back when Thomas Matias won at 101 pounds and Shane Cowan did the same at 108 pounds. 

Matias, who came in as the No. 2 seed in the tournament, ripped through the bracket and proved that he should have been seeded No. 1. After two pins to start out his bracket, he earned a technical fall (15-0) in the semifinal before shutting out Parker Menechino of Mt. Sinai, the No. 1 seed, 8-0 to hoist the trophy.

“We knew Matias had a shot to win it all,” Condon said. “He’s a very dedicated wrestler that’s committed to his craft. He’s put in his time to getting better every day and it showed on the mat.”

Cowan, who was one of Shoreham-Wading River’s 101-pound wrestlers last year, moved up to 108 and earned the No. 1 seed in the tournament. Cowan barely broke a sweat in the bracket, pinning every opponent in his way en route to the title.

“They both paid their dues,” Condon said. “They didn’t reach their goals in the tournament last year. It was a learning experience for them. Matias is a freshman and Cowan is an eighth-grader. They have the world ahead of them still.”

Rounding out the state-bound wrestlers was SWR’s 152-pounder Jacob Conti. Though he finished third in the tournament, the 152-pound weight division sent two wrestlers into the states and they hosted a “true second” match, where the second- and third-place wrestlers face off against each other. He pinned Chris Lotten of Port Jefferson in the third period to advance to states.

“Conti has had a great season so far; I believe he has gone 39-8 this year,” Condon said. “We knew he had it in him. He’s young as well but he’s made huge improvements year over year. We expect him to win every time he’s out there. He’s got that ability.”

With four representatives heading to Albany, Condon believes they can make some serious noise on the grand stage.

“I love that my whole team returns next year,” Condon said. “I have no seniors. But they have a chance now to wrestle with the best of the best in the state and get better. We have a lot of work to do in the lead-up. We want them all to place in Albany and build off what they did this year and bring it into next year. But I truly feel that we have a very good chance to do well up there, even with how young we are.”

The post Foursome of SWR wrestlers qualifies to compete in state tourney appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

“It’s special to be able to come back and coach where I wrestled as a kid and in a community that I continue to live in,” he said. “I got to coach my son, my nephews, all those kids I saw grow up in the community. I have teammates of mine whose kids are in the program. It’s really all full circle. All the personal stuff is great but I wouldn’t be able to do it without my coaching staff all these years. 

“It’s a collective thing, it’s coaches, it’s parents, it’s a full community effort to get success here,” he continued. “I wish I could take all the credit but if you surround yourself with like-minded people and get great support from the school district and the community, good things tend to happen.”

But even after all those years at the helm, there’s always a new challenge. This year, for instance, for the first time under Condon’s tenure at SWR, there are no seniors on the wrestling team.

“Being such a young team this year I don’t want to overdo it and overwork the kids,” Condon said. “You have to find a middle ground. But they train real hard and we still set the bar high and have high expectations. We’re going to have 90% of the team intact the next two years. We have no seniors and four juniors.”

The lack of seniors didn’t stop the team from hoisting the trophy for the third annual Don Jantzen Memorial Duals on Saturday at Shoreham-Wading River High School, a multi-team meet that featured Cold Spring Harbor, Mattituck, Harborfields, Huntington, Rocky Point, Comsewogue, and Centereach. The Wildcats stood atop the podium among them all. They defeated Rocky Point in the final, 38-34, to the roar of the home crowd.

The team this year is led by reigning state and national champion Gavin Mangano. The sophomore was unfazed in all his matchups during the tournament at the 145-pound weight class after wrestling around 126 last year. In his first matchup against Cold Spring Harbor, he pinned his opponent in 40 seconds. Against Harborfields, the pin came in just 36 seconds. In the Mattituck matchup, the opponent fell in 34 seconds. But Mangano saved the best for last, slamming Rocky Point’s Neil Dhingra in the championship and pinning him in only 19 seconds of wrestling time.

“Mangano has accomplished so much already, but he’s never satisfied,” Condon said. “The kid is just a phenom and everyone on the team feeds off of it. They see how hard he works and how committed he is to being great. He may only be a sophomore but he leads by example.”

In the final, the match started at the 131-pound weight class, moved through higher weight classes before coming back around and ending at 124 pounds. It was a back-and-forth match to that point and the winner of that final bout would determine the team win for either side. SWR earned points with pins by Mangano, Shane Hall (138), Jacob Conti (152), Bradley Brandt (101), Thomas Matias (108) and a major decision by Shane Cowan leading into the final matchup of the night. The Wildcats won three consecutive bouts to give themselves a chance at the title. It was down to Jake Davis and the 124-pounder did not disappoint. In the highest scoring match of the day, the back and forth battle saw both wrestlers rack up lots of points, until Davis emerged victorious over Finley Monahan, 24-16.

“It was a great moment for the kids,” Condon said. “The Don Jantzen Memorial Tournament is always a big hit in the community and I’m proud of the way the kids wrestled today. I’m sure Don was looking down from above and just smiling.”

The post SWR wrestling team wins on the mats despite youth appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

Kaysee Mojo, Riverhead softball

In Riverhead’s historic undefeated softball run through League I, it was clear who the leader of the group was, even to an untrained eye. Whenever the team needed a game-altering hit, Mojo was there to supply it. But there was a moment early in the season when she was struggling mentally.

“Kaysee came to us coaches during the struggles at the plate and acknowledged that she felt like her entire career, she always was in the shadow of others and was okay with that,” Riverhead head coach Rich Vlacci said. “She told us that it was time for other people to shine and get their opportunity. She wanted to bat at the bottom of the order. We challenged her to step out of that shadow, to show everybody who the real Kaysee Mojo is, and become the leader that she was meant to be. From that moment on, we saw a completely different person.”

Mojo stayed after practice regularly and really committed to her craft. Typically more quiet, she became the one to give speeches before the games. She was the one keeping everyone level-headed. Her leadership translated into offensive success. Mojo began to lead by example and the team followed suit.

By the end of the season, Mojo was the most feared hitter in Riverhead’s lineup. She batted fourth in the order, and nobody wanted to pitch to her. Mojo ended up leading the league in both home runs (6) and runs batted in (28). Her six home runs were good for fourth place in all of Long Island. Her performance earned her an All-County award, and there was nobody more deserving. Mojo will trade in the blue for green and suit up for the Farmingdale State College Rams next year.

“I truly can’t put into words how much she meant to our success this year,” Vlacci said. “Sometimes players transcend the on-the-field performance and become one of those people that create a positive, infectious environment that allows others to feel comfortable and thus successful. It allows them to be okay with failing and not become down on themselves. Kaysee was this for our team. To say she will be missed is an understatement.”

Aside from softball, Mojo was also an integral part of the volleyball team that made the playoffs for the first time since 2013. 

Griffin Sumwalt, Riverhead lacrosse

Riverhead’s boys lacrosse team made the playoffs for the first time since 2019 and senior attackman Griffin Sumwalt was right in the middle of it all. The team finished the regular season with its best record and division placement in school history. Not only did Riverhead make the playoffs, they also won a playoff game against Commack, 16-8, showing how far Riverhead has come in the last few years. Last year, the team posted a 6-10 overall record. This year, they completely shocked Suffolk County’s Division I with a final record of 14-4.

When the moment called for it, in the toughest games, Sumwalt was there scoring or assisting on crucial goals. In early April, in a game against Commack, Sumwalt scored a season high in goals, with seven. Against Center Moriches in March, he netted six. When the ball was in the netting of his stick, good things tended to happen, making the left-handed senior pivotal to the team’s success. 

“He went from a small kid starting as a freshman to one of the best players in the league by his senior season,” Riverhead head coach Vic Guadagnino said. “He committed to the weight room. He was very easy to coach. He absorbed everything he was learning very quickly. He knew if he bought into the system, it would pay off and work for him.”

Sumwalt, who will head to the University of Massachusetts at Lowell in the fall, achieved some records that will likely stay atop Riverhead’s leaderboard for years to come, including a school record for scoring 83 total points in a single season. Out of those 83 points, 54 were goals scored, which is also a new record. He finished his career with 192 total points and — you guessed it – that is now a record as well.

Following a game during the season, as the peewee players got ready for their practice, Guadagnino observed one of them practicing catching balls and finishing at the back of a nearby goal with his dad. The kid scored and said, “That was just like Griffin does it, Dad.”

“That’s what it’s all about,” Guadagnino said. “That’s the legacy this senior class is leaving. They’re inspiring the youth to play this great game. Griffin’s part of the group that brought Riverhead lacrosse back.”

On Wednesday, Sumwalt set one more record. He and fellow senior Danny Healy were not only named All-County but also — for the first time in Riverhead lacrosse history — named as Academic All-Americans.

“What a huge accomplishment not only for Griff but for the program as well,” Guadagnino said. “The kid wasn’t just a phenomenal lacrosse player. He was committed to his academics as well and that’s the full package right there.”

Lacrosse has always been Sumwalt’s first love and he’s been playing since kindergarten, but he’s not too shabby at golf either. In addition to lacrosse, he also starred on Riverhead’s boys golf team, which finished in first in its division with a flawless 10-0 record.

Gavin Mangano, Shoreham-Wading River Wrestling

Though this award is typically geared toward seniors, it’s hard to ignore the dominance Gavin Mangano exhibited this season on the wrestling mat. Only a freshman, he’s reached heights that a senior could only have hoped to accomplish when their career was over and done with.

After finishing second in the New York State Division II tournament last year, Mangano was not going to be denied this time around. He ripped through his opponents, one by one, earning titles on the way. Mangano won the Suffolk County title and then promptly dispensed with everyone in his way en route to the New York State championship in the 131-pound division. The New York State finals match wasn’t even close as he pinned Jayden Duncanson of Tioga in the second period. Mangano, despite his age, is just miles ahead of everyone in his weight division. 

“He’s already held in high esteem among all the Shoreham-Wading River wrestling greats,” said SWR head coach Joe Condon. “Very few people have even touched the accomplishments that he already has as a freshman.”

As if winning the state title wasn’t enough, Mangano put his talents on display at the Virginia Beach Nationals, where the best of the best from across the nation face off in a grueling tournament featuring 80 different wrestlers in each weight division. Mangano emerged victorious as the last one standing in the 126-pound freshman division, putting an exclamation mark on his remarkable season. He defeated Greyson Music — who has been widely recognized as one of the best talents in the nation out of Pennsylvania — 5-1 in the finals.

Mangano has now wrestled to a record of 117-3 during his high school career and if he hadn’t broken his wrist during his seventh grade season, the win total would even be higher. With three more years left in high school, barring injury, it’s hard to believe that he won’t be the most successful wrestler to ever set foot at Shoreham-Wading River High School.

“He’s going to do anything to help him improve and rarely takes any days off during the entire year,” Condon said. “He travels a lot and faces the best competition all the time. Even in club wrestling, he’s training with the best competition in Nassau and Suffolk counties routinely. The kid just does not stop. Like the old adage goes, iron sharpens iron.”

Grace Hillis, Shoreham-Wading River soccer

The Shoreham-Wading River girls soccer team made it all the way to the New York State final and senior captain Grace Hillis proved herself a leader along the way. Typically more of a defensive-minded player, where she routinely guarded the opponent’s best offensive option from her midfield position, Hillis impacted the game from one end to the other, bringing goals and assists while also keeping the opponents off the board.

When you look at the success the team had this year, a lot of it doesn’t happen without Hillis’ presence on the field.

“I’ve coached at Shoreham now for 14 years and I’ve coached some amazing athletes,” SWR head coach Adrian Gilmore said. “Great soccer players have come through this program. But since I’ve started, two players come to mind that were undoubtedly the best: Kari Quinn and Grace Hillis. Right from the first time I saw Grace, I just knew she had everything to make an amazing player. She’s the heart of the team. She’s a beast on the field. She demands perfection of herself. She was the only kid at practice that was angry she missed a shot.”

In the Suffolk County Class A championship against Kings Park, Hillis scored both of the goals to send the Wildcats into the Long Island championship. Then, in the Long Island finals, she scored the first goal and assisted on the next to defeat Plainedge and bring the team to states. It didn’t stop there. On a cross from Mia Mangano in the state semifinals against New Hartford, Hillis buried the team’s only goal on a volley to advance to the finals.

“Her role changed throughout the season depending on who we were playing,” Gilmore said. “We had a young team and our top goal scorer from last year got hurt with an ACL injury. We graduated Grace Leonard, which was a huge loss. There were a lot of changes and I think she saw the need to put the ball in the back of the net. I don’t think you have to ask a great player to do what’s necessary. They just see it and they do it.”

There was a time, though, when it looked like the senior’s season might have been over. At the end of the regular season against Bayport-Blue Point, Hillis was tackled and was immediately in immense pain. She had to be stretchered off the field.

“When she went down that game we saw the season flash before our eyes,” Gilmore said. “Bella Sweet rallied and put the ball in the back of the net for us to win the league but there was that big question mark whether she would come back. But the type of player she was, I knew if there was a chance she could, she would play. Her coming back from that and having that kind of performance shows the caliber of player she is.”

Hillis ended up winning All-County and All-State awards after the season ended. She was also named MVP of the state championships. Hillis will continue her soccer career at Old Dominion University.

The post Athletes of the Year: Blue Waves and Wildcats appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

On the biggest stage, under the brightest lights, in front of thousands of spectators, Mangano brought home a Division II New York State title Saturday night at MVP Arena in Albany. One year removed from losing in the finals by a mere point, Mangano, in a new weight class, dominated the field and left no doubt that he could be the man of the mat for the years to come.

Entering into the tournament as the No. 1 seed in the 131-pound division, the pressure was on. But for Mangano, this was just another tournament. He’s been wrestling since kindergarten and he’s won major titles before, including the Eastern States tournament twice.

“This is the only sport where you can literally show that you’re better than the other person,” Mangano said. “I like the ability to dominate on an individual level. I like to win and be in control of my own destiny.”

Mangano opened up the tournament with a 15-0 technical fall victory against Port Jefferson’s Frankie D’elia (39-4) just two minutes into the match. Then he defeated Abdul-Ja Zaggout (39-13) from Unatego/Unadilla Valley with a 6-4 decision in a match where Mangano ended up hurting his wrist.

“I wouldn’t really call it an injury,” Mangano said. “I jammed it a little bit. It affected me somewhat but I just wanted it more than everyone else.”

Mangano then took down Justin Mullis (42-11) of Hudson Valley with a 12-2 majority decision to cement a spot in the finals against Jayden Duncanson (31-2) of Tioga. 

“Duncanson won most of his matches by first round pin during the season,” SWR head coach Joe Condon said. “He’s a dangerous wrestler. His brother is a three-time state champ and he comes from the best team in the state. So we knew he would be tough.”

Until he met the man. Mangano got offensive early and kept scoring points. He was in complete control. Takedown after takedown, with some near falls mixed in, Mangano jumped ahead 14-3 going into the final minute of the third round where he finished the victory with a pin in the waning seconds. 

“This was my second time on such a big stage,” Mangano said. “I lived in the moment. I wasn’t nervous like I was last year. I had confidence that I could get it done. I know I belong here. It felt good to end the match with a pin.”

“Mangano’s one of those rare wrestlers that just continues to score points throughout the match,” Condon said. “He can score points in all positions: top, bottom, neutral, it doesn’t matter. There’s not a lot of things you can do against him to score. And not only that, the 131-pound weight division is one of the most talented divisions in the nation.”

When the referee called the match, Mangano got up and made a bow and arrow sign with his arms, shooting two imaginary arrows into the stands.

“Those were for my parents,” he said. “They’ve believed in me and pushed me to the point that I am now. I owe it all to them.”

Only four SWR wrestlers have won state titles in the school’s history, and Mangano’s win as a freshman puts him on an historic career trajectory. Jesse Jantzen is the only SWR wrestler to win four New York state titles, and was the first to accomplish that feat on Long Island. Jantzen posted high school career record was 221-3, and Mangano is currently 117-3. Jantzen, who graduated from SWR in 2000, went on to win the 149-pound NCAA crown for Harvard in 2004.

“Mangano is absolutely in the conversation for one of the best to ever wrestle here,” Condon said. “I don’t like comparing wrestlers, but Jantzen was the best to ever do it. Can Mangano get there? He definitely has the talent. He still has three years left to prove himself.”

The post Wildcats freshman Mangano wins state wrestling title appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

Gavin Mangano and Chris Colon simply took care of business and defeated every opponent in their way, finishing the tournament on the top spots of the podium. 

Mangano, fresh off an Eastern States tournament title, took the 131-pound weight class by storm. Nobody even challenged him. In fact, he got more impressive as the so-called tougher opponents took the mat against him. 

“Last year I was just trying to take everyone down,” Mangano said. “I added so much more to my game this year. I’m working from the top, I’m turning them around. I’m in so much more control of the match.”

Mangano pinned Mateo Silva of Center Moriches in 22 seconds, then Johan Montero of Southampton in 19 seconds and, to get into the final, pinned his teammate Shane Hall in just 15 seconds. His finals matchup was against Frank D’Elia of Port Jefferson and Mangano made quick work of him, scoring 15 consecutive points for a technical fall decision.

“Mangano is a generational talent,” SWR head coach Joe Condon said. “You don’t see many wrestlers of his caliber, period. The fact that he’s only a freshman is the part that’s truly impressive. He beats seniors with a laundry list of career accomplishments.”

“I was a little nervous getting out there,” Mangano said. He was seen pacing around before his final bout. “But once I get out there, I just get in the flow and try to get the match over as quickly as possible. I was dead set on winning.”

After falling just one point shy of being a state champion last year, Mangano is laser-focused on getting the job done this year.

“It’s going to be non-stop attacking from me when I go to the states,” he said. “I need to be the one that dictates what happens in the match. I can’t slow down. I plan to get my revenge this year.”

Colon, who faces off against Mangano every day in practice because of their similar weight, paced through the 124-pound weight class with three consecutive pins over Quentin Bausenwein of Mount Sinai, Kyle Hanus of Mattituck and then Kevin Saa Pacheco of Hampton Bays. The senior captain got the three pins in less than four minutes of match time. He was crowned champion with a 12-4 major decision over Aiden Lee of John Glenn.

“That last match definitely wasn’t my best,” Colon said. “I think after I got that early lead, it got in my head a little bit. The better idea would have been to just score the five more points and get him off the mat. Other than that I was very happy with my performance.”

Colon is in his final season as a Wildcat and is looking to finish his time in high school with a bang.

“I made a major change in my mindset coming into this season,” Colon said. “My biggest flaw was my confidence. I have to believe in myself and my abilities. I truly think I am the best 124-pounder in the state. It’s all about realizing that on the way up there and winning every match.”

In the Karl Corpi Scramble tournament in December, he took first place, defeating Mangano and giving his teammate his only loss of the season. But among the victories, winning the state title would trump them all. Last year, Colon finished in fifth place.

“Colon’s had a great year,” Condon said. “He’s ranked fourth in the state. He’s got as good a shot as any to bring home the title.”

“We’ve only had four state champs here at Shoreham,” Colon said. “I even trained with some of the alumni here that were great wrestlers but didn’t win the states. They all told me ‘do what we could not’. I want to differentiate myself from the rest. I want to end my time here at the pinnacle of my game.”

New York State championships will take place at the Times Union Arena in Albany, Feb 24-25.

The post Pair of Wildcats wrestlers secure county crowns appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

Only an eighth grader at the time, Mangano won the league title, then cruised to the Suffolk County crown and had little issue getting to the final match against state champion Darren Florance from BGAH, a high school upstate near Binghamton. Florance, a junior, was the unanimous pick to win the tournament and Mangano, coming into the year, was the unknown, up-and-coming talent. 

Rattled with nerves, Mangano fell behind in the first two rounds of the match, 6-0, before pulling off a comeback in the third and final period. The two wrestlers battled it out as Mangano got on the board with an escape and proceeded to take the champion down two times to make the score 7-5. In a third attempt for a takedown, Florence got credited with an escape before Mangano connected on his final takedown of the match to make the score 8-7. Mangano went for the pin to win the match in the waning seconds but time eventually ran out. One point separated him from being a state champion.

“Losing in the state final still weighs on me a lot,” Mangano said. “To be that close and lose it, makes it that much harder. I really wanted to be the state champion last year but, hey the good thing is I got another shot at it this year.”

“For him to be in that match as an eighth grader shows what kind of talent this kid is,” SWR head coach Joe Condon said. “He lives for wrestling. He was heartbroken after that loss. But he’ll be back there again. He’s only getting better and more efficient.”

Mangano, now a freshman sporting a remarkable 101-3 career match record, grew a few inches and sports a bigger, much stronger build. He’s the new guy again — not to the scene but to a new weight class. During the season Mangano wrestled at 131 pounds, but more recently he entered the 124-pound bracket in the Eastern States Classic on Jan. 13 and brought home his second straight title in the event after defeating Northport senior Matt Marlow via a 7-3 decision. The Eastern State Classic is one of the most reputable tournaments in all of the Northeast. The two-day event, hosted at Sullivan County Community College, features wrestlers from seven states. Mangano was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament.

With two Eastern State titles in hand, Mangano has his sights set on climbing the podium again in the state tournament. This time, with the gold medal. 

“I’ve been doing a lot more strength training,” Mangano said. “I wasn’t really working out last year. I’ve been working to improve my strength and my top and bottom skills. In the offseason, I’m practicing at least six days a week to get better.”

Where most top athletes in the high school ranks play multiple sports, Mangano focuses solely on his one true love from a young age: wrestling. 

“I love the feeling of winning,” he said. “I love the fact that it’s one-on-one. When you win a big match, there’s no feeling like it. I want that moment. I crave that moment.”

Before Mangano gets another shot at that New York State title, he’ll have to get through the league championships (Feb. 3) and then the Division II Suffolk County championships (Feb. 9). The New York State tournament will take place Feb. 23 and 24. 

Hopefully it ends with a Shoreham-Wading River freshman’s hand raised in the air. 

The post SWR freshman sets sights on state wrestling crown appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

Mangano, who was 49-0 this season coming into the finals, was up against the only wrestler who defeated him last year, Darren Florance, a junior hailing from BGAH high school upstate near Binghamton. Florance was the state champion at 102-pounds last year.

“I was definitely nervous to wrestle him,” said Mangano, who had made quick work of every opponent he faced this year. “And it showed in the match.”

This was Mangano’s first experience wrestling in the New York State championships. Last year, he was unable to participate with a wrist injury. He was determined to get revenge for his only loss and win the state title. And in the first three matches of the tournament, he was poised to do just that: Mangano didn’t concede a single point. 

But experience reigned supreme in the final as Florance jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first two periods of the match.

“He caught me off-guard and put me on my back for 4 points,” Mangano said. “I knew I had to get something going. It was now or never.”

In the third period, Mangano shook off his nervousness and started to put on a show. He escaped Florance’s grasp for 1 point and then proceeded to cut the lead to 7-5. As he closed the gap, the crowd of more than 1,000 spectators rose, cheering on his comeback bid. Just as the momentum seemed to shift, Florance discovered his shoelace became untied and the match was halted by the referee.

“That definitely worked in his favor,” Mangano said. “He was able to catch his breath. I was putting pressure on him and finally becoming more offensive and scoring points.”

An escape by Florance pushed the score to 8-5 before Mangano completed a takedown to make it, 8-7. Mangano was on the brink of securing victory. He attempted a pin in the final seconds but ultimately ran out of time. 

“Down 6-0 most people will just give up in the spotlight in the state championship,” SWR head coach Joe Condon said. “Not this kid. He came roaring back. Got three takedowns in the third period. He just ran out of time. It’s as simple as that.”

“You have to be offensive. You can’t just back up from the kid at the match.”

“I’ve always been a defensive wrestler,” said Mangano, reflecting on the match the next day. “This year I started realizing I can just go straight to my offense. Just took me too long to get to my offense in the finals.”

Mangano has the heart of a champion; second place simply isn’t good enough for him. He was visibly distraught after the match, being so close to winning. But he will be back — he hasn’t even graced the halls of Shoreham-Wading River High School as a student, yet a picture of him winning the county championship already hangs in the trophy case. More titles are sure to follow.

“He’s a standout,” Condon said. “It’s rare for someone at his age to be able to wrestle at the highest level. He’s beyond his years in terms of experience, ability, conditioning and confidence.”

The post Wrestling: Shoreham-Wading River 8th grader places second in state championships appeared first on Riverhead News Review.