SYRACUSE – Over the weekend, Norwich competed in the inaugural NYS Dual Wrestling tournament, representing Section IV after winning at Tioga a week prior at the Section IV Dual Championship tournament.

With a total of 12 teams wrestling for the Division-II dual title, four pools were created with three teams in each. Norwich drew the four seed and landed the pool with Section V Canisteo-Greenwood and Section I Pearl River.

Facing Canisteo-Greenwood first, the fourth-seeded Purple Tornado quickly jumped out to an 18-0 lead.

Starting at 220 pounds, Norwich’s head coach put Brennan Slater on the mat first. Slater pinned his opponent at 3:02 to get the first six point for the Purple. Tyler Rice added the next six as he also won by pin. Rice’s came in just :37. Dante Geislinger got Norwich to 18 points with the third straight pin, his coming in the a minute and half in the second period.

Canisteo-Greenwood won the next three matches by a major decision, a 5-3 decision and a :59 pin.

The rest of the dual back-and-forth between the two teams.

The Tornado’s Mike Squires pinned his opponent in 1:39 and Eli Rodriguez followed with another win, his by way of a 7-1 decision.

At this point in the match, the score was 35-27, in favor of Canisteo-Greenwood.

Norwich’s Keegan Wright gave his team a key win in the 170 match. Wright was trailing Canisteo-Greenwood’s Blake Gilges in the second period. But Wright wrestled hard and waiting for his opportunity. Nearing one minute left in the second, Wright took his shot, pinning his opponent and pulling the Purple within two points.

At 182, the Tornado’s Ty Rifanburg accepted a forfeit, handing Norwich a 39-35 lead heading into the last match of the dual.

Joe Madore needed to avoid the tech fall or a pin for Norwich to win but Canisteo-Greenwood’s Curtis Quick scored the first period pin at 195 to give his team the two point win.

“We lost a tough match and hats off to Canisteo-Greenwood,” said Norwich’s head coach Bob Hagenbuch. “They have a good team and great coaching staff. We have nothing to be ashamed of as we only lost by two points to the team who barely lost in the finals.