BINGHAMTON - The long wait is over for Norwich sophomore Frankie Garcia. In his third try, the Tornado wrestler captured his first Section IV wrestling title, Saturday evening at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena.
Garcia was one of six area wrestlers to claim sectional championships. Garcia’s teammate, Tristan Rifanburg, won his fourth straight crown; B-G/Afton landed a pair of titleists in Chris Cirigliano and Mark Viviano; while the Greene twosome of Mike Beckwith and Christian Dietrich led their team to the Division II title with championship wins.
Garcia lost in the finals after his seventh- and eighth-grade years. This time around, he needed to avenge a 7-0 loss to Jordan Torbitt, one suffered in the Class B finals a week ago.
“I knew I couldn’t get under him, he’s really strong, and I’m a pretty small 145-pounder,” Garcia said.
Unlike his previous two finals losses, Garcia gained the early edge. He went to his go-to move, a single-leg high crotch that earned him two points with 20 seconds left in the first period. Torbitt earned an escape in the second period, but from the top position in the third, had no luck in scoring on Garcia in a 2-1 final.
“This is just awesome for Frankie,” said Norwich coach Joe Downey. “We’ve been waiting for him to win it every year...he just works so hard and he’s such a good kid on and off the mat. It’s a very deserving win.”
Other than a post-match hug with Downey, Garcia did little celebrating after the match. “The season’s not over yet,” Garcia said. “I’ll be pumping my fists at states.”
Rifanburg’s fourth title, this one at 132 pounds, tied him with his head coach for the most Section IV wrestling titles by a Norwich wrestler. The sophomore did not allow a point in the tournament with three pins inside of a minute and a technical fall. After a takedown of B-G/Afton’s Jesse Griswold, Rifanburg wasted little time turning the Bears wrestler for the pin in 51 seconds.
“I didn’t have such a good tournament at states last year,” Rifanburg said. “I feel really good at 132 this year. I’m more determined and going after it.”
Greene’s Mike Beckwith (160) won his third sectional title in four years edging Unatego’s Leland Slawson, 1-0. Beckwith played the role of aggressor for two periods, but his lone point came on a second-period escape. Beckwith held down Slawson in the third to cinch the victory. “It’s the fourth time those two have wrestled, and they know each other well,” said Greene coach Tim Jenks. “He was a little winded, but he got himself together and was able to ride (Slawson) out.”
Like Rifanburg, Dietrich (170) finished all of his matches inside the six-minute distance for his second Section IV title. After missing last season due to injury, Dietrich got better with every match, and finished with a 22-second pin of Watkins Glen’s Josh Burge. Dietrich secured a takedown seconds into the period, and powered his way to a brief, but impressive win.
“I think the year off made (Christian) even hungrier,” Jenks said. “He’s just in phenomenal shape, and he has a dream to win at states this year. He has that potential, but we still have two weeks to go.”
Cirigliano (106) and Viviano each won their first Section IV titles. Cirigliano, just a freshman, won a title in his first varsity season. After playing basketball the previous two years, Cirigliano has gotten better and better as the season has wore on. In the semifinals, he avenged a pinfall loss to Deposit/Hancock’s Brandon Macumber with a pin of his own. To win the title, he controlled number one seed Joe Rorick throughout picking up a 9-2 decision. “(The wrestling) has been coming back to him quick,” said B-G/Afton coach Brandon MacNaught. “If he keeps progressing like this, who knows what will happen at states?”
Viviano, a finalist a season ago as a junior, had no speed bumps en route to his crown. After getting a takedown against Whitney Point’s Andrew Barnhart, Viviano finished off the title with a pin in 58 seconds. “I think everyone has to battle nerves their first time in the finals,” MacNaught said. “I remember being a nervous wreck the first time I made the finals. Mark was better prepared this year, and he’s a real fast starter.”
For Oxford, Nate Hansen (99) led his club with a runner-up finish, while older brother Nik Hansen (152) took third and Joe Nelson (113) was fourth. Unadilla Valley’s Richie Conklin (285) was fourth and Alex Avolio (195) added a sixth.
The six local champions advance to the state championships Feb. 22-23 at Times Union Arena in Albany. Wild-card selections to the state tourney will be selected later this week.
Division II Results
Team Scores: Greene 127, Unatego 105.5, 3. Bainbridge-Guilford/Afton 103, Oxford 100.5, Windsor 90, Whitney Point 81, Sidney 78.5, Tioga 77 .5, Deposit-Hancock 76.5, Norwich 67, Watkins Glen 65, Maine-Endwell 61.5, Waverly 60.5, . Lansing 56.5, Susquehanna Valley 47.5, . Walton 47, Chenango Valley 46.5, Odessa-Montour 44, Owego 39, Marathon 33, Candor 30, . Unadilla Valley 25, Groton 22, Delhi 19, Oneonta 18, Trumansburg 16.5, Harpursville 11, Spencer-Van Etten 10, Dryden 6, Moravia 3.5.
Finals
99: Dean Raymond (Deposit-Hancock) dec. Nate Hansen (Oxford), 8-0.
106: Chris Cirigliano (Bainbridge-Guilford) dec. Joe Rorick (OM), 9-2.
113: Dylan Wood (Walton) dec. Logan Robinson (Walton), 5-2.
