New York USA Wrestling

101 (#9): Vitalii Pushnin (Rush-Henrietta-5)---Seeded 9th in the bracket, the 2025 Section 5 Champion compiled a 30-6 record this year and just barely missed making the podium at the Eastern States Classic (quarterfinalist who lost in the blood round)...At one point in that quarterfinal match (against #2 seed/2025 Suffolk titlist, Trevor Patrovich), Pushnin held a 7-0 lead...So there is no questioning that he absolutely has the talent to pull off multiple upsets!!!

101 (#6): Jon Tutku (Massapequa-8)---Sitting on the #6 line of the bracket; the Chief youngster comes into his South Pearl Street debut undefeated at this weight class (46-1 overall) with several qualities dubs including an 11-5 decision up at 108 over returning State 4th/#6 seed at 108, Vincent Orandello!....Possessing an extremely decorated youth resume on the national level; Tutku is no stranger to big matches; and thus, the moment will not be too big for him!

108 (#15): Connor Sheridan (Hauppauge-11)---We featured him yesterday as part of our "Last Chance" segment; and the sentiments of 24 hours ago still apply!!!....Seeded 15th in the bracket after finishing as the S11 runner-up last week; no matter what number is next to his name; you can  never forget that this is a 2x returning All-State performer (2023 runner-up), as well as a 2024 NHSCA National silver medalist with an NCAA DI commitment on his vitae...Don't be surprised if you see him get on a run!

124 (#13): Richard King (Clarke-8)---As the saying goes; "Never screw with someone on a winning streak"...Needing to win four straight consolation matches in order to earn the berth to Albany for a second straight season; King had a refuse to lose mentality, as he battled back from a deficit in the semifinals and then pinned returning State 7th, Greg Walpole, in the 3rd-place match...The kid is a fighter, as he showed at the onset of the regular season when he pushed 2023 NYSPHSAA State Champion/2024 Fargo Junior FS National Champion, Dunia Sibomana-Rodriguez (#1 seed at 116) to the brink before getting pinned late...The road is not an easy one; but until someone beats him in a "must-have" match in February; we see no harm in rolling the dice on a 13th-seeded underdog!

131 (#11): Matthew Mercado (Newburgh-9)---Seeded 11th in the bracket despite being a returning NYSPHSAA 8th; the Goldback senior is a lot better than his already impressive 41-5 record suggests...Three of these losses coming at the hands of #1 seed/2x Defending State gold medalist, Luke Satriano; Mercado is on the opposite side of the bracket and would not have to worry about seeing his rival [Satriano] until Saturday night!...

145 (#7): Jonathan Fox (MacArthur-8)---A multiple-time NYS Qualifier for the Generals; the 2025 Nassau County Champion is sporting a 36-3 record as a #7 seed and has no bad losses on his resume...He will rely on that "Strong Island" senior experience in an attempt to pull an upset or two... 

170 (#13): Jonathan Hoffman (Kellenberg Memorial-C)----Battling injuries during the midst of his senior year; the Firebird only logged 25 appearances this season; but he prevailed in each and every one of them, including knocking off a former state placer, Paolo Ciatto, in the Catholic State finale...Jumping onto our radar as a junior when he upended eventual NYS DI bronze medalist, Gage LaPlante, en route to earning Bronze at the 2024 ESC; Hoffman is being immensely underrated talent and it would not surprise us at all to see him advance to the championship round of 4!

190 (#13): Hunter LaVigne (Horseheads-4)---An individual that NY-USAW has had ranked highly all season; the now three-time Sectional Champion/NYS Qualifier out of Section 4 is primed to connect all the dots and defy some odds as a #13 seed....3 of his 4 total losses this season (31-4) coming up at 215 pounds; the only occasion in which he was bested at his natural weight was when he dropped a bout to 2025 CHSAA Champion/#3 seed Josh Jorgge...And given that Jorgge just took out the #1 ranked wrestler in NYS; we feel LaVigne deserves a pass for that "L"...

215 (#6): Michael Mauro (John Jay-EFK-1)----Seeded 6th in the bracket; the returning NYSPHSAA 6th-place performer from a season ago has only sustained in-state losses this season (31-4) to the #1 (Alex Berisha), #2 (Chris Leggett), and #4 (Jacob DeJesus) seeded competitors in the bracket....A surprise semifinalist in 2024; he punched his ticket to the championship round of 4 as a #13 seed; so there is a precedent for him pulling out clutch quarterfinal displays!

285 (#5): Christopher Belmonte (New Hartford-SV-UP-3)---Admittedly the least of our "Out on the limb" predictions; there is no doubting that had he not spent almost the entirety of his junior campaign (6-1) on the sidelines getting healthy; the preseason #1 ranked/returning State Bronze medalist was likely to have been a top-3 seed....A multiple-time NHSCA All-American/2023 National runner-up to go along with his aforementioned success last year in Albany; as the #5 seed, Belmonte is technically regarded as the underdog in his quarterfinal match....But he has already shown himself capable of not only being in the semis; but walking away with the whole smash on Saturday night!!...In limited action; his only blemish was an UTB loss in the S3 finals to #2 seed/2024 State 5th, Kamdyn Dorchester! 

108 (#9): Colton Schmiesing (Oyster Bay-8)---While we have no intention of habitually picking against top-seeded/top-ranked personnel [Mason Tanner]; The case of the Oyster Bay freshman is unique in that he himself is a returning State placer, having finished 8th in 2024....Accruing a record of 33-3 this season; the son of the multiple NCAA DI All-American for Hofstra [Eric] has not dropped a single outing a fellow DII opponent in 2024-2025.  Thus, we feel he is entering as an undervalued talent....We are not stating emphatically that Schmiesing will upend Tanner; but rather merely suggesting that the possibility is feasible!

108 (#6): Peter Filli (Ichabod Crane-2)---An individual that we remain very high on despite his loss in the S2 finals; Filli is a returning State qualifier and made serious noise last month when he finished 6th at the Eastern States Classic....He heads into Albany having registered a 43-5 record with three of those losses sustained against 2024 DI state medalists; and an additional loss coming versus 2025 DI #3 seed, Bronco Campsey...Suffice to say; he is better than the W/L column indicates!!

116 (#5): Reece Senske (Medina-6)---A top-8 finish under the roof of MVP Arena already on his resume; the 2025 Section 6 runner-up suffered two of his four losses (29-4) to Barrientos who he could not see until the finals...He is battle-tested and proven in this environment!

116 (#6): Derek Walseman (Beaver River-3)---A seasoned senior veteran who took 5th at this event in 2024; the Beaver student-athlete went 33-4 this season with his only loss to a DII nemesis being to #2 seed Jaron Barrientos who he would not see until the semifinals...

124 (#7): Carmine Calimeri (Southwestern-6)----Similar to our commentary on the 108 bracket; we are not being so bold as to confidently state that the 2025 S6 runner-up is about to dominate the returning State runner-up [Brock Frederick]....We are acknowledging that given Calimeri's resume as a past two-time State placer (3rd in '24); this is a very dangerous head-to-head match-up for Frederick (who is still favored; but needs to wrestle well)!!!...The 18-8 loss he suffered in the S6 finals a little concerning; we are betting on Calimeri to bounce back and if nothing else; exceed his #7 seed!

152 (#6): Gabe English (Berne Knox Westerlo-2)---Possessing a resume that is impossible to overlook; English is not only a returning 2x State placer; he is also a former (2022) NYSPHSAA State runner-up, which makes him a pretty damn scary draw for ANYONE on day #1....Bouncing around anywhere from 145 (8th at the 2025 ESC) to 160; English settled at 152 for the postseason and thus far has bonus-pointed his through every qualifying tournament bout...Assembling a 31-4 record this season; all of his imperfections were to either fellow state placers and/or top-3 seeds this weekend!!

170 (#5): Noah Leitten (Perry)---Not marked with a single bad loss this season (twice to #1 seed/2023 State runner-up, Tavyn MacDonnell), Leitten has been a victor in 43 of his 46 trips to the mat this year...And more importantly, having already taken 4th in '24; he has the knowledge of what it takes to get the job done....

215 (#5): Gabe Soundararaj (Windsor-4)----6th at the NYS DII tournament in 2024; the Black Knight senior suffered the bulk of his losses (28-9) while competing up at 285 pounds...To reach the semifinals, it will likely involve him winning a rubber match against first-time State Qualifier, Griffin McQuade (Maine-Endwell)...During their first meeting, it was Soundararaj getting the dub by way of fall; but McQuade was able to even the score when he claimed the S4 crown behind a 7-3 decision....A toss-up on paper; we are going with out gut and entrusting the elder Binghamton area representative to rebound when it matters most!!

215 (#10) Aidan LeStrange (Wayne-5)----A top-3 ranked wrestler in our most recent Small School polls; we are not sure what more the senior out of S5 could have done to secure a more promising seed...However, all his low seed does is given him reason to wrestle with a chip on his shoulder and motivation to dish out full plates of crow.....Sporting a 40-1 record in his swan song (only loss to DI State Qualifier, Bryce Dadey); a triumph over #2 seed/S6 titlist, Chris Howatt, would go a long way in garnering him the respect he deserves!!

107 (#5): Katie Porcelli (Bay Shore-11)----The person we would have picked to WIN IT ALL had nationally-ranked Charlie Wylie not cut down to this bracket; Porcelli brings a perfect 27-0 resume with her to the mats on Thursday and is going to be a tough out for anyone who's initials are not CW!!!....Hailing from a wrestling family, the Porcelli name is legendary on Long Island; and in the coming years; we very much expect to see her on the top of the podium!!

107 (#6): Lexus Bonnie (Phoenix-3)---4th a season ago at the 2nd Annual Girls State Invitational, the Firebird sophomore has amassed a 22-2 record this season with wins at prominent events such as the Frosty Freestyle Festival and the Queen Bee...

114 (#5): Gabriella Barone (Niagara Wheatfield-6)---A 2x Defending Girls Invitational State Champion; the Falcon is the furthest thing from your typical #5 seed...In fact, if she was not on the same side of the bracket as super senior, Teegan Sibble; we very much would have projected her as advancing to the 'ship for a third consecutive campaign...28-2 this season; it will be difficult for to pull of the three-peat because of the presence of Ms. Sibble; but we still expect her see her notch another high placement!!

114 (#6) Gabi Severin (Bethpage-8)---A definitive quarterfinal that we have circled in bright marker will be the clash of returning state medalists as the sixth-seeded Severin was a Girls Invitational bridesmaid last year; but just to make it the championship round of 4; she will need to tangle with and topple 2x State Bronze winner, Isabella Phelps!!

126 (#7): Caitlin Maragioglio (Bellport-11)---Another "worth the price of admission" bout that will go down earlier than it should; the 2024 Girls State 4th Clipper will have the MVP Arena crowd on "Upset Watch" when she squares off against 2x State placer/2023 Queen, Sara Pauls, in the quarterfinals!

185 (#7): Charleigh Eick (Bethlehem Central-2)----Her overall record of 22-9 not necessarily standing out; by our own admission; Eick was not a name we had on our radar prior to Sectional Championship weekend...However, her victory over defending Girls State Champion, Elle Hutton, en route to a silver medal showing at the S2 tournament instantly elevated her to the "Watchlist"!!!

235 (#5): Naomi Gonzalez (Valley Stream North-8)---His seed something of a head-scratcher given her resume; the Long Islander has placed in each of her two previous trips to Girls' State meets, including being the runner-up in 2023....A victor in 12 of 13 appearances in 2024-2025, she claimed the Section VIII crown when she bested the ESC Champion, Mia Flores

235 (#6): Mia Flores (MacArthur-8)---Speaking of the the Women's Champion at the 2025 Eastern States Classic; Flores already owns a head-to-head win this season (in the ESC finals) against her quarterfinal opponent/returning State 3rd, Patricia Deslandes....A showdown that despite the previous result, we categorize as a "toss-up"; a win over the Minisink Valley senior (who we highlighted yesterday as part of the "last chance" piece) would be quite the feather in the cap of the Generals' sophomore!

235 (#7): Norma Avila (Middletown-9)---Adding further credence as to why 235 might be the signature bracket on Thursday; the representative from Middletown can never be counted out...Not competing in Syracuse last year; in advance of Deslandes earning bronze; it was Avila beating her for the 2024 S9 hardware....Sitting with a 12-4 resume with no bad losses; we have a hunch that she has some  magic in back pocket and could threaten to make a run for the main event!