HORSEHEADS – History was made this past weekend in Horseheads. Despite bringing home the most individual champions from any team at the 2017 STAC championships – Norwich was unable to sneak any closer to Horseheads for the team win, as the host team was able to secure the first ever STAC championship as a team in school history.
Taking home six individual champions – with one repeat champion in Ty Rifanburg at 145 pounds – Norwich secured a solid finish to the weekend as they slid their way into a tie with Elmira for third place as a team at 170.5 points.
Horseheads would advance to wrestlers to the finals round, however, would suffer two losses – therefore merely holding off Vestal by 6.5 points for the win. Vestal would take second place with a score of 189.5 team points to Horseheads 196 – as they brought home a pair of champions in Derek Osman at 138 pounds and Jordan Favela at 220 pounds.
Norwich's tournament-high six champions was rivaled by none in their show of dominance on the weekend. Norwich saw first place finishes from: Dante Geislinger at 99 pounds, Mikey Squires at 106 pounds, Eli Rodriguez at 113 pounds, Ty Rifanburg at 145 pounds, Cole Rifanburg at 152 pounds, and Brennan Slater at 182 pounds.
“Going six for six in the finals is just a heck of a job by those young me,” said Norwich head coach Bob Hagenbuch.
Norwich elected to bring a 15 man roster to the STAC tournament, to which eight placed in the tournament – six first place finishes – and perhaps most impressively on the weekend, Eli Rodriguez was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament following his finals win. Norwich saw place finishes – not championship wins – come from Jake Franklin and Nick Glanville. Franklin, who suffered an injury in the semifinals at 170 pounds, and was forced to forfeit due to said injury. Franklin was facing second-seeded Chris Eames of Horseheads at the time of the injury – which caused injury default losses as Franklin took home sixth overall. Glanville battled his way through the wrestle-back rounds to earn himself a respectable fifth place finish with a win over Pettigrew of Vestal by pin at 1:51.
99 pounds: Dante Geislinger emerged on the scene this past weekend, bursting forth from his spot seeded fourth. After earning an easy win in the opening round, followed by a 5-4 win win over Calum Houper of Horseheads in the quarterfinals – Geislinger advanced to face top-seeded Drake Dillie of Elmira.
“Dante 'the ice man' I call him now, was unbelievable this weekend. Won two matches with just seconds left. His semifinal match he was down three points with I think eight seconds left, and was able to hit a reversal and get 2 back points at the buzzer,” said coach Hagenbuch of Dante's win in the finals over top-seeded Dillie. “He avenged an early season loss to Gumble in the finals. It was a mirror score of that match.”
Earlier in the season, Geislinger had suffered a loss to second-seeded Logan Gumble of Chenango Forks – who following the 7-6 last second win over Dillie, Geislinger advanced to face once again. Geislinger went on to defeat Gumble in dominating fashion by a score of 7-0 for a STAC championship at 99 pounds.
106 pounds: Mikey Squires took advantage of his favorable seeding – second-seed – as he saw a first round bye, before destroying Gavin Secoolish of Chenango Forks in the quarterfinals with an 11-0 win. This win in the quarterfinals advanced squires to the semifinals where Squires and Nathan Lehr of Chenango Valley locked horns for a 2-0 match going in favor of Squires.
“Mikey and Eli (Rodriguez) also avenged losses in the finals. Mikey won in overtime, wrestling a very smart match,” said coach Hagenbuch.
With the one and two seed in the bracket advancing to the finals, Squires was looking to correct mistakes from the previous year – in order to defeat one-seeded Chase Daudelin of Corning and earn a STAC championship. Squires did just that with a 5-4 upset victory for his STAC championship at the 106 pounds.
113 pounds: Norwich phenom, Eli Rodriguez, drew enough to gain the number one seed in the tournament – something Rodriguez waisted little time backing up. After advancing due to a bye, and pinning Tayson Evans of Susquehanna Valley at 4:41 in the quarterfinals – Rodriguez saw his first true matchup in Owen Harvey, the fourth seed from Union-Endicott. This true matchup proved to be nothing of the sort, as Rodriguez thrashed Harvey for a 14-5 win to advance to the finals where second-seeded Devin Woodworth of Horseheads awaited.
“Eli's match was a STAC final rematch where his opponent pinned him last year this time he was able to hang on to a 11-9 win,” said coach Hagenbuch.
And he did do just that, Rodriguez – one year removed from being pinned by Woodworth in the finals – was able to maneuver himself to a 11-9 win to avenge his previous loss and claim the 113 pound STAC championship. This revenge win garnered enough praise from the coaching staff, that Rodriguez was named the MOW following the tournament.
