From the first wrestling practice in November to today, the start of the state wrestling tournament, Norwich sophomore Tristan Rifanburg has retained a singular focus:  To win another state wrestling title.

The only Purple Tornado grappler to ever stand atop the podium in state tournament competition, Rifanburg is coming off a sixth-place finish at last year’s tourney. That followed a title as a seventh-grader and a runner-up finish two years ago as an eighth-grader. “He was not happy at all about where he finished last year,” said Norwich head coach Joe Downey. “He didn’t wrestle well, he had a bad tournament, and he made a couple of mistakes.”

Rifanburg struggled to make his most ideal weight last year, and bumped up a weight class toward the end of the season. Buoyed by a third straight section title, Rifanburg was prime for another state tournament run. Unfortunately, he was derailed losing three matches to place sixth. To make a comparison, it was an equivalent number of losses for Rifanburg his first two seasons in a Tornado singlet.

Rifanburg stayed disciplined with his weight this season, and after impressive showings at 138 pounds, raised the bar another notch when he dropped to 132. Aside from a couple of matches at the Eastern States Classic, he has yet to be tested for six minutes, and he enters the Division II state tournament at Albany’s Times Union Center as Chenango County’s only unbeaten wrestler. “He’s been on mission, and he hasn’t taken one day off since the season started,” Downey said. “He’s ready to win another state title.”