New York USA Wrestling

"There's No Cooking Better Than Home Cooking"....

Such was the sentiments around the campfire on the campus of West Point when it was learned that the Black Knights had won the lottery to secure the services of #2 overall 2026 in-state big boarder/2x Defending NYSPHSAA DI State titlist, Cooper Merli....

Ever the consummate class act, after coming to a decision late last week, the gentleman who has put the "gold" in "Goldback" [as in Newburgh Free Academy] the past two seasons held off on making the official announcement until Sunday evening so that he could properly inform and extend his gratitude to the other programs that had actively courted him!!

Matching former Homer standout/3x State Champion, Sam Sorenson (class of '23) as the highest rated Empire Stater to choose the United States' Military Academy since the introduction of the grade rankings system, the consensus among pundits was that Merli's long-term affiliation/connections to the school through regular training at the West Point Wrestling Club (WPWC) had enabled them to emerge as the silent leaders during the majority of the recruiting process!!!

Only a high school junior and already the most accomplished wrestler in NFA history [the victory in the 108-pound finale last year made him the first multiple-time NYS titlist on Fullerton Ave.), Merli has accrued a 133-13 record while adding three Sectional finals appearances (two crowns), as well as back-to-back trips to the finals of the Eastern States Classic (2023 champ) to his scholastic resume!!

Winning no fewer than 35 matches in any of his three varsity seasons thus far, as an undersized "diaper dandy" Merli rounded out a 35-6 8th grade campaign when he knocked off Marco Futia (2024 DI State 4th for Wallkill) in a true-2nd match at the S9 tournament to punch his ticket to Albany; and then proceeded to go 1-2 in a loaded 102-pound bracket with the lone victory coming over 2023 NYS 4th, Vincent Graulau (Mohonasen)...Respectable defeats were delivered by the eventual 2nd and 5th-place performers from that year---Ryan Ferrara (Chenango Forks; 2x State placer/2022 runner-up; 2024 Fargo 16U GR AA) & Ballston Spa's Ralph Keeney (3x State placer/3rd in '24)

Shifting from the role of "hunter" to "hunted" after growing into a true 102 pounder as a freshman, Merli registered what was perhaps his finest season to date in 2022-2023, as he'd rack up a 48-3 record, highlighted by regular season tourney triumphs at the Mid-Hudson and the ESC... 

At the first of the two events, he'd upend 2024 DI State runner-up, EJ Vass, of Valley Central & 2x State 5th/2024 NHSCA Freshman National Champion, Anthony LaGala-Ryan, of Longwood in the quarters and finals)...Also received a walkover semifinal victory against NFA teammate, William Soto (2x State medalist/2024 Champion; 2024 U15 Pam-American double finalist/FS gold; 2024 Fargo 16U FS AA)!!

In Loch Sheldrake, he picked up dubs over the likes of 2x State placer/2024 NHSCA MS National titlist, Ethan Andreula, of Long Beach; 2024 State 6th, Cullen Edwards of then Frontier/now at St. Francis; and Hauppauge's 2x state placer/2024 NHSCA Junior National runner-up, Connor Sheridan) down the stretch to hoist individual hardware at the Eastern States..

His attention turning to postseason, victories by scores of 11-4 and 3-2 versus Futia and Soto yielded Merli his first career Sectional brass ring...

Reaching the 2023 Saturday night main event on South Pearl Street behind 6-3, 18-4, and 7-0 conquests of Trevor DellaPenta (Eden; 2023 State 8th), Graulau, and Carthage's Ryan Munn (2023 State 6th). Merli earned Newburgh's first state gold on the mats in 50+ years (Al Favata @138 pounds in 1968) when up 6-4, he's solidify the prize when he notched his second TD of the bout in the last 40 ticks of regulation en route to an 8-4 decision over Sheridan!     

The owner of a 50-4 sheet as a sophomore (2023-2024), regular season glory may not have been as prevalent as the prior year for Merli; but he still succeeded in doing banner work in the lead-up to his third straight MVP Arena appearance...

A blood rounder at the Beast of the East, not to mention the runner-up at ESC, just a sample of the marquee wins he collected included Ben Mann (2024 New Hampshire Meet of Champions title), Tommy Boyce (2024 PIAA State 3rd), Gino Manta (2024 NYS 7th), and Sheridan!!

February 2024 would be a month of "repeats" for the lightweight extraordinaire, as a 10-0 blanking of Futia delivered him his second S9 title; but he had his sights set on a much grander goal...

Perceived as something of an underdog despite being a reigning state king and/or #2 seed in the 108-pound bracket, after winning a 13-6 decision in the round of 16 over 2024 SIII titlist/2024 NHSCA MS AA, Kymah Gummow (Indian River), Merli was pushed to the limit, but prevailed, 3-2, in the tiebreaker over Manta.,,

A 5-0 shutout (takedowns in each of the first two periods) over Edwards on Saturday morning put Merli back into the NYS finals and set the stage for what became his "calling-card" later that evening....

Squaring off with current #1 2026 Big Boarder, Dunia Sibomana-Rodriguez (3x State medalist/2x fnalist/2022 champion; 2024 Double Junior AA/FS National Champion; 2024 NHSCA AA) of Long Beach in the next installment of a rivalry that had previously been controlled by the Nassau/Section 8 rep (including 9-2 in the '24 ESC title bout), Merli picked the ideal occasion to get revenge, as it was an escape :33 into the 3rd period that proved to be the difference-maker in claiming the 1-0 decision!!!

A youth phenom who was a NHSCA Middle School Division National runner-up twice; Merli has not quite found his way back to the podium on the national stage since entering high school; but that not does not mean he is not battle-tested and proven...

In outings to the 2023 NHSCA Nationals, 2023 Super 32, and Fargo (2023 & 2024), he has gotten the better end of exchanges with the following:  Elijah Collick (2x Maryland State Champion; 2024 NHSCA 7th), Samuel Wolford (2024 PIAA 4th), Montero Royal (2024 South Carolina State Champion; 2024 Fargo 16U GR National runner-up), Max Tancini (2x PIAA placer), Dylan Munson (2x Iowa placer), & Maddox Garbis (2x Illinois place-winner)...

He recently was the author of a 3-1 story at 2024 Elite 8/Dirty South Duals, where he was triumphant over Dom Morrison (2024 PIAA State Champion/JFC Champion), Kole Davidheiser (2023 PIAA 5th; 2024 NHSCA Bronze), and Alabama's Will Atkinson (2024 Alabama State 4th; 4x NHSCA MS AA; 2024 Fargo 16U GR 5th)!!!

Surviving a late, but very valiant push from the University of Buffalo; in the end, the USMA beat out additional suitors such as Bucknell, UPenn, and the University of Virginia to land the hometown kid!!

The acquisition of the New Yorker culminated what was a prosperous week addressing the bookends on the 2026 recruiting trail for Coach Kevin Ward and company...

Days earlier, it was FloWrestling #44 national recruit/#110 by MatScouts, Garett Kawczynski (2x Wisconsin medalist/2024 runner-up; 2023 Double. Fargo 16U AA/3rd in FS; 2023 USAW Folk National Champ)  giving a verbal to the Black Knights to be a future 285 option...

Vowed to restore the local NY spirit to the Academy when he accepted a position on staff in Summer 2021, Associate HC, Scott Green, is nothing but a man of his word...

When you factor in Merli; it makes it seven prominent locals either currently on roster or in the pipeline!!!

2023

-Sam Sorenson (Homer)---4x State medalist/3x Champ; 2x NHSCA AA/2021 National runner-up; 2022 Fargo Junior GR 4th

-Tristen Hitchcock (Warrensburg/Lake George)---2x State finalist/2022 DII Champion; 2x NHSCA National runner-up
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2024

-*Owen Hicks (FFJ/NYMA)---2x NYS DII medalist/2023 State runner-up; 2x Fargo GR All-American

-Casper Stewart (Attica-Batavia)---4x NYS DI placer/2024 Champion; 3x Fargo All-American; 2022 NHSCA 7th

-Gage LaPlante (St. Francis)---2x NYS DI placer; 2023 NHSCA 5th
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2025

*Jordan Joslyn (CLWP/NYMA)---2x NYS DII placer/2023 Champion; 2023 NHSCA Bronze medalist

*=Reclassified graduating year by electing to do a PG at New York Military Academy

COOPER MERLI CHEAT SHEET:

*2nd Overall Junior prospect on the NY-USAW Big Board (2026)

*Career Record of 133-13

*2x Defending NYSPHSAA DI State Champion

*3x Section 9 finalist/2x Defending titlist

*2x Eastern States Classic finalist/2023 Champion